The Bro-Magnet

Nice Guy #1

by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

"There are so many memorable moments in this book that I could spend page after page quoting them." —USA TODAY

Poor Johnny Smith.

At age 33, the house painter has been a best man a whopping eight times, when all he's ever really wanted is to be a groom. But despite being everyone’s favorite dude, Johnny has yet to find The One. Or even anyone. So when he meets high-powered District Attorney Helen Troy, and falls for her hard, he follows the advice of family and friends. Since Helen seems to hate sports, Johnny pretends he does too. No more Jets. No more Mets. At least not in public. He redecorates his condo. He gets a cat. He takes up watching soap operas. Anything he thinks will earn him Helen, Johnny is willing to do. There's just one hitch: If he does finally win her heart, who will he be? 

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Humor, Chick Lit, Ebooks, Fiction

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 2011

About the author

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).

Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.

Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.

In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.

Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.

In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.

Lauren’s favorite color is green.

Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.

Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.

Reviews

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bro-Magnet is a laugh out loud story about life and love, told in the first person POV from a man’s perspective. If you’re married or have spent any length of time in a relationship with a guy, you know how clueless they can be when it comes to their feelings and the ways of the world… the real world, that is. Well, in this book we get to spend years inside Johnny’s head and while I still don’t think I’ll ever understand the way men think, at least I got a lot of great laughs from reading about it.

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, something light and easy to read, you really should pick up The Bro-Magnet and settle yourself in for an entertaining story.

This book was provided by netgalley.com, TKA Distribution, and author, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, in exchange for an honest review.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5
I liked reading about a guy everyone wanted to be but who didn't have good luck with women. It was funny seeing him try to be someone else for the woman he liked, as it turned out both of them were hiding their real selves and had a lot more in common.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this with some trepidation, because humor based on gender stereotypes is rarely my thing. It sounded fun though, so I gave it a try -- and it turned out to be a lot of fun, as well as sweet and unexpectedly wise.

Johnny is a really good guy, who somehow rarely gets credit for his stellar qualities from women. The traits that other men love in him, like being good at sports and able to fix junker cars, always seem to lead women to one conclusion: “asshole. “ They rarely notice that he’s considerate, generous, warm-hearted, chivalrous and at least makes an effort to remember to put the seat back down.

When Johnny meets a woman who seems like she might just possibly like him, he’s determined not to mess it up this time. And seeking advice from pretty much anyone who’ll give it, he performs a make-over, becoming “John” (because “y” ending names are too little-boyish) who likes wine instead of beer and opera instead of sports. What happens next is partially incredibly obvious and partially a real surprise.

This is a light story -- lighthearted, lightly characterized, lightly over-the-top. The beginning description of Johnny’s adolescence, in his first-person narrative, made me feel like I was reading YA -- and actually I think young adults could love this story. (There’s some swearing but no graphic sex.) It’s very funny in a wry sort of way, and though there is some ridiculous situational humor, it’s not what entirely drives the book: in one memorable scene, John takes his date to an opera that turns out to be put on by a farm family in a hayloft, but they just go with it and have a really good time.

I think what I liked best about the story is that it’s essentially non-judgmental. Although Johnny’s “manly,” low-brow tastes are embraced, he discovers he actually likes some of the new things he’s tried -- but more importantly, he discovers that “things like who loves sports and who loves GH (General Hospital) and who loves both… none of that stuff mattered so long as, somehow, you saw down into the essence of the other person and they saw you.”

It’s hard to categorize this book: it’s not traditional romance, not exactly YA, certainly not realistic fiction. Its most obvious category is humor. But I think romance readers will also enjoy it; I certainly did.

(reviewed from e-arc provided by netGalley)

[Mimi Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book...was so not for me. There were very funny moments and I really felt for and loved Johnny, but at a certain point I was just so tired with that-which-annoyed-me, I couldn't even enjoy the humour so much, which is sad.

You want to hear about That-Which-Annoyed-Me? Before we get to that here's a recap.

"I Am Born
(and I begin as life intends me to go on)

Right from the start, I’ve been a disappointment to women."

So, Johnny is like the ultimate best pal to men. They want to be like him, want to be with him, etc. But women always thought he was an asshole...

Guys’ Verdict: “Johnny is seriously cool.”
Women’s Verdict: “Asshole.”

So, one day Johnny meets a D.A. Helen, and all of a sudden he thinks of something-if he wants a woman to stay with him he has to change, right? No, not only change-pretend he is someone completely different. All of a sudden Johnny(the ultimate man's man) likes opera, fancy wines, cooks and whatnot. He lies constantly, just censors his words and actions to be more likable. And he does it again. And again. And again and keeps doing with the help of his friends and women who keep telling him everything that's wrong with him and that needs to be changed. So, Johnny of course listens and does all kinds of crazy things.

At the end, though, he's totally in love with her and she says she's been pretending too. That she was more feminine and stuff. So all of the sudden you have two people who're in a relationship and don't really know each other and they're talking love and HEA. Really? I don't buy it and this whole situation bothered me.

Yes, I can see that the point WAS to get us to see that being ourselves is ok and all, but I just had a hard time getting into this particular topic. I definitely like the author's writing style, so I'll try reading her other work.

For the humor, and Johnny, it's 2.5 stars...

"And it’s not like I did anything borderline illegal like, say, reach out and actually grab one of her breasts, which you can’t blame a guy for wanting to do since, in the entire history of the world and if God really did create the human body, nothing has ever been invented yet to rival the beautiful glory of the female breast."

"Hell, I think all women in all their various colors and shapes and sizes are cute or pretty or gorgeous or handsome or attractive. Women: they’re a beautiful thing. But scary too. Very scary."

“You’re way over-thinking this, Johnny. If this is the sort of crap that goes on in your mind during an actual date, no wonder you never get around to kissing the girl.”
“Remind me again why you’re my best friend?”
“Because I’m standing here with the blinds drawn and I’m going to let you practice kissing on me even though I’m a lesbian.”
“Oh right. That.”

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute chick lit with a twist- because it is told from a male POV. It was sweet and fluffy, though it felt really dated at times. I couldn't relate to many of the references (no one I know watches General Hospital... period) and it seemed pretty obvious to me that this was actually written by a female. However, at times it was laugh-out-loud funny, so that was a major plus. I honestly didn't feel like the couple knew each other at all, certainly not enough to be in love, but it was still a surprisingly enjoyable read.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard a lot of talk about The Bro-Magnet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted on Twitter, and then I saw Dear Author give it a favorable review, so I had to check it out. Thank goodness, because I am not sure if I would have ever picked this book up based on the title and the cover. But put that behind you because this book will make you laugh and smile the entire way through.

Johnny Smith is a guy's guy. He loves sports and poker, he paints houses for a living and every man finds him very likable. He has been the best man in about seven weddings and is just a happy dude. However, he knew he was cursed against all females the day he was born:

"Oh," Francesca (his mother) says, gently parting the swaddling to examine my body further, "it's a boy. This wasn't what I was expecting at all. I was so sure, all along, I was going to have a girl."
Then, she dies.
"If you'd been a girl," Alfresca says, taking me from my dead mother's arms as the midwife tries in vain to resuscitate my disappointed mother, "this never would have happened."

This sets the stage for what is one of the funniest books I have read in a very long time. We quickly move forward in Johnny's life as we watch him fail at numerous attempts with women in his young adult years.

The story finally settles as Johnny is in his early 30s and as single as he can be. Very smart and interested in law, he decides he'd rather help his dad in his painting business than become a professional. With his best friend, Sam, who is a lesbian, by his side, Johnny spends his days talking about the Mets and accepting best-man invitations to numerous weddings.

It isn't until he meets District Attorney Helen that he realizes his backward-wearing baseball cap and somewhat frat-house style might need to change if he wants to pursue this serious relationship. His friends step up to the plate to help him better himself, with much amusement.
While this story is a romance, it is very different from the typical romances I read. It's more of a one-man show, where Johnny takes center stage and the other characters are all supporting him, even his love interest, Helen. I think I heard someone refer to it as a chick-lit book, except told from a man's point of view. The reason this book works so well is that under all the laughs and silly situations Johnny gets put in, he really is a good guy. He is warm and endearing, and you root for him through the entire book. He is not necessarily suave and charming, rather just downright all male.

He has had relationships with women in the past, but when he meets Helen, he knows it is different and that totally flusters him. He freaks out and tries to act cool, but it comes across just silly. He doesn't want Helen, a lawyer, to know he has an obsession with trying to find loopholes in court cases, so he tries to throw her off course:

"So let me get this straight," she says. "It's not loopholes you have a thing for, it's ice holes?"
"Oh yes," I say, "from when I was little and my dad used to take me ice fishing. Ever since he got MS and can't get around as well anymore, I like to remember the times when we used to be together on the ice, sitting around the ice holes."
Well at least the part about him having MS is true.
"That's sweet," she says.
Hey, I'm on a roll here.
"Not only do I like ice holes," I say, "but I like sinkholes."
"Sinkholes?"
"I mean, I'd hate to get my truck stuck in one, but they're so interesting, the way they just appear all of a sudden. And peepholes, I like those too."
"Peepholes?"
"It is always good to see who's on the other side of the door so you know whether you want to let them in or not. Oh, and blowholes — you know, whales. They should be saved."
"So," she says slowly, reviewing my case item by item, "you like ice holes, sinkholes, peepholes and blowholes?"

There are so many memorable moments in this book that I could spend page after page quoting them. The entertainment in this book never stops, from taking Helen to a "Barn Opera" to trying to buy a kitten, or when Johnny gets scared by a clown and screams, "EEK!" Since Johnny is telling you the story, it makes his slightly over-the-top world feel more intimate.

It is great fun to find a new author, and I will definitely be keeping my eye on Lauren Baratz-Logsted.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on Under the Covers

I will be honest. I overlooked this book countless times because I have no idea that this was a romance novel. The cover confuses you, but once you read the blurb you kind of know what to expect. Even then, I was still caught by surprise over this book. This is definitely not your typical contemporary romance.

THE BRO-MAGNET is written from a male’s perspective. I don’t know about you, but this is a first for me in romance. Wildly refreshing and outrageously funny, Lauren Baratz-Logsted completely took me by surprise. Not only was Johnny’s perspective engaging and unlike anything I’ve ever read before, but I died laughing at some of the lines in this book. In fact, if I could, I would quote this entire book and leave it at that for a review.

As I said earlier, this book follows Johnny, a 33 year-old guy who makes a living out of painting houses. He’s been Best Man eight times, even graduated with honors BUT he has the tendency to fall over himself when talking to a woman.

Here’s what you need to know to set up this scene:

Johnny has a thing for Helen Troy, a lawyer and at this point, he’s trying to play it cool denying the fact that he has this slight obsession about figuring out loopholes in court cases. In the end, he just ends up looking silly....

"So let me get this straight," she says. "It's not loopholes you have a thing for, it's ice holes?"
"Oh yes," I say, "from when I was little and my dad used to take me ice fishing. Ever since he got MS and can't get around as well anymore, I like to remember the times when we used to be together on the ice, sitting around the ice holes."
Well at least the part about him having MS is true.
"That's sweet," she says.
Hey, I'm on a roll here.
"Not only do I like ice holes," I say, "but I like sinkholes."
"Sinkholes?"
"I mean, I'd hate to get my truck stuck in one, but they're so interesting, the way they just appear all of a sudden. And peepholes, I like those too."
"Peepholes?"
"It is always good to see who's on the other side of the door so you know whether you want to let them in or not. Oh, and blowholes — you know, whales. They should be saved."
"So," she says slowly, reviewing my case item by item, "you like ice holes, sinkholes, peepholes and blowholes?"


Nice save, Johnny.

There are also some great moments with Johnny’s wingwoman and lesbian BFF, Sam whom I loved as well. Sam tries to help the less-than-smooth Jonny set a date with Helen. Most often than not, it ends up like this:

I pick up the phone, start to punch in the number from the slip of paper, stop.
“Are you just going to stand there?” I say.
“What’s the big deal?”
“I just feel funny talking on the phone with you standing there like that. It’s like when a guy’s trying to take a pee and some guy comes in and starts using the urinal right next to him. It feels awkward.”
“You’re being ridiculous about this.”
I just keep staring at her, waiting.
“Fine,” Sam huffs, heading for the door.


Don’t judge a book by its cover. This saying has never held so much truth than in this case. If you’re looking for something unique and fun, then Johnny is your man.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grade: C+. This is like chick-lit, only it's told in the hero's 1st person POV. Parts of this book I liked a lot. Several times I laughed out loud. I was fond of Helen and Johnny, but didn't like how much he was acting like someone he wasn't in order to appeal to Helen. And she was doing the same. Johnny has always been a bust with women, but men love him. All in all, I kept wanting him to act like himself. I didn't find him appealing getting a cat he didn't want, watching General Hospital, etc. I kept wishing I could see them having fun together, watching a baseball game and yelling their heads off. It was a quick read and a different premise.

[Brie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

This is a perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. I know it’s bad, I also know the title isn’t helping, but believe me, you’re in for a treat.

Johnny Smith is man’s man. That means that every single guy he’s ever met loves him. They all find him funny, clever, approachable, admirable, all the guys want to be his best friend and they all want Johnny to be their Best Man. In fact, he’s been Best Man at eight weddings and counting! However, when it comes to women the story is the complete opposite. They all hate him, no matter what he does, men love him for it and women hate him. He’s been disappointing women ever since he was born.

Right from the start, I’ve been a disappointment to women.

Here’s me at my own birth:

On January 1, 1977, after thirty-two hours, fourteen minutes and fifty-three seconds of labor, most of it during a heat wave so bad there are citywide power outages – a heat wave that would have been perfectly normal in Florida, but in New England, not so much – my mother, Francesca Smith, gives birth to me at home at exactly 2:19 p.m.

She insisted on the home birth because she said it would be more natural.

Alfresca Tivoli, Francesca’s sister, is present as Francesca’s birthing coach because my father, John Smith, says it’s women’s work. Plus, he’s scared shitless.

As I emerge from between my mother’s legs – all thirteen pounds, eight ounces of me – Alfresca catches me. Then I do the usual baby stuff: I get my cord cut, I’m slapped, I cry, I get weighed and measured, someone wipes the cheesy stuff off my hairy head, and finally I get handed off to my mother.

“Oh,” Francesca says, gently parting the swaddling to examine my body further, “it’s a boy. This wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I was so sure, all along, I was going to have a girl.”

Then, she dies.

“If you’d been a girl,” Alfresca says, taking me from my dead mother’s arms as the midwife tries in vain to resuscitate my disappointed mother, “this never would have happened.”

See what I mean? Now, at 33 years old, he’s ready to settle down and form a family. But he wonders:

How did I get to be the guy that men all gravitate toward but that women, except for lesbians, mostly shun?

When he meets Helen, finding the answer to that question becomes an urgent matter because he really likes her. So he enlists the help of everyone around him: his friends’ wives, his dad and even the local tailor. They all agree that he should change his douchey ways and become a different guy: no baseball cap, no jeans, no t-shirts, no sports, no belching; but yes to the opera, yes to changing his name from Johnny to John, yes to watching General Hospital and yes to getting a cat.

It’s pretty obvious to the reader that Helen isn’t shallow and that they are pretty compatible, but he is so worried about becoming what he thinks is a better person that he fails to see this. He’s completely self-absorbed and blind, but he doesn’t realize it and his journey is about figuring out that the right person loves you just the way you are.

I have so many good things to say about this book that I don’t even know where to start. First I should say that it’s a comedy and I that I started laughing from page one, right about the “then she dies part” and just kept laughing all the way to the end. Next I should say that the whole book is told from Johnny’s POV and that, plus the whole “journey to self-discovery” part of the story, made me feel like I was reading a bizarre chick-lit, but instead of chick-lit this should be called dude-lit or something like that. I have read my fair share of chick-lit and some I have loved, but most just blurs together, so this book was a refreshing and an original twist to the genre.

I’m trying to come up with a way to describe Johnny and the best I can say is that he was charming, goodhearted, caring, clueless, and yes, a douche. His story inspired lots of laughs, lots of face-palms and lots of yelling “get a clue!”. This is a guy who is wicked smart for some things, and then goes and says things like this:

(Johnny asks his friend Sam to help him get a cat)

“Precisely. Here’s one. Free, six adorable kittens in need of good home.”

“But I don’t need six. I only need one.”

“What are you, stupid? We look at the six and pick out the one you like best. How hard can it be?”

“But it says ‘good home,’ not ‘homes.’ Clearly whoever placed the ad is looking to have all the kittens adopted at once.”

“Oh, for Christ sake, Johnny, just get in the truck and drive.”

Parts of his characters felt a bit over the top and cartoonish. Things like his obsession with sports, his lack of understanding women’s minds, and the fact that he put together women into one huge bag where if you manage to decipher one then you have deciphered them all, felt like a huge stereotype of how men are and not like a real person. But despite his shortcomings, both as a book character and as a person, I loved him. He was reliable, honest, loyal and inherently good. When you have to spend a whole book in company of the same character he better be likeable, otherwise the reading experience is going to be bad. Thankfully Johnny was as likeable a character as it gets.

Another thing I loved about the book was the narration. Johnny’s personality grabbed me to the point where I felt like he was sitting beside me telling me his story. Sometimes first person POVs read more like the characters talking to themselves, but in this case I felt like he was talking directly to me.

The book isn’t perfect, the ending was a bit weak, it wasn’t what I was expecting which was good, but it was abrupt and rushed. The book’s pacing is slow and it drags a bit in the middle, but then I had so much fun that I didn’t want it to end. Helen isn’t really the heroine, she acts more like a secondary character and as love interest, she isn’t developed at all and we don’t really get to know much about her which was disappointing.

Finally I want to say that I’m happy I read the book and I’m happy because I read it. It’s a feel good book similar to its main character: crass on the outside, but charming and funny on the inside. This is how romantic comedies should be.

In case there were any doubts left, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone feeling like spending an afternoon laughing out loud and in the company of a great guy.

[HєllyBєlly · Rating 3 out of 5]

My grade: 3 1/2 stars

I GREW UP AS THE OLDEST of four daughters. My mum has three sisters and only one of them has a son - the rest of my cousins are female. So with that background I particularly enjoy books from a male main character's point of view. Johnny (or John, as he decides to go by, in order to project a more mature image) has an endearing voice. Just like all the guys -bros- that he comes across, I find him charming and endearing and I really want to be his friend. And, I think that is one of the problems I have with this book. Johnny is like the brother I never had and he is not convincing -to me- as a romantic lead.

Some might argue that this is supposed to be a romantic comedy first and foremost, and I agree that many scenes in this book are funny. There is a thin line you have to walk in order for the hilarious situations that ensue (a date at the opera in a barn with a pair of siblings performing multiple roles, for instance) not becoming over the top and too unrealistic, and the author does this very well. I think, however, that Johnny's long-time crush could have been painted with a somewhat finer brush to be more effective.

Just like many a romantic comedy herione needs a gay best friend, so does a hero. Johnny's neighbour, sometime employee and BFF Sam is a lesbian. She is also very self assured - almost like a guy, actually, and very attractive. She has just come out of a failed relationship and is also wondering what she is doing wrong. As Johnny goes about trying to turn himself into the man that he thinks that Helen - the love interest - wants, Sam assists him and also applies some of the helpful hints he picks up along the way. The banter between Johnny and Sam is something that I enjoyed a lot, almost to the point where I was rooting for the outcome that Sam would be a closet bi-sexual person and she and Johnny would be an item at the end. But, of course she is not.

Another problem I had with the book is that I don't feel what Johnny feels about Helen - he tells me/the reader how he reacts and what he thinks about and his hopes for this relationship, but when we reach the butterfly in the tummy moments; the first kiss and when they finally progress to a more physical relationship, he tells me that as well. The door is closed.

When I say that I had some problems with the book, I don't mean that I am disappointed - it was a thoroughly enjoyable and easy read. It brought out a lot of smiles an d giggles and left me with a happy feeling. But, at the end of the day I do wish that there had been a little more romance to this comedy.

This review can also be found at hellyslibrary.wordpress.com

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my review partner Mandi tweeted me that I HAD to read this book, telling me I would love it, I jumped to it. Know what? She was right.

Bro magnet is a hilarious rom com from a man's POV. Johnny Smith is always the best man but never the groom. Every guy loves him and every woman thinks he's an a arse. it's not he's a terrible person, he's just adorably clueless. When he meets the woman of his dreams, Johnny grabs his friends and does everything possible to reinvent himself with unbelievably funny results.

Favorite Quote: "Eek, a clown!"

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review posted: Happily Ever After - Reads

Hell, I think all women in all their various colors and shapes and sizes are cute or pretty or gorgeous or handsome or attractive. Women: they’re a beautiful thing. But scary too. Very scary.

The one word that kept coming to mind as I was reading about Johnny and his life was likable. He’s such a nice, likable guy that I completely understood why guys would be drawn to him and want to be friends with him. Women, on the other hand, never moved beyond what Johnny was showing them on the outside, for the most part. He’s a guy that loves his baseball cap backwards, loves sports, can’t cook, and even though he could be a professional in a business suit world, he enjoys his job as a painter. As he watches all of his single guy friends get married, Johnny wishes that for himself one day. He starts realizing, with a little help from his friends, that he might need to change a few things in his life to be more appealing and he starts reinventing himself, as only Johnny can.

Johnny starts changing things up when he meets Helen, a woman he desperately wants to impress and find some common ground with. And so starts the advice that gets thrown at him from many different people. His best friend, Sam, is a lesbian who has her own difficulties in the love department, tosses in her two cents, which end up being zero help to Johnny when he wears a tux at her suggestion to an opera - that ends up being held in a barn. The advice and comments keep coming at Johnny throughout the whole book, and he listens and tries his hardest to make himself into someone that Helen would want to be with. While I don’t like the idea of changing who you are for someone else, Johnny never fully did that. He might have started dressing better, bought a few throw pillows and tried not to watch sports around Helen, but he was still that guy deep down and that’s what worked for me. I never got the feeling that the Johnny we meet in chapter 1 was completely different by book’s end. But the laughs and some nice moments he gives us along his way to figuring things out with Helen were very charming and he’s an incredibly likable character throughout the story.

I’m getting ready to pay when I see something behind the counter that grabs my attention. “Can I get one of those too, please?” I ask the guy behind the counter.

“Which one you want?”

“Doesn’t matter, just so long as it’s sturdy.”

The guy brings down the item and places it on the counter next to the rest of my stuff.

“So you’re getting a cat and a dog?” he says.

“No, just the cat.”

“Then what do you want a leash for?”

“The cat. So I can take it for walks.”

“People don’t usually – ”

“Don’t even bother,” Sam cuts him off. “He’s probably got this whole thing pictured in his head: him walking down the street, his cool new sleek black cat on the leash strutting by his side, maybe the two of them popping into the neighborhood bar for an ice cold beer for him and a saucer of milk for his furry little friend.”

Really? Am I that transparent?

The story is told in first person and I got a lot of laughs reading about the thoughts that would zoom through Johnny’s head during the book. He takes everyone’s advice to heart and he was a fish out of water in so many scenes, but being the guy that he is, things always had a way of working out in his favor. The ending was a very fitting, full circle moment and I like the match that he ends up finding with Helen. I would have loved to have a little more between these two at end, just being themselves, but there’s no doubt left at the end that they really are a great match.

I really enjoyed getting to know Johnny and the best thing I can say about him is that I started the book liking who he was and ended it feeling the exact same way. He’s a nice guy, trying to find that one person that fits him and watching him bumble along through all the advice and tips he gets is endearing, funny, and completely enjoyable.

A fun read and one I recommend for anyone wanting a little different take on dating and romance.

[(✿◠‿◠) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

When I started this book, I was super excited. It had a great premise that I hadn't ever read before. Plus, it was told first person, MALE narrative! I'm a sucker for getting into a guy's head, and I actually really love first person books.

I think in this particular piece, it HAD to be done that way. There's no way that Johnny's voice could have come through if this was done in third person. Let's talk about his voice a little, should we? I was laughing so. damn. hard. through the first half of this book. Loud, barking laughter that had my husband looking at me like I was crazy. The storyline was engaging, Johnny was engaging. The first half of this book gets a solid 5 stars from me. And I'd give that part 10 stars if I could.

His humor and personality had me hook, line and sinker. His relationship with Sam was amazing--one of my most favorite things about this book.

But then we got into the second half of the book.

Which, to be honest, was a great big letdown. I felt it dragged on unnecessarily, and it lost the humor that had me wowed in the first place. Through the last half, Johnny...er...John changes almost everything about himself to get the girl (name change, clothing change, complete condo redo, no sports, starts watching General Hospital (whert?), AND HE BUYS A CAT.).

You could see where the story was going from the half way point, which was probably why it was so frustrating. It wasn't hard to see what was going on with Helen, and I think that's why I was waiting for it to just get there already.

Finally, when we did "get there", it was at the end of the book. I had no warm & fuzzy time, as I like to call it--when I get to bask in the wonderfulness of the characters and their eternal love. I got half a page.

This is my not amused face.

So, while this one started out with a bang, it crashed and burned by the end. I'd give the second half of this book 2, maaaaaaaaybe 3 stars, because it was somewhere between being just ok and being likable. But the first half was so funny, so engaging, that I rounded my 3.5 overall rating to a 4 star on here. Who knows? Maybe the 2nd half won't drag for others, and I'd hate to have you miss out on this hilarious book because of how it bothered me.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was turned off this book initially by the title and cover. If the author hadn't contacted me with an excerpt, I probably wouldn't have bothered to read it. Which is a shame, because this was a hilarious, engrossing read.

I struggled a bit through the first couple chapters. After that the story captured me. I actually laughed out loud several times while reading. I even shared passages with my husband, which he snickered at as well.

There are some flaws. The writing was a bit off-putting at first (the style is very informal) and at times I wanted to smack the characters upside the head. But overall it was an entertaining read. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was amusing and I'd recommend it to other people, but it didn't grab me like it did other readers. I'm not a fan of the first-person present tense and so found myself distanced from the experience. Also, I've never watched GH (though I do have cats) and like to watch sports, so the girls-do-this and boys-do-this struck me as off.

The main character was very likable and I thought the idea of Opera at a barn was hilarious (I'd totally go).

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is totally made of awesome and I have laughed myself silly! General Hospital, Gone With The Wind, Pier 1, barn opera, a cat that walks on a leash. OMG, this was a total riot and I'm so excited that the author has a sequel in the works!

If you want an incredibly authentic and hilarious book about a clueless man's quest for love and the mistakes he makes in trying to reinvent himself along the way, run and get this book! You will not be disappointed!

[Keri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I giggled my way through this fun and zany read as Johnny struggles to figure out why he is such a guy magnet, but can't get a steady girl to save his life. The entire book is wrote through Johnny's POV, so we really don't know Helen very well. Except what we learn there at the end, but still very cute. I went and got the 2nd book in the series right away.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly funny book! I like the author's writing style.

[Kaetrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why I read it: I saw tweets about this really funny book from a guy's perspective from Jane at Dear Author and then I saw it on NetGalley so I snapped it up.

What it's about: (This is the blurb from Goodreads) Women have been known to lament, "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." For Johnny Smith, the problem is, "Always a Best Man, never a groom." At age 33, housepainter Johnny has been Best Man eight times. The ultimate man's man, Johnny loves the Mets, the Jets, his weekly poker game, and the hula girl lamp that hangs over his basement pool table. Johnny has the instant affection of nearly every man he meets, but one thing he doesn't have is a woman to share his life with, and he wants that desperately. When Johnny meets District Attorney Helen Troy, he decides to renounce his bro-magnet ways in order to impress her. With the aid and advice of his friends and family, soon he's transforming his wardrobe, buying throw pillows, ditching the hula girl lamp, getting a cat and even changing his name to the more mature-sounding John. And through it all, he's pretending to have no interest in sports, which Helen claims to abhor. As things heat up with Helen, the questions arise: Will Johnny finally get the girl? And, if he's successful in that pursuit, who will he be now that he's no longer really himself? The Bro Magnet is a rollicking comedic novel about what one man is willing to give up for the sake of love.

What worked for me (and what didn't): This book is SO funny. I was cackling my way throught his book and I think I started laughing pretty close to page one. Johnny is hilarious. I actually found him to be a really nice, sweet, funny, considerate guy but most of the girls in the book didn't feel that way. When he meets Helen, he so wants to impress her, that he decides to ditch the sports references and other things which girls are always telling him are annoying. Helen is the District Attorney so he also has to cover up his fondness for finding loopholes in the law (he likes the puzzle solving aspect of it) on crime shows and when talking to his lawyer friend Steve.

"So let me get this straight,": she says. "It's not loopholes you have a thing for, it's ice holes?"

"Oh, yes," I say. "From when I was little and my dad used to take me ice fishing. Ever since he got MS and can't get around as well anymore, I liked to remember the times when we used to be together on the ice, sitting around the ice holes."

Well at least the part about his having MS is true.

"That's sweet," she says.

Hey, I'm on a roll here.

"Not only do I like ice holes," I say, "but I like sinkholes."

"Sinkholes?"

"I mean, I'd hate to get my truck stuck in one, but they're so interesting, the way they just appear all of a sudden. And peepholes, I like those too."

"Peepholes?"

"It is always good to see who's on the other side of the door so you know whether you want to let them in or not. Oh, and blowholes - you know, whales. They should be saved."

"So," she says slowly, reviewing my case item by item. "you like ice holes, sinkholes, peepholes and blowholes?"

I nod.

"But not loopholes?"

I nod gain.

Hole this, hole that - even when I'm determined not to just be myself, I'm such an asshole. I just can't help it.

Pretty soon, the girls have him watching General Hospital (the conversations about the Cassidines and the Spencers are hilarious!), redecorating his condo and even getting a cat (because, he's told, girls like cats). So, he and his equally clueless-about-women BFF Sam go cat hunting.


"Which one should we check out first?" I ask Sam, looking over the listings.

"First? What do you think, we're going to drive all over Danbury like we're house-hunting or something, interviewing various feline applicants?"

"I'll take that as a 'we're just going to one place and take whatever they have'?"

"Precisely. Here's one. 'Free, six adorable kittens in need of a good home'."

"But I dont need six. I only need one."

"What are you, stupid? We look at the six and pick out the one you like best. How hard can it be?"

"But is says 'good home', not 'homes'. Clearly whoever placed the ad is looking to have all the kittens adopted at once."

"Oh, for Christ sake Johnny just get in the truck and drive."


But, as funny as this book is (Did I tell you? It's REALLY funny), there are some really poignant moments too. Johnny is loyal. He goes to the local hardware store every day to buy supplies for his paint business, partly because he doesn't like being tied down by buying in bulk, but mostly because he wants to help out the local hardware store - he's not a fan of the big chains. He goes to Leo's coffee shop every day out of loyalty to Leo rather than go to a Starbucks or similar. He even goes to Leo's everyday later in the book just to cheer the old man up when he's not really even in the market for coffee.

He has an "opportunity" early in the book to get laid but she's so drunk he feels uncomfortable and leaves rather than take advantage of her. See? I told you he's a good guy.

In the end, Johnny decides that even though he loves Helen, he has to to come clean because if he can't be himself (or a slightly cleaned up version of himself - he finds he looks good in J Crew, but he really prefers to be called 'Johnny' rather than the more mature 'John'), then she's not the woman for him. Which is also sweet. I liked that he came to the conclusion that he deserved honesty in his relationship.

Helen has secrets of her own and I don't think it will come as a surprise to readers that they are more suited to each other than either knows.

Because the story is told in Johnny's first person POV, we don't get to know Helen all that much but it's such fun to be in Johnny's head that I didn't really mind that.

I would have liked to see another conversation between the couple at the end or maybe a scene showing their life as they decided to live it once all the secrets are revealed but it was otherwise an excellent read.

It's very much on the "sweet/subtle" side of the heat intensity so it is suitable for younger readers too.

What else? In the end, the message of the book is that there is someone out there for everyone, even self-confessed assholes. Sure, it doesn't have the best title or cover in the world. But, this is a great book. I highly recommend it.

Grade: B+

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of the BEST "GUY" stories out there! Seriously!
If you've ever wanted to get inside of a guy's head while growing up, meeting someone, messing up that relationship, meeting someone else, falling in love - This book is totally for you!

I LOVE getting into a guys head - How the heck does Lauren Bartatz-Logsted do it?? WOW!

The book starts off with Johnny Smith telling his story -
"Right from the start I've been a disappointment to women"

When he was born, his mom held him for a few mins. She thought he'd be a girl, then she died -
"If you'd been a girl," Aunt Alfresca says, taking me from my dead mother's arms..." This never would have happened."
I know all this, not because I was born with some kind of precocious baby-genius capability to instantly understand language, but rather because Aunt Alfresca has spent the last thirty-three years reminding me, at fairly regular intervals."

"As I said right from the start, I've been a disappointment to woment.

Then we hear a few cute little stories of him being in grade school. Going outside to play with the guys in the neighborhood - the guys always liked him. He was a big kid - not fat, but always stronger, more energetic and ready to play sports type bigger.
But there were only 5 guys in the neighborhood, so he went next door to ask Alice to be their 6th - but Alice has issues with Johnny "Nice way to ask, Smith... We kinda need one more."

Even when he tries to be nice, he can't seem to get it right.

Sometime in Middle School, Johnny see's Alice in line at lunch. Alice Knox has the nicest... breasts of any girl in their class, and out of nowhere he reaches out to place a finger under her bra strap that's peeking out from beneath her pink tank and snaps it.. which is almost immediately followed by ... Slap

So spreading the word in Middle school, the guys cheer for Johnny being brave enough to snap Alice's bra, and the girls turn their heads at him for being "the strapper"

Senior prom - Johnny is going to prom with 7 other guys. It's not like he didn't want to take a girl to prom, actually ONE girl in particular, There was only ever one girl in that school he'd buy a corsage for. But he couldn't work up enough courage to ask her to the prom, so he decided to go stag. When word got out that he was going stag, and 7 of his friends decided to go stag with him, pretty much ever dateless girl in the school decided they'd hate him for taking 7 guys off the prom market.

(I think I'm telling too much of the story, and we're not even a full chapter into it yet!)

Anyways - SO more goes wrong at prom and he starts to wonder why guys are always telling him he's such a great guy, and yet, he can't get a girls attention..

After Johnny's dad got sick, he pretty much took over his dad's house painting company.
He usually brought along his BFF Sam (the Lesbian) to help him out. Everywhere he went, the man of the house seemed to want to become friends with Johnny, but the women were always the first to leave the house.

When he started painting Steve Millar's Dining room (for the 4th time) Steve started getting chatty with Johnny. Next thing he knew he was inviting Johnny to the Yankee’s game... $800 seats!

Now one thing we learn about Johnny was his dad, Big John raised him alone, Sure he had his Aunt Alfresca to tell him when he was screwing up everyone's lives, But Johnny did learn to become a big loyal sports fan.

So he declines the tickets (even the $800 seats behind home plate).

But eventually he caves in and decides he'll never get another chance like this. So even though they're Yankee tickets, he goes to the game with Steve. Being totally out of place, Steve and his Lawyer buddies all in suits, and Johnny in his typical Jeans and t-shirt (leaving his Met's cap at home) they hang out. Of course everyone seems to take a likening to Johnny right away.. that is except the stuffy looking women sitting on the other side of him. He tries to make polite conversation, but of course she politely declines.

He thinks she's really pretty, and can't stop thinking about her.. When Steve (whom somehow invited himself to their Friday night poker game) gave Johnny Helen's phone number because she's looking for someone to paint her house.... Johnny gets nervous..


Ok I will stop there :) I really LOVED this story! The POV from Johnny was awesome! I really felt like he was telling me the story from his POV - not like he was narriating a story, but it was happening to him with his own words.
He struggled with his feelings, he had a Lesbian as a BFF who screwed up her own relationships - so together the two of them tried to figure out what a women really wants -


HILARIOUS! I laughed so much while reading this story - it really was great!
Recommending it to everyone who enjoys a really good story - the romance was very light, but perfect for HIS Pov - there are no details or touchy feelings, just as it is - I would say this is great PG - but in an Adult Situation:)

[Susi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The buzz around this book was getting bigger and bigger and I just couldn’t resists its lure anymore. Even with having read what feels like a million reviews The Bro-Magnet still surprised me- in a good way. This whole book is so different and refreshing in a genre that sometimes seems to be too set in its ways. For starters, our main character is Johnny a guy who’s hopelessly bad at dealing with woman. I loved Johnny. He is a nice guy with a sports obsession, an adoringly wierd family, a lesbian bff and one big problem: all the dudes love him and the woman not so much. He is a crowd-pleaser but only for the male crowd. Woman hugely start shaking their heads dismissively as soon as he opens his mouth. So here he is- wanting to finally fall happily in love and no idea how to achieve that. When Johnny meets Helen he is set on winning her heart- he just has to figure out how to achieve that.

The only woman in Johnny’s life that doesn’t seem to hate him is Sam- his bff. I adored these two together. Their easy banter was highly entertaining and to see that even both of them together were cluesless about how to make the girls happy was hilarious. Together they try to change Johnny and his life in a way that will please the ordinary woman even though they both don’t have much of a clue. But luckily advice and assistance isn’t beyond their reach. Friends, acquaintances and even the coffee shop owner help him along his way and share their secrets about a happy relationship. I loved to see what some of them came up with. I just say kittens and General Hospital.

Johnny tries to change himself so much that sometimes he accidentally says something that is out of his “new and better” character. Here’s a scene where Johnny tries to get out of liking loopholes in law cases because he thinks that that’s unattractive:

“Not only do I like ice holes,” I say, “but I like sinkholes.”
“Sinkholes?”
“I mean , I’d hate to get my truck stuck in one, but they’re so interesting, the way they just appear all of a sudden. And peepholes, I like those too.”
“Peepholes?”
“It is always good to see who’s on the other side of the door so you know whether you want to let them in or not. Oh, and blowholes- you know, whales. They should be saved.”

This whole changing-yourself is a huge topic in The Bro-Magnet. How much should you change to appeal to someone you’re interested in. And if you do change so much, will you still be you? Will this actually secure your shot at happiness. Johnny’s insistence on changing was funny yes- but at times i felt really bad for him. He shouldn’t be forced to do all that. He should be able to find someone who will love him just the way he is.

One of the main factors why I loved this book was that it just felt different and new. I loved to see everything through Johnny’s eyes. His confusion and uncertainty made me love him even more. A little thing nagged me a bit and that was that we only got a tiny bit of romance. If I would be forced to give this book a genre I would say Bro-Lit says it best. This book does feel a bit like chiclit with it’s cheeryness and all but well we see everything through a guy’s eyes. Also the narration does need a bit of getting used to. At points I would have wished that everything flowed a bit better.

Johnny’s journey to become a Chick- instead of a Bro-Magnet will make you giggle and cry from laughter. You will catch yourself talking to your ereader telling Johnny to “No don’t do that.” and “OMG he didn’t.”. The Bro-Magnet is a refreshing read that will keep you happy and smiling for a long time. Recommended for all who love a funny read

I give The Bro-Magnet 4 out of 5 stars.

[McGee Magoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was read as a buddy-read with Katerina, who, I hoped liked this as much as I did.

The Bro-Magnet is the story of Johnny Smith. Johnny's mother died shortly after giving birth to him and he was raised by his father (and house-painter) Big John. Johnny grew up to be smart, kind and funny. Unfortunately--and probably due to the lack of a real-mother figure--, his particular great traits are only appreciated by other guys. Johnny grew up to be a man's man. Best Man in 9 weddings, instant pal to any guy who talks with him for more than 30 seconds, and so easy-going that he's completely at ease and unashamed with the fact that he gave up studying law for taking up the family painting business.

"The Home Goods guy's going to get throw pillows because of you," Sam says, "now this guy's going to get a cat so he can take it to the bar because of you. You're like the Pied Piper of weirdness. Just what is it with you and guys?"

He knows paint, he knows sports, he knows cars, he knows laws and loopholes, he knows--well, pretty much anything a guy would want to talk to another guy about. But what Johnny doesn't know: How to date a woman.

Enter, love interest Helen, and a whole slew of interesting and helpful (?) friends. Johnny bends over backwards trying to follow advice given to him by everyone. And by everyone, I mean EVERYONE: BFF and lesbian, Sam--who can't seem to figure out how to maintain a relationship with a woman either, Maury the Magnificent, the tailor and bachelor (lots of girlfriends, but no wives), Alice, the wife of Johnny's buddy Billy, who has had great results getting Billy to love cats and General Hospital, and his dad, Big John, who's been single for 33 years. Add this all up and there's a very confused but determined Johnny. He's ready for love and will go above and beyond to get Helen to see him as more than the "asshole" that every other woman seems to see him as.

This book isn't what I would really call a romance. There isn't a lot of relationship building with Helen or sexual tension or jealousy and drama. This is a funny hilarious glimpse into the mind of a true nice GUY who is just on a quest to change whatever it is about him that repels women.

There's the slight element of the ridiculous in this story--for example we have 3 very badly-named characters: Helen Troy, Monte Carlo and Aunt Alfresca. But for the most part I was impressed by the fact that I could believe I was in the head of a man. Sometimes when I read the POV of the hero, written by a woman, it doesn't always seem, well, manly enough. Johnny's character was believable to me. At least his thoughts were--some of his actions defied logic (like Tivo-ing General Hospital--I think all of us ladies can agree that we wouldn't think less of a man for not knowing what's happening with Jax and Carly on the daytime soap).

Despite the lack of sex and sigh-worthy romance, this was laugh-out-loud funny and sweet and cute. My only complaint is that I would have loved to have seen an ending that let us glimpse the cuteness of the "real" Johnny and Helen. A epilogue would have been great. But I thoroughly enjoyed cackling (yes, I cackle) my way through this afternoon. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a Hero POV and/or loves to laugh.

[Gaylin Walli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tweet came across my Twitter stream last week from Deidre Knight (yeah, that Deidre, from the Knight Agency). She touted this book as a great little read and since I intensely admire the woman's choice of book recommendations, I figured there had to be something worthwhile in the book. But The Bro-Magnet? It sounded way too much like a bad 70s movie title and I was notably skeptical. Sadly, in my pre-caffiene induced haze of morning work I immediately fired off a tweet that was not too complimentary of the title and Ms. Knight took note. That was mistake #1.

Mistake #2 was deciding at the first page that I wasn't going to read it because it started out in 1st person voice ("I am doing this. I am doing that.") Here's the thing about my reading novels. I have a general rule of skipping them when they're in first person voice. It's that most authors get all twisted up in their undershorts when they use it. They mangle the prose and end up with everything stilted and uncomfortable, never really realizing that they've tripped and got their panties somewhere around their ankles. And the fact that this book came from a new author I'd never read before didn't really encourage me to continue much.

But then this little voice sat up in the back of my head and tritely repeated "Never judge a book by its cover." So I figured that if a lady I admire recommends this book and this is kind of her business, maybe I should knuckle under and give it a go beyond the first page, you know? There had to be something there worthwhile for her to tout it publicly.

So I settled down in bed content to read for 15 minutes or so and was immediately smiling at the tightly written and well-placed and paced intro where I met Johnny Smith, our hero. Then I was laughing. Two hours later and my husband was coming to bed asking me what was so funny and why was I still awake so late when I had to go to work very early in the morning the next day. That's when I realized Ms. Lauren Baratz-Logsted had me. I genuinely wanted to know if Mr. Johnny Smith, our "always a groomsman, never a groom" hero, really did end up with the girl and what it took for him to make that happen. I sincerely wanted to savor the words that Ms. B-L deftly wove because it's a rare thing to infuse a story like this with comedic wit and get the timing right every single time. She did it and made it seem effortless. Brava!

Funny, witty, delightful, charming....those are the words you'll read from other reviewers who, no doubt, think that's what people want to see in a book review. I'll not bore you with those, nor some rehash of the plot. I will, however, tell you this. If you read contemporary romance, I'm confident you'll laugh. Even if you aren't sure about contemporaries and stick to historical romances or some other genre in the field, I'm certain you'll smile at least once while reading, likely more. I'm glad I bought this book and I promise I'll never mock another one of Ms. Baratz-Logstead's titles again ever.

Ma'am, any book that not only keeps me up past my bedtime AND has me laughing while reading 1st person narrative is well worth the cash I forked out to read it. Please keep up the great work.

[Jonita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Johnny Smith has been the best man in eight (count 'em) weddings. Since childhood he's been known as a real man's man. He loves sports, wears a backwards ball cap every day, and drives a big truck. Men love him, and women don't want to be with him. And that's the problem. When Johnny finds himself giving the best man speech at his best buddy's wedding, and his best buddy just happens to be marrying Johnny's childhood crush, Johnny knows that it's time for him to put himself out there and find that special person to share the rest of his life with.

That's when Helen walks into Johnny's life. She's gorgeous, she's a DA, she loves wine and the opera, and she hates sports. Johnny enlists the help of his married friends, his father, his BFF (who happens to be a lesbian who lives next door) and even his ex-crush to help him to win the heart of the woman that Johnny is quickly falling for. But what parts of himself will Johnny have to give up in order to win the heart of the woman that he loves?

The Bro-Magnet is fantastic, funny, light-hearted chick lit at its best. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing and can't recommend it highly enough. It's a light read, but perfect for these winter months when the lack of sunshine is getting you down.

Johnny is absolutely lovable. Having always been a man's man he appears to have no clue about women. When he meets Helen, a sassy DA, he knows that he will have to pull out all of the stops to win her over. He finds himself buying throw pillows and a cat, he changes his wardrobe and pretends that he hates sports, even though he really lives for them. He is willing to do absolutely anything to win the girl. The other characters are fantastic as well. Helen is the perfect woman for Johnny and she certainly isn't a demure wallflower. Sam, Johnny's best friend is a lot of fun as well. As the female sidekick she was perfect.

I have a very minor critique for The Bro-Magnet. It is written from the point of view of a man, and for the most part Baratz-Logsted does an excellent job of finding his voice. There were a few parts, though, where he sounded more like a woman than a man, primarily when he was trying to figure out what side of himself to present to Helen as they start dating.

The Bro-Magnet literally had me laughing out loud at parts. Before you say "so what?" keep in mind that I was completely alone in the house at the time and probably sounded like an idiot. The book is funny and heartwarming and wholly enjoyable, and I would absolutely love it if Baratz-Logsted decided to write a sequel. I would be first in line to read it!

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO GOOD!!! I will have the full review up on January 12th. A+ rating on my blog!

My Review:


There are books that make you happy to be a reader. This is one of those books. I cannot tell you the last time when I laughed out loud as much as I did while reading this book. It is charming. It is honest. It is so incredibly sweet. At the heart of the story is a guy...you know, that guy. The one that annoys all girls around because he is just such an idiot. This story is about that guy trying so hard not to be "that guy" because he wants to win the girl's heart. It is so funny and irreverent and sweet. I really, really loved reading it.


The book is told entirely from Johnny's point of view and he realizes that he has issues. He's 33 and has never been in a real relationship. His mother died giving birth to him (he was a 13 lb baby) so, as he was growing up, it was just him and his dad. Guys love him, but he simply exasperates women. The problem is, he wants to be married. He sees his guy friends that are totally whupped and at the same time that he is mocking them, he REALLY wants what they have. He just has no idea how to get it.


There is a huge cast of characters in this. All of them offering advice...some of it helpful, but most of it really is not and simply yields hilarious results. My favorite has to be his BFF, Sam, who just happens to be a girl...a lesbian who is just as bad at relating to women as he is. As they navigate the world of buying throw pillows and learning the characters on General Hospital, I was rolling because I was laughing so hard.


This book is so different from every other romance I have ever read and that is saying a LOT with as much as I read. I have no doubt that is why that this author has self-pubbed this book. But trust me on this...this book is so good.


I love Johnny. He is trying so hard and is so earnest in becoming someone that Helen could fall for, but he cares so much that he is honestly becoming that sweet, considerate guy that you can't help fall in love with...because he is falling in love with her. He's a smart guy. He almost went to law school, but his dad wanted him to take over the family painting business when he graduated from college. Everything about this book was good. I especially LOVED the way that the story ended...so sweet and just perfect especially with the way that the story started. Bravo to this author! It's still early yet, but I think that this one may end the year as one of my top picks!

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bro-Magnet was not the book for me. It was another comedic novel that I just didn't find funny. It is not my sense of humor so I didn't like it that much. This is why I don't watch a lot of comedies. I just don't seem to find the same things funny as most people. Oh well.

Johnny has never been good with women. He's a man's man, but really he didn't come off that way to me. He loves sports, but besides that I didn't see him as much of a man's man. Anyways men always love him, but women hate him for reasons unknown to him. Well his real issue is he doesn't know how to talk or interact with women. No wonder he never has luck with them...Anyways he is looking for someone, anyone it seems, and this is his journey to be someone else to try and get a lady.

One of my biggest issues with this book? The secondary characters. I hated all of them. Why did he even like Alice? For years and years he liked Alice, but why? She was horrible to him always. Then there is Sam. I absolutely hated Sam. Sam who yells at him for not raping the passing out drunk girl. Yep, Sam is a winner. Way to be. I suppose that was supposed to be a funny part, but just no.

Then I just got annoyed with all the all girls are like this, all boys are like that thing. Like all women watch General Hospital. The amount of time dedicated to this show in this book was too much for me. I don't actually know anyone who watches soaps. Not that that means anything, but it was just...over the top. I did not like it. Again I suppose it is supposed to be funny, like haha! Women do watch GH! This is hilarious! kind of thing, but it just annoyed me. Really most of this book was just me being like when is this going to be over.

So then Johnny does meet Helen and they hit it off. He changes his ways, his clothing, his furnishings, etc and then he gets the girl. Yey I suppose. The end was way too quick, like here you go this is who we are instant happily ever after. I don't know. Obviously not the book for me.

This review was originally posted to Jen in Bookland

[AMythicalBeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to write a nice long review for this one but then I read one that pretty much said it all.---> Fiction Vixen

So here I'll explain why I gave it four stars despite my great love for Johnny Smith. There were three reasons (and two of them contain mild spoilers):

The first: Till about half the book we had been regularly told that Johnny had a keen interest in law and after he helped out one of his lawyer clients with a case, Helen (who's a DA) declined to go out with him because he'd apparently helped a criminal go free.
Helen took exception to his fondness for finding 'loopholes'. When Johnny got his chance with the girl he vehemently denied this just as he vehemently denied ever being interested in sports, or beer.
In the end when he realized that he and Helen were not so different after all (and that his drastic changes were not all necessary) the one thing that is never resolved is whether Helen finds out about Johnny helping out that other lawyer and how strongly she feels about it.

Two: The climax came at the very end and too few pages were given to its resolution. It was too abrupt.

Three: We never found out why Helen said no to him the second time he asked her out and what made her change her mind.

And that's it. I loved Johnny, his voice, his memories of his childhood, his friends and family, his opinions, his earnestness, his honesty and his humour. This is a really funny book, where the punch lines jump out at you and make your belly ache.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure of what really I'd get when I started this book. The Bro-Magnet has really surprised me.

Johnny is this sports fan, 33 year old guy who isn't really luck with women. When he finds the one he thinks is "the one" for him, he'll do everything he can to have her.

While I loved how nonsense he was, he couldn't be that... Teenager-ish. Lol. There was a part around the middle of the book that was annoying the hell out of me. It was too much. I was thinking, This guy can't be this old and this stupid!

I, for one believe that we shouldn't change ourselves just to please someone else; Of course there's some things such as, don't leave the wet towel on the bed, hang your clothes, meaningless stuff that can be a problem with time. But to that to change your whole personality? I don't like it. And for a time that's exactly what Johnny/John, was doing. And Hellen's too!

Apart this, I liked the book. It was a new author for me, and my first time with a male POV, 1st person. I loved the secondary characters. Sam was my favorite for sure! I lol-ed at her witty comebacks, and she was a really BFF! I'd have liked if there were more of Helen, and not just when she was with Johnny. In overall I had a really nice read. 4 Stars!
P.S. That cover really confused me!

[Ris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bro-Magnet has an interesting narrative. The story is told by Johnny, and his insights, confusions, hopes and desires are wrapped up in his distinctive view of the world and his place in it. So much of his observations carry a tone of self-deprecation but also a keen and wicked sense of humor. For all his actions he’s incredibly self-enlightened. He knows exactly what he’s about but he doesn’t quite know what that means in terms of the opposite sex. He makes you laugh out loud so you don’t feel sorry for him, instead you understand him, and more importantly you want to cheer him on.

The style and cadence of The Bro-Magnet is clever, relaxed and welcoming. You fall easily into Johnny Smith’s world and the characters that inhabit it. There is an immediate sense of knowing these people and wanting to know more about them. It is a sweet comic romance with a very unique hero as the main character whose voice is strong throughout the book. Like one of those great classic black and white movies the antics are just plain fun, but the contemporary feel and camaraderie with Johnny’s friends and family make this book come alive. It's a great combination of wit, friendship, family and romance.

Full review at B&N.com Heart to Heart blog http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t...

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Sept) 3.5* Ok, when I started this I loved it - I mean, thinking it would be a 5* OMG tell everyone to read it loved it. Until I got about 1/2 the way through - and I didn't love it anymore. In fact, I started getting annoyed/and found parts almost painfully pathetic to read. I felt like Johnny was a 33 year old moron. Really - an opera in podunk CT and he buys a tuxedo. And listens to the heinous Allison about how all girls love GH (I think I know two women past their 20's who still watch soaps regularly - nothing wrong w/soaps, but such a stupid thing to teach a guy - watch GH (what about YnR or DooL?)because all women do?). And all women love cats? How about all those w/allergies? And I felt like I went from reading a great funny book about a great funny guy to a story about a Woody Allen type (seriously, I could hear his voice in my head as I read!). And the end - too fast, too abrupt - we were along for the ride and then we were cut out, left adrift before we got to see the best part (no, not the sex you pervs...the truth telling, the amazement that they were two peas in a pod, the ILY). But it was cute - and the Best Man speech was awesome - I'd recycle that too!