The plot is a familiar one. You are a single New Yorker in your mid-thirties looking for love. You have been in relationships before; probably one or two have actually lasted for a respectable period of time. At one time you find yourself on the brink of a lifetime commitment, but at the last minute (either at the altar or on the way to it) you became aware of some incident that changes everything. You break up. You become bitter. You vow to never date again. You make a valiant attempt to convince yourself you do not need a partner to complete your life. You have a great job. You have great friends. You don’t need love. Then, when you least expect it, you meet that special someone who changes everything.

That sums up the new novel Love and Other Recreational Sports with one twist: the “you” in this novel is a man. Author John Dearie pens a clever and witty tale illustrating that, in contrast to what is ordinarily portrayed, the rush of emotions associated with dating and falling in love is gender-neutral. This books offers a unique male perspective on the conventional dating questions historically posed by women: why hasn’t she called? Why didn’t she respond to my advances? Why didn’t she come across the room to talk to me? why was she unfaithful?

While this sappy romance novel, just as all those that have come before it, fails to provide any black-and-white answers to such questions (let’s face it, there are none), it does offer a new spin on the more traditional stories hitting the shelves. The book gives a voice to single men and sends the message that they, too, are prone to the fear and trepidation when ending one relationship and embarking on another. This novel offers a new unique and humorous perspective on traditional dating rituals and is well worth the few hours it takes to read.