Zelda's former boyfriend has had a glamorous wedding to a
beauty, and aged twenty-six poor Zelda thinks she's on
the scrapheap. In RAINY DAYS AND ROSES she's about to get a
surprise that could make her change her mind - and regret
not washing her hair.
Of all the guys who could knock on her door, Dan is the
last one she expected. He was her first crush and was in
England with his mother,
has been since they were teens. She
wasn't sure how he felt, but he never wrote. Now he's back,
twice as handsome, and having heard that Zelda was
going through a rough patch he's come to see if she's okay.
But is Dan just being neighbourly? And is one look at the
litter-strewn apartment and dirty pink slippers going to
send him running back to England?
The start of the tale is tragi-comic, since we never knew
the man who has disappointed Zelda. By now her ex is a
successful lawyer from one of the most prominent African-
American families in Denver, while she's a chef, from a
mixed family, without a job to go to for the past few weeks
of misery. Life can be tough in your twenties, and other
people can sometimes walk all over you. I'd like to think
Zelda would have realised by herself that there are
other men and jobs out there, more deserving of her
talents. The big tub of ice-cream seems like something of a
caricature.
Dan comes across as a decent young man. He's known tragedy
and he still thinks of Zelda as the cute little girl from
class. He's about to have that vision rocked. And this is
what makes him extend an invitation to Zelda to come for a
vacation in England with him, renovating an old cottage,
just as friends. This is a wonderful twist, adding interest
and charm to the story. All does not go smoothly and
Zelda's temper reasserts itself, providing more fun and
games. Americans can't work in Britain, and Zelda's jobless
state is just one reason some people look down on her.
For a really unusual adult romance, with characters so full
of life they bounce, you couldn't do better than RAINY DAYS
AND ROSES by Dawn Douglas. You'll definitely be laughing
and you may even be shedding tears. This author is from
England originally but now lives in Colorado, her stories
making the best of both her worlds.
Denver chef Zelda Marshall's life is in a downward spiral.
In the past year she's suffered a breakup, a job loss and
her parents have split up. She's alone on her birthday,
gorging on ice-cream, when childhood friend Dan Walker turns
up out of the blue.
When he suggests Zelda accompany him to England and help
with the renovation of a derelict cottage, it seems like the
perfect opportunity for her to recover and make a fresh
start. The only problem is, Zelda's heart seems determined
to remember how she used to feel about Dan, whilst his
interest in her remains purely platonic. Is going to England
with her old friend a recipe for disaster?
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