Raymond M. Rose

Better Together by Raymond Rose is an emotionally charged story about raising a child as a single father. I will admit this is not the type of book that I would initially pull off the shelves, but I am very glad I read it. The novel is a contemporary fiction book so it is written in a very modern style, but despite that Rose is able to draw you into the world of Paul and his son Max.

Rose has a wonderful way with creating everlasting images through his descriptions. His writing is full of details that allow you to truly sense the world he has created. My one complaint was an excessive use of metaphors, but at the same time his metaphors were often creative and did provide an insight into the story. Some of the scenes were so cleverly written that they made me laugh out loud while reading.

The characters in the story were also well developed and it was easy to be emotionally attached to each and everyone of them. This is what made the book an immense success in my mind. I was so connected with the protagonist that when things were hard for him in the book I felt tears forming in my eyes and when things were going well I found a smile on my face. Not all books are successful in this fashion and I don’t find myself tearing up very often in a book, but Better Together had me tearing up in several places. This book is an emotional roller coaster and the great affection that the reader feels for the characters makes it easy for one to find themselves laughing and crying while reading.

Overall Better Together is a great short novel. It took me only a day to read, so it is definitely worth the short amount of time to read and it’s emotionally charged writing makes it a wonderful book to spend time with.

… (mais)

Paul Rhoads is devastated when his wife, Annie, is tragically killed within weeks of their wedding, leaving her infant son from a previous marriage, in Paul’s custody. Paul struggles with his sudden role as a single father, his uncertainly complicated by his grief. Yet, with the support of his mother and close friends, he builds a life for himself and Max. Four years later,Paul finds his relationship with his much loved child threatened when Max’s biological father demands the right to get to know his son.

The male perspective provides the storyline with fresh appeal as it is rarely used in this type of fiction. Paul is a sympathetic figure whose choice to raise his late wife’s son as his own, is admirable. In my experience, fathers who take on the primary child care role for whatever reason are generally encouraged, admired and supported more than any woman in a similar situation. I found it interesting that Rose chose to highlight the rhetoric Paul encountered at the mother’s group. I thought it a slightly heavy handed tactic to explore a stereotype that I would not consider prevalent in contemporary society though I concede it is still considered a social anomaly for a man to raise a child on his own, particularly one who is not biologically his. Still it is an interesting viewpoint from a masculine perspective and adds interesting personal conflict.
In general the plot is strong and the story unfolds well. I thought the only real flaw in the story was Paul’s failure to consult a lawyer as soon as Jason approached him. I felt it was out of character and a convenient, rather than credible, plot point, particularly after Jason refused to return Max. I didn’t believe Paul would make no moves to recover the boy for nearly two weeks, and not be more aware of his rights as a legal guardian.
While I thought the storyline and characterisation generally strong,it didn’t quite make up for some issues I had with the writing. I only noticed a moderate amount of spelling and grammatical errors, but there were several examples of poor sentence structure that I found distracting. The author vacillated between a third person and omniscient narrative, as well as the past and present tense, sometimes in the same sentence. The quality of the editing dropped off noticeably in the latter half of the book and for me, these rough edges took the shine off what could have been an impressive debut.
The elements of an engaging story are in place, and just a little more polish and experience could strengthen the integrity of the novel. Overall however Better Together is a poignant story of love and loss and is a pleasant read.… (mais)

Article first published as Book Review:Better Together by Raymond Rose on Blogcritics.

Paul Rhoads is a writer, ready to return home. Beginning to miss those small things he took for granted in his youth, he is successful yet restless. Part of what drives him is Annie, his best friend. A new mother and yet recently divorced, she too is looking forward to seeing Paul again. Her angst is real and while she certainly has strong feelings for Paul, her newly divorced husband, a philanderer in his own right, uses reverse psychology on Annie, accusing her of having her friend Paul’s baby. It is with just a bit of anger and trepidation that she begins her new life, one as the mother of a baby Boy named Max.

As Paul and Annie rekindle their friendship, it grows into love. Yet Paul is concerned, can he overcome the fact that Max is not his own child? Will he resent this and allow it to color their relationship? After much thought he determines that he can accept Max, and as a part of Annie, he will be able to have a strong relationship. When Annie accepts his proposal he is ecstatic, his whole world is changing. As he comes to spend just a bit of time with Max, a small bud of love grows. Having never been around a child, the love deepens leaving no sign of his initial feeling. Taking Max with him on errands and spending quality time with him give Paul such pleasure. It only takes one instant for life to change, just one reckless mistake, for lives to be changed forever. When Annie dies in a car accident just two short weeks after their wedding, the loss is devastating.

Paul tries to do the right thing. He contacts Max’s real father Jason, who brushes him off. Paul preservers believe Max should be with his biological father and actually goes to Jason’s place of work to confront him. He finds Jason on the eve of a new marriage, and absolutely no interest in a son he wants nothing to do with. What can Paul do, while he is the guardian, he and Annie were only married a few short weeks? Can he learn to be a father to another man’s son?

In Better Together, Raymond Rose has taken a tragedy and built a story of love. Paul is a young man, left in an untenable position. He initially feels overwhelmed with life, and begins to find himself in a bit of a depression. His mother is there to help him through his new fatherhood in whatever way he feels necessary, and offers him advice when asked. However, she is there for guidance and allows him to grow into the position of fatherhood in his own way with much gentle encouragement.

Annie’s friends are also there along with an old friend of his from school, there to help him through both his grieving and his growth. When he finds himself with questions, he remembers his lessons as a writer. He can research; he can find the answers by finding the right questions. He wants so badly to be the best father and yet women who feel he should be looking for a Mother for Max often mimic his doubts. He understands the dilemma, but he is not ready, the grieving process is still painful.

Max is a joy and Rose does a wonderful job of bringing this delightful child into being. His characterizations are charming, and Max’s simple exclamations and antics bring him to life. He is precocious and precious, and even twists the wary reader around his finger. As Paul and Max build their life together and Max grows and develops into a wonderful and charismatic five year old, Paul’s life is finally beginning to come together. When Max’s father suddenly intrudes back into their life, Paul tries hard to be fair with Max’s time.

However, when Jason and his new wife kidnap Max, Paul is lost. As his father, Jason holds all the cards. What will he do, and how will he get his son back? Jason is the donor, but to Paul he is no longer the father, that is Paul’s title and he will not give it up. Can he win this battle, and get his son back?

This is a wonderful heartwarming story about fatherhood. Rose does a great job of building his characters and making you care about them. If you enjoy people and their interactions, you will love this book. It is interesting and well written with characters to care about. It would be a marvelous book for a reading club or a book club. It deals with many different, stereotypes and characterizations, which would be interesting in a discussion group.

This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.… (mais)

Better Together by Raymond Rose is an emotionally charged story about raising a child as a single father. I will admit this is not the type of book that I would initially pull off the shelves, but I am very glad I read it. The novel is a contemporary fiction book so it is written in a very modern style, but despite that Rose is able to draw you into the world of Paul and his son Max.

Rose has a wonderful way with creating everlasting images through his descriptions. His writing is full of details that allow you to truly sense the world he has created. My one complaint was an excessive use of metaphors, but at the same time his metaphors were often creative and did provide an insight into the story. Some of the scenes were so cleverly written that they made me laugh out loud while reading.

The characters in the story were also well developed and it was easy to be emotionally attached to each and everyone of them. This is what made the book an immense success in my mind. I was so connected with the protagonist that when things were hard for him in the book I felt tears forming in my eyes and when things were going well I found a smile on my face. Not all books are successful in this fashion and I don’t find myself tearing up very often in a book, but Better Together had me tearing up in several places. This book is an emotional roller coaster and the great affection that the reader feels for the characters makes it easy for one to find themselves laughing and crying while reading.

Overall Better Together is a great short novel. It took me only a day to read, so it is definitely worth the short amount of time to read and it’s emotionally charged writing makes it a wonderful book to spend time with.… (mais)