I though this was a really good thriller. There are a lot of ups and downs! I couldn't put the book down.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Roman and his partner Ashley live in a Hudson Valley town, where Roman works as a journalist for the local newspaper, while Ashley and Roman’s mom Tara care for their 4 year old son Mason. And when Ashley is found dead at the cliffside home of a friend, Roman realizes he may not have known Ashley as well as he thought he did. I Dreamed Of Falling is a melancholy and gripping tale of a family suffering a loss, of secrets that kill, and of the struggles of parenting in a divided family. The words flow smoothly as Roman’s grief is palpable and his efforts, with the help of Tara, to unravel the mystery of Ashley’s death propels the plot. But make no mistake, this is a character-driven novel, and the writing here is top notch. In fact, it’s not until you finish do you realize just how good this book was! It’s a little slow paced, but that pacing builds the tension as the plot unfolds. Well done! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When small town reporter Roman's girlfriend and mother of their 4-year-old son is found dead, Roman can't believe that her death was due to a drug overdose. Together with the new cop in town, Felix, they set out to prove that the pills found in Ashley's back pocket were not hers. The local police chief wants to write this death off as a simple drug overdose, (considering Ashley's past) but the evidence doesn't add up. Why do the local police want to hush up this death? What's in it for them? Were they involved? As Roman digs deeper into Ashley's past and present lives, he discovers a web of connections leading right back to his own front door. Was Ashley planning on leaving him? Where did she get the large sum of money currently in her bank account?
Author Dahl, presents plenty of twists and turns not only among the suspects, but also possible motives for Ashley's death. Will Roman be able to put it all together and will he be able to survive with the answers he finds?

I don’t know about this one. So much of the text is mundane and doesn’t move the story forward. Time wasn’t spent on finding out what happened, rather, it was about Tara, her past and her controlling behavior. I thought this would be a fun mystery, but it just isn’t for me.

This was a fantastic read that was fast enough to binge . New Author for me and a clever storyteller, would not hesitate to read her books again. Loved the plot twists.

This was a rollercoaster of emotions on a fast paced mystery that will keep you entertained.

A heartbreaking story unfolding tragic secrets, and the struggle of their relationships.

Well developed characters that you will love and hate at the same time.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.
Publication Day 09/17/2024

As a reader who typically enjoys dramas, thrillers and stories with intricate relationships, I eagerly picked up "I Dreamed of Falling." However, despite my initial enthusiasm, I found myself unable to finish the book due to a lack of connection with the story and its characters.
The novel promised a gripping thriller, however, I struggled almost from the beginning.
As I delved deeper into the narrative, I struggled to engage with the characters. They felt distant and somewhat predictable, lacking the depth and complexity that would have made them relatable or compelling.
Additionally, the pacing of the plot felt uneven and boring. Also, there was a concealed political reference which I felt was unnecessary and I certainly did not agree with and it totally turned me off. This was when I decided this book was definitely note for me.
Ultimately, after struggling through several chapters, I made the difficult decision to set aside "I Dreamed of Falling." While the book may resonate with readers, it unfortunately did not strike a chord with me.

I sort of like this book but I didnt love it. It tried to be alot of things and kept me wanting to read through to the end, which I found disappointing.
The writing was ok but the story a bit of a push and parts really didnt make any sense

Roman and Ashley along with their four-year-old son live with Roman’s mother, Tara and boyfriend John. It’s not a perfect situation. Ashley had a hard time with Mason’s birth, and Roman dislikes his job. In addition, Tara is very protective of Mason. So much so that Ashley and Roman sometimes wonder if their son would be better off without them.
Then the unthinkable happens. Ashley is found dead. Was it an accident or murder? Roman is consumed with grief, and as he finds out more and more about the life Ashley was leading, he vacillates between missing her desperately and hating the choices she made.
Told mostly by Roman and Tara, with some chapters by Ashley. It was hard to like these characters as they were all pretty messed up. I didn’t even look twice at the killer. I was so sure that I knew whodunnit. I read this in an afternoon and the reason for Ashley’s death was oh so sad.

This book was ok but I felt that it could be developed further. When young mother Ashley dies, her reporter boyfriend Roman and her family/friends try to figure out what really happened.

The mystery was decent but I struggled a little bit with the details behind the scandal. I did figure out the villain but it took me a good ways into the book to do so. My main issue is that none of these characters felt relatable to me and there was so much talk about covid, political candidates, and open relationships that I felt it was just trying too hard to be relevant in 2024. It definitely kept me reading and I was even ok with the way it ended, but I wasn’t totally invested.

Overall, interesting storyline but the characters and the actual telling of the story left a little to be desired. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not for me. The characters were unlikeable, the plot was all over the place and the constant mention of COVID was annoying and did nothing for the story. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Roman is shocked to hear about a woman who was murdered. He can't fathom why their was people nearby, who saw nothing. He learns through his investigation that some people don't want him to solve the murder. A good read.

A young wife and mother has been found dead. A community and her family grieve her loss, while trying to find out what happened to Ashley on a warm summer night.

I found most of the characters in this book unlikable, specifically Roman’s mother Tara. Though Roman was a bit much too. I guessed what had happened to Ashley, but it was a quick easy read. Overall pretty standard thriller, with nothing that will make you gasp with surprise.

I want to thank me thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an e-kindle ARC. This book proved to be very interesting in many ways. As I always say it is a good thing, I always complete a book even though I seem to hate it as I am reading it.
About sixty percent of the book was used to develop the characters before becoming a foreboding mystery. Having the murdered character reveal how the story progresses was an unusual writing strategy that made following the story difficult for me, but helped everything came together in the end.
Taking place in a small fictional town in the Hudson Valley of New York, a place many probably will relate to (and recognize, Ashley, the book’s protagonist, develops into a complex and tormented character. She is tormented in the modern themes of being young and trying to find herself; not married but living with her son’s father her boyfriend since high school, drugs, and nosy in-laws. Small town living is dissected with all its flaws, power brokers emerge with no care for the people in town, and people on the take. You will meet, Tara, Roman, John, Kiera and many more interesting characters.
You will never know what is coming.

I have mixed feelings about this one. It's pretty well-written and has the makings of a good story, but I just didn't connect with it at all. It felt (intentionally I hope) really gloomy and morose, and I don't think there was one smile to be had the entire story. I didn't mind reading it -- it wasn't a chore, but I was glad when it was done.

I think some folks will really enjoy this tale -- there's certainly an audience for it.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

The beginning of *I Dreamed of Falling* was full of promise, and I loved it. However, once the body was found, it failed to keep me invested. In my opinion, most of this isn’t a thriller; it’s women’s fiction from a man’s point of view—is men’s fiction a thing? 😅 Anyway, it didn’t work for me. Finding out the killer was a surprise, but not a good one since, looking back, it feels like there were no clues to lead readers to that character. Three things especially annoyed me: one, all the characters, however unrelated, are doing drugs; two, the story happens in 2024, and Covid is somehow still a main element of the story; and three, they keep nicknaming the four-year-old “mister.”

I dreamed of falling by Julie Dahl

A young mother dies in a small Hudson valley town and it sends the father of her child spinning. Roman who is a reporter for the local newspaper and starts looking into the death of his girlfriend. Interviewing people who knew her and investigating what happened in the final moments of her death.

This book was a little slow for me, it had potential for a great mystery then lost me when it droned on and on about the pandemic and her history. Too much. It was a quick read and interesting for the first half for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s press for this Arc.

While ‘I Dreamed of Falling’ is a work of fiction, it addresses very real issues that could happen in any of our towns. Taking place years after the pandemic, a blended family deals with issues with finance, mental health, substance abuse and more. I like how the author addressed mental health issues caused by the pandemic and the impact those issues have on families/individuals – that was very real to me. The story is centered around the death of Ashley, a young mother with a secret life. She leaves behind her partner of many years, Roman, who is also the father of their 4-year old son Mason. Experiencing her death through Mason’s eyes was heartbreaking and tragic. The story unfolds to discover many secrets that led to her untimely death. It caused a lot of reflection within the living characters on how they could have shown up better for Ashley and their family – which was also very real to me. I definitely recommend this book – I read it in 2.5 days! Thanks St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

This domestic mystery written by Julia Dahl, is a story set in a small town with alternating POVs. It opens with the discovery of Ashley’s dead body and the story of past, present, and future unravel as the pages go by.

Ashley, long term girlfriend to Ramon, and mother to “mister” (Mason), was figuring out life on the beaches of Hawaii when her world changed. Back to the small town she grew up in, she found herself pregnant and living with Ramon’s mother and her fiancé. After a difficult labor/ delivery, made worse by COVID restrictions, it only seems to reason that she would be depressed. But how did that result in her death? The initial ruling was OD at a party, but maybe there’s more to it than that. The book follows Ramon’s search for the truth and the aches and pains he feels losing the love of his life.

I was hooked from page one. No joke. This was written in such an open way that it didn’t feel like secrets were being held onto for some big twist. Each chapter unfolded both past and present, with barely any acknowledgement of the time change. The characters were so carefully and well developed, and while you found a way to love and hate each one, there was no villain until the mystery was solved.

This work of fiction also played on some very relevant issues young couples are facing these days. Depression after COVID, drug and alcohol use, being dependent on a multi-generational household to survive, leaning on parents to bridge the gap as caretakers for their grandchildren. It highlighted the power struggle of those relationships and outside relationships as well.

I found this story to be very moving!!! It felt realistic, there was a lot of emotion, and mixed emotions, as reality changes and life keeps moving forward. It was a fantastic read that kept me wanting more. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC!

Secrets, intrigue, and murder haunt a lovely Hudson Valley town. Roman Grady’s life is turned upside down when Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is murdered. As the town’s lone reporter for the local newspaper, he now finds himself looking for answers to the senseless murder of his beloved girlfriend.
Shortly after Ashley attended a party at the seaside home of an ex-girlfriend, her body was found on the grounds leading from the house. Roman questioned those who attended the party, but nobody knew what had happened to her. Or did they? Roman soon discovers the painful truth about Ashley and her hidden plans for her future. Secrets that led to her death.
An edge-of-the-seat thriller of a family in crisis with a powerful ending.