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The Understudy

Published
Oct 2005
Main Genre
General Fiction General Fiction
Rating
Pages
368

About This Book

Recently divorced actor Stephen C. McQueen (no relation, unfortunately) seems to have a knack for bad luck. But a failed marriage, a stalled career, a judgmental ex-wife, a distant daughter, a horrid little studio apartment in the far reaches of the London suburbs–all these pathetic elements seem to pale in the chiseled face of his newest tormentor: the Twelfth Sexiest Man in the World, Josh Harper.

Josh is the star of Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, a biographical play about Lord Byron–and Stephen is his understudy. Not only is Josh fantastically, infuriatingly good-looking, internationally renowned, and remarkably talented, he's also frustratingly healthy. No matter how many all-night booze-and-coke benders Josh goes on, he always shows up at the stage door for his call like clockwork. Stephen doubts he'll ever get his chance to slip on the puffy shirt and tight breeches of Byron and tread the boards in the role that would certainly be the break he's always waited for.

And just when Stephen's sure he couldn't resent Josh more, he meets Josh's witty, restless American wife, Nora . . . and discovers he likes her a little too much. Another man might curse his luck at finding that his potential dream woman is a rival's wife, but at this point, Stephen would expect nothing else. Caught between his stirring feelings for Nora, the demands of an insistent and secretive Josh, and his lifelong desire for a real career in show business, Stephen must make a terrible decision: Will it be the girl or the fame?

A hapless, bumbling bloke in love, an arrogant megastar with a potpourri of addictions, a sexy married woman out of her element in the fast lane–David Nicholls brings them all together in this knockout romantic comedy.

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Paperback

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Feb 2007 Villard ISBN13 9780812971415 ISBN10 0812971418
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Jan 2005 Hodder & Stoughton (UK) ISBN13 9780340734889 ISBN10 0340734884
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Sep 2006 Hodder & Stoughton General Division ISBN13 9780340935217 ISBN10 0340935219
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Hardcover

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First Edition Oct 2005 Villard ISBN13 9781400061822 ISBN10 1400061822
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Jan 2005 Hodder & Stoughton (UK) ISBN13 9780340838730 ISBN10 0340838736
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eBook

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Feb 2007 Random House ISBN13 9781588365057 ISBN10 1588365050
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Feb 2007 Villard ISBN10 B000NJL7Q4
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Feb 2007 Hodder & Stoughton (UK) ISBN13 9781848944008 ISBN10 1848944004
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Audio

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Sep 2005 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books ISBN10 B000BID9G8
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Sep 2005 Highbridge Audio ISBN10 B01K3OHT1U
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Oct 2005 Highbridge Audio ISBN13 9781565119871 ISBN10 1565119878
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Mar 2008 Playaway ISBN13 9781605141466 ISBN10 1605141461
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Mar 2008 Highbridge Audio ISBN13 9781605146614 ISBN10 1605146617
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Aug 2012 Whole Story Audiobooks ISBN10 B008VEGYM0
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Large Print

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Hardcover
Apr 2006 Thorndike Press ISBN13 9780786285198 ISBN10 0786285192
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