Never Look Desperate is Sedaris meets Fleabag, a tragi-comedy romance set in Melbourne 2023. It features cremation bling, pineapple underwear, grief and vaccinated cruise ships. The central characters Bernard, Goldie and Minh are everything TED Talks tell you not to be.

The story tackles the absurdity of despair in a recovering world, the liberation from isolation and the wild frontier of middle-aged Tinder.

'Matthews’s voice is funny and wry and heartbreakingly honest. She has empathy for everyone — even those of us who, like Bernard, are a little bit hopeless but not entirely without hope...' — Toni Jordan, author of Addition, Nine Days, Fall Girl

‘Rachel Matthews understands the pleasures of tragi-comedy and knows exactly how to deliver them — the giggle that turns into a sob, the delight that morphs into insight, the black humour that assuages grief. The vulnerabilities of her characters make you want to scold them, scoop them up and tell them you love them.’ — Sian Prior, author of Shy: A memoir and Childless: A Story of Freedom and Longing