GUYS IN SUITS

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 to Simon and Stuart's attempt to mentor a pair of high-risk teens. (Sept.)