Quick Synopsis – When Andrew Birnbaum, a struggling actor making ends meet by working in a candle shop, gets invited to have dinner with the exclusive Tuxedo Society by his best friend, Brock, his life takes an unexpected turn. What seems like a group of wealthy socialites gathering for gossip and cocktails quickly spirals into a world of espionage, danger, and hilarity.

Andrew soon meets Reggie O’Malley, a Navy SEAL with a penchant for black tie, who recruits Andrew to join the society’s covert mission to protect national security. Armed with gadgets like an inflatable life raft backpack, a yoga mat that doubles as an assault rifle, and, of course, an AMEX Black Card, Andrew quickly finds himself tackling spies, thwarting assassinations, and facing a host of unexpected threats in settings from the White House to the Vatican to the Summer Olympic Games.

The stakes escalate when Andrew and his comrades are sent on a jet-setting mission to uncover the truth about an ancient artifact. Along the way, they clash with oligarchs, crooked senators, and a smarmy televangelist with sinister plans for world domination.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Don’t Call Me Angel by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana Del Rey

Publication Date – May 26, 2026

Bookshop Link – The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick

Content Notes – This book contains violence, blood, homophobia, people being kicked out of the armed forces for being queer, kidnapping, gun violence, and body shaming. There are also some depictions of fetishes and kink.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – Political thrillers aren’t always my thing, but I do seem to love this queer spy novel. This book was fun and campy. There were too many pop culture references for me. The main character, Andrew, is a gay aspiring actor in his mid-20s. His running internal monologue has a lot of references to pop culture which at times felt a little stereotypical. When Andrew is first introduced to the Tuxedo Society, he doesn’t really feel like he has much to offer. I enjoyed his character arc and how it comes into his own sense of self.

There were a lot of side characters throughout the book, and that made it a little hard to track. The Tuxedo Society is like James Bond, but all queer people. I loved how fun the characters were together, but at times it felt like I needed a cheat sheet to keep track of who was who. Alex himself is a fun character, who really embraces the spy life. There are several times he has to go undercover and its fun getting to see his inner monologue. I could easily see how this could be adapted into a movie or mini-series. I also wouldn’t be surprised if this book is the first of many.

Spy novels aren’t my favorite genre, but I had a good time reading this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.