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Galley Proof

by Eric Arvin (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 230 ratings · 67 reviews

Fiction writer Logan Brandish is perfectly happy in his peaceful small-town routine with his best friend, his cat, and his boyfriend—until he meets the editor of his next book, the handsome Brock Kimble, and the lazy quiet of everyday living goes flying out the window. Faced with real passion for the first time, Logan becomes restless and agitated, and soon his life and hi...more

ebook, 1st Edition, 195 pages

Published January 13th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press

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Best M/M Romance Published in 2012

80th out of 583 books — 1,183 voters

The Curtis Reincarnation by Zathyn Priest

M/M Books Written By Men

128th out of 570 books — 344 voters

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Community Reviews

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Jan 20, 2012 Vio rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: witty, quirky, odd-ball, funny, dragged

Hilarious start and lots of oddball humour I was chuckling for the first half of the story it was so funny and engaging! But disappointingly the second part of the book didn't continue in the same vain it got a bit boring and I was disinterested about the end result. Brock and Logan were not your average romantic couple and for me there was no burning hot chemistry between them and they never really appealed as a couple, still an nice enough read too bad about the last half of the story.

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2012 Arthur rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: point-whats-the-point-of-this, every-gay-has-to-behave-like-me

Disclaimer: the spoiler below is quite 'real', not just a scene or two. If you read it, you'll know the story line completely.

(view spoiler)...more Disclaimer: the spoiler below is quite 'real', not just a scene or two. If you read it, you'll know the story line completely.

(view spoiler)[Logan had a nice, stable life. He had a stable albeit boring boyfriend (Curtis), had written some popular romance book (Trouble), and a female best friend (Janey). He hit a writer's block, and at the same time the publisher sent a new editor, Brock. The gorgeous new editor kept telling him how crap his new book was, even the manuscript that Logan felt good in writing was trashed so he abandoned it. Brock told him to 'be more gay', and open to new horizon. But that's not Logan, so he hit identity crisis. Since he's attracted to Brock, Logan broke up with Curtis, which was not difficult since it turned out Curtis was assigned to be somewhere else by his company. Logan and Brock started to sleep together. However, after bringing Logan to meet his family, Brock told him that he's not ready for any relationship, and it's better if Logan got a new editor. They did that and kinda broke up.

The new editor, a stern older lady, again trashed Logan's manuscript, which again threw Logan off. Remembering what Brock told him, he decided to take vacation to Europe. There, he involved in sexual encounters with several Italian hunks, and even two of them at the same time. He forgot about his writing, until one day, he met... Curtis--his ex boyfriend. Curtis asked him what he's doing in Rome, and why he didn't write anymore. This made Logan realized his situation. He called his editor and his best friend Janey, saying he'd stopped writing and abandoned the book completely. Janey then came to Rome, with... Brock. Brock said that in the past he pushed Logan when actually he was the one who needed a new horizon. Soon enough, Logan's current editor also appeared in Rome, not accepting Logan's decision to abandon the book. It turned out, she actually liked Logan's writings. Like Brock before, she just wanted to push him a bit to the directions she wanted.

Logan start to write again and be with Brock.

That's it. The end

It's not bad, but I'm not wowed by it. Far from it.

- Brock idea that Logan needs to change because he's not gay enough is horrible, IMO. After all, gay people and those who are sympathetic to their cause always argue for diversity. Here, Logan had to change and conform with certain ideas of how gays supposed to be if he wanted to be 'authentic' gay? Uh oh.

- The idea that people have to be 'shaken' and 'change' themselves to get new perspective of life doesn't resonate with me, especially here where change of life is associated with Logan's writer's block. Both Brock and the current editor pushed Logan for no other reason but to satisfy their own wants. Logan's previous book was a best seller. There is no proof that his abandoned manuscript wouldn't be either, since the reasons both editors pushed him had nothing to do with the writing itself, as it turned out later. So, his identity crises were the outcome of two manipulative editors with issues, not from his writing. Yes, he had a writer's block, but everyone whose job involved constant writings can attest that it happens a lot, and it doesn't need a shaking to overcome it.

Now, if the success of an author is measured by (1) How much the author expresses him/herself in the book, and (2) the number of copies it's sold, then with the abandoned manuscript Logan would be actually fine with (1) because he enjoyed writing it, and possibly would get (2) as well. So, what's the identity crises are about to Logan as an author?

- One of my pet peeves in any stories is deus ex machina. Here, there are two of them: Curtis suddenly showed up in Rome and made Logan realized what he's doing, and Brock conveniently showed up after everything with Logan's life had been quite stable, following crises due to the editors' "suggestions".

- One of the main thing that gay people have to suffer from is bullying. Bullying takes many form: it doesn't always in the form of physical, it can be emotional bullying. Not necessary from direct bad words, but also from being the object of jokes of people who are making fun of them. Throughout the book, the author makes fun of Jehovah Witness and Mormons. I don't belong to those religions, but I cringed when I was reading this book. "Oh come on, Arthur, it's just a joke. Can't we have fun, then?" So, if some people enjoy making fun of gays, it's fine for them to do so? I thought we're about respecting different way of life?

- I just wish I knew it involves multiple partners. Nothing wrong with that, just not my cup of tea. I wouldn't have bought this book if I knew it in advance.

- The writing is of the book not consistent. I felt a break between the early chapters and the later ones. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, I'm really for diversity :-)(less)

18 likes · like · see review

Mar 14, 2012 Lenore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, net-galley, pub-dreamspinner, 2012, freebies, funny, meh, reviewed-by-yours-truly

**This review contains major spoilers.**

By way of a prologue, I would like to say that this is my first book by Eric Arvin and I truly find the man has potential for greatness. He can be funny and witty and emotional; and he can write. Which is not a given for many published authors. So I will keep an eye out for Eric Arvin's other work.

My issue with this book though was that it seemed to want to say and achieve too much, ending up being all over the place. And it was like it was written by two...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 13, 2012 Deeze rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sadly this book wasn't for me. I never really cared if Logan and Brock got together or not, there was just no chemistry for me to get excited about. I was also puzzled by the whole Janey Mormon/Jehovah thing? Why was that even in the story? It did nothing at all except pad out the word count. For all the flowery words and humour this was a bland read for me.

I'm about to change a star rating.(something I don't remember ever doing before). After a few discussions and reading various comments on 1...more

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Jan 15, 2012 T.A. Webb rated it 5 of 5 stars

Logan Brandish is a successful, accomplished writer. Not a mega star, but with enough imagination and talent to have a nice career. But lately he has been in a bit of a rut. His writing has stalled and he has been running though editors. And meeting his new one, he hoped to present a good front and maybe fake his way through it.

In walks Brock Kimble, a man as unlikely as his name. Good looking, hot, smart, unexpected. And he pulls no punches in shaking things up for Logan. Telling him that latel...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Lauraadriana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fave-authors, m-m, cant-wait-to-read-this, loved-it, lmao

I've decided that I want to be an Eric Arvin book when I grow up. There is nothing I love more than honest, smart, and ballsy, if a bit abrassive humor, and these bad boys just get in your face and say...Oh sorry! You said you wanted to read about quivering channels, sex that changes lives, with sappy sweet neatly packaged HEAs (using the acronym is important here)??? Well, there's been a change of plans, because this one's gonna require your 'thinking girl' pants!!!!

So, Logan Brandish likes his...more

21 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Simsala*is getting slow* rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, contemporary, vio-on-a-mission

3 - 3,5 stars

Lough-out-loud funny in the first part of the book with hilarious dialogue,banter,quotes and quirky characters got increasingly tiring in the second part.Here the humor felt forced and repetitive (there`s a reason why slapstick-movies/stories are - or should be - short...) and couldn`t cover the weak plot anymore - only so much to tell about writer`s block and falling in love with the editor...made it hard to keep me interested and to finish the story...slightly disappointing.

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 rameau rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, lgbt, mislabelled, too-stupid-to-live, suckity-suck, read-in-2012, contemporary

Everybody has read those books–usually they come with horrendous cover art–that start with an apparent self-ironic scene that tries to justify using a cliché. It's some trope that has been beaten, hit, struck, battered, hammered, trashed, pummelled, and flattened to the ground ages ago. And for a while it works.

The author works his ass off and makes the first person past tense voice of his character sound like something hilarious, something new, refreshing, and witty. Then he crosses the line f...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, friends-to-lovers, kindle, m-m, sexy-sweet, to-review

I'll review later, but (view spoiler)

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 R.B. rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, m-m, romance

I stopped at 57 %.

2 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Kelly_Instalove rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: era-contemporary, genre-romance, theme-glbtq, theme-arts-lit-music, source-netgalley, theme-asshole-hero, theme-rebound-starting-over

Quick blurb: Cranky reclusive writer gets the hots for his new editor and goes on Roman Holiday.

Quick review: Great premise, entertaining first half, cracked second half.

Grade: C-

NOTE: I read a digital ARC obtained via NetGalley

I was hooked by the title, cover and blurb, and had it on my wish list for months, so when I saw it on my first cruise through NetGalley, I kinda geeked out a little bit.

It's nice that I can still be optimistic about a new book and a new-to-me author, but sometimes it can...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m-glbt

It was refreshing to read a story where the main character has to fight for himself. There is no partner/spouse/parents to pick him up and carry him along his way; he finds it himself. It is a wonderful story.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here's what I wrote to Eric after finishing his latest book, Galley Proof:
Eric - I just finished reading Galley Proof, and I'm happy to say that it finally revealed the meaning of life for me. God put the rest of us mere mortals here on Earth so that your brilliance would shine just that much brighter. Beautiful, brilliant, brawny, and if the book is as autobiographical as I suspect, hung like a bull as well - you've got it all covered. As with your other books, reading your writing is a wonderf...more

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Dec 05, 2012 A rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars. Galley Proof is not your average romance. If you are looking for something that is going to sweep you up like a grand romantic movie, you should look elsewhere. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a popular author who is suffering from severe writer's block. He's also involved in a safe relationship with a boring man who sells boxes and finds the subject fascinating. (BTW, Box Boyfriend is my favorite character.) He lives with his roommate Janey, and he's steeped in ritual, his routi...more 4.5 Stars. Galley Proof is not your average romance. If you are looking for something that is going to sweep you up like a grand romantic movie, you should look elsewhere. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a popular author who is suffering from severe writer's block. He's also involved in a safe relationship with a boring man who sells boxes and finds the subject fascinating. (BTW, Box Boyfriend is my favorite character.) He lives with his roommate Janey, and he's steeped in ritual, his routines a product of a crazy disorganized mother. Life is slowly passing him by until he meets his new editor, Brock Kimble, and becomes caught up in him and their budding relationship. As in real life, though, things do not go smoothly. Logan learns some lessons, has some experiences, and ends up in a good place in the end.

Even though a lot of the elements in this book are over-the-top, this book feels real. There are some eccentric personalities and some ridiculous situations (of which I will take issue to later), but things do not occur in a linear fashion, like some books that like to wrap things up in a neat little bow. Logan is flawed. He knows where he wants to go, but he's having a hell of a time getting there. This is clearly a journey of self-discovery, and luckily Logan has the means to spend some time figuring out who and what he wants. It is clear in this book, as in his others, that Arvin is a talented writer. He's clever and makes funny veiled references and spouts some old-man judgments on the rise of technology, among other things. In the process, he creates a character that we really like. I was happy to follow Logan through his nutty adventures because I cared about him, and I wanted him to find happiness. I liked Brock too, but the romance wasn't the big deal for me. This was Logan's story, and while it was filled with delightful supporting characters, he was what held my interest. It was also super damn funny.

My issue was with some of the unnecessary side stories. Janey and the Mormons/Jehovah's Witnesses. Yes, it was amusing, but it was also kind of a shitty thing to do, and there were no repercussions for her actions -- no learned lessons or development of character. Organized religion's bad? Hypocritical? Janey's a confused slut? Were we also to believe that Curtis was being held back by his relationship with Logan? Why the sudden change in his behavior and personality? And while it was fun to revisit our friends from Simple Men, that whole scene with Lenny and then later at the college seemed contrived.

The thing that pushes Arvin's books above the rest is always his writing. It's just really good. He's the master of descriptive language, which really brings the book to life. He has kind of a quirky writing style. It's full of fragments and sentences that end on prepositions and all of the stuff that they tell you not to do in English class. But the result is that it feels less like a movie script and more how people really speak. It helps to make connections to the characters and situations. This book shows the progression he has made as an author, and I only see him continuing to wow us in the future. (less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Stacia rated it 5 of 5 stars

If I could give it more stars, I would! But the site is a meany and won't allow more than 5.
I just noticed I never reviewed that book, meant to. Sorry:-( I do remember thinking I wanted to throttle you while reading certain parts and ask "what in the hell did he do that for?" Responses like that can be good. It means your work is passionate enough to bring your reader's feelings to the front. I'm not sure what I would say that Tj hasn't said..that was good :-)(grumbles) I do wonder though what p...more

3 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2012 Gerry Burnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, gay-literature, homosexual-content

Gerry B's Book Reviews - http://gerrycan.wordpress.com

Eric Arvin is a ‘friend’ on my Facebook page, and I frequently delight in his off-the-wall-type, ribald wit, and so I was pleased to see it present in Galley Proof [Dreamspinner Press, 2012], his latest in quite a long list of titles.

The topic–writers and writing—is a natural for any author, but it is not without its risks. It’s like ‘talking shop’ to someone who is not in the field, and readers of course are not. There is a twinge of this in...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 23, 2012 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was my first Eric Arvin book. It was a very leisurely, fluffy, and a witty read. Loved the author’s flow of satire and quick jibs.

Nothing too profound, no cheating, no echoing romantic turn points, no angst, no life changing, threatening, alternations, no epiphanies, no complex three, two or four ways dilemmas.

The plot vitally revolved around this author who is going through this perpetual writer’s block due to his habitual ideology towards everything and anything he categorizes as safe zo...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 14, 2012 Carey Parrish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Whenever Eric Arvin writes a new book I cannot wait to read it. This is one of the most talented novelists of the past decade and his brand of gay fiction always satisfies because it speaks to more than just the homosexual audience. Eric writes about human emotions, feelings, and the drama which normally comes along with them. And his use of humor is always a delight.

“Galley Proof” is Eric’s latest release. I read it in about twelve hours. This is the story of Logan Brandish, a writer from a sma...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Sagajo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Never really like the characters until the last page.

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Cris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, romance, favorite-author

So I finished this book and I want to write a review, but just like when I finished Simple Men and Woke Up in a Strange Place, I'm not sure what to say.

I really liked the book, the story, the characters, all of it. But at the same time it always takes me a while to warm up to Arvin's characters in all of his books. But I think that's intentional. All of his characters are very ordinary people with quirks that seem surreal in a book, yet my friends and I have the same kinds of quirks. Things tha...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 29, 2012 Terry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a good read but could have been more. For me there lacked any drive in either of the two main protagonists, they seemed to drift along knowing what they wanted but preferred to let life pass by. Even at the time when Logan decides to throw caution to the wind and take a trip to Europe with no return date set, nothing really happened. Having said that though the characters came across as "real" but frustratingly so - if Logan had been like Curtis (the safe boyfriend) it would have made m...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Qi rated it 4 of 5 stars

First of all, as other reviewers have pointed out, there is no cheating. (view spoiler)

I really loved this. The writing is slightly purple and slightly pretentious, because it's in first person and Logan is slightly purple and slightly pretentious. He also hates first person and refuses to write in it. The dialogue is a bit unbelievable, but that worked here, because it's his story and he would edit everything t...more

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 16, 2012 Santino Hassell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying that I do not like romantic comedies. I do not like slapstick humor. However, I did like this book. Eric Arvin is a damn good writer. There are a lot of books out there that are technically good and have a few moments that pack a punch, but rarely have I in this genre read a book with the kind of voice that Arvin has in his writing.

Logan was not a perfect character and neither were the other people in his life, but I got a kick out of being in his head, and the dialo...more

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 03, 2012 Shanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, m-m, all-stars

I have to say I read some of the reviews below and I'm sorry I did. I have to wonder if these people even read the same book I did. Not a romance? What? It was the best romance I've read in a long time. Open relationships and cheating? Huh? None of that either. What there was is loads of character development, great dialog and humor with a side of wacky friends. Sure there are some unbelievable coincides, but this is fiction and if it's done well, as it is here, it's forgivable. There were quite...more

16 likes · like · see review

Feb 12, 2012 Tame rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Susan Laine rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars for this fun and exciting book. The humor here is especially striking. I laughed out loud at times.

I understand that it was the story of Logan the writer finding his way in the world, and with his writing, and with his love life. However, I would've liked to have seen more of the relationship between Logan and Brock. As it was, Brock remained a little aloof as a hero since there was a huge gap in the book when he wasn't there at all. I found that a little disheartening, and it took som...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 18, 2012 LenaLena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm

I must be in a pissy mood, because while this book was reasonably entertaining while reading it, it is hitting some fairly significant WTF? buttons the more I think about it. Parts of this book are meant to be funny and parts are meant to be insightful. I am not saying they aren't. I am saying many of them caused a niggle of discomfort while reading it. And when I finished it made me wonder if I even liked these people. I don't think I do. Or maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed with...more I must be in a pissy mood, because while this book was reasonably entertaining while reading it, it is hitting some fairly significant WTF? buttons the more I think about it. Parts of this book are meant to be funny and parts are meant to be insightful. I am not saying they aren't. I am saying many of them caused a niggle of discomfort while reading it. And when I finished it made me wonder if I even liked these people. I don't think I do. Or maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed with PMS. Overall, the book felt.... callous. For lack of a better word.

A few examples of the niggles of discomfort that seemed more callous in the morning:
(view spoiler)[

1) Logan visits Brocks family and has a conversation with Brock's dad in which dad expresses concern about how Brock is really doing, underneath all the clowning around. This is apparently the one time dad has been lucid in years, the rest of the time he is seemingly a vegetable. Not only does Logan not tell Brock about this (because it would be painful: Brock hasn't talked to dad in years) he tells no one else. WTF? Don't think this is important for his medical care? Don't think his family is starving for a sign of life from him? Don't think it would go a long way towards relieving Brock's guilt and emotional healing if he knew his dad was concerned about him? But this is none of Logan's concern, obviously. Dad is just a prop.

(This is also the weirdest stroke I've ever seen. In my experience stroke victims don't have 'lucid' moment or regain the ability to speak for little bits at a time. It sounds more like those people in 'Awakenings' or even an odd form of Alzheimers.)

2) During the same visit, Logan gets so drunk he sings in falsetto and shows his dick to the gathered family to prove he isn't a castrate. He remembers nothing about this the next day. Apparently he didn't puke all over people, which usually goes with this level of drunkenness, so it's all good fun. Nobody seems concerned that Logan can't pace himself while drinking and that he doesn't seem to give a fuck if he makes a complete ass out of himself in front of his potential in-laws to be. Including Logan. No cringing in embarrassment. No worries about what Brock and/or the family thinks about him acting completely out of character. With his level of anal retentiveness, I would have expected Logan to be upset about such a loss of control, but apparently this is no BFD for anybody. FYI: I'm not inviting any of these people to any of my parties.

3) Jayne's games with the Jehova's Witnesses and the Mormons on her street were supposed to be the funny part of the book. What this story line really told me was that A) Jayne, sadly, has no life, and B) Jayne doesn't give a rat's ass about respecting the personal dignity of these particular people of faith. I would not call myself a person of faith or even a Christian on sunny days with rainbows, and while I don't mind a little (pointless) discussion with these people once in a while, to put on such an elaborate ruse to fuck with their heads is actually pretty reprehensible.

And then she goes and has a threesome with one of each, setting the house of fire and agreeing with them it was God's punishment for their sinning, because she was done with them and hey, there's a cute firefighter. Way to go, Jayne. Now there are two more religious zealots who are convinced to their core that women are Evil Seductresses and that it is only right that their Elders feel the moral obligation to strictly enforce regulation of the access to vaginas and their owners. Just what the world needs. But never mind, Jayne, you had your fun, so it's all good, girl.

Now, saddest of all, Jayne has learned absolutely zilch from this whole charade. She still has no life that I can discern. So it was pointless, from beginning to end, except for the fact that she screwed over a whole bunch of people in the process.

(hide spoiler)]

There is more, but I think I've made my point. It's fairly entertaining and it's not bad enough for me to completely rip it to shreds. But the longer I sit here, the more likely that is going to happen.
(less)

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Jan 26, 2012 TJ rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 rounded up.

First off, I must admit to being a bit perturbed by some of the other reviews indicating there is cheating in this book or, at the very least, an open relationship. Those that know me know that cheating is not something I take lightly when reading M/M, and it truly does take a master to make me see past that. That being said, there is no cheating in this book. There is no open relationship in this book.

What there is in this book is a journey of self-discovery. Arvin's characters...more

26 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Alex rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, romance, review-copy, queer, contemporary

Overall
A surprisingly delightful read, my initial reaction was not positive, as the narrator rubbed me the wrong way, but once I settled into his head and realized he was meant to do just that, his antics became more amusing than irritating. Although the love story left much to be desired, the focus of the story--the narrator's character growth--was well done and touching. Under the humor, the sarcasm, and the pseudo-blasé attitude, the author, through the narrator, gives the reader a look deep...more Overall
A surprisingly delightful read, my initial reaction was not positive, as the narrator rubbed me the wrong way, but once I settled into his head and realized he was meant to do just that, his antics became more amusing than irritating. Although the love story left much to be desired, the focus of the story--the narrator's character growth--was well done and touching. Under the humor, the sarcasm, and the pseudo-blasé attitude, the author, through the narrator, gives the reader a look deep inside himself and makes the reader question their own place in life.

Stories by authors about authors are always a dangerous ground, but the voice and sometimes ridiculous attitude of the narrator lets this story come to a head without taking itself too seriously and ruining everything. And while the story has a first person, it's-all-about-me voice, it's ridiculous manner keeps it from being a whiny exposition.

Strengths
The narrator is slightly annoying, kind of funny, and pretty much an average guy trying to do his job. I was fed up with him by the second chapter, and begrudgingly siding with him by the tenth. He's an anti-hero, lacking most the positive attributes of a hero, but doesn't prove as irritating as other literary anti-heroes (I'm not naming any names, Holden). Some may find him too annoying to continue, but once I progressed a good chunk of the way through the book and his world began to quake on its feet, my interest took hold.

While my own position as a hopeful author may taint my review, I found the points made in the story and the lessons learned to be meaningful thoughts to ponder, and I think they'd apply outside the writing profession as well.

The humor used here may not appeal to everyone--it's not generally my thing--but it lends a specific voice that makes the narrative work. If the style had been done differently, it probably would have fallen flat, and while it's not laugh-aloud funny, it is a vital strength that made this piece come together.

Weaknesses
This story is a collection of odd characters, and this made it difficult to really empathize with any of them, although generally in this style of story, that is perfectly acceptable.

Once again, the humor and story isn't going to be to everyone's taste, but I think it's a strong enough, and meaningful enough, story to give it a chance.

Requested this book for review.
Be sure to check out my other reviews on my blog.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 31, 2012 Penny Wilder rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: dreamspinner-press, net-galley-reviews, m-m-romance, romance, contemporary-romance

Penny's Rating: C-

Okay, I'll admit it. This book was not my cup of tea. This was my first experience reading anything by Eric Arvin, and bottom line, this just wasn't my style. Arvin however, has written quite a few books. They all have been pretty well received, and have good ratings on Goodreads (which I have found to be pretty reliable for ratings). In fact, Galley Proof itself had been given four stars by Goodreads readership overall. Which is why I don't really know if you'll agree with me...more Penny's Rating: C-

Okay, I'll admit it. This book was not my cup of tea. This was my first experience reading anything by Eric Arvin, and bottom line, this just wasn't my style. Arvin however, has written quite a few books. They all have been pretty well received, and have good ratings on Goodreads (which I have found to be pretty reliable for ratings). In fact, Galley Proof itself had been given four stars by Goodreads readership overall. Which is why I don't really know if you'll agree with me on this one. The writing isn't bad, and Logan's internal monologue is pretty funny at times, but I just couldn't get into it, and I wasn't able to relate to the characters.

For comparison, I felt the same way about Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. If you like that type of book, you'll probably like Galley Proof. I think what it comes down to is that I have trouble with passive heroes and heroines. I didn't see Logan as a fighter, he very much went with the flow, and let the actions of others have a tremendous influence on his life. His life at the start of the book can best be described as mundane (boring and safe), and though things change along the way for him, it seems like none of it is really his doing. It's all just happening around him, and he is simply reacting to whatever happens. I get really frustrated reading stuff like that, because as a reader, you can see the writing on the wall, but you still have to watch the main character go through all of this pointless crap to get from point A to point B. Though real life is full of people just like that living in their own oblivion, I don't always have the patience to read about it.

The characters were well-developed, and had some great quirks, but I didn't actually like any of them. Maybe because they fell so well into their archetypal roles. Logan's editor and love interest Brock came across to me as a huge tool (he's supposed to, to a degree), and Logan's roommate Janey, was the quirky funny, loyal and annoying best friend (she's supposed to be annoying to a degree too). Logan himself I found to be likeable, but passive.

Look, I don't want to tear this book apart. Logan does go on a journey of self-discovery in this book, and he does learn a great deal about himself, even if it does take him forever to get from point A to point B. There were also some good moments in this book, for instance, I enjoyed Arvin's approach Logan's writers block (it was interesting to watch him struggle to balance his vision with the vision of his editors). I also was entertained by watching the drama unfold as Janey created a war between their neighborhood religion peddlers (Mormon missionaries and Jehovah's Witnesses), and by Logan's bizarre escape to hide and heal in Europe. The ending is happy, but it's not your conventional happy ending either, which is pretty cool now that I think about it, even though it irritated me as I read it. I have some very Randian ideals when it comes to happy endings, apparently. Anyway, like I said, this wasn't the book for me, but I am going to check out some of Arvin's other novels. I'll let you know how that turns out.(less)

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About Eric Arvin

Eric Arvin resides in the same sleepy Indiana river town where he grew up. He graduated from Hanover College with a Bachelors in History. He has lived, for brief periods, in Italy and Australia. He has survived brain surgery and his own loud-mouthed personal demons. Eric is the author of THE REST IS ILLUSION, SUBSURDITY, SUBURBILICIOUS, SIMPLE MEN, and various other sundry and not-so-sundry writin...more

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“She nodded her head in approval and hesitantly shut the book, breathing a reader’s sigh. That wonderful inhale/exhale reaction one does after finishing a book that has somehow touched you. Completion. Inner peace. Separate peace.” — 3 people liked it

“For what’s a writer without longing?” — 1 person liked it

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