What a fantastic book! I tried this audiobook at first but struggled with the non-human narrator and couldn't follow the story this way, so I ended up having to switch to the ebook. It took me months to read for COVID-related reasons, but I almost liked that better because of how drawn out the experience was. Enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance, a unique concept (a curse that causes nightmares to come alive and attack every new moon), amazing world building, high stakes, plot twists, characters I couldn't help but love -- this book has it all! Seriously, the romance was A+ and that's hard to pull off in a standalone novel of this type, for me at least. Loved this book.

This book had a really unique premise. Magicians are tasked with recording the nightmares of the people within their jurisdiction, and on the new moon they fight and dispel the nightmares come to life. Clementine is her father's apprentice and he is the Warden of the small town they live in. The both have magic, and help the people deal with the frightening things they see when they sleep. Clem's father is challenged for his Wardenship, and when he and Clem fail to vanquish the nightmare before the other team of magicians, they must leave their home and start a new life. Clementine is determined to regain their home and their position as wardens of the small town she loves. What she doesn't know is that she is connected to the curse that causes the nightmare and her quest for vengeance may lead her down a path she never expected.

While I thought the magic system was really unique, I did feel the different kinds of magic could have been explained a bit more. This may be personal preference, but I like a bit more detail when it comes to magic systems and how they work. There was never really an explanation as to why some people had certain types of magic and how others were able to obtaining it through schooling. I have many questions about the magic that were never explained. I also thought the pacing was off. I feel like this could have been a duology as the latter part of the book takes us away from the original plot and could have been a story on it's own. It does all come together but I feel like certain things needed more explanation or development. There is a slow burn romance that is very tame. There are a few kisses and longing glances, I think they hold hands once or twice.

This was an enjoyable YA fantasy/romance, but it was missing something for me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular either. I've read a few of Ross' other books and have really enjoyed them. I look forward to reading her work in the future.

I received an arc of the audiobook via Netgalley, but I found that I couldn't follow the synthetic voice at all. If you are an audio listener you know that the narrator is key to listening to the story that the author has penned. I ended up waiting for the final audio version with a real narrator, which was a much more enjoyable experience. Chloe Dolandis did a really nice job narrating this.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

This is a good standalone fantasy with lots of magic, fairytale elements, enemies to lovers, slow burn kind of book. The beginning was a little chaotic and hard going at first but I didn’t want to stop reading it so I kept going. Really glad I did! It was pitched as being great for those who liked The Night Circus and The Hazelwood so I was nervous going into it… I DNF’d Night Circus, but I really enjoyed this one.

The audio was obviously synthetic as it was an audio arc so I’m looking forward to reading the finished copy!

Not a bad book but I did have trouble getting into it. I think I might try again another time, maybe not as an audio book.

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for sending me an arc of this book to read!*

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is one of the most interesting books that I have listened to in a while. As soon as I saw that it was for fans of The Cruel Prince, I HAD to have it. The magic system is absolutely amazing and like nothing I have ever read before. It is a little complicated to get a grasp of at first, but Rebecca Ross does a great job of avoiding info dumps and overloads at all costs--Which is greatly appreciated. I also enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the entire story as well. And the world-building? *chef's kiss*

The only thing that is keeping me from giving it the full 5 stars is my need to re-read the book. I originally listened to it via audiobook arc and it was a computerized voice doing the reading, which made it a little difficult for me to follow sometimes. I am planning on picking the book up from my local B&N this month though so I can read it again, and I will be updating this review because I have no doubt that I will give it 5 stars! It is just a little hard for me to give it 5 stars at the moment because I had to rewind the audiobook sometimes and there was a weird disconnect between the voice and the emotions scenes were trying to convey.

However, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an action-packed fantasy with some romance in it (one bed, anyone? *wink wink*).

I really enjoyed this book! It had an interesting premise where nightmares become real and the wardens have to physically fight them off (and can get injured or killed in the process). It has magic and deception and even a romance woven in, which was a nice touch. There were a couple of twists that really threw me for a loop. I found myself wanting more when it was over - I would love for the author to write a sequel! I definitely recommend this one if you're a fan of fantasy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

<i>Dreams Lie Beneath</i> was a disappointment.
The story started off promising to me: the nightmares of the town coming to life on the New Moon of every month, Clem and her father being kicked out of their home by young magicians, and Clem’s vow for revenge.
A promising premise is about all it had – the magic system explored further. It was made more confusing by Phalen’s telling Clem later on that he didn’t have the gift originally and had to work hard at school – but at other times it’s alluded to that magic is an inherent gift.
Clem’s revenge plan was lackluster as well. I was fully supportive of it, but then the extent of it is to write an expose – and from what we hear of it, it just features old rumors she heard – which will make for a boring expose.
The last act of the book was fine – the ‘twist’ wasn’t a surprise due to heavy foreshadowing. It leaves you questioning how the heck the economic system is going to work but, ~hand wavy neat tie up~
The writing was the definition of ‘purple prose’. The dialogue was going for ‘old timey fancy language’ (I think), but it just came off as pretentious.
If you’re looking for an escape read with a magic system and plot you shouldn’t investigate too closely, <i>Dreams Lie Beneath</i> is the book for you.

<b>Audiobook Review:</b> It was fine, at best. Which mostly is due to the source material. The Narrator wasn’t great at doing voices for the characters. Sometimes it’d switch back to the regular voice halfway through a sentence.

This was a DNF for me. I think it was the formatting and also the voice on the audio book. i will update my review once i have read the physical copy or the actual finished audio. thank you netgalley for the audio ARC.

We are transported to Azenor which is cursed because their nightmares come to life.
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This fantasy revolves around Clem who is a doctor/warden in training for the ails of dreams by going into them and vanquishing them. She’s very likable in that she wants to help everyone including the troll hiding in their town. At least until the day, her father is challenged, and they lose the only home Clem’s ever known.
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Now we meet a quite different Clem who’s out for revenge. So, with the troll's help, she is magically transformed in appearance so she can get close to her enemies. I found the troll a fascinating character and how someone you’d assume should be evil actually wasn’t.
I also love the cloak and dagger aspect.
⛰
Clem gets pulled into something bigger than herself and despite her revenge plan still helps when she can. The more Clem learns about her enemies the more she changes. There’s a slow-burn romance and lots of personal and external conflict.
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Is her enemy really the enemy? Who is the recurring knight trying to kill them? Is there a way to break the curse?
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This fantasy was a lot of fun. 5 Stars
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Thank you #netgalley for an audio copy of #dreamsliebeneath

I've had one of this author's other books in my TBR since 2016. I will have to bump it my list because this book was very enjoyable. It started off pretty slow, a little confusing, but once Lennox and Phelan got into town, it started to ramp up. The magic of nightmares and the full moon curse was all a bit confusing and odd but definitely interesting.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper/Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy/voicegalley!

This book had me absolutely gripped from the first page! It's been a minute since I've audibly gasped out loud, multiple times, as well as *screamed* while listening in my car while headed to work! There were so many unexpected twists and turns, and the relationships were *chefs kiss*. I loved Clem's relationship with her father and Imonie, and the way the world and magic system were laid out. I don't think there was a single point in the book where I was bored or left wanting more, everything was paced perfectly even when there was minimal action occuring.

The way that the "wraith" cards were tied in to the story with the other members of the court completely took me off guard, and I love the way she sprinkled in hints and small details without really making us too aware in the beginning how important each detail truly was. The final twist with Clem's father and Emrys completely took me by surprise, and seeing them fight the dreams night after night in the castle was one of my favorite parts.

I liked the slow progression of Clem and Phelan's relationship as well, from outright hatred and competition, to endearment and love (while enduring lies) raised the stakes even higher than they already were. I liked how drastically different Phalen and his brother were, and how their personalities and relationship made a nice mirror to the tale of "the two brothers" from the Seran Duchy. And seeing Clem willingly give up a piece of herself for the magic to cloak her appearance and become a new person for her "mission" was particularly emotional for me, seeing her resist experiencing her own emotions and feelings for people throughout the story's progression.

This book is now hands down one of my favorites, and I have quite a few editions on the way. 5/5 stars.

My only complaints are just that the first half could be a little slow at some points and that the audio was hard to follow along with sometimes, since it was a computer voice and not a real person reading the story. The audio made it hard to parse the tone characters used and it made my attention waver to the point that I had to go back and listen to some parts multiple times.

The plot of the book is just YA-cliche enough to feel comfortable and easy to read while also being unique enough that I had fun connecting dots of what was going to happen next. I thought that the Wardens and the dreams/nightmares was an interesting concept and I thought the author fleshed it out well without it being too simple or too convoluted. The characters were fun, and the relationships were refreshing.

I'm the type of reader who doesn't necessarily pay attention to writing styles unless they are very good or very bad, and I definitely noticed Ms. Ross's. Her writing was very atmospheric and whimsical. It was a big part of setting the scene. Her writing style was my favorite part of the book.

It's a stand alone that accomplished telling an interesting, fleshed out story, and I would definitely recommend it as a Before Bed read, lol.

Here is a link to my goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4082325285

This was a DNF for me. I think it was the formatting and will update my review if I read the hard copy.

I cannot comment on if the final narrator of this audiobook was good or not because I received a voicegalley with auto generated audio.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rebecca Ross takes us on a journey and weaves little breadcrumbs throughout the story that all make perfect sense when we reach the end. I ended up reading this at 2x speed for the last half because I couldn't wait any longer and needed to know what happened.

Looking forward to reading more from Rebecca in the future.

I loved this book so, so much.
What drew me in was the comparison to The Night Circus and while I wouldn't say it was similar at all the book was still so much fun.

Dreams Lie Beneath is magical and captivating, the best kind of fairytale to become enraptured with. Rebecca Ross has crafted a promising debut with whimsical writing, an intricate storyline, and phenomenal world building, some so luscious and terrifying that it captures you from the moment you first set sight on the world of Azenor.

This book. It’s so entrancing. It’s a great combination of fantasy meets action with a swivel of romance. Clementine is such a well written character, an absolute memorable one. What I really enjoyed about this book is how relatable the characters are. The plot twists were great and I love how fast paced this book was for me. I know it’s supposed to be a standalone but I have to question if there will be a second and if there is I am not opposed to it!

Dreams Lie Beneath is one of the best books I've read in ages. The narrator was a synthetic voice for the purpose of listening to and reviewing an early version of the audiobook, so I can only imagine how good the finished and final version will be. It says a lot about story when you can lose yourself completely in what's happening despite a slightly robotic voice doing all of the reading. There's no inflection or change in cadence, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed the story Rebecca Ross created.

Clementine is a wonderful character that is driven (initially) by revenge and anger. She holds on to her wounded pride and uses her feelings to get even with those that have wronged her. She chose to avenge herself - and her father - instead of sulking away and reinventing her life somewhere new. Clem goes to extreme lengths to see her plan fulfilled, and I'm not sure I would have had the same gumption had I been in her shoes.

As the reader, we don't know what's really happening throughout the story until Clem learns or discovers something. We know what she knows, and I thought the pacing was really well done and kept me engaged the entire time. I loved the history of the nightmares and wardens; the eerie card game and secrets kept locked away. The magic, the world-building and the characters made Dreams Lie Beneath a truly evocative experience that I didn't want to end.

I also really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance that changed and evolved over the course of the book. Phelan was giving off major Mr. Darcy vibes, especially when Clem takes down his hair. 😳 A slow-burn romance at its best. Would I have liked a little more romance? Always. However, I did think their relationship was well written and realistic. I really hope there's a second book that features them and what their lives look like a few years later.

My one small complaint would be Clem's family. I wish they had played a more prominent role in the story, but I can also understand why the author kept them at a distance. This was Clementine's book - and she definitely stole the show - but she also needed autonomy and space to see her plan come to fruition. I normally dislike when the bulk of a story is based on secrets and lies, but the deceptions were what made this book so interesting. I didn't always know who to trust, and that made me question and second-guess everyone Clem encountered.

Fighting nightmares on the new moon, enacting revenge for yourself and your family, falling for someone unexpectedly, and all of the magic and history made Dreams Lie Beneath a book you definitely want to look for.

I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again- Rebecca Ross is QUEEN of the fantasy world, her world building is not only one of the best I’ve seen in aspects of introducing it in the story in a way that builds intrigue and fascination but her fantasy tales are also some of the most creative and unique that I’ve ever read about.

This specific world of dreams and magicians is intricately lush and complex. Clementine’s world is one I am desperately in love with. Fusing mystery, magic, and court intrigue unlike any other I’ve seen was only the beginning of this captivating story. Add to that an agonizing, tension filled slow burn enemies to lovers, phenomenal engaging writing, and a story within a story that had me at a chokehold- I introduce you to the one of the best fantasies of the year.

If you’re like me and the dream world is your happy place, then look no further than Dreams Lie Beneath where dreams are a rarity and nightmares come to life to be defeated.

My only complaint is that this is a stand-alone and I’d love to read more from this world, it’s one that I severely don’t want to let go of!

A huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early audio version to listen to.

*Arc provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely loved this book. Without getting spoilery it was everything I've been missing in recent YA fantasy. Rebecca Ross crafted a unique magical world that evolved throughout the entire book and never felt stale. Clementine was likable and the typical fantasy tropes were done in a way that didn't feel forced. I would read more from this world in a heartbeat.