Reflections on the Boulevard


Fiction - Literary
240 Pages
Reviewed on 06/20/2023
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Reflections on the Boulevard is a slice-of-life drama. A sequel to LJ Ambrosio's A Reservoir Man, the book follows the story of Michael, a sixty-five-year-old former talent agency owner who takes a year of sabbatical from the university to pursue other interests. When Michael comes across Ron, a homeless young man looking for a place to stay, his life turns upside down. Ron's father died of Covid-19, leading to his mother's deteriorating mental health, which made him lose his way. Soon, Michael takes Ron under his wing, and the two men form an unlikely friendship, embarking on a cross-country road trip alongside Ron's newly adopted dog, Rhonda. When Michael is diagnosed with a terminal disease, he ignores the doctor's advice and takes Ron on a European tour, where he learns what it means to be a man.

Reflections on the Boulevard is a heartwarming story about the friendship between two men on opposite spectrums of life. Author LJ Ambrosio infuses a lot of heart, humor, and bittersweet emotions into this moving tale that engages you until the end. The narrative is primarily character-driven, with Michael and Ron's friendship at the story's center. Michael becomes a fatherly figure/mentor to young Ron, guiding the lost young man through the complexities and rigors of life and its unpredictable surprises. Although Ron feels betrayed by Michael at one point, he soon learns to accept Ron for who he is and grows as a person all the more for that—highly recommended.