Brian and Arthur's Modern Family

When Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian announced they were expecting their first child, with Brian's sister Aoife acting as their surrogate, it felt like their family dream was finally coming true.

Their daughter, Blake, was born in September 2022, but their happily-ever-after has not been without its troubles. Now Brian and Arthur detail their crazy journeys and the sliding-doors moments that brought them together to create a family of their own.

Following Arthur's journey to escape war-torn Armenia and Brian's path to self-acceptance after being catapulted into the spotlight as a young gay man in the early noughties, and the sudden death of his mother, this is a story of the pain that life can sometimes bring, but ultimately it is a story about love in all its many magical forms. From births to marriages to deaths, and everything in between, this heartfelt memoir brings Arthur and Brian's positive and inspiring attitude to the page.