Simon says

As someone who has written a debut novel with a strong male point of view, I was interested to see how Mr Gothard tackled this. He's in a better position than I. It was a fun read with believable characters and I think about the right length. It's not very often we read about romance and relationships from a man's perspective and this book provides an excellent insight into that. This novel gives a refreshingly honest portrait of male-female relationships and the accompanying awkwardness and misunderstandings that come with the territory. Like some other reviewers, the many references to films didn't resonate with me as I am not a film buff but that's a personal preference and not a criticism.

Simon Templar (yes, as in the Saint as in the TV series) is happily engaged to Meredith when a shocking revelation spins his life out of control, and he ends up on his best mate's couch re-discovering life as a single and experiencing the downfalls of the current dating scene.This was a quick, fun read. As a female, I found it quite interesting as it was written from a male perspective, kind of a chic-lit book for males. It was pretty amusing and certainly kept me engaged throughout, but the one thing that stopped me from rating it higher was the emphasis on references to films and music, which became a little over the top. The ending was also far too neat for my liking. But for a couple of hours of light entertainment, it was a pretty good read. The author certainly managed to draw quite a tender portrait of human relationships and friendships, which were all believable. The focus on text messaging as a major communication tool for sorting out relationship and life issues in general, was hilarious and sadly, felt very authentic, too.Thanks to the author and publisher for my copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I bought myself a copy of this book.Simon Templar was named after a suave and heroic man of action, but of course he’s nothing like him. Out with his future father-in-law who gets rather drunk, poor Simon really doesn’t expect the night to end the way it does. It seems his one chance of happiness has just been taken away from him. Everything has changed in an instant. Simon is determined however to rebuild his life, hopes and dreams.With the help and support of his best friend Sean and some rather interesting dates, Simon goes on a personal journey of self-discovery. Can he learn to trust again and finally understand what the true meaning of love is?I so like the cover for ‘Simon says'. It’s bright, it’s retro and it shouts out to you, saying “Buy Me!” This book is very different from any I have read in a while. I really liked Daniel Gothard’s style of writing and how text messages played a big part in the story. It did take me a bit of time to get into the story, but once in I found it enjoyable and couldn’t wait to get back to it. There were some really funny moments too. Surely only Simon could get into certain situations.I really liked Simon and not just because he worked in a bookshop. When Simon learnt what he did from his soon to be father-in-law he was naturally angry and upset. There were two ways to look at things, but personally I didn’t blame Simon for feeling the way he did. He needed to go and lick his wounds, take some time out and decide what to do for the best. I was so glad that Simon had Sean to turn to.'Simon says' takes an honest look at relationships, love, life, longing and friendship. It is proof that male authors can write really good rom-coms.

As an author of a romcom from a male point of view myself, I was pleased and intrigued by Simon Says. The main character shares his name with a character played by Roger Moore on the small screen some decades earlier, which is both a blessing and a curse for him. He can be an exasperating character at times, but is saved by his best friend Sean, for me the star of the show. They constantly exchange quips and dialogue from their favourite movies, so perhaps the best way to describe Simon Says is that it’s like a Simon Pegg film, a bit better than the last one I saw, the one where the female lead gatecrashes a blind date. We begin the book as the relationship between Simon and his fiancée Meredith hits crisis. At times her behaviour is poor and I’m wondering why he still says he loves her; one of the women he dates after they break up seems a better prospect. There follow some entertaining twists and turns before we reach the climax. I’d have liked Meredith either to be more likeable or more fully portrayed, so the reader could better understand her conduct, but this is the only flaw in a fluent and witty romcom.

A pleasing tale, all told. Neatly crafted and made human by the creation of believable characters. Daniel Gothard is a very good writer, passionate about what he does and determined to show the reality of romance.It was impossible for me to refrain from comparing this to his previous novel Friendship and Afterwards. That novel was beautiful - a wistful, ethereal study in human failing and truths. If I'm to be honest, I preferred that novel to Simon Says.For all its likeability, I feel Simon Says suffered for the barrage of pop-culture references. I felt that Gothard - so skilled in creating his own ambiance - detracted from creating his own sense of scene and atmosphere by repeatedly comparing his scenes to film scenes.I wanted life through Gothard's eyes - not through the eyes of the Wachowski sisters, Casablanca, Cary Grant, Friends or John Barrymore.By reading the previous reviews, it seems I am in the minority. Other readers felt the pop-cult references enhanced the novel. My frustration with this novel comes from knowing that Gothard, at the top of his game, is one of the most insightful writers I've come across in recent years.