Review: In general, I think the characters in this book are what holds it back. In general, there's not a single lovable character. At. All. Tara is definitely in love with her grandson, and the way she interacts with him, Roman, and Ashley gave me the biggest ick. I will say that I didn't predict the ending, but I think that's because I was so distracted by how much I disliked all the characters and how distracting their toxic relationships were. Definitely just wasn't for me at all.

Synopsis: Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a tiny Hudson Valley town - a town so small that every store opening and DUI is considered newsworthy. But when Roman's longtime girlfriend, Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is found dead, he realizes he had no idea what was really going on in her life.

And when he starts asking questions, he’s not prepared for the answers.

What was Ashley doing at the cliffside home of her troubled ex-girlfriend? How did no one in a house full of people see what happened to her? And why does it seem like everyone in town suddenly has something to hide? As Roman and his mother dig into Ashley’s last few months, the truths they uncover threaten to expose painful secrets. The kind of secrets that can get you killed.

A gripping thriller and a moving portrait of a family struggling through tragedy, I Dreamed of Falling showcases Julia Dahl's talent for using crime fiction to tell an immersive and unforgettable story. Dahl’s unflinching novel asks hard questions about love, regret, inequality, and the possibilities and the perils of forgiveness.

Slow moving and predictable small-town mystery.

Roman Grady, his partner Ashley, and his 4-year-old son live with his mom, Tara, and Tara's boyfriend, John in a small Hudson Valley town. Ashley is found dead on a cliff ledge close by a friend's home. Roman realizes that he knew next to nothing about what Ashley had been doing in the months leading up to her death. And now there are questions about whether or not this was a drug overdose or if Ashley was murdered.

This entire story and plot were anything but gripping or thrilling. I really disliked all of the characters in this sordid tale. The concepts of open relationships, having sex with anyone, rampant drug use, and all of this poor parenting just made the whole premise unappealing. I didn't enjoy any of it nor care what happened to Ashley. Besides, it was so predictable you could see that revelation coming a mile away. Honestly, just yucky people, and their lives were so cringe worthy. I can't recommend this to anyone.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC -- both provided by the publishers. The two narrators did an adequate job of voicing the characters, but I felt such antipathy to them all that I could not appreciate the quality of their performances.

3.5 rounded up

Ashley is found dead after a night out with friends, leaving her partner (and father of her four-year-old child) to not only pick up the pieces, but come to terms with secrets she kept hidden. Despite slowing in the middle for me, I really enjoyed this suspense mystery. The characters were interesting and engaging, even when they were so flawed. There were times when they felt over-the-top though. While we all know that one person, there were times when EVERY character felt that way. There's also a lot of pandemic talk, which sometimes feels too soon. However, the way it's used in this story brings a lot to the motivations of each character and how their lives were different before, during, and after.

There are a lot of moving pieces to this, and a lot of characters that come in and out of Ashley's last few weeks. This leaves a lot of room for Dahl to cast suspicion on several potential suspects. I liked the winding mystery of this story, and while I guessed at the reasoning for her death, the details around it were definitely a twist I didn't see coming. This is definitely a great choice for those who enjoy domestic suspense thrillers.

A new to me author...a mysterious death of his girlfriend leads Roman (and his mom) on a quest to discover the truth. Definitely didn't see this plot twist coming.

This book was full of components I dislike: infidelity, children, “poop” talk… but this was still pretty riveting despite how many aspects of it didn’t jive with me. I’m finding that maybe Dahl specializes in unlikable main characters as basically everyone in this book was kind of terrible (and I felt the same about the last one I read by this author). I Dreamed Of Falling is full of very “modern” topics, fentanyl, open relationships, masking and covid talk, and overall left-leaning political takes. I guess I would warn a conservative that they probably wouldn’t like most of the side topics in this one. It’s a small town drama with lots of young parents and risky behavior and frustrating outcomes that come with both those aspects of life. I personally enjoyed it- the audio was a bit monotoned- but it’s fast-paced and covers so much in one big ball of suspenseful twists and turns.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

I devoured this book in one sitting. It's one of those gems that draws you in completely, and before you know it, you're at the final page, wishing for more.

What truly leaps off the page are the vibrant characters within the Grady household. From the outset, readers are immersed in the intricate dynamics of this family, featuring Roman and his partner Ashley, their son, his mother, and her fiancé, all under one roof. The tension is palpable as differing opinions on what’s best for the child create friction, compounded by the jealousy that arises when one adult becomes the child's favorite.

The relationship between Roman and Ashley is particularly complex, woven with underlying secrets that the author skillfully unveils as the narrative unfolds. These twists are genuinely surprising, yet what impresses me most is how the story elegantly comes full circle, culminating in a poignant family resolution.

I highly recommend this gripping read, which deftly tackles the complexities of family relationships while also addressing the pressing social issue of drug overdoses. It's a compelling narrative that resonates deeply, making it a must-read for those who appreciate stories with emotional depth and social relevance.

I Dreamed of Falling is my first Julia Dahl novel. Roman’s girlfriend and mother to his child, Ashley, has suddenly vanished. No one can get a hold of her and Roman is increasingly getting nervous about her whereabouts. When he goes to her ex friends house, he finds Ashley dead on the ground. Everything he thought he knew about Ashley proves to be not as he thought…

I liked this but didnt love it. I wasn't attached to any of the characters and felt like there was an overuse of covid. I was pleasantly surprised with the ending and did not expect it coming.

2.5 ⭐️ This book wasn’t for me.
I really struggle when an author makes 2020 and Covid almost a character. Just lived it, not really looking to again. I think the story had potential, and I’m sure for others it was great. I just have a thing with the Covid/politics plot.
Thank you netgalley for the ARC

I Dreamed of Falling by Julia Dahl
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I recently read I Dreamed of Falling by Julia Dahl, a book that has received considerable acclaim. While the novel possesses the elements of a compelling thriller, it unfortunately fell short of my expectations.

One aspect that particularly detracted from my enjoyment was the constant mention of the pandemic. I found this to be a distracting and unnecessary element that did not contribute to the overall plot or character development.

Furthermore, I experienced difficulty in maintaining my interest and struggled to complete the book. This led me to the conclusion that I will likely not pursue any further works by this author, as I had a similar experience with her previous book.

In summary, while I Dreamed of Falling had the potential to be a captivating thriller, it ultimately failed to meet my expectations due to the excessive focus on the pandemic and the lack of engaging storytelling.

#bookreview #reviews ##myreview #bookreader #reading #myopinion

3⭐️

Roman Grady is the only reporter for the newspaper in his tiny home town. Not much happens in Hudson Valley and everyone knows everyone's business. But when Roman's girlfriend, Ashley, is found dead, Roman soon finds he didn't know anywhere near as much about Ashley and the people in town he's known for most of his life.

I really liked the modern dynamic of a multi-generational family that was featured throughout this book. I liked that helping raise Mason was a second chance for both Tara and John, even if Tara tended to forget that Mason wasn't actually her son. I specifically appreciated that Roman's family accepted Ashley's bisexuality and never tried to change her like her own mother did. Even their open relationship worked in this dynamic. This open relationship in a small town was a great opening for a lot of the questionable characters.

Outside of the interesting family dynamic, the story kind of fell flat for me. The murderer and motive were both pretty predictable and the story got a bit repetitive. Also the whole thing stemmed from miscommunication or a lack of communication and I hate the miscommunication trope.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for Providing this ARC to me!

Wow. I love a thriller that is also packed with emotion and darkness so this one really hit the spot. I truly did not have this one figured out until close to the end. Speaking of the ending- I was STRESSED. I haven’t read this author so I wasn’t sure how dark she’d take that final step and was truly on the edge of my seat.

I can’t wait to read more from this author. She really brought the characters to life which made me even more involved in the unraveling of the truth.

This book made me feel seedy and a little dirty. With everyone doing drugs, not holding down jobs, in mixed and open relationships. I didn't appreciate the subtle political bents either. The social commentary was so obvious as to not only overtake but reveal the twist at the end. This was just too far out of the environment I'm used to, though I suppose I did appreciate the exposure.

This book was different than what I expected. In this novel, we meet Roman, Ashley, and their son Mason. Ashley and Roman have been together for a long time but aren’t married. Roman is a reporter for a small town newspaper and finds himself investigating Ashley’s death. What he finds is that he never really knew her at all. What he doesn’t expect is who killed her.

This is described as a gripping thriller. But I didn’t find it gripping, and I didn’t find it thrilling. It was more mystery than anything else – a whodunit. Were there secrets? Tons of them! It seemed like everyone in the book was keeping secrets. Was I shocked at the end when it was revealed who actually killed Ashley? You betcha! I had not a clue in the world.

So then why, you may ask, did I not particularly love this book? There’s a few reasons. First, it gets to be VERY repetitive. Ashley was pregnant and gave birth during covid. There were complications with her labor and delivery and they didn’t know if she was doing to make it. That is absolutely important to the storyline, especially the post partum depression. I just don’t need to be reminded of it 3-4 times. I was also pregnant and gave birth during covid, and I know every hospital everywhere was different, but my husband was able to come in (I gave birth in June 2020). Second, the middle just got to be so drawn out and boring. I was falling asleep reading it; reading the middle felt like a chore.

This author is described as acclaimed, but maybe she’s just not for me. There was so much that could have been done with this book with the PPD and childhood grief. Felt like a lost opportunity.

Anyway, there are those that loved it and will love it. Just not for me.

This was an okay thriller… the killer was a shocker however, this book did not keep me invested. I was honestly over the main characters and their problems

I Dreamed of Falling was the first Julia Dahl book I have read. The premise was good and the beginning of the book sucked me in. This is definitely more of a family drama than a thriller/mystery. Roman and Ashley live with his mom and her boyfriend while raising their son Mason. I don't think anyone in this book was happy, they were all dreaming of bigger things and complaining about what they currently had. The pacing was off for me, the middle of the book dragged, the ending picked up. I was surprised how it ended, I did not see that coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an ARC of I Dreamed of Falling for an honest review.

This was one of the best mystery/thrillers I’ve read in a while. I was hooked from the start and finished the book in under two days. It was the first time I’ve ever guessed the murderer correctly, but the details surrounding it I had completely wrong. The journey to get there was so thrilling!

What’s funny is that I accidentally clicked “read now” on this book without knowing anything about it. I’m so glad I made that mistake!

Highly recommend this one! Perfect fall read to cozy up with!
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Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a gifted advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Boring and took me forever to get into. I had to force myself to read and I think there were way too many references to covid.

Unfortunately, this was not a winner for me. I’ll admit, I’m probably the most critical of thrillers because I’ve read so many of them. I want to be hooked throughout, experience jaw-dropping twists and flawed characters with depth (and secrets!) 👀 And not many of those things happened for me here.

While this book has short chapters that make you feel like it’s fast-paced, I realized that not a lot was actually happening. The action really didn’t pick up until the very end, and it felt anticlimactic to me.

I wasn’t a huge fan of all the references to Covid throughout so much of the book. It was too frequent for me. As far as the characters go, I didn’t really like any of them. My heart went out to Roman and Mason, and I did appreciate how the author depicted their relationship as a parent helping his son through their shared grief. However, those moments were fleeting. As were the chapters told from Ashley’s POV. I wish we’d had more of them to add heightened mystery and suspense to the story.

This book ended up being a bit lackluster, and I’m sad to say that I wouldn’t recommend it. I’d still like to try another book from this author though to see if it was just this particular storyline or her writing in general that wasn’t working for me. We’ll have to wait and see, but in the meantime, on to the next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, St. Martin's, for the review copy! This book captivated me with its exploration of loss and grief, and I appreciated the author's courage in tackling such dark themes. However, while the thematic depth is undeniable, the pacing and emotional intensity sometimes made it challenging to stay fully engaged—it’s not exactly a "can't put it down" kind of read. Yet, it’s a story that lingered with me, rich in nuance and reflection.

Overall, this is a tough one to review. I found much to appreciate, but I would hesitate to recommend it broadly. It's a book that I hope finds its way to the right readers—particularly those who enjoy character-driven mysteries with darker undertones and are looking for a thought-provoking book club pick.

I enjoyed reading this book. This was an unknown author to me one I discovered accidentally. I will definitely be looking for more of this authors books in the future.