Joseph Earp’s second novel, Painting Portraits of Everyone I’ve Ever Dated, focuses on flawed heroine Ellie, an artist on a mission. On the cusp of turning 30, she’s facing career success, but her love life is empty. So, she embarks on a mission to paint a portrait of every single one of her exes, from a childhood crush to the woman she may (or may not) still be in love with.
Reminiscent of international superstars Emily Henry or Dolly Alderton, Earp has concocted a sharp and funny piece of contemporary fiction. It marries the breeziness of a light-hearted romantic comedy with the heft of a literary examination of a wounded protagonist.
Ellie is a lovable and earnest character. Earp could easily force Ellie into ridiculous decisions for the sake of comedy, but his resistance is a great demonstration of his desire to create something deeper. The novel’s comedy instead comes from a handful of finely drawn characters and Earp’s love for darkness.
Earp’s prose is likely to cause the reader to have several laugh-out-loud moments This extract is a wonderful example:
“I’m going to leave now,” Ellie said.
Uncertainly and ashamedly, like a wounded creature only allowing itself to acknowledge its pain because it was about to die, the room began to applaud.
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Most wonderfully, the novel serves as a fantastic introduction for Joseph Earp, whose tone and skill means he is destined for a long career. Painting Portraits of Everyone I’ve Dated is an immensely enjoyable read, and a remarkable debut.
Painting Portraits of Everyone I’ve Ever Dated, Joseph Earp
Publisher: Pantera Press
ISBN: 9780648619185
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320pp
Release date: 28 May 2025
RRP: $34.99
