I'm Your Man

by Timothy James Beck

Book Overview

At thirty something, Blaine Dunhill has a great career in fashion advertising, a fab NYC apartment, and some loyal friends that he's trying to share amicably with his ex, a famous soap star. Then his best friend Gretchen makes him a tempting offer: since neither of them has found the real thing yet, why don't they start a family together? Suddenly, Blaine discovers that being an expectant father makes him very attractive. Now, in the wacky, gossipy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0758207875
• ISBN13: 9780758207876
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 375 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Time to Grow Up

Hunky, cocky Blaine found the love of his life -- and threw him away by over-reacting to some news his honey should have told him himself. Daniel plays his cards too close to his chest and lost his honey when he withheld important information he should have shared early on. They were both thoroughly guilty for the break-up: one made stupid, inaccurate assumptions when he heard part of the information his honey withheld from him. Both remained deeply in love with the other, but neither had the courage to say "I'm sorry" and bring about the reconciliation. I was so frustrated with the inability of either to start the inevitable conversation and the dependency of the plot line on neither communicating well. Yet, by the end of the book, I'd decided that it was better that they didn't reconcile quickly, because the pain and aloneness forced Blaine to grow up (as Daniel told him to do). One of the joys of the book (in addition to the final scenes) was watching Blaine learn about himself and grow to be a big enough man to deserve Daniel at the end. I look forward to the future books in this universe.

the wait paid off!

it's been a year since i had the second installment, he's the one. i couldn't wait. i emailed timothy james beck and told me to wait for last quarter of 2004 for the 3rd installment. and the wait paid off... the 3rd book gave us the definition of love, hate, break up, guilt in the eyes of blaine dunhill. the alpha male who's an over achiever and always get his way. in this book, he and the love of his life, daniel, broke up. i was so shocked after reading the first chapter. i would never imagine them apart. i highly recomend this book to all people, from all walks of life who believe that love can conquer all, that love can move mountains. because it did, it moved me. :)

Timothy James Beck, I'M YOUR FAN!

I've been waiting for a year with something akin to baited breath for the release of I'M YOUR MAN, even though the preview I read in the paperback version of HE'S THE ONE made me a little nervous (more about that later). I'm happy to say that I'M YOUR MAN was definitely worth the wait. I'M YOUR MAN is the third novel by Timothy James Beck (actually four authors: two named Timothy, one named James and one named Becky) that focuses on a group of gay men, most of whom have migrated from Eau Claire, WI to Manhattan. The central characters in this third volume are Daniel and Blaine, who were also at the heart of the first novel, IT HAD TO BE YOU, but with two major differences. Unlike the first book, which was narrated by Daniel, we see everything from the perspective of Blaine. And unlike the rollercoaster experience of budding love Daniel had in the first book, Blaine is dealing with a bad break-up with Daniel. (This is where my nervousness came in, because I loved Daniel and Blaine as a couple.) I would liken TJB's three novels with another favorite series of mine, Armistead Maupin's TALES OF THE CITY series. While twists and turns in the plot are not as frequent as with Maupin's books, you have witty dialogue and richly drawn characters, full of both grace and flaws. And in this third volume, the characters have grown and filled out to the point that one wishes they were flesh-and-blood people that you could make part of one's circle of friends. In fact, when I have gone back and reread IT HAD TO BE YOU and HE'S THE ONE, it has felt something like revisiting old friends. Also like Maupin did with San Francisco, TJB has made Manhattan a character rather than just a setting for the stories. As a New York City resident, I feel like I'm part of the story when Blaine bumps into Daniel at Whole Foods for the first time since their break up, or Blaine walks through Central Park, visiting his and Daniel's old haunts. Just as Daniel's subway experiences in IT HAD TO BE YOU and Adam and Jeremy's first meeting at The Big Cup in HE'S THE ONE lent a sense of realism to this frothy fiction, the attention to detail, I think, really brings this world to life. I also enjoy the pop culture references throughout the series, whether it's Daniel accidentally going into a Star Trek: The Next Generation-themed bar, Adam and Jeremy's "Evita" riff when they meet an Eva Perón look-alike (hopefully the Patti LuPone "Evita" and not the Madonna version!), or Blaine's tendency to be reminded of commercials in certain situations. TJB's dialogue is witty and edgy at times, like Maupin's or Christian McGlaughlin's, but the sentimental and romantic passages or also well written. The dialogue rarely feels contrived; in fact, TBJ has a way of writing naturalistic conversation that still impart to the reader the exposition and plot points we need to know. But I think what I like best about I'M YOUR MAN (as I did with the previous two novels) is seeing the arc of

A Wonderful Joyride of a Novel

I'M YOUR MAN is the third book published by that talented foursome known as Timothy James Beck. The three novels detail the lives of several friends, most of whom live in New York City, but are originally from Eau Claire Wisconsin. IT HAD TO BE YOU concentrates on the budding relationship between Daniel, a recently retired female impersonator, and Blaine, an up and coming advertising executive. HE'S THE ONE focuses on Adam, a hunky computer wiz, and Jeremy, a struggling actor and a former lover of Daniel's. In I'M YOUR MAN, Daniel, and Blaine, are once again the primary protagonists. The story, this time around, is told from Blaine's point of view. Blaine and Daniel have broken up and the split was anything but amicable. Each said horrible things to the other, and both are terribly bitter. Of course they still love each other madly, so moving on for both is proving extremely difficult. Daniel, currently the most hated/loved villain on daytime's popular Secret Splendor, is filming a TV movie in Hollywood, while Blaine continues on in New York. Blaine is a mass of battling emotions. He really misses his ex-boyfriend, but he remains angry over a deception he feels Daniel perpetrated on him. He wants desperately to get on with his life but his feelings for Daniel just won't go away. When a mutual lesbian friend, Gretchen, suggests Blaine have a child with her, Blaine struggles with his decision. He and Daniel wanted to raise children one day and he feels guilty about going ahead with the plan on his own. With humor and compassion, I'M YOUR MAN, deals with many issues facing the 21st century gay community. Family relationships, gay families, child rearing, transgender acceptance, public outing, and personal honesty and forgiveness are all tackled with equal sincerity. While slightly more idealistic in nature, I found I'M YOUR MAN to be reminiscent of the best of William J Mann, a personal favorite. There is an underlying honesty here that is rare in popular gay fiction. In each subsequent installment the characters have evolved and grown, as have the writing chops of the authors. I'M YOUR MAN maintains the romantic warm tone of its predecessors, but it's definitely a deeper and more involving read. I heartily recommend all of Timothy James Beck's novels, but especially this emotionally fulfilling joyride.