Dream Café

At last a book about parenting from the father's point of view. We all know men can also be good parents but nobody talks about it, and it wouldn't either be an issue if it comes to a single parenting family, unless is to talk bad about it. when it comes to single parenting the usual comment is "aww poor guy" "aww poor woman".
I have always believed that since we are all humans, we are all able to make very bad decisions in life. Therefore, Good and Evil have no gender. It takes less than a second to make a bad choice and hurt others as well and it doesn't matter who you are, all it takes is to be a human being.
I liked the book very much, awfully funny and has drama as well. Very unexpected. The main message is right there in the first chapters, which I liked a lot.
Congratulations to the author for such a great perspective of life.

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? Great read

'Dream Cafe' by Richard Gould is a delightful novel about a family that is a bit dysfunctional. Jane, David's wife runs out with Jim David'd best friend. She blames David for everything. After David's divorce he goes through a mid life crisis. Their eldest daughter has behavior issues and the younger son stays to himself. David the narrator tells his story good naturedly and with humor. He eventually falls in love and finds his place in life. I liked this book because it made me chuckle throughout the entire story. I give this book a solid 4 stars. I received this book from Netgalley with the understanding that I would give an honest review. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked this book. I liked reading it from the perspective male author. I've not read many romantic books written by a male author but I liked it. Its interesting to hear from a male perspective.

There is a lot of stigma around male and female roles and gender differences currently and historically and this book is a breath of fresh air.

The school reunion gives me the shivers, I hated school so I couldn't think of anything worse. That's not to say it wasn't well written.

I absolutely love R J Gould’s easy style and this book is no different. Without going to too much effort to write reams of detail, he still manages to effortlessly create characters that jump off the page.

This is done through witty and well-placed interactions and narrations from the main character, David. David is a relatable, likeable and sympathetic character but he is far from perfect. In fact, seeing some of his child-like or teen-like musings and his bumbling behaviour are a huge part of what make him so endearing throughout the book.

I hated Jane and I could not believe the audacity she showed in her reaction to their relationship breakdown. Everything she did pretty much worked to ensure I liked David even more. Rachel is another great character that is well-developed and I enjoyed her reckless determination and brutal honesty. Bridget is another character that I am glad builds a place in David’s heart.

I was rooting for David’s happiness throughout this warm, witty and wonderful book. I would recommend this book and author to fans of Rachel Marks and Graeme Simsion.

'Dream Cafe' is the second book I have read by R.J. Gould. Being invited to this books tour I was looking forward to seeing if this one was as enjoyable as his previous book.
We meet a man called Dave whose wife has not long since left him and their two children for his ex-best friend,who she was having an affair with. He goes to his school reunion and while he may wonder why he is actually there, he sees Bridget and that's makes everything worthwhile. His list for his new life consists of a relationship with Bridget first and foremost. The other is to open an arts café.
The mid-life crisis he finds himself in is even harder with two teens, a job in which he doesn't like his boss and the new domestic side of life. He struggles to deal with the domestic side, never mind everything else. The question is can he navigate everything while realising his dream of the café?
As I found with R.J Gould's previous book the characters are instantly recognisable and relatable. They remind you of someone you could know in real life. I was urging poor David on as he hit every barrier known to man almost. A witty and insightful story that has you caring for him and really feeling it everything something else happens. It does make you wonder if he would actually ever get to where he wanted. The fact that this author always seem to capture real life and put it into words is a skill that is fantastic. He has brought some serious issues and dealth with them very appropriately. Divorce, lone parenting, a man's role within the family home. These are a few of the many in the story and I liked the fact that that we do have comedy in the book as well as emotion and it is dealt with sensitively and there are times when it is poignant too.
If you want a book that is not without the funny moments while reflecting real life at the same time, then this is the book to read.
Thank you to Rachel's Random Resources and R.J Gould for my invitation to join this tour and for my gifted copy of the book.

Dream Cafe by Richard Gould is a wonderful told story of a family that has been thrown in turmoil told from the main character David's point of view. When Jane leaves David for his friend Jim, David and his children's lives falls in to a bit of chaos. David's boss is a seemingly cold-hearted woman who expects perfection to be done in the most inexpensive way possible while making his work life extremely dreary. His eldest daughter is going through difficult teenage problems while trying to push past the limits allowed by her parents and society. His eldest son is quiet and stays to himself without causing problems. When David goes to his high school reunion, he reconnects with Bridget. As their lives become more entwined, David realizes that what he wants out of life has changed. He now dreams of opening an Art Cafe.

I found Dream Cafe to be a wonderfully told tale of love and loss, strength and weakness, loyalty and betrayal. Mr. Gould's perspective gave me a different view of how a man may look at relationships, family, friends, and life in general. Mr. Gould's ability to not only tell a tale of love and it's many obstacles, but he also wrote in such a way that I found myself laughing/chuckling throughout the majority of the novel. I highly recommend this novel to those who would like a different perspective and written romance novel. Thank you Netgalley for gifting me this book. This was my honest opinion.

Dream Café follows forty-three-year-old David after his wife, Jane unexpectedly leaves him for his best friend, Jim. David goes to his twenty-five-year school reunion and meets a now grown-up Bridget there. Making a list of all that he hopes to achieve, David puts opening a café and a new relationship as priorities. A family-focused, pacy and often touching tale with buckets of humour and surprising turns along the way. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley at my own request. This review is my own unbiased opinion.