The holiday of a lifetime?? (Wish You Were Here - Mike Gayle)

Member Name: kingfisher111

Product:	Wish You Were Here - Mike Gayle
Date:	13/10/09 (145 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Brilliant funny read

Disadvantages: none

Ever since I read 'His 'n' Hers' I have been a big fan of the writer Mike Gayle. The books he writes are what I think is called 'lad lit' which is just like chick lit really except that it is written by a bloke about blokes doing 'blokey' things! All of Mike Gayle's books are written in this way, including the latest one I have read - Wish You Were Here.

The story is told by Charlie who is thirty five and single having recently separated from his long term girlfriend. His mate Andy has the idea that a holiday is just what Charlie needs to cheer him up. However, unbeknownst to Charlie he books an 18- 30 holiday in the Crete resort of Malia. Now both Charlie and Andy along with their other friend Tom (who has worries of his own) are way over the upper age limit and do tend to stick out like sore thumbs! Andy is determined that they will all have a good time even if that does mean chasing every beautiful woman in sight and cheating on his fiancé Lisa.

The holiday is certainly not as relaxing as Charlie would have hoped for especially as Lisa has asked him to keep Andy on the straight and narrow which seems to be an impossible task. The three friends can't really agree about what they want out of a holiday either and that causes added tension between the three. Even the hint of romance for Charlie does not seem that promising! Things don't get any easier when Lisa unexpectedly flies out to join them and by the end of the week it is questionable that their friendships will remain intact. You will of course have to read the book to find out whether it does though because I'm not going to tell you and spoil such a great read.

This book, like all of Mike Gayle's others, is so immensely readable. From the moment that you pick it up and start reading you don't want to put it down, and it feels like an old friend is chatting to you (and at times baring his soul!) I loved the way that the story was written in the first person from Charlie's point of view as you really felt that you got to know him. You experienced all his highs and lows with him and you particularly feel for him when he experiences a couple of those 'Oh God! What have I done moments?' Charlie is a great likeable character as is Tom and even Andy for all his faults. I guess that he might well be described as a loveable rogue!

The style of the book is very easygoing and relaxed. The book is broken up in to all the days of the holiday. I liked this because it made it easy to read in manageable chunks. Lots of different things happen on this holiday and a lot of it is very funny although there are some quite poignant moments too especially when Tom shares what is worrying him with Charlie. There was even one moment when unexpectedly I found tears welling up in my eyes! (Typically I was reading my book on the train at the time which always seems to be the case when a book moves me - I never seem to be able to cry in private!).

It was also very enjoyable to be a little voyeuristic and experience the type of holiday that once I might have enjoyed but now you couldn't pay me to go anywhere near a resort like Malia. Mike Gayle observes all the antics so well and relays it all with a wry sense of humour!

I only had one disappointment with this book and it came at the end. I always like to see how many pages are in the book and had noted that there were just over 400 - just a good length for me! I was happily reading the book on the train thinking that it would just about see me through my journey from Waterloo to Wokingham when all of a sudden on page 364 it all came to an abrupt end! Almost forty pages at the end were the start of Mike Gayle's next book and I have to say that at that moment in time I did feel a bit cheated - especially as this was a book that I could have just kept reading I was enjoying it so much!

Anyway, apart from that one gripe, this book is absolutely brilliant and I do recommend it along with all the other Mike Gayle books I have read. It is currently available at Amazon for £5.49.

Summary: Another great book from Mike Gayle