I’m super excited to be hosting another stop on a book tour for R.J. Gould’s new book, Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall. Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and R.J Gould for the gifted ebook to quite my honest review for the tour.
A tale of two husbands, two wives, and the woman in between.
It is a June day and the rain is lashing down as Emma and Andrew move into the house of their dreams in an affluent London suburb. Two doors away, dejected Darren and Kelly are downsizing into their new home.
It doesn’t take long for the women to hit it off despite being opposites in many ways. Meanwhile Andrew, a teacher and poet, and Darren, an alarm systems installer, are at loggerheads from the word go.
When Emma and Kelly decide to take breaks away together – to a spa, a countryside retreat, the Scottish Highlands – their men feel abandoned. Their animosity grows and the loyalty to their wives is tested when Mrs Hall moves in as their in-between neighbour. But who exactly is this woman and what game is she playing?
The wives return from a stay in Scotland to discover that a lot has changed. Will their marriages be robust enough to survive?
I have read and blogged a number of R.J Gould’s books. Everyone has been an enjoyable read, so I definitely wanted to read Darren, Andrew, and Mrs Hall. Just the title alone had me wondering what was in store this time.
This is, as always, such a well written tale of relationships and how they fare through life’s ups and downs. Two couples move into their new houses on the same street and on the same day. Emma and Andrew, Darren and Kelly,all become neighbours. Although they are totally different couples, the women become good friends and begin to go away together on short breaks. Then Mrs Hall moves into the house between both couples, and things are thrown into disarray. The balance between them all is altered, but can they sort everything out and bring harmony back?
Another easy and entertaining read from this author. His characters always make me feel I could know these people in my everyday life. They are realistic and always flawed in some ways, just like we all are. The subjects he brings to the forefront are ones that happen to everyone at one point or another. That’s what I have always thought about R.J Gould’s writing. He so skilfully weaves stories that are like a study of people and life.
Darren, Andrew, and Mrs. Hall is another brilliant story that, as always, hooked me. It seems a simple premise, but it has a way of weaving itself into your imagination. I was so interested in what would happen to their couples and if it could be sorted.
R.J Gould remains, in my opinion, an understated and underappreciated author. He continuously writes stories that are rich and vivid in their telling. I am looking forward to his next book.
Purchase Links
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darren-Andrew-Mrs-Hall-relationships-ebook/dp/B0BW9NDRYG
US https://www.amazon.com/Darren-Andrew-Mrs-Hall-relationships-ebook/dp/B0BW9NDRYG
Author Bio
R J Gould writes contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. Darren, Andrew and Mrs Hall is his eighth novel and follows The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach, Nothing Man, Dream Café and Then and now. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes. Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the education and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices. He is a member of Cambridge Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association UK and lives in Cambridge, England.
Social Media Links
Website: http://www.rjgould.info
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RJGould_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RJGouldauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rjgould_author
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6432126.R_J_Gould
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 