Just One of the Guys

Just One of the Boys is a sweet & at times, hilarious love story. Chastity is not your typical leading lady, with her Tom-boyish qualities, excellent pool playing skills and red high tops. Being inside of her brain was a refreshing experience- I thought this was another great Kristan Higgins novel.

Chastity O'Neill has just been unceremoniously dumped by a too-skinny guy with freckled legs. His reason? She’s not “attractive” enough. The nerve! Just because Chastity is sportier, fitter and taller than him does not make her “unattractive” it makes him a pipsqueak, and not good enough for her. Unfortunately, now Chastity has absolutely zero dating prospects in the hometown she returned to six weeks ago. Even worse? The man she’s been in love with since adolescence is more handsome than ever, and attracting women left, right and centre.Trevor Meade is an honorary O’Neill – practically a fourth brother to Chastity … or, at least, that’s what her family thinks. In actuality Trevor and Chastity shared an incredible two-night stand back in college, and Chastity has been in love with him ever since. Meanwhile Trevor never again mentioned their hook-up, and was even briefly engaged to another woman for a time. Now though, he seems annoyingly content to play the field.‘Just One of the Guys’ was the 2008 contemporary romance novel from Kristan Higgins (who I’m currently obsessed with).So, I started reading this book and was a little concerned. This is now my 4th Higgins book I've read (in the post-Christmas break I gorged on two of her books in two days!) and I've noticed a theme in all so far – women with body issues. Or, rather, women whose bodies are a focus and commented on by others. In ‘The Best Man’ heroine Faith Holland was very voluptuous and sometimes self-conscious of her abundance. Posey Osterhagen in ‘Until There Was You’ was teased in high school for being a ‘bag of bones’ with the body of a ten-year-old boy and in ‘Just One of the Guys’ much is made of Chastity O’Neill’s broad shoulders and Amazonian stature. When she asks her long-time crush, Trevor Meade, if she’s conventionally pretty he counters with words like “striking” and “handsome”. I felt a bit uneasy at these heroines who have such backstory in their appearance, and initially worried that it was a bit of an over-emphasis. But Kristan Higgins writes these women with infinite care and tenderness, and pretty soon readers realise what it sometimes takes other characters the whole book to clue into – that these women are not defined by how they look, or their body-type. It’s refreshing, and even though it’s an obvious theme in all her books, Higgins eventually lets the body issues melt into the background as non-issues.Something I really love about all Higgin’s books thus far is the camaraderie. Family (both blood and friends) are a big focus for all her characters, never more so than in ‘Just One of the Guys’ when Chastity is the sole girl in a family of fire-fighting brothers, with her father as Captain. And the brothers O’Neill definitely steal the show in their scenes, sometimes causing belly-aching laughter.But the real reason I loved the O’Neill clan was for the backstories. There’s eldest brother Mark, married to Chastity’s best friend and currently going through a messy divorce after he admitted to cheating on his wife. Mark and Elaina aren’t the only O’Neill’s going through a rocky patch – in one of the best secondary stories I've read lately, Chastity’s divorced (but still very much in love) parents are at a Mexican stand-off when Mama O’Neill announces she’s going to join Chastity in the world of online dating, as she’s sick and tired of waiting for her ex-husband to retire and leave his first love – firefighting – behind for her.Then there’s Chastity herself – in love with her ‘honorary’ brother, Trevor Meade, who looks upon her as his little sister and best friend and ‘just one of the guys’. If I had any complaints about this book, it’s perhaps that Trevor and Chastity spent a little too much time in the ‘will they?’ of the ‘will they or won’t they?’ portion of the plot. I'd have liked a bit more evidence of them being the perfect match, instead of the brief flashbacks to a two-day dating period in college that’s so defined Chastity’s feelings for Trevor.Another reason I love Higgin’s books at the moment (and especially this one) is that they’re dogs in all of them. Yep, in 2013 I became a “dog person” and have since gravitated to any romance book cover with a pooch. And Higgins doesn’t just deliver the cute, but the laughs with her canine characters. In ‘Just One of the Guys’ there’s a menstruating bloodhound to guffaw over, in a scene that had me in stitches and glad I was reading in the privacy of my bedroom.4.5/5

Just One of the Guys is pretty standard Higgins fare. It's set in the northeast (in this case, northern New York, as opposed to her more typical locales in New England, and features a young woman trying to find love while dealing with a colorful family.Chastity Virginia O'Neill is the youngest of five kids, the other four being older brothers. Longtime family friend, Trevor Meade, is sort of an honorary brother, as much a part of the family as if DNA claimed him. When Chastity returns to Eaton Falls, her small hometown in upstate New York, after college, grad school, and establishing her journalism career, she also returns to the specter of Trevor. She has loved him since she was ten-years-old, a love that is largely unreciprocated. In search of romance, she meets Dr. Darling (seriously - that's his name), and tries to see if she can love someone like she loves Trevor.As with Higgins' books, you know how this will end, but she gets you there in cute, humorous, sometimes heartbreaking ways. I did cry about four times while reading this. Chastity's complete, consuming love for Trevor can only end in one of two ways, and because she misinterprets everything, she comes awfully close to having to settle for a life she doesn't really want. What she wants is Trevor, and having had a brief taste of him when she was in college, she wants more.A snippet:He swallowed and gazed at me, serious and quiet. I could see him weighing the intelligence of what we were about to do, what we had already done, could see his hesitation. Because I'd loved him for so long, been crushed by my yearning for Trevor for so damn long, I slid my hands under his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Please stay," I said, kissing his beautiful neck.The only complaint I have about this book is that we don't get to see the happy couple together romantically for more than a few pages. That's the case with most of Higgins' books, which may be why my favorite is  My One and Only (Hqn) , in which our hero and heroine are trapped in a car together for chapters on end.Kristan Higgins peppers her books with a lively cast of supporting characters, never more so than with this one. What with four brothers, some sisters-in-law, a passel of nieces and nephews, co-workers and firefighters, there are a LOT of people. You get to know most of them, but the danger is not getting to know Trevor as much as you want. A similar problem existed with Malone in  Catch of the Day . It's a compliment to Higgins that we want more of her heroes.Published on cupcake's book cupboard. @VivaAmaRisata

Chastity is great. Athletic, straightforward, funny, big-hearted. She has 4 hunky athletic brothers and other than an inability to cope with blood, gore, or even the thought of the same, she is one of the guys. She returns to her home town and determines that attractive doctor Ryan is to be her future hubby though her heart still lurches after first love and close family friend Trevor. The story is romance, sex is generally behind closed doors. It's funny but also bittersweet in part. There's a side story about her parents which is about the complexities and sacrifices of relationships and work balance. It is also laugh out loud funny in parts. Chastitys self defence class and reaction to medical emergencies are hysterical. Well written, I particularly liked the descriptions of chastity when rowing or running. And there's a great dog. Recommended if you like contemporary romances, not worried about lack of sex, want a feisty heroine and a tug on the emotions.

EDIT: I previously gave this 3 stars, but as time goes on it is not one I wanted to reread and I eventually deleted it. It is just too sad and the connection between hero and heroine is left too late to make up for the sadness.Prior review: Like the other reviewer said, this is a bit sad. I cried. It is a great story and a bit like real life--sometimes things are just difficult and not everyone gets what they want. Well written, and the end was a bit abrupt--felt a little out of nowhere. Not my favorite Kristan Higgins, but still a good read.

It is nice to read about a person purposefully dealing with her personal problems and amorous problems.I like reading about people who are close to their family.Kristan Higgins has become one of my favourite writers; her stories are easy to read and rather addictive.

Simply loved this book. So very laugh out loud funny and very well written. Can't remember when last I enjoyed a story this much. Can only hope her other books come close as this is the first one I have read. Do not miss out. Definitely a keeper

My first Kristan Higgins - loved it and left me eager to read more of her books. A brilliant book!