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Solo Una Bozza (2012)

by Eric Arvin(Favorite Author)

3.65 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Dreamspinner Press LLC

review 1: 4.5 Stars. Galley Proof is not your average romance. If you are looking for something that is going to sweep you up like a grand romantic movie, you should look elsewhere. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a popular author who is suffering from severe writer's block. He's also involved in a safe relationship with a boring man who sells boxes and finds the subject fascinating. (BTW, Box Boyfriend is my favorite character.) He lives with his roommate Janey, and he's steeped in ritual, his routines a product of a crazy disorganized mother. Life is slowly passing him by until he meets his new editor, Brock Kimble, and becomes caught up in him and their budding relationship. As in real life, though, things do not go smoothly. Logan learns some lessons, has some expe... moreriences, and ends up in a good place in the end. Even though a lot of the elements in this book are over-the-top, this book feels real. There are some eccentric personalities and some ridiculous situations (of which I will take issue to later), but things do not occur in a linear fashion, like some books that like to wrap things up in a neat little bow. Logan is flawed. He knows where he wants to go, but he's having a hell of a time getting there. This is clearly a journey of self-discovery, and luckily Logan has the means to spend some time figuring out who and what he wants. It is clear in this book, as in his others, that Arvin is a talented writer. He's clever and makes funny veiled references and spouts some old-man judgments on the rise of technology, among other things. In the process, he creates a character that we really like. I was happy to follow Logan through his nutty adventures because I cared about him, and I wanted him to find happiness. I liked Brock too, but the romance wasn't the big deal for me. This was Logan's story, and while it was filled with delightful supporting characters, he was what held my interest. It was also super damn funny. My issue was with some of the unnecessary side stories. Janey and the Mormons/Jehovah's Witnesses. Yes, it was amusing, but it was also kind of a shitty thing to do, and there were no repercussions for her actions -- no learned lessons or development of character. Organized religion's bad? Hypocritical? Janey's a confused slut? Were we also to believe that Curtis was being held back by his relationship with Logan? Why the sudden change in his behavior and personality? And while it was fun to revisit our friends from Simple Men, that whole scene with Lenny and then later at the college seemed contrived. The thing that pushes Arvin's books above the rest is always his writing. It's just really good. He's the master of descriptive language, which really brings the book to life. He has kind of a quirky writing style. It's full of fragments and sentences that end on prepositions and all of the stuff that they tell you not to do in English class. But the result is that it feels less like a movie script and more how people really speak. It helps to make connections to the characters and situations. This book shows the progression he has made as an author, and I only see him continuing to wow us in the future.
review 2: Let me start out by saying that I do not like romantic comedies. I do not like slapstick humor. However, I did like this book. Eric Arvin is a damn good writer. There are a lot of books out there that are technically good and have a few moments that pack a punch, but rarely have I in this genre read a book with the kind of voice that Arvin has in his writing. Logan was not a perfect character and neither were the other people in his life, but I got a kick out of being in his head, and the dialogue was witty, clever, and always felt natural. There is nothing that pisses me off more than forced banter and BAD sarcasm in books. Eric knows how to keep the reader entertained by his characters and their interactions. The descriptions were also awesome. Never too much, but just enough to create a strong visual and amazing atmosphere.Dude can write. less

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