Read October, 2006 Mike Gayle has easily become one of my go to authours. When he comes out with a new book I am amungst the first to order it, when I am in a slump and want to read something that is sure to give me a chuckle I pick up a Mike Gayle book. His voice is always fresh and his story lines are certianly not typical and in his latest 'BRAND NEW FRIEND' he delivers all that fans have come to expect from him.Gayle has a knack for taking his readers on a laugh-out-loud funny journey into the male mind. Unfortunately it seems that all the men in his books are pretty similar (which makes me wonder...is that so unrealistic?) they love a good beer, hanging out with their friends in crappy bars, music, and talking about nothing (okay so it is pretty realistic!). But somehow he comes up with innovative story lines that force these men to make some tough decisions and examine feelings that they would much rather be kept buried. Gayle never, in my opinion, takes unrealistic turns in order to wrap the story up in a neat little package...everything doesn't always end up the way we would hope and 'BRAND NEW FRIEND'is no exception.When Rob decided to take the plunge and move in with his girlfriend of two years, Ashley, he is forced to leave behind one of his most cherished assets...his friends. Because of Ashley's job Rob moves to Manchester two hours outside of his home town of London and is forced to try to make a new life for himself but that is not as easy as it sounds. Six months into the move and Rob has not yet made one single new friend, and not for lack of trying. After numerous "bloke dates" orchestrated by Ashley Rob is just about at the end of his rope when he meets Jo. She and Rob have everything in common and have the potential to be great friends...only problem is that J-O is not J-O-E.Will Rob's relationship with Ashley survive his friendship with Jo? And is it possible for a man and a woman to really be "just friends"?'BRAND NEW FRIEND' is at times hilariously funny and at times heartbreakingly realistic. This is definitely another winner from Gayle!
Brand New Friend by Mike Gayle. I’m definitely warming to Mike Gayle after having a false start with his To Do List. His novels are a million times better with a humour and warmth that is so often lacking in chick-lit (this is loosely referred to as lad-lit). This story follows Rob Brooks who moves to Manchester to be with his girlfriend leaving his circle of friends, his drinking buddies and his life behind in London. Struggling to come to terms with the fact that he needs to start afresh in a new city, he finds it difficult to make friends – it’s not so easy when you’re 32 and work from home. The needing to find a new friend element of the story does get dragged out a bit and is a little cringy – his girlfriend advertising in the local paper for man dates for him, but when he finally does make a friend off his own back this is where the emotional depth of the writing really comes in. Joe, turns out to be Jo – a girl – which throws up all manner of problems, not just with his girlfriend, but inevitably with their own feelings too. The ending is far from predictable and, after a bit of the over the top ‘bloke dating side’ keeps a nice ‘real’ element to the story.
What do You think about Brand New Friend (2006)?
Like all of Mike Gayle’s books, this one gets a big fat 5 stars! I stayed up way too late reading this book because I just couldn’t put it down, and when I was done I could hardly sleep because my heart was aching and I was still crying.I think this one hit home for me more than others because it’s a story about a guy who moves to another city to be with his girlfriend. He has no friends there and in his early 30’s he finds it incredibly difficult to make any. He’s lonely and feels out of place… until he meets Jo, his new friend who is a girl. It’s the story of a man and a woman who become friends, but can men and women JUST be friends?Buy it, read it, and find out for yourself!
—Tammy
When I read a book, I like to get lost in the writing and the plot, however I was a bit disapointed with this book, as I struggled to get into the story....dont get me wrong the plot was good but unfortunately I just couldn't get over the writing style. I felt that this book lot of the book read to me like a summary of a story rather than a story in its own right, and I found myself wishing he'd give me the witty banter I was promised the characters were partaking in, rather than just being told that a group of them engaged in humorous conversation.
—Danielle
I think I'm becoming a fan of Mike Gayle. This is the third book I've read of his. Like his style. I was really interested in finding out, from a man's perspective, whether men and women can ever really be "just friends". I wasn't particularly fond of the first third of this novel. I found all the little details unimportant and boring really. Perhaps these things are more interesting to a man (it is written from a man's point of view after all). But things like old friends names, what they did for a living, and their interests etc may have served a purpose in one intance, but not multiple times. I quite liked the ending to this. I actually had a smile on my face as I finished it. A nice light-hearted read. Good to unwind with. Not much thinking involved. Can't wait to read another book from this author.
—Nicola Byrne
