⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Intriguing stars!

So this was a fun psychological thriller (NOT horror in any way). The writing was spot on. It was a relatively quick read. The plot was intriguing and kept me hooked throughout. The characters themselves (of which there are very few) were interesting, especially Gerry. He was a douche, but a hilarious douche! 😂 Now, the ending I was a bit "meh" about. However, that's karma for you! 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for this author's next book!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

I need to first say that Laura Lippman is one of my favourite authors: from her Tess Monaghan series following a PI around Baltimore, to the noir standalone Sunburn (truly a 5 star book), to her recent memoir My Life As A Villainess, I recommend her books constantly. So my hopes were perhaps too high for Dream Girl which, although I tried very hard, I just didn’t love.

Following the ultimate in unreliable narrators, author Gerry Anderson who, following a return to his hometown of Baltimore, is the victim of an unfortunate accident that leaves him bedbound, Dream Girl has a similar feel to Misery. Gerry is immediately unlikeable, and as the book develops the reader learns just how awful he is. But as most of the narrative is first person, we’re unfortunately held hostage to his misogynistic, boomer rants. The ending has twists-aplenty, but they didn’t make up for having to wade through pages of Gerry. Knowing Lippman’s work as well as I do, I can see what she was trying to critique through the character of Gerry, but it didn’t really come off and instead just makes unpleasant reading.

The highlight, for me, was a brief cameo appearance from Tess Monaghan herself: she, sensibly, turned down a job which would have meant spending more time in Gerry’s company: if only the reader were so lucky.

Bad news my friends! It seems like semi- unpopular reviewer stuck in the book traffic! There are so many good things I can tell for this book and there are also a few things I didn’t quite enjoy. When I sum up my pros and cons, they seem like equal. I can give this book 3.25 stars but it is still a little under my expectations when I compare the other books of the author with this!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperLuxe for allowing me to read and review this book. Published June 22, 2021

I am a big fan of Laura Lippman's work. I try to read every novel she writes. Ninety percent of the time I really enjoy her books. Then there is the other 10 percent.

This story is about a novelist who falls and is injured. While bed ridden and recuperating he believes that he is being contacted by the fictitious protagonist in his latest book. No one around him sees anything on the caller ID when phone calls come in, no one claims to have seen the letter he received, and there is no film footage of the woman who visits in the night. Is he mistaken? Is he high on his recuperating drugs? Is there someone around him who is part of a dark evil plot?

I am afraid that this book fell into that ten percent category for me. It starts out really well, maintains that momentum though most of the book - until close to the end. Once the mystery starts to be revealed I felt the book lost it's appeal. From that point on I believe the book became just mediocre - which is unusual for Lippman. And I did not care for the ending at all. I know that Lippman was trying to bring a big unseen twist into the ending, but for me it just fizzled. I was disappointed because I expected better. I will chalk this novel up to having missed the mark and hope her next novel brings back her exceptionally entertaining talent.

After being in an accident, novelist Gerry Anderson is bed bound in his apartment, dependent on two women he barely knows; his assistant and his night nurse. However strange things are starting to happen to Gerry and he is not sure what is a dream and what is reality. He starts to receive phone calls from someone claiming to be the title character Aubrey in his hit novel ‘Dream Girl’, saying she will be seeing him soon. Is this a cruel prank or is he starting to lose his mind? When he wakes up in the morning next to a dead body, he realises his nightmare is only just starting….

This has been described as having ‘Misery’ by Stephen King vibes and I completely agree, it made me think of this the whole way through, with the main character’s predicament due to injury and feeling trapped somewhere he could not get out of. I did feel like I was constantly comparing the two the further on I got, and I loved Misery so I think that was playing on my mind a bit.

The story flickers between Gerry in his apartment in the present, and to his past, particularly the relationships he has had, as we try to work out if anyone could be ‘dream girl.’ The parts where Gerry is in his apartment give a sense of claustrophobia which is perfect for the atmosphere the author was trying to achieve.

I found this quite slow paced, with a lot of background information, but picking up the pace nearer the end. There were some unexpected twists but I wasn’t massively wowed by them (if you follow my reviews you will know I am out for the big twists!)

It was a slow plot and I think I would have rated it higher if it had just picked up the pace a bit!

Gerry Andersen is a published author, married three times, who's moved to Baltimore to be closer to his dying mother who has dementia. He has a freak accident one night and is now dependent on two complete strangers for care as he's bedbound. He starts to get strange phone calls from a woman who claims to be the character of his most popular book Dream Girl, saying she'll be seeing him soon. But his book was completely fictional... wasn't it?! As these incidents continue and there's no record of it even happening, he starts to doubt his own sanity.
This book had a slow build but was well worth the effort by the end. As the story works between the present and flashbacks of his past, I got a little lost with how it would all tie together, but it all clicked in the end. Not my favorite Laura Lippman book, but it was OK.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought the premise for this one sounded really good, a writer who after an accident is bed ridden and starts receiving messages from a character in one of his books. Ultimately the story just didn't work and I decided to not finish it. I struggled with the writing style of this one and also some of the language that was used. It just turned me off and made me not want to continue with the story. Thank you Faber and Faber and Netgalley for my gifted copy for review.

After a freak accident leaves him temporarily bedridden, successful novelist Gerry Andersen is effectively a shut-in in his own luxurious apartment. His only company is that of two women he barely knows: a nurse and a personal assistant.

When Gerry starts to receive accusatory phone calls from a woman claiming to be the titular character from his most famous novel, Gerry fears that he is losing his mind. There are no records of the calls on his phone, and no-one else has heard the late-night calls. Is Gerry sick, or is someone playing a cruel prank? Either way Gerry is helpless. But little does he know that his nightmare is only just beginning...

I really enjoyed this slow-burn psychological thriller. I'm always drawn to writers writing about writers, whether it's a firsthand perspective or a fictionalised one, so I loved that element of the book, and the characters, particularly Gerry, were beautifully realised. I am already looking forward to this author's next novel, and will be recommending this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman is a fascinating, twisty interior mystery about Gerry Anderson, a successful novelist in his early 60s. He is in an accident which forces him to be confined to his bed and rely solely on assistants. The main story is told in present day with flashbacks to notable incidents from his past. At first it was hard to get into the story as Gerry’s character fully embodies the stereotypical entitled middle aged white man. He’s narcissistic, oblivious to how he treats others, and perceives interactions as largely transactional. He continues to view himself as a “good guy” despite plenty of objectionable behavior, leaving behind a trail of ex-wives and lovers.

He begins receiving strange calls from Aubrey, the fictional main character from his breakout and most successful novel, Dream Girl. With his medicine and confinement, there are obvious comparisons to Stephen King’s Misery. We’re taken along for the ride as Gerry’s paranoia grows, he has possible delusions because of the medicines he’s taking for pain management. About 2/3 in, we discover the identity of the Dream Girl, but even more mysteries unravel. Though I guessed some things, I had no idea where this novel would go. I was pleasantly surprised by its conclusion and how it all came together.

Thank you Faber and Faber Ltd. and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I loved this book. This is an author that I never hesitate to pick up. I loved being pulled into her books from the beginning. This author's use of details make the stories realistic and engaging. This book is no differrent. This is a well written story that has characters that bring the story to life on each page. The twists and turns they took me on left wanting to know what would happen next. I really enjoyed this book and the suspense it brought. This was a fun and entertaining book to read. I loved the character Gerry and what he brought to the story. He made such a great character that just made the story for me. I highly recommend this book and this author.

Edited To Add: The more I think about Gerry Andersen, the more I understand him. And I think I kind of like him. I'm not entirely sure what that means since he's so...the way he is. But I have known some people just like him: people who are awful in terms of their thoughts and feelings and general grumpiness, but they think they're, in fact, really good people. So I wasn't really shocked at the things he said nor his thoughts. He makes sense to me. That being said, I think Gerry is one of the best-written characters that I've read in a long time. He sits so well in his world, which is really small throughout the course of this story, because he's stuck in a bed and unable to move around and help himself. They way he feels about people (women, in particular) is really ironic, given that he's 100% dependent on women for everything.


Original Review: There's definitely a slow-burn build to this story. I don't want to say much of anything about the plot because everything comes together with perfection at the end. I just love Laura Lippman books so much. I understand how some reviewers are impatient for things to progress more quickly, but I promise if you'll just stick with it and trust the author: the payoff is delicious.

Ms. Lippman's work always has this glamorous, old money feel to it, and I really think that is what made Gerry Andersen a more interesting character. He isn't likable at all, so if you're one of those readers that needs to LIKE your main characters, just be prepared when you start the book. He is a snob and unapologetically stuck in his ways which includes some very outdated views on women. Gerry's conceit and refusal to elevate his thinking are 100% part of this story.

There are some fun references to authors, books, and movies throughout. It's definitely more of a psychological thrill ride than a horror story. Several of the characters are strange to begin with, but they get creepy and kooky and more devious as the story goes. With each reveal, I felt like the story was better and better. (And Ms. Lippman brought back Tess Monaghan from her longer mystery thriller series for a small appearance, which is really fun.)


I'd like to thank William Morrow/Faber & Faber for sending me a digital review copy via NetGalley. All of these thoughts are my own!

I’ll never in my life turn down a trashy, quick thriller. But sometimes I wonder if I am getting burnt out as this is easily the second “thriller-esque” novel in a row I’ve been critical of and rated low.

To start the main character - Gerry - was very unlikeable and just awful. I think he is supposed to be, but it’s hard to “root” for him or be invested in his story when he is a gross, sexual predator. I can easily overlook all of that if the women in his life were written in a more…what’s the word…sympathetic tone? I found the women to be mere pawns in Lippman’s story rather than the driving force. I’m all for unrealiable, sleezy narrators when done right but there was something about this execution that was off to me and didn’t connect with me as a reader.

The title of this book is <I>Dream Girl</I> but she is a relatively silent character in the book. A big complaint that I have in general is just how the women are fleshed out and written. But Dream Girl is supposed to be our titular character and she’s bland and silly. She’s mysterious and a large inspiration for this best-selling work, but it was hard for me to connect the inspiration to the character.

In general, I felt this book was just all over the place. It was kind of a messy piece of work that at times was hard to follow. LOTS of characters, little depth, and so many missed opportunities. There are definite plot holes and questions unanswered at the end. Overall, it wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t great.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy to review in exchange for an honest opinion.

I’m a huge fan of Laura Lippman, especially her Tess Monaghan series, so I was really grateful when NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd gave me the opportunity to read and review her newest book, Dream Girl.

The #MeToo aspect of the story makes it feel timely, and the possibility of a book character coming to life and tormenting an author hooked me from the blurb. Dream Girl is well written, though slowly paced. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters the way I have in her other books, so those two issues made it difficult to really get into the book at first. Dream Girl isn’t a quick and easy read but it’s definitely worth the effort, so hang in there and enjoy the ride.

DREAM GIRL begins with a famous author stuck in bed recovering from an injury. as he slips in and out of sleep, he recalls memories from the past and also has some strange experiences that he attributes to either early-onset dementia or drug-induced confusion. this is a twisty psychological suspense novel, but I found the structure to be a bit distracting, diminishing the suspense and making for a slightly choppy reading experience. I didn’t completely buy into the motivations of any of the characters so I wasn’t totally invested in the story. I really loved two of her previous books (SUNBURN and LADY IN THE LAKE)! this wasn’t the suspense thriller for me, but I think others might really enjoy it! 3/5⭐️—it was fine

A famous writer is forced to confront his past after moving to Baltimore from New York to be near his mother in the last months of his life . He suffers an accident and becomes bed bound , needing carers to look after him .One of his cares Leenie looks after him at night and gives him his medication .He believes he is receiving phone calls from a fictitious girl Aubrey who was the main character in his most famous book . One morning he awakes to find the body of his ex by the side of his bed , and becomes convinced by Leenie that he killed her . She covers up the murder but now has a power over him and can manipulate him. The other carer Victoria appears to not know about this but it later becomes apparent that the 2 girls have set up an elaborate plan to bring him down and get access to his money .. Unfortunately this story did not drag me in so can only give it 3 stars.

This is the first Laura Lippman book I’ve read but I’m on the hunt for more! Dream Girl sat in my queue for a couple weeks because it didn’t seem my type…..supernatural visitors via dreams? How about a very realistic dream? Once I was 20% in I berated myself for waiting so long! It was wonderful, intriguing & tightly plotted. Awesome story!!

I had high hopes for this book but it just didn't keep my attention. It was a Lippman flop! I rated this book a 2.8

3 stars....

Ever have a book where you feel like you just don't "connect"? I didn't get deep into this one from the beginning, and then 50-75% through I just kept feeling so disconnected from the characters/plot line. Maybe I was reading too quickly, or maybe I was disinterested? This one just didn’t sit close with me, albeit there was nothing “wrong” with it, and it had a decent plot.

Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for this gifted copy – out now!

3 writer stars

Gerry Andersen is a bestselling author who just had a terrible accident. Now he’s bedridden with a torn quad and has to rely on his assistant and nurse to care for him. Sound familiar? Perhaps an homage to a certain other book?

As he takes painkillers for the pain, strange things begin to happen. Mysterious phone calls, a middle of the night visitor, even a dead body turn up in his Baltimore penthouse. Strangely, the phone calls are from Aubrey, the main character in his bestselling book. However, Gerry tells everyone that Aubrey is completely fictional and not based on a real person. Just what is going on? Is it hallucinations?

I enjoyed some of Gerry’s ridiculous musings and flashbacks to his earlier life, although he is not really a likeable character. This one was a slow burn and didn’t completely draw me in, but there were some enjoyable elements like all of the literary references. I do like this author's writing style, so I'll keep reading her books!

Thank you to Faber & Faber Limited and NetGalley for the copy. Now available!

This was my first exposure to a Laura Lippman novel and I definitely am headed to check out more of her work.

Though a slow build, the second half of the novel pushes all the right buttons for a psychological thriller, though there is a undertone reminiscent of horror novel <i>Misery</i> by Stephen King.

What do you do when your character comes to life? What happens if your dream girl is really a nightmare in borrowed and twisted writing history?

Told through unlikeable characters, this is a dark look into the mi d of a writer. A 4 out 5 star read for me, as I enjoy the psychological part of a psychological thriller. This is on my list of books I recommend and has led me to discover a new (to me) and talented author.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, the publisher and author for an electronic ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.