Review: Dream on by Angie Hockman

 

Dream on

by Angie Hockman 

July 5, 2022

Goodreads Summary:

What would you do if your dream man turned out to be real?

When law student Cass Walker wakes up after surviving a car accident, she is flooded with memories of her boyfriend, Devin. The only problem? Devin doesn’t exist. But everything she remembers about him feels so real, like the precise shade of his coffee-brown eyes; the texture of his favorite hand-me-down scarf; even the slightly crooked angle of his pinkie, broken after falling off a trampoline in third grade. She knows he’s a figment of her imagination—friends, family, and doctors confirm it—but she still can’t seem to get him out of her head.

So when she runs into the real Devin a year later in a Cleveland flower shop, she’s completely shocked. Even more surprising is that Devin actually believes her story, and soon they embark on a real-life romance. With her dream man by her side and an upcoming summer job at a prestigious law firm, Cass’s future seems perfect. But fate might have other plans...

Review

I love me a good romance but what really grabbed my attention with Dream On was the mystery in the synopsis. It's 90% of why I read the book. And I ended up enjoying the plot quite a bit.

Dream On started off slow but picked up significantly in the second half of the book. A journey of self-discovery, the character growth was inspiring. Cass had very relatable doubts and worries. Despite the awfulness of her accident, she got a chance to reexamine her life choices. Devin and Perry included. The conclusion she arrived at was worth every bit of struggle she went through.

The synopsis made no mention of it but Dream On has a sort-of love triangle. I don't feel it's spoiler-y since it's hinted at early on in the story but it did catch me off guard. For a while I couldn't see how the relationships were going to work but the author managed to wrap them up cleanly. The pair that I rooted for had an undeniable connection that was shy and sweet. I was very happy to see them work out!

Cass's friendship with Brie really made the story for me. Not only was Brie always supportive, she never sugarcoated anything with Cass. "Fate is the excuse people use to justify when life-altering things happen, when in reality it's the result of the decisions they make- and maybe a dash of pure dumb luck. Good or bad, people's actions determine their future. Cause and effect. Action, reaction. Blaming things on fate only downplays the importance of of choice." (ARC, p. 51). Brie and Marcus's side romance was cute.

I honestly didn't think there could be a logical explanation to Cass's memories of Devin but the human brain never fails to amaze. I am very satisfied with how the author rationalized things. It made a lot of sense.

Although Dream On had a predictable, cheesy and convenient twist (Cass's nemesis at work is Devin's ex whom he still loves) at the end, I enjoyed my time with this story full of warmth. My curiosity did not let me down!

*I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the ARC I received.