Title: Bringing Me Dreams
Author: KG MacGregor
Summary: Reeling from her brother’s senseless death, Gianna Del Vecchio finds comfort in an online forum from a woman who suffered a similar loss. Theirs is a club no one wants to join—survivors of a loved one’s suicide. Photos posted to the forum of the woman’s cute therapy dog bring cheer when nothing else can, and Gianna is compelled to reach out to say thanks.
After two years, Keenan McEvoy is still fighting her way back from despair after losing her partner, Annabel. She’s surprised when she connects with Gianna, whose kindness and compassion ignite a spark she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel again
Their fledgling romance is jeopardized by Jaz, Gianna’s ex-girlfriend and current best friend, who’ll stop at nothing to keep them apart.
Review: What I liked: 1.) Less common plot than I’m used to reading (loved ones of suicide victims as the main characters) 2.) Personally, I haven’t read a lot of queer romance books where there is a jealous ex, and I found it interesting. 3.) A twist I won’t reveal that I truly wasn’t expecting.
Opportunities for improvement: 1.) The pace of the plot was rushed at several points throughout the story 2.) The writing was overly simple at times.
ARC copy was supplied by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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This story revolves around Gianna and Keenan. They meet online through a suicide survivor's forum. Gianna lost her brother and Keenan lost her partner.
It is anonymous until the two hit it off after Keenan posts pictures of her therapy dog. The women want to see each other first online and then they meet in person. There is a connection there, despite Gianna's ex meddling. There is also the question as to why Gianna's brother committed suicide.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I did not have a problem following along. The ending was wrapped up a bit too quickly but overall I really enjoyed this book.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’d enjoyed this author’s previous works so I was looking forward to this book. The warehouse storyline and the twist at the end was my favourite thing about the book. The suicide storyline was also very interesting and the grieving process was very well depicted. However, the characters didn’t really come alive for me. I found it uncomfortable that one of the main characters insisted on staying friends with an ex who was stalking her. Regardless, it was an easy summer read.

Bringing Me Dreams by K.G. MacGregor is a novel that will tug at your heartstrings in more ways than one. The book has a beautiful love story, an adorable service dog, and an intriguing mystery that will keep you reading to figure out what is really happening.

The two main characters (Gianna Del Vecchio and Keenan McEvoy) meet through an online forum they both belong to. The online group and forum is for survivors of a loved one’s suicide. Gianna had joined because of her brother’s death a year prior to the story, and Keenan was there because of her wife’s suicide three years before. The two began talking when Keenan posted a photo of her service dog Bennie to the forum, and the two eventually meet in person. There is definitely a spark between them, but Gianna also has a jealous best friend who doesn’t want them to be together.

Obviously there is a fair bit of angst running through this story considering what Keenan and Gianna are going through. There is also an exciting mystery involving Gianna’s family business that adds a touch of danger to the tale. Add in a stalking “best friend” out to destroy Gianna and Keenan’s budding romance, and you have a tale that will definitely keep you reading. The author did a wonderful job weaving all these details together into an excellent narrative full of excitement, danger, grief, joy, and love. She’s also not afraid of including sometimes difficult themes such as she did with suicide in this novel.

MacGregor does put a content note at the beginning of the book letting readers know of the difficult subject in this story. In real life, I am a survivor of a close family member’s suicide. I read the content note and still decided to read the novel, and I’m glad I did. If you think you might have a problem with this subject, read the content note at the beginning of the book. Amazon allows you to see it in their book preview. I loved this book and can recommend it to all who love mystery and romance.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Gianna Del Vecchio has worked in her family’s business for nearly twenty years and has been groomed to be the next CEO after her brother’s suicide. When she overhears her uncle and father discussing the succession, she realizes they have no intention of honoring her father’s commitment to her. As her brother’s birthday approaches, Gianna visits an online forum for people whose loved ones have committed suicide. She likes what she reads from another member and reaches out to her to thank her. Keenan McEvoy’s partner committed suicide and she and her therapy dog offer whatever support she can. The two women feel a connection and act on it.

MacGregor written a bland-as-white-bread story that is sure to disappoint most readers. It is as if she took an outline of this book, filled in some of the details, and sent it to her publisher. The result is under-developed characters, little or no real conflict, and a milquetoast ending. When the women become intimate, MacGregor fades to black, which will remind many readers of lesbian fiction from the 1980s. MacGregor tells her readers about the “connection” between the characters but doesn’t show them so readers will undoubtedly be disappointed. Within three months of meeting, the characters are moving in together sure their relationship is deep and true while the reader will shake her head and ask, “Wait. What?”

The only character who was developed with any depth was Jaz, Gianna’s ex who doesn’t want to be ex. While Jaz is childish and vindictive, at least readers know her better than they know the two main characters because she has substance.

If you’re a MacGregor fan, you will undoubtedly love this book. If you’re unfamiliar with MacGregor, don’t let this be your introduction to her books.

My thanks to Bella Books and NetGalley for an eARC.

Really good book. This was a well thought out story and you could tell that it's written with the utmost knowledge and compassion for this subject matter. I thought the relationship between Keenan and Gianna was sweet and very cute. There are some dramatic moments in this book brought on by others who didn't want to see their relationship succeed but, it doesn't stop these two from falling for each other. I thought their initial meeting online due to Gianna seeing posted pictures of Bennie the therapy dog was so cute, he was such a ham and lovable too. The supporting characters were written well and helped to keep this story very interesting, especially the ex girlfriend Jaz, and Giannas' family was not so great either especially the uncle. I won't say more because I would be giving spoilers,but just know this is a great book and I would definitely recommend this to my friends and family, and I look forward to what this author writes next.

Bringing me home... Not many authors write a book that's centred around suicide. And bloody well done to KG MacGregor for firstly approaching the subject and second for writing it with such sensitivity. You can tell there's been plenty of research done.

I enjoyed the story, it's a bit fast-paced but the characters gelled well together, with plenty of sparks brewing between the pair. The storyline itself was realistic and certainly poked at your emotions.

I've given Bringing me home a 4 out of 5.

I've always been a fan of KG books. This one was no different. I enjoyed the journey of Gianna and Keenan who met through an online group. Gianna is struggling with the loss of her brother and Keenan has loss her partner through suicide. the story was well written and kept me engaged to the end. I definitely recommend.


Thank you NetGalley and Bella Books for this ARC.

I'm a fan of this authors work, but it's been a little while since I've read any of her novels. I did enjoy this one. I could only imagine that the subject matter would be difficult to tackle, but it was written well. There's a great plot twist at the end... so keep reading.

Keenan McEvoy found it so hard, dealing with the death of her partner. Together for a few years Keenan thought she was doing the right thing by moving back to Pittsburgh where her family lived. Job wise it wasn’t a problem for Keenan. She would work with her father in his dental practice. Annabell didn’t get better, she’d been fighting depression for much of her life. When Keenan came home one day she found Annabell, dead by her own hand.
Gianna Del Vecchio was dealing with the death of her brother. She knew he wasn’t depressed so when he found out his girlfriend was cheating on him that alone shouldn’t have made him jump from a balcony. It’s been a year now but she couldn’t move on. Something about his death just didn’t make sense.
Meeting online while visiting a site dedicated to helping others deal with the deaths of their loved one. Usually meetings were held at the local community center community group aimed at helping others dealing with the loss of a loved one. Covid moved the group to helping people online. Both women found they got along well, so they decided to meet in person.
Both Gianna and Keenan are very likable main characters and Ms MacGregor has surrounded them with a great cast, including the bad guys. A great read. Very, very enjoyable.
ARC via NetGalley/Bella Books

I am a K.G. MacGregor fan ever since I read her Shaken series. I especially like her depth of character and storytelling. Pretty much every time I pick-up one of her books and read the description, I am hooked. I knew it would be a tough read considering the topic of suicide is at the center. Keenan McEvoy, dentist with a strong supportive family, dealing with the aftermath of her partner Annabel committing suicide. Gianna Del Vecchio, works in the family business, and dealing with the suicide of her twin brother, Gabe. Keenan and Gianna connect on an online forum for survivors of a loved one's suicide. Both Keenan and Gianna are likable characters. However, Gianna has to deal with her ex-girlfriend Jasmine and oh my is she a hand full. This read did not disappoint.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley for the review copy! I haven't used Netgalley in quite some time, and I'm glad this was the first book to get me back into the swing of things.

And secondly, I couldn't decide if this book should be a three or a four star, so I ended up settling between the two at 3.5

Content Warnings: suicide, grief, misogyny, drugs and alcohol, deadnaming, childhood trauma/abuse

This book follows two women in Pittsburgh, both suffering a similar loss, who bond via an online forum for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. Their story begins when Keenan McEvoy posts a picture of her therapy dog, Bennie, to bring cheer to the group when nothing else can. Gianna Del Vecchio is compelled to reach out and say thank you for the uplifting posts, and before they both know it, a spark is ignited. Their romance has many barriers along the way, including Gianna's ex-girlfriend and current best friend Jaz, who will stop at nothing to keep them apart. They plan on overcoming their demons and coming closer and closer together.

There are many things I loved about this book, and many things I didn't, ultimately making me undecided on how to rate it. However, I ended this book glad I read it and taking away from it more than what I went in with. It's a story about hope, perseverance and learning when to say enough is enough.

I'll start with the things I loved! This book starting of, before even going into it, with a content warning. This is rare to find in books, even when they have a heavy subject matter, and I was thrilled to find it here. It was absolutely worth mentioning, I think - not only that, but it specified exactly where and when to find these warnings!

It was humorous, and make me chuckle in parts, with lines such as "Ughh. If I die, please don't let me come back as a straight chick". Also, with relatable moments, such as Keenan being envious at someone else for discovering their sexuality at an early age, as it means she missed out on some experiences which I really feel her on, and also meant being in pointless relationships we'd never be happy in, and not yet understanding why.

Bennie highlighted how amazing and important having a therapy animal can be, even when they're unofficial ones (although Bennie is a therapy dog in training). Keenan says "dogs are angels when it comes to broken hearts"and "if you want a friend who accepts you the way you are, you can't go wrong with a dog" and I completely agree. Dogs are angels, as are all animals, and extremely helpful when coping with challenging things going on in your life and helping you overcome them. That underlying theme was so wholesome and a great message to send.

I also loved how this handled grief, in two different ways as well. Keenan and Gianna went through a very similar experience but handled it in two very different ways. Gianna seemed to hold grief in her hands until it burnt and still wouldn't let go. Keenan seemed to exhale the pain from her body, until all she had left was the expression of love, and I loved this comparison. It was great to see grief being explored in the different ways that it can present itself. This doesn't even include the background characters also affected by the suicides, and how they handled grief even differently still. It told the message that there is no wrong way to grieve.

The writing style was also very captivating and engaging. I absolutely will be keeping an eye out for this authors name in future. I am very open to reading more from them in future.

Now, the things I didn't enjoy as much and ultimately led to taking one and a half stars of my total rating:

I believe the author was well-intentioned, but it felt important enough to mention anyway. There was some minor transphobia. The first was "from here, one couldn't tell whether she was a woman or a man. But up close her delicate features made it obvious, as did her soft voice" which felt quite offensive to the trans community, especially non-binary people and trans women. The second point was when Nick was introduced, who had a minor role in the story, was how he was introduced to Keenan as "Our friend Nick used to be Nicole but he's been transitioning for about a year. Just wanted to let you know so you won't get confused" - I feel like simply saying Nick was transgender would have been enough to explain why he may be getting deadnamed and misgendered by others, but it's strongly discouraged in the trans community to tell others' of their deadname (the name they went with before coming out as trans).

Another was that Jaz's abuse of Gianna (and, by extension, Keenan) was not taking seriously enough. There were discussions about her behaviour being toxic and unacceptable, but a lot of it was straight up abuse. Examples are Jaz breaking the windsheild of Keenan's car because Gianna spent the night with her, sending nasty messages to Keenan, manipulation, even going as far as to use Gabe's suicide against Gianna. Her abusive behaviour was, at one time, explained away as "selfish" and ultimately did not get the consequences it should have gotten. There was a brief description from Keenan that drug users are not bad people, though, which I did appreciate.

I also would have liked more of a build up to Keenan and Gianna's relationships, and spent more time with the two of them as people and within their relationship. It all felt a bit rushed and I didn't feel a connection with them as a result. I really wanted to get to know them more, though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would love to read more from Gianna and Keenan. I loved them as characters, I enjoyed the messages it pushed across and I feel like I took a lot away from this book. I will absolutely be reading more from this author in future.

There are a handful of lesbian fiction authors whose books are always a must-read for me, and KG MacGregor is at the top of that list. What I like about her books is that she doesn't write the typical fluff. She's a writer who knows her craft well.

This book started out slow for me, but once it latched on, I couldn't stop reading (past midnight on a Sunday night - go to bed to be bright and fresh for work at 7:00 AM or finish that last 6% of the book? No question.) I liked most of the characters, although Gianna seemed a bit flaky at first. I was happy to see her giving ultimatums to Jaz and sticking by them.

The only real issue I had was that the book probably needed to be a bit longer in order to lay the groundwork for Gianna and Keenan more at the beginning. I felt that they got together so quickly, and that's usually a turn-off for me when reading a book. I like the slow burn of a couple getting to know each other and then getting together.

The ending was satisfying. I had some guesses about how it would pan out and I was happy to see everything tied up in a nice bundle at the end.

This is a story about two women who are both survivors of a close person in their life committing suicide. Gianna’s brother is a victim and she joins a suicide survivor’s on line forum to deal with her grief. There she meets Keenan who is another survivor. They begin privately emailing each other and agree to meet for dinner. There is great chemistry between them right from the start. In the background are several conniving people who adds bit of mystery to the story. First we have Jaz, Gianna’s ex, she’s a manipulating liar and tries everything to keep Gianna and Keenan apart. Then we have Gianna’s uncle Jack, who is a homophobe and male chauvinist with his own hidden agenda.

I’ve enjoyed MacGregor’s writing in the past and this was another enjoyable book. I was hesitant to read it with suicide being a prominent part of the book but, it was thoughtfully written and helped me in a small way with my own personal grief. Both MCs are mature and have good communication skills and the romance is nice and very realistic.
I would recommend this book to all of MacGregor’s fans both new and old.

Arc received from Bella Books through Net Galley for a voluntary and honest review.

Fantastic start, the book has trigger warnings about suicide in the foreword. If you are able to read this book I highly recommend it. It deals with a difficult subject but at its heart is life and romance and a bit of intrigue. The non romance part of the plot was shadowed very well and all plot points were resolved. When I had to be away from the book I was always keen to get back to it. I think this book will stay with me after reading. It is different from many of the fast food romances I devour. I'm left nourished and fulfilled by it.

This is my first book by MacGregor and I should definitely look into this author’s catalogue for more outstanding stories. I think this book is rather unique, it tells the story of two women who lost a loved one. This is something we know, but when you know they both lost someone to suicide it changes. So a content warning would be appropriate as well. The author does this as well, even goes as far as warning for a description of one of the suicides. It’s clearly marked and can be skipped without missing anything about the story.

Gianna and Keenan meet on a forum. Gianna finds comfort in Keenan’s post of her dog Bennie, who by the way is lovely and a certified therapy dog, and in the quiet comfort Keenan provides. Together they work through their grief, find love and discover what is important in their lives. There is annoying ex now bff, Jaz, who becomes a bit stalkerish and is a little too much. I guess every story needs a villain and she’s one of them in this book. The main storyline is the romance, and whatever feelings they have to work through, but the secondary work storylines and the stalking ex are very well written as well.

I think the author does a great job writing all these complicated feelings and how the characters deal with it themselves and together. It’s certainly different from a lot of the romance books, but definitely a good different.

KG MacGregor is one of the true masters of the WLW genre. I have read most of her books and have never been disappointed. Bringing Me Dreams is like nothing I have ever read.

Suicide is certainly a polarizing topic, especially for a romance novel, and I truly hope no other reviewers give any spoilers because there's a LOT going on in this book. From the very beginning, the two MCs meet at an online forum for suicide survivors, so you know their relationship will be different from any other couple. The author handles doling out the details skillfully, and it was heartbreaking to read about both Gianna's and Keenan's experiences. Gianna's friend-slash-ex Jaz probably takes the prize as once of my all-time most hated characters; she will stop at nothing to try to win back Gianna's love. In addition to Jaz, all the side characters (friends and family) are so well developed and add so much to the story. Plus Bennie the pup! Between family drama and workplace drama, I couldn't put this book down. In addition, the city of Pittsburgh plays a character as well; I could actually visualize the downtown area from the vivid descriptions.

This is definitely not a breezy, light-hearted story by any means, but stay with it till the end. The redemption is sweet and satisfying.

Kudos to Ms MacGregor for writing about the societal taboo subject of suicide. And making it a romance novel. 

Gianna and Keenan meet at an online forum for the loved ones of those who committed suicide. It has been two years of learning to cope for Keenan while Gianna is trying to survive the first year anniversary of her loss. 

Ms MacGregor loads her novel up with multiple story lines which adds to the depth of the main story. Real life is never about a single obstacle. We are inundated with so much more from all facets of our life on a day to day bases. This realism grounds the story. 

The writing is what you would expect from Ms MacGregor. A cut above most of the others in this genre. Her storylines crossed over nicely to create added angst to the novel. I found myself turning pages quickly to find out what happened next.

There are a few surprises waiting for you in Bringing Me Dreams. I suggest you do not miss out on them.

I received a free advance review copy from Bella Books through NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Keenan and Gianna meet on forum that’s helps people deal with losing a love one to suicide. As they get to know each other they decides to meet in person and grow more closer. I like this read it’s was a bit short we learn some things that is a shock to Gianna and her family but Keenan is there to support her.

<b> Review </b>

When asked about my recommended lesbian authors, KG MacGregor always makes an appearance on that list., having been the author of one of my favourite series in her "Shaken" pentalogy. 'Bringing Me Dreams' is no exception to my list of favourite books by this author as it presents an emotional story of grieving and moving on with your life. Heartwarming and breaking.

Bringing Me Dreams follows two women, Gianna and Keenan, both reeling from the loss of people really close to them through suicide and how they try to move on from those losses.

<b> Characters </b>

Gianna was absolutely endearing she frequently compliments Keenan on her kind nature but she too has a big heart and in this book, one of the main areas of contention comes from her over-extending it to her friend Jaz. Gianna’s lost her twin brother from suicide and as a twin myself, It's safe to say this book hit a dark place within me. The mere thought of spending my birthday without him is unimaginable, this is a small but hard-hitting point in the book.

Jaz is our most present antagonist, she's Gianna’s ex and best friend. Seeing Gianna moving on with her life causes some sort of obsessive break down and she absolutely harasses Keenan. She's pretty messed up in her own right.

Keenan is charming, considerate and patient with all of Gianna drama. She's probably my favourite character along with her cute dog Bennie. She's lost her wife Annabel from suicide as well and has found a satisfying grief counselling in sharing pictures of Bennie in an online counselling group.

<b> Plot+ Writing + Explanation of rating </b>

The plot itself is good, I really liked it and this book was easy to read and definitely interesting. However, I felt like it could've used... more.

There are two main characters but I can't help but feel like Gianna and her drama takes up most of it. I felt like Keenan moving on from Annabel should've been more important but all we get is a few lines of her saying she's okay. So I guess what this book really needed was just a little bit more depth on her side and pacing along with it.

That's why I've given this 4 stars. On one side I really enjoyed their relationship but would've loved to see more of Keena's side of things and her thought processes.

I liked how the Jaz and Gianna situation was dealt with- I've actually seen a similar situation in real life so there's not much doubt to me about the realism of it but again, had it been longer and a more intricate plot line I would've given this 5 stars.

<b> Overall thoughts </b>

Just wish it was longer, to be honest...

Do I recommend it? Yes, this is still a very cute romance.

Make sure and check out the author's other books though! I highly recommend her shaken series. It deserves more attention!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest review.