Meet-cute

Review by Lucy
This novella focuses on Elliot, a bit chubby, a bit nerdy and always going after the wrong bad boy. Told first person from his point of view, he’s sort of whiny but he’s also pretty snark-funny. He has the greatest best friend named Trevor, who happens to be the one who has to bail him out of bad situations with those bad boys. Such as being left bare ass naked tied up to his own bed. Even Elliot is sort of surprised he and Trevor as so close, since “I’m pretty sure there is not a nicer person alive than my best friend, which is weird since I’m kind of a dick…” See, I love that Elliot knows that!
Trevor wants Elliot to take a chance on a nice guy and forget all the bad boy crap. He never wants a repeat of having to untie naked Elliot. To this end, he introduces Elliot to Chase, a personal trainer from Trevor’s gym. Chase is a beautiful Adonis with bad boy muscles who is, dare we say it? Nice. They have the most awkward introduction ever, due to Elliot’s way active imagination. Who else would see Jesus in a pink urinal cake?
Since Chase is a trainer he gives Elliot ten free lessons. This is the torture Elliot puts up with in order to get to know Chase. Chase is that nice guy and they go very slow. “We’re dating?”, I asked, sounding like captain of the moron pirates.” There is just something about Elliot’s voice that made me laugh over and over. Is he snarky and bitchy? You bet. Is he whiny, particularly about Stan the coworker? Absolutely. Is it damn funny? Yes! “…trying to give him a semiflirty smile I’m pretty sure just came across as douche.”
I laughed at Elliot’s attempts to “girl-punch his suitors”, even though I felt that was Elliot all over, jealous and impulsive. Elliot’s penchant for bad boys is fulfilled with Chase, although for different reasons than normal. Chase is an enigma at times and his part in the story was a little confusing (because Trevor introduced them, so had Chase asked him to?).
I admit, I did want Elliot to quit harping about Stan. We get it, Stan is obnoxious and gross! I loved Elliot’s take on things and I adored Trevor. His running the gauntlet of Mrs Baker in order to get to Elliot’s apartment shows what a true friend is. Mrs Baker herself is an exhibitionist who bakes penis cookies. Come on!!
This is a fun novella where you have to suspend belief a little bit but it was well worth the read. And some of it, I read twice because the phrasing just made me laugh.
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