4.5 stars rounded up ***

This was so sweet & cute & the perfect small town romance!!!! Dylan was so raw and authentic and messy and her journey through this book was so good.

It was my first Ashley Herring Blake book but it won’t be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a perfect summer read for Pride Month! Cute, sapphic, fluffy, a dash of spice, with just enough tension to keep you holding in. Exactly what I'm looking for when I'm trying to do some summer escapism reading. I loved the inclusion of the character of Iris Kelly, directly tying this world into the universe of the Bright Falls series (and maybe in future books we might see more familiar faces pop up? Just a thought!)

Ashley Herring Blake is BACK, y’all! (Not that she ever left but…) Ramona and Dylan are wonderful and their supporting cast almost steals the show! I cannot wait for the next Clocer Lake book—starring April!

I adored this book! I thought it was extremely well written, the plot was interesting, the setting was beautiful and Ashley Herring Blake did an amazing job of describing the scenes. I also thought the characters were all really loveable (I am so excited for April's book and I need an Olive x Marley romance asap lol) and well written. I always have issues with side/background characters feeling too fake and like they're clearly just made for the plot, but these characters all felt like very real people. The drama (while a little predictable due to romance novels story structure) was still really interesting and I was very engaged the entire time. I could barely put this book down! I'm very excited to read the Bright Falls series next!

Unfortunately this book just wasn’t for me. I have read every one of Blake’s books and I truly just don’t think they are for me. While I did enjoy this one more than others, it just did not resonate with me. Do I still recommend this title?? Absolutely! I think Blake’s is doing wonders for the wlw book community and I know many people love her books and this one will be no different for them!

*sighs*

I'm a big AHB fan, but this book was just not it. The only reason I'm upping my rating is because Iris Kelly is thriving and that's my girl! I love to see her win.

I was so frustrated the entire time with both Dylan and Ramona, but to be honest more with Dylan. I connected to Ramona on so many things, specially our age and the fact that we both had to leave school after our freshman year and move back home because of things that were happening with our family. Like Ramona, I also helped raise my little sister and like Ramona, she is my favorite human. While her secret keeping from Dylan was annoying, the intention behind it felt pure, so I support my girl's wrongs!

DYLAN ON THE OTHER HAND. !!!!! THAT WOMAN WAS INSUFFERABLE. First off, her constant whining over everything, and the fact that she was NEVER truly honest with Ramona like???? You expect me to actually believe she loves her and they're meant to be when she couldn't even have one honest conversation with her? Absolutely not.

The plot also was infuriating, the issues were surface level and the moments they started to deepen they were just brushed under the surface and everyone is fine happy and dandy. Huh??? I'm usually a fan of how AHB handles conflict and serious talks, but this time it felt so unlike her I kept rolling my eyes.

This just was not it. And it pains me.

Thank you Berkley for the arc!

I was so hyped up for this book, but it was a total miss for me. Books by this author are my favorite and I usually read them more than once, but not this one. I got really bored like 40% into the book, so I got the audio version from my library to see if I could get into it that way, but even that didnt help. I did not finish this book.

Just like any book by Ashley, this one was an absolute delight to read! I loved the characters, the story was amazing, and as always I loved the chemistry between the main characters best!

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dream on, Ramona Riley
Author: Ashley Herring Blake

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for my copy of Ashley’s latest release! A brand new series. So friggin excited. I loved the alternating POV between Ramona and Dylan. The *fated mates* in a contemporary romance trope was so fun. I loved “Cherry and Lolly”, and their second chance at finding love after that first kiss years ago. Dylan being a famous actress and filming, with Ramona being a costume designer/cafe worker was cute. How do I go to that mushroom museum??? There was a lot of back story going on with both of the characters as well, which really showed a lot of growth in both of them as the story progresses. I loved it and can’t wait for the second book about Ramona’s best friend April!

Ashley Herring Blake writes messy characters trying to find themselves very well, and I appreciate how that makes the characters feel so real. Ramona and Dylan had a lot to work through both individually and as a couple, but I loved where they wound up

Read If You Like:
🥈Second‑chance Romance
👯‍♀️ Sapphic Romances
🏳️‍🌈 Bisexual Representation
🏘️ Small‑town meets Hollywood
🥵 Spice & Dirty Talk
🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Single Parent Families
🧑‍🧑‍🧒 Hollywood Royalty’s Adult Child

After giving up her dream of becoming a Hollywood costume designer to help raise her younger sister after her mom left their family and her dad got hurt, Ramona Riley never left her quiet New Hampshire hometown of Clover Lake. Now years later she is working in a café, wishing for dreams beyond her reach, and wrestling with what comes next when her sister goes off to college at the end of the summer. So, when filming for a queer romantic comedy comes to town starring her first kiss and daughter of the infamous Monroe’s, everything changes.

Dylan, known as Hollywood’s “wild child” and daughter of rock legends, takes on her role to prove she’s more than a nepo baby with a bad attitude after a recent breakup and very public breakdown. When they first reunite, she asks Ramona to show her how to be “normal”, not realizing Ramona was that girl who was her first kiss in the small town of Clover Lake all those years ago.

As old sparks reignite as they spend more time together ‘hanging out’, the two must decide if their reunion can reignite their sizzling chemistry from when they were 16 and forgotten dreams—or if their past and choices while they hang out will hold them back from having a movie worthly love story.

I really loved the side characters sprinkled throughout the story, including Ramona’s heartwarming bond with her little sister Olive and her dad. Also, the small town setting was so perfect with all the messiness that small towns serve in romances!

This was my second Ashley Herring Blake romance and definitely won’t be my last! Thanks so much to PRHA for my gifted audiobook copy!

This was a very sweet small town queer romance. I absolutely loved Dylan and Ramona's story. There were so many elements at work that brought them to the moment they met each other again and I think it was a beautiful second chance-ish romance. And the grand gesture at the end was brilliant. I love Ashley Herring Blake's writing and I'm really looking forward to April's book!

Cute and tropey, which is what I expect (and am generally looking for) from an Ashley Herring Blake book. I really enjoyed this in the way that I have her previous books - it's a good easy read, great for distracting from *gestures around* everything for a second in order to recoup.

I would love to see the author move away from or change up how she uses certain norms of the romance world *cough* miscommunication, third act breakup *cough* because, while I'm pretty tolerant of them, they're starting to feel stale among her books. It can be done better or avoided and while I love the characters, this is starting to detract from them.

4.25/5

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for providing an ebook ARC for review!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC. I am a big fan of Ashley Herring Blake, having read all of her previous novels prior to this. While in my opinion Ramona Riley wasn’t as strong as some of her other offerings, it was still a very enjoyable read. The plot did feel a bit predictable throughout, but for me it was comfortable predictability. I loved reading about the journey of Ramona and Dylan through the discovery of their shared past and their rocky road with each other during the present day. I also appreciated how characters from past novels made their way into the story. Interconnected, but stand alone series are my favorite.

Thanks so much to netgalley @berkleypub @berkleyromance or @acebookspub for the free ebook!

I super love ashley herring blake adult romances. Love rhe small town with fun and quirky side characters and how some get rheir own book. I find her books entertaining and tropes i love

#BerkleyPartner #AceBooksPartner

Ramona Riley dreamt of being a costume designer before her dad had an accident, causing her to drop out of college. She's been raising her little sister in her small town since. Actress Dylan Monroe is the daughter of two rock legends who weren't there for her. She's got a reputation as a wild child, and is trying to shake that by starring as a sweetheart in a romcom. When the movie comes to Ramona's small town, their worlds collide - again, since they had a chance meeting as teenagers.

I have read 4 of Blakes' books before this one - one hard hitting YA and her entire Bright Falls series - and thoroughly enjoyed them all, many getting 5 stars. So, I was super excited to get my hands on an eARC of this. This didn't end up being a new favorite of hers, but I still had a good time.

What did I like about this book? I liked what we saw of the individual lives of the main characters. They each have interesting things goin on - processing parental relationships and trying to choose yourself after sacrificing for so long. I liked the setting of a movie set in a small town was fun. I bought the chemistry and romantic backstory of the characters. I enjoyed the steamy scenes. In terms of content, I think her books have only gotten steamier - so, if you thought her previous books were almost too much for you, I'd advise against this one. 

What was I less a fan of? I REALLY wish we would have seen more of a lot of things. Let's see more of their lives outside each other, like more movie stuff or costuming. There were also a few references to characters talking about things rather than us seeing it happen. I think this relies heavily on people not talking about important things. I had a couple cringes. I think the ending of this was middle of the road as far as her books go - still abrupt, but not so much as to ruin the experience. But mostly, I just wanted to expand on most of this. Give me 100 more pages. 

Overall, I had a good time with this, but was left wanting in some places. I plan on reading book 2 (which just got a BEAUTIFUL cover), but I'm not chomping at the bit for it.

This has the cute trope of both main characters sharing their first kiss when they were teenagers. When their paths cross again over a decade later when a blockbuster romance based on THE Iris Kelly’s novel is being filmed in the small town where they first met, Ramona and Dylan can’t help but find their way back to each other

This is very cookie cutter AHB. Some people like this and others don’t, so do with that what you will. Otherwise, the sesbian lex??? 🥵 Might be my fav scenes Blake has written so far

Thank you @berkleypub for letting me read this in advance in exchange for an honest review!!

I really enjoyed a lot of this! I thought both Ramona and Dylan were interesting characters. I just wanted a bit more towards the end. I didn’t quite believe they were in love by that point and I wish we’d seen more of them falling in love. Also, I wanted one of them to communicate and got frustrated that they both chose the wrong thing. Overall though, it’s cute and I’ll definitely keep reading the series!

I think this might be my favorite Ashley Herring Blake book! I enjoy all her books, but this one really blew me away. I absolutely adored Ramona and Dylan’s story and how it was the perfect mix of sweet and sexy (there were only two spicy scenes but they were hottt 🔥) the third act breakup did frustrate me as there was miscommunication on both ends. Aside from that I did really love this story and these two chaotic bisexuals 💕🫶🏻

I can’t wait to return to Clover Lake in book 2 aka April’s story which apparently is between her and the younger woman her ex left her for? 😧 Shut uppp that sounds so good!

With each new book I read by AHB, I think it might be time to cut my losses with this author.

I loved Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, liked book 2 enough, and my enjoyment has just decreased with each book. I’m not here to discuss the list of issues I’ve had with the other books (of which there are many), but this might just be my final straw.

Humans are complicated and real relationships can be messy at times, but I stg this author sets out to find the messiest, often gross behaviors they can give their characters. This relationship was built on so many lies and felt so tainted that I found it hard to root for them.