I didn’t quite know what to expect when I bought “Small Town Odds” by Jason Headley over the summer. I found the book in a discount bookstore down the beach and figured I would give it a shot. After all, it only cost something like $7.

I finally finished reading it today and am glad I took the plunge. The book won’t end up on my all-time favorites list, but it certainly provided an enjoyable read. Of course, I am a sucker for the “guy trying to find himself” genre so the end result did not surprise me.

What did surprise me was how Headley showed us the nastiest parts of Eric Mercer’s personality, yet still managed to make him a relatively likeable guy. Sure, he likes to fight and should probably treat some of the people around him better, but we all know guys who regret some of the things that have happened and can identify.

I liked the fact that he doesn’t turn into a total jackass. He still dotes on his daughter, contributes to his community and helps people through their troubles in his job at the funeral home. In the end, I wanted him to suck it up and give things a shot with Gina, but that wouldn’t be Eric. He’s more interested in sticking by his friends and loving his daughter, even if that does mean her Mom and Dad will never get together.

Having visited Headley’s web site, I find it disappointing that he has not found a publisher for his second book. He has generously made it available to download for free, an offer I will probably take advantage of. But the fact that he has had to take that step makes me wonder if authors like me will ever get even one book published without having to accept the “stigma” of self-publishing. But that’s another rant for another day.

In the meantime, check out “Small Town Odds.”