After staging his own 40th birthday surprise party while disguised as a stranger, a narcissistic pharmaceutical CEO triggers his divorce. Then his brother’s death leaves him four children, a talking parrot and a Great Dane—forcing a man who knows how to run a billion-dollar corporation to learn how to run a family.

SYNOPSIS:

John Pillnerd III has everything except happiness. In the Pillnerd family, turning 40 means becoming Grumpa. His granddaddy was a Grumpa. His daddy was a Grumpa. Now that John is 40, it’s goodbye youth, hello Grumpa.

The narcissistic CEO of Pillnerd Pharmaceuticals organizes his own surprise birthday party and attends disguised as a stranger. When he tears off the mask and shouts, “Surprise—it’s my birthday!” his wife, Tilly, divorces him. His midlife crisis begins with a little red Corvette and karaoke.

Grumpa takes in his father, G2, after discovering him selling reverse mortgages on local television because he needs something to do. Then Grumpa’s brother dies, leaving him four children, a talking parrot and a Great Dane. Reef arrives as the children’s governess, and the Pillnerd mansion becomes a chaotic three-generation household.

Grumpa knows how to run a billion-dollar corporation, but he has no idea how to run a family. As his family grows, so does he. Over a couple of years, Grumpa and Reef slowly fall in love. Their eventual marriage creates a new family—and a whole new set of stories.