"On The Road to Hilarity and Romance With The Nelsons"

How could a child of the '50's not love a book whose matriarch is Harriet Nelson? Thank goodness Brandt didn't go over the top and name the hero David or Ricky; but Bradley Nelson makes a dandy hero in DREAM ON.

I loved Brandt's first book TRUE NORTH and am delighted that she has lived up to the early promise shown in TN. DREAM ON is a road romance that starts out in high gear and then goes into superwarp speed.

DREAM ON begins in Reno, NV where Bradley Nelson prevails on his rock-star girl friend to stop her bus, so he can visit his mother. Bradley plans on this being a short stop, but the self-absorbed Robyn informs him that he belongs in Reno, while she belongs in Vegas.

Before Bradley can catch his breath from being dumped and greet his Mom, they are ducking bullets, grabbing a girl in a gorilla suit and running for their lives from a crooked casino owner and his cohorts.

It turns out that Harriet, unlike her TV namesake neither cooks or stays home, but is a retired auditor for the IRS who has made off with three million bucks she figures the Casino owes the U.S. taxpayers, from a drug laundering operation.

The girl in the gorilla suit turns out to be Delphine Armstrong, who quickly falls not only for our hero but also for his mother. Delphine has always longed for a caring mother like Harriet and she is willing to accompany the Nelson's all the way to Nashville or anywhere else they want to go.

Bradley Nelson is a country singer, who despite his best efforts has just not quite made it. He spends a lot of time wondering if he should give up on his dream and use his degree in computer science from MIT. He has a lot of hang ups about his Dad, who was a country singer wannabe and wonders if he too lacks the talent or drive to reach his dream. He also discovers that there are things he is not willing to do to achieve success, which makes him a truly admirable if troubled hero. At one point in Bradley's musings about himself and music, I thought of the lyrics to Ricky Nelson's Garden Party when he says: "you can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself". Problem is that Bradley needs to figure out just what that 'self' is.

Delphine could be a very problematical heroine and quite unlikable in a less deft author's hands. Virtually every word out of her mouth about her background, family, job history, etc. is a lie for most of the book. But, the reader quickly realizes that Delphine has never been loved and tries to present to the world the face she thinks they want to see. She is amazingly resilient and one cannot blame her for changing her history to what she wishes it was. I really enjoyed watching her grow emotionally as she comes to grips with why she keeps moving on and tries to discover who she really is and more importantly who she wants to be.

The secondary romance between Harriet and Robert is absolutely delightful; I was happy to see Robert stay on board even after the money was surrendered very early in their road trip. Watching this mature pair deal with the pain and losses of their first marriages adds a somber note of reality in this otherwise fast-moving adventure, keeping it from spinning out of control without bogging down the narrative. For a merry romp of a road novel, DREAM ON has remarkably deep characterizations, there are no cardboard stereotypes here; just real people caught in an unreal situation.

Also priceless, are the two bumbling thugs sent to trail Harriet and Robert; they are absolutely hilarious. I am not sure I will ever drink a drop of water from an RV after reading DREAM ON, but I was holding my sides laughing at the predicament of these two fish-out-of-water as they attempt to merge seamlessly into middle Winnebago America.

DREAM ON is just a delight from beginning to end. A nonstop ride that will at times leave you breathless, but quickly turning the pages to see what happens next. DREAM ON is the sequel to RECORD TIME, which was also delightful; but both books stand well on their own.

Reviewed by Linda Hurst
Posted April 24, 2004

Summary

His love life was a nightmare . . .
Country singer Bradley Nelson always had big dreams. He's sure they're coming true until his debut album tanks, his record contract is cancelled, and his rock star girlfriend kicks him off her tour bus in Reno. Single and stranded, Bradley tracks down his IRS auditor-turned-casino-worker mom. But while he's looking for a shoulder to cry on, Mom's got problems of her own, namely a gang of thug casino owners who are trying to kill her for exposing their criminal deeds. Suddenly, Bradley and his mom are on the run—and they've taken a gorilla along for the ride . . .

. . . until he met the woman of his dreams!
Delphine Armstrong's dreams never included wearing a gorilla suit to work every day, but strange things happen when you're in Reno. Like the gunshot that whizzes past her just as she strikes up a conversation with a cute country singer. Delphine doesn't have time to ask questions—she and Bradley are too busy running for their lives! But while dodging bullets and side-stepping crooks, Bradley and Delphine discover that you can find passion when you least expect it—and that, sometimes, real life is even better than you dreamed.