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An Idiot in Love
Kieran’s love life didn’t get off to a good start. He threw up after his first kiss; he was beaten up by the first girl to have a crush on him; and after a mix-up with his first love letter, he could only sit back and watch as the entire school mistook him for a brutal murderer. By the time the hormones kicked in, Kieran had all but given up on love, but the worst was yet to come.
Relying on advice from friends who are just as dumb and just as clueless, Kieran weaves a stuttering, stumbling path through the world of adult dating. He lacks decorum, charisma, confidence—everything he needs to succeed. Despite that, there is one girl who changes him, one girl who eases his nerves and gives him hope. She is everything he had hoped for: beautiful, generous, funny—and she didn’t turn tail and run when she first saw him. But then, she disappears. Will Kieran find her again? And if he does, can his luck hold long enough to make a relationship with her last? What are the chances that all the mishaps and misadventures that go before, between, and after will put him off dating for good?
An Idiot in Love chronicles a series of unfortunate sexual encounters and relationships that every reader can appreciate and sympathize with.
Relying on advice from friends who are just as dumb and just as clueless, Kieran weaves a stuttering, stumbling path through the world of adult dating. He lacks decorum, charisma, confidence—everything he needs to succeed. Despite that, there is one girl who changes him, one girl who eases his nerves and gives him hope. She is everything he had hoped for: beautiful, generous, funny—and she didn’t turn tail and run when she first saw him. But then, she disappears. Will Kieran find her again? And if he does, can his luck hold long enough to make a relationship with her last? What are the chances that all the mishaps and misadventures that go before, between, and after will put him off dating for good?
An Idiot in Love chronicles a series of unfortunate sexual encounters and relationships that every reader can appreciate and sympathize with.
276 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2012
41 people are currently reading
1074 people want to read
About the author
David Jester
20 books120 followersDavid Jester is a novelist and short story writer living in the North East of England. His books include the comedy, An Idiot in Love, and the gruesome horror, This Is How You Die.
He is published by Skyhorse Publishing and represented by Peter Beren.
He is published by Skyhorse Publishing and represented by Peter Beren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 10, 2017
Quite a funny read. My favourite lines in the paperback was Kieran straightened up to look smart. Life had taken a strange turn in his life. His dad had retired and turned his life into an endless cycle of playing golf. Kieran's friends had become involved with married life, having children. And his mother had turned into Mrs. Grundy. Soon Kieran marries the love of his life and they have children together, but chaos is never that far away. Kieran McCall learn to live with the stress and strains of married life and parenthood. The first book by the author was An Idiot in Love, which I certainly would love to read.
September 28, 2013
Two warnings before I proceed with my review.
One, some of the situations Kieran finds himself in are bizarre, others are inane, and some aren't even marginally realistic. The incidents vary from awkward, albeit amusing, to downright preposterous. If you're OK with preposterous, then by all means, continue reading.
Two, the romantic element of the book has to do with the conclusion. If you're looking for romance then the title can give one the wrong idea. It's not about romance per se, but rather the hero's adventures in that vast, uncharted land called erotic relationships. The viewpoint is deliberately not serious.
Kieran isn't bad- just a bit of an airhead. He has a talent for saying the wrong things, especially if he's talking with a woman he finds attractive. He means well, yet more often than not, his intentions generate the worst possible results. In his efforts to avoid embarrassment, he almost always manages to embarrass himself in ways beyond imagining. His friends also tend to make things worse with their advice. The book follows his misadventures from 8 to 27 years of age. If you expect to read a man's journey from preteens to maturity, I need to remind you that this book is categorised under fiction, humor/parody. Therefore, anyone who expects to read a story with a moral or an (auto)biography, should look in altogether different book categories.
One of the strongest points of the book is that it's very easy to read. The writing style is effortless and pleasant, moving the reader from chapter to chapter very fast. Before I knew it, I was halfway through it. So if you're looking for something funny and a little cheeky to while away a few hours, this book is a good choice.
Personally, I did not find myself laughing out loud often, yet felt continuously amused. There is a multitude of funny passages and witty sentences. The humor is often hidden under the surface. Other times, the situations themselves are so outrageous that one can't help but laugh at poor Kieran's luck, and feel glad they aren't him.
To sum up, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a funny, slightly surreal book on love relationships and aren't afraid of generous doses of strong language.
One, some of the situations Kieran finds himself in are bizarre, others are inane, and some aren't even marginally realistic. The incidents vary from awkward, albeit amusing, to downright preposterous. If you're OK with preposterous, then by all means, continue reading.
Two, the romantic element of the book has to do with the conclusion. If you're looking for romance then the title can give one the wrong idea. It's not about romance per se, but rather the hero's adventures in that vast, uncharted land called erotic relationships. The viewpoint is deliberately not serious.
Kieran isn't bad- just a bit of an airhead. He has a talent for saying the wrong things, especially if he's talking with a woman he finds attractive. He means well, yet more often than not, his intentions generate the worst possible results. In his efforts to avoid embarrassment, he almost always manages to embarrass himself in ways beyond imagining. His friends also tend to make things worse with their advice. The book follows his misadventures from 8 to 27 years of age. If you expect to read a man's journey from preteens to maturity, I need to remind you that this book is categorised under fiction, humor/parody. Therefore, anyone who expects to read a story with a moral or an (auto)biography, should look in altogether different book categories.
One of the strongest points of the book is that it's very easy to read. The writing style is effortless and pleasant, moving the reader from chapter to chapter very fast. Before I knew it, I was halfway through it. So if you're looking for something funny and a little cheeky to while away a few hours, this book is a good choice.
Personally, I did not find myself laughing out loud often, yet felt continuously amused. There is a multitude of funny passages and witty sentences. The humor is often hidden under the surface. Other times, the situations themselves are so outrageous that one can't help but laugh at poor Kieran's luck, and feel glad they aren't him.
To sum up, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a funny, slightly surreal book on love relationships and aren't afraid of generous doses of strong language.
December 10, 2012
This is a very funny book with never a dull moment. It is flawlessly written and easy to read and a complete bargain for the price.
One of the things that impresses with David's writing is his ability to draw the reader in from the first paragraph and before you know it, you've read half the book! In Kieran, the book's narrator, the author has created a very likeable and honest character. The story starts from his days in primary school, through high school, the first work place and up to the ending. It is as if the reader is also on a journey through their life, with David effortlessly and seamlessly recreating the primary school, high school and workplace environment that I'm sure everyone can relate to and be vividly drawn back into. This is the main strength of his writing which makes his work so engaging and enjoyable. And despite the comical scenes, I'm sure that at some point in every guy's life some of these scenarios have occurred (perhaps not the prosthetic leg part -lol). This is a very refreshing, original and entertaining piece of work.
Another cracking book by a very accomplished and highly talented writer! More please.
One of the things that impresses with David's writing is his ability to draw the reader in from the first paragraph and before you know it, you've read half the book! In Kieran, the book's narrator, the author has created a very likeable and honest character. The story starts from his days in primary school, through high school, the first work place and up to the ending. It is as if the reader is also on a journey through their life, with David effortlessly and seamlessly recreating the primary school, high school and workplace environment that I'm sure everyone can relate to and be vividly drawn back into. This is the main strength of his writing which makes his work so engaging and enjoyable. And despite the comical scenes, I'm sure that at some point in every guy's life some of these scenarios have occurred (perhaps not the prosthetic leg part -lol). This is a very refreshing, original and entertaining piece of work.
Another cracking book by a very accomplished and highly talented writer! More please.
April 22, 2013
Loved it. Definitely deserves 5 stars.
It's like watching the main character Kieren growing up, as it follows his relationship disasters from a young age all the way to a grown up... Makes you see how his relationship really develops through his life with all awkward and silly things explained in detail... found it really funny and made me laugh a lot at times at the things he does and the things he says.
I really enjoyed the pace of the book with the short chapters as it kept me reading at a good pace and writing styles was just superb. Plenty of first person narration from the main character and plenty of dialogue conversations to keep you engaged. Very well balanced between the mix of the two.
Not sure if this is lad lit or just a general numerous book. Nevertheless. Totally recommend the book. Its got a great story that keeps you at the edge of your seat and has plenty of funny moments that will just make you laugh out loud. 5/5
It's like watching the main character Kieren growing up, as it follows his relationship disasters from a young age all the way to a grown up... Makes you see how his relationship really develops through his life with all awkward and silly things explained in detail... found it really funny and made me laugh a lot at times at the things he does and the things he says.
I really enjoyed the pace of the book with the short chapters as it kept me reading at a good pace and writing styles was just superb. Plenty of first person narration from the main character and plenty of dialogue conversations to keep you engaged. Very well balanced between the mix of the two.
Not sure if this is lad lit or just a general numerous book. Nevertheless. Totally recommend the book. Its got a great story that keeps you at the edge of your seat and has plenty of funny moments that will just make you laugh out loud. 5/5
February 23, 2013
written in the 1st person as an account of his life. starting out in grade school and the awkwardness of dealing with the opposite sex. trying and failing at every pass to find and meet a girl and ultimately have a girlfriend, he screws up so barely, babbling on like a complete idiot turning potential girlfriends off before even getting started. then comes an embarrassing event that gets him in hot water, with no clothes to boot... but the proposed holiday brings someone back from his past. I can't really say more then that without totally blowing the book for you. it was funny & there were definitely times where I did LOL and my husband just gave me a strange look. looking forward to reading more from this author. :)
December 9, 2012
I was well into the book before it even dawned on me that the setting was in England. I did not have any trouble relating to the main character, in fact I had some experiences that were almost identical. The author was very creative in how the growing pains in boy/girl relationships develop through out the progression from youth to adult. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to look back on their years and see the impact love has on the character and as it relates to them.
April 1, 2013
Hilarious page after page!
May 17, 2016
An Idiot in Love follows the growth and "maturation" of Kieran McCall and his sex life from the age of eight, when he throws up all over the girl who shares his first kiss, to the age of twenty-seven, when he finds himself housed in a psychiatric hospital.
Kieran explores a multitude of stereotypes, misconceptions (sorry), and bits of playground wisdom -- knowledge we no doubt all grew up hearing and wondering about. He often proves himself to be a skilled follower, seemingly always under the influence of someone else and constantly attempting to spin the evidence into a different reality to keep him out of one sort of mess or another. At times we're ready to give up on him and on Jester's story, but he's likeable enough that we continue to pull for him, and the story is filled with enough solid humor to soothe any unease we may have. More importantly, we see enough of ourselves in Kieran that we can't really give up on him. How will his next experience compare with ours? How much of what he learns did we learn in the same way?
But Kieran thinks for himself just often enough, faces the truth of what he's doing just frequently enough (though certainly maddeningly infrequently) to keep us seeing the hope there still is for him, the good that's still in him. It's these times when he's doing the thinking (and not a certain part of his anatomy or not his best friend Matthew) that the story is at its sweetest, its warmest.
An Idiot in Love is a fun read, at times laugh-out-loud funny, at times silly, often memory-stirring. Jester and Kieran pay us handsomely for our trust and our time spent with them.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
Kieran explores a multitude of stereotypes, misconceptions (sorry), and bits of playground wisdom -- knowledge we no doubt all grew up hearing and wondering about. He often proves himself to be a skilled follower, seemingly always under the influence of someone else and constantly attempting to spin the evidence into a different reality to keep him out of one sort of mess or another. At times we're ready to give up on him and on Jester's story, but he's likeable enough that we continue to pull for him, and the story is filled with enough solid humor to soothe any unease we may have. More importantly, we see enough of ourselves in Kieran that we can't really give up on him. How will his next experience compare with ours? How much of what he learns did we learn in the same way?
But Kieran thinks for himself just often enough, faces the truth of what he's doing just frequently enough (though certainly maddeningly infrequently) to keep us seeing the hope there still is for him, the good that's still in him. It's these times when he's doing the thinking (and not a certain part of his anatomy or not his best friend Matthew) that the story is at its sweetest, its warmest.
An Idiot in Love is a fun read, at times laugh-out-loud funny, at times silly, often memory-stirring. Jester and Kieran pay us handsomely for our trust and our time spent with them.
>>Support independent bookstores by buying real books from real stores where you can talk with real booksellers.<<
July 2, 2016
Original review @ 125Pages.com
An Idiot In Love by David Jester is touted as a funny romp through the life of a loser in love. While the main character was a loser, I did not find it very funny. Kieran is one of those guys where nothing seems to work out for. His dating life is a disaster, from throwing up on a girl to a series of misunderstanding making it look like he is stalking another, he just can’t win. But there is one girl, who flits through his life that may be just right for him, if only he could find her again.
While I did like the engaging writing style of the author, I found what he thought to be funny, crass or just downright rude. To me, there was not an emotional connection so I was never drawn to the main character. I also found part of the story line to be distasteful to people with mental health issues. This has a 3.3 star rating on Amazon and that is exactly where I would put it. A good read, but not a great one.
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
An Idiot In Love by David Jester is touted as a funny romp through the life of a loser in love. While the main character was a loser, I did not find it very funny. Kieran is one of those guys where nothing seems to work out for. His dating life is a disaster, from throwing up on a girl to a series of misunderstanding making it look like he is stalking another, he just can’t win. But there is one girl, who flits through his life that may be just right for him, if only he could find her again.
While I did like the engaging writing style of the author, I found what he thought to be funny, crass or just downright rude. To me, there was not an emotional connection so I was never drawn to the main character. I also found part of the story line to be distasteful to people with mental health issues. This has a 3.3 star rating on Amazon and that is exactly where I would put it. A good read, but not a great one.
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
May 5, 2017
This book felt like a series of short stories about an infuriatingly idiotic man who, through some severe lack of self-awareness and basic logic, manages to fuck up most interpersonal interactions. Like sitcoms, simple explanations - basic communication - would have solved the majority of the issues this 'Idiot' encounters.
I know, I know. Idiot is in the title. I should have expected it. But good lord, this guy is infuriating.
The book was an easy read, which is to its benefit since I couldn't wait for it to be over. My patience wore thin for this guy, especially once we were firmly in adulthood when - you'd hope - he should have known better.
My husband pointed out that I shouldn't rate this too poorly, since the author clearly did a good job at conveying a character that was truly an idiot. And since that is built into the title, we can assume the overwhelming and frustrating idiocy of the main character was indeed intentional. So yes, well done Mr Jester. You've written a believable idiot.
I would not re-read this though. I'm relieved to be done with this guy. I would despair for the world if he were real.
I know, I know. Idiot is in the title. I should have expected it. But good lord, this guy is infuriating.
The book was an easy read, which is to its benefit since I couldn't wait for it to be over. My patience wore thin for this guy, especially once we were firmly in adulthood when - you'd hope - he should have known better.
My husband pointed out that I shouldn't rate this too poorly, since the author clearly did a good job at conveying a character that was truly an idiot. And since that is built into the title, we can assume the overwhelming and frustrating idiocy of the main character was indeed intentional. So yes, well done Mr Jester. You've written a believable idiot.
I would not re-read this though. I'm relieved to be done with this guy. I would despair for the world if he were real.
July 7, 2013
This book was absolutely hilarious ! It was a light read and just seemed real to life events! The only problem I had was that I wished the author went into more depth with him and Lizzy but instead it skipped over everything and went right to the wedding! !I wanted to know more about that relationship! . But all and all it was a fast paced read, totally funny and I would recommend it to my friends :)
March 31, 2013
Two points for the easy-to-read writing style from David Jester, but otherwise, the episodes in this book run like a badly written RomCom. Highly unbelievable circumstances, one after another, make it difficult to connect or sympathize with the main character. And, not sure if I got a wonky digital edition, but my book was riddled with random typos and errors.
Read
November 21, 2015That was. ..interesting. The very definition of a train wreck at first but I couldn't look away and by the end, despite having hated the main character for the first half of the book I ended up liking the story. I honestly wouldn't have finished it if I hadn't read the positive good reads reviews after the first quarter so I trudged on and was glad I did.
July 8, 2013
I loved this book! Finally a book that made me really laugh out loud! I love memoirs and that unfortunate tales of this fool was too good to be true. The rediculous situations that this guy found himself in was just unbelievable! I would love to read more books of this type!
July 31, 2016
Wasn't BAD but wasn't all that great either. Certainly didn't measure up to its hype. There were some QUITE funny moments and a heartwarming ending. Still, glad i waited on library list instead of buying.
July 20, 2013
Another highly amusing, entertaining and beautifully written story by David Jester. He is definitely one of my favourite authors :D
September 11, 2013
This was a painfully awkwardly cute book. Poor guy!! Glad he got his happy ending.
October 10, 2018
Some of it was funny, but mostly just ridiculous events that happened to this one guy when it came to his love life. Most of it was completely unbelievable (and not in a good way). There wasn't a lot going for this guy, and he was fairly unlikeable. I am not sure why you would root for him to fall in love anyway. I think I left the last 3 pages of the book because I was just done. It was an "eh" kind of book.
November 21, 2018
This is in the running for one of the dumbest books I've ever read. It seems more like the farfetched imaginations of a 13-year-old boy. The situations were sometimes comical but usually ridiculous and pretty hard to believe. Like you know how there was always one kid in elementary/middle school who knew someone who knew someone's cousin who had the most absurd and cliched thing happen to them... etc.
April 29, 2022
I read his other book, this is how you die, and it came recommended by a coworker.
I literally thought this was a book without an ending until the end of the hospital scene. I liked it afterwards but it was confusing
I literally thought this was a book without an ending until the end of the hospital scene. I liked it afterwards but it was confusing
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2024
Found this hilarious in parts, literally crying out ‘please no’ or ‘what the f#@k’ but absolutely cracking up.
It’s utterly cringe worthy and Kieran gets him self in the most random situations, but it’s bloody funny when he does!
It’s utterly cringe worthy and Kieran gets him self in the most random situations, but it’s bloody funny when he does!
February 25, 2017
So much potential... It had good parts and the ending was both sweet and well done, unfortunately, much of the book left me flat.
May 14, 2018
Not really lol
But a sweet story just the same. It's about a man unlucky in love, but his final shot at it is the sweetest.
But a sweet story just the same. It's about a man unlucky in love, but his final shot at it is the sweetest.
October 20, 2020
This is a great read! Very funny and kept me interested the entire time. I love the wit throughout the book.
October 20, 2020
The majority of this wasn't my cup of tea BUT that ending made it a 3 star
June 1, 2021
3.5 stars maybe. The "dating" history of a affable slacker. Self-deprecating, funny in spots, but not the "black humor" promised by the cover. It was fine.
June 4, 2021
This was a hilarious short easy read! I loved it!! I laughed so much at the school boy antics.
July 6, 2023
*audiobook
😴
😴
July 13, 2025
Very bro, impolite, funny. A confusing mix of British English and Americanisms resulted in at least a star docked off this.
October 26, 2014
Cheerfully Inane Adult Humor - When an Author Works "Blue"
As I read this book I reflected on comedians know for "working blue". As you might guess, blue comedy is comedy about sex that is off-color, risqué, or ribald. It can be pretty gross and crude, or it can have a certain cheerful or sly good humor. I saw Buddy Hackett perform once and his blue material was delivered in such a deadpan and yet twinkling style that it was both hilarious and shocking at the same time. The late Richard Jenni was a master of cheerful blue. Even old fashioned family-friendly artists like Jack Benny, Milton Berle, and George Burns could go blue in private venues. The middle ground, switching between light-hearted and possibly-uncomfortable falls to comediennes like Sarah Silverman or the late Joan Rivers. On the crude side there are plenty of contenders, with performers like Andrew Dice Clay going right up to the extremes of downright offensive.
I mention this just to sort of set out a background for my sense of this book, which you may be considering as a kindleunlimited freebie. Written as a memoir of sorts, we follow our hapless protagonist through an increasingly surreal series of romantic and sexual encounters. The book is a romance novel of sorts, (with a few unexpected touching bits), but we have to navigate a lot of amusingly dysfunctional sex first. Starting at an early age marked by bizarrely awkward relationships, our hero leads us through his early young adult years. Still bizarre. Still awkward. But at least trending upward toward that happy ending.
All of this is recounted wryly, ruefully, and with a sort of deadpan resignation that makes the author, ultimately, a reasonably winning character. Some of the exploits recounted are predictable and fall flat; some are bracingly funny in a painful sort of way. Occasionally there is a truth or two to be spied in the background. Many of the insights originate from the weird Greek chorus of observant friends and confidants who give the hero hopelessly ineffective advice or bits of wisdom.
The book is rarely crude and never mean. It is not gross, but it can be explicit. It is good humored, mainly because it seems hard to be both perplexed and offensive at the same time, and the author always opts for perplexed. If you are looking for a light and diverting read about the silly side of sex this might well be a good choice.
Please note that I found this book while browsing kindleunlimited freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
As I read this book I reflected on comedians know for "working blue". As you might guess, blue comedy is comedy about sex that is off-color, risqué, or ribald. It can be pretty gross and crude, or it can have a certain cheerful or sly good humor. I saw Buddy Hackett perform once and his blue material was delivered in such a deadpan and yet twinkling style that it was both hilarious and shocking at the same time. The late Richard Jenni was a master of cheerful blue. Even old fashioned family-friendly artists like Jack Benny, Milton Berle, and George Burns could go blue in private venues. The middle ground, switching between light-hearted and possibly-uncomfortable falls to comediennes like Sarah Silverman or the late Joan Rivers. On the crude side there are plenty of contenders, with performers like Andrew Dice Clay going right up to the extremes of downright offensive.
I mention this just to sort of set out a background for my sense of this book, which you may be considering as a kindleunlimited freebie. Written as a memoir of sorts, we follow our hapless protagonist through an increasingly surreal series of romantic and sexual encounters. The book is a romance novel of sorts, (with a few unexpected touching bits), but we have to navigate a lot of amusingly dysfunctional sex first. Starting at an early age marked by bizarrely awkward relationships, our hero leads us through his early young adult years. Still bizarre. Still awkward. But at least trending upward toward that happy ending.
All of this is recounted wryly, ruefully, and with a sort of deadpan resignation that makes the author, ultimately, a reasonably winning character. Some of the exploits recounted are predictable and fall flat; some are bracingly funny in a painful sort of way. Occasionally there is a truth or two to be spied in the background. Many of the insights originate from the weird Greek chorus of observant friends and confidants who give the hero hopelessly ineffective advice or bits of wisdom.
The book is rarely crude and never mean. It is not gross, but it can be explicit. It is good humored, mainly because it seems hard to be both perplexed and offensive at the same time, and the author always opts for perplexed. If you are looking for a light and diverting read about the silly side of sex this might well be a good choice.
Please note that I found this book while browsing kindleunlimited freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews