apostrophen's review
5.0
We've all been there - the significant holiday event, and the realization that no one in the group - except perhaps one or two - were romantically stable and/or happy at all. The party continues, and people share a laugh at failed romantic tales, and then someone dares the group to talk about anything other than failed romances...
...and suddenly there's nothing to talk about.
This is the set-up of "The Deal," where a group of friends decide one New Year's Eve that they've had it with their friends' inabilities to have meaningful relationships, and tired of listening to them bitch about it afterwards. And, as such, whining about relationships will be confined to single monthly meetings, and the most chronic serial monogamists will have one year - until next New Year's Eve - to find 'The One.' Done deal.
Of course, it never goes as planned, does it? The tale is told through the eyes and thoughts of Aaron Fisher, gay schoolteacher and master of contentment. He is single, but he's not looking for love. He's settled with his life, or is he settling for all the trappings of a life? Of course, Aaron's friends are the wonderful tableau of varied characters you've come to know and love from Cochrane and Lambert (and their further amalgamated entity, Timothy James Beck), and set in the backdrop of Houston, where palmetto bugs and stalking lesbians pop up at every lunch sitting.
Cleverly tied together with the series of 'Love Sucks' monthly meetings, the reader is quickly drawn into the life of Aaron (and the lives of his friends) as time for 'The Deal' grows tighter. Aaron's slowly dawning realizations of his own fears are a worthwhile read, and the antics of his friends are the usual Cochrane and Lambert mix of farce and depth. It's worth signing up.
...and suddenly there's nothing to talk about.
This is the set-up of "The Deal," where a group of friends decide one New Year's Eve that they've had it with their friends' inabilities to have meaningful relationships, and tired of listening to them bitch about it afterwards. And, as such, whining about relationships will be confined to single monthly meetings, and the most chronic serial monogamists will have one year - until next New Year's Eve - to find 'The One.' Done deal.
Of course, it never goes as planned, does it? The tale is told through the eyes and thoughts of Aaron Fisher, gay schoolteacher and master of contentment. He is single, but he's not looking for love. He's settled with his life, or is he settling for all the trappings of a life? Of course, Aaron's friends are the wonderful tableau of varied characters you've come to know and love from Cochrane and Lambert (and their further amalgamated entity, Timothy James Beck), and set in the backdrop of Houston, where palmetto bugs and stalking lesbians pop up at every lunch sitting.
Cleverly tied together with the series of 'Love Sucks' monthly meetings, the reader is quickly drawn into the life of Aaron (and the lives of his friends) as time for 'The Deal' grows tighter. Aaron's slowly dawning realizations of his own fears are a worthwhile read, and the antics of his friends are the usual Cochrane and Lambert mix of farce and depth. It's worth signing up.
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