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The Importance of Being a Bachelor
Despite the example of their own parents' enduring marriage, the three Bachelor brothers show no signs of settling down. Adam has a string of glamorous girlfriends, but they aren't suitable wife material. Luke has just proposed to Cassie but his refusal to consider having children looks like an insurmountable barrier. And baby of the family Russell is in love with the one woman he can't have. Then their father announces he has been thrown out of the family home and this forces all three brothers to examine their own priorities. Are all three Bachelor brothers totally hopeless cases or just late starters?
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2010
28 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
Mike Gayle
38 books2,251 followersI was born in the 70s — the 70s were great. I would recommend them to anyone.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
I was also born in Birmingham — in my humble opinion the greatest city in the world with the nicest people too.
I used to live in London — a great city too. But a bit on the pricey side.
I also used to live in Manchester — another great city (although technically I lived in Salford which is next door but that’s sort of splitting hairs).
Before I went to university I wanted to be a social worker — I have no idea why. It didn’t last long.
After I left university I wanted to write for the NME — I’ve always loved music but it was only when I went to uni that it started loving me back. I can’t play any instruments or sing so writing about music seemed to make sense.
My first paid writing gig was for a listings magazine in Birmingham — (Actually my first unpaid writing gig was an interview with Kitchens of Distinction for Salford Student Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how terrible it was.)
I used to write a music fanzine — it was called Incredibly Inedible and I co-edited it with my mate Jackie. We typed up the first issue on my dad’s olde worlde typewriter and then literally cut and paste on to A4 sheets using scissors and glue. Over the three years of its existence we interviewed many bands and artists including: Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Pavement, Bill Hicks and Blur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 15, 2018
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNo8M...
June 25, 2015
I like MG's style of writing. It is amusing. I will definitely read other books written by him.
I liked this book. It is the first time I have read a sort of "chick-lit" book written by a man. All of the books I have read which were written by men are in the themes of murder/mystery/police/investigations.
I liked all of the characters and how in the middle of the book all of the Bachelor men were womenless. With only a few pages left, I assumed that this was not going to have a happy ending (which I would have applauded for being unconventional and brave). Alas, somehow, all of the women forgave their respective Bachelor and they all lived happily ever after.It is for this reason that I found it difficult to finish the book - I sort of dragged it out.
I have a few issues with the ending:
Luke thought he had wasted his last chance - but suddenly he is going to marry Cassie? She said she wouldn't allow him back in (even at her weakest).
Russell is back with Angie. In what world would Angie forgive Russell for getting close to Cassie? If they were to stay together Angie will always be fearful of Cassie because she is now the sister in law (i.e always around).
Does Luke know about Russell and Cassie? Is he ok with this? There should be alot of awkwardness about it all. Cassie now knows Russell has loved her for years. Is she to ignore this and just marry Luke. Will Cassie always feel like she had the upper hand over Angie? Does Cassie not feel "loose" for fluttering between 2 brother? Shouldn't Angie hate Cassie?
The Adam and Steph thing is fathomable. As is the parents reuniting.
Overall
I liked this book. It is the first time I have read a sort of "chick-lit" book written by a man. All of the books I have read which were written by men are in the themes of murder/mystery/police/investigations.
I liked all of the characters and how in the middle of the book all of the Bachelor men were womenless. With only a few pages left, I assumed that this was not going to have a happy ending (which I would have applauded for being unconventional and brave). Alas, somehow, all of the women forgave their respective Bachelor and they all lived happily ever after.It is for this reason that I found it difficult to finish the book - I sort of dragged it out.
I have a few issues with the ending:
Luke thought he had wasted his last chance - but suddenly he is going to marry Cassie? She said she wouldn't allow him back in (even at her weakest).
Russell is back with Angie. In what world would Angie forgive Russell for getting close to Cassie? If they were to stay together Angie will always be fearful of Cassie because she is now the sister in law (i.e always around).
Does Luke know about Russell and Cassie? Is he ok with this? There should be alot of awkwardness about it all. Cassie now knows Russell has loved her for years. Is she to ignore this and just marry Luke. Will Cassie always feel like she had the upper hand over Angie? Does Cassie not feel "loose" for fluttering between 2 brother? Shouldn't Angie hate Cassie?
The Adam and Steph thing is fathomable. As is the parents reuniting.
Overall
September 7, 2018
Book summary in Quotes:
1.
'Do you think we've done okay with our boys?
I mean, look at them. All three of them are grown men and yet none of them are married.'
'I think we've done fine, they're just late developers, that's all.' (p.6/7)
2.
'So what do you think the problem is?'
'The same one that afflicts blokes the world over but for some reason seems to affect our family more than most.
We just don't know when we're on to a good thing and even when we do know we can't stop ourselves from screwing up.' (p.348)
3.
'I thought maybe we were cursed for ever to screw up relationships and you said you thought it was more a case of us never knowing what's good for us. Anyway, I've been thinking and I've finally come to a conclusion, which is that we're late starters.
We're not cursed and we're not any more stupid or thoughtless than the next man. What we are... in fact what we've always been is late starters in the sense that we just take a lot longer to get where we're supposed to than most' (p.358/359)
... Just like this book take a lot longer to get where it should. The End.
QUOTES:
Russell was more than a little attracted to her given that she ticked a lot of the boxes on his girlfriend requirements list. First, she liked to talk,
second he could talk to her,
and finally she had a sense of humour.
(...) The kind of girls he liked were the kind that you didn't really know you liked until you started talking to them. Those were his favourites: the ones you had to actively seek out and discover for yourself.
P.18
''I'm on the case, Mum,'' said Adam, opening up the drawer where the 'good' cutlery lived.'' :D
P.40
'Look, I don't suppose you fancy going for a coffee do you?'
'I'd love to, it's just that-'
'Go on,' he interrupted,
'You know you want to. One coffee, maybe a small pastry and then I promise that you can get on your merry way. In fact you won't even have to talk to me. If I get boring you can just whip out your newspaper and I won't complain. Go on, what do you say?'
(P.57)
He dialled Steph's number and waited. Steph's phone rang out for half a minute or so before clicking on to voicemail. Adam didn't really do voicemail on the grounds that it was seriously uncool but it would be far less cool for Steph to see his number as a missed call and draw the conclusion that he was the sort of person who worried about leaving voicemail messages because they were uncool.
'Hi Steph, it's me Adam... y'know... Bachelor... from your school days... y'know just in case you know any other Adams and you're finding this message confusing. Anyway I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed that coffee the other day and would love to catch up with you again when you're free some time. Hope all is good with you. Let's speak soon. Oh... do you like tapas? I'm pretty sure everyone does. Anyway if you do there's a new tapas place just opened on Wilbraham Road that had a great review in City List if you fancy that... and no offense if you're not a tapas fiend... after all each to their own, right? Anyway... this is turning into a bit of an epic message... I'm worried that this thing is going to run out of space... Anyway... whatever... hopefully I'll see you soon... oh, by the way this is... was... Adam... as in Adam Bachelor from school. Bye.'
As Adam pressed the end call button on his phone and placed it carefully on the table he pushed his chair back to make space for himself to get down on his knees, curl up into a ball and with fists clenched let out a loud groan that was 60% gut-wrenching embarrassment, 40% pure anguish. How could a universe exist in which a man as impossibly cool as he was could leave an answerphone message of such buttock-clenching awfulness?
(P.72/73)
'We need to talk about us.'
'You are right. I promised you that I would think about it and I'm sorry I didn't bring the subject up before now but the truth of the matter is I just haven't had the time. What about we talk about it this time next week?'
(P.137)
[Luke has to make a decision if he wants children with Cassie]
Could he really bring another child into the world when he has done so badly by the first? Was it possible for him to start a second family with Cassie without feeling as though he had abandoned his first? These questions had clarified his position.
'I can't do it,' he said quietly. 'Cass. I can't . If I started the family with you it would feel like I was giving up on my daughter Megan, the family that I've left behind, and I just can't do that to her.
She'll be nearly eight now, you know. Can you imagine how it must feel to be eight and not have a dad around? She must feel that I don't love her. She must feel like I didn't care about her at all! And how could I ever prove her wrong if I start all over again with someone new? How could I ever look her in the eye and tell her that she meant the world to me when I've been playing happy family somewhere else?'
(P.140/142)
'When you really love someone, you can't let the past dictate the future. When you love someone you have to put his or her needs above your own.'
(P.227)
'So what do you think the problem is?'
'The same one that afflicts blokes the world over but for some reason seems to affect our family more than most.
We just don't know when we're on to a good thing and even when we do know we can't stop ourselves from screwing up.' (p.348)
1.
'Do you think we've done okay with our boys?
I mean, look at them. All three of them are grown men and yet none of them are married.'
'I think we've done fine, they're just late developers, that's all.' (p.6/7)
2.
'So what do you think the problem is?'
'The same one that afflicts blokes the world over but for some reason seems to affect our family more than most.
We just don't know when we're on to a good thing and even when we do know we can't stop ourselves from screwing up.' (p.348)
3.
'I thought maybe we were cursed for ever to screw up relationships and you said you thought it was more a case of us never knowing what's good for us. Anyway, I've been thinking and I've finally come to a conclusion, which is that we're late starters.
We're not cursed and we're not any more stupid or thoughtless than the next man. What we are... in fact what we've always been is late starters in the sense that we just take a lot longer to get where we're supposed to than most' (p.358/359)
... Just like this book take a lot longer to get where it should. The End.
QUOTES:
Russell was more than a little attracted to her given that she ticked a lot of the boxes on his girlfriend requirements list. First, she liked to talk,
second he could talk to her,
and finally she had a sense of humour.
(...) The kind of girls he liked were the kind that you didn't really know you liked until you started talking to them. Those were his favourites: the ones you had to actively seek out and discover for yourself.
P.18
''I'm on the case, Mum,'' said Adam, opening up the drawer where the 'good' cutlery lived.'' :D
P.40
'Look, I don't suppose you fancy going for a coffee do you?'
'I'd love to, it's just that-'
'Go on,' he interrupted,
'You know you want to. One coffee, maybe a small pastry and then I promise that you can get on your merry way. In fact you won't even have to talk to me. If I get boring you can just whip out your newspaper and I won't complain. Go on, what do you say?'
(P.57)
He dialled Steph's number and waited. Steph's phone rang out for half a minute or so before clicking on to voicemail. Adam didn't really do voicemail on the grounds that it was seriously uncool but it would be far less cool for Steph to see his number as a missed call and draw the conclusion that he was the sort of person who worried about leaving voicemail messages because they were uncool.
'Hi Steph, it's me Adam... y'know... Bachelor... from your school days... y'know just in case you know any other Adams and you're finding this message confusing. Anyway I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed that coffee the other day and would love to catch up with you again when you're free some time. Hope all is good with you. Let's speak soon. Oh... do you like tapas? I'm pretty sure everyone does. Anyway if you do there's a new tapas place just opened on Wilbraham Road that had a great review in City List if you fancy that... and no offense if you're not a tapas fiend... after all each to their own, right? Anyway... this is turning into a bit of an epic message... I'm worried that this thing is going to run out of space... Anyway... whatever... hopefully I'll see you soon... oh, by the way this is... was... Adam... as in Adam Bachelor from school. Bye.'
As Adam pressed the end call button on his phone and placed it carefully on the table he pushed his chair back to make space for himself to get down on his knees, curl up into a ball and with fists clenched let out a loud groan that was 60% gut-wrenching embarrassment, 40% pure anguish. How could a universe exist in which a man as impossibly cool as he was could leave an answerphone message of such buttock-clenching awfulness?
(P.72/73)
'We need to talk about us.'
'You are right. I promised you that I would think about it and I'm sorry I didn't bring the subject up before now but the truth of the matter is I just haven't had the time. What about we talk about it this time next week?'
(P.137)
[Luke has to make a decision if he wants children with Cassie]
Could he really bring another child into the world when he has done so badly by the first? Was it possible for him to start a second family with Cassie without feeling as though he had abandoned his first? These questions had clarified his position.
'I can't do it,' he said quietly. 'Cass. I can't . If I started the family with you it would feel like I was giving up on my daughter Megan, the family that I've left behind, and I just can't do that to her.
She'll be nearly eight now, you know. Can you imagine how it must feel to be eight and not have a dad around? She must feel that I don't love her. She must feel like I didn't care about her at all! And how could I ever prove her wrong if I start all over again with someone new? How could I ever look her in the eye and tell her that she meant the world to me when I've been playing happy family somewhere else?'
(P.140/142)
'When you really love someone, you can't let the past dictate the future. When you love someone you have to put his or her needs above your own.'
(P.227)
'So what do you think the problem is?'
'The same one that afflicts blokes the world over but for some reason seems to affect our family more than most.
We just don't know when we're on to a good thing and even when we do know we can't stop ourselves from screwing up.' (p.348)
August 30, 2017
Mike Gayle books are certainly well written and an easy read but sadly this is full to the brim with cliches and stereotypes about gender and age. All the male characters are portrayed as incapable of emotion or long lasting relationships but in need of the love of a good woman to sort them out and enlighten them. The female characters mainly want commitment and children and fundamentally forgive the male characters for any misdemeanours. The theme is heterosexual love stories with happy endings. Given it's set in Manchester it's especially disappointing that there isn't a single non-heterosexual character. The three brothers love lives form the main stories and their parents' 40 year marriage also threads through the book. The parents are horrendously stereotyped in terms of gender, middle / later life, and as parents. It concerns me that people read this type of stuff without a critical appraisal and that this risks perpetuating every gendered stereotype there is. In turn I think this insults men and women's capacity as people - and overlooks any alternative life narratives (or there being any other way to be in terms of gender / sexuality). I've heard this genre being referred to as 'dick lit' (like chick lit for men) and this is certainly as bad, if not worse, than a lot of the chick lit I've read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2025
Not my favourite MG book but still a lovely story well written. I didn't attach to the characters as much as with some MG books but they were still interesting. The theme of love and communication was well covered. Hopefully by the end everyone is a bit better at it!
June 8, 2018
nice, easy read - something lighthearted for the first time in a while
September 14, 2020
Since discovering Mike Gayle, I can’t get enough of his books. He has a real knack of keeping the story full of interest to ensure the reader remains hooked. This story follows the ups and downs of The Bachelor brothers, and their father and is a real delight to read a rom com that is not only written by a man, but having the love lives of the guys in this book at the forefront of the story. Really enjoyable and easy read with a really lovely ending.
August 17, 2020
Drama, family, tragedy, dating, romance... - This book has has everything you face in your day to day life!
September 19, 2024
Typical of Mike Gayle to put on to paper and it feels like in parts he is writing about your own life and experiences. Another story with more twists and turns than the amount of roundabouts in Milton Keynes.
It's like reading 4 different stories all combined in to one heart warming family story, if you are ever 1 of 3 children in a family you will relate to the politics of all 3 brothers, whether you are the middle child, the youngest or the eldest, we all have that role to play.
But as aways it will bring a smile to your face with an ending that's as perfect as always when it comes to a Mike Gayle book.
It's like reading 4 different stories all combined in to one heart warming family story, if you are ever 1 of 3 children in a family you will relate to the politics of all 3 brothers, whether you are the middle child, the youngest or the eldest, we all have that role to play.
But as aways it will bring a smile to your face with an ending that's as perfect as always when it comes to a Mike Gayle book.
March 30, 2020
Reading the first few chapters of the book, I was sure I’ll give this book a 5 stars. I thought the characters were entertaining and funny. I was excited to go on with the story until I’ve reached “Part 2.” That whole section of the book was a bit of a drag. Furthermore, I wish that the author started fixing the initial problems that the boys had right when “part 3” started rather than piling additional issues that didn’t get a proper conclusion.
May 14, 2017
This is a perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover if you never read the description of the book and just based your opinion by the name and the cover you probably would never picked up this book. At first I couldn't get into this book but once I did. I could not put it down. The characters in this book make me want to be their friends they are very relatable. This book was great
May 22, 2018
Caveat: year of magical reading to escape the doom and gloom of global chaos, Brexit & Trump...
Despite a few glaring cliches (the wrong kind of girl kinda leaps out atcha!!) - this was a happy and pleasant read with enough twisty turny bits, enough friendship and enough happiness to keep me going! And written by a man and featuring male leads - not at all a cliche for this sort of lit...
Despite a few glaring cliches (the wrong kind of girl kinda leaps out atcha!!) - this was a happy and pleasant read with enough twisty turny bits, enough friendship and enough happiness to keep me going! And written by a man and featuring male leads - not at all a cliche for this sort of lit...
March 17, 2019
I really didn,t like this book and was glad to finish it.I struggle with the writing style.too many really long sentences looking for a cheesy gag .The characters were all very superficial and the story full of stereotypes.Very disappointing too much like a chick lit for me.
April 23, 2023
I hope all the women in this book found better men. Except Angie. She’s so toxic and controlling.
You can tell this is a man writing about women. All the desperate pleads about wanting children and settling down.
It was entertaining, but I struggled to get to the end
You can tell this is a man writing about women. All the desperate pleads about wanting children and settling down.
It was entertaining, but I struggled to get to the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2023
It’s painfully obvious that this was written by a man. These characters sucked. 2 stars just for the fact that they all got their happy endings. Def didn’t have to take that long and be that frustrating
April 17, 2025
A rather chaotic read, as the Bachelor family all trying to either sort out their love life or relationships.
The three brothers felt like background characters for me . I found the parents more interesting but it was a slow plotted read that felt like it meed more emotion in its telling.
The three brothers felt like background characters for me . I found the parents more interesting but it was a slow plotted read that felt like it meed more emotion in its telling.
May 21, 2011
Despite the example of their own parents’ enduring marriage, the three Bachelor brothers show no signs of settling down. Adam has a string of glamorous girlfriends, but they aren’t suitable wife material. Luke has just proposed to Cassie but his refusal to consider having children looks like an insurmountable barrier. And baby of the family Russell is in love with the one woman he can’t have. Then their father announces he has been thrown out of the family home and this proves a dramatic catalyst for lots of soul-searching. Are all three Bachelor brothers totally hopeless cases or just late starters?
I’m no secret that I’m a huge Mike Gayle fan. I’ve read all of his novels, except for The Life and Soul of the Party and I’ve enjoyed them all except for Wish You Were Here. Dinner For Two is my personal favourite and I see a new Mike Gayle to be a brilliant thing because his books are just so easy to get into. And because he’s a man, he offers a different kind of Chick Lit. He offers it from a lads perspective and like Matt Dunn that gives them a bit of an original edge because they’re the only two male Chick Lit authors I know of. I was very pleased to receive a paperback copy of Mike’s latest book The Importance of Being A Bachelor in the mail back in February and although it’s taken me until April to read it, it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
Whereas Mike’s earlier novels seemed to focus on just one man, his later books have widened the scope a little bit and they focus on multiple characters. The Importance of Being A Bachelor focuses on the Bachelor family. There’s Joan and George, who have been married almost forty years and their three kids Adam, Luke and Russell. The family are close, with the boys spending each Sunday at their family home having a Sunday roast. So when George and Joan split up the boys are in turmoil. Sure they’re all in their thirties now (or almost in Russ’s case) but the shock of the split sends shockwaves through their own lives. I thought the plot was a very relevant one, because really, when your parents have been together a whopping (almost) forty years, it does come as a bit of a surprise. And despite how old the boys are, I could understand their confusion and resentment of knowing their parents marriage isn’t as perfect as they all thought.
The books main focus is relationships. The Bachelors relationship as a family, the lads are forced to confront just how little they knew of their father as they find themselves having to accept him into their home. And the Bachelor boys have to confront their own relationships. Luke’s not only with his girlfriend Cass but with his long-gone ex Jayne who took his daughter away. Adam is the perennial bachelor, by name and nature, dating supermodels rather than anyone with substance. And the baby of the family, Russ, has to deal with his unrequited love. I thought each separate issue was equally absorbing, and it set the lads apart easily. I liked how the lads had to deal with their parents breaking up and I thought Mike Gayle did that in a very realistic way.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters. Because Mike is a man, he taps into the psyche of a man very easily and it’s brilliant getting a story from the man’s point of view for a change. My favourite of the Bachelor brothers was probably Russell, I felt so much sympathy for him over the love he had that he could never admit to and I really got myself attached to him. I also loved Adam, too, he’s the definition of man-about-town until a conversation with his mates about who will get married next forces him to confront his own dating issues. Luke was my least favourite brother, I don’t know why, he wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t as invested in him as I was his brothers. I also really felt for George and Joan, it’s clear that despite the breakdown of their relationship, they do love each other and the revelations surprised me. What I think Mike does best though, is the way he writes his female characters. I loved Angie, Russ’s best friend, Cass, Luke’s girlfriend, and Steph, the girl Adam meets. They were all strong, confident(ish) females, and I loved all three of them.
Mike Gayle is a brilliant storyteller. After the so-so Wish You Were Here, which was the last Mike Gayle book I read, The Importance of Being A Bachelor is a triumphant return to form. The story itself was wonderful and I adored the characters. I really felt into the story and I breezed through it whilst watching the football on a Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait for Mike’s next novel and I’m gutted we have to wait until 2012 as he scrapped Turning Forty as he wasn’t happy with it, but I’m sure The Hen and Stag Weekend will be a fab read and will be worth the way. It’s a brilliantly written novel, Mike’s writing style is seems just so relaxed and I always find it a pleasure to read one of his novels because the book just flows so smoothly. I would very much recommend picking up The Importance of Being A Bachelor, it was a brilliant read and I didn’t have any faults with it at all. It was just plain brilliant.
I’m no secret that I’m a huge Mike Gayle fan. I’ve read all of his novels, except for The Life and Soul of the Party and I’ve enjoyed them all except for Wish You Were Here. Dinner For Two is my personal favourite and I see a new Mike Gayle to be a brilliant thing because his books are just so easy to get into. And because he’s a man, he offers a different kind of Chick Lit. He offers it from a lads perspective and like Matt Dunn that gives them a bit of an original edge because they’re the only two male Chick Lit authors I know of. I was very pleased to receive a paperback copy of Mike’s latest book The Importance of Being A Bachelor in the mail back in February and although it’s taken me until April to read it, it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
Whereas Mike’s earlier novels seemed to focus on just one man, his later books have widened the scope a little bit and they focus on multiple characters. The Importance of Being A Bachelor focuses on the Bachelor family. There’s Joan and George, who have been married almost forty years and their three kids Adam, Luke and Russell. The family are close, with the boys spending each Sunday at their family home having a Sunday roast. So when George and Joan split up the boys are in turmoil. Sure they’re all in their thirties now (or almost in Russ’s case) but the shock of the split sends shockwaves through their own lives. I thought the plot was a very relevant one, because really, when your parents have been together a whopping (almost) forty years, it does come as a bit of a surprise. And despite how old the boys are, I could understand their confusion and resentment of knowing their parents marriage isn’t as perfect as they all thought.
The books main focus is relationships. The Bachelors relationship as a family, the lads are forced to confront just how little they knew of their father as they find themselves having to accept him into their home. And the Bachelor boys have to confront their own relationships. Luke’s not only with his girlfriend Cass but with his long-gone ex Jayne who took his daughter away. Adam is the perennial bachelor, by name and nature, dating supermodels rather than anyone with substance. And the baby of the family, Russ, has to deal with his unrequited love. I thought each separate issue was equally absorbing, and it set the lads apart easily. I liked how the lads had to deal with their parents breaking up and I thought Mike Gayle did that in a very realistic way.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters. Because Mike is a man, he taps into the psyche of a man very easily and it’s brilliant getting a story from the man’s point of view for a change. My favourite of the Bachelor brothers was probably Russell, I felt so much sympathy for him over the love he had that he could never admit to and I really got myself attached to him. I also loved Adam, too, he’s the definition of man-about-town until a conversation with his mates about who will get married next forces him to confront his own dating issues. Luke was my least favourite brother, I don’t know why, he wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t as invested in him as I was his brothers. I also really felt for George and Joan, it’s clear that despite the breakdown of their relationship, they do love each other and the revelations surprised me. What I think Mike does best though, is the way he writes his female characters. I loved Angie, Russ’s best friend, Cass, Luke’s girlfriend, and Steph, the girl Adam meets. They were all strong, confident(ish) females, and I loved all three of them.
Mike Gayle is a brilliant storyteller. After the so-so Wish You Were Here, which was the last Mike Gayle book I read, The Importance of Being A Bachelor is a triumphant return to form. The story itself was wonderful and I adored the characters. I really felt into the story and I breezed through it whilst watching the football on a Saturday afternoon. I can’t wait for Mike’s next novel and I’m gutted we have to wait until 2012 as he scrapped Turning Forty as he wasn’t happy with it, but I’m sure The Hen and Stag Weekend will be a fab read and will be worth the way. It’s a brilliantly written novel, Mike’s writing style is seems just so relaxed and I always find it a pleasure to read one of his novels because the book just flows so smoothly. I would very much recommend picking up The Importance of Being A Bachelor, it was a brilliant read and I didn’t have any faults with it at all. It was just plain brilliant.
August 30, 2017
Another English book, that was okay but I just couldn't connect with the characters. I wanted to shake the brothers because all 3 acted like they were in their 20's not 30's.
March 10, 2018
Great way to spend a rainy Saturday
August 1, 2018
It is cheesy but I loved it. It's a romantic comedy that isn't really type but I'm glad I read it.
June 6, 2020
I didnt enjoy this one as much as all his others. But individual choices,other people may think differently.
January 27, 2021
I demolished this. Mike Gayle is fast becoming one of my top authors! Set in Manchester too so extra points ha
March 28, 2021
Great book not very often I read from the man's perspective but very well written
April 27, 2021
My first Mike Gayle, but not my last.
Funny, charming, sweet.
Funny, charming, sweet.
February 18, 2022
Another heartwarming read like a cup of tea from Mike Gayle.
March 30, 2022
I needed a feel good book and this fit the bill. This was a good audio book to listen to while on a four hour drive alone and completing chores.
August 5, 2022
The Importance of Being a Bachelor can only be described as a talk show dilemma with a happy ending.
Love Mike Gayle’s books.
Love Mike Gayle’s books.
October 11, 2023
Mike Gayle writes wonderful books, so enjoyed this
March 19, 2024
3.5 rounded up. A lovely read exploring the inner emotions of thinking of males
February 5, 2025
Quick, easy read. Not as good as Half A World Away.
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