The Pick-Up Artist: A Lad Lit Rom Com about Dating in the Digital Age

The Pick-Up Artist by Chris Hill gives a rare insight into the weird world of the male of the species in the form of Rob Johnson, a young man on the look out for good looking, compliant and (let's face it) unfussy female partners desperate for sex. Rob's best mate Sam (no spoilers here) advises him on tactics along the way while he also consults an on-line oracle on how to make progress with the girls. Every encounter, every date, every hurried conversation by the water cooler in the office is planned in advance following consultation with said oracle, in the expectation of enhanced chances of no-strings-attached sex. This leads him into some very funny and embarrassing situations and should act as a warning to the real world of the dangers of workplace romance. On one hand it is a undemanding light romp to be taken at face value only, on the other it has a misogynistic heart in it's view of the female of the species, all of whom are hysterical, emotional, ball-breaking termagants intent on cutting every poor unsuspecting male down to size.Also by Chris Hill Song of the Sea God.AngieB author of [ASIN:B00AB77596 Girls Night Out ... and other stories]]and also and also Retribution: Seven Tales of Revenge

From the very first page I found myself laughing, in spite of myself, as Rob and his best mate are introduced exchanging excruciatingly laddish banter. The Pick-up Artist then takes you through the hilarious twists and turns of Rob’s search to pick up women using the wisdom of the web. There is a surprising and satisfying conclusion as the process leads Rob to discover more than he had bargained for. Although a totally different style from Chris Hill’s first novel, 'Song of the Sea God', once again his excellent descriptive prose is just as evident in The Pick-up Artist. So, even if, like me, you are a middle-aged, married woman with children and wonder whether a tale of digital dating from the male perspective is really for you, this is still a great read.

Not just lad lit! If you are female with a fun sense of humour, you will love this too. I know I did. Engaging characters, and situations we can all relate to. And those plot twists will have you scrambling back through the book and kicking yourself as to why you didn't see them coming. Genius!..

This is the second book I have read by Christ Hill and it is an unputdownable page turner.The story itself without giving too much away is about a journalist who has issues with making himself appear attractive and interesting to the opposite sex and so he resorts to a website called PUA for dating tips. What results is quite a comical romp into the world of dating for Rob, a junior employee in his firm.Many of the characters did make me laugh in particular Crazy Al, Rob himself was a bit of a plonker but saying that in a nice way. Many of the women in his office scared me never mind Rob. Loved the twist at the end ! I actually kept wondering after that last chapter whether I had missed some vital clues about it earlier in the book.My daughter asked me what a pick up artist was after reading the title. I naturally felt I had to divert that conversation away else I could have been explaining that one all night. :)This book proves what a versatile writer the author is in that he can write prize winning literary fiction and now a hilarious comic novel with such ease and so well. I thoroughly recommend this book to all readers and for us women reading about dating from a man's perspective is a bit of an eye opener.

‘The Pick Up Artist’ zaps along at a cracking pace, as any yarn about testosterone-filled chaps and randy birds should. It’s a comic novel that has all the right ingredients: it’s saucy, irreverent, slangy, and above all, lots of good clean fun.That was what puzzled me though. Where’s the sex? I’d expected at least a page or two of graphic, buttock-gripping ziggy ziggy. Our author obviously considers that’s not the point of the book. Fair enough. So let’s look at his own perspective, and what he wants the reader to focus on.What is being depicted here is a world where actual sex (not the chase, the tease, and the flirtation) should own some affection and, dare we say it, love. It’s an old-fashioned approach in a cynical age but, I for one, applaud it. Why? Because our hero Rob admits, with some wonderment admittedly, that he actually likes women. That is, tragically, not the case among the male population in great chunks of the world.The novel is really a fascinating paradox. Although ostensibly about ‘picking up girls’, it shows what utter nonsense dating services and, even more insidious, dating manuals really are. Whoever thought of the latter idea should sit down and learn to do joined-up writing.The incidents of fighting (they are graphic) and the sport, which is just an organised version of the same thing, intrigued me. Obviously such a world is familiar to our author. He knows what a lot of men are like and, from this starting point, investigates what men think women are like.What comes over most is that Chris Hill is someone who believes humans have a responsibility to each other. He cares. An unusual thread in a comic novel perhaps, but one that gives the work strength, so it isn’t just a jolly farce. After all, the great comic novels – such as ‘Tom Jones’ - had a moral purpose. Our author is never preachy, but he makes more than a few worthwhile points about relationships.

After reading Song of the Sea God by Chris Hill, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I knew it would be different. After setting aside my notion of Mr Hill as a literary novelist, I got into the Pick Up Artist and really enjoyed it. Its light-hearted, easy rom com story is punctuated by some very thoughtful reflections from the hero's (Rob's) blog and this gives the book more depth. I also loved the parodies of marketing and sales meetings. I've been there and done that and know just how true the biz speak jargon that's paraded is - biz speak that actually says nothing at all.The hero is delightfully naive about how he goes about the dating game with the help of his online advisor. But he gets into all sorts of scrapes when he finds that three women in his office seem to fall for the techniques he has learnt from the PUA website, and he doesn't quite know what to do with them. In the end, the laugh is on him but there is a real surprise in store. Great fun, but with some pretty philosophical thinking in it too!

The Pick-Up Artist is a jaw-dropper that will also cause a few chuckles as Rob Johnson, a 22-year old advertising exec, tries to figure out how to get with girls. He is using a website called The Pickup Artist, as a guide, and he is not sure that it is working. The reader will laugh and as one British reader suggested, do not read this book will on the subway or what they call 'the tube.’ Reader reactions may cause others to stare. Pick up this fun book and travel along with Rob as he blunders through trials and errors.. The end proves that what you are looking for might be right under your nose all of the time.

This book about one man's many failed attempts of picking up women is a must read. Not only is it humorous, Chris takes a look at the intricate web of relationships and how they develop or fall flat. I found myself laughing out loud as the women in Rob's life wrestle with their own emotions toward him and each other.

Love Chris Hill, the best author of such great and profound writing style, his books should become a film someday!!!!