As a huge Ashley Herring Blake fan, this was my most anticipated 2025 read and I'm so happy to say it exceeded all expectations! Dylan and Ramona were so lovable from the start, and this romance felt believable yet dreamy. I felt truly immersed in Clover Lake, and I can't wait to see what April's story holds!

5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Fat bi MC, bi MC, pan side character, bi SC, unlabeled queer SC, Black trans woman SC, Black queer SC, lesbian SC, East Asian SC, BIPOC nonbinary lesbian SC

Content warnings: Parental abandonment (past) and grief related to it, car accident and resulting injury (past), unsafe living situation for a child including witnessing drug and alcohol abuse (past), getting drink, non-graphic vomiting

Ashley Herring Blake is simply incapable of writing a bad novel. This book overflows with their signature humor, found family, character development, diversity, and sexiness (I swear the spice gets hotter with each publication). The entire cast is wonderful and I adore Ramona and Dylan, even when I got frustrated with their lack of communication — not a spoiler, btw, since that’s the premise of the novel. They just both feel so delightfully human, like people I’d be friends with in real life. Dare I say, they’re on par with the Bright Falls gang, or perhaps even better!

Minor editing note from someone who studies astrology that the date mentioned for Saturn in Pisces is wrong. When April and Ramona read that horoscope before the book’s climax, Saturn would not be moving into Pisces in July; that would happen in September.

I will absolutely purchase a physical copy of this book when it publishes, and I already can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

**HUGE thank you to Berkley for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

This was not my favorite of Ashley Herring Blake's books. I liked both main characters but I didn't feel there was much depth in their emotional connection. I felt for both characters in their troubled relationships with their parents, but I wasn't as invested in their HEA as I usually am with her books. I would recommend this to readers of sapphic romance.

Ashley Herring Blake delivers a truly special romance with Dream On, Ramona Riley. It’s the perfect blend of small-town charm and big, heartfelt emotions, wrapped in a story that feels authentic and deeply satisfying.

The bi rep shines brightly here. Both leads are lovable, anxious bisexuals who spend so much of the story apologizing to each other in ways that are sweet, endearing, and incredibly real. Their dynamic is messy in the best way, full of vulnerability and tenderness that makes their love story impossible to resist.

This is a story with layers—rich, vivid, and three-dimensional. Each piece of Ramona’s journey adds depth, making the overall experience even more delicious. It’s the kind of story you can completely sink into, where every detail feels intentional and meaningful.

Blake’s knack for writing small-town settings really stands out. The sense of place is strong, but it never overshadows the emotional weight of the story. Every big feeling is handled with care, making the romance even more rewarding.

Dream On, Ramona Riley is thoughtful, tender, and completely captivating.

This is my first time reading an Ashley Herring Blake book but it won’t be my last!!! Dream On Ramona Riley was so good!

I loved every single character in this book. They all had so much depth to them. Each one was super unique and had their own personality which really shined during certain moments in this novel.

I also really loved the chemistry between Ramona and Dylan. Anytime they interacted I was smiling and eating it up. There was a lot of self reflection and growth from when they first met to now, which I loved to see. The spicy scenes between them were also really good!

Ashley Herring Blake honestly never fails me. Her characters are so relatable in some sense. They're messy, but they're just trying to figure life out. I loved Ramona. She was precious and truly sacrificed a lot to step up to the plate to help take care of Olive. Her bestie April was HILARIOUS! She made me chuckle out loud several times. Her father was adorable. Dylan was beautiful deep down and on surface level, too, but I loved her character development by the ending. All of this was beautiful. I loved that it was serendipitous. All around, lovely and spicy bits were spicing! 🥵🤌

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Berkley to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

thank you to berkley and netgalley for an ARC of this book for an honest review

hmmm… not super sure how i feel about this one. for starters, the cover is adorable and as a bisexual i love seeing bi characters getting their time to shine.

i felt a little bored in a few places while reading this. some information seemed unnecessary and i found myself desiring more. there were side characters used for minor plot development, and there was some missing potential for dylan or ramona to dive deeper into their former relationships. i was expecting more jealousy when exes/flings popped up.

the story was predictable, which was fine and i expected that. i also felt like it was long? i enjoyed the chemistry between dylan and ramona though i think some of it got lost with all of the side characters being introduced.

all in all, i was able to finish this book lol. i enjoyed some parts of it and was able to read most of it in around 4-5 hours. i’m not sure that i’d read it again, but i’m glad for the representation.

The last two books I have read by Ashley Herring Blake were admittedly a bit of a miss for me, but with Ramona Riley, she reestablished her spot as one of my favourite queer romance writers.

The second-chance romance was completely swoon-worthy, the setting came alive through each new scene, and the exploration of trauma was done incredibly well, with both characters doing a lot of self-reflection and growth throughout the novel. While I recognize that some readers won't enjoy the miscommunication trope in this one, I couldn't help but overlook it because I had completely fallen for Dylan and Ramona's story.

I can't wait to read the next book in this new romance series!

DNF.

I think it's time to admit that Ashley Herring Blake's books just aren't for me. I enjoyed Delilah Green Doesn't Care when I first read it years ago, but I haven't felt like anything she has released since has really worked. Her writing style is very repetitive and expository, which I don't particularly care for. It seems like you're constantly being told rather than shown how characters think, feel, act, etc. Similarly, her characters seldom feel like real people to me, so I struggle to connect with, relate to, or really even care about them.

With respect to this book in particular, I'm not sure if I just don't care for the celebrity romance trope in general or if the plot was too ridiculous and unbelievable, but either way, I wasn't into it. I didn't feel invested in Ramona and Dylan as individuals or as a couple.

As a lesbian myself, I'm always really bummed when I don't like a sapphic book, and I think that's why I keep giving Ashley Herring Blake's books a chance. I'm always hoping that the next one will be the one that really DOES work for me. Unfortunately, this one wasn't the one. I tend to have different expectations for romance novels than what is the norm, so I do think other people will like this book. I hope there are folks out there who enjoy it and feel represented by it. As much as it wasn't for, I'm not here to yuck anyone else's yum, so I'll leave it at that.

(Leni Kauffman designed a cute cover, though. Credit where credit is due.)

Another cozy and cute read from Ashley Herring Blake! If you’re already a fan, then you’ll definitely want to add this one to your tbr list

dnf @ 9%



OK yeah, unfortunately this book is doing all the stuff that bugged me that Blake's last two books did. I think it is time to accept that an author I once loved is no longer for me.

I just really don't love how the characters have their backstories vomited out at the beginning, instead of being gradually revealed as character development. I do think this will likely appeal to people who enjoyed Iris Kelly Doesn't Date and Make the Season Bright; but unfortunately, I do not think I will like it any more if I continue.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this latest from Ashley Herring Blake. It was obviously super sweet and fluffy and queer, which is great, but it just didn't quite hit all the way. My biggest gripe is that the plot/writing felt shockingly basic for an author with so many books under their belt. One of the MCs literally describes shot-for-shot what their grand gesture would be if they ever had to win the other one back... and then it happens, exactly as described, pages later. Several images were used repeatedly (most notably, Dylan sleeping in a pizza box as a child... we get it). The love scenes were great, but felt really unbalanced since there was nothing for most of the book, and then a bunch all in a row. There are other issues, but we'll leave it at that. It is still worth the read, and the fact that it's paving the way for a new AHB series is still thrilling. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the digital ARC. 3.5 rounded down.

I thought this was such a cute romance and I'm excited to see where the rest of the series goes. This is a peak queer romcom that has the backdrop of a small town where one of the fmc's Ramona is a waitress and the other Dylan is a famous actress with rock star parents. So both main characters first meet when they were teenagers and share a kiss, now years later Dylan can't remember her when they meet again. I liked the movie and small-town plot especially as the main characters spend more time with each other. The romance was full of lots of attraction and steam though I needed more with the emotional connection. There is mental health rep and both characters have some trauma in their backstory though the book is pretty light. There is miscommunication which I'm not a big fan of but overall this was a good read. Thank you Berkley for this arc for an honest review.

Read for:
- Queer romance
- Opposites attracts
- Small town fmc x City girl fmc
- Movie plot

Another solid, spicy read from Ashley Herring Blake!

I was 50/50 on Make The Season Bright, but mostly just because I don't like Christmas romances as much as I might, but I enjoyed Dream On, Ramona Riley as much as I did the Bright Falls book series. Well... maybe slightly less because I fell in love with Bright Falls as a setting... but I think Clover Lake has a lot of potential as this series continues.

Dylan and Ramona are a great pairing, but also wonderfully complex in their characterization. If you liked the Bright Falls series (specifically Iris Kelly Doesn't Date) there's a lot to love here!

I love love Ashley Herring Blake’s books! They are so well written and are great stories! I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t a new Bright Falls book, but I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an arc of this book! Oh my god, this is the perfect small town romcom. I loved the vibe of this new world we are getting and getting to see characters from past and future stories was really cool as well. I think I’m really going to like April’s story, she seems so messy and I’m here for it. With this book, it has that quintessential small town girl, big actress but it’s not done in a tropy or Hallmarky way. I really liked the plot, you get to watch two people who have dealt with a lot of shit over the years and you watch them grow separately but also grow and heal together. I like that Dylan wasn’t perfect, she was far from it and could even be considered unlikable but that makes her the perfect character because she is messy and has flaws and Ramona helps her grow. Then with Ramona we have someone with not a lot of confidence and sacrificed a lot for her family and Dylan shows her what feeling loved looks like. I really hope we get multiple books just like Ashley Herring Blake’s other series because I love this small town.

i absolutely adore ashley herring blake. i have read and loved all her novels. that being said, this wasn’t her at her best. perhaps dylan monroe was just too big of a mess for me, but her development seemed rushed and unsatisfying. there were no real on page resolutions, just a “10 month later” epilogue where, somehow, everything was better. it was also treated like ramona and dylan’s betrayal of each other was the same, which i disagree with. romana riley is one of my favorite characters written by blake, though! she felt very full and i loved her arc. overall, i did enjoy the book throughly… and the smut, ohhh yes

I thought this was another fun read from Ashley Herring Blake. I think my favorite still remains Iris’s book, but I enjoyed the characters in this one and I really enjoy her writing style, especially when it comes to the more intimate scenes.

I love Ashley Herring Blake, but I think this is her weakest romance. It reminded me a lot of Make My Wish Come True, which while YA, I think is very similar and a much better book. A lot about this felt like AHB was focused on what she thought the readers would want instead of writing a developed, real book. Everything just fell a little flat for me, which was a bummer because I really like this premise!

Dylan and Ramona chemistry is good, but romance in whole is underwhelming. I really wish I liked it more.