Dream Café – review (AD)

I was kindly given an electronic copy of Dream Café by R J Gould in exchange for an honest review*.

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Dream Café book blurb

“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?

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My overall thoughts on Dream Café

Having thoroughly enjoyed Nothing Man and being a fan of R J Gould’s writing style I was looking forward to getting stuck into Dream Café.

And unsurprisingly I really enjoyed Dream Café and finished it within just two days.

Dream Café starts with David at his twenty-five year high school reunion when he strikes up a conversation with a kind woman, Bridget.

Through this conversation we learn that David is having a right old time of it lately.

His wife Jane has been having an affair with his best friend and promptly walks out on him and their two kids.

He’s having a tough time at work with his new demanding boss and his sixteen year old daughter is bringing the Police to his door.

Poor David.

The story is told through David and a few of the other character’s points of view.

I liked David – he got stuck in trying to be a better father, he was pro-active with his list-making to actually get on and get things done and he took all of this huge change in his stride and he was more than reasonable with his ex.

Although there’s quite a lot of drama – a shed bursts into flames, there’s a few tangles with the Police, his angsty teen is dabbling with alcohol smoking and sex and then there’s advances from his boss to contend with – there’s also a lot of homour and tender moments throughout the story.

Will David be brave enough to complete his list – quit his job and open his Dream Café?

I enjoyed seeing David and Bridget’s relationship eventually blossoming despite some revelations and bumps in the road.

Dream Café is an easy and enjoyable read and one which I recommend.

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About the author

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*Disclaimer

This review has been written with 100% honesty.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I was given a copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own based on my own experience.

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Please visit my contact/work with me page for more information.

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