Customer Reviews

Boyfriend Material

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Have you ever sat in a resterant or a coffee house somewhere and seen a group a friends that looked both like a lot of fun AND like a bitchy crew of high maintenence drama queens? Well here is your chance to be part of that group without having to have the acid tongued zingers directed at you. So if you are looking for the a nice dose of mind candy this book gives you a fun easy read about the life of four friends.
One, the editor of a new, national gay entertainment magazine, juggling both an article an East coast v. West Coast hustlers, while at the same time trying to keep things going with his married boyfriend, the next, an African American raised in Greenwhich connecticut, going from one bad relationship with a closeted man to another equally as problematic, while at the same time being forced by his mother to set up lunch dates with a woman from his hometown, who not only dislikes him but makes Kevin Spacey's character in "Swimming with Sharks" look cuddly.
third we have the lawyer, sleeping with one of his clients who not only is in a boyband, and sleeps with women to keep up with his image but may or may not have a man at every airport stopover. And finally, the teacher, who is being set up with the father of one of his students.....by that student.
Weave around these characters a fun plot, noteable side characters like an alcoholic southern belle artist who makes millions selling paintings of vegetables with penises, many pop culture references and a nice tie up at the end.
No this is NOT a story about a decent into Crystal Meth laden hell which ends with the protagonist walking out of rehap and squinting at the sun. This is a fun, easily readable book with some notable one liners and dialogue that will have you laughing out loud more than once.

If you like light fiction, this is a great choice. Yeah, everybody ends up happy and with the perfect guy, but, hey, what the heck is wrong with that? While not in the same league as Robert Rodi... or Christian McLaughlin (Sex Toys of the Gods), Jon Jeffrey will get you to laugh out lound as you recognize aspects of real people in your life. The characters face real issues, and though the resolutions come quick and easy, it is nice to see some real life issues (unprotected sex, income disparity in couples, professional ethics vs. libido, etc)make it in to the story. Amazingly enough, not all the lead characters are white - a big step forward for this genre. Unfortunately, they are all still buff and gorgeous. What has happened to the average gay guy? And the only three memorable women in the book are an uptight mother, [an upset] sister, and a [promiscuous] straight gal. Sort of the Madonna/whore paradox. But, I am sounding picky. This is not literature of social change. This is a fun novel, and really makes no pretense of being anything else. This book was a pleasure and left me hoping for more...

This book is a very long commercial advertisement. People say "pop-culture references"? Try to swallow this line: "Carson's Motorola Timeport two-way smart pager beeped." As a writer myself this is an insult to everything I hold dear, and at least for this gay man, "everything I hold dear" does not mean the latest pair of Prada shoes.

I really can't imagine a more enjoyable read. Of course it's not great literature and in another couple of years it will be very dated, but it is FUN and in many places funny enough that I laughed out loud. Enjoy!

Jon Jeffrey is a breeze to read, letting his characters take a front seat to his easy-does-it sex scenes and Viewmaster Slideshow of Millenial Zeitgeist. His rainbow of racial representation saves this book from a crueler death of the dulls. If you enjoy Sex and the City and take comfort in tidy resolutions, then this book will make a wonderful companion to the laundromat.
Some of the dated product refrences get in the way, but only if you stop imagining that it is 2001. The prose occasionally suffers a bit from pop-cultural bloat. Here's an example:

"But what about the gay boys and straight girls? They had cash to burn, were demographic dreams, and would scoop up a glossy monthly that stopped one breath away from PLAYGIRL faster than Melissa Rivers could send them dive bombing for the remote control to obliterate the E! channel."
Read that 10 times as fast as you can.

Other than that, this wasn't so bad for gove-ment woik. I found myself getting caught up in the final third of the novel, finishing it off with few regrets. This certainly isn't any hill an amateur literary critic would want to die on. Instead, put down a blanket and have yourself a merry little picnic.

You know, I'm all for the occassional fun, easy read where you need not think much. And in that area, this book does a decent job. I will say, some of it just comes off as entirely unbelievable and not all that clever. But I'm willing to overlook that and the fact that this Sex & The City knock-off didn't even have four original careers for the characters. My major grievance with it is the ceaseless product placement. There are so many better ways of describing a pair of shoes, a suit, or a wrist watch than the brand name. All that name dropping as an alternative to actual description is just lazy writing. If no one has told John Jeffrey this, someone ought to. I considered counting each mention of a designer, but even at ~200 pages, that's just too much work in this case. I'd be more upset about paying for the book if I hadn't gotten it half price at a used book store.

I would agree with another reviewer that this has a sort of a "Sex and the City" feel to it, with gay guys as the central theme. It is an amusing romp that attempts to be a deeper story. Relationships are at the core of the plot, and Carson's affair with a married man is probably the best element of suspense.

I just wish there had been a little more depth. These characters were a little lightweight, with a seemingly-obligatory mix of races and gay-stereotyped personalities. However, don't let this stop you if you want a fun read, as they say, for the "beach or plane." It certainly is escapist and fills the bill that way. But I wouldn't buy a sequel.

By the way, the main character Carson's experiences working for a magazine are right out of dreamland. He seems to be able to do anything he wants whenever he wants with however much money he wants. It's all fun, powerful and enriching in this book. Don't be fooled. I've worked on major NY magazines--there are no Helen Gurley Brown's anymore! Magazine editors are idealistic, underpaid and overworked people.

I usually like dumb and fun gay novels, but this one was too dumb for me. Several of the main subplots make twists near the end that are cliche and yet completely inconsistent with the character development in the first half of the book, which made it difficult for me to finish this book. The pop culture references also seemed gratuitous, as in "any gay person reading this book would be impressed by meeting the lead member of N-Sync."

This books was such an entertaining read. You instantly love the characters and the book reads like a tv sitcom. If you're looking for a fast humorous read that will make you smile whenever you turn the page, this book is for you. It really is like a gay version of Sex and the City. The references to current events and people in the media definitely were on target, so don't miss out on this jewel of a book.

Is there any hope of finding the right boyfriend for any of these four New York single gay men in this light and fun debut book by Jon Jeffrey? What are these guys really looking for in another man? And are they expecting way too much? Carson St. John, editor of the hip "Throb" gay magazine, comes up with a great idea/gimmick (you will have to discover what this is by reading the book) to help he and his friends find the right Boyfriend Material at one of their regular Sunday brunch discussions. All four friends, Danny, Nathan, Rob, and Carson certainly have questionable taste in boyfriends. Will Carson's idea/gimmick help them all to find everything they ever thought they wanted in a man, or lead them all on an endless adventure all over NYC in hopes of discovering that special man?

This is another fun book, that's romantic and cute, although a little over dramatic at times, but perfect for anyone who wants an easy, light-hearted read. You can take a break, forget all that seriousness in your life, and veg-out for while on this one. If Jeffrey's imagination can develop fun-loving characters like these, he definitely has a future in keeping us entertained in his future endeavors. I enjoyed spending time with these people and hope you do, too. Enjoy!