Sweet historical romance. Loved the storyline and the found family arc. I really enjoyed this one and will be reading more from this author in the future

Dana LeCheminant is an author to watch. Love her and her work.

This book is a super fun Regency retelling of While You Were Sleeping. It gives off all the right vibes while still feeling true to the time period. Creative and clever, Dana's writing is engaging, fun, and will keep you hooked throughout the entire book

Can't wait to see what else she puts out. Definitely recommend anything by her.

Who doesn’t LOVE the movie, While You Were Sleeping?? It’s a classic!
When I learned this book was going to be a Regency retelling of it, I had to read it! And I already love Dana’s writing so it was a no-brainer.

This book was everything that you love about While You Were Sleeping while still being it’s own story! I didn’t want to put it down!

Lucy was so sweet and lovable. She had nothing but the best of intentions and was very honest despite the lie she got stuck in.
She was a great counterpart to Simon!
Ahhh… Simon… I loooooooooved him! I loved how taken with Lucy he was and how good to her he was throughout the book.
The angst, the tension, the chemistry between them was 😘🤌🏻 Perfection!
They had so many good moments and their ending was 😍😍😍

I loved all the side characters too! The Calloway women were so sweet! They took Lucy in and made her a part of their family and it was so beautiful to watch.
Then, of course, there’s Nick! He was hilarious, confusing, interesting, kind… He was a perfect “Saul” character! I must have a book for him. After that Epilogue, I have SO MANY questions!!!

I 100% recommend picking this book up! It will warm your heart and that ending will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go queue up While You We’re Sleeping for a rewatch! 😉♥️


*Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for my eARC!
All thoughts/opinions are my own and genuine.

What Dreams May Come by Dana LeCheminant is a fun Regency retelling of While You Were Sleeping.

This story is loosely based on the plot of While You Were Sleeping which made it familiar but it wasn’t so similar that it was predictable. What Dreams May Come is definitely its own story inspired by an old favorite. I loved all the nods to the original story but I also appreciated the aspects of this story that made it unique.

Lucy and Simon are so great together! They definitely had a slow burn relationship, but I loved the romantic tension and it made sense considering Simon believed Lucy to be engaged to his brother. I love that this situation allowed Lucy and Simon to become friends first and then grow in admiration for one another that eventually gave way to love.

Normally I don’t like the back and forth between loving each other and avoiding each other, but again, for this story it made sense! The emotional roller coaster the characters experienced was very fitting considering how confused Simon was about Lucy and her situation and how anxious Lucy was about being trapped in a lie. I definitely got caught up in the frustration the characters were experiencing at not being able to be completely honest or completely trust one another when they desperately wanted to.

I loved the variety of interactions Simon and Lucy had that allowed them to see all the different sides of their personalities and temperaments. I loved seeing Lucy and Simon balance one another’s strengths and weaknesses with their unique perspectives. I loved seeing them make each other better by being together. I loved seeing them laugh, argue, challenge each other, flirt, comfort, and protect. I love that in many ways Lucy completed Simon and his family.

I also really enjoyed the side characters. Simon’s family and close friend reminded me very much of the quirky and lovable side characters in While You Sleeping. I love that Lucy got along with them all so well and just seemed to fit from the very beginning.

All the things I love about While You Were Sleeping were present in some way in What Dreams May Come, while still being a unique and enjoyable Regency romance! Overall this was a fun and swoony story full of romantic tension.

The overall story was decent, but both of the characters were really angsty. Normally, I enjoy this trope, but there were so many things that happened that could have easily been fixed with simple communication, so it just didn't work for me.

What Dreams May Come by Dana LeCheminant is
reminiscent of While You Were Sleeping, but with all the regency elements I love.
While the story is predictable, the characters and the spin on them is different enough that I was delighted afresh! I enjoyed the dialogue, the humor, the tension, and the friendships that naturally developed. I love that the MC’s names are Simon and Lucy. If you enjoy sweet, historical romantic stories, you will love this one.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Sweet take on While You Were Sleeping! I thought the characters were very well-written and the romance was sweet. I enjoyed this book and will definitely buy a hard copy.

What Dreams May Come is a Regency twist on the movie, While You Were Sleeping. Lucy left her job as a governess to get away from her employer's pushy brother. In her journey to escape, her paths cross with William Calloway who helps hide her by posing as her husband. William falls into a fever and now Lucy is "known" as William's betrothed. At William's family home Lucy is accepted as a soon-to-be family member. But it's hard for Lucy to lie to such kind, and loving people. Another problem is that William has an older brother, Baron Lord Simon Calloway. Simon proves to be a challenge to Lucy and vice versa. They try very hard not to acknowledge the attraction to each other. Will the truth bring them together or tear them apart?

The storyline is pretty well known and readers will know where the ending is headed. The nice part of this story is how it all develops. I loved the Calloway's mother and the sister Olivia. They were so warm and welcoming. The most humorous character is Simon's friend, Nicholas. He catches on to Lucy's scheme but he still is very supportive of her. Mr.Granger, the villainous man trying to force Lucy into marriage is super annoying. Most of the time he isn't even in the story but when he is, he makes my skin crawl.

How does this all end up? Guess what? You get to read What Dreams May Come on your own to enjoy the surprises, romance, humor, and trepidation that is found among the pages of this new Regency Romance.

So I say I don’t seek out direct retellings or highly referential versions of other media, and yet, I saw a fellow reader proclaim this as a Regency version of the romcom masterpiece “While You Were Sleeping”, and my “Stamp on my passport” fan finger immediately clicked request. Accepting full well a reference lets you know there will be aspects you love, but also that comparison is as highly probable as predisposition and can work against it.
For me, the former was what had it at a 5 stars for most of it, and then the latter I feel affected my reaction to the third act, which dropped to a 3, so we’ll average out to 4.
This was my first book from this author, and I would read on.

My intention has been to qualify this story on its own merit, but you’re sure to see the WYWS comparison everywhere (and I couldn’t shake it while reading), so here’s how it measured up for me. With such a strong reference, it’s better to manage expectations: The premise of stumbling into a fake engagement with a man in a coma is there, the alone-in-the-world charming heroine is there, the instant connection and spark with Coma Guy’s crinkly-smiled, practically-minded, responsability-burdened, protective brother is most certainly there. The stakes are raised in this Regency class difference context (which worked very well for me), there’s plenty internal conflicty angst plus a villain. Of course there are deceptions and misunderstandings, but you get more of an arc, and our couple is more complementary competence-wise. I’ll go ahead an confirm the Accidental Embrace moment is there. The lovely finding-home and family themes are there, just don‘t expect any “These mashed potatoes are so creamy” zanyness from the Calloways to balance out some of the guilt angst.

And this is where my head-scratching started. I get both MCs are grappling with their struggles here, but some reactions/decisions had me a little confused. These two highly-anxious sweethearts had me thinking they better have a self-care/therapy holiday in their near future, because, without some more light-hearted moments to balance it out, it was a bit much. So, though I love a third act freak-out, with the reveals pacing choices, by the time it came around I was a little over it, and the resolution sadly fell a little flat for me. Buuut, though I prefer more of a time jump, I felt the epilogue covered the bases well of showing their blissful HEA with Simon as wonderfully undone by her as ever and setting up for enigmatic Forester’s convenient marriage (gimme!).

If you can recognize the line “I said Cesar Romero was tall” AND you read Regency romance, I think you’d have good fun here.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

Content notes: kissing only, mention of unwanted advances.

I nice regency take on a beloved film. It took me a bit to get into but that's on my knowing the film too well and having personal expectations.

I've seen the movie that the idea for this book came from, so I was intrigued to see how it would translate into a regency novel. This story was heartfelt and a delight to read. Of course, knowing both the movie and story plotlines, we know that the main character is deceiving the family about who she really is. It can be hard for me to enjoy stories where the characters lie, but this was done in a way that wasn't frustrating. Yes, I think the author kind of talked about it maybe a little too much at times, but at least the truth was always on the forefront of Lucy's mind and she truly wanted what was best for the Calloway family.
It can also present a problem, having Lucy and Simon end up falling in love, all the while he thinks she in engaged to be married to his brother, who is meanwhile unconscious. It could be hard to let the relationship between Lucy and Simon grow without Simon looking like a cad or bad brother. I think their friendship grew naturally and didn't cross any inappropriate boundaries. I think Simon flip-flopped a lot at the end that didn't seem too characteristic of him and was more for the plot line, but glad that happy endings were found all around. The ending was nice in that it didn't just end but had a nice prolonged ending and epilogue that hopefully indicated another book coming out. I would definitely recommend this book and enjoyed reading it.

What Dreams May Come, by Dana LeCheminant, opens as Lucy is fleeing from the brother of her employer. She is a penniless governess and has no idea why Jonathan Granger is pursuing her. Now that she is away from London, Lucy feels like she can breathe. What will Lucy do, when she looks across the room of the inn where she has sought shelter from a storm and sees the face of none other than Jonathan Granger!

After a stranger provides Lucy a place to hide, Lucy world changes before she knows it. This man, whose name is William Calloway, suddenly comes down with a fever and Lucy finds herself in William’s carriage traveling to his home as his “wife”!

This is an interesting tale to follow, especially after William’s family assumes Lucy is William’s wife upon their arrival. It is fascinating to see the relationship that slowly develops between Lucy and William’s older brother; of course, Jonathan Granger is still close on her heels!

Hold tight to learn the exciting ending to this tale!

Have you ever seen the movie While You Were Sleeping?

This book loosely follows the same story line as the movie, BUT this book is soooo much better! Dana LeCheminant added her own twists that really made this one stand out.

Lucy and Simon are the cutest together and I loved every interaction they had. Simon’s awkwardness is completely adorable. Poor Lucy, every time she was about to come clean, something would happen.

The beginning, the middle, the end….it was all fantastic!

Regency romance
Mistaken identity
Story retelling
Forced proximity
Skipping stones
‘Nothing at all’

The side characters are fantastic and I absolutely loved Simon’s friend, Nick. I definitely want to read his story too!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

I never knew I needed a regency retelling of While You Were Sleeping.

But I did. And this was done so beautifully. Dana LeCheminant weaves a story so many readers have only seen on the screen, with her enchanting words, in a way that makes you want to live this.

I enjoyed the careful romance that is at play in this book. It is gentle and tentative. All for good reason. Many hearts are on the line. But secrets are in abundance and with reputations at risk, as well as well beings, who one trusts is paramount.

I am fully expecting to re-read this book. It was an adventure I want to relive again.
4.5

Little did Lucy Hayes know what a mess she'd find herself in when she left her governess position because of unwanted attention from Mr. Granger. Forced to stop at a traveling inn because of a storm, Lucy panics when she sees Mr. Granger come in also seeking shelter from the weather, and asks for help from a stranger, named William, who tells the innkeeper they're married. Before she has time to settle in to the room, William falls ill with "the worst fever" the doctor had ever seen. Upon arrival at William's home Lucy is shocked to discover the innkeeper had sent a note ahead of their arrival saying William was coming home with a wife!!

It was fun seeing all the similarities to the movie "While You Were Sleeping", and the differences because of society's restrictions during that time period. I loved how the Calloway family, especially the mother and Olivia, accepted Lucy. They were ready to love and accept her just because she was Williams wife or fiancée. I loved all Simon and Lucy's interactions as Simon hadn't met someone like Lucy before. He tends to be grumpy but Lucy is able to get him to lighten up. I loved the scenes of them at the pond--Simon seemed like a different person when he was there.

I loved Simon's best friend Nick so much!! There's so much more to his character and he needs to get his own story! I liked the suspense Mr. Granger added although I must've shouted "just spill the beans and tell the family everything!" at Lucy a dozen times. Of course she didn't listen and I was compelled to keep turning pages to see how everything would be resolved.

If you like close proximity and mistaken identity I highly recommend this regency romance. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley, but also bought an ebook for my personal library. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

Such a fun story!! When I stared this book I didn’t realize that it was a retelling of one of my favorite movies, While You Were Sleeping. What a fun surprise! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters were great and had a lot of chemistry. This story worked really well in the regency era.

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant communications for the advanced copy of this book. I will definitely be recommending it!

This story had so much potential, but I honestly had such a hard time getting through it. Soooo much like "While you were sleeping",even the main girl is named Lucy. I don't know if the author intended this or it's just the worst coincidence. I also had such a hard time with the inner dialogues. It was often repetitive and went on for paragraphs before you could hear what the other person said in the conversation. Could have been great,but these two pitfalls kept me from liking this book.

“‘Ordinary lives are for ordinary people, Lucy. I may not know you well yet, but you are certainly extraordinary. Anyone can see that.’”
♥️
This wonderful new story- a regency retelling of While You Were Sleeping- completely stole my heart. I was transported to Calloway Park, following Lucy, who meets William while trying to escape a man who is determined to make her his wife. William steps in to help her, pretending to be her fiancée, then falls ill. When she returns him to his home, it is surprisingly with the news that she is his fiancée and his family is delighted to meet her, a light in a dark time, for William’s illness is serious. She finds safety and a home in this place, but what will happen when they discover the truth? And will Simon, William’s brother, who she has come to care for, ever be able to forgive her?
♥️
This brought back all my lovely feelings from the movie, and added to it, with getting to know these characters and story more in depth. The Calloway family were so welcoming and loving to someone who desperately needed it. Simon was so caring and was someone who worked so hard for his family. I loved watching him and Lucy fall in love, and the way they depended on each other, and saw the best in each other, was so beautiful. I can’t recommend this one enough! It was such a joy to read!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What a lovely romance: wonderfully researched and executed and certain to appeal to readers of Mimi Matthews and Joanna Barker. I loved that it played with popular contemporary romantic tropes in a historical period.

I loved this story. Lucy and Simon were wonderful. I love the Regency take on the movie, While you Were Sleeping. This retelling was magical.

This was a delightful retelling that hit the high notes of the original movie with its own Regency flair. Lucy and Simon were beautifully written and perfectly flawed.

Lucy's real concerns and Simon's need to care for his family, all while her supposed fiance is fighting a fever. The story is so well written and has some elements of a comedy of errors, but paves the way for Lucy to have something real that she has never had before.

The characters are rich, especially the side characters. Nick is one of my favorite characters. He adds humor and and depth to the story and gave it a richness that added to the fullness of the story.

Dana LeCheminant does a beautiful retelling of this movie that I have loved for many years. This book brings it into the Regency world I love. This was a fabulous book and I look forward to reading again.

I received an early copy from the publisher through NetGalley and this is my honest review