Abandoned by Booklikes

I need to get ahead of the books that I have finished the past week. Due to me being at training right now I just don't have a lot of energy to post reviews. Going to post as many as i can before I finally fall on my face.

So this book, eh, the main character got on my nerves. That's before the reveal about what a loon he was when you find out the backstory on his and his girlfriend's relationship. I used to watch "How I Met Your Mother" and over time, the narrator of the story, Ted Mobsy got on my freaking nerves. Ted went around talking about being in love, and wanting to be in love and even finally got his dream girl (Robin) who he just wore down into going out with him. Do you know how happy I was when they broke up? Because initially the writers got that Ted just loved being in love and wanted every woman he met to fit what he wanted. He didn't really give a crap about them as independent people from him.

So here enters the lead character, Ollie Sweet. Unlike with his other books, Spalding's writing wasn't funny in this one. I just knew where he was going with everything. Har har, Ollie goes to a spa and we know he's going to get waxed. Ollie goes off to the forest, gets bored, and ha ha masturbates in front of deer. I just felt annoyed through the whole book. The only reason why I gave this three stars is that the book moves rather quickly and shocker of all, Spalding doesn't go for a HEA that is fairly well telegraphed from the beginning of the book.

Ollie plans on proposing to his girlfriend at an amusement park on her birthday. Yeah that right there would have me dumping you hard. I am not a public proposal person. Good on you all that have the ability to not recoil in fright if you are the center of attention. So Ollie proposes, gets rejected, goes into a tailspin, and the editor at his newspaper tells him that he should consider writing about his heartbreak. The newspaper is doing low numbers and any day now they will get the ax. Ollie turns his heartbreak into "Dumped, Actually" a play on the movie, "Love Actually." 

This part of the movie is still seriously messed up to me. I was maybe screaming at this point and wanted her husband to come out and kick his ass. Who does this?? Sorry, I am getting distracted.

Anyway, Ollie via emails from readers starts going through the things you do to get over a breakup. Get a makeover, go out camping, etc. Through it all though I just realized that Ollie is one of those guys who dumps his friends anytime a woman is around (he admits this) and he is obsessed with his parents happy marriage and wanting to have one just like it. Honestly, Ollie is a wanker. He's just one of those guys who is all, I am a nice guy. We don't get to read any of his writing, so who knows how good at it he supposedly is. But we just keep reading about his antics to get over his ex.

The secondary characters are developed in order to help Ollie learn more about himself. What made me laugh for all of his crap about his parents we don't hear much about them or his immediate family until his parents vow renewal ceremony. I think Spalding should have included more details on them. Just reading about Ollie doing things his readers suggest to get over his ex gets boring. He tries to throw in a side plot about the newspaper maybe being closed down and the terrible investor, but I don't want to get into how offensive I found that whole freaking thing and I don't feel like spoiling. Let's say, per usual nice guy antics, he can't just let his female boss handle things alone, only he and his words are there to save the day. 

The writing is typical Spalding, trying to make you laugh the whole way through, but just like "Dry Hard" I didn't find this one very funny. I hurt myself laughing while reading "Love....From Both Sides." The flow was wonky. The book honestly should have ended after Ollie has his heart to heart with his ex, but it lumbers along to the ending.

The ending as I said was a nice surprise.