Charlie had too much to drink at the office Christmas party and kissed his friend Tom, the man he’s been crushing on for ages.  Now it’s the next morning, and he’s embarrassed and terrified Tom will be angry.  On top of that, he’s not entirely sure what all happened last night.  Has he lost Tom’s friendship forever?

Half of the Other is a cute friends-to-lovers tale featuring the neurotic first-person narration of Charlie.  Most of the time I enjoyed his self-flagellation and embarrassment, but a few times it was over the top and started to irritate me.  The conflict of getting drunk and kissing the wrong person is something most people can relate to, even if they haven’t experienced it themselves, and I couldn’t help sympathizing with poor Charlie.  Affable Tom didn’t help resolve the conflict at first, and misunderstandings flew fast and furious (sometimes with funny results).  Near the end I thought Joanna Kells heaped a bit too much trauma on Charlie and Tom, making the story almost farcical, but overall Half of the Other is a quick, light read.  It’s not deep, but it’s fun.