Conversations about HER
By Tim O.

The Author:
Tim O. stated in his Bits & Pieces blog post entitled, Settling for Mediocrity: “I have lost the ability to settle”. As the CEO of an e-strategies consulting company and co-founder of JoDom Publishing this Washington, D.C. native refuses to be average. So much so, that he found time to write, Conversations About HER, while later writing and directing the stage play with the same name. Tim O. isn’t just another creative soul with entrepreneurial acumen- he’s altruistic too. His company, JoDom, is sponsoring a program which helps young writers achieve their goal of becoming published writers.

The Book:
Conversations about HER, is a book of poetry and prose that focuses on the romantic relationships of protagonist and narrator, Eric Lawson. Eric is a self-proclaimed romantic who shares his most life-changing intimate relationships with the reader-starting with the seventh grade (in the section titled Before HER). In the introduction, Eric lets the reader know that he isn’t just a cream puff softy, rather someone who enjoys pleasing the person he loves. While I rooted for his character, I often felt as though he was in fact the cream puff, overly romantic, naïve guy (equipped with impeccable taste and a sizable bank account for spoiling HER). This at times made the story hard to believe. At one point he downplays his financial worth in order to see if the object of his affection truly cared for him. After she passed the test, he then sends her flowers, surprises her with gifts, trips, and even cooks for her, bringing lunch to her job.
Eric was the somewhat shy, but sexy, and sensitive caring man that a decent woman would die for, who of course ended up with a somewhat obsessive attraction to “HER”-the one that cheated on him and took his kindness for weakness. Admittedly, his character did appear somewhat weak and gullible after being cheated on several times by different women and still maintaining going back to HER.

The Verdict:
While I don’t find novels full of heartache that disproportionately paint men in an unfair light any more endearing; I was hoping to find more layers in Eric’s character, especially from a male author. There is no doubt that Tim O. is a good writer, and the book is creative (with the poetry mixed in with the prose). However, the book’s soundtrack was stuck on one song, “the good guy done wrong” number. I recommend the book to romantics at heart, couples looking for a conversation piece, and anyone looking for a light-hearted break from reality. Anyone else may be somewhat disappointed as they wait for Eric to think about HIM, and ultimately get a spine.