He's The One [Hardcover]

Timothy James Beck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

In his second novel, acclaimed author timothy James Beck blends wry humor and moments of heartfelt emotion to ask that age-old question: "Can a decent, well-adjusted gay man from small-town American find sex, love, and happiness in the big city?" The answer: "Only if he knows where to look."

Hunky Adam Wilson has had enough of his bucolic Wisconsin life. It's not as if Eau Claire is exactly crawling with eligible, uncloseted gay men. When a New York City computer company makes an offer Adam can't refuse, he packs his flannel shirts and heads east in a hurry.

Adam tackles New York with a farm-fresh enthusiasm for all the new experiences and sights the big city has to offer. But the most breathtaking sight of all is Jeremy, the blond, brown-eyed beauty Adam meets at a coffee shop. In addition to his buff bod and gorgeous face, however, Jeremy's got a heart, a soul, a conscience -- and a boyfriend. Now that Adam's sure he's met the love of his life, he finds himself chasing Jeremy all over New York -- and discovering, in the process, that sometimes getting Mr. Right isn't about holding on, but about letting go.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This second madcap Manhattan romance from Beck (It Had to Be You) has sexy boys, mild comedy and even a little amateur sleuthing. Thirtyish Adam Wilson ditches his renovated farmhouse in Eau Claire, Wis., to design Web sites for artists and musicians in New York City. He makes friends with fuchsia-haired 21-year-old Blythe ("artist-slash-whatever-pays-the-rent") when he catches her reading his online porn over his shoulder at Cafe Pick Me Up. Blythe becomes Adam's guide to the big city's social whirl, introducing him to spiritual guru Ethan and drama queen Martin. At a party for Blythe's artist friends, Adam catches a glimpse of the unforgettable Jeremy, a hunky blond television actor who is as down-to-earth as our country-boy hero. Soon after, Adam befriends Jeremy's ex-boyfriend Daniel (readers of Beck's debut will remember him as drag queen Princess 2Di4), but Jeremy himself remains elusive. At a spiritual retreat, Adam's collection of computer diskettes (containing plans for a revamping of local hotspot Club Chaos) goes missing and catty nightclub persona Wade Van Atterson is the primary suspect. In a last-ditch recovery effort, Daniel, Martin and Adam don drag disguises and rifle through Wade's office. Is this any way to meet the man of your dreams? A saccharine ending caps this pleasantly chatty indulgence from Beck, who seems to have found his calling serving up featherweight fun.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Former high-school jock Adam, having done well in the dot-com era, has gone home to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and a slower-paced business of his own. He is out to super-supportive mom and has a good life, but he feels the void a boyfriend would fill. Since gay life in Eau Claire seems to consist largely of bars and political groups--neither the niche for him--he temporarily removes to New York to better serve the needs of a large client. Before you can say "Big Apple," he becomes close friends with Blythe, a painter, and falls at first sight for Jeremy. Then Adam encounters an old Eau Claire schoolmate, once known to Adam's group of high-school jocks as Daniel the Spaniel. Although now fit and hunky, Daniel is still nursing wounds from those bad old days, and he just happens to be Jeremy's ex. Is he the wedge to Jeremy that Adam has been seeking? Another romantic comedy of gay manners from the author of the equally engaging It Had to Be You (2001). Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758203233
• ISBN-13: 978-0758203236
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 3.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,763,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Fluff" is a GOOD thing, January 18, 2003

By 

Bob Lind "camelwest" (Phoenix, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: He's The One (Hardcover)

I've read many reviews of different works where the reviewer refers to the book as a "fluff" piece ... as if that is a BAD thing. Personally, I don't think every book has to be a "War & Peace", and I read mostly to escape my daily grind, so I *like* "fluff" ... if it doesn't pretend to be something it is not, is written well, holds my interest, and makes me glad I read it. Such is the case with "He's The One," the second novel from newcomer Timothy James Beck.

"He's The One" introduces us to Adam, a non-stereotypical single gay man living in a small town in Wisconsin. Adam was a "jock" in high school, late to acknowledge his attraction to men, and comfortable (perhaps too comfortable) in his renovated-farmhouse-home-and-office working as a freelance web design consultant for businesses in the midWest. His parents are aware of his sexuality, and his mom - an avid PFLAG organizer - is worried that he hasn't met anyone, and doesn't seem to be trying.

An invitation to speak at a web convention in NYC brings Adam to the Big Apple, he meets a big new client there, so he decides to stay there for a while to get the client going, then return to his home. Adam quickly meets Blythe, a short, bohemian "starving artist," who becomes Adam's Rhoda to his Mary Richards (Think "Mary Tyler Moore Show", throwing her hat in the air as she is ready to take on the "big city" - The comparison is made in the liner notes, and is apt). It is at a trendy Chelsea gay S&M (Stand & Model) coffee shop with Blythe where Adam first spots Jeremy, a handsome man he is immediately obsessed with, but manages to repeatedly convince himself that it will never work out. Nevertheless, he discretely pursues (just skirting the fringes of "stalking") Jeremy through a private party with a controlling, rich alcoholic gay mogul who makes a pass at Adam, a drag bar where Adam is chastised by a "nun" for writing amateur porn on his laptop (Blythe ratted on him), a "personal enrichment" seminar given by a mysterious gay Native American (at which he rooms with Daniel, a former schoolmate from WI who he and the other jocks used to tease as a "fag"), and a "secret mission" in which he dresses in awful drag to get back some zip disks stolen from him. Along the way, Adam learns to be more honest about his feelings, not be afraid of going after what he wants, and not worry as much about what others think. Does he get the guy? Read it and find out.

This book actually incorporates about a half dozen characters from Beck's first novel, "It Had To Be You." However, this is NOT a sequel to the first book, and I don't believe not having read it will make this book any less enjoyable. The characters carried over are not the two main characters (Adam and Blythe), but do "carry on" their lives in a way that lends some degree of closure to those who liked the first book, as I did. I recommend them both.

Now, if I could just stop humming the theme to the Mary Tyler Moore show! :)

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious, Sweet, and True, January 11, 2004

By 

"govt_atty" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He's The One (Paperback)

Let me be honest with you. I bought this book solely for the cover, because I wanted another trashy gay novel to entertain me between the "serious" books I should be reading. [Sorry Mr. Beck.] For months, I had eyed the book with the jean-clad a- . . . er . . . buttocks on the front cover. But I resisted, as I didn't really want to receive any more disapproving glances from my boyfriend. Thank goodness he had a weak moment and bought it for me - I loved it!

Beck introduces us to Adam Wilson, who is every man's fantasy. Not only is he a genious with gorgeous good looks (I love a man in flannel and jeans!), but he's sweet and caring. More importantly, he's reached the point in his life where he just wants to meet someone special with whom he can share his life. After he realizes this fact, events soon take him from his comfortable Wisconsin home and plunk him down in Manhattan, where he clearly feels out of place. However, luck is smiling on Adam (as it always does in such stories). He meets some wonderful new friends of all different walks of life and patches up some old ones. Soon, he is surrounded by a new family away from home. The one thing he doesn't have is his true love. But again, luck comes his way as friends, associates, and even events seem to collaborate to bring him closer to finding "the One."

This isn't just a love story. There's mystery and intrigue. There are drag shows and terrible karaoke. There's art and drama. And TONS of humor throughout. At times I was laughing out loud at the antics of Adam and his friends. At other times, I could truly relate to Adam's concerns about his relationships and the difficulty in communicating his true feelings. Almost like looking into a mirror. To me, Beck really captured an emotional element that makes this tale not just a funny romance, but a lesson on the search for that missing something - or someone - in our lives.

Oh, I'll still call this a trashy novel (just to cause my boyfriend to cringe and my straight girlfriends to laugh), but you can bet this is going on my "Read Frequently" list. Hope you enjoy it as well!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tackling Life in the Big City!, April 3, 2003

By 

Joseph J. Hanssen "Joe" (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He's The One (Hardcover)

In this, his second novel, author Timothy Beck very effectively combines humor and emotion when Adam Wilson willfully tackles life in the "Big City". Is it possible a well-adjusted gay-man, hunky Adam, from a small-town called Eau Claire, Wisconsin, can find true love, sex, good friends and happiness all in one place? Yes, this is a feel good book, but who cares, it's a lot of fun. Sometimes we need a break from all the stories of tragedy, death, suicide, and unhappiness. Beck knows how to weave a realistic, heartfelt story, with dependable characters.

As Adam temporarily moves to New York to help one of his better clients, he becomes fast friends with Blythe, a painter, and with her help adjusts very quickly to living in the city. At a party, Adam catches a glimpse of Jeremy, the most beautiful man he has ever seen. Jeremy is not only very handsome and intelligent, but a television actor. The rest of the story continues with all sorts of funny and wild escapades, including a visit to a spiritual retreat, some stolen computer disks, drag queens, break-ins, and....Well, you'll just have to see what happens for yourself. However, its Adam's pursuit of Jeremy that is the main theme of the story as he tries to find out if "He's the One".

This is a book that not only gay readers will enjoy but anyone who has ever fallen in love at first sight, and did things they wouldn't normally do in pursuing that love. The characters in this story will feel like old friends, friends that we want to keep in touch with. Hopefully, there's a sequel coming?

Joe Hanssen