Must Have Gsoh by Paul A Mendelson

The Blurb:

To get the girl of his dreams he needs a good sense of humour.

To get a good sense of humour he needs a miracle.

Stephen Gibson is a gifted young horticulturist. But surprisingly this isn t the quality most women look for in a mate. According to all the personals , it's GSOH . A good sense of humour. Trouble is, Stephen doesn't have one. Not a trace!

Surely he can acquire a GSOH and win the girl of his dreams. How hard can it be? He reckons the Killer Comedy Academy can teach him all he needs to know.

Yet it's the person he least expects who shows him how he can really stand-up for himself.

Praise for Must Have GSOH:

The concept is brilliant: an insider's guide to the business of making people laugh, wrapped up in a delightfully funny and uplifting love story.

Stephen McCrum. BAFTA-winning comedy producer. Mrs Brown's Boys. This Country

I laughed, I cried, I nearly took up gardening.

Bill Dare, creator of Dead Ringers

Humour, humanity and empathy. From the creator of a string of popular sit-coms. I absolutely loved this book!

Jessica Martin. West End actress, Spitting Image impressionist and graphic novelist

The 40 Year Old Virgin (well, 27) meets Gardener's World . Laugh out loud as the unlikely horticultural hero navigates the comedic jungle at The Killer Comedy Academy to win the heart and laughter of the woman of his dreams. Blooming marvellous!

BrOOKS Pinner. London Independent Bookshop of the Year 2020

Funny, heartwarming and tender. I really enjoyed this book.

David Lister. The Independent

If you've got a GSOH, you'll love this funny, touching and original novel

Paul Harrison. BAFTA-winning comedy director

'Charming, moving and hugely entertaining.'

Karol Griffiths. Script editor. BBC. Warners. Coen Brothers. Author of The Art of Script Editing

About Paul A Mendelson:

Paul A. Mendelson is unusual in that he has never been a lumberjack or a coal-heaver. He began working-life, after Cambridge, as a trainee solicitor. One particular case caused him abruptly to change direction and he spent several happy years writing commercials for everything from Heinz Spaghetti to Don't Drink and Drive.

A chance meeting with the legendary film director Nic Roeg and undisputed Queen of drama Verity Lambert soon persuaded him that 30-minutes was more fun than 30-seconds. His first BBC comedy series 'May to December' ran for six series and won him his first BAFTA nomination. He followed this with the hugely popular 'So Haunt Me' and his biggest hit 'My Hero', starring Ardal O'Hanlon as the hapless Thermoman. Paul also writes acclaimed drama ('Losing It' - Martin Clunes - ITV) and many original plays and dramatisations for BBC Radio 4. ('The African Queen' starring Toby Jones). He is currently developing several feature films.

His first novel 'In the Matter of Isabel', inspired by the legal case that changed his career, has been widely praised. ('A wonderfully funny debut novel' David Lister, The Independent). It was bought by a major Hollywood producer within a week of publication. His scripted version now has an A-list cast and director attached. His first novel for children 'Losing Arthur' (Funny, exciting, a wellspring of imagination' Jamie Rix. 'Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids') is in development with a Hollywood animation studio. His second novel for children 'The Funnies' will be published February 2020.

Paul's most recent novel 'A Meeting in Seville', was inspired by his and his wife's return exactly thirty years later to the very place they honeymooned. He wondered - what if we meet our younger, honeymooning selves here? The rest is - well, not history. But romance, intrigue, magic and mystery.

Paul's latest book 'The Art of Listening' is a collection of novellas and short stories, each briefly prefaced by the inspiration that sparked it. Every reader and reviewer so far has called it 'laugh out loud funny' but also 'Compelling' (The Independent) and touching and surprising.

Paul is married and lives in North London. He has two daughters and four grandchildren and is perpetually exhausted.

My Review:

This is a wonderful book about an introverted greenhouse boffin called Stephen Gibson, who had waited a long time before he realised that he could be attracted to a life-forms other than those found in plant pots, namely the lovely business woman Nina Hughes, of the prestigious Magnolia Hotels Group.

He may well be able to talk to plants, but he hasn't any idea how to woo the object of his desire and realises his shortcomings could be overlooked if he developed a good sense of humour.

Wit and jocularity are languages that Stephen could neither speak nor understand, so he seeks help in a comedy school during the two months prior to his planned date.

I loved the irregularity of all of the characters which made this a delightful quirky read that I didn't want to put down.