Title: THE BRO-MAGNET Publisher: TKA Distribution Pub Date: December 12, 2011 ISBN: 9781937776244 Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted Women have been known to lament, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." For Johnny Smith, the problem is, "Always a Best Man, never a groom." At age 33, housepainter Johnny has been Best Man eight times. The ultimate man's man, Johnny loves the Mets, the Jets, his weekly poker game, and the hula girl lamp that hangs over his basement pool table. Johnny has the instant affection of nearly every man he meets, but one thing he doesn't have is a woman to share his life with, and he wants that desperately. When Johnny meets District Attorney Helen Troy, he decides to renounce his bro-magnet ways in order to impress her. With the aid and advice of his friends and family, soon he's transforming his wardrobe, buying throw pillows, ditching the hula girl lamp, getting a cat and even changing his name to the more mature-sounding John. And through it all, he's pretending to have no interest in sports, which Helen claims to abhor. As things heat up with Helen, the questions arise: Will Johnny finally get the girl? And, if he's successful in that pursuit, who will he be now that he's no longer really himself? THE BRO-MAGNET is a rollicking comedic novel about what one man is willing to give up for the sake of love. |
Bro-Magnet is like a chic-lit, except it's from a man's POV. I don't normally read chic-lit book but I found The Bro-Magnet is very interesting. It's like reading Johnny telling his very own story on how doom he is when come to woman. The narration surprisingly is not boring at all. Despite his tone of self deprecation, but his wicked sense of humour made him quite a likeable character. Throughout all these years, he has no luck with any woman. He attracts men easily, but not women. The only woman that likes him and stick around him is a lesbian. His buddies are getting married one by one and he desperately wants someone in his life too. He decided to make some changes, doing things that he has not thought of doing before this, and hiding his real self in order to impress his date. In another word, he's faking himself. But will that really make the relationship works?
My favorite quote from the book -
It's like you're erasing the real you and replacing it with someone entirely different all to impress one person. What happens if it doesn't work out? Do you get rid of the throw pillows and put the hula girl chandelier back up? Or what if it does work out - do you go on being someone who's not really you for the rest of your life?
How true it is. And how do Johnny know if his date is showing her true self, or also acting like him, hiding her true self from him?
The Bro-Magnet is an easy and relaxing read, and fun too. Despite his bad luck with women, Johnny actually has a very good heart and treats his friends and family very well. It's not just about romance, it's a story about friendship and family too. I enjoy reading it very much.
I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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