The Bro-Magnet
Grade : B-

This first-person story of one man’s quest to be the groom instead of the best man is not the funniest or cutest book I have read lately, but it has plenty to recommend it, one of which is a lesbian character – something you don’t see often enough in books.

According to his aunt, Johnny Smith caused his mother’s death because he was a boy instead of a girl. Since that day he has been a disappointment to women. Most think he is just a step above a Neanderthal. It is not that he is socially inept, because guys love him. In fact he has been a best man eight times – and he has the speech down to an art - but at age thirty-three he is beginning to wonder when is he going to find that perfect someone.

Although he had dreams of being a lawyer, after college he gave up on those dreams for his father so he could join him in the family paint business. It not that he is unhappy about being a painter, in fact one of his maxims of life is “Paint: It never lets you down”. Still, he is still intrigued by law and knows more than the average layman.

While painting Steve Miller’s dining room for the third time he offers him free advice on how to help his latest client beat his arrest for a burglary; in appreciation Steve invites him to the Yankee’s home opener. Since he is a Mets fan he not really excited about going, but they are eight hundred dollars tickets behind home plate. While there he meets an attractive colleague of Steve’s. He blurts out a request to go out with him, but is shot down. Later Steve provides his colleague's number, telling him that Helen is looking for a painter. After finally working up his nerve he calls and agrees to paint the dining room. On the job site he attempts again to ask her out, and again she says no. But after he leaves, she immediately calls him, asking him to paint another room. And finally after he has painted almost her whole house, she asks him out.

Now Johnny has to transform himself into the type of man who could keep a woman like her interested. Of course, all his friends get into the act with humorous results.

Johnny is a great character with some truly funny lines and gets himself into hilarious situations trying to be the sophisticated debonair man he thinks will win the girl. Some of them are right on the mark, as something a man would truly do or think. Others seem a little contrived and mimic more of the insecurity I associate with women than the bluster I affiliate with men.

The story juxtaposes the concept of trying to be what the other person needs you to be instead of being true to yourself, which is an interesting conflict. However, the hiding of one’s genuine nature went on a little long for me.

While I couldn’t believe all the scenarios, the book made me chuckle and entertained me for several hours. Along with the hero's lesbian best friend, I found it appealing to have a blue collar worker as a hero and found it refreshing that the heroine didn't think less of him for it.

Reviewed by Leigh Davis
Grade : B-

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : January 6, 2012

Publication Date: 2011/12

Recent Comments …

  1. Except for the obvious adult situations, Astrid sounds like she has the maturity of a child with the “no hockey…

Leigh Davis

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