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Jeff & Lloyd #3
Men Who Love Men
As best-selling author Jeff O'Brien and his partner Lloyd prepare to get married and adopt Jeff's ten-year-old nephew, their best friend Henry, an escort-turned-erotic energy worker who longs for what they have, gets involved with a seductive young man who is not what he seems.
314 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
8 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
William J. Mann
32 books256 followersWilliam J. Mann is a New York Times bestselling author of The Contender: The Story of Marlon Brando, for which he was granted access to Brando’s private estate archive, as well as Kate: The Woman Who Was Hepburn (named a Notable Book of the Year by the Times); Hello Gorgeous: Becoming Barbra Streisand (praised by USA Today for its “meticulous research and insightful analysis”); Edge of Midnight: The Life of John Schlesinger, for which he worked closely with the Oscar-winning director; and The Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury America. His book Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood won the Edgar Allan Poe Award. Mann is a professor of film and popular culture at Central Connecticut State University.
source: Amazon
Also writes children's books under the pseudonym Geoffrey Huntington.
source: Amazon
Also writes children's books under the pseudonym Geoffrey Huntington.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 7, 2014
Perfect timing
I found William's first book The Men from the Boys in a used bookstore during my first visit to Ptown. The book found me at the perfect time in my life just how this book has now. I could easily swap out the names of the characters in this book for the names of the men in my life. This is a deep book that asks and answers many of the questions men in their late 20's and early 30's ask about love and life as a gay man. it's a beautiful story that makes you question your own beliefs and outlooks on life and love all the while reaffirming your belief that things will work out for the best and love will be found. A great read and one that I will likely read again and again.
I found William's first book The Men from the Boys in a used bookstore during my first visit to Ptown. The book found me at the perfect time in my life just how this book has now. I could easily swap out the names of the characters in this book for the names of the men in my life. This is a deep book that asks and answers many of the questions men in their late 20's and early 30's ask about love and life as a gay man. it's a beautiful story that makes you question your own beliefs and outlooks on life and love all the while reaffirming your belief that things will work out for the best and love will be found. A great read and one that I will likely read again and again.
January 1, 2013
The blurb for this novel does not do it justice, nor does its cover. This story is one of those most vivid, heart-wrenching accounts of men struggling to find their sense of self that I have ever read. I haven't been moved by a character as I was with Henry in a long time.
The author is a dialogue genius - conversation takes place within the pages of his novel so smoothly you'd swear he recorded them happening. If this novel is indicative of the rest of Mann's fictions, all I can say is that I need to make more room on my book shelf.
I can't recommend this novel enough.
The author is a dialogue genius - conversation takes place within the pages of his novel so smoothly you'd swear he recorded them happening. If this novel is indicative of the rest of Mann's fictions, all I can say is that I need to make more room on my book shelf.
I can't recommend this novel enough.
November 17, 2008
Just finished last night, stayed up til 3am. Made me cry in a good way. about love, trust, finding oneself, commitment, the unknown, how these men loved their friends,lovers,themselves,families,how he builds his own life away from his parents. New expressions for me, a place that should be visited some day. The cover picture has meaning later on in the book.
June 12, 2018
This is the third book in The Men From The Boys series. This book is told from Henry, who is BFF of Jeff & Lloyd's perspective. Henry is now working at the B&B as a manager and has moved to P-Town permanently. Henry is constantly lamenting about his loss youth,he's 33 and just broken up with his boyfriend. Henry has turned into a tiresome, self-absorbed jerk. In the last book he seemed to reach some level of maturity, he was in a relationship with Shane ( which we learn he has broken up with).,Now, Henry is constantly complaining about how out of shape he is, how he wants just wants to be loved...is that so wrong. Even Jeff, has seemed to matured and actually wants to make a go at marriage and a commitment with Lloyd. When Jeff & Lloyd announce their upcoming nuptials you can count on sad sack shit for brains Henry to not be happy and boo-hoo about himself. Than we get the parade of possible lovers, the mysterious and pathological liar twink Luke ( he wants to be a writer and meet Jeff. Gale, the 27 year old who wants monogamy (both physical and emotional) and seems to be hiding something. Also,Evan who seems perfect only be already has a husband and a very open relationship. Than we meet Martin, funny, handsome, and intelligent, he just moved to P-Town and just got out of a relationship...the only problem is he's clutch the pearls..45 years old. Dense Henry, seems to think Martin and he have such a big age difference (though it's the same age difference between Lucas and he. The best scene in the book is when Shane tells Henry what he really feels about Henry.This is one series that I was glad was over. Henry just got on my nerves.
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July 4, 2021
I note that this is book 3 of a series and I haven't read the first two titles but I enjoyed this one immensely. It's about Henry Wiener who will be Jeff and Lloyd's best man at their wedding. Mostly Henry is going through a lonely period looking for Mr. Right himself. He has his ups and downs with Luke who seems to be a schemer, Gale who has commitment issues, Martin who gives Henry some solid advice, and Evan and his partner who seem to be edging toward an open relationship, perhaps a three-way with Henry, which he's not sure he could handle. All of this activity swirls around Jeff, a writer, and Lloyd, an analyst, and takes place in Provincetown. The plot is not earth-shattering but it is enjoyably authentic to its setting and time period which is post AIDS and not in any way depressing, in fact, it's quite amusing at times to see the trials and tribulations that Henry goes through in hoping to meet his ideal partner.
March 15, 2023
There is an element of well-intentioned transphobia in this book that I, as a trans person, didn't appreciate, but I like to think that those sentiments are moving away from the community in the 15 years since this was published. That is encouraging. Still, I thought this was a decent end to the series.
May 23, 2022
I was surprised that I loved this. Most gay novels are inferior soppy trash. This is not. It is hard nosed and deeply revelatory of the character problems that inhibit gay relationships. I was hooked by the rich and insightful characterisation.
January 6, 2020
Of all three books in the Jeff & Lloyd trilogy, this was my favorite, not necessarily for the storyline but how it made me think of my life and the questions that it raised.
May 17, 2014
"Men Who Love Men," William J. Mann's third installment of his Provincetown series, is a slight improvement over the second book ("Where the Boys Are") but not as good as his first ("The Men From the Boys").
This story is told from Henry's perspective, a guy Jeff met in the second book on the Circuit scene. Henry, now 33 (and scared to death of being "old" in this book), helps run a guest house in Provincetown with Jeff's boyfriend, Lloyd. I would say that Jeff is less annoying in this tale based on the sole fact that he's not the focus, but, really, when he appears in the book, he's about as annoying as ever. The character of Jeff just isn't that likeable throughout the series. Now he and Lloyd are finally getting married, which leaves Henry evaluating his own life, friends, lack of a steady boyfriend, etc.
The funny thing is, Jeff and Lloyd's relationship is presented as really special, as if it's something to emulate and long for. Yet, I think the author fails at showing any real reason as to why these guys finally end up together with plans of marriage. He often describes how everyone around them can see how they're meant for each other, and throws in some details like their pet names for each other ("Cat" and "Dog"), how they like to sleep in the "breathing position," etc, but, throughout the three books, rather than show us why these two guys are together, the author simply tells us that they are. I just didn't see the depth of the relationship that everyone in the story sees.
A big theme in this book concerns gay individuals and the family they create, whether it be through friends or helping out with nieces or nephews. I like the idea, but I think the author relies too much on cliches and never gets below the surface of this important topic. His placement of Jeff's sister with her kid living in P-town with the guys felt a little off and too convenient. We get to see another side to Jeff as he plays father figure, but, again, the situations given are pretty trite and cliche. By the end of the book, I felt the subplot with Jeff's 9-yr-old nephew was far too hokey to be at all believable. While it was less Lifetime-TV-Movie-of-The-Week than the ridiculous storylines of side characters Eva and Anthony in the second book, it was still pretty bad (and cringe-inducing).
As for Henry, the narrator, well, I found him less annoying than other readers. I did have a hard time believing he's supposed to be 33, however. He seems pretty dim and immature for a man of that age. I guess they exist, but I often had to remind myself that this character was supposed to be significantly older than he comes across in the story. As he deals with new love interests, once again, we're given some pretty unrealistic situations (trust me, you'll laugh out loud at what happens with Gale - something I saw coming almost as soon as he was introduced).
After finishing Mann's trilogy, I can't say I'd recommend it to others.
This story is told from Henry's perspective, a guy Jeff met in the second book on the Circuit scene. Henry, now 33 (and scared to death of being "old" in this book), helps run a guest house in Provincetown with Jeff's boyfriend, Lloyd. I would say that Jeff is less annoying in this tale based on the sole fact that he's not the focus, but, really, when he appears in the book, he's about as annoying as ever. The character of Jeff just isn't that likeable throughout the series. Now he and Lloyd are finally getting married, which leaves Henry evaluating his own life, friends, lack of a steady boyfriend, etc.
The funny thing is, Jeff and Lloyd's relationship is presented as really special, as if it's something to emulate and long for. Yet, I think the author fails at showing any real reason as to why these guys finally end up together with plans of marriage. He often describes how everyone around them can see how they're meant for each other, and throws in some details like their pet names for each other ("Cat" and "Dog"), how they like to sleep in the "breathing position," etc, but, throughout the three books, rather than show us why these two guys are together, the author simply tells us that they are. I just didn't see the depth of the relationship that everyone in the story sees.
A big theme in this book concerns gay individuals and the family they create, whether it be through friends or helping out with nieces or nephews. I like the idea, but I think the author relies too much on cliches and never gets below the surface of this important topic. His placement of Jeff's sister with her kid living in P-town with the guys felt a little off and too convenient. We get to see another side to Jeff as he plays father figure, but, again, the situations given are pretty trite and cliche. By the end of the book, I felt the subplot with Jeff's 9-yr-old nephew was far too hokey to be at all believable. While it was less Lifetime-TV-Movie-of-The-Week than the ridiculous storylines of side characters Eva and Anthony in the second book, it was still pretty bad (and cringe-inducing).
As for Henry, the narrator, well, I found him less annoying than other readers. I did have a hard time believing he's supposed to be 33, however. He seems pretty dim and immature for a man of that age. I guess they exist, but I often had to remind myself that this character was supposed to be significantly older than he comes across in the story. As he deals with new love interests, once again, we're given some pretty unrealistic situations (trust me, you'll laugh out loud at what happens with Gale - something I saw coming almost as soon as he was introduced).
After finishing Mann's trilogy, I can't say I'd recommend it to others.
February 10, 2013
Continuing my quest for light soap opera, I found this in the library.
Bad start. It begins like this:
'Eye candy. That's what these boys are. If my eyes were diabetic they'd be going into insulin shock right now.'
But they wouldn't, would they? Because if his eyes were diabetic, they'd either not make enough insulin, or they wouldn't be able to use their insulin efficiently... unless his eyes had some kind of insulin delivery system. Maybe a pump. Or sub cut injections. But even then, there wouldn't be any insulin shock going on. And there we are, three sentences in, and I'm all tangled up imagining needles in eyeballs or something. I know, don't spend so much time agonising over literary devices, but it's right there, at the very start of the first chapter. Isn't that where you're going to put your very best efforts?
It does get better, but it's never amazing. It's about this man who doesn't have a boyfriend, and his quest to find a boyfriend and/or self esteem. Big cast of characters, including Feisty Sister, Nephew Learning About Homophobic World, Man Who Leaves City Life To Become Carpenter, etc. Some of the characters are interesting, some of them are too cardboard to be interesting.
Actually, the best character in the book is probably Provincetown itself, where the book takes place. Author seems to care a lot more about the town than any of his characters, and you definitely learn a lot about it.
You don't learn anything at all about American television on the other hand, which shouldn't matter at all, but really does, because the main character keep comparing himself to various tv characters, and referencing tv programmes, which is all very mystifying if you've never heard of any of them. 'Gotta love that Charles Nelson Reilly,' says Henry. I do? Who? Why?
It wouldn't matter if he only did it a few times, but seriously, this man watches a lot of tv, and does that thing where instead of saying what something is actually like, he just kind of points to another thing, and says 'it's like this'. So when he's looking into his innermost feelings and comparing them to something invoving Lucy Ricardo with a loving cup on her head, that means literally nothing to me.
Oh, and it's also apparently part of a trilogy, but you'd never know that if you didn't read the small print at the back - nothing indicates anywhere on the cover that it's the third part of a trilogy. Maybe it's better if you read the others? It stands alone well enough, though - he introduces all the characters, and I never felt lost.
Bad start. It begins like this:
'Eye candy. That's what these boys are. If my eyes were diabetic they'd be going into insulin shock right now.'
But they wouldn't, would they? Because if his eyes were diabetic, they'd either not make enough insulin, or they wouldn't be able to use their insulin efficiently... unless his eyes had some kind of insulin delivery system. Maybe a pump. Or sub cut injections. But even then, there wouldn't be any insulin shock going on. And there we are, three sentences in, and I'm all tangled up imagining needles in eyeballs or something. I know, don't spend so much time agonising over literary devices, but it's right there, at the very start of the first chapter. Isn't that where you're going to put your very best efforts?
It does get better, but it's never amazing. It's about this man who doesn't have a boyfriend, and his quest to find a boyfriend and/or self esteem. Big cast of characters, including Feisty Sister, Nephew Learning About Homophobic World, Man Who Leaves City Life To Become Carpenter, etc. Some of the characters are interesting, some of them are too cardboard to be interesting.
Actually, the best character in the book is probably Provincetown itself, where the book takes place. Author seems to care a lot more about the town than any of his characters, and you definitely learn a lot about it.
You don't learn anything at all about American television on the other hand, which shouldn't matter at all, but really does, because the main character keep comparing himself to various tv characters, and referencing tv programmes, which is all very mystifying if you've never heard of any of them. 'Gotta love that Charles Nelson Reilly,' says Henry. I do? Who? Why?
It wouldn't matter if he only did it a few times, but seriously, this man watches a lot of tv, and does that thing where instead of saying what something is actually like, he just kind of points to another thing, and says 'it's like this'. So when he's looking into his innermost feelings and comparing them to something invoving Lucy Ricardo with a loving cup on her head, that means literally nothing to me.
Oh, and it's also apparently part of a trilogy, but you'd never know that if you didn't read the small print at the back - nothing indicates anywhere on the cover that it's the third part of a trilogy. Maybe it's better if you read the others? It stands alone well enough, though - he introduces all the characters, and I never felt lost.
July 1, 2016
I finally went back to (finish) reading MWLM. I started last year but got side-tracked...
I'm a bonafide fan of Mr. Mann's novels, throughly loving the first two novels in this vien, The Men From The Boys and Where The Boys Are (my favorite of the three!). Once again, WJM creates an engrossing story; in this third outing, WJM centers the story on Henry Weiner, Jeff & Lloyd's best friend...who spends the majority of the novel searching for the ellusive "Mr. Right", a common theme for poor Henry through all three novels. Readers get a chance to really delve into the mind of Henry, the impact of the upcoming wedding between Jeff and Lloyd - with a nice dose of mystery with the ever-tempting, Luke.
WJM fans will enjoy the continuing story of Jeff, Lloyd, Henry in P-town.
I'm a bonafide fan of Mr. Mann's novels, throughly loving the first two novels in this vien, The Men From The Boys and Where The Boys Are (my favorite of the three!). Once again, WJM creates an engrossing story; in this third outing, WJM centers the story on Henry Weiner, Jeff & Lloyd's best friend...who spends the majority of the novel searching for the ellusive "Mr. Right", a common theme for poor Henry through all three novels. Readers get a chance to really delve into the mind of Henry, the impact of the upcoming wedding between Jeff and Lloyd - with a nice dose of mystery with the ever-tempting, Luke.
WJM fans will enjoy the continuing story of Jeff, Lloyd, Henry in P-town.
October 21, 2012
Another disappointment from this author. I really enjoyed the first book of the trilogy, "The Men From the Boys", narrated by Jeff, even though he was a bit of a pain. I wasn't so keen on the second book, "Where the Boys Are", but was hoping the third story would live up to the first.
However, this story is told by Jeff's friend Henry, who is such a whiner! As someone else mentions, he really lives up to his name. I just couldn’t enjoy his long rambling tale of woe.
I guessed the mystery surrounding Gale, so the suspense side of things was flat.
The one good thing in this whole series is the description of Provincetown. I did enjoy that; it sounded like a place I'd love to visit.
However, this story is told by Jeff's friend Henry, who is such a whiner! As someone else mentions, he really lives up to his name. I just couldn’t enjoy his long rambling tale of woe.
I guessed the mystery surrounding Gale, so the suspense side of things was flat.
The one good thing in this whole series is the description of Provincetown. I did enjoy that; it sounded like a place I'd love to visit.
December 30, 2015
The 3rd in the Jeff and Lloyd series. The first book was an honest, if somewhat light, look at a real relationship. The second book in the series was a little more cliche. The third is not as good as the other two. Yet, it was a fun, frothy marshmallow latte of a romance book. Fairly well-written story of a gay man with many daydreams and illusions looking in all the wrong places for his one true love. Still, it is an interesting portrayal of P-town,a certain place,and a certain narcissistic cruising culture. It is not every romance book that has room for a possible open relationship and menage-a- trois in its HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2011
I agree. In terms of the Jeff/Lloyd trilogy, this may be my least favorite...
Jeff and Lloyd — especially Lloyd — seem sorta artificial and forced.
Henry is so whiny. But also real, and compassionate and adorable...
Mann magnificently captures the magic of the place. It has a real sense of specialness — which Provincetown should.
I guess the bottom line is, I wanted more... But if Mann were to write a sequel to this story, I would read it with the same veracity I've read the others.... What does that say...?
Jeff and Lloyd — especially Lloyd — seem sorta artificial and forced.
Henry is so whiny. But also real, and compassionate and adorable...
Mann magnificently captures the magic of the place. It has a real sense of specialness — which Provincetown should.
I guess the bottom line is, I wanted more... But if Mann were to write a sequel to this story, I would read it with the same veracity I've read the others.... What does that say...?
August 3, 2012
3 1/2 stars
I thought Jeff O'Brien (the narrator of the first book and co-narrator of book 2 of this series) was a self-centered, egotistical type. Henry Weiner lives up to his last name sound-wise ... he *is* a whiner! However, while I like him better than Jeff, he's got some issues about himself with which I can relate (though I don't relate with the promiscuity part of his life).
This book is a bit less complex than its predecessors which it makes it very readable. It is nice to get out of Jeff's head for a change and deal with a whole set of different problems.
I thought Jeff O'Brien (the narrator of the first book and co-narrator of book 2 of this series) was a self-centered, egotistical type. Henry Weiner lives up to his last name sound-wise ... he *is* a whiner! However, while I like him better than Jeff, he's got some issues about himself with which I can relate (though I don't relate with the promiscuity part of his life).
This book is a bit less complex than its predecessors which it makes it very readable. It is nice to get out of Jeff's head for a change and deal with a whole set of different problems.
January 21, 2020
I enjoyed this conclusion to the trilogy however was a bit disappointed that it focused more on Henry and not on Lloyd or Jeff (as the previous two novels had done). The writing was engaging and the story well told (if a bit "Hollywood" in its ending) however I found the central character frustratingly shallow and superficial. I did enjoy that the novel was set in and around Boston, a city I have been fortunate enough to visit, and have now added Provincetown to my list of "must visit" locations next time I am in the States. Overall an enjoyable read.
September 14, 2007
didnt find the charecters very likable or relatable. I had met the author during Saints and Sinners and thought that he would write as interestingly as he seemed to be. Wrong.Trite story. Trite relationships.
February 17, 2012
An enjoyable love story that touches on some important issues about aging and marriage in the gay community. The narrator's craving for True Love was sweet and vulnerable, though I was sometimes annoyed by his shallowness.
May 8, 2015
Henry Weiner is an often annoying 30something who constantly moans about being alone and single but when he is one guy he is thinking about another, realizing that he shouldn't have shut him down so quickly. All in all, still a good story about the wonderful life in Provincetown.
November 13, 2014
I wanted to like this book more than I did, but the narrator Henry just drove me crazy (and not in a good way). He was a little too much of a Debbie Downer about love and life in general. I did enjoy reading about Provincetown. It sounds lovely.
August 9, 2015
Don't you just hate when a great book series ends? That's how I'm feeling after finishing the trilogy of books written by William J. Mann. These characters, set in and around Provincetown, Mass. have become dear friends and I'll miss them.
September 6, 2007
This book was a fun quick read about live in Provincetown. I did not like it as much as Mann's earlier two novels, but it was a good summer read about the life that many of us can only imagine.
December 2, 2009
give me back my money!
May 7, 2012
It was an okay read. I'm not into the "gay scene" and I was hoping this book would've been separate from every other book out there.
March 7, 2015
I adored this book! I couldn't stop reading! I laughed, I cried, and my heart grew larger like the Grinch at the end of the movie. I can't wait to read his other books!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews