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Manhattan #3
He's the One
From Timothy James Beck, the acclaimed author of It Had To Be You, comes his second delightfully witty, thoroughly heartfelt novel as he introduces a Midwestern jock-slash-computer geek who comes to the big city in search of love, career, friendship, and a chance to find out if...
He s The One
Something s gotta give for Adam Wilson. The hunky, sweet Midwestern entrepreneur might have a dream job, but his love life is anything but picture-perfect. The guys he dates usually turn out to have criminal records, bankruptcy histories, personality disorders, or wives. And for the first time in his life, Adam is ready to look for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right-Out-the-Door. But where to look is more the question. It s not like bucolic, sleepy Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is exactly crawling with adorable, uncloseted gay men. Taking a job in New York City is awfully tempting, and when a computer company makes Adam an offer he can t refuse, he packs his flannel shirts and heads east in a hurry.
Like lots of driven, career-focused people before him (Think Marlo; think Mary Richards; rethink the flannel shirts...) Adam tackles the big city with farm-fresh enthusiasm, but the most breathtaking attraction of all is Jeremy, the blond, brown-eyed beauty Adam catches sight of in a Chelsea coffee shop. In addition to a buff bod and a to-die-for face, Jeremy s got a few other attributes like a heart, a soul, and a conscience. Trouble is, he may also have an annoying boyfriend bent on turning the sexy TV actor into the yoga-practicing equivalent of Mother Teresa with better shoes. Now that Adam s sure he s met the love of his life, how can he get Jeremy to fall in love with him? Catching Jeremy is going to take more than Adam s sweet-natured country enthusiasm.
Wry, and touching, He s The One asks the age-old question - Can a decent, well-adjusted gay man from small-town America find sex, love, and happiness in the big city? - and answers with a resounding, "Only if he knows where to look."
He s The One
Something s gotta give for Adam Wilson. The hunky, sweet Midwestern entrepreneur might have a dream job, but his love life is anything but picture-perfect. The guys he dates usually turn out to have criminal records, bankruptcy histories, personality disorders, or wives. And for the first time in his life, Adam is ready to look for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right-Out-the-Door. But where to look is more the question. It s not like bucolic, sleepy Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is exactly crawling with adorable, uncloseted gay men. Taking a job in New York City is awfully tempting, and when a computer company makes Adam an offer he can t refuse, he packs his flannel shirts and heads east in a hurry.
Like lots of driven, career-focused people before him (Think Marlo; think Mary Richards; rethink the flannel shirts...) Adam tackles the big city with farm-fresh enthusiasm, but the most breathtaking attraction of all is Jeremy, the blond, brown-eyed beauty Adam catches sight of in a Chelsea coffee shop. In addition to a buff bod and a to-die-for face, Jeremy s got a few other attributes like a heart, a soul, and a conscience. Trouble is, he may also have an annoying boyfriend bent on turning the sexy TV actor into the yoga-practicing equivalent of Mother Teresa with better shoes. Now that Adam s sure he s met the love of his life, how can he get Jeremy to fall in love with him? Catching Jeremy is going to take more than Adam s sweet-natured country enthusiasm.
Wry, and touching, He s The One asks the age-old question - Can a decent, well-adjusted gay man from small-town America find sex, love, and happiness in the big city? - and answers with a resounding, "Only if he knows where to look."
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Timothy James Beck
6 books40 followersThe writing team of Timothy James Beck is made up of four writers (Timothy Forry, Jim Carter, Timothy J. Lambert & Becky Cochrane) who meet as a group twice a year, but write their novels in tandem using the Internet. For more info, please visit the TJB FAQ page on their website.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 19, 2010
I quite enjoyed this story. For one, I'm really basking in tales that are of gay folk, but in another, I just flat-out enjoyed reading about these folk. The supporting characters are very evocative, and a solid cast of vary believable folk.
There's one passage in the book, however, that really stuck home for me - one of the characters discusses with another what the two saddest words in the english language are. The first, and somewhat pithy answer, is "What party?" The second answer has so much force of emotion behind it that it was the social equivalent of a punch to the stomach. I'd honestly forgotten the phrase and situation that it referred to, and seeing it on the page brought back some really terrible moments. Kudos to the author for the inclusion of such a topic in such a deft way.
The book has more moments of humour than it has social commentary, and the ride is a joyful one. When self-made-successful hunk arrives in New York looking for Mr. Right, he has his eyes set on someone right away. Will he chase that person down, or maybe learn that Mr. Right isn't all that it's cracked up to be? The delight is in the telling, and I have to admit, the ending wasn't where I thought it would go.
A story about friendship more than love, and about setting some pretty important priorities in life, there's a kind emotional honesty in this story. Though at a few times I got frustrated with the main character (It's hard to feel a lot of empathy for the perfect-bod-perfect-job-jock-fantasy character at times, especially when there's some ugly moments of 'what he did in high school to the local gay guy'), and annoyed at his single-mindedness in chasing a guy he barely knew anything about, the supporting cast at those times, and the minor mystery subplot, kept things going at a good clip.
By the end, you'll like (nearly) everyone involved, and want to read more. Imagine my joy at learning there was a book prior to this one, with some of the same characters! I can't wait.
There's one passage in the book, however, that really stuck home for me - one of the characters discusses with another what the two saddest words in the english language are. The first, and somewhat pithy answer, is "What party?" The second answer has so much force of emotion behind it that it was the social equivalent of a punch to the stomach. I'd honestly forgotten the phrase and situation that it referred to, and seeing it on the page brought back some really terrible moments. Kudos to the author for the inclusion of such a topic in such a deft way.
The book has more moments of humour than it has social commentary, and the ride is a joyful one. When self-made-successful hunk arrives in New York looking for Mr. Right, he has his eyes set on someone right away. Will he chase that person down, or maybe learn that Mr. Right isn't all that it's cracked up to be? The delight is in the telling, and I have to admit, the ending wasn't where I thought it would go.
A story about friendship more than love, and about setting some pretty important priorities in life, there's a kind emotional honesty in this story. Though at a few times I got frustrated with the main character (It's hard to feel a lot of empathy for the perfect-bod-perfect-job-jock-fantasy character at times, especially when there's some ugly moments of 'what he did in high school to the local gay guy'), and annoyed at his single-mindedness in chasing a guy he barely knew anything about, the supporting cast at those times, and the minor mystery subplot, kept things going at a good clip.
By the end, you'll like (nearly) everyone involved, and want to read more. Imagine my joy at learning there was a book prior to this one, with some of the same characters! I can't wait.
July 25, 2011
A Guilty Pleasure. Boy sees boy in a coffee shop in Chelsea then spends the entire novel trying to seduce him. PG rated. Well defined characters and good plotline. Fast read.
Read
June 5, 2009Adam is a gay country boy... I don't know but gay and country boy in the same sentence sounds strange, maybe since I'm used to read stories about young gay men who escape their little country town for the big city to finally be who they really want to be. Instead Adam went to discover the world and found that he prefers Eau Claire, Wisconsin. And why not? He has a thriving business in the high tech world he can lead by home, a old fashion farmhouse he restored all for his own, a supporting family who love him unconditionally (it seems that his mother only waited for him to come out so she could rightfully join the PFLAG association...). At this point Adam seems the perfect man and maybe he is single since he can't find another perfect man like him to much such perfection... but sincerely I think that Adam is a rather spoiled son. Thanks to his look and his fine mind, and a big dose of fortune, always went right in his life, he has never seriously fought for anything.
Lucky for him, his mother has a long sight, and convinces him to temporarily move to New York City... maybe in the Big Apple he will have more chance to meet new people, and maybe, his mother think, he will have more challenges to face than in small town Eau Claire, and the challenges will serve him to grew a bit. And instead, according to the rule of the six degrees of separation, Adam manages to rebuild the little circle he had in his small town even in New York. First he meets Blythe, a struggling young artist, then Sheila, the sister of one of his hometown friends, who is roommate with Blaine, another hometown boy moved to NYC. Blaine is boyfriend with Daniel, who went to high school together with Adam, and whom Adam pursued with stupid jock jokes when they were young. Daniel is also the ex boyfriend of Jeremy, a man Adam briefly met in a coffe shop and who is become his obsession. Adam will do anything to meet the man since he is finally fallen in love... but really, to my opinion, Adam is more in love with the idea to be in love than with Jeremy himself.
And my idea is confirmed by the fact that, for almost all the book, Jeremy is a distant figure, like a haunting ghost who appears and disappears; Adam has never really the chance to be with him, even if he manages to meet all the people around him and to frequent all the same places. And more he pursues his "love" more people are telling him how awful and absolutely no boyfriend material Jeremy is. Strange to say, the only one who doesn't talk badly of him is his ex boyfriend Daniel, the man Jeremy cheated on.. (Daniel's story with Jeremy and then Blaine is told in It Had to Be You, I didn't know the two books were related, and I mistakenly bought the second book).
Anyway, while chasing his love dream, Adam has the chance to finally come out from his mother's egg nest: even if Adam came out to his parents when he was 18 years old, he for real never come out from their protective range. But Adam confirms his luck, and even in the big city, and alone from his family, he always manages to obtain what or who he wants.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0758203241/?...
Lucky for him, his mother has a long sight, and convinces him to temporarily move to New York City... maybe in the Big Apple he will have more chance to meet new people, and maybe, his mother think, he will have more challenges to face than in small town Eau Claire, and the challenges will serve him to grew a bit. And instead, according to the rule of the six degrees of separation, Adam manages to rebuild the little circle he had in his small town even in New York. First he meets Blythe, a struggling young artist, then Sheila, the sister of one of his hometown friends, who is roommate with Blaine, another hometown boy moved to NYC. Blaine is boyfriend with Daniel, who went to high school together with Adam, and whom Adam pursued with stupid jock jokes when they were young. Daniel is also the ex boyfriend of Jeremy, a man Adam briefly met in a coffe shop and who is become his obsession. Adam will do anything to meet the man since he is finally fallen in love... but really, to my opinion, Adam is more in love with the idea to be in love than with Jeremy himself.
And my idea is confirmed by the fact that, for almost all the book, Jeremy is a distant figure, like a haunting ghost who appears and disappears; Adam has never really the chance to be with him, even if he manages to meet all the people around him and to frequent all the same places. And more he pursues his "love" more people are telling him how awful and absolutely no boyfriend material Jeremy is. Strange to say, the only one who doesn't talk badly of him is his ex boyfriend Daniel, the man Jeremy cheated on.. (Daniel's story with Jeremy and then Blaine is told in It Had to Be You, I didn't know the two books were related, and I mistakenly bought the second book).
Anyway, while chasing his love dream, Adam has the chance to finally come out from his mother's egg nest: even if Adam came out to his parents when he was 18 years old, he for real never come out from their protective range. But Adam confirms his luck, and even in the big city, and alone from his family, he always manages to obtain what or who he wants.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0758203241/?...
April 26, 2019
I enjoyed this book. But it was very slow thru out
December 8, 2025
He’s The One is less whimsical than its predecessor, It Had To Be You (one of my favourite gay books), though no less compelling; it’s fun and campy while remaining sophisticated in the writing, which is sharp and witty. The characters are dynamic, and the story includes numerous sweet moments interwoven with high melodrama. The novel’s exploration of love, identity, and the complexities of friendships and romantic relationships resonates powerfully; its themes and raw emotions definitely continue to strike a chord with a contemporary audience. The story crafts an engaging narrative that remains relatable and relevant, both to queer people and allies, inviting readers to experience the essence of a pivotal era of queer identity, social awareness, and community in a profoundly personal way. Does Adam, our MC, finally meet the man of his dreams? It’s a journey filled with hope and excitement, and a nostalgic trip I'll retake time and again! You should, too!
Read my full review at www.ryanlawrenceauthor.ca
Read my full review at www.ryanlawrenceauthor.ca
July 28, 2011
Sweet story about how Adam Wilson finally gets his man.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews