Dream On ~ Thor #1

• Author: Terry Tyler
• Kindle Edition
• Published: December 2013 by Cranium
• Category: Contemporary Fiction
• 

Dave Bentley was born to be a rock star. 
He believes he’s a reincarnated Viking warrior, too… 
When Dave forms his new band, Thor, there are plenty of sleepless nights for Janice, his on-off girlfriend and mother of his son. Not only must she deal with the thrills and spills of life as a hardworking single mum, but also the imminent return of singer-songwriter Ariel Swan, Dave’s one true love. 

I’ve read several of Terry Tyler’s books and enjoyed them all. This was no exception. Filled with believable, true to life, substantial characters and a convincing storyline, Dream On follows the fortunes of Dave Bentley, an aspiring rock star and creator of the band, Thor. The band members, the banter between them and their desire for success is represented extremely convincingly. Dave is talented and basically a nice guy but the pull has always been the band and his music, and although his young son means a lot to him, Dave has to follow his dream….and Ariel.

He was back on track now, having meandered from his chosen path for several years; somewhere along the line, life had got in the way of his rock ’n’ roll dreams.

Life, Janice, and Harley.

When Dave’s ex girlfriend, Ariel Swan comes back to town it spells the beginning of the end for Dave and his girlfriend, Janice. Ariel is also on the fame trail as a singer/songwriter. Her friend, Melodie, who wants to make a career out of being a celebrity, hears of Raw Talent, a TV contest to find the hottest new musical act, and persuades them all to enter. The behind the scenes look at the talent show is a revelation; despite the name talent isn’t always the deciding factor. The outcome is surprising and impacts upon them all, changing their lives in ways they never would have imagined.

The complicated relationships and characterisations are dealt with extremely well and sensitively, as is the moving story of Janice’s grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. I enjoyed the way Janice’s story unfolds and Max is a loveable character. Dave and the band, Ariel and Melodie could be people living in any town, struggling to succeed, and living everyday lives while working and hoping for that big break. The obstacles they face and the way they’re dealt with is completely representative and authentic.

Understanding and insight, the ability to really get inside the characters’ heads and their emotions lends total realism as the story develops. Written with warmth, wit and humour and perfectly portraying modern life. From the pros and cons of social media and how it can get out of hand, to the obsession with ‘celebrity’ and the search for stardom, it’s a story of choices, new loves, friendships, hopes and disappointments; the complications and substance of real life.

A great storyline, dialogue and perfect character development plus an unpredictable ending. Off I go to download the sequel. 

Book links ~ Amazon UK Amazon US

I reviewed Dream On as part of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team.

About the author

Terry lives in the north of England with her husband, and has published ten books on Amazon. Readers say she has created her own genre, which lies somewhere in the area of contemporary drama and romantic suspense, with the occasional bit of rock fiction and mystery thrown in.

Terry has a blog on which she writes about anything from her favourite TV shows to observations about social networking trends, and also writes for the UK Arts Directory about self-publishing. This year she started a new book blog; on this you can find her own reading choices and those she reads as part of Rosie Amber‘s book review team. All three blogs are widely read. She is an active Twitter user, and can also be found on Goodreads and Facebook.