Kat is an American, ambitious, dreamy, and romantic, and has very high expectations from her romantic and work life.
Her work requires her to always move from one place to another and now she is in London aspiring to accomplish her desire of finally becoming a partner, after all this hard work.
Her love life is complicated. She recently left her finacé, therefore feeling lonely and hoping to live her romantic movie by finding a prince or a duke a very handsome and sexy British man that will live up to her dreams and aspirations.
Here comes the double-decker dream man or as Kat believed him to be
The love of her life and the prince to transform her life. However, Rory is an American that used to live in the same place where Kat did and he is a teacher so he is the opposite of everything Kat dreamt. Will this be a blessing in disguise or will she keep on hiding and living up in the clouds?

What I loved most about the novel is how it shows us how movies make many girls including me put so many expectations on men and so many high standards that even when there is a very nice man in front of you, you refuse to admit that he might be good for you coz we are so caught up in our heads.

The writer also portrayed women's struggles in the business world to be acknowledged and respected for their work and effort.

All in all, it was a good read rather slow but enjoyable.
Thank you so much to @netgalley and the publisher for approving my request for an ARC of #DoubleDeckerDreams in exchange for my honest review.

Kat is an American consultant working in London dealing with climbing the corporate ladder, workplace issues, and the possibility of love. When she spies Rory out of her window on a bus, she makes up a whole story about who he is and decides she needs to go get on the bus and meet him. Turns out that Rory is nothing like the man she has dreamed up, but maybe he is even better.

Kat as a character drove me crazy at times. The beginning parts where she spent all her time daydreaming about Rory being a prince were too much for me and made me think of her as quite immature. The way she initially reacted to Rory once she met him also had me cringing with the way she was sulking. She did grow as a character along the way, but I really didn’t like her in the start. Rory is like the guy next door who is kind and simple and comfortable. Kat’s friend Jules was like a caricature with her string accent and really strange rhyming word scheme. In short, I had trouble connecting with these characters.

The plot picked up after about a third of the book and became a dual story about romance and about women in the workplace and the crappy things that they face in male dominated environments. I liked seeing how quickly Rory was supportive of Kat and how he wanted the best for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Perfect for fans of Josie Silver and Sophie Cousens, bestselling author Lindsay MacMillan gives us a refreshing take on love at first sight.

American consultant Kat is staffed on a six-month project in London and has two very small, very reasonable ambitions before returning home: get promoted to partner and fall in love with a handsome English aristocrat. No problem, right?

But work is a grind, and the British men she meets are a far cry from her royal ideal. Then one morning, she sees a man on a double-decker bus and just knows that he’s her person. But when Kat finally musters the courage to board the bus and introduce herself, he turns out to be very different from the Prince Charming she expected.

Can Kat open herself up to a love that’s not like the movies, or is she too imprisoned by her rom-com expectations? And just as importantly, will she be able to see that success isn’t about landing a C-suite job, but rather living a life that’s aligned with her soul?

Readers looking for a charming modern love story will be smitten with this sharp, emotionally resonant rollercoaster ride through the heart of London.

Kat is a flawed character who is very ambitious and down to earth about her work, but in her personal life, she is flying in the clouds; enamoured by the stories in the movies, her expectations are very high. She needs to face reality and trust in life.

I didn't like how immature and superficial Kat seems to be at times. Rory is a lovely guy next door type. The secondary characters are fine, although Jules tends to become a caricature at times with all the cockney accent.

If you love stories in London, the author manages greatly to describe the city. You can tell she has spent time in London.

On the whole, it is an enjoyable story, and if you like stories in London, this is a good one.

I'm moving to London in September so I knew I had to read this book. I deeply appreciate the fresh take on love at first site, work life, and the reality of being somewhere new and facing challenges, doubt and fear. I felt like a lot of the lines were written FOR ME and I consider that a sign of a thoughtful, honest, and meaningful book. I hadn't read MacMillan's work before but I can't wait to read more now! I will be sharing this book with others and I hope to have an experience like Kat did when I'm in London! *fingers crossed*

Very cute. Kat is career obsessed and relationship adverse. She has unrealistic fairytale expectations and creates her "Prince Charming" out of a man she sees on a double decker bus driving by her flat while working from home. I enjoyed this premise, but it fell a little flat with relationship problems that don't seem like a big deal or worth walking away from. Spoiler alert - If a guy said he needed space and I didn't hear from him for a week, it wouldn't work out. Let alone if this happened over and over. The chemistry between Kat and Rory was lacking for me and the whole story was a little to G-rated for my liking. Overall, 3 stars for this cute rom-com.

I really wanted to like this one. The premise sounded really cute, but I kind of lost interest at the day dreaming bit. It just went on for too long, too intensely. Some of the characters were really fun, I liked Jules (the cockney slang explanations got a bit much, but I can overlook those), but I just couldn't stand Kat for the majority of the book. The feminist approach fell a little flat for me, it seemed a little on the nose without really pushing into the issue. The environmental part also felt abrupt at points, and again, a bit too on the nose. There was a glimmer in the middle that I thought it would redeem itself from the initial issues, but then it fell down again for me.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

While I appreciated the major themes in this story such as the importance of separating dreams from reality, consent, equality, and facing sexism in the workplace, this book fell flat for me. Respectfully, Kat needs a lot of therapy and a reality check. She acted 13 and not 31. I considered DNFing 5% in but decided to stick in our because I was curious about the boy on the bus. Kat irritated me to no end and even more so once she met him. Her behavior was sporadic. She fantasized about “Alexander”/“her British prince”, his job, his accent, their love, all of the above and didn’t even give him the time of day once she realizes he is nothing like she wanted. She had the nerve to snap at him for “looking in windows” and referred to him as “plain and simple hometown guy” for the majority of the book. She also had the nerve to be upset when he calls them friends even though she insists he is the complete opposite of everything she wants. Rory, on the other hand, is an absolute Angel and deserves the world. And Mala is the cutest thing on this planet.

The writing was a little all over the place for me and often distracting. I ended up skimming certain parts and reading every word in others. Kat’s friends were great but I wish we could have spend more time with them as well as exploring more about her family and hometown. I also wish we could have had Rory’s POV. I feel like I’d have enjoyed it more and felt more of a connection that way.

Overall it wasn’t for me but I feel like so many would enjoy this one

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I adored this book. It was beyond cute and charming and full of delights. If you like British rom coms do yourself a favor and read this book.

The premise of this book really got me. I’m one thousand percent guilty of being an American girl who grew up dreaming about moving to London and meeting a perfect Brit boy who Mr. Darcys me away to his gorgeous country estate where we wear wellies and live off scones and jam. So the idea of a girl who sees a man on a bus and then gets caught up in her daydream of him isn’t hard for me to get into. I mean, hello, did you read my first run-on-sentence?!
The problem is, this day dream session of hers {our heroine} takes up a huge chunk of the story. Chapters upon chapters. I quickly became burnt out and book the book down for weeks. I had zero desire to read the rest, even if just to see who the man actually once. Once I forced myself to finish I was irritated with the outcome. I totally know what our author was going for. Rory was really sweet. But hear me out….. I wanted a Brit! We have to happy with what we have. We can’t choose who we love. Yadayadayada. (I know, I’m the worst). After all the lead up, I knew he wouldn’t be the aristocratic Oxford gent she had dreamed, but come on! Throw us a bone. To top off my complaints- the other aspects of the story such as our MC’s job weren’t interesting enough to compel me to enjoy the story. 2 ⭐️

Kat has a huge imagination; she imagines becoming a CEO and changing the world, and finding true love after seeing her prince charming on a bus passing by. She’s imagining him being her British ‘knight in shining armor’ so to speak. In her imagination everything about him is perfect, she has even imagined what his name is. I started skipping pages because she goes on and on and on about how fabulous he is but nothing really happens for ages; it actually takes nine chapters for her to take an actual bus ride to meet him. Of course, her ‘aristocrat from Oxford’ turns out to be a teacher from Michigan, the same state Kat is from. She’s hugely disappointed at first (duh!) but Rory is an actual nice guy. Very sweet and really making an effort to be sensitive to what Kat likes and dislikes. In the meantime Kat is trying to make promotion at her consultancy job, but cannot make a difference but instead experiences a #metoo incident.
To summarize the story, fantasizing about the perfect man and the perfect job is pointless. You just have to see the beautiful things on your path or carve you own way, is the message of this book. A nice light read.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kat has an imaginary love life with a man travelling on a bus past her 2nd storey window. Most days he passes her window at the same time and one day their eyes briefly meet. Kat imagines his name and imagines life with him. Things get complicated when they finally meet.
This was a romance set mostly in London in the present time. I loved the interactions between Kat and her neighbours. Cat dreams of being a C.E.O. but things don’t always go the way she wants at work and she is troubled over speaking out about a co-worker and how it could jeopardise her chances of promotion.

This book is not fun. It doesn’t make me want to fall in love, it doesn’t make me want to go to England, it doesn’t give me any hope for the idea of love. Somehow the main character attempts to paint herself as a feminist but constantly betrays that, and she belittles her love and her love interest constantly. Not worth it.

A four-star read that is perfect if you’re looking for a nice rom com. I enjoyed this story, but I did get frustrated with the drama and repetitiveness. I will admit that Kat did frustrate me at times, but overall, she won me over, I really enjoyed the underlying story as that won me over. The thing I loved most was the location of London, its somewhere I don’t get to often enough, so it was lovely getting a glimpse through another set of eyes.

"Double Decker Dreams" is the second novel I have read by Lindsay MacMullin and it was better than the first "The Heart of the Deal". I was drawn to this book by the cover and the idea of finding love on an iconic "British bus". It sounded fun and reminiscent of other authors I enjoy.

I think my biggest issue with both Lindsay MacMillan books was the pace, I had a hard time getting invested into the characters early on. I have such a hard time being open minded to the second half of a book if I struggle to read the first half. Lindsay MacMillian is clearly talented and if she can work out some of the pace issues in her novels they will be even better. The work drama in this book droned on to me and took away from the romance. Overall it had potential and I would read another of her books in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press publishers for allowing me to receive an ARC of "Double Decker Dreams" in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Lindsay MacMillan is my new favorite author. I ADORED Heart of the Deal when I read it as a galley, and I was thrilled to be approved for Double Decker Dreams, though slightly apprehensive as I was hoping it would measure up. Well, did it ever!

Once again, MacMillan delights with a cast of characters that are far too human to be referred to as characters! The people in the book are quirky, multi-layered, and entirely themselves. Each of them is so distinct, and there aren’t too many as to overcrowd the narrative. The main character gains awareness and applies that newfound awareness to make real change in her life, which was satisfying and (mostly) believable. Some of the themes these people grapple with are similar to Heart of the Deal (career/life aspirations, sexual harassment in the workplace, changing friendships as you age, and finding love), but they feel almost brand new. MacMillan shines in her character building, but her greatest gift is her writing style. It’s as if the author has peeled open the brain of a late 20-early 30-something and lay their soul to bare. There were SO many lines (paragraphs! pages!) that resonated, it truly makes you wonder “did she write this book just for me?!”. Not to mention that the WAY she writes about these topics is just beautiful. Also, who hasn’t dreamed of meeting a fancy British lover when traveling in London?

The plot itself had a couple of pitfalls for me, namely that the main character’s career/life trajectory changed so dramatically from how it started out/how she imagined it, but I thought the arc mostly made sense given the insight into her brain that we’re given. However, it still rang a little disingenuous to her personality which is why I’m calling it out here.

I am ecstatic to have dipped back into a book created by MacMillan, who seems to read my mind with so many of her takes on the world/life/love. I truly have never read a book by anyone else who has done such an exceptional job of writing about being at the precipice of career/life/love aspirations.

Is it clear that I loved this book? Wholeheartedly giving this a 5/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I did really enjoy Double-Decker Dreams (and I was especially fond of the book due to Michigan ties), it doesn't quite make it to the 5 star category. (Although I'm trying to be a little pickier between 4 and 5 stars.)

An American spots a handsome young man from her "working from home window" and develops a crush and persona for him. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved the children in the classroom! So refreshing seeing the world from the eyes of children.

Thank you to NetGalley for (once again ... introducing me to a "new to me author") and the opportunity to review the advance read copy of Double-Decker Dreams. Also thank you to the author Lindsay MacMillan and to the publisher Alcove Press.

Ambitious and American, Kat has everything she wants…except a British boyfriend. When she sees a handsome man get off the double-decker bus outside her apartment, she dreams up a persona for him and eagerly awaits the chance to meet him. Will he be everything she’s built him up to be? You’ll have to read to find out.

Despite pacing issues, frustrating accent accommodations, and OTT drama at work, this was a nice, clean romcom. MacMillan’s background allows her to aptly write about career women who are redefining their success both in their relationships and careers. I loved the chance to take an armchair travel to London, where MacMillan's locations became characters, and live in a make-believe bookish world for a couple of hours today.

MacMillan explores what happens next after one discovers that there’s a discrepancy between one’s dream and reality. She highlights the importance of keeping our feet on the ground while we allow our heads to hang out above the clouds…and dream a little dream.

I’ll admit to humming Michael Buble’s ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’ as I turned the final page.

I was gifted this copy by Alcove Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

3 ⭐️. Although I appreciated several of the themes of this book - defining success in a career as well as a relationship is different for everyone - I didn’t like the generalizing, stereotypes, or whiplash nature of the main characters’ flip-flopping on practically everything. As a lifelong Midwesterner I was peeved to read that an “alarming percentage” of us are homophobic. I felt like this story had great potential, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Thanks to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC.