Love & Other Recreational Sports

Rating:
Summary: Buy it!
Review: I know, I know. My review's subject isn't original, but I couldn't resist. John Dearie's novel is a fast-paced, fun and enlightening read. Relationships from a man's vantage point are done with a great deal of insight in this gem.

Having had his heart broken, Jack Rafferty wants nothing to do with relationships. He's decided to swear off women, but the aforementioned decision isn't facilitated when most of his male friends have taken the plunge into marriage. Also, the beautiful Sarah Mitchell weakens his conviction. Will Jack hold on to his promise to remain unattached? There are some fun twists in the novel.

As mentioned, Drearie's takes on relationships are quite insightful. The parts in which Jack reflects on his feelings for his ex-fiancee are done with intelligence and wit. This is a fun and quick Lad Lit to indulge in - Sex and the City for the male set. Highly recommended to both genders, though.

Rating:
Summary: Skip it....
Review: I thought the book lacked the love and romance suggested in the title. It had no plot and alot of rambling of the male mind. Men should stick to writing about sports, not love and romance. There were a few funny parts, but manly the women in the book were bashing men.

Rating:
Summary: A twist on the romance theme
Review: Intelligent and humorous beach read, a romance with a MAN who?s on the lookout for love. As it?s primarily (exclusively?) women who will read this book, they can look forward to exploring the inside track into the male brain. The premise of this book is that Jack Lafferty, after having been burned on his way to altar by a fiance who cheats on him, has declared himself a woman-free zone. Enter a beautiful corporate lawyer, and see what happens to Jack's resolve.

Rating:
Summary: Does "Love" score?
Review: The setting: Chic urban area. The lead: a single professional with a tumultuous love life and an unobtrusive job. Chick lit? Not exactly -- it's a book for guys. Like "Love Monkey," John Dearie's debut novel is a sort of chick-lit for guys, well-written but too uneven.

Jack Lafferty has no interest in settling down, especially when his beautiful, hypnotic fiancee Kim sleeps with a client three weeks before they were supposed to get married. While attending a pal's wedding, he meets the beautiful Sarah, and starts to form a friendly rapport with her -- and then to develop other feelings as well.

Confused and rapidly falling for Sarah, Jack runs into his ex-fiancee and ends up in bed with her (courtesy of old feelings and alcohol). He's wracked with guilt, but goes on a prearranged date with Sarah anyway. Everything goes well -- until Kim appears, and tells Sarah about what she did with Jack. Now Jack has lost Sarah -- unless he learns to be bold, to take risks with love, and find a way to win her heart and trust back.

If men constantly wonder what women think about, then women think just the same about men. "Love and Other Recreational Sports" is a bit like listening in on a men's locker room conversation, especially since it's written by a guy as well. Some of his "insights" seem a bit cliched -- such as the subplot about the newlyweds -- but quite true to life as well.

Dearie has a fairly pleasant writing style, about on par with average light fiction. But he doesn't quite know how to balance his book. He spends too much time having characters yammer about the intricacies of the male mind. Despite this, the plot itself is fairly interesting as it unfolds, watching as Jack tries to figure out what he wants to do.

Despite having a male protagonist, it's hard to really like Jack until the last quarter of "Love." Then he seems to develop some passion and drive, and drop his cynical, whiny attitude. It's pleasant to see his friendship with Sarah slowly bloom into real love and respect, despite the odds. Kim is a typical temptress type, while Jack's goofy pal Alex provides some welcome comic relief.

"Love and Other Recreational Sports" is a beach read for both sexes -- intriguing to women, sympathetic to men. Fairly entertaining light story, a chick-lit book specifically for guys.

Rating:
Summary: Skip it....
Review: This story does an excellent job of putting the reader inside the mind of the protagonist, Jack, as he tries to come to grips with the heartbreak caused by a cheating fiancee and his reluctance to put his heart at risk again. At times I felt like I was eavesdropping on a locker room discussion, confirming my beliefs and (in some ways) my fears about the way men act when we women are not around. But the fact that these conversations ring so true are a credit to the author...he makes Jack flawed, but he is also heartfelt and sincere as well. The book gives you hope that Jack's emotional growth throughout the book continues and is permanent.

Rating:
Summary: The guy's point of view
Review: What a fun read! I have enjoyed lots of chick lit (Bridget Jones, Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, etc.) and it was so refreshing to have a witty look at dating and relationships from the male perspective for a change. The protagonist is sympathetic without being a sap, smart, and realistically likable. The cast of supporting characters is also great. I am looking forward to Dearie's next book (unless HBO wisely hires him to write scripts for 'The Mind of the Married Man' before he finishes it!)