This was my first Ashley Herring Blake read and I think she is a new autobuy author for me - I absolutely loved this story

REVIEW: Dream On Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Black 4 Stars

Dream On, Romona Riley is a small-town and second-chance romance, but also includes a celebrity element. The premise is so fun; imagine the person who you got your first kiss from at 13, who turns into a second chance romance with a movie star. Ramona and Dylan’s connection was excellent and filled with strong chemistry. It’s filled with laughter, emotions, and spice. The characters also had great arcs that really made you root for them. This is a great, genuinely funny romance that also includes found family.

One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the third-act breakup. I’m just over the miscommunication / not talking about feelings element that repeatedly tags along with the third-act breakup.

Dream On, Ramona Riley was a charming story that really focuses on character development. What a great way to start the series.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for providing me with a free advanced copy for my honest review.

Cute, romantic, entertaining: it made me root for the characters and turning pages
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Cute, Queer and extremely lovely.
I enjoyed this from start to finish.

There is something about a queer story that just grips you! And AHB knows how to write a good one!

This book was a cute second chance romance. That's normally not super my vibe, but I had a good time with this one.

3.5 stars

This was an okay read for me. I loved the small town vibes, and the idea of a second chance for Ramona and Dylan after their first kiss. But there was just something missing for me - I liked the characters but never quite loved them or felt compelled to really *root* for them.

This was a DNF for me. I love Ashley Herring Blake, but I could not get into these characters or the storyline.

F/F contemporary small town romance. This has a well-dawn small town with a wonderfully eclectic ensemble of characters, thrown into chaos by a visiting film crew and an actress who has a reputation in the tabloids. The celeb/normal person dynamic was handled well, and I liked the twist that they had meet for one memorable day as teens, but without exchanging names. The romance sparkled with chemistry -- I was rooting hard for these two! I love that their relationship arc was a bit messy and chaotic, and that their journey towards love was also about each of their journeys of self-healing and growth, and that the happy ending includes these journeys still being in progress. I also really appreciated that this book did not include a forgive-the-parent-who-abandoned-you resolution for Ramona and her sister.

At the same time, the conflict in the romantic relationship felt a bit thin, and was based on misunderstandings and miscommunications (not my favourite trope). And the plot beats, including the third act breakup, were predictable. Still, the chemistry between the characters and the spicy, swoony romance made this a great read.

This was my first Ashley Herring Blake novel, and I had such a good time! I'm definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Firstly, Ashley Herring Blake <3 Secondly, this book <3 This is the epitome of a swoon worthy romance. This follows Ramona and Dylan, a small-town waitress and Hollywood star, who try to chase their own dreams while also chasing the spark between them. This is going to make for the perfect, idyllic summer read. Truly romantic and beautifully crafted.

This was cute but I really did not care for Dylan’s character so I think that took some of the fun of this one out of it for me. Loved the small town setting though, I’ll always read a fun little rom com by Ashley Herring Blake!!

2.5. This was whatever. The characters are kinda bland, and the story was meh. The thing that really soured this for me were the sex scenes. They had me cringing out of my skin

Ashley Herring Blake always delivers; this was so much fun! I definitely thought from the description that it would have nothing to do with the Bright Falls books and was delightfully surprised when the movie Dylan was acting in was based on Iris's book. Ramona is a super compelling character, and I really appreciate whenever Ashley writes a character who has a kid in their life; it's always nice to see kids and teens existing in an adult's world.

So this was cute and spicy and queer and all the things I SHOULD like, but I struggled with this one because of the lies. It wasn't anything worth lying about, and I spent most of the book in a state of anxiety waiting for the fall out. I typically adore this author and will continue to read their books, but this wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

So, first, we need to discuss this stunning cover - the sunset, the mountains, the lake, the vibes...all absolutely perfect.

Ramona is everything - I just loved her history, her story, her everything. Dylan is a former wild child who is trying to come back and earn a better reputation.... and they meet, only they met before and were each others first kiss (like OMG!) and it's just so sweet and fun. The spice was utterly delicious and left me gasping more than once. The chemistry, the banter, the complexity of both women was SO well done.

The tension.... oh, the tension was everything. I didn't even mind the miscommunication in this one, because it felt true to both women and who they are. I loved this one and the epilogue wrapped up things so perfectly!

I immediately was hooked. Until I got about halfway through and felt like I had missed something. I don’t know if these characters were from her other books or not but I felt confused and was unable to finish. Maybe I will be able to soon.

I love Ashley Herring Blake's writing, so even though this book wasn't everything it could've been, I still thought it was fine for what it was. Which doesn't tell you anything really, but I can't think of anything beyond "it was fine", which I guess should tell you all you need to know 😮‍💨 Something to read if you don't have much else going on I guess.

DREAM ON, RAMONA RILEY is the first book in a new series by Ashley Herring Blake about a small-town waitress who dreams of being a designer, and the Hollywood movie star who comes to town to film her new movie. Turns out, the two met when they were younger and have never forgotten their connection, which only grows as they help each other reach their dreams -- alone and together. Featuring some fun cameos from previous books, this swoony (if at times, a little cheesy) and sexy love story is another readable story by AHB.

I got to do a virtual event with Ashley, and it was great hearing her insights about the book and the writing process. Her books are such a gift to the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the romance genre as a whole.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the e-ARC (and to Berkley for the finished copy) in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Another good read from Ashely Herring Blake! This is the start of a new series, and we get to meet a lot of new characters in it (shout out to a cameo of a past character as well). I really enjoyed both Dylan and Ramona and their path to happiness. I will say I dislike miscommunication which came up a bit but not too much thankfully. Also super excited to read April's story next year!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

If Ashley Herring Blake writes it, I am going to read it. I was really excited to start a new series, and immediately got sucked in. The small town girl meets celeb trope is something I'm a sucker for. Ramona was such a wholesome character, and I was rooting for her from the beginning.

My favourite part of the book was the flashbacks to the summer when they were teens. It added such a tender element to the evolving love story.

I felt like this one started out strong, and then lost me a bit in the middle - When I started I said right away that I knew this would be a new favourite, but then I found myself dragging through a bit in the middle. The ending wrapped it up nicely, but it wasn't my favourite AHB. That being said, I am DYING to read April's story. She is my fav character, and I have high hopes!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dream On, Ramona Riley is a tender, funny, and quietly powerful romance that brings small-town charm and Hollywood sparkle together in the best possible way. Ashley Herring Blake crafts a heartfelt story of rekindled dreams and second chances as Ramona Riley, a once-aspiring costume designer turned diner waitress, crosses paths with Dylan Monroe—her first kiss and now a rising Hollywood star. When a film crew rolls into Clover Lake, both women are forced to confront their pasts and question the futures they've built around loss, ambition, and the walls they’ve erected. Their chemistry is magnetic, but it’s their emotional growth that makes this story shine. Blake’s signature warmth, sharp dialogue, and inclusive, character-driven storytelling make Dream On, Ramona Riley a standout sapphic romance. It's about reclaiming your voice, remembering who you were, and daring to dream again—with someone by your side who sees all of you. Honest, romantic, and full of heart.