It's my turn on the BlogTour Dream Café by Richard Gould.
About the Author
Richard writes under the pseudonym R J Gould and is a (rare male) member of the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA). His first novel was shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award following his participation on the RNA New Writers' Scheme. Having been published by Headline Access and Lume Books, he now self-publishes.
He writes contemporary literary fiction about relationships, loosely though not prescriptively within the Romance genre, using both humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic journeys of his protagonists in search of love. Dream Café is his sixth novel, following The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach and Nothing Man. [It is a rewrite of A Street Café Named Desire].
Ahead of writing full time, Richard led a national educational charity. He has been published in a wide range of educational journals, national newspapers and magazines and is the co-author of a major work on educating able young people. He lives in Cambridge, England.
About the book
“Why on earth am I here?” David wonders as he observes the juvenile antics of ex-classmates at the twenty-five year school reunion. Then he sees Bridget.
David draws up a list of all that he hopes to achieve to kick-start a new life now that his wife has moved in with his best friend – his ex-best friend. A relationship with Bridget is top of the list, opening an arts café is a close second.
Formidable women – an unfaithful wife, a reckless teenage daughter, a boss from hell, a disapproving policewoman – seem like insurmountable obstacles. But it’s still OK to dream, isn’t it?
Why would anyone want to subject themselves to reliving the kind of school experience David went through. Some people never move beyond the caricature of their high school identity. Fortunately for the world, the majority of students do.
As the reader is introduced to David, he takes us back to the events leading up to the decision to revisit his past, which in the end offers an open door to a brighter future for him.
I think David's character brings force a multitude of reactions, two of which are annoyance at his being a doormat and sympathy for being an easy target for so many people an reasons. The urge to shout encouragement and/or witty responses for him to use whilst he is in uncomfortable situations - well it is real.
It was nice to read a contemporary domestic romance with a male character in the lead role. Refreshing to experience the opposite gender as the fool, the downtrodden and ultimately the person who is awakened by circumstance and fate to the world outside of their small fenced in life.
Buy Dream Café at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com.
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