The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook

The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (Ed & Dan #1)

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3.54 of 5 stars 3.54  ·  rating details  ·  770 ratings  ·  154 reviews
"It's not me - it's you. You've let yourself go, so I'm letting you go too."When Edward Middleton hears those words from Jane, his girlfriend of the past ten years, he knows he's in serious trouble. Determined to get her back, Edward must learn how to make women fancy him again. But what makes for a good boyfriend nowadays? Right now, he's the kind of man who puts the 'ex'...more
ebook, 416 pages
Published November 17th 2008 by Simon & Schuster UK (first published January 1st 2007)
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Tea Jovanović
Urnebesno zabavno i duhovito... Za ovu knjigu nagrađen je kao prvi muškarac koji je dobio tu nagradu... Romantic Book of the Year... :) Nažalost, grdne korice izdavača nisu doprineli popularizaciji ove knjige... :( Tražim mu novog izdavača...
AH

"Edward. Let me get this straight. You've called me right in the middle of Antiques Roadshow just to tell me your girlfriend's gone to bed?"

Tibet, Dan. Jane's gone to Tibet. She's left me."



Poor Edward! Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined his girlfriend of ten years leaving him (and taking almost all the furniture!). He's despondent, and in a little bit of denial, so he calls his best friend Dan. Dan is a local television personality and he has had many girlfriends. Actually, Dan...more
Hobart
The book begins with our hero, Edward, receiving one of the (if not the) worst Dear John letters imaginable. What's worse is that Edward soon realizes that every nasty thing enumerated in the letter is true. In her letter, Jane essentially has given Edward three months to fix himself, which will at least open the door for a discussion of their future.

So, with the guidance and help of his best friend/ladies' man/cad, the lady bartender from their pub, his lecherous/man-chasing boss, and his new...more
Lodyangel
I loved this book!

Jane leaves Edward because he has "let himself go", has become stagnant in his career, and seems to be stuck in his less than stellar life. However, Jane left with "I'll be back April 16th, so perhaps we'll talk then," and Edward takes this hint of a possible reconciliation and he runs with it. He embarks on a quest to lose weight, hiring a hot personal trainer to get him in shape. He goes shopping for a new wardrobe and new apartment furniture. He consults with his friends, an...more
Teena in Toronto
I enjoy reading the occasional chick lit and it's always fun to read guy lit.

This book is set in Brighton, England. Edward arrives home to discover that Jane, his girlfriend of ten years, has moved all her stuff out and is spending the next three months in Tibet. In an attempt to win her back, we following him as he hires a trainer so he can lose the love handles he's gotten over the years, he trades his Volvo in for a Mini, gets a new wardrobe and haircut, and does speed dating so he can find o...more
Amy
My review for Library Journal:
There’s a fair amount of debate over the term chick lit. One definition is a novel about a young woman in her twenties or thirties facing life’s challenges, typically career- or family-related, and dealing with her romantic life. This describes Dunn’s (Best Man; From Here to Paternity) latest novel. Edward Middleton is bereft when his long-term girlfriend leaves him by saying, “It’s not me, it’s you. You’ve let yourself go.” Jane is heading to Tibet on a spiritual q
...more
Geoffrey
I've had this sitting in my kindle for a while but left it unread. I was finally in the mood for something light and amusing and this book certainly delivered. It was nice to read a breakup and recovery story from the guy's point of view - usually we're the cause and not the recipient of all the angst and melodrama.

This is no great for of literature. The characters are a bit stereotypical and the ending is a foregone conclusion but it's witty and entertaining. It was said all through the book bl...more
Chandler Craig
It’s been a long time since I’d read any chick lit. In fact, I think several of my friends had recently vowed to swear off it–only I kept a copy of Bergdorf Blondes as my guilty pleasure. Anyway, when I received a copy of The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook in the mail, I decided to break my vow (So soon?) and check it out. Except this was different. This was boy chick lit, if there is such a thing. At least it was written by a boy.

The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook follows the story of Edward Middleton, a dow...more
Jennifer
2 words that describe the book―Male chick-lit

3 settings or characters I met

* Brighton, England, Present Day

* Edward Middleton comes home one day to find his apartment empty. No, he hasn’t been robbed; his girlfriend of 10 years, Jane, has left him. In her note, she says “It’s not me—it’s you.” It seems that Edward’s increasing weight, sloppiness and lack of ambition has made Jane rethink things. So she’s off to Tibet and will be back in three months. Edward decides he has three months to make hi...more
Cheryl
Edward Middleton comes home to find his girlfriend, Jane has left him. Jane and Edward have been a couple for ten years. As if things couldn’t be worse, Jane not only left Edward but left the country. Jane went to Tibet. Though she did leave Edward a note. She told him that “You’ve let yourself go, So I’m letting you go. She left it on his scale and told him to use it for more than just stacking newspapers.

Edward has three months before Jane returns. Edward’s good friend, Dan tells Edward that...more
Sheryl
2-1/2 stars

This book read a lot like a "chick-lit" book from the man's perspective. It had the same narrative tone to it. However, this book is more a voyage of self-discovery for Edward than it is a "chick-lit" book, as it really lacks the romance found in that genre. There is a hint of it, but I wouldn't describe it as a romantic comedy.

I often found myself laughing, but also found myself annoyed, too. The main character, Edward, is a nice guy. How he is friends with Dan is beyond me. Dan seem...more
Kara
Won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway so I'm starting this one before I read anymore of the books on my to-read list. It sounds like it will be a fun read, so here I go!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wanted to finish this as quickly as I could, since I won it and wanted to review it properly for the author.

I had zero expectation going into this novel as it's the first giveaway I've won and didn't know how good it would be. I can say with confidence that this was easily one of the most enjoyable boo...more
Blodeuedd Finland
Ok for, my chick-lit for men thing, well, I mean it has the way of chick-lit, but it's from a male POV, and instead of all that romance there is more humour. Something for women to enjoy and also a book that men will like.


Plot:

One day Edward comes home and his girlfriend has left for Tibet. She has left a note telling him that he has left himself go so he starts this journey to improve his looks, his job, his life, in hope to get her back when she comes home from Tibet.


My thoughts:

I do chick-lit...more
Laura
Edward Middleton has been dating his girlfriend Jane for ten years until one fateful day when he returns to his flat to find it half empty with a “Dear John” note left behind. Jane’s “Dear John” note has the rather cruel line, “It’s not me – it’s you” and proceeds to tell Edward how he has let himself go and that Jane has had enough. Jane hasn’t just moved across town, but is gone to Tibet for two months.

Together with his best friend Dan, the “star” of a mid-morning antiques show, Edward formula...more
Nikole
This was another "freebie" from Amazon, the sort of freebie that totally made up for all the exceedingly bad books I've mistakenly downloaded over the eight months that I've had my Kindle. In fact, I might venture to say that I just may have discovered a new favorite author.

According to more than a few reviews, The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook is kind of seen as the male counterpart of Bridget Jones' Diary and I can vaguely see the comparison (mind you, it's been quite awhile since I read Bridget Jon...more
Marie
http://mariesbookgarden.blogspot.com/...

I don't know why I did it...read this book, that is. It caught my eye at the library, and I was interested in the British setting (Brighton) and a supposedly "chick lit" type of story written by a man. As I've said before, I don't like the term "chick lit," because I find that title denigrating to novels written by and for women. However, it is a certain type of genre, and this novel fits into that category. My husband says I should call it "dick lit." I l...more
Anita
Edwards girlfriend of ten years, Jane, has left him. There was no discussion, no fight, no warning; she just packed her stuff and left. She leaves a note explaining that Edward has let himself go in every way imaginable, and she can't live with it. He has 3 months to get his life in order for when she gets back, or else.


Because it's not done very often, I am a fan of books that are told from the male perspective and are also a part of a genre that I enjoy. The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook one ups tha...more
Kimberly
The premise is simple. Jane leaves Ted because he has "let himself go" so Ted spends the entire book trying to improve himself so he can win her back when she comes back from her 3 month trip to Tibet (weird, right?). With the help of playboy best friend, Dan, and cute girl trainer, Sam, Ted does everything in his power to be the man Jane wants when she returns. The plot is (of course) predictable, but that's what we want from chick-lit, right? It was interesting to hear a book like this from th...more
Melissa
Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook is the flip side/ male perspective of many chic lit movies and books. Ed’s girlfriend leaves him a Dear John letter that really cuts him to the core with lines like, “You let yourself go, so I’m letting you go” and “it’s not me, it’s you.” Edward is desperate to salvage his 10 year relationship, so while Jane is away, he has three months to reinvent himself and win her back. Armed with advice from his best friend, Dan (a metro-sexual, local t.v personality interested only...more
Sonia
I bought this book after having read few reviews which caught my attention and the fact that it was considered a witty and easy-going story sealed the deal and determined my decision to give it a try.

It was indeed an entertaining and funny reading, sarcastic and hilarious at times but serious enough to highlight the terrible experience of being dumped. The author deals with a very strong issue that happens every day in our society and if it hadn't been for his enjoyable writing, it would have be...more
Eunice
I once read the term "chick lit", obviously making reference to the term "chick-flick". So indeed this is a term that can be easily applied to this book, which is the perfect chick-lit book that i 've read in a long time. Is light, is not pretentious and it is funny. and as well as the chick flicks, is full of cliches of what women want in a men and viceversa, is not a HANDBOOK, to be an Exboyfriend. It does not deal with the Ex-boyfriend-ex-girlfiend relationship; it sticks to the boyfrien who...more
Alisa Hedden
What do women really want, isn’t that the age old question (hey guys, even among women it’s “the question”).
This book follows the adventures (and mis) of Edward as he tries to figure this out. And, along the way, figure out what he really wants. He is in a rut, and it takes drastic measures to kick him out of it. Drastic measures in this case involve his long term girlfriend leaving him with the ultimatum “shape up your life, or never see me again”.
So, instead of doing a book report on this, an...more
Jay
I shouldn’t have liked this book. I generally don’t like chick lit written by men and I don’t read British fiction as a rule (it frustrates me when I don’t get British slang or references). However, from the first page of The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook, Matt Dunn had me laughing and he kept me laughing through to the end. A twist on the “Now that I’ve got the guy, I can let myself go” tale, it is Eddie who’s no longer the man he was when he and Jane first started dating. He thinks everything betwee...more
Rhoda Baxter
These books are good fun. I read this and the sequel one after the other and enjoyed them both (I found them whilst browsing the 'just returned' shelf in my local library). They are contemporary romantic comedies with fun characters and really great dialogue. Ed and Sam are lovely characters. The secondary characters are even funnier.

You can call them 'Lad Lit' if you like - although I don't see why people are surprised that men can write romance. We all fall in love. And why do people always a...more
Lauren
Entertaining chick lit written from the perspective of a male. Our protagonist Ed is given a wake up call when his girlfriend of ten years up and leaves. He is left holding the bag, so to speak and an empty apartment. His best friend, gorgeous love-em and leave-em Dan is on the case and eager to shake up his friend from his stagnated life. Ed has let himself go in more ways than one and is determined to win his ex back.

Overall not the best novel but a quick and fun read. I may pick up another no...more
Cláudia
I bought this book hoping that it would be similar to Mike Gayle's books, but it stays a long away from them.
It made me a little mad from the beggining that someone decides to change everything about themselves just because the girlfriend decided to go to Tibet suddenly, leaving the house almost empty with just a note saying: it's not me, it's you. Well, she might be right, but what did she deserved with this attitude, like she did it?!
Edward best friend was really obnoxious, I wanted to hit hi...more
Joan Sherwood
Edward comes home to find his apartment nearly empty and his girlfriend gone. He finds a note from her saying that she's gone to Nepal for 3 months and he needs to get his life in order. After recovering from the shock, he sets out to make those changes so that he'll be able to win her back when she returns. He turns to his friend, Dan who is a TV personality and a complete womanizer. Through this book we see the humorous journey of this man as he works on his health, his looks, and his life. Th...more
Suzie Quint
This is my first foray into lad lit, and a wonderful introduction it is. Edward's girlfriend of 10 years leaves him and heads for Tibet, saying in her note that he's let himself go, so she's letting him go, too. He spends the 3 months she'll be gone getting back into shape: eating healthy, quitting smoking, working out with a trainer, and trying to figure out where it all went wrong, so he can fix it and win her back. It's a book about what men and women want from relationships and it's fascinat...more
Britta
Very ... very good read!
I am currently looking for other books by this author. He's funny and engaging. The book is a quasi-romance but much much more it's a comedy/come of age (well ... a growing up into a man even though the main character is 30ish).
Edward's girlfriend, Jane, leaves Cuddly Teddy a note saying that it's not her but him and that she's gone to Tibet for three months to find herself. (She's also taken half of the stuff in their shared flat).
Now Edwards has got three months to fi...more
Mary Ann
I really liked this one - until the end. The story builds up throughout the entire book in an entertaining way. The author coerces us to feel sorry for Edward (the main character)and builds up our hope in him for 350 pages then abruptly comes to an end literally in the last couple pages. The reader is denied access to Edward's happiness, except for a tiny glimpse that there MIGHT be hope.

I love a book that leaves me wanting more but this one was cut off a little too soon. I would be leery to rea...more
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The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (Ed & Dan, #1)
The Ex Boyfriend's Handbook
The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (Kindle Edition)
Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (ebook)
The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (Kindle Edition)

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Matt was born in Margate, but eventually escaped to Spain to write his first novel (in between working as a newspaper columnist, and playing a lot of tennis). Previously he has been a professional lifeguard, fitness equipment salesman, and an IT head hunter, but he prefers writing for a living, so hopes people will keep buying his books.

Matt is the author of four contemporary romantic comedy novel...more
More about Matt Dunn...
Ex Girlfriends United Best Man From Here To Paternity The Accidental Proposal (Ed & Dan, #3) A Day at the Office

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