Richard Haddon is a British artist living in Paris with his French wife, Anne, and their daughter, Camille. He is having his first solo show in the City of Lights. The good news is that his artwork is selling. The only problem is that it's art he's ashamed of, having concocted it solely for the purpose of selling it. The one piece that means anything to him is the first painting in the series, The Blue Bear, which he created for Anne when she was pregnant. That painting is emotionally significant in their marriage, or at least it once was so. When Richard's gallerist requested he include The Blue Bear in the show, Anne didn't seem to care one way or another.

"I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN HERE WITHOUT YOU is filled with humor, as well as painful yearning. There is much heart in Courtney Maum’s page-turning debut novel, making it a terrifically satisfying and memorable read."

Anne's attitude toward the once-important painting doesn't truly surprise Richard. While they were once crazily in love, they have drifted farther and farther apart, until they are more like roommates than romantic partners. This state of impersonal coexistence was in place even before Richard began his seven-month-long affair with Lisa, an American he met in an art gallery. Lisa writes letters to Richard from London these days, sending them to his gallerist, Julien. The letters are difficult for him to read, or to even understand her reasoning for penning them. After all, she broke up with him, matter-of-factly informing him that she planned to marry a London cutlery designer named David. Now Richard doesn't know how to feel about Lisa. He yearns for her but also almost hates her, partly because she is the one who ended their relationship, even as she demanded he finish whatever has seemingly dulled his soul.

When Richard arrives at Julien's gallery to pick up Lisa's latest letter, Julien has news. The Blue Bear has sold, for quite a big chunk of cash. Richard had been positive that no one would want it. Now Julien tells him that it sold to a man named David, living in London, who wants it for his partner. Richard is instantly sure that his painting just sold to Lisa's fiancé. Even when Julien announces that David's partner is most likely a man, Richard cannot be swayed. Now, though, he must tell Anne the news about the painting he made just for her to celebrate their baby --- and that is a painful task. Richard can tell that she is hurt. When he tries to put his arms around her to comfort her, she stiffens and congratulates him on a successful show. Ouch.

Richard's life slides even further downhill when Julien announces that the buyer of The Blue Bear insists that the artist deliver the painting to him. Of course, to Richard this cinches the deal: somehow, Lisa is involved in the buying of the painting and wants him to come to her. Unfortunately, the date of delivery coincides with Richard's planned vacation with his wife and daughter to Anne's parents' vacation home in Brittany. Julien points out that he can take a simple ferry ride over to deliver the art. When Richard tells Anne, she is angry about the interruption in their holiday, adding to her ever-growing collection of piques. But Richard's miseries are soon to worsen even more drastically.

Richard evolved over the course of his story, transforming from a person for which I felt little sympathy to someone I wholeheartedly empathized with and rooted for. Still, even in the very beginning, when I thought he was a bit of an idiot, the story pulled me in. There was never a time that the plot lagged, taking unexpected twists through this tale of regret, love and art. I AM HAVING SO MUCH FUN HERE WITHOUT YOU is filled with humor, as well as painful yearning. There is much heart in Courtney Maum’s page-turning debut novel, making it a terrifically satisfying and memorable read.