Brand New Friend
by Mike Gayle
Hodder & Stoughton, HK$112
Brand New Friend has that whiff of familiarity that places it at risk of being branded derivative. But, like the chick-lit genre it fits into - sort of - you read it in one sitting and are thoroughly entertained, despite yourself. Written by Mike Gayle, whose protagonist is male, Brand New Friend isn't really about finding a mate, although love drives the plot.
Thirtysomething graphic designer Rob reluctantly leaves London for Manchester to live with his girlfriend, Ashley. It's not London he
pines for, and it's not the upheaval that scares him. It's his drinking buddies he misses. After various attempts to meet new people and, in desperation, resorting to advertising for pals, he meets someone with whom he clicks. Trouble is his new best friend, Jo, is a she. The plot virtually writes itself after Gayle deftly sets up their meeting: Ashley feels threatened, Rob's friends in London see the danger signs, Rob and Jo start questioning how they feel about each other, both back off because of scary realisations, and ... readers will have to buy their own copy to see how it all ends.
