Let's Be Frank

Nurse Nate Trilogy #1

by Brea Brown

Nate Bingham’s successful career as a pediatric nurse provides plenty of personal satisfaction (and an endless supply of lollipops), but at the end of every day, he comes home to an empty house. He claims he wants domestic bliss—a wife, some adorable booger-munchers, and a pooch—but so far, a picket-fence existence has eluded him. Is finding The One really that difficult, or is Nate sabotaging his own chance at happiness?When his obnoxiously perfect older brother, Nick, announces his engagement to the only woman Nate ever came close to marrying, Nate decides he’s ready to do just about anything to secure his own happily-ever-after… even if that means sliding on some skinny jeans and a pair of fake specs and tricking the chick lit reading public into believing he’s their latest overnight success. It thrills his new high-maintenance girlfriend, the real writer of the books, but her interests soon become Nate’s smallest motivator in the venture. And that’s a major complication that doesn’t fit into Nate’s tidy five-year plan.

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Amazon, Contemporary

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 13, 2014

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started this book after reading about it in my Book Bub email and I made it as far as page 15.

What I thought I was getting: "Nate Bingham is more than ready to settle down, but he hasn’t found The One. When he’s talked into posing as a bestselling chick lit author, he lands in a scheme that could make or break his search for happiness. An irresistible tale about finding love where you least expect it." - summary from Book Bub

What I got: This is a book about Nate. Nate is a whiny guy who seems to be embarrassed that he is a nurse and thinks he should become a nurse practitioner, but it is just so much work and would take an entire year. While looking for his boss after seeing a patient, he runs into her and is embarrassed because he didn't buy her house when it was for sale. Then the day ends and he rushes home to get ready for a blind date. He takes a call from his brother on speakerphone so he can shower at the same time. His brother, Nick - the handsome and more masculine doctor, invites him to his engagement party on Sunday (it is Friday in the book). Nate thinks he is joking, but Nick is serious and tells Nate that he is marrying Nate's former fiancée, Heidi. Nate says he isn't mad and is just so happy for them. Seriously?! All in about 15 pages. Whiny Nate is just too much so I am done!


This book may be your cup of tea, but it wasn't mine. I am just grateful that it was free (it is currently available for free download for Kindle).

[Wendy Janes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nate Bingham is a children’s nurse, who is looking for his happily ever after. His brother, a doctor, announces his engagement to Nate’s ex-girlfriend, and the whole family, especially their psychiatrist parents are alert to signs of emotional angst. When Nate starts dating Frankie, he finds out that she’s a fledgling chick lit author in search of an alter ego, and the emotional angst quotient jumps up a notch or ten.

This is a funny and playful story, which has lots of heart too. The twists and reveals are such fun, whether they take you by delicious surprise or whether you guess them ahead of time. Although a few scenes feel a tiny bit forced, the vast majority of them sparkle. The author has a way of taking you right into the drama so you can see it, feel it, and I think that has a lot to do with her vivid characters and the tension (often played for laughs) between them. The occasions where Frankie and Nate meet each other’s parents are really entertaining.

I’m a huge fan of Nate. I don’t think any reader could resist falling for him. He’s more in touch with his feminine side than any character I’ve known, but at the same time he’s all-man, which is a very attractive mix.

I’m looking forward to reading more stories by Brea Brown.

[Glynis Astie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brea Brown's latest book will grab you from the very beginning. I loved the fact that it was written from the perspective of a man and applaud Ms. Brown's ability to create such an endearing main character. We follow poor Nate on a difficult journey to happiness, filled with bumps and pitfalls, and frankly one character that I wanted to throttle. It may seem a little odd to wish ill will towards a fictional character, but that just confirms Brea Brown's creative talent! Because of a disastrous romantic history (with an uncomfortable amount of involvement from his family) and the resulting fear that he will spend his life alone, Nate forces himself to continue in a tumultuous relationship with the incredibly manipulative Frankie. But when he meets Frankie's best friend Betty, he realizes that there just may be hope for his mangled heart. Various hijinks ensue and we are brought to a very satisfying ending. I highly recommend reading this witty, charming and delightful novel. You won't be disappointed!

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I sit down to read a novel I have three things in mind that will, almost without fail, make me at least respect the writer, if not downright love the book. In “Let’s Be Frank” Brea Brown continues to garner my respect and love for her writing by 1. Telling an engaging story 2. Creating believable characters and 3. Leaving the reader satisfied but wanting more. Plus, she throws in a thoroughly likeable and completely human leading man, a couple of folks to drive him crazy, a few surprises, and lots of laughs along the way. I appreciate these things as a reader, especially not seeing the biggest surprise of all as it hurtled toward me. The only negative thing about this book is that, despite my efforts to savor every word and put off the inevitable, it does eventually end. I’m hoping “Let’s Be Frank” is just the first in a looong series.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo Brea! Your blood, sweat and tears have paid off on this one! I adore your work and this book was the icing on the cake. Great job. I laughed, cried and cursed. And your mention of Dog the Bounty Hunter cracked me up as did many other parts of this book. Keep up the great work, as I appreciate what you do. I was left wanting more. I couldn't wait to see what happened next but then was sad when it ended! ❤️ thank you!

[Laura Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

To quote Nate the main character, "...she figured out the thing that good writers do that keeps you saying, "One more chapter," after every single chapter." Brea Brown, the author of this fantastic book, definitely kept me up way past my bedtime. I am looking forward to tackling more of her books soon.

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy the idea of chick lit from a male perspective. Nate was a likeable character, many women's "perfect" man, but in an adorably awkward way. He was SUCH a pushover, though. It just seemed unrealistic and made you dislike him for playing the martyr all the time. That part of the story really bugged me.

[Melissa at My Chaotic Ramblings · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a bit to get into this one. It felt like everything was either over explained, repeated or just drawn out. I hated the way Frankie treated Nate and Betty, but when it came down to it, they allowed the treatment to continue so I couldn't find any sympathy for them.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! What a FUN book, and so original. I adored this book.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny. Nate was a quirky and interesting character, definitely too much of a pushover. But he was so endearing with his pathetic-ness. Loved it.

[Jilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a bit of light hearted chick lit. This one not so much. It was just ok. Very predictable and no real laughs.

Nate Bingham’s career as a pediatric nurse provides plenty of personal satisfaction, but at the end of the day, he comes home to an empty house. When his obnoxiously perfect older brother, Nick, announces his engagement, Nate decides he’s ready to do whatever it takes to secure his own happily-ever-after.

But he has no idea how wacky “whatever it takes” can get. Before he knows it, his next blind date has helped herself to his name, his gender, and details of his life to fuel a wild scheme—and he finds himself falling into it. After all, if his own life is a bust, why not try on someone else’s? What could possibly go wrong?

“An irresistible tale about finding love where you least expect it.”

[Sandra Bensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was different than I expected it to be. From Nate's brother Nick, marrying Nate's old finance, right down to a blind date that come to find out was a 'set up' to really bad relationship that completely goes wrong in so many ways. Only to find the right person in the mix of it all and still has trouble in getting things right. I did enjoy it and I think it's definitely worth a read, it is quite funny at times. Nate just was not what I would have expected to find in a male character, but I did like him, even if I wanted to knock his head a few times so he'd wake up to see what was happening. To stand up for himself more than he did. Again...you will want to read this one.

[Patti Fischetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tangled relationship.

At first I thought the story was very confusing and I was totally lost. I didn't like the characters or the situations they found themselves in but literally half way through there was light at the end of the tunnel. The characters and situations became more defined and started to make sense to me. Love conquers all and Nate and Betty's life seems to blossomed with self is, self centered Frankie, who uses them all finally gets out of their lives. I believe it is worth the read. You go Brea Brown!

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in a couple of days, however it had it's moments when it was maddening! I would start feeling badly for the lead and the co-lead... but then remembered the situation they were in was because they didn't know how to stand up for themselves. You also knew how this story would end, but I did finish it just to make sure I was right. Ha!

[Gregory Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shades of the Importance of Being Earnest

A great twist on an old classic. Funny, sociopathic, weird, loveable characters. A true chic lit story with an HEA. Just takes the characters a really long time and many crazy situations to realize and act on their love for each other.

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main character's lack of backbone drove me nuts but still enjoyable book.

[Heather McCoubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting weeks, months even, for this latest novel from Brea Brown. This is the first novel of hers that I've read, which must make you wonder - why this one? Of all the books out there, why this one? It's a good question. And the answer is that over the past eight or so months, I've been privileged to be part of a ChickLit group - full of wonderful, amazing, talented, supportive women. And Ms. Brown is one of them. I've read posts and teasers, I've offered suggestions, and I've waited on the sidelines for this story to be finished. Yesterday, it was finally available for purchase and I did so immediately. Last night after I put the littles to bed, finished my writing for the day, got ready for bed and snuggled up next to the hubs -- I powered up my iPad Mini, opened my Kindle app and started to read...and read...and read...and read...until almost 5:00 this morning - when I finished Let's Be Frank.

It was well worth the wait. I loved this story - absolutely loved this story! I laughed, cried, sighed and cheered for Nate throughout the whole story. He's so wonderful, truly a character that any reader would fall in love with. He's funny, self-depreciating, cute, loves kids, dedicated to his work and desperately wants his own family. It's hard to fault him for being a man that so many women wish their man was. He's not without his little idiosyncrasies...he's a neat freak (nice change of pace compared to most men) and is not impressed with potential partners who aren't neat. He's a bit of a germophobe. And he can psychoanalyze as well as his shrink parents. But he's so endearing, so sweet and so pathetic at times that I just wanted to jump into the book and fix everything for him.

I wanted to wring Frankie's neck - pretty much from the first moment we met her. But especially after we were first introduced to her best friend, Betty. Frankie's rudeness, her manipulations, her annoying habit of leaving Nate out of the decision making and the way she deliberately kept Nate and Betty apart - when it was sooooo apparent they belonged together - just made me so angry. Seriously, it's been a few book reviews since I've disliked a character as much as Frankie.

This story had so many fun moments, so many avenues of drama, so much jammed packed inside - you really just have to read it for yourself. I could go on and on and on, but that would take away from time you could be reading Let's Be Frank. Trust me, go read this fantastic novel!

I only have two complaints...it wasn't long enough and I read it much too fast.

[Tracie Banister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of Brea Brown's I've read, and I continue to be impressed by her polished prose, witty dialogue, and well-crafted characterizations. She did something really clever in Let's Be Frank, making the protagonist a male and telling the story from his POV, so there was an interesting role reversal for several of the main characters in the book. Nice guy Nate longs for love and is a pretty evolved guy (he keeps a clean house, loves the kids he works with every day as a pediatric nurse, and treats women with respect.) You'd think that the ladies would be beating down his door, but alas, he's not making any love connections and the news that his ex is marrying his perfect older bother sends him into a tailspin. What's a nice guy to do?

Without spoiling anything, I will say that two very different women come into Nate's life and he gets involved with them both in unique ways. One of these characters is the most hissable villain I've seen on the pages of a Chick Lit novel in quite a while. She's one of those characters you just love to hate and can't wait to see the protagonist triumph over. The other character is a bit of an enigma as you're not really sure what her motivations are or where her loyalties lie for a good part of the book. These two women draw Nate into a very complicated scheme, which requires him to be the "face" of some very popular Chick Lit novels he didn't write. Will Nate be able to pull off this charade? And how will it affect the way he views himself and his relationships with these two ladies? You'll have to read the book to find out! Personally, I was very happy with the ending and may have even shed a tear or two.

Let's Be Frank is Chick Lit with a twist, and I applaud the author for stepping outside the box and showing me something I hadn't seen before. I look forward to seeing where her inventive mind takes me next.

[ann wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughed All the Way Through It.

I chose to read this book specifically because it was a romance written from the man's viewpoint. Nate, the viewpoint character, tells the story in first person which I liked. He is a good guy . The perfect prospect for the right girl, only he can't find her. Not only does he keep getting dumped, but his brother is marrying his ex-fiance and he has to pretend he's okay with it, which he really is, but no one believes him. Meanwhile, he gets involved with another woman, Franky and her best friend, Betty. He quickly finds himself being the front man, Frank, for the new girl friend's romance novels, literally pretending he's the author so she can hide her identity so her parents don't know she's a writer. He and the best friend travel around together promoting the girl friend's books. Nate is just too nice, too considerate and accommodating. he knows it and works to change his image from the sensitive, too considerate guy he is, to something more self protective. The situations he gets himself into are where the humor comes in. I don't want to spoil the read by going into more details about the plot. Suffice it to say that this is a page Turner and a belly laugh with some real romance thrown in. I loved Nate. He's that really loyal, kind, loving guy we gals often ignore to our own peril. I enjoyed reading about the other characters, too. This author knows how to write good dialogue and create plots so I gave it five stars. There is a moderate amount of cursing in case you don't like that and want to avoid it. Some sexual content as well. Otherwise, buy it. It a good read.

[Carlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, a chick lit book written by a woman from a man's point of view......and done well! I confess I was surprised.

Nate Bingham is a pediatric nurse who bucked family expectations by choosing a nursing career over becoming a physician like both his parents and older brother. He's also not a football fan although his family are die-hard Green Bay Packers fans. He loves reading chick lit and watching romantic comedies. One thing he wants more than anything is a wife and kids of his own, but this has never worked out for him. When his brother Nick tells him he is going to marry Nate's former fiancee, Nate feels he will never find the love of his life.

Of course, he does, but in the meantime he gets involved with Frankie, a chick lit author who wants to use his image as the 'face' of her pen name. Nate is talked into the role by Frankie and her best friend, Betty. The results of this deception lead to comic and occasional tragic consequences.

Although there were times I wanted to shake Nate for his naivete and Frankie for being so manipulative, I never stopped hoping for the happy ending I could see before any of the characters did!

I've enjoyed other books by Brea Brown and this one did not disappoint even though it's very different from her usual. Now I see there is planned a Nurse Nate trilogy so I'll have the chance to see what happens with all these interesting characters.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a free download from iBooks. Written from the perspective of the guy, this "chick-lit" book made for some entertaining reading. First dates, BFF's, meeting the parents, weddings, bachelor parties...all take on a whole new meaning when told from the guy's point of view. In this case, the hapless Nate is looking for a potential mate, a family, and his happily ever after, while the women in his life have played the commitment phobs. I must say, though, Nate DID seem a bit lacking in the man-card status at some point, and I began to wonder at point in the story if he ends up dis coving that he is gay. His commentary on life, dating, & relationships did have me literally laughing out loud at some points and I really grew to like Betty.. The banter between them was also very entertaining and I really started to root for them, thinking, "No! Go for each other!" Both Betty's and Frankie's reasons for the way they are became apparent after awhile, but I kept thinking, "Oh come on Nate! Quit being such a push-over and grow a pair! Stand up for yourself!" I was very happy, though, with the ending. Brown seemed to resolve most specks of the story pretty well by the ending.

[Elizabeth Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first, I didn't know how I felt about reading a self-described chick lit story from a male POV. For one, I'm a super man-hater most of the time (they say and do so much dumb shit!), unless the man is a character in a book (aka completely fictional). For two, why do I care what the man is feeling or thinking? Normally, it's insanely straight-forward and predictable in the male mind: sex, sex, sex, food, beer, sleep, sex, video games, sex, sex, food, sex....you get the picture! Nate, however, was a breath of fresh air with his quirks, foibles, and "petty" worries. Admittedly, he is incredibly metrosexual (that's what it's still called, right?). He is "in touch with his feminine side". (Conversely, his love interest is in touch with her strong, masculine side so they mesh perfectly--by the end of the book anyway!) I enjoyed how the author went off on unrelated tangents in Nate's mind. It was like reading how I think! It was amazing! I wish that more men ACTUALLY thought and felt about life and love the way Nate does. I'm going to research Mrs. Brown's other works now and hope that the second "Nurse Nate" novel has been released. :)

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank and Hate?

Laugh out loud funny! Please add to your list of must reads! Move to the top of the list. Love Nate, all around nice guy, and yes, hot. Really is true regarding men that write romance novels. Nate deserves better than spoiled and ungrateful Frankie. Betty proves to be decent. Lots of laughs, cheering for Nate, Frankie, well... There is a HEA. Nurse Nate covers the gambit of precarious situations, and in the end wanting more!

[William Simmons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish this book

I made it through chapter 10 but it was like an irritating noise droning on and on and on and on. (You get the picture, I hope)

I decided when Betty first walked into the story that she would be Nate's true love interest and I wanted to see how that came about but I just couldn't bare the silliness and whining any longer.

I was really disappointed because this sounded like a cute, romantic book and what it turned out to be is Chinese water torture.

I may try another book by this author but it won't be about nurse Nate.

[Kathryn Biel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you appreciate acerbic, sarcastic, well-written books, then this one is for you (likewise, if sarcasm is not your bag, consider yourself warned). I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I appreciated the humor and the fact that it is a chick lit book written from the male point of view. While Nurse Nate may not be your typical male, I find most chick lit characters are a bit of a stretch, so he fit right in. This was a book that I didn't want to stop reading, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next chapter in the sequel, Let's Be Real. Well done Ms. Brown!

[Lindy Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of US chicklit but enjoyed this story and found it a refreshing change from my usual UK genre. Nate was an unusual choice for a 'leading man' - he loved chick lit, chick flicks and hated football. He also had a lot of bad luck in the woman department. But in the end, this book was a good lesson in never compromising who you are for the sake of a relationship. Nate got the girl, the one he deserved. Highly recommended.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I became very connected to the protagonist. He's funny and sweet, the quintessential "nice guy". Loved the fact that I was fooled into thinking things were not going to end on a happy note for him. It made me even happier that they did.

[Emme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this book. There were several twist and turns with a surprising ending. It was nice to see a man going through what women typically do when it comes to love. Took a chance reading this book and glad I did. Will definitely be reading more of Brea Brown's Nurse Nate series!

[Michelle A. Vezina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I really enjoyed the book. Couldn't wait to finish it. I loved Nate. The plot took some unexpected turns which made the book interesting. I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy.

[Jeanette]

This was a free Nook book. Different.