This one hit me emotionally from the first few chapters - you could see the history between Mac and Sam how the tipping point for Mac occurred in real time. It was a heavy read that I couldn’t put down.

I liked how much culture was included from multiple characters and how all of the characters, both friends and family, also added to the story. The struggles were relatable.

Thank you Meridith Claire and Independent Book Publishers Association for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

I thought going into this book, it would be a cute, sappy, choose between two guys book, not a gut wrenching sob fest! Mackenzie, or Mac, had so much self value that I was proud of her for sticking to her choices, but also going with the adventure and where her heart knew she needed to heal. Her best friend, Bianca is one of the friends I would want in my life. She supported her best friends choices while also giving her own opinion, but not judging or swaying Mac in anyway. Mac realizing her fiancé, Sam was changing in a direction she knew she couldn't join was a big decision, but one that Sam needed as well to push him into seeing how much he was leaving what he fought so hard for behind. Reading Sams journey and his eye-opening situations, while also reading about Mac going on this incredible adventure with new found friends, Hunter, Parker, and Ollie, was exactly what I love to read about. Having two separate people who love each other and are working on finding their ways in the world without the other, can be some of the most head-butting-against-the-wall situations, but I loved how realistic they both were. Hunters story and his wildest dreams list was one of three scenes in this book that made me cry. His appreciation for Mac and his friends was the sweetest thing ever, but also so supportive. The way he just wanted to make Mac's life better in such a short time, was probably the most selfless act a man could do for someone.

I cried three times, not including the last chapter which broke my heart and was also a tear jerker. The beginning it was a little difficult for me to get into, but once we started going on an adventure of a lifetime, I was hooked. I would recommend this book to anyone who is suffering from a loss, a breakup, or is working on building their self up. I would also recommend this to anyone who wants a great second-chance love story with change.

I read Wildest Dreams on my 12 hour car ride to disney. Thinking maybe it would be a nice read while I get to the happiest place in earth.
I was wrong. This book had me sobbing. Between dealing with loss of love and death I've never cried this much before. I loved it. Every minute.

―´⁠arc review`✧

3★ This book follows Mackenzie Almazan (Mac) and Samson Madden (Sam) who were about to begin their marriage journey. But this childhood sweethearts turned fiancé duo was not prepared for the change in their trajectory of their relationship. Comes a new turn of this dynamic, Chaoxiang Zhou (Hunter), which was what Mac needed to find her whirlwind journey of self-discovery and realization of her worth after her separation from Sam.

Pros:
- Interesting concept
- Growth-filled journey
- Realistic at some points
- diverse rep of characters
- explorative locations
- mystery of 'wildest dreams' bucket list
- unique ending

Cons:
- Need better dialogues, like why the characters were not acting like their age
- disjoined flow
- overly dramatic in the beginning, Mac decision to leave Sam just because he didn't introduce her as his fiancée? i get one mis-action can change the course of any relationship but her, they were practically together since they were child, so that break-up was just abrupt and unreasonable, i expected better communication skills with how long they had been with each other
- more tell than show, i would have felt more connected to Sam and Mac's dynamics if we have got some flashback scenes of them together in the past, showing how much they had changed

Overall, it was a unique heart-wrenching read of relationships, their failures, self-discovery, pursuing one’s dreams, filled with hardships and life-altering choices while showing lights to sensitive topics.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Meridith Claire and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I was not prepared to be emotionally destroyed. Someone pass me the tissues box please. I love the way the two main characters (Sam and Mac) are developed throughout this story, as well as representing the diversity that is commonly seen in LA. It also emphasizes an important message, which I feel a lot of people feel they can’t achieve. You’ll have to read it to figure out what I’m talking about.

I found it to be quite beautiful in a messy way. I did not expect this book to be so emotional and angsty, I was thinking it was gonna be an entertaining love triangle because those are my guilty pleasure. It was not that It was not , but I enjoyed it so much. Definitely worth the read.

(⭐3.5)

"Please don't make me another pain you can't let go of."

Thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

1. Characters
Mackenzie
Unfortunately throughout the story I found my liking of our FMC fluctuated quite wildly. I tended to sympathise with her then suddenly start getting really sick of her. I'm not sure exactly what it was that was harder to tolerate about her - I loved her backstory and personality! Maybe it was the fact that she went off willingly with a guy she'd just met under uncertain circumstances (although Hunter was gracious enough to provide her with heaps of security). I know she'd been going through a LOT, but every time she'd open her mouth to talk she'd start crying 😞I understand her situation was incredibly sad - even I cried too! But some scenes lost a lot of traction because she wouldn't be able to carry a coherent series of emotions while crying.

Sam
OH BOY DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HIM!!!! I actually can't believe him. I'm glad everyone's letting him know what a d*ck he is, but my GOD. He really couldn't wait like a week??? He was annoying me sooooo bad like what do you mean you know what your issue is but you continue to avoid it and carry on digging yourself a deeper hole???

Hunter
Definitely my favourite character. I really had a soft spot for him, he was funny and sweet and adventurous - I love how he treated Mackenzie, even if they'd only just met, I loooved how he understood what she needed and just let her vent to him, even with everything he had going on.

Side Characters
I loved Ollie and Parker, but most of the other side characters got a little confusing and convoluted. I couldn't really establish a clear image of them in my mind because so much was happening and the timeskips were all over the place, so it became a little difficult to follow along.

2. Plot
I really ended up liking the first 50% of the book! I adored how Hunter and Mac had their little lists and went about doing things for each other. That was seriously cute as heck. But oh my god Sam's perspective pissed me off so bad!! I can't even get into it because I'll burst a blood vessel.

3. Final Thoughts
As for my final thoughts, there were a couple minor things that distracted from the story. The writing was not the best - there were grammar and spelling errors everywhere, and while I understand it's not everyone's strongest point, it did end up getting a little distracting. Especially during some emotional moments, all I could focus on were the lack of commas in places they were needed and random commas in places they weren't!!

However, the storytelling in itself was really beautiful. I loved how we got to see the character development over the story, and how we were able to take little dips into Sam & Mac's backstory without it taking away from the present moment all too much.

Although sometimes the characters would come across as unnatural simply in the way that they were speaking. They'd sound a touch robotic or far too formal at times.

But overall, really impressive story. I've never heard of a narrative such as this one, in the sort of 'second chance romance' but also love triangle? It was definitely original and new!

Wildest Dreams by Meridith Claire

Wildest Dreams was such a wonderful, easy read that kept me engaged from start to finish. One of the standout aspects of this book was its diverse cast of characters, which brought so much depth and richness to the story. It was refreshing to see such representation, and it made the world feel even more immersive and real.

There were moments in this book that were absolutely heart-wrenching, and I loved every second of it. I always appreciate a story that can make me feel strong emotions, and Wildest Dreams delivered beautifully on that front. The main character's journey was so compelling—it was incredibly easy to put myself in their shoes and feel the weight of their decisions. The inner conflict was written in such a way that I felt just as torn as they were, making the reading experience even more powerful.

Overall, this was an emotional and thought-provoking read, with the perfect balance of drama, relatability and romance. A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review Wildest Dreams before its official release. If you enjoy books that make you feel deeply and keep you hooked, this one is definitely worth picking up!

3.5⭐️
A moving book about two people needing to find themselves and each other again. The story follows Mackenzie (Mac) and Samson (Sam). They have been in each other’s lives since they were kids and had plans to get married. An unlucky interaction between them however has Mac deciding to break off the engagement and walk away. She then goes on to meet Chaoxiang (Hunter) who takes her on an unexpected journey and who quickly becomes someone Mac deeply cares for. At the same time, Sam is figuring himself and his needs/wants out as well.

I would use the terms intelligent, diverse and emotional to describe Wildest Dreams. It’s categorized as a (second-chance) romance, but it is a very non-typical one and I would even argue that romance is more of a subplot. This is not a bad thing! However, I was definitely expecting something else when I picked up this book.

The writing took some getting used to: especially at the start, the dialogue seems very formal and a lot of sentences are similar in length. I didn’t notice it as much as the story progressed though. Next to this, a lot is told retrospectively instead of shown, especially regarding Mac and Sam’s relationship, making it difficult at times to understand their long-term relationship and dynamics at all.

While the book has a rocky start, both in terms of writing and the actual storyline, it becomes a beautiful story about self-discovery, friendship, love and dealing with (old) grief. The final chapter from Hunter’s POV was a unique finishing touch which I appreciated! I would easily recommend this book to others as (general) fiction, but not necessarily as a romance novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for providing me with this ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really liked this one. The characters grew as the story progressed. I liked that Mackenzie had a list to keep her going, goals are important. She probably didn't make good decisions at the beginning of the book but they worked through it and I enjoyed that. The book felt like a nice one to read and didn't feel like a fanfiction. It was really interesting.
If you're looking for something cozy to read while it's raining and you've lit a candle, this one is a good one.

Thanks for sending me this, publisher and author.

A really beautiful story of love, friendship, and pursuing one’s dreams. The characters were lovable, relatable and also showed and confronted some of their faults. This book made me laugh, cry and dream. It was an enjoyable and emotional read.

I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The beginning of this book is a touch clunky. I feel that we don’t spend enough time fleshing out Mac and Sam’s relationship in the beginning, instead jumping straight into the relationship-ending event that becomes the focus of this “second chance” romance book. I also didn’t love that a lot of the dialogue didn’t contain contractions where there would naturally be some, leading to the conversations feeling stilted and unnatural more often than not.

While the premise of this book is lovely, I feel that it didn’t really know whether it wanted to be a romance novel about Mac and Sam or if it wanted to be a lovely heart-warming story of Mac and Hunter and their unexpected journey together.

All of that being said, I did enjoy this book a fair bit. I read it in one sitting, and it did get some tears out of me. Ultimately, I did end up wanting Mac and Sam to get back together in the end, but I think a lot of that was due to Hunter and Clarissa not being viable options for Mac and Sam respectively, and the book being marketed as a romance, thus needing that key element.

The post-humous moments between Hunter and Sam were the highlight of the book and seeing how much each of them cared about Mac was heart-warming and a lovely way to end their stories.

Thank you to Meridith Claire, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles, and as always, NetGalley, for the ARC!

This book didn’t work for me almost from the start. I hate the miscommunication trope and that’s where all the conflict starts from here. Mac and Sam spent so much time refusing to talk out what could’ve maybe still ended in them separating but honestly wasn’t that big of a deal.
There was a lot of research put into this and I think that’s great and I admire the work Claire clearly put in to highlight the different places Mac and Hunter go, but it ended up being so much more about telling instead of showing. I felt taken out of the story because so much background was being explained and not discovered organically by the characters.
I hated Clarissa’s characterization deeply why did she have to be a cartoon villain!! So many of my issues with the characters really boiled down to them being older characters who acted like they were in middle school.

I liked the reveals of both Mac and Hunter’s lists and thought that keeping them secret until they completed them was engaging.

When I say I was not prepared for the heart wrenching, tear jerking, gut punching that this book was about to put me through, I am not kidding.

This book has destroyed me. It has hurt me so badly, I am not okay. I made the mistake of reading this while in work, and it’s safe to say that my coworkers were concerned when I started bawling crying.

Reviews have been published on Instagram, Goodreads and Storygraph.

ARC Review!!!!
Thank you to NetGalley!!!

Where do I begin???? ugh this was such an interesting concept for a book! I don't think I've ever read a book of this plot/storyline.
Mac and Sam have technically been together since childhood, a long time friendship that became more and they were on their way to marriage. Sam was growing in his corporate world while becoming distant from Mac and that world he knew. A moment where Mac becomes aware that Sam is embarrassed by her, Mac ends their engagement. Then she meets Hunter and starts working on her wildest dreams.
Hunter being introduced and his whole plot was a little weird to me and other than that this book would've been a 5 star read for me. Hunter said he wasn't a stalker but gave stalker vibes lol. After looking at that part, I loved Hunter and Mac's friendship. They were friends at most for a couple of days as Hunter sadly passed but Mac learned so much from him within those couple of days. As did Sam, Sam realized what he lost and what he actually wanted in the future.
This book felt really real as myself being in a relationship of 8 years with my high school sweetheart. You are growing as your own person but also with another person as a pair. I love how Mac was able to recognize that she needed to leave and made the decision without a second thought. She mentioned a couple of times throughout the book that she knew if she spoke to Sam she would second guess her decision and take him back and that is so relatable!!! She needed that space and took her and kudos to her.
Sam fought for her back and although he should've NEVER given Clarissa a second glance, I'm glad he noticed that he actually wanted Mac. Fuck Clarissa, she needed her ass beat.
This was such a fast read for me! I ate it up. If Hunter was a long time friend or someone Mac previously knew then it could've easily been a 5 star read for me!!!
4.5 stars!!!

Oh this book was absolutely amazing and well written! The main characters personalities and characteristics were literally perfect. The love shown throughout this book felt so real and beautifully raw. Highly Recommend!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeply emotional and engaging read. It's a testament to the power of love and well-crafted characters.

When I reached for this book, I figured I would get a book about a girl finding herself after separating from her significant other. I did not expect for my heart to both shatter and swell with the intense love within this story. Meridith Clare is able to convey such intense emotions thought out this book; I often found myself feeling those same emotions. Everyone needs to have this on their must reads!

Oh this book was absolutely amazing and well written! The main characters personalities and characteristics were literally perfect. The love shown throughout this book felt so real and beautifully raw. Highly Recommend!

A heart warming book about life, relationships, and the choices we make. Loved that the main character is Filipino and that the book had diverse characters and perspectives that are not often represented. Will be recommending to many people to read this book!