I should start this review by saying that Dream Man by Judy Griffith Gill is a re-release of a book that came out originally in 1990, then again in 2003.
When I read the synopsis, I thought the story had promise. However, I found it difficult to get through – the dialogue is stilted, situations unbelievable, and the pacing is all over the place.The Hero and heroine meet and have an awkward lunch meeting, where he asks her about a job placement advert she placed in which she is seeking a man.
Wanted: Tall, mature (35-45) man, heroic in nature, preferably dark haired and blue eyed, capable of making long-term commitment. Must like children, country life, and classical music. Ability to play one or more instruments an asset. Term of employment, three weekends. Apply in person to Ms. Leslie.
After Max’s brother prods him to answer the ad, he does so – and he and Jeanie Leslie spark off one-another from the get-go. Neither Max nor Jeanie think he is right for the ‘job’, so he leaves her after their meeting with a brief – and unexpected – kiss.
They meet a second time, and even though they are both commitment-phobic, he asks her to marry him. Not because he’s in a bind, or thinks he’s in love with her – in fact, I couldn’t really figure out his motivations at this point. Jeanie balks (as she should), but still offers him a job writing love letters for a mystery client.
Amongst a lot of cluttery situations, he writes these letters to her instead of for the client. To Jeanie, they were a turn-on. To me, he seemed a bit stalker-y.
Throughout the book, there are references to the ‘Bangles’ referred to in the name of the trilogy. (“The Golden Bangles Trilogy”) It was the MacGuffin that drove the story, but I found it to be a very weak ribbon weaving through the text.
I made some allowances for the 90s settings, but the dialogue was still hard to read, and it took me out of the story more often than not. Towards the end of the book, the couple is put in mortal peril – which came totally out of the blue.
All-in-all, I don’t think I’d continue to read the second and third installments in this trio, and I’d hesitate to read other books by this author. However, I imagine there are readers that would enjoy this book for the plot alone, and for that I give the book 2 hearts.
Book Info
Publication Date: October 9, 2012Has the world’s most devout bachelor just met his match?
Dedicated playboy Max McKenzie is used to being hotly pursued by any single female within striking distance. But a newspaper ad seeking a male for a long-term commitment intrigues him. And the woman who placed the ad captivates him even more . . .
Jeanie Leslie isn’t looking for Mr. Right. But when her scheme to help her sister meet her dream man backfires, the career consultant is confronted by a sensual stranger who tempts her to change her bachelorette ways. Will giving in to her growing desire for Max end in heartbreak for both of them? Or have a confirmed bachelor and a woman who refuses to marry—for love or money—finally met their perfectmatches?