“I Dreamed of Falling” takes place in a small town riddled with drugs, poverty and a sense of hopelessness. As the town is slowly being “gentrified” by post-COVID professionals attracted to the idyllic setting on the Hudson River, the division between the haves and have-nots widens.

When Ashley, a young mother with her share of problems, is found dead, the possibilities surrounding her murder are endless. Was it drugs, partying, depression, family squabbles, a possible affair, or was it something more insidious like a government cover-up? I was hooked from the moment Roman, Ashley’s partner and the father of her child, started asking questions. I felt it completely plausible that he would start digging around as he was a reporter himself.

I loved that Dahl created such flawed characters. It felt like these people would absolutely inhabit this world. No one was particularly likeable, and they didn’t need to be. I had an idea who the killer was about halfway through, but there were enough red herrings that I doubted myself until the very end.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Less of a thriller than a slow burn small town Gothic, but satisfying enough for a few hours’ diversion 3.5 rounded up.

I’m a fan of Julia Dahl’s other books and this one is no exception. This is a well thought out well written mystery. It focuses on a multi generation family living together in present time. At first it’s not obvious how one of the characters has died. They don’t know of it was an accident or murder. There are a lot of twists, ones you don’t see coming. I like the pace that things are reviewed and that mom and son join together to figure things out. I look forward to the authors next book.

As a parent myself, I found this book somewhat frustrating to read. No one was really likable, and everyone was incredibly selfish. But of course, that's true to real life. Roman was the hardest character for me to like. Despite being a father with a career in his mid-twenties, he had the personality of a bratty teenager. Thankfully though, most of the characters showed growth by the end.

The mystery of who killed Ashley was enough for me to look past the characters' terrible choices. I guessed who it was early on but then questioned myself because there was enough doubt put in place. I enjoyed that aspect of the book the most.

Covid lockdown wasn't that long ago, so I know a lot of people aren't interested in reliving it, and there were a few times I wanted to roll my eyes when it was mentioned, but I would stop myself because I think it was very important to this story.

Not my favorite, but still a worthwhile read with plenty of examples of what not to do as a parent.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Roman and Ashley have an open relationship. They also share a four year old who his mother cares for. Ashley loves her parties and when she is found dead everyone seems to think suicide- but it isn’t—- so who had a reason to kill her?

Overall this novel had potential and a good premise, but fell flat on the delivery. The point of the novel was not clear and at times I was confused on if the novel was about a mystery, or drama, or grief and mental health. Since the novel tried to go into so many different directions, none of them were done very well. I was also often bored while reading this novel and I found myself wanting to just skim through it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for the ARC!

Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a small Hudson Valley town. When his girlfriend and mother of his young son is found dead, Roman realizes that there are a lot of secrets in town.
I used to work for a small town newspaper and was really looking forward to this book. Sadly I just could not get into it. It was very descriptive while not picking up speed. I enjoy a book that I cannot put down, and this one just was not for me. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Book for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A quick paced thriller.

This had all the components of a great thriller, but I wasn’t into all the Covid/ pandemic talk throughout the book. I didn’t see the point of it and it really annoyed me after a few mentions. I’m easily icked by it.

That being said, there were some interesting choices and characters in this book which kept me going.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press| Minotaur Books for the eARC.

This is my first read by this author, but definitely won't be the last. I was hooked from the very beginning. The crime was revealed early on, but I was kept guessing until the end. I'm from the Hudson Valley, so it was fun reading about my hometown.

Dahl has created an interesting mystery about a family that has faced multiple crises, finally coping with the death/murder of a young mother. Mason is a 4 year old who lives with a struggling family, his father, mother and caregiver grandmother. The family is torn apart when mother, Ashley is found dead. The protagonist, Roman, searches for the killer. He struggles to handle the emotional storm that this has created for his young son Mason.

It is an interesting mystery, though I found that Dahl included too many unnecessary characters. I loved her earlier novels about the Hasidic community, but I found this one ordinary. I thought it was a bit too predictable.

So, thank you Netgalley for this interesting mystery.

Ashley Lillian is the daughter of a teenage mother. She herself had her son when she was 19. Tara, mother to her Ashley’s partner Roman, is a grandmother at 41. She is also the chief caregiver to her grandson Mason. Roman, Ashley and Mason live with Tara and her boyfriend John, a divorced handyman who is estranged from his children. Roman, Ashley, Tara and John. All these people had dreams and they all wanted to be someone, to be somewhere else. They have been sidetracked by life’s grim realities.

Th drugs that float in and out of their stories are usually available at a dilapidated mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. That’s where Ashley’s body is found, on the rocky cliffs of the river. Her death and Roman’s attempts to discover how she died will dominate this dark novel, leading to a new future for him.

The mystery and investigation might dominate I Dreamed of Falling. However, talented author Julia Dahl has let that fall behind these brilliantly described characters. Tara is trying so hard to be the perfect mother figure to her grandson, the mother she could not be to Roman. Roman tries to do the right thing but is without guidance. Sad Bella has a tragic, unmoored life. The search for Ashley’s killer leads to a totally surprising conclusion. Put this on top of your TBR pile. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Julia Dahl for this ARC.

This book unfortunately fell short for me. Roman grew up in a small town as the only reporter, so when his girlfriend turns up dead he unravels secrets involving everyone in the community including his family. Many of the characters in this book were unlikable. Roman's anger issues and his overbearing mother were very self-centered in a way, which made it hard to support them throughout the book. Also, I found the poor design making to be off-putting. I ended up rating this three stars because it did keep me guessing until the very end.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. A domestic drama that was well written and kept me engaged throughout. A family drama/mystery. I will read another from this author.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately for me, it didn't deliver. I kept wondering what the point was, was it a mystery, a family drama in particular with lots of mental health issues and trauma, a story of grief over the unexplained death of his partner.? In this attempt to do too much, it didn't do anything justice and felt superficial and somewhat predictable. I liked her other book, so will try another of hers

This book is not really appropriate for my students and some of the issues weren't handled with enough depth to be a learning experience.

This book mentioned COVID way too often and it wasn't even useful to the story. I felt like every chapter it was mentioned and it got tiresome very quickly. I did not find the mystery to be interesting enough to keep me engaged and felt like there was a lot of filler that took away from the main storyline. I found myself skimming large chunks and the ending did not do it for me. Also, the overall lack of communication between characters was a turn off for me. I just don't think this book was for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Julia Dahl’s latest standalone, I Dreamed of Falling, is as dark as the cover. What do we really know about the people we love? And, what secrets are there in a small town?

Roman Grady is the only reporter for a newspaper in a small Hudson Valley town. He covers every event from meetings to the dedication of park benches. But, he’s shocked when his partner, Ashley, dies at the home of a friend who uses drugs, leaving Roman and their four-year-old son, Mason, devastated. Roman knew he and Ashley both dealt with depression, and Ashley suffered from it post-COVID, and after Mason’s birth. He and Ashley had drifted apart recently. Now, he wants to know how and why Ashley died.

Roman’s mother, Tara, had been a lousy mother, too young when Roman was born. But, she’s made up for it by her devotion to Mason. She’s the one who takes care of him daily, reads to him, bathes him. Lately, Ashley showed some resentment towards Tara’s role in Mason’s life. But, when the local police chief shows little interest in Ashley’s death, seeing it as the accidental death of a possible drug user, Tara teams up with Roman to find answers.

It seems Roman and Tara didn’t know Ashley as well as they thought. She was more than a depressed yoga instructor struggling with a relationship. Ashley’s story is intricately linked with a powerful family, a drug addict and a dealer, and her own dreams. As Tara’s partner says, “Ashley hjad a whole life. Maybe we didn’t know as much about it as we thought.”

I Dreamed of Falling is a tragic story of family, how family can destroy people, and strengthen others. It’s a story of family struggle, and the struggle of a community. Well-worth the time to read a difficult novel.

My favorite things about this story where the character development and the pacing. The author does a great job with both and it really made for a strong book.