Clichéd Love: A Satirical Romance by Lynn Galli

Clichéd Love: A Satirical Romance
by Lynn Galli
Pages: 314
Date: March 31 2016
Publisher: Penikila Press
Series: None

Review
Rating: 5.5 out of 5.0
Read: April 25 to 26 2016

I was excited and surprised to see a new book appear - as in; I was poking around and happened to notice a book had been published a couple days before I noticed it even existed. I really need to pay more attention to things like that - publication schedules and stuff.

I was not sure what to expect from this book - in July of last year I'd basically read everything by Galli, all in the same month (except for a book here or there). And I had rather enjoyed all of them, mostly. So I was vaguely nervous about trying a new book after a 9 month gap - especially with the way this book was structured - a series of interviews by a journalist who would learn the 'love story' of many couples. Luckily, for my peace of mind, what I vaguely suspected would happen, didn't. This isn't a series of connected short stories - 'connected' by having a 'narrator' move from couple to couple. No, there's a real story here, a real novel with some rather deep characters. Much deeper than some I've seen in a while.

Vega is a 46 year old journalist who has come up with a ‘brilliant’ proposal to write a series of articles based on interviews with long term LGBT relationships (there is a mixture of gay and lesbian couples interviewed, though I am not sure, based on how she seems to set up in lesbian bars, if the gay couples were originally part of the proposal). The point of the series would be to showcase LGBT couples in a ‘good’ light, to ‘humanize’ them, now that that Supreme Court ruling had come out regarding lesbian and gay marriage.

I put brilliant in quotes, because Vega has come to the conclusion that she has found herself a goodish long term project to work on, but she is kind of tired of how clichéd everyone’s stories seem to be.

(ETA: this isn't a spoiler so much as something I left out to cut down on the details, but then, after reading my review a few times, made it seem like I probably should mention this specific factoid: after beginning her series of interviews, Vega hits on a variation of her plan, and proposes it to her editors - they accept this change - now the articles will involve two couples in each article - one LGBT, one straight - with the names changed to make them as unisex as possible; then people would vote on which couple they thought was gay/lesbian; or straight - winner would get a $100,000 wedding, or a really nice vacation).

The book opens with Vega stopping on her tour of interviewing in a bar in Seattle. She plans to be there for a certain amount of time, gather interviews, and then move on. That’s the plan at least.

The point of view, by the way, is purely from Vega’s point of view.

Iris is a woman who Vega spots in the Seattle bar. Vega’s intrigued by the roughly 46 year old woman, though not specifically attracted to her – not really her type. But still intrigued. Many people, oddly, come up to Vega while she’s in the bar to do interviews, to note that Vega should ‘watch out’ for Iris. Iris, apparently, is a one-night stand type woman. Vega doesn’t particularly care, re: ‘not really her type’, but is still intrigued, in a maybe new friend type.

Vega sets up a temporary place of residence close-ish to the bar. Conducts interviews mostly in the bar. Hangs out with people, and over the summer months, develops a friendship with Iris. Playing tennis. Going on stake-outs, etc. Oh, did I not mention that? Iris is a private investigator. Vega initially laughed at Iris, assuming she was pulling her leg.

The book is a rather fun, humorous, neat book – deeper than I expected. Considering I was somewhat hesitant to start the book, I am somewhat surprised by my reaction. The reaction being that this is one of the best books I’ve read in a while.

Oh and there’s at least one rather good sex scene in this here book.

Two last notes: 1) I’m purposely being less detailed than I might normally be so that others would have even less chance to be spoiled by anything I note (like I’m completely leaving out the part about how important a role a third person plays in this book – Lane; and how others – in the bar, and meet elsewhere, have their own deeper roles to play); 2) those who have read prior books by Galli will likely notice a few familiar names here and there – mostly side characters in prior books, though a few ‘name’ (as in main in prior books) characters are mentioned but not seen.

April 26 2016