American Woman

Witty women's fiction following an aspiring actress whose Hollywood dream stalls, until an unlikely transatlantic romance rewrites her life. Warm, emotionally layered storytelling of midlife reinvention, second chances, betrayal and hard-won independence.She left Idaho chasing a dream. What she found was unexpected love.Jennifer believed Hollywood would be her big break. Instead, she’s waiting tables in a crumbling LA diner, wondering how she ended up serving toast to hungover B-listers. Enter Gareth: quiet, clever, and unmistakably Welsh. A connection sparks—improbable, but oddly irresistible.From California and the Carolinas to a chilly London flat, their story unfolds. But when Gareth’s tangled past finally surfaces—his job, his marriage, his version of the truth—Jennifer finds herself penniless, heartbroken, and stranded in a country where she doesn’t even understand the sarcasm.Now a regular at the Dream Café and slowly rebuilding a life of her own, Jennifer is no longer simply that woman who left Idaho. But when Gareth resurfaces—full of apologies and good intentions—she has to decide: can you forgive the person who helped you believe in yourself again… but then let you down?The American Woman is the third standalone in the At the Dream Café series. Witty, emotionally layered fiction for readers who love second chances, romantic misfires, and finding your footing far from home.RJ Gould is a feature contributor for publications including Writing Magazine and Pen to Print, and a presenter covering The MAN in RoMANce at Romantic Novelists' Association annual conferences, regional workshops, The University of the Third Age, and Cambridge Writers. His book Dream Café was shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award, 2016.Praise for The American Woman:★★★★★ "I was rooting for her to achieve her dreams."★★★★★ "A fantastic book… loved the travelling around part of the story."★★★★★ "Jennifer was brave to do what she did, and I was happy where she ended up."★★★★★ "The flashback chapters were handled beautifully."★★★★★ "Loved the community feel."★★★★★ "I found Jennifer to be really interesting."★★★★★ "It was inspiring to see her muddling through her difficult times."★★★★★ "This book works as a standalone perfectly (although now I want to read the others)."★★★★★ "The author is very good at sharing descriptions of places and characters."★★★★★ "I’m definitely going to look out for more books by this author."