Guys in Suits

Publishers Weekly

Forget studs and the babes who love them in this rare regular-guys romance, two Washington, D.C., African-American men come to terms with their very average romantic prospects. Bus driver Simon and financial planner Stuart, Whitfield's two lovelorn Lotharios, are in their 30s now and ready to commit, but somehow the ladies aren't materializing. To make matters worse, they've got a little more than a month to figure out who to bring along on their annual vacation with their married friends Rod and Trevor. Last year, their disastrous dates arrived sight unseen courtesy of the Internet, so this year they are desperately trying to save face and maybe even land a meaningful relationship. Each one reconnects with an old girlfriend Simon with Eve and Stuart with Lynn. There's just one problem. Eve and Lynn are actually one woman, Evelyn, a beautiful, savvy, intelligent catch for any discerning man and as it happens, aiming several rungs above either Simon or Stuart . How the two men manage to figure this out and still have a good time on their vacation makes for an entertaining read. Although author Whitfield tends toward sexist stereotypes, he also captures the comedy of modern love with all its mixed messages and confusion, and manages to create engaging characters in Simon and Stuart. The two protagonists narrate the book in the first person, which become confusing at times since their voices aren't appreciably different, and Whitfield does tend toward overblown prose ("Her skin appeared to be as soft and smooth as a Boyz II Men ballad"). Still, he orchestrates a number of truly hilarious moments in this arch, self-aware comedy, ranging from a telephone conversation gone horribly awry toSimon and Stuart's attempt to mentor a pair of high-risk teens. (Sept.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Whitfield (Something's Wrong With Your Scale!, 1999, etc.) returns to that trendy urban landscape where would-be cool black guys hang out trying to make the right moves on their women. Whitfield knows his guys and their tastes, their habits and their fears-and, here, the story, told by bus driver Simon Washington, or, as he calls himself, "mass transit operator," and by financial consultant Stuart Worthington, focuses on all of them. Simon, Stuart, Rod, and Trevor all grew up in the same Maryland suburb, work in nearby D.C., and have been friends since childhood. They're snappy dressers, like expensive cars, and enjoy kidding one another. But Trevor and Rod are married, while Simon and Stuart are not. They're not ready for it, but they do need dates for the group's annual vacation somewhere fun and warm. Alternately, Simon and Stuart each describe the women they've met recently-attractive but hard to pin down. Both of them-Simon's Eve and Stuart's Lynn-are always in hurry to go somewhere else, and both are mysteriously vague about the past. Failing to find dates for the upcoming vacation, and tired of being teased by Rod and Trevor for being so hopeless at relationships, both decide that perhaps Lynn and Eve should be the ones to accompany them to Cancun, the year's chosen destination. Stuart cooks a dinner for Simon and Eve, then another for himself and Lynn, planning at each meal to extend their invitations. Clumsy foreshadowing, unfortunately, undercuts the intended surprise element of their, as usual, futile machinations. But these are good guys who deserve something better. True friends, they console Rod when he's diagnosed with prostate cancer, and they mentor two reluctant butsmart juvenile offenders. And, of course, good things eventually do happen to Simon and Stuart, who also learn much about women and life in the process. Entertainment Lite: wisecracking and contrived.