Having read Jes Smyth’s debut novel, Time for Once (which is up for multiple Indieverse awards, I was excited to read the next book in the series. So, thank you to Jes for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review. We were also honoured to have her on as a guest on our podcast a while ago, which you can listen to via Spotify here.
Dream for a Second introduces us to Lena, who is barely staying afloat in life. After her fiancé suddenly dies in Florida during a scuba diving trip, she becomes lost and unsure of what to do in life. 13 months later and she is still drifting through life like a ghost. But after a call from her ex-fiancé’s father, she is forced back into the world. So, first stop, she goes to visit her sister, Shay, in her fiancé’s vintage Volkswagen van, named Douglas. But, an hour from Shay’s and Douglas breaks down. Enter Palmer, brother to the mechanic, Gregor, friend of Shay, he jumps into the tow truck and rescues Lena and Douglas.
Palmer is your typical helpful, caring friend who is always happy to lend a hand and has his own dreams of owning a furniture store, selling his own crafted pieces. But, he has some family drama of his own to contend with. So, when he discover after an accident, Douglas needs a driver for a road trip to Florida he jumps at the chance. What happens next is a beautiful journey of self-discovery, understanding when to let go of grief and the importance of putting yourself and your dreams first.
This at first sight may seem like your typical forced proximity style romance, but it is so much more than that. It is a story about grief and the power it can hold over you. It is about the journey towards healing (in both a physical and emotional sense) and not pushing yourself too hard, whilst still knowing when it is time let go of the safety rope and stand on your own two feet. It is also about the importance of new connections and letting go of guilt in order to get on with your new life, whatever that may look like.
During the novel you are taken on an emotional road trip with Lena, Douglas, and Palmer where each of the characters (even Douglas on occasion) reveals a bit more about themselves to help you understand why they act in a certain way. Each chapter you see Palmer and Lena grow and develop as individuals as well as together and each stage of the journey (both the physical road trip and the emotional journey) builds on their connection.
One of the highlights of this novel was, without a doubt, Douglas, the vintage 1983 (and a half) Volkswagen van. They way he is described throughout the novel humanises the vehicle and it can lead to the reader forgetting he is not in fact a person. Humanising the Volkswagen adds another layer to the story as it isn’t just Palmer who helps Lena through this trip. Douglas has become a crutch for her, not to mention a lasting reminder of her fiancé and so in reality, we have 3 main characters in this novel. Make sure you read the end notes to find out the back story to Douglas, it is very emotional!
Overall, I loved this book. It was the perfect blend of emotion, romance and fun but with an underlying important message relating to grief, the stages of it and understanding how to listen to your heart and your feelings, rather than taking others’ advice on how long you should be feeling certain emotions for.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – An emotional and brilliantly written novel, full of love, laughter, loss, and everything in between, highly recommend!
Dream for a Second is out on 7th May, so go check it out!!
Much love 💘
Lizzieslittlebooknook 