I absolutely adored Angie's first book, Shipped. While I didn't love this one quite as much, I thought the concept was very clever and fun, very much in the vein of WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. I would have liked to see the romantic pairing a little earlier on in the book, but ultimately enjoyed this read a lot.

I think Angie Hockman really likes using the meet-cute device of failed 1st impressions. That's been the case in her 2 books I've read. While I thought Shipped was ok, I think I liked it a bit more than Dream On.

Some of the issues I may have were
* On her: The writing at the beginning is simplistic. Not full and mature, as if she was still on training wheels and wobbling her way to get the story in stride.
* On me: The love interests were icky for me. I have siblings and I would never break the family code. Last, it's a style thing, but if Szymanski good looks resemble in-demand young male actors, aka., Tom Holland or Timothee Chalamet, then I'm glad my imagination can produce something more manly and attractive than a bland white boy.

Cass Walker, recent law school grad, survives a car accident to wake up from a coma with vivid memories of her boyfriend, Devin. Only problem? Devin isn’t real.

I wanted to love this book so much. I was attracted to the premise and how her dream man and real life could combine, but I found the story predictable. There was so much potential with the story and maybe if there was less fluff and more dialogue, I would have been more invested. High note of the story is following one’s dream, even if it’s not what you could have imagined for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance with Women's Fiction vibes
Warnings: Difficult Family Dynamics, Car Accident (off page), Miscarriage
Read if you liked: Maybe In Another Life or Lease On Love
Steam: 2/5 (one on page scene, in the epilogue)
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Legal Rep

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Dream On will be released on July 5th, 2022.

Things I Enjoyed: The premise of this book was so unique, I was hooked from the summary to find out what happened to Cass and how she knew Devin. I enjoyed the characters and a little bit of legal rep. The concept of faith bringing people together. The bird. This was such a book about Cass's journey, figuring out who she is and what makes her truly happy in life. I wanted to go to this flower/beer festival. I loved how considerate Perry was to Cass and her needs/feelings. I loved the epilogue, it was the perfect way to tie up the book. If anything, this is my third book in the last few months that have theme of flower shops and now I really really want one....but for now, Trader's Joe flowers make a beautiful arrangement in my own home.

Things I Didn't Care For: The love triangle? If we can call it that was a bit odd. I think the Mercedes/Sadie + Devin plot twist was a bit unnecessary and could have be done without tossing something pretty tragic for women so casually. Okay, below I'm going to give a spoiler for my actual issue here.
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Miscarriages are not meant to be tossed into a side characters story in such a casual way. Sadie was portrayed as a cutthroat, manipulative person when really her boyfriend left her while she was having a miscarriage and then blocked her. And then they are brought together at this flower festive, kind of have it out and by the epilogue have worked out their issues and are trying for a baby. I'm glad, language like couples therapy was used and I appreciate that. But you could have had an ex's situation without including a misarrange storyline and the mentions of stalking.

Have you ever read a book and gotten so pulled into the story and characters that you feel like you are part of it?? This is my case for Dream On by Angie Hockman. I felt like Cass was my friend and I was helping her find her way after a serious coma-inducing accident.

This book definitely has some While You Were Sleeping vibes but more modern with an intriguing twist (As a side note, I had the biggest crush on Bill Pullman when I was a teenager. His squinting-eyed smile just melted my youthful heart). Back to Dream On, I especially loved the mystery aspect of trying to figure out why Cass had such vivid memories of a dream man she had never met before. One theme that comes up a few times throughout the book is that people and things are not always as they appear. Something might seem like fate but isn’t.

The writing, characters, setting, story are all great. I really enjoying reading this book and felt transported to the small Ohio neighborhood every time I picked up the book. I highly recommend this book!

Special thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

The concept for this had me sooo hopeful. It reminded me of fanfics I’ve read in the past and loved, so I was so excited to be approved for an eARC of this one.

I really enjoyed that this book did not play into fate, and maybe the man of Cass’s dreams really isn’t all that. It was very different from what I was expecting. I loved Cass and Brie, especially their friendship.

Unfortunately, I felt this book was just missing something. I wanted more interaction between Cass and the love interest to make their falling in love more believable. It just felt like there wasn’t much substance to them. I know I’m always saying this, but there NEEDS to be more tension for me to be super into two main love interests. There just wasn’t too much to get excited about with this one.

It was a cute story about Cass’s development and fate, though, and I’d recommend it to someone who doesn’t like much spice in their romance reads.

Dream On was the perfect romcom to provide a bit of light during these wild times (thx @gallerybooks for the eARC). Was super intrigued by the premise, someone waking up from a coma flooded with memories that never happened BUT then meeting the guy from those memories?! I knew I had to read it. Case, Devin, and Perry all provided a super enjoyable read and I love the rounding out of the story by Brie and the work associates. Would definitely recommend picking up a copy when it comes out on July 5, 2022!

First of all… adorable! Loved it! Perfectly put together with sweetness & sass. Nothing too steamy but I appreciate why.

Cassidy Walker, our strong, smart and genuine heroine, is extremely lovable and relatable. The heartwarming relationships between her and Brie, or her and her mother, or really anyone in this book is HEALTHY, nostalgic—comforting. I love how well the story was put together!

“Well if you ask me, he’s acting like a little bitch.” LOL LINE 🙌🏽

Highly recommend this fun rom-com (pub July 2022) and will have to check out Angie Hockman’s debut: Shipped.💞

This was a fun concept - a woman wakes up from a coma with the ghost of a relationship in her mind. The only problem is that the guy of her dreams doesn't exist... or does he? This was full of Angie Hockman's wit and charm, with a little bit of a sweet slow burn romance. While parts felt a little rushed, I loved focusing on Cass's law career and the flower business.

*Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This book had such an intriguing start. I loved the backstory of Cass and Devin. The love story was somewhat predictable but it was overall a very enjoyable read. I was hooked from the start and didn't want to put it down. I loved that this was a clean/sweet romance novel that was closed door. But the epilogue was very much open door which is a personal preference that is not my favorite. Beyond that, it was a fun read and I enjoyed reading this book.

4 Stars out of 5 Stars. I really enjoyed this cute and unquie romance! I will be checking out more from this author in the future.

Dream On
by Angie Hockman
Pub Date: 05 Jul 2022
4/5 Stars

Shipped was one of my favorite books last year and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hockman’s new book, Dream On. I was not disappointed. The plot was just different enough from the usual romance narrative and grabbed me from the start. I loved the characters and slow burn between them. This might not end up being a favorite book of the year for me, but it was so enjoyable and worth reading. The cover alone is worth the purchase of this sweet book.

Thanks so much to Gallery Books and Netgalley for this ARC and the opportunity to review it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was so looking forward to reading this after absolutely loving Shipped last year.

The premise was very intriguing and I was hooked from the start. However, I ended up being very disappointed.

I did not feel a connection for any of the characters and the plot was pretty predictable. I kept reading because I wanted to enjoy it, but unfortunately that did not end up happening.

It is a sweet romance, but I did not spend as much time with the main couple as we probably should for a "romance" book. \

There is a certain storyline that is very triggering to many people, it felt very flippant and used just for the dramatic aspect. It is a side story and not written with care or much compassion, I found it to be troubling.

I still enjoyed certain aspects, but I would not recommend. I will still go back to Shipped for that love story we are looking for.

I loved Shipped so to get this arc was a dream...get it...for me!
The premise was cute: she wakes up from a coma wondering where her boyfriend is and comes to learn he never existed. Until she see's him a few months later and things take off from there.

I loved the triangle love connection, the overcoming coma challenges, the bad ass female lawyer babe and family tensions. But man the chemistry I knew were supposed to feel WASNT THERE! This was the major let down. Everything here felt forced. The romance, the triangle, the job enemy...it all felt a bit overworked and forced for me to ever really believe it and fully feel invested in the story.

The ending? 100% saw it coming from maybe chapter 10? But isn't that why we love a romcom?

This is cute! If you can go into it not expecting Shipped I think you'll like it! Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn by this cover and author, and was excited to dive in. I thought the plot was clever and was excited for the dream and real world to collide. In practice, though, I struggled with the writing style, as the story or chemistry felt forced and unrealistic. In the end I did not finish the book. Thank you for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Dream On’s take on “fate” was an interesting one and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I think what I enjoyed the most is this sense of relief Cass felt when she finally met Devin because he was real, not a figment of her imagination. She thought that this was it, she met Devin so that’s it, right? Nope, meeting Devin was only the start of what fate had in stored for her.

Seeing Cass on this journey of not only trying to figure out if she had met Devin prior to her accident, but also finding herself and her happiness was heartwarming and sweet. I loved seeing her grow and realizing that maybe her dreams weren’t exactly what she thought them to be. Maybe just maybe things are meant to go another direction.

The journey in this book was a fun one, and super cute. Definitely a must read for those who enjoy fluffy books with only a pinch of angst.

I loved the story it was so adorable and I loved how it was written so well done I love the entire focus was on a flower shop and the way she wrote the coma dream and the way she met her "dream boyfriend" in real life was just adorable

“He’s my dream come true.”

💐The book starts off with Cass coming out of a coma after a bad car accident. She wakes up talking about a boyfriend that she’d had for about three months. Except… she didn’t have a boyfriend, and it was all a figment of her imagination. It’s a medical mystery, because the memories of her and this guy feel SO real to her.

💐Almost a year later, Cass runs into the guy from her dreams. He exists, but they had never met before. I can’t give any more of the story without spoiling it, so you’ll have to read to find out the adventure that ensues upon their in person meeting.

💐 This book was cute. It was a little slow in some parts, but overall, I enjoyed reading it! The characters had a lot of heart, and the overall plot line was endearing. The ending made the journey all worth it for sure!!

Also, special shout-out to the GORGEOUS cover!!

What would you do if you woke up from a coma, only to find out that your boyfriend doesn't really exist? After healing from her accident, Cass Walker is back on track with her life. You can imagine her surprise when she runs into Devin Bloom, the man from her literal dreams, in real life. As Cass and Devin begin to get to know one another and date, Cass finally feels as if fate is on her side. However, fate is always filled with some surprises...

Dream On, a romantic comedy by Angie Hockman, is an absolute delight worth all 5 stars! This is a charming, surprising, and fast-paced read that is both swoony and low-steam. The characters are extremely lovable, and you can't help but root for all of them! I adored this engaging read by Hockman and can't wait for whatever she writes next!

This story was a rare one for me in terms of guessing the twists and turns of the plot, especially all of the build up in the beginning. The very opening premise has us (the readers) set for something akin to magical realism...how can Cass have perfect memories of this amazing man...having never met him? And how ON EARTH does she wander into a random flower shop after her return to her life months after a near-death car accident and find her dream man?

I loved a lot about this book, and as a fan of Korean Dramas, so many times that "second lead syndrome" is a real thing and we all really just want the heroine to bypass the hero all together and see what we all see....that the second lead in the story is really THE ONE.

Avoiding spoilers, I will just say that this book managed to move me down all my favorite avenues of a romance book without being cliche and managed to keep me guessing the whole time. The payoff and the HEA were worth every page leading to them.