The Deal: A Novel - Softcover

Cochrane, Becky; Lambert, Timothy J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555838448 ISBN 13: 9781555838447

Publisher: Alyson Books, 2004

Synopsis

The delightful new novel from the authors of He's The One and It Had to Be You. New Year's Eve, 1999. Millennium celebrations light up the sky from Sydney to Seattle. But in the Houston living room of Aaron Fisher, the fireworks have fizzled! A gathering with his closest friends has devolved into a depressing deconstruction of the sad state of all of their love lives. Fed up with the moaning, Aaron comes up with The Deal: They all have until next New Year's Eve to find true love or stop whining about it. The ensuing 12 months will answer many questions: Will Patrick, Aaron's straight roommate be able to ride the waves as his girlfriend, Vivian, decides whether she is Betty Crocker or Betty Friedan? Having embraced her lesbianism (and turned her back on her trust fund,) will Miranda stop sucking the life out of every romance? Will Alexander stop dabbling with men's hearts the way he dabbles in music and his parents' bank account? And will Aaron keep his end of the deal when the truth is he's happy with a life of bar buddies, gym buddies and bed buddies? It's a year of surprises for all of them, as they take on unfaithful husbands, vindictive rumormongers, well-intentioned stalkers, pixie drummers who write bad poetry and marauding palmetto bugs. But most of all, they will discover much about themselves through the surprising, touching and hilarious revelations produced by a year of exploring the nature of love.

Becky Cochrane and Timothy J. Lambert have been writing partners since 1998. Becky is a small-town Alabama girl turned teacher, writer and editor. Timothy fled rural Maine at a tender age for a decade in Manhattan. Both now live in Houston and are a part of a group of writers known collectively as Timothy James Beck, the author of It Had to Be You and He's the One.

About this title

About the Author

Timothy J. Lambert and Becky Cochrane have been writing partners since 1998. A small-town Alabama girl turned teacher, writer, and editor, Becky is a domestic goddess to her husband, Tom, and their two peculiar but good dogs. Timothy fled rural Maine at a tender age for a decade in Manhattan, where he waited tables, wrote lyrics and performed with a band, appeared onstage with the American Ballet Theater, and sold shoes to the rich and famous. Becky took him away from all that. Both now live in Houston and are a part of a group of writers known collectively as Timothy James Beck, the author of It Had to Be You and He's the One.

From Publishers Weekly

This joint effort by writing team Lambert and Cochrane follows a group of gay and straight friends for a year as they seek romantic fulfillment. Frustrated by their situations, they all make a deal on New Year's Eve 1999-to find true love by the end of the year or stop complaining about it. Set in Houston, the novel features plenty of romance-related whining by its characters: Aaron, the narrator, who might still be in love with his ex, golden boy Heath; sharp-tongued lesbian Miranda; Patrick and Vivian, the token straight couple; and gay musician Alexander. Though the novel honestly captures the way people brood over and incessantly discuss their love lives, it can sometimes make for tedious reading, especially the never-ending back-and-forth between Aaron and Heath. The dialogue strains for the comic snappiness of Will and Grace, but mostly falls flat ("You made me think of Maya Angelou... I Know Why the Lesbian Drummer is a Bitch"). Surprisingly for a novel about love and lust, there are few steamy sex scenes; bedroom encounters are quickly glossed over ("In our haste, we were clumsy and awkward about undressing each other, but when that part was done, everything familiar and easy came back"). Despite its flaws, the novel has its amusing moments, and it's easy to get caught up in the partner shuffling. The ending is satisfying if a bit pat. As one character says, "A deadline for love doesn't really ring true. Does it?"
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About this edition

• Publisher: Alyson Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1555838448
• ISBN 13: 9781555838447
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 312