Rating: 3 1/2 stars

James is a man caught in the grip of obsession. He has become obsessed with the nameless woman he has been having sex with. The sex is so mind-blowing that it leaves James in a daze afterward. He wanders aimlessly, with no idea of who the woman really is or even what she looks like. He only knows that he must be with her. She is "The One". Once her finds her, and learns her name, Monica, the quest for a relationship begins. The question is, can mind-blowing sex really be the basis for a committed relationship?

Written in an offbeat narrative, the story follows James from the beginning of his encounter with Monica, to his offer of a place to stay to the homeless gourmet chef, through the first fumblings of dating with Monica and on into a relationship with Monica that is so intense they must move into a fallout shelter to protect others from their lovin'.

The story is an attempt to track through the course of a normal (somewhat) human endeavor, where animalistic sex brings two people together and leads through their attempt to solidify things. They have copious amounts of sex, argue about where to eat, see a couples counselor, deal with Monica's new fixation on art, and move into a phase of reality TV, TV dinners, and weight gain. Through it all an absurd sort of love builds between them, even though they seem to have nothing in common at all.

While the story was at times funny, and there were shocking bits from James sexual past, for the most part it struck me as sad. People become so obsessed with the idea of "The One" that they don't focus on the real problems that a relationship may have. They allow themselves to settle and that is what James and Monica do, allowing for a very poignant, and rather gross ending. It may or may not be true love. I'm still not sure.

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Publisher: Two Dollar Radio
Pub. Date: August 2008
ISBN-13: 9780976389576