Review: Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann

Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by Bloom Books.

"That's what love is. It's the ups and downs. The in-betweens. The dark, the ugly, the beautiful, the surreal. It's in both the perfect melodies and the off-key notes. The hardships make us stronger. Braver. That's how love grows."

I seriously need to make more of an effort to check out the backlists of authors I've only recently discovered and whose most recent work I've fallen in love with. At the top of the list? Jennifer Hartmann. I'm a sucker for an angsty romance, and man, Hartmann doesn't merely tug at your heartstrings; she'll take your heart and shatter it. But of course, she'll also have that poor heart of yours mend and come back together by the end of her latest story. So yes, I was already expecting my heart to get a workout while reading her new standalone, Dream On, but goodness, even I was taken by surprise by how intense certain portions of the story hit me. Her main characters, Stevie and Lex, get their guaranteed happily-ever-after, and while the road is far from easy, finally reaching their HEA becomes even more satisfying for all those concerned, aka the MCs and the reader. But hey, have some tissues at the ready, just in case.

Dream On is a story of the power of true love, the resilience of one's spirit, and how one's dreams can change. Stevie St. James and Lexington Hall crashed into each other--literally--and that first meeting did not exactly leave her with the best first impression of him. When it turns out that Lex is the new transfer student to Hollow High, it's only then that she learns that he's some sort of famous actor who's taken a break from his life in Los Angeles to move with his parents to Chicago. Now, they're both part of the senior class AND they've both been cast as the leads of this stage production of Moulin Rouge. They fell in love, and then everything fell apart when he disappeared without any explanation. Four years later, Lex has returned, and he's an even bigger star than he was before. He also has an offer that Stevie knows she would be crazy to say "no" to. All Stevie has to do is to pretend Lex never shattered her heart years ago...

It's no secret that the bright lights of the entertainment industry can often be glaring, often to the point that there are the darker aspects of it that are not easily recognized. Also, as much as Disney would like us to think that all fairy tales end happily, the fact is, they don't, not if you've read your fair share of the original stories. I don't mean to sound morose, but the point I'm trying to make here is that there's an element of realism when it comes to Lex's career, the kind that serves as a reminder that some dreams can leave nightmare-like scars. Stevie was such a balm to his soul, but it took a while for his heart and his brain to accept the fact that he could have--and keep--someone like her in his life. These two together may have appeared perfectly idyllic, but that's the thing--their love story was imperfect. Having said that, once the obstacles were hurdled, they did, indeed. live happily ever after, and rightly so. Five-plus stars.

Release Date: 12 August 2025

Date Read: 09 August 2025

Learn more about Jennifer Hartmann.

Pre-order Dream On on Amazon.