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Solo una bozza
Lo scrittore Logan Brandish è più che soddisfatto della vita che conduce nel paesino dove vive insieme alla sua migliore amica, al suo gatto e al suo ragazzo. Almeno fino a quando non incontra il suo nuovo editor, il bellissimo Brock Kimble, che fa letteralmente volare la sua quieta esistenza fuori dalla finestra. Trovandosi per la prima volta di fronte alla vera passione, Logan perde lucidità e compostezza e in breve tempo sia la sua vita che il manoscritto al quale sta lavorando vanno in frantumi.
Ma, come Logan imparerà molto presto, non si può avere tutto quello che si desidera… o almeno non subito. Nel tentativo di fare chiarezza dentro di sé, Logan intraprende allora un viaggio, ma neppure i meravigliosi paesaggi italiani tengono lontano a lungo il ricordo dell’editor, e l’uomo è, suo malgrado, costretto ad ammettere che ci sono cose dalle quali è impossibile fuggire.
Ma, come Logan imparerà molto presto, non si può avere tutto quello che si desidera… o almeno non subito. Nel tentativo di fare chiarezza dentro di sé, Logan intraprende allora un viaggio, ma neppure i meravigliosi paesaggi italiani tengono lontano a lungo il ricordo dell’editor, e l’uomo è, suo malgrado, costretto ad ammettere che ci sono cose dalle quali è impossibile fuggire.
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 12, 2012
8 people are currently reading
444 people want to read
About the author
Eric Arvin
47 books564 followersEric Arvin resided in the same sleepy Indiana river town where he grew up. He graduated from Hanover College with a Bachelors in History. He has lived, for brief periods, in Italy and Australia. He has survived brain surgery and his own loud-mouthed personal demons. Eric is the author of WOKE UP IN A STRANGE PLACE, THE MINGLED DESTINIES OF CROCODILES & MEN, SUBSURDITY, SIMPLE MEN, and various other sundry and not-so-sundry writings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
January 26, 2012
4.5 rounded up.
First off, I must admit to being a bit perturbed by some of the other reviews indicating there is cheating in this book or, at the very least, an open relationship. Those that know me know that cheating is not something I take lightly when reading M/M, and it truly does take a master to make me see past that. That being said, there is no cheating in this book. There is no open relationship in this book.
What there is in this book is a journey of self-discovery. Arvin's characters never end up in the same place they start in, typically with life changing realizations that don't always depend on someone they fall in love with. That's why I enjoy his books, because the MC doesn't need a man to make everything better; he needs to learn to trust in himself to make things better.
Arvin's wit and humor are on full display here throughout the novel, from fanged vaginas to computers taking over the world (I TOLD YOU). I enjoyed the second half as much as the first, when it turned into almost a travelogue story as the MC heads to Europe. The supporting cast is eclectic and quirky, and I especially love the side story with Janey and the war between the religious boys in her neighborhood. That resolution of that sub-plot was hilarious (house-fires and religious three-ways).
There was a bit of deus ex machina about the last quarter of the book (and ex just happens to be in the same city in Europe that the MC is and imparts lasting wisdom at a critical juncture), but I was able to overlook this given that you hear stories like that all the time: a person was far away from home and they just happened to run into someone they knew. Life can be weird like that, sometimes.
All and all, another Arvin winner. Highly recommended.
First off, I must admit to being a bit perturbed by some of the other reviews indicating there is cheating in this book or, at the very least, an open relationship. Those that know me know that cheating is not something I take lightly when reading M/M, and it truly does take a master to make me see past that. That being said, there is no cheating in this book. There is no open relationship in this book.
What there is in this book is a journey of self-discovery. Arvin's characters never end up in the same place they start in, typically with life changing realizations that don't always depend on someone they fall in love with. That's why I enjoy his books, because the MC doesn't need a man to make everything better; he needs to learn to trust in himself to make things better.
Arvin's wit and humor are on full display here throughout the novel, from fanged vaginas to computers taking over the world (I TOLD YOU). I enjoyed the second half as much as the first, when it turned into almost a travelogue story as the MC heads to Europe. The supporting cast is eclectic and quirky, and I especially love the side story with Janey and the war between the religious boys in her neighborhood. That resolution of that sub-plot was hilarious (house-fires and religious three-ways).
There was a bit of deus ex machina about the last quarter of the book (and ex just happens to be in the same city in Europe that the MC is and imparts lasting wisdom at a critical juncture), but I was able to overlook this given that you hear stories like that all the time: a person was far away from home and they just happened to run into someone they knew. Life can be weird like that, sometimes.
All and all, another Arvin winner. Highly recommended.
January 22, 2012
Disclaimer: the spoiler below is quite 'real', not just a scene or two. If you read it, you'll know the story line completely.
Yeah, I'm really for diversity :-)
Yeah, I'm really for diversity :-)
November 4, 2012
I have to say I read some of the reviews below and I'm sorry I did. I have to wonder if these people even read the same book I did. Not a romance? What? It was the best romance I've read in a long time. Open relationships and cheating? Huh? None of that either. What there was is loads of character development, great dialog and humor with a side of wacky friends. Sure there are some unbelievable coincides, but this is fiction and if it's done well, as it is here, it's forgivable. There were quite a few laugh out loud moments and nice happily ever after as a reward for taking the journey. If you're looking for an intelligent and humorous romance, you'll find it here but if you want a typical storybook romance I'd look elsewhere.
January 21, 2012
Hilarious start and lots of oddball humour I was chuckling for the first half of the story it was so funny and engaging! But disappointingly the second part of the book didn't continue in the same vain it got a bit boring and I was disinterested about the end result. Brock and Logan were not your average romantic couple and for me there was no burning hot chemistry between them and they never really appealed as a couple, still an nice enough read too bad about the last half of the story.
January 16, 2012
Logan Brandish is a successful, accomplished writer. Not a mega star, but with enough imagination and talent to have a nice career. But lately he has been in a bit of a rut. His writing has stalled and he has been running though editors. And meeting his new one, he hoped to present a good front and maybe fake his way through it.
In walks Brock Kimble, a man as unlikely as his name. Good looking, hot, smart, unexpected. And he pulls no punches in shaking things up for Logan. Telling him that lately his is crap and challenging him to do more and better. And flirting all the time. Keeping Logan on his toes.
And Logan reacts. Changes up his writing. Breaks up with his safe and predictable boyfriend. Start us an affair with Brock. Starts to fall in love.
Oh hell.
Logan's writing is tied to his moods. When it is going well, it flows. Then when things start to fall apart, so does his writing.
And when it all goes to hell - his love life, his writing, his mind - he jumps ship and hauls tail to Europe and lands in Italy.
Will breaking his routines revive Logan's writing? Will he get over Brock? Will he ever go home again?
Eric Arvin doesn't fool me one bit. He is an unabashed romantic. This hilarious romp of a book is also one of the most insightful and touching books I have seen in a while. All the while he is tickling our funny bones, he is aiming more for our heartstrings. And damn, but he succeeds.
Logan is a wonderful character - snug in his safe world, safe little town, safe home, safe relationship, safe career. All the while thinking he has everyone fooled, perhaps even himself, he is really an open book for anyone who cares enough to see to read.
And Brock. All that energy, fun and sparkle masking a sad and lonely work in progress.
And both men yearn for the connection, for the love and passion. When it it right in their hands, right there for the taking, both bail and run away so fast their heads spin.
And along the way these two learn so many lessons.
Lessons about relationships:
"In real life, kisses are never as sweet and assholes only stretch so far."
Lessons about life:
"...if he could just stare a little bit harder at a problem he might find the solution. But solutions to those types of problems are hard to find, because they're so locked up in other people's minds and hearts."
Lessons about themselves:
"...it's a trap of my own making. I want the attention, you see, but I'm scared to death when it's there."
And lessons about love:
"...as if love was a great blanket we were slowly unfurling through the night, appreciating every stitch and every thread. Every intricate and unique pattern. We kept ourselves warm wrapped up in it."
This is one of those books that is like that great blanket. I take it and appreciate it and wrap it around me and learn about myself some too.
And then:
"She nodded her head in approval and hesitantly shut the book, breathing a reader's sigh. That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a book that has somehow touched you. Completion. Inner peace. Separate peace."
So did I. It did.
Tom
In walks Brock Kimble, a man as unlikely as his name. Good looking, hot, smart, unexpected. And he pulls no punches in shaking things up for Logan. Telling him that lately his is crap and challenging him to do more and better. And flirting all the time. Keeping Logan on his toes.
And Logan reacts. Changes up his writing. Breaks up with his safe and predictable boyfriend. Start us an affair with Brock. Starts to fall in love.
Oh hell.
Logan's writing is tied to his moods. When it is going well, it flows. Then when things start to fall apart, so does his writing.
And when it all goes to hell - his love life, his writing, his mind - he jumps ship and hauls tail to Europe and lands in Italy.
Will breaking his routines revive Logan's writing? Will he get over Brock? Will he ever go home again?
Eric Arvin doesn't fool me one bit. He is an unabashed romantic. This hilarious romp of a book is also one of the most insightful and touching books I have seen in a while. All the while he is tickling our funny bones, he is aiming more for our heartstrings. And damn, but he succeeds.
Logan is a wonderful character - snug in his safe world, safe little town, safe home, safe relationship, safe career. All the while thinking he has everyone fooled, perhaps even himself, he is really an open book for anyone who cares enough to see to read.
And Brock. All that energy, fun and sparkle masking a sad and lonely work in progress.
And both men yearn for the connection, for the love and passion. When it it right in their hands, right there for the taking, both bail and run away so fast their heads spin.
And along the way these two learn so many lessons.
Lessons about relationships:
"In real life, kisses are never as sweet and assholes only stretch so far."
Lessons about life:
"...if he could just stare a little bit harder at a problem he might find the solution. But solutions to those types of problems are hard to find, because they're so locked up in other people's minds and hearts."
Lessons about themselves:
"...it's a trap of my own making. I want the attention, you see, but I'm scared to death when it's there."
And lessons about love:
"...as if love was a great blanket we were slowly unfurling through the night, appreciating every stitch and every thread. Every intricate and unique pattern. We kept ourselves warm wrapped up in it."
This is one of those books that is like that great blanket. I take it and appreciate it and wrap it around me and learn about myself some too.
And then:
"She nodded her head in approval and hesitantly shut the book, breathing a reader's sigh. That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a book that has somehow touched you. Completion. Inner peace. Separate peace."
So did I. It did.
Tom
January 21, 2012
2.0 - 2.5 stars. The beginning of this book had so much promise, it had me laughing and really looking forward to getting to know Logan and Brock. Unfortunately, midway through it became a struggle and I found myself skimming through a lot of the book. To me there was no chemistry between Brock and Logan; the storyline with Janey made absolutely no sense as it did not add anything and seemed out of place. I thought when Logan took off on his adventure it would pick up and the humor may return, however I was mistaken and to me it was just a confusing mess of characters at the end.
January 20, 2012
3 - 3,5 stars
Lough-out-loud funny in the first part of the book with hilarious dialogue,banter,quotes and quirky characters got increasingly tiring in the second part.Here the humor felt forced and repetitive (there`s a reason why slapstick-movies/stories are - or should be - short...) and couldn`t cover the weak plot anymore - only so much to tell about writer`s block and falling in love with the editor...made it hard to keep me interested and to finish the story...slightly disappointing.
Lough-out-loud funny in the first part of the book with hilarious dialogue,banter,quotes and quirky characters got increasingly tiring in the second part.Here the humor felt forced and repetitive (there`s a reason why slapstick-movies/stories are - or should be - short...) and couldn`t cover the weak plot anymore - only so much to tell about writer`s block and falling in love with the editor...made it hard to keep me interested and to finish the story...slightly disappointing.
January 14, 2012
Excellent gay fiction (with romantic elements) about an author who lives a very predictable, safe life ruled by lists and habit... until his attractive new editor shakes things up. As with so many books by Eric Arvin, this book was simultaneously fun, funny, and thought-provoking - pretty much like life itself.
March 21, 2012
Everybody has read those books–usually they come with horrendous cover art–that start with an apparent self-ironic scene that tries to justify using a cliché. It's some trope that has been beaten, hit, struck, battered, hammered, trashed, pummelled, and flattened to the ground ages ago. And for a while it works.
The author works his ass off and makes the first person past tense voice of his character sound like something hilarious, something new, refreshing, and witty. Then he crosses the line from a fine comedy to unadulterated spoof and ruins the effect. If you, the reader, are very lucky the narrative still sounds entertaining enough to carry through to the end and lets you finish a book instead of feeding your DNF pile.
If you're very, extremely, exceptionally, not-that-uncommonly-at-all unfortunate, you'll end up with a WTF face and whole lot of wasted hours. Hours of your life that you'll never be able to reclaim. At which point you either decide to move on and give this author a wide berth in the future, or you decide to give something back to the reading community and write a longwinded review that starts with a handful of meta-paragraphs sure to annoy innocent review readers.
Welcome to my life.
This book reads like an autobiography trying to be self-ironic and falling short by miles. It's like the author decided to skip coming up with anything original or fictional and instead document his day-to-day life in the publishing world. Maybe his editor told him to throw in a few outrageous characters and give them the kind of urban legend lives you only hear around the water cooler or wherever the workers go to smoke illicitly. Maybe the author was bored and decided to imitate a handful of his idols–in one book.
Whatever led to the creation and publication of this book, is everything that's wrong with the publishing industry today. This book is unbalanced, tactless, and inane. If it had to be published, why couldn't it be an in-house newsletter to amuse the people who are able to recognise and appreciate the publishing jokes. If it had to be published as a gay romance novel or erotica wannabe, why not write one. If this had to be published at all, why not just do it and NOT market it as something it's not.
This book is mislabelled as a gay romance. It's mislabelled as a romance. There's no romance here. There is simply a string of sex scenes and fuckbuddies without anything resembling a plot.
Also, Arvin went there. He had the ex-editor-fuckbuddy-friend attack-comment on a one star rating-review. How is this any better than the author–still talking about the book characters, just want to make it clear for Goodreads staff–himself commenting on a negative review? Just having it in the book is like condoning bad behaviour and I've had my limit. I would have given this book one star regardless, this just removed any guilt I might have felt.
Had Galley Proof been shelved under general fiction I might be more forgiving to the abrupt style changes and the utter lack of the thin red line that connects it all, but it wasn't and I'm not. If only Arvin had said what he made his character say:
"I have decided it's not worth my time to write nor is it worth her time to read."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
You can also read this review on Sandra's My Fiction Nook-blog.
The author works his ass off and makes the first person past tense voice of his character sound like something hilarious, something new, refreshing, and witty. Then he crosses the line from a fine comedy to unadulterated spoof and ruins the effect. If you, the reader, are very lucky the narrative still sounds entertaining enough to carry through to the end and lets you finish a book instead of feeding your DNF pile.
If you're very, extremely, exceptionally, not-that-uncommonly-at-all unfortunate, you'll end up with a WTF face and whole lot of wasted hours. Hours of your life that you'll never be able to reclaim. At which point you either decide to move on and give this author a wide berth in the future, or you decide to give something back to the reading community and write a longwinded review that starts with a handful of meta-paragraphs sure to annoy innocent review readers.
Welcome to my life.
This book reads like an autobiography trying to be self-ironic and falling short by miles. It's like the author decided to skip coming up with anything original or fictional and instead document his day-to-day life in the publishing world. Maybe his editor told him to throw in a few outrageous characters and give them the kind of urban legend lives you only hear around the water cooler or wherever the workers go to smoke illicitly. Maybe the author was bored and decided to imitate a handful of his idols–in one book.
Whatever led to the creation and publication of this book, is everything that's wrong with the publishing industry today. This book is unbalanced, tactless, and inane. If it had to be published, why couldn't it be an in-house newsletter to amuse the people who are able to recognise and appreciate the publishing jokes. If it had to be published as a gay romance novel or erotica wannabe, why not write one. If this had to be published at all, why not just do it and NOT market it as something it's not.
This book is mislabelled as a gay romance. It's mislabelled as a romance. There's no romance here. There is simply a string of sex scenes and fuckbuddies without anything resembling a plot.
Also, Arvin went there. He had the ex-editor-fuckbuddy-friend attack-comment on a one star rating-review. How is this any better than the author–still talking about the book characters, just want to make it clear for Goodreads staff–himself commenting on a negative review? Just having it in the book is like condoning bad behaviour and I've had my limit. I would have given this book one star regardless, this just removed any guilt I might have felt.
Had Galley Proof been shelved under general fiction I might be more forgiving to the abrupt style changes and the utter lack of the thin red line that connects it all, but it wasn't and I'm not. If only Arvin had said what he made his character say:
"I have decided it's not worth my time to write nor is it worth her time to read."
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
You can also read this review on Sandra's My Fiction Nook-blog.
March 15, 2012
**This review contains major spoilers.**
By way of a prologue, I would like to say that this is my first book by Eric Arvin and I truly find the man has potential for greatness. He can be funny and witty and emotional; and he can write. Which is not a given for many published authors. So I will keep an eye out for Eric Arvin's other work.
My issue with this book though was that it seemed to want to say and achieve too much, ending up being all over the place. And it was like it was written by two different people: the first half by Noel Coward and the second half by Paulo Coelho.
Also, it felt like it wanted to be a movie directed by Blake Edwards and with the theme music composed by Henry Mancini but had to make do with Nora Ephron and a soundrack of non original pop hits.
My pick? My theme song for the first half of the book would be Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds. It describes Logan Brandish's situation pretty accurately. With his mildly successful career as a romantic writer and his neat, predictable, monotonous life, his clean cut, boy-scout of a boyfriend, Curtis (who loves cardboard boxes and that's pretty much all that excites him), and the quiet, completely unexciting, small town of Adbury where he lives in a big Victorian house with his bestie, Janey, who has this thing for Jehovah's witnesses and Mormons. (By the way, I didn't get if the Mormons and the Witnesses were there to help Janey release her pent-up sexual energy or for some other, more profound, reason.)
But one fine day humdrum Logan, who's also suffering from a bad case of writer's block, meets cover-model handsome and funny and riproarious Brock Kimble, his new editor, who's also determined to make his next book hit first place on Amazon's Gay & Lesbian bestseller list. Brock is so different from anyone Logan's ever met and he rocks Logan's world. They chat on line and they exchange emails and funny videos and they have coffee at cosy little romantic cafes and they even chase an unruly umbrella in Logan's garden during a rainstorm. They soon end up having mind-blowing sex and thank Heavens Logan had the sagaciousness to break up with Curtis before that happened. Or was it Curtis that broke up with him first to chase his cardboard dream around the world? Who cares. What matters is that the more time Logan spends with Brock the deeper he realizes his emotions are for the man.
But Brock isn't the relationship type or, rather, he can't commit to a relationship right now so they part ways. Now, not only Logan has to nurse his semi-broken heart but he also gets assigned to a new editor, Miss Frances Barlow, who's the polar opposite of Brock. She's older and she's stern (and she could be Linda Hunt's twin sister or Imelda Staunton's double in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and she seems to hate both him and his work.
Which takes us to the second part of the book. I got two theme songs for this one: You've Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman and Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin.
When even Logan's old arthritic neighbour, Grace, (who kinda jumps from the roof of her house just for the adrenaline rush) unceremoniously tells him he's boring and urges him to do something about it or else he'll end up like Miss Barlow the self-professed spinster, Logan decides to step out of his comfort zone and seize the day like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. So he takes a trip to Europe. That's where he meets Lady Vera and Miss Cassie Bloom, who are friends of his ex porn star friend Cliff and who could easily have lived in The Birdcage before hijacking the second part of Galley Proof. So. They all head to Rome, where they paint the town red on a daily basis and where Logan meets Marco (straight out of the movie Il Postino) and Roberto, the romantic bouncer (who also enjoys to be spanked from time to time), his new playmates who fill his international void, both alternately and at once.
There's also this very famous and very popular and rich but in reality very lonely author, Bradley Homlick (who kinda reminded me of Elliot Gould in Ocean's Eleven.) Bradley lives in this 17th century mansion somewhere near Rome, with the added plus of a nearby beach. Logan knows him from the Internets and he visits him to ask for advice about that book he's still struggling to write. But, alas, not only does he leave the place none the wiser but he also stumbles upon Curtis (yes, the ex-boyfriend), frolicking on the beach with a couple of guys who enjoy groping his bubbly, thong-clad ass.
And then Logan (with some help from Curtis) has an epiphany and he realizes life is too precious to spend it doing things you don't like and decides he doesn't want to write that book after all and that he'll save himself for Brock but he doesn't want to go back to Adbury and have to put Janey's fires out. So he invites Janey and his scatterbrain mother over instead. And guess who Janey brings along. Exactamundo: Brock.
Then they have this huge party at Logan's place, and everybody's there, even the evil Frances, who guess what, doesn't hate Logan after all. And they all live happily ever after.
Dreamspinner Press kindly provided me with an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review
By way of a prologue, I would like to say that this is my first book by Eric Arvin and I truly find the man has potential for greatness. He can be funny and witty and emotional; and he can write. Which is not a given for many published authors. So I will keep an eye out for Eric Arvin's other work.
My issue with this book though was that it seemed to want to say and achieve too much, ending up being all over the place. And it was like it was written by two different people: the first half by Noel Coward and the second half by Paulo Coelho.
Also, it felt like it wanted to be a movie directed by Blake Edwards and with the theme music composed by Henry Mancini but had to make do with Nora Ephron and a soundrack of non original pop hits.
My pick? My theme song for the first half of the book would be Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds. It describes Logan Brandish's situation pretty accurately. With his mildly successful career as a romantic writer and his neat, predictable, monotonous life, his clean cut, boy-scout of a boyfriend, Curtis (who loves cardboard boxes and that's pretty much all that excites him), and the quiet, completely unexciting, small town of Adbury where he lives in a big Victorian house with his bestie, Janey, who has this thing for Jehovah's witnesses and Mormons. (By the way, I didn't get if the Mormons and the Witnesses were there to help Janey release her pent-up sexual energy or for some other, more profound, reason.)
But one fine day humdrum Logan, who's also suffering from a bad case of writer's block, meets cover-model handsome and funny and riproarious Brock Kimble, his new editor, who's also determined to make his next book hit first place on Amazon's Gay & Lesbian bestseller list. Brock is so different from anyone Logan's ever met and he rocks Logan's world. They chat on line and they exchange emails and funny videos and they have coffee at cosy little romantic cafes and they even chase an unruly umbrella in Logan's garden during a rainstorm. They soon end up having mind-blowing sex and thank Heavens Logan had the sagaciousness to break up with Curtis before that happened. Or was it Curtis that broke up with him first to chase his cardboard dream around the world? Who cares. What matters is that the more time Logan spends with Brock the deeper he realizes his emotions are for the man.
But Brock isn't the relationship type or, rather, he can't commit to a relationship right now so they part ways. Now, not only Logan has to nurse his semi-broken heart but he also gets assigned to a new editor, Miss Frances Barlow, who's the polar opposite of Brock. She's older and she's stern (and she could be Linda Hunt's twin sister or Imelda Staunton's double in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) and she seems to hate both him and his work.
Which takes us to the second part of the book. I got two theme songs for this one: You've Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman and Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin.
When even Logan's old arthritic neighbour, Grace, (who kinda jumps from the roof of her house just for the adrenaline rush) unceremoniously tells him he's boring and urges him to do something about it or else he'll end up like Miss Barlow the self-professed spinster, Logan decides to step out of his comfort zone and seize the day like Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. So he takes a trip to Europe. That's where he meets Lady Vera and Miss Cassie Bloom, who are friends of his ex porn star friend Cliff and who could easily have lived in The Birdcage before hijacking the second part of Galley Proof. So. They all head to Rome, where they paint the town red on a daily basis and where Logan meets Marco (straight out of the movie Il Postino) and Roberto, the romantic bouncer (who also enjoys to be spanked from time to time), his new playmates who fill his international void, both alternately and at once.
There's also this very famous and very popular and rich but in reality very lonely author, Bradley Homlick (who kinda reminded me of Elliot Gould in Ocean's Eleven.) Bradley lives in this 17th century mansion somewhere near Rome, with the added plus of a nearby beach. Logan knows him from the Internets and he visits him to ask for advice about that book he's still struggling to write. But, alas, not only does he leave the place none the wiser but he also stumbles upon Curtis (yes, the ex-boyfriend), frolicking on the beach with a couple of guys who enjoy groping his bubbly, thong-clad ass.
And then Logan (with some help from Curtis) has an epiphany and he realizes life is too precious to spend it doing things you don't like and decides he doesn't want to write that book after all and that he'll save himself for Brock but he doesn't want to go back to Adbury and have to put Janey's fires out. So he invites Janey and his scatterbrain mother over instead. And guess who Janey brings along. Exactamundo: Brock.
Then they have this huge party at Logan's place, and everybody's there, even the evil Frances, who guess what, doesn't hate Logan after all. And they all live happily ever after.
Dreamspinner Press kindly provided me with an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review
January 15, 2012
This book was a very large decadent chocolate bar that you always want, don't let yourself have often, gets messy in the heat, hard in the freezer, but always no mater what tastes fantastic.
Two thumbs up.
Two thumbs up.
February 18, 2012
I must be in a pissy mood, because while this book was reasonably entertaining while reading it, it is hitting some fairly significant WTF? buttons the more I think about it. Parts of this book are meant to be funny and parts are meant to be insightful. I am not saying they aren't. I am saying many of them caused a niggle of discomfort while reading it. And when I finished it made me wonder if I even liked these people. I don't think I do. Or maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed with PMS. Overall, the book felt.... callous. For lack of a better word.
A few examples of the niggles of discomfort that seemed more callous in the morning:
There is more, but I think I've made my point. It's fairly entertaining and it's not bad enough for me to completely rip it to shreds. But the longer I sit here, the more likely that is going to happen.
A few examples of the niggles of discomfort that seemed more callous in the morning:
There is more, but I think I've made my point. It's fairly entertaining and it's not bad enough for me to completely rip it to shreds. But the longer I sit here, the more likely that is going to happen.
April 13, 2012
Sadly this book wasn't for me. I never really cared if Logan and Brock got together or not, there was just no chemistry for me to get excited about. I was also puzzled by the whole Janey Mormon/Jehovah thing? Why was that even in the story? It did nothing at all except pad out the word count. For all the flowery words and humour this was a bland read for me.
I'm about to change a star rating.(something I don't remember ever doing before). After a few discussions and reading various comments on 1 star reviews I am upping this to 2 stars. I realise that while this book didn't really work for me it was more an OK read than a complete didn't like. I will save my 1 stars for the really horrible drivel that crops up now and again.
I'm about to change a star rating.(something I don't remember ever doing before). After a few discussions and reading various comments on 1 star reviews I am upping this to 2 stars. I realise that while this book didn't really work for me it was more an OK read than a complete didn't like. I will save my 1 stars for the really horrible drivel that crops up now and again.
April 7, 2012
I was really liking this book in the beginning; it was funny and quirky. Then it turned to blah, blah, inner monologue blah. I was never really invested in Logan and didn't really care if he ever found what he was looking for.
I did not see the point of this story at all, but I kept reading it through my foggy haze of illness until I made it to the end
I did not see the point of this story at all, but I kept reading it through my foggy haze of illness until I made it to the end
December 10, 2016
Letto stanotte. Graffiante, amaro, buffo, divertente, vero, romantico.
Un piccolo goiellino sugli scrittori, sugli editor, sull'umanità, sulle ombre che ci portiamo dentro,sui blocchi di creatività e di vita che ci imprigionano.
Sull'amore come libertà e non come scatola.
Un libro che non si vuole scrivere, un'esistenza che non decolla, una ricerca stralunata ma positiva.
Un piccolo goiellino sugli scrittori, sugli editor, sull'umanità, sulle ombre che ci portiamo dentro,sui blocchi di creatività e di vita che ci imprigionano.
Sull'amore come libertà e non come scatola.
Un libro che non si vuole scrivere, un'esistenza che non decolla, una ricerca stralunata ma positiva.
June 5, 2013
What a great sense of humor Eric Arvin has! I really enjoyed this book, and looking back I realize it's because of his sense of humor. His writing is infused with it --- forthright, subtle, self-deprecating, all forms are present in this story.
Logan is an author in a rut, and not just a writing rut, a life rut. Brock is his new editor. Together they explore more than just the book that Logan is trying to write. When Logan falls in love with Brock and doesn't see the feeling returned, he decides to escape to Europe. There he meets some terrific secondary characters who help him reach his potential--- not necessarily as a writer, but definitely as a person.
We do get a HEA for this romance but not until the very end and we are taken on a long and convoluted road trip to get there. And I mean that in a good way. Mr. Arvin's imagination and sense of humor are wild so hold on for the ride.
I loved this quote that appears near the end of the book when Logan spots someone reading one of his own books: "That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a book that has somehow touched you." Yes, I'm inhaling/exhaling as I write this.
I highly recommend it to all my friends who want a romance with a humorous twist.
Logan is an author in a rut, and not just a writing rut, a life rut. Brock is his new editor. Together they explore more than just the book that Logan is trying to write. When Logan falls in love with Brock and doesn't see the feeling returned, he decides to escape to Europe. There he meets some terrific secondary characters who help him reach his potential--- not necessarily as a writer, but definitely as a person.
We do get a HEA for this romance but not until the very end and we are taken on a long and convoluted road trip to get there. And I mean that in a good way. Mr. Arvin's imagination and sense of humor are wild so hold on for the ride.
I loved this quote that appears near the end of the book when Logan spots someone reading one of his own books: "That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a book that has somehow touched you." Yes, I'm inhaling/exhaling as I write this.
I highly recommend it to all my friends who want a romance with a humorous twist.
October 16, 2012
Let me start out by saying that I do not like romantic comedies. I do not like slapstick humor. However, I did like this book. Eric Arvin is a damn good writer. There are a lot of books out there that are technically good and have a few moments that pack a punch, but rarely have I in this genre read a book with the kind of voice that Arvin has in his writing.
Logan was not a perfect character and neither were the other people in his life, but I got a kick out of being in his head, and the dialogue was witty, clever, and always felt natural. There is nothing that pisses me off more than forced banter and BAD sarcasm in books. Eric knows how to keep the reader entertained by his characters and their interactions. The descriptions were also awesome. Never too much, but just enough to create a strong visual and amazing atmosphere.
Dude can write.
January 15, 2012
This book completely hooked me from the beginning. The first chapter was pure bliss and happiness...the laughter kept coming. I don't want to sound to emo in saying that this book is about self discovery, but it is in a way that is relatable to everyday people. The writing was clever and completely satisfying. This is the type of book that I had a soundtrack in my head that related to all the emotions and situations and I love when that happens :) Great read!
December 30, 2013
So..this was fun? I am not sure how to rate it because while I liked the first half; I laughed a lot and really wanted Logan and Brock to get together. But just when it started to get good and I fell in line with the story, it changed. The first half and the second felt like two different books to me and that threw my reading experience.
I did love all the characters in the book. Logan with his struggle to write his new novel and each turn of a new genre that came up. I loved the back and forth with Brock about it. I really liked where the possibility of a relationship was going. I adored Grace and her view on life. Logan's BFF and roommate Janey was hysterical. She may be my favorite part of the book. She had some of the best lines and her quest was insane but I adore her. Even Lucile was fun to read and I felt bad for poor Curtis and his blending ability.
The second half of the book felt so very different. I get why it happened, I think but I found myself getting disinterested in the story. I thought Cassie and Vera were amazing and would love to meet women like that on my travels. Roberto and Marco, were a surprise and really a surprise how Logan was with Roberto...a good surprise that I wouldn't mind being a voyeur for. But other than that, this really didn't do much for me.
I did love all the characters in the book. Logan with his struggle to write his new novel and each turn of a new genre that came up. I loved the back and forth with Brock about it. I really liked where the possibility of a relationship was going. I adored Grace and her view on life. Logan's BFF and roommate Janey was hysterical. She may be my favorite part of the book. She had some of the best lines and her quest was insane but I adore her. Even Lucile was fun to read and I felt bad for poor Curtis and his blending ability.
The second half of the book felt so very different. I get why it happened, I think but I found myself getting disinterested in the story. I thought Cassie and Vera were amazing and would love to meet women like that on my travels. Roberto and Marco, were a surprise and really a surprise how Logan was with Roberto...a good surprise that I wouldn't mind being a voyeur for. But other than that, this really didn't do much for me.
February 7, 2014
This was my first read of an Eric Arvin book, although I've had a few sitting on my Kindle. I enjoyed the writing style and quirky characters. This was a different read than the typical romance. More fiction with a romance storyline included.
It is basically the story of Logan, a moderately successful writer, set in his ways and routines, getting shaken up and setting out to do something different. A character in the book actually asks Logan if it is his "Eat Gay Love" journey (although I didn't make it through 70 pages of that book so I'm not sure how much it parallels that story line) as he escapes to Europe to find inspiration to overcome his writers block.
I've seen other reviewers mentions cheating/open relationship, but I saw none of that in this book. I agree that the style of writing did change from wacky rom-com to more introspective from the first to the second part, but so did Logan and it really didn't bother me. Overall it was a intelligent, light, quick read, with interesting and quirky secondary characters.
It is basically the story of Logan, a moderately successful writer, set in his ways and routines, getting shaken up and setting out to do something different. A character in the book actually asks Logan if it is his "Eat Gay Love" journey (although I didn't make it through 70 pages of that book so I'm not sure how much it parallels that story line) as he escapes to Europe to find inspiration to overcome his writers block.
I've seen other reviewers mentions cheating/open relationship, but I saw none of that in this book. I agree that the style of writing did change from wacky rom-com to more introspective from the first to the second part, but so did Logan and it really didn't bother me. Overall it was a intelligent, light, quick read, with interesting and quirky secondary characters.
February 5, 2012
First of all, as other reviewers have pointed out, there is no cheating.
I really loved this. The writing is slightly purple and slightly pretentious, because it's in first person and Logan is slightly purple and slightly pretentious. He also hates first person and refuses to write in it. The dialogue is a bit unbelievable, but that worked here, because it's his story and he would edit everything to be more fanciful.
The characters were all great; none of the supporting cast was one-dimensional. Really no time is spent expounding on how so-and-so is so complicated and so on and so forth, but the little details brought all of them to life, especially later on when Logan gets out of his bubble.
And there's a territorial dispute between the Mormons and the Jehovah's witnesses. What's not to love?
I really loved this. The writing is slightly purple and slightly pretentious, because it's in first person and Logan is slightly purple and slightly pretentious. He also hates first person and refuses to write in it. The dialogue is a bit unbelievable, but that worked here, because it's his story and he would edit everything to be more fanciful.
The characters were all great; none of the supporting cast was one-dimensional. Really no time is spent expounding on how so-and-so is so complicated and so on and so forth, but the little details brought all of them to life, especially later on when Logan gets out of his bubble.
And there's a territorial dispute between the Mormons and the Jehovah's witnesses. What's not to love?
August 5, 2013
This is a lovely story with vivid, diverse, quirky characters ... I love books where the humor is intrinsic to the personalities involved in the book ... this isn't your typical romance book ... it's quite wordy & dense ... you need to be able to immerse yourself for a couple of hours so that the subtlety of their insanity can transport you ... I've frightened my share of religious door-knockers but I've never gone to the lengths read about in this story ... this is a lovely character-driven romp.
October 7, 2019
***3.5 stars***
Really enjoyed this book. The only reason my 3.5 and not 4 was the reconnection at the end between Logan and Brock. IMO, it didn’t give me all the feels as it did when there togetherness was not quite a relationship.
Really enjoyed this book. The only reason my 3.5 and not 4 was the reconnection at the end between Logan and Brock. IMO, it didn’t give me all the feels as it did when there togetherness was not quite a relationship.
August 10, 2023
Truly terrible.
Flits between places, men, genres
not finding a thing.
Flits between places, men, genres
not finding a thing.
March 11, 2012
I discovered Eric Arvin when another author raved about him on here. I read Woke Up In A Strange Place as a result and became a huge fan. (If you haven't read THAT Eric Arvin book, you're missing out). This is my 3rd book of his (the 2nd being Another Enchanted April) and I totally love his writing style. As with the other two I've read, Galley Proof is a book about self-discovery.
There's Logan, an accomplished writer who has a tendency to run through editors. There is his quirky best friend/roommate who has this strange obsession with the competing religious groups in her neighborhood, the cat who is named Feed The Cat, a boring boyfriend, Curtis, who makes watching paint dry seem interesting. We've all met a Curtis... you know the type... someone who makes your eyes glaze over after 5 minutes of conversation? I totally loved him. There's the funny old next door neighbor as well as the above-mentioned competing religious groups and a crazy mother. Then there's Brock, the new editor.
Logan lives for routine. Same thing day in and day out. He's dull. He's bland. He's scared to step out of his comfort zone as far as his writing and his life are concerned. Brock encourages him to shake things up a bit and he does but it doesn't quite turn out the way he planned when he falls for Brock. Logan is then forced to get another editor, Frances, who comes across as worse than every nightmare principal I ever experienced when I was in school (many, MANY years ago). Deciding to run away, Logan ends up in Europe and this is when the story really begins. While Brock remains in the background (in the states), Logan meets some interesting people, some of which were so funny that they had me laughing out loud. Vera and Cassie, the two Italians, an eccentric writer as well as various others. While Logan is dealing with his problems, Brock is dealing with his own issues.
I'm not going to go into a lot more details in regards to what happens after that. I will say this: This was a very entertaining book. This author has a way with creating characters who grow continuously throughout the story. Some in good ways, some not. His writing style is one of my faves. Funny in most places but serious when necessary. You don't get bogged down with miscellaneous page filling details that are not relevant to the story. You fall in love with the characters and you hate to see the book end.
Another great book by Eric Arvin. I can't wait to read his others.
There's Logan, an accomplished writer who has a tendency to run through editors. There is his quirky best friend/roommate who has this strange obsession with the competing religious groups in her neighborhood, the cat who is named Feed The Cat, a boring boyfriend, Curtis, who makes watching paint dry seem interesting. We've all met a Curtis... you know the type... someone who makes your eyes glaze over after 5 minutes of conversation? I totally loved him. There's the funny old next door neighbor as well as the above-mentioned competing religious groups and a crazy mother. Then there's Brock, the new editor.
Logan lives for routine. Same thing day in and day out. He's dull. He's bland. He's scared to step out of his comfort zone as far as his writing and his life are concerned. Brock encourages him to shake things up a bit and he does but it doesn't quite turn out the way he planned when he falls for Brock. Logan is then forced to get another editor, Frances, who comes across as worse than every nightmare principal I ever experienced when I was in school (many, MANY years ago). Deciding to run away, Logan ends up in Europe and this is when the story really begins. While Brock remains in the background (in the states), Logan meets some interesting people, some of which were so funny that they had me laughing out loud. Vera and Cassie, the two Italians, an eccentric writer as well as various others. While Logan is dealing with his problems, Brock is dealing with his own issues.
I'm not going to go into a lot more details in regards to what happens after that. I will say this: This was a very entertaining book. This author has a way with creating characters who grow continuously throughout the story. Some in good ways, some not. His writing style is one of my faves. Funny in most places but serious when necessary. You don't get bogged down with miscellaneous page filling details that are not relevant to the story. You fall in love with the characters and you hate to see the book end.
Another great book by Eric Arvin. I can't wait to read his others.
January 14, 2012
Whenever Eric Arvin writes a new book I cannot wait to read it. This is one of the most talented novelists of the past decade and his brand of gay fiction always satisfies because it speaks to more than just the homosexual audience. Eric writes about human emotions, feelings, and the drama which normally comes along with them. And his use of humor is always a delight.
“Galley Proof” is Eric’s latest release. I read it in about twelve hours. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a writer from a small town who is about to unveil his latest novel. Logan lives a quiet life. He’s got his boyfriend, their cat, and his best friend. His life seems full and he is happy with the status quo… until he meets the editor of his new book. Brock Kimble is handsome and alluring in a dangerous kind of way; dangerous in that he makes Logan wonder if the life he’s been living is really what he wants after all.
The turmoil that Brock’s entry into his life creates causes Logan to flee his quiet life for a while so that he can make some sense of the quandary his emotions have become. He goes to Italy to regroup where the natural beauty of the place, along with the local scenery of men, gives him close to the distraction that he was hoping to find. But he comes to discover that it’s only a temporary escape from the problems he left at home, and whether he can have his cake and eat it too becomes the crux for the difficult decisions that he must make.
“Galley Proof” is without a doubt Eric Arvin’s best release since “Suburbilicious.” He writes with the heart of one who’s been through the tale he’s telling but also with the talent of a novelist who was just born to write. And this author thinks he was.
“Galley Proof” is Eric’s latest release. I read it in about twelve hours. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a writer from a small town who is about to unveil his latest novel. Logan lives a quiet life. He’s got his boyfriend, their cat, and his best friend. His life seems full and he is happy with the status quo… until he meets the editor of his new book. Brock Kimble is handsome and alluring in a dangerous kind of way; dangerous in that he makes Logan wonder if the life he’s been living is really what he wants after all.
The turmoil that Brock’s entry into his life creates causes Logan to flee his quiet life for a while so that he can make some sense of the quandary his emotions have become. He goes to Italy to regroup where the natural beauty of the place, along with the local scenery of men, gives him close to the distraction that he was hoping to find. But he comes to discover that it’s only a temporary escape from the problems he left at home, and whether he can have his cake and eat it too becomes the crux for the difficult decisions that he must make.
“Galley Proof” is without a doubt Eric Arvin’s best release since “Suburbilicious.” He writes with the heart of one who’s been through the tale he’s telling but also with the talent of a novelist who was just born to write. And this author thinks he was.
November 4, 2012
If I could give it more stars, I would! But the site is a meany and won't allow more than 5.
I just noticed I never reviewed that book, meant to. Sorry:-( I do remember thinking I wanted to throttle you while reading certain parts and ask "what in the hell did he do that for?" Responses like that can be good. It means your work is passionate enough to bring your reader's feelings to the front. I'm not sure what I would say that Tj hasn't said..that was good :-)(grumbles) I do wonder though what possesses people to write reviews on a book they clearly never read. There was no cheating (rolling eyes).
And these reviews that say nothing about the book and only say how hot you are, oh don't get me started! This is not the hot or not site. (been there)You know you're hot, we know you're hot, everyone knows you're hot..case closed at least on here it should be. This site is about your writing talent which is phenomenal.
Like I said,I loved this book. The characters were believable and it didn't feel rushed and you only made me cry once(grr)
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!
I just noticed I never reviewed that book, meant to. Sorry:-( I do remember thinking I wanted to throttle you while reading certain parts and ask "what in the hell did he do that for?" Responses like that can be good. It means your work is passionate enough to bring your reader's feelings to the front. I'm not sure what I would say that Tj hasn't said..that was good :-)(grumbles) I do wonder though what possesses people to write reviews on a book they clearly never read. There was no cheating (rolling eyes).
And these reviews that say nothing about the book and only say how hot you are, oh don't get me started! This is not the hot or not site. (been there)You know you're hot, we know you're hot, everyone knows you're hot..case closed at least on here it should be. This site is about your writing talent which is phenomenal.
Like I said,I loved this book. The characters were believable and it didn't feel rushed and you only made me cry once(grr)
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!
January 23, 2012
Here's what I wrote to Eric after finishing his latest book, Galley Proof:
Eric - I just finished reading Galley Proof, and I'm happy to say that it finally revealed the meaning of life for me. God put the rest of us mere mortals here on Earth so that your brilliance would shine just that much brighter. Beautiful, brilliant, brawny, and if the book is as autobiographical as I suspect, hung like a bull as well - you've got it all covered. As with your other books, reading your writing is a wonderful experience.
Eric - I just finished reading Galley Proof, and I'm happy to say that it finally revealed the meaning of life for me. God put the rest of us mere mortals here on Earth so that your brilliance would shine just that much brighter. Beautiful, brilliant, brawny, and if the book is as autobiographical as I suspect, hung like a bull as well - you've got it all covered. As with your other books, reading your writing is a wonderful experience.
October 28, 2012
This book was like a breath of fresh air. It was funny and intelligently written. Being inside Logan's head was often hilarious but also very poignant at times. I loved his Grand Adventure and the cast of characters he met along the way felt individual and unique.
January 25, 2012
I'll review later, but
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