Sometimes judging a book by its cover pays off. I picked Mr. Commitment up because of the colorful toothbrush cover and bought it because of the witty chapter titles and a quote comparing it to the British Men Behaving Badly, which used to be my favorite TV show. I expected lots of funny guy talk, British humor and a realistic everyday feel. I wasn’t disappointed.

Ever wonder what’s going on in the minds of those commitment-shy guys who are perfectly nice up until someone mentions the word “marriage?” Here’s your chance to find out. Mr. Commitment is as hilarious a rendition of Mars and Venus At Odds Over Marriage as you’ll ever likely to read.

Ben Duffy is not the poster boy for lifelong commitment. He’s quite happy in his monogamous relationship with Mel (as long as she lets him keep the remote control of the telly) but when Mel asks him to marry her he freaks out. Everything’s are just fine the way things are now, right? Why fix something that ain’t broken? Okay, so his career as a stand-up comedian isn’t taking off. But he likes sharing a crummy flat with his friend Dan and abhors shopping for furniture with Mel. And B-A-B-Y is definitely a four-letter word.

He doesn’t remember his father, who left when he was six months old. But Duffy’s mother still believes in true love, and his sister Vernie and her husband seem pretty happy. Why can’t he envision a happily married life? Mel thinks it’s because he’s selfish. Her pal Julie thinks it’s because he’s scum. I thought he was a perfectly nice guy, although I daresay if he were my significant other, I’d often be infuriated with him as well.

In the end, Duffy must answer three questions. Can he stand to lose Mel? Are things ever as scary as he thinks they are? And if he wants to change, how on earth is he ever going to make Mel believe him? The premise is simple enough. But the way it’s written – oh, let’s just say sometimes simple is beautiful.

Mr. Commitment is charming, funny, heartfelt and true. I loved the characters and believed in the story. Gayle has a fresh voice and some lines are eminently quotable. The only reason I’m not quoting anything in this review is that I wouldn’t be able to choose. I loved this book so much I ran straight back to the bookstore to get two of his other novels, Turning Thirty and My Legendary Girlfriend.

The book is written in the first person point of view, the perfect way to capture Duffy’s character, his thoughts and his feelings. However (and this is why the book’s an A- and not a straight-out A), it doesn’t capture Mel’s personality nearly as clearly. Sometimes she seems just like the Generic Girlfriend. But since Duffy is so interesting (another four-letter word: cute), and the focus of the conflict is on Duffy’s internal world anyway, this did not matter too much to me.

Oh, and what about the chapter titles? They should give you an inkling of the tone of the book. They include “This isn’t about wardrobes,” “Cosmopolitan is an ouija board,” “Bet you’re happy now,” “Like that bloke in Groundhog Day,” and “Because if you are I will be forced to kill you and plead diminished responsibility.” If you like humorous contemporaries, don’t miss this one.