What a Boy Wants...He Shouldn't Necessarily Get

What a Boy Wants
By Nyrae Dawn

Rating: 4


“We're guys. Half the time, we don't know who we are. It helps things become a lot easier if we know who you are.” 

Sebastian by day, the Hook-up Doctor by night - and never, ever Seb. 

Sebastian's got the answers, if you've got the money. 

Need a guy? Need him to notice you? Need to find the one true love of your life, or even someone to just date for the hell of it? 

He's got the moves, the lines and the best ways to get that guy you want. And he's never, ever, had a failure. It's 100% girlproof.

But Seb's attitude on falling in love is clear: love, true love, is for girls and idiots who want to get burned sooner or later. 

Seb should know. After all, his mother is the proof of more than enough failed relationships. 

And Seb's plan for simple hook-ups goes to plan...until the sight of his just-best-friend Aspen makes him feel weird inside. 

Really weird. And he can't stand to be away from her, or have other guys talk to her (or about her). 

What is happening to him? This isn't him - the Hook-up Doctor does not do love.

Or does he?


My thoughts:

A funny, enjoyable read, What a Boy Wants should really be titled What a Guy Settles For. 

Because that's what this story is about - don't 'settle'. We all tend to settle - oh, there's no 'perfect guy' or 'perfect girl' out there, so I'll just settle for what I can manage to find. You get what you settle for. 

But if you really want what you 'want' then you'll stand up for it and search for it, and keep searching for it because it's that important to you. 

Seb's realisation of what true love is, is a good try at getting readers to understand that it takes two sides to make a relationship work.

He doesn't see the good in himself and is all:

But eventually Seb grows to understand that how we view ourselves - and what we believe we deserve - are key factors in our relationships with others.

And guys don't understand girls, Seb? Well...the feeling sure is mutual!

Whilst listening to I Think I Love You by David Cassidy (don't mock it, it's a classic!) yours truly read this heartwarming and sweet-as-sugar novel in one sitting. 

And let me just say, it was not only enjoyable to read, but I looked like a totally lunatic, grinning at the computer screen, sniffling and bursting into laughter at intervals.

Note to readers: Sometimes you will want to groan in disgust at the cheesiness of it all.

Sure, some of it was cute, but where it lost points with me was where it became cliche and often predictable. 

I (for e.g.) guessed who the 'mystery e-mailer' was by page 11. 

Also, Seb is your typical 'I've got a barbell in my eyebrow and all the girls trip over themselves to see me' kind of guy. Too cliche that he falls for the 'good' girl, who's grown to be hot and whose parents are hippies.

No, you did not read incorrectly. Aspen's parents are honest-to-God hippies.

I wanted depth. But I got the kiddie pool, instead.

But hey - I like kiddie pools!

It was a nice, light read and of course what earned it points with me was its humour and Nyrae's signature writing style, which I love. 

Her other novel Dizzy was a lot better than this book, though, and I was disappointed that What A Boy Wants didn't follow the same unique and fresh approach.