Girl Boy Etc.

I really enjoyed this book. At different points it was very funny, poignant, touching and fearless. I especially liked Pictures of My Family, a really well-crafted look at the inner workings of the family and how warped things can really be. But I liked the rest of the stories as well. They just came off as very real and fully developed to me. Everything from the guy falling apart emotionally in the gas station to the intense sexual politics between a man and the woman he loves. Just a real enjoyable read and definitely worth your time.

This is a nice departure into more literary fiction for Red Dress Ink. Though some people may find that disappointing, as we rely on Red Dress Ink for a chick lit fix, others, myself included, will enjoy this book for what it is, minus expectations.Weinreb is a good writer, and it was refreshing to read an RDI book without counting the typos and grammatical errors on every page. The characters have a tendency to blend, especially if you read it in one sitting, as I did, but since they mostly come across as "everyman", it is forgivable. I liked the various vignettes giving insight into the men who seem nice but ultimately treat their partners poorly - the shock jock in particular stood out to me. I didn't find it particularly funny, at times it is rather depressing, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Weinreb expertly lets us wondering women inside the male mind, where we learn that indeed, sex IS always on their brains... but occasionally they do suffer from neuroses and broken hearts too. An insightful, funny, sometimes poignant read!

Red Dress Ink is known for their amusing contemporary chick lit tales, but this anthology takes a gender bender spin. The eleven short stories are told by the male perspective, which to the typical Red Dress fan will feel a bit foreign yet not much different than discussing Love and Basketball with spouses or boyfriends. Just think of movie selections and how men prefer blood and gore while Cary Grant or Oliver Stone (even if Elvis lives) is agreed upon not because males want to see a fine romantic comedy or a deep exposé, but watched in the ever hope of scoring. Each tale is an intelligent well written story told by the male lead. Though there is some profanity (what do you expect from the Y chromosome?) readers who want to try something different will enjoy the switch from AC to DC (chick lit to hunk shtick) male spinning account of the war between the sexes.Harriet Klausner

This book is really different from the other RDI books! But I loved most of the stories, especially the first one, What I Would Tell Her. It was refreshing to read about unrequited love from the guy's point of view. While I didn't like every story in here, there are some other winners as well. Portraits of My Family will appeal to anyone who's ever felt uncomfortable in family situations, and All I Know About It is a great look at doomed love. Mr. Weinreb is funny and makes some great observations. I'm surprised that this is an RDI book because it's SO different from the others (and not just because it's not chick lit) ... but I'm glad it is!