"Edward. Let me get this straight. You've called me right in the middle of Antiques Roadshow just to tell me your girlfriend's gone to bed?"Tibet, Dan. Jane's gone to Tibet. She's left me."Poor Edward! Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined his girlfriend of ten years leaving him (and taking almost all the furniture!). He's despondent, and in a little bit of denial, so he calls his best friend Dan. Dan is a local television personality and he has had many girlfriends. Actually, Dan is a bit of a man-slut, bouncing between many one night stands and leaving a trail of angry women behind him. Dan comes to Edward's rescue and seeing that there is little furniture left in the apartment, they head off to the local pub to drown Edward's sorrows. Jane left Edward a letter outlining her reasons for the breakup. She's upset that his career aspirations do not match hers. The most brutal remark was that she was unhappy with how Edward has let himself go. Edward consoles himself, convinced that he is Cuddly Teddy until Dan tells him the truth. Edward is fat, out of shape, and the smoking has got to stop. Dan helps Edward take stock of his life and Edward begins an incredible transformation.The book is laugh out loud funny. Between Edward's self-deprecating sense of humor and Dan's exploits with the women and Wendy the barmaid's astute observations and pokes at Dan's manhood, I was chuckling and giggling throughout. Edward is such a likeable character, and so easy to relate to. The male point of view on relationships was quite enlightening as men really do think differently from women. Edward makes a great protagonist. It's so easy to fall in love with his character. He is still head over heels in love with Jane, despite her rejection and stealth breakup. He tries to do everything he can to make himself more attractive for Jane, using her return date as his goal. Dan was hilarious with his often misguided dating and lifestyle advice. The women in this book are strong and opinionated. Edward's boss Natasha was a little scary, but very entertaining with her attraction for rich, married men. Wendy the barmaid offered insightful advice as to what women expect from their men. Sam the trainer was adorable. She was perfect for Edward encouraging him to continue with his exercise regimen.I think that what I liked most about this book was that Edward was given a wake up call. Rather than wallow in self-pity, he took stock of his life and made positive changes that benefited him. The transformation from Cuddly Teddy to Handsome Edward was amazing. I really enjoyed this book and I am glad that I discovered this author. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author in the future. Kobo free download 6/9/11 - (*no longer free).
