Primarily set in
the 1960’s, THE DREAM GARDEN tells the story of a lonely housewife, Ariane, who finds
love with a handyman who appears one day. Not
only is he available to help build her “dream garden,” he also desires to be a
part of her life. Ariane’s husband is an
overbearing man who works on the road as a traveling salesman. Little does she know that he leads a secret life
where loose women fulfill his needs. The only
thing he needs from his wife is to control her. She
waits diligently for his return each week with a clean home and warm sheets.
Ariane’s
sheets get much warmer when she meets handyman Martin.
Ariane spends many a sleepless night dreaming of Martin, the jack of all
trades who wants to build not only an arbor for her roses, but also a bridge to her heart. Unfortunately, he is also involved with another
woman.
Love sizzles
between these two characters even though they never touch each other in an intimate way. They profess their love for each other as soon as
they meet yet realize that they cannot be together.
The novel then
jumps forward 10 years and the two main characters are still trying to find a way to make
love. There is very little plot to this
book, aside from that of the unfulfilled love. It
is a quick read, however, so could easily fill up a Saturday afternoon. This author believes in “show –
don’t tell.” The dialogue is
fulfilling and helps develop the characters. The
happy ending could only be improved if there were more twists and turns in the story.
Reviewed by
Tammy Falkner for The Road to Romance
September 12, 2003 |
