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Living the Dream: An Unconventional Romance
At 45, Mark Allen made the boldest decision of his life.
Tired of playing it safe, he walked away from his old life, left everything behind, and headed straight for Bangkok with nothing but a dream and a one-way ticket. His dream? To finally make it as an author in a city where his savings could actually stretch—and where adventure waited around every corner.
But living the dream gets complicated fast.
When his online friend Yui flies in from Japan to visit, their virtual connection ignites into something electric and real. Her porcelain beauty and gentle spirit captivate him completely—until he meets Akiko, the stunning maid cafe worker whose sultry smile and mysterious past draw him in like a magnet.
Now Mark's juggling more than just his writing career. Two incredible women have stolen his heart, and navigating love in a foreign land while chasing his dreams proves more challenging—and more intoxicating—than he ever imagined.
From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the temples of Laos, Mark discovers that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the most extraordinary rewards. But when you're living the dream, how do you choose between two perfect fantasies?
Sometimes, you have to lose everything to find what you're really looking for.
Living the Dream is a slice of life unconventional romance for men.
Tired of playing it safe, he walked away from his old life, left everything behind, and headed straight for Bangkok with nothing but a dream and a one-way ticket. His dream? To finally make it as an author in a city where his savings could actually stretch—and where adventure waited around every corner.
But living the dream gets complicated fast.
When his online friend Yui flies in from Japan to visit, their virtual connection ignites into something electric and real. Her porcelain beauty and gentle spirit captivate him completely—until he meets Akiko, the stunning maid cafe worker whose sultry smile and mysterious past draw him in like a magnet.
Now Mark's juggling more than just his writing career. Two incredible women have stolen his heart, and navigating love in a foreign land while chasing his dreams proves more challenging—and more intoxicating—than he ever imagined.
From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the temples of Laos, Mark discovers that sometimes the biggest risks lead to the most extraordinary rewards. But when you're living the dream, how do you choose between two perfect fantasies?
Sometimes, you have to lose everything to find what you're really looking for.
Living the Dream is a slice of life unconventional romance for men.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 23, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 25, 2025
A nice palete cleanser
Nice little romp with cute characters. The relationships felt very rushed and I didn't feel a lot of genuine connection but it's fine if you don't take the book to serious. My only other complaint is that most of the time during direct dialog exchange it was hard to discern who was actually talking without reread sometimes multiple time. There's no clear way to fix that it just depends on the way it's written compared to the way it's read but would be worth redoing some of the interactions to be more clear in future books. I maybe would read a sequel but honestly unless we get way more in depth with our characters I think this is best as a one off.
Nice little romp with cute characters. The relationships felt very rushed and I didn't feel a lot of genuine connection but it's fine if you don't take the book to serious. My only other complaint is that most of the time during direct dialog exchange it was hard to discern who was actually talking without reread sometimes multiple time. There's no clear way to fix that it just depends on the way it's written compared to the way it's read but would be worth redoing some of the interactions to be more clear in future books. I maybe would read a sequel but honestly unless we get way more in depth with our characters I think this is best as a one off.
February 1, 2026
Marvelous story
I hope the author does more stories with these characters - they are so lovable. Excellent job by the author in describing living overseas. I have traveled around the world, but I have never been to Thailand - need to rectify that. Once again, hopefully the author will do more stories with these characters and their traveling adventures! Very nice writing!
I hope the author does more stories with these characters - they are so lovable. Excellent job by the author in describing living overseas. I have traveled around the world, but I have never been to Thailand - need to rectify that. Once again, hopefully the author will do more stories with these characters and their traveling adventures! Very nice writing!
September 29, 2025
A very sweet story
Wow this was a really sweet and nice story. You really get to know and care about the characters. I really hope there is a book two.
Wow this was a really sweet and nice story. You really get to know and care about the characters. I really hope there is a book two.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews