Member Reviews
After waking up from a coma following a car accident, Cass has memories of Devin, a boyfriend she has never met! A year later, she ends up running into him at a flower shop and things get even crazier from there!
Quick thoughts:
LIKES - The storyline was really interesting and had me hooked right from the beginning! (It reminded me of While You Were Sleeping!) I also really enjoyed the plot twists and turns along the way as well!
DISLIKES - I felt that the epilogue didn’t flow as well as the rest of the book did.
Read if you like:
*interesting main characters
*fun and charming side characters
*love triangles
*a fast paced story
You know what trope I love in Hallmark movies? Amnesia! And you just don’t see it much in contemporary romcoms! Now, DREAM ON isn’t exactly amnesia (more very realistic dreams), but it’s definitely that vibe….. and I had fun reading this book!! Hockman gives us the same great writing and unique storyline, just like she did with Shipped last year!
•Love triangle - one of my most disliked tropes, but for some reason I didn’t mind it as much here…
•Perfectly lovable side characters
•Great growth for Cass
•Perry was such a sweet, cinnamon roll. I just wanted more of him and less brother!
This was a different type of romance with an unconventional start. Cass has just awoken from a coma, dreaming of her boyfriend Devin Bloom, who everyone tells her is not real. Then almost a year later, she meets him in a very meet-cute way. This was fun, but love triangles are not my thing so it took away from the story. I also didn’t love the “girl-fight” side plot, pitting women against women - I actually think the story would have been much more robust if the women were working together to get their careers off the ground instead of competing. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Cass Walker is just waking up from a lovely dream. She is on a date with a handsome man. He brought her flowers. The conversation sparkled. The kiss was sweet, but the waking was painful and bright. But then she heard her best friend’s voice and realized, as she woke up, that she was in a hospital.
Cass had been in a car accident. She had been in a coma. But now she’s awake again.
After almost a year of recovery and rehabilitation, Cass is ready to get back to her life. Right before her car accident, she’d finished law school and had accepted a position as an associate with a prestigious law firm in Cleveland. Since she couldn’t join the law firm in the fall, they had offered her a chance to be a summer associate, and possibly win her full-time position back in the fall.
But the biggest change for her after waking up in the hospital is accepting that Devin was not real. When Cass first woke up, she looked around for her boyfriend Devin. He wasn’t in the room. She wanted to call him, but her phone had been destroyed. When she asks her best friend Brie to use her phone to call Devin, Brie says that she doesn’t know who that is. Her mother didn’t know she was dating anyone. And when Cass is healthy enough to check her accounts, she finds no trace of Devin. There are no photos, no texts, no contact, no social media posts. Devin didn’t exist, except in her coma dreams.
But it’s okay. Cass has moved in with Brie, just a short walk away from her new law office, and she is ready to get back to the life she was so close to before the accident. The first day at the law firm goes well, and Cass stops after work to pick up some champagne so she and Brie can celebrate. Then a flower shop catches her eye and she decides to stop in. Perry, the owner of the shop, hears about her first day and puts together a beautiful bouquet, purple, because that would bring out the green in her eyes.
But Perry is not alone in the shop. His brother is there as well. And when he walks out from the back room, Cass faints. It’s Devin. Exactly how she had coma dreamed him.
She explains what happened to Devin, and he agrees to meet with her and try to figure out if they had met before, or if it’s the hand of fate bringing them together for some reason. They can’t figure out a connection, but they do enjoy each other’s company, so they keep spending time together. And while she can’t quite understand what it all means, Cass is doing well. Her memory is still a little spotty at times, but she manages well at work, and at home she has Brie’s support.
But as the summer goes on, life gets more complicated. A fellow associate at the firm gets competitive, and Cass feels her breathing down her neck. Her and Brie’s landlord Marcus clearly has a crush on Brie, and Cass thinks Brie likes him too, but she’s worried about taking a chance on another potential heartbreak. And while Cass is enjoying the time she spends with Devin, she finds that she’s also able to connect with is brother Perry in a different way. She mentions to him that she used to be into art, that she loved painting, and he thoughtfully gave her an easel and some paints to get her started again.
As Cass works hard and tries to find time for her relationships and her art, she is caught between who she had worked for before her accident and who she is becoming now. She has to decide if she wants what fate had brought her, or if she’s going to create her own future herself.
Dream On is an extraordinary romance, with the unique story of a woman who dreams a man into existence, only to have him show up and turn her life upside down. Angie Hockman has crafted this smart, sweet, unusual story with authentic characters and an amazing twist.
I really enjoyed Dream On, and I just had to keep reading to find out where Cass would end up at the end of the summer. I wanted to know if there was a reason Devin had come into her life, either the coma-dream Devin or the real Devin. I wanted all these characters to find true happiness. And I was not disappointed. This is not a typical rom com, but the romance is real, and the characters are so compelling. This story is lovely, and it will stick with me for some time to come.
Egalleys for Dream On were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
After a horrible car accident that leaves her in a coma for about a week, Cass wakes up wondering where Devin, her boyfriend of 3 months, is. After talking to her friends and family, Cass finds out Devin isn’t real. Her brain made him up along with the many memories she has of him. Almost a year later, Cass walks into a flower shop and there he is. He has never met her but after hearing her story he agrees to get to know her and they start a real life romance.
I loved this unique premise and Hockman’s writing really elevated the story. I love how descriptive she is and I had such a clear picture of what was happening the entire time. It almost felt like I was there. I really loved seeing Cass’s journey as she struggles to figure out not only her work life but also her career. I felt for her as she tried to figure out her life and enjoyed seeing her come to terms with how her desires changed after the accident. Lastly, I really enjoyed every single one of the side characters and felt they all really added something special to not only the story, but also Cass’s life.
Thank you to Gallery Books for the advance copy
What if one day you’re living the perfect life with the perfect man, you think you’re living your best life but then one day.. you wake up from a coma and the reality that the perfect life you’d been living never existed is thrust upon you? What if the doctors and your friends and family tell you that no, they’d never met this seemingly perfect man and are quite plainly worried about your sanity?? Not only that but you keep having memories of this man who you can draw from memory & yet have no reasoning as to why you keep having these “visions”?
But then one day as you’re set on leaving those fantasies on the back burner, BAM. You see your literal dream man and promptly faint.
Dream On is my most recent current read and I am absolutely in love with it! It feels like a different take on the losing your memory and forgetting your significant other trope & it had such a cute and unexpected ending that it was just such a great read!
Cass is in her mid-twenties and just sat for the bar exam when she's in a car accident leaving her with a head injury and in a days long coma. Upon waking she recalls a great romance and hunky boyfriend who never existed according to everyone around her. It's disorienting, but doctors assure her it's likely due to her injuries. A year later she's finally getting her life on track including starting an internship at a big law firm, which she had to defer due to her accident, when she happens into a cute, local flower shop to find the man of her coma dreams... and his brother.
Dream On is a bit like a reverse While You Were Sleeping (the mid-90s Christmas classic starring Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, and Peter Gallagher. IYKYK. If you don't know... well, you should. I rewatched it this past holiday season and it's truly a heartwarming gem.) Cass befriends one brother, strikes up a romance with the other, becomes involved in helping to save their family business, discovers more about herself, there's also a charming flower shop dog; it's all very cute and readable with a good balance of characterization and plot. Plus, it's set in the adorable historic Ohio Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, there's also a brief sojourn to Columbus, where I'm located. The setting is great, I can only assume author Angie Hockman is from the area.
I found this on par with Hockman's debut Shipped which I also enjoyed. As with Shipped I do wish there had been more steam, but I'll survive. Dream On would make a great addition to your summer/beach reading!
I LOVE THIS BOOK!
It wasn't predictable. It kept me thinking and guessing. I also love that it was SOOOOO different from Hockman's previous book, Shipped.
One of my favorites of 2022!
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.
Posted on Instagram on 7/6/2022.
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I really loved this book! As a lawyer and a Clevelander, I just connected with the story in every way! I did not know the author is from my area. I can't wait to read what she publishes next.
This is one of those anomalous books where I can say: Was it good? Eh. Did I like it? Very much! So the rating is for almost pure enjoyment of the story. It's so over-the-top ridiculous, but what can you expect from a coma/memory/fate story? It's gonna be absurd. The key here is that Hockman made the absurd fun and engaging, no matter how obvious the ending or "twist." If you are looking for a feel-good story with some seriously silly turns this is the perfect book for you.
I did take off one star for the epilogue - it was just....what? It wrapped up everyone's stories I suppose but the random explicit spice scene felt so forced, like a publisher said "Hey, readers want heat in their romance now so give it a go." I'd advise skipping the epilogue as the main story wraps up enough and is adorable without the jarring shift from PG to R. This coming from someone who adores spice - it's out of place here.
**Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the eARC**
I couldn’t put this one down. The story line was so unique I had to know where it was going next. Not only was it so interesting, but the plot twist- unexpected! Lots of romance novels can be predictable, but I must say. I didn’t see this one coming. It was a great read— I loved it!
Cass is in an accident that puts her into a coma. While she’s in a coma she dreams of Devin. When she wakes there’s no evidence he was real… until she sees him in real life. But they don’t actually know each other. They have to figure out how she knows everything about him and why she dreamed of him- what that means…. We also have Devin’s brother whose a huge part of the story line, as well as Mercedes, Brie, and Marcus.
I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Since I couldn’t put it down.
This book was SO ENJOYABLE!
A perfect summer read with good feeling vibes . It was a great plot that kept me wanting to keep reading to see how the book would end .
I would highly recommend !
Angie Hockman's Dream On was cute, fun rom-com...perfect beach read. I had a little difficulty with the brotherly rivalry, but the author managed to straighten that out by the end of the novel. There was a slight element of mystery as well that kept me guessing....how did Cass 'know' Devin when she awoke from her coma...you'll have to read it to find out!
When Cass wakes from a coma, she vividly remembers her six month relationship with Devin. Problem is, there’s no evidence they know each other and no proof of his existence on social media. A year later when she walks into a local floral shop, her world turns upside down runs into Devin.
The premise of this book is so unique and really sucked me in quickly. I didn’t feel engaged past the initial set up and thought most of the storylines resolved way too quickly. The author used a trope I’m not a huge fan of, and given that it’s technically a spoiler, most reviews didn’t mention it. I’m probably just not the right reader for this one.
CW: the female MC is in a car accident and coma for six days; she suffers memory loss as a result. There’s a story line related to pregnancy loss.
Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Dream On was a rom com lover’s dream.
It felt like a combination of While You Were Sleeping, Serendipity and Only You in the best way possible. It was a pleasure reading a rom com, slow burn that had me rooting for the underdog. I will definitely be reading everything Angie Hockman comes out with in the future.
*huge thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!
Please read this review with that audio clip of Lady Gaga in the background, "...brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before..."
𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗢𝗡 is like no contemporary romance that I've ever read before, with a totally fresh premise that hooked me from page one. And the premise never feels gimmicky or forced.
Cass is a wonderful female lead. She is smart, hard-working, relatable, and so damn likable. I adored her. I loved her best friend and their supportive friendship!
I can't expound on the male lead and how much I love him without spoilers so, let me just say, I ADORE HIM SO HARD. You will too.
Because I'm a stingy-star-bitch, I took off half a star from my rating because the steamy scene in this book felt thrown in as an afterthought in a very odd place in the book (and you KNOW I love a steamy scene). It felt like a box to be checked instead of a natural part of the narrative.
But, you know, feel feee to ignore that minor setback because 𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗢𝗡 should absolutely be next on your TBR. It is original, thoughtful, sweet, swoony, unpredictable, and I freaking loved it.
𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated PG-13 / Only 1 descriptive sex scene, may have harsh language.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: coma, auto accident, traumatic brain injury, past miscarriage (side character)
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.
This book had potential but is a miss for one reason in particular. I don’t love the miscommunication trope but there are times it has been done well. This was not it. Applying the miscommunication trope to a miscarriage and having her ditched in the hospital is a big no for me.
Dream On by Angie Hockman is a spectacular read! I loved everything about it. Having read "Shipped" by this author I know it was going to be good. It's charming, delightful, and funny. All the different storylines are woven together perfectly. The mystery of how and the revelation of Cass and Devin's original meeting is stunning. The tension between Cass and Perry was palpable from the beginning, which, of course, led to a lot of pining. Despite how it looks, there is really no love triangle here, just Cass trying to figure out her life. Honestly, I adored this book and can't recommend it highly enough.
I loved the premise of this book! It sounded so interesting and (along with the cute cover) that is what drew me to read it.
The characters were interesting to me in that they weren’t flawless people; they were real. They had motivations that sometimes didn’t align with what others wanted, but life really is like that sometimes.
I kind of saw what the “twists” were going to be very early on but I don’t think the writing was predictable. On the contrary, I felt like the author did a great job of foreshadowing by building in clues throughout. It was still enjoyable to see how the twists played out once they actually happened. Additionally, I appreciated that the ending wrapped up the loose thread we follow from the beginning. I was so wrapped up in the story that I wasn’t expecting it, but it was nice to completely understand what had triggered the events in the first place.
I read this book in a day because I enjoyed it so much! Even though love triangle isn’t usually my favorite, I felt like this one was developed well that I still wanted to read.
Highly recommend this one if you’re looking for an interesting take on romance novels and enjoy a quick read.
Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this ARC of 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘖𝘯 by Angie Hockman!
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 5, 2022
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When law student Cass Walker wakes up after surviving a car accident, she is flooded with memories of her boyfriend, Devin. The only problem? Devin doesn’t exist. But everything she remembers about him feels so real, like the precise shade of his coffee-brown eyes; the texture of his favorite hand-me-down scarf; even the slightly crooked angle of his pinkie, broken after falling off a trampoline in third grade. She knows he’s a figment of her imagination—friends, family, and doctors confirm it—but she still can’t seem to get him out of her head.
So when she runs into the real Devin a year later in a Cleveland flower shop, she’s completely shocked.
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I loved Hockman's debut rom-com, 𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥, so I was thrilled to get an early copy of her latest! I thought the initial plot set-up was unique. Girl wakes up with memories of a boyfriend who doesn't exist...immediately intrigued.
In typical rom-com fashion, there was predictability but it didn't take away from the story for me. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters...especially the best friend. This was a quick, cute read! Perfect for summer time when you just want something light and happy.
There was one steamy scene in this book that I thought felt completely off from the tone of the rest of the book. The timing was weird and it didn't feel like it flowed well. It honestly took away from the story for me.