Someone Like You

by Timothy James Beck

At the Mall of the Universe, you can get anything you want. Marc Jacobs suits. Hugo Boss suits, Food, Drinks, Dry cleaning. A room at the five-star hotel or a lane at the bowling alley. Of course, something things are harder to come by just ask...

Vienna. She's one beautiful sister who is not going to be dependent on any man ever again, thanks to her cheating, should-be-dead ex. When she's not selling overpriced mascara to rich snobs, Vienna's checking out the scenery. Not that she wants another man. Much. Good thing she can tell it all to...

Davii. The top hairdresser at CosmicTology is fast with a wickedly funny quip and with his shears. Nobody gets one over on Davii. But what he craves is a nice guy to come home to. A guy who makes him want to be a better person. A guy who looks an awful lot like...

Derek. He never planned to become a kept man, but it's hard to give up Belgian waffles delivered by room service. But no more. It's time for a New Derek - new life, new friends, new job. And who better to help him take those baby steps toward independence than...

Christian. Cool and savvy, he's cornered the market on charm. His sales skills have won him a fawning clientele. There's nothing he can't do, no point he can't score, no woman he can't woo. But there's a first time for everything.

Meeting for coffee, dishing over drinks, dealing with heinous bosses, scheming backstabbers, clueless customers, and the occasional object of desire, four new friends are about to discover the joys of shopping for love in a place where what you need most might just be where you least expect to find it.

Genres: Gay, Gay Fiction, LGBT, M M Romance, Fiction, Queer, Romance

340 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

The 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.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel is much like those from Beck's Manhattan series, occurs in the same time period, and includes at least one character from the series. It's a romance and a fairy tale where everyone lives happily everafter. It has interesting characters and of course the g-rated romance, but little else. It's a divertimento. I don't feel compelled to say much more about the nocel.

[Mel Bossa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so after 8 or 10 years since the last read, I did find more flaws in the writing, but then again, I don't care. Revisiting Vienna, Christian, and of course Derek, was so comforting. The mall of the Universe concept is a little over the top, yet today, I'd take living there with these great friends and not seeing the light of day over living in this unhealthy and scary world. I wish I could knock on Vienna and Derek's door and say "let me in!"...

One thing that bothered me this time around, was that I really love Davii the fierce hair stylist and I wish we could have seen more of him.

As for the romance part, it's all over the place, but in the end, when Hunter and Derek do get things straightened out, it was touching and felt real.

See, I miss these characters already.

Over all, it's a beautiful novel.

[Jon O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to love the book so much because I enjoyed reading about the characters and their development as the story progressed. However, because of my eagerness for something to happen between Derek and Christian, I was a little disappointed when Christian's character was reduced to almost nothing of importance to Derek's love life. I don't buy Hunter's hesitation in telling Derek the reason why he did not want Derek to work (as a shoe salesman). I do know of people who find it difficult to say 'I love you' but the shoe issue is a no-issue. I find Hunter's character a waste, and the same goes for Pro. It is so difficult to imagine Pro's disapproval tone of Derek at the beginning of the novel. And why is a person of Derek's qualification settles for a shoe salesman? Nevertheless, I still like and enjoy reading Timothy James Beck's work, that so much so, I immediately purchased his other novel - It Had To Be You.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my very favorite books! It's character driven, so when the odd situations go too far, or falter a bit, there's real people responding realistically to them. It's funny and fun, and the idea of the universe motif of the mall doesn't go over the edge, to my mind. It's a little convoluted, and some is unnecessary, but that's what makes it feel so natural to me.

The Character of Natasha is inspired genius, to my mind, from start to finish. I always sympathize with the bad guy, but with the narrative style I can understand why I do.

[J.J. Levesque · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, and it's one of my favorites. As someone who works in a mall and has for five years now, I loved that many of the employeees literally lived in the mall. There were times when I wished I could live in my mall, because it would be so convenient to get too and from work. Some of the situations seemed ridiculous, yes, but that is part of what made the book so fun to read. I liked the behind the scenes aspects of the mall, and they felt real to me because some of them I've experienced. Great fun and light reading.

[James Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of my favorites. I liked some of the characters and the dynamics and I found myself wanting to know how it all wrapped up, so that's a good thing. Some of the subplots were just really inane and I could have done without those, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

[C.J. Magus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sexually diverse mashup of Friends, The Office, and 9 to 5, set in a gigantic Midwestern mall. The wildly imaginative plot presents interconnected stories of romance, friendship, and life in retail--including a Dolly Parton fanatic and a literal bull in a china shop.

[Greg Petruska · Rating 5 out of 5]

for anyone that likes to be a voyeur into other peoples lives and loves, successes and heartaches and who likes a laugh along the way...this one's for you!

[Jordan Lombardo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t even finish this one. Way too many characters, plot is literally all over the place.

[M Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first time, when reading one of Timothy James Beck's books, I actually felt like I was reading a book written by multiple authors. With Beck's other books, the foursome usually puts together such a wonderful group of friends that grows over time with different characters' perspectives. The nod to Sheila brought out a nostalgic warm fuzzy feeling (Or maybe made me miss Daniel and Blaine's bunch more), but the part with punching-bag-Sydney was useless. We already hate her enough from Blaine. Please retire her.
The chapters felt so unbalanced and there were way to many characters and ideas going on. This book was also told through way too many perspectives. Between all the Drayden's employees, the Congreve hotel employees, Christian's whiny clients, Dewitt, Garry/Cartman/Pro, weak villain Riley, and Natasha's & Vienna' depressing back stories it was actually kind of hard to keep the names straight.
I literally felt trapped in the "Mall of the Universe," that came complete with bad space names like "Uranus Security"(UMM...NOT FUNNY). The fact that the main characters don't have cars and never leave the mall makes them seem more like animals at the Zoo. Other characters could come and go but the main group were caged animals.
I also had a huge problem with Hunter's uncharacteristic "big revel" at the end. Beck spent very little time developing the one character I would have liked to know more about. He truly came off as an uncaring, indifferent boyfriend. It's one thing to keep Derek in the dark about Hunter's true feelings, but to tick-off the reader and then make him seem great at the end was irritating.

[Skip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried to finish this truly trite little book.
I did not.
The characters are boring and vapid, and to have this whole story set in a mall is just kind of stupid and depressing all at the same time.

At least throw in a few hot sex scenes. But this book is no where near that daring....

[David Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this because it was a recommendation from a friend.
I didn't.
I now doubt his sanity. I was a third of the way in when I had an overwhelming urge of "who cares".
If I worked with someone who took as many breaks as that Vienna did I'd have her fired and why is everyone sooooo whiny!! Ugh. Waste of a day off.

[Roger - president of NBR United - · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, It is a comfort book that I go back to because it make me laugh at the antics that Derek get up to or deals with. I will read TJB anytime. would like to see a sequel where there is more interaction between Hunter and Derek's friends. The story touches many issue beyond gay issues.

[Gina Risher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly fun!

[Debs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queer Chick Lit (Quik Lit). My favorite character only appeared very briefly, but it was enough.

[Kimberly Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, this author is one I have come to really love he writes so sweetly about the LGBT community and I respect that. He also makes his characters funny, witty and loveable.

[Hillery · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun lightweight read......a beach book in the middle of the winter. Nothing profound, but if you are looking for something that's a nice diversion, check it out.

[Kitty Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've reread this a bunch of times. Is it high class literature? No. But it's amusing every time I read it.