Ashley Herring Blake is the absolute queen of sapphic romances and Dream On, Ramona Riley only further proves that. Everything about it was absolutely perfect and I absolutely cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

I loved this start to a new series by Blake! Ramona and Dylan are so swoonworthy together. The cast of side characters (April, Olive, Marley) are so fun (and I'm so excited that April is getting her own book next.) Ramona and Dylan truly had a meet cute as teens and their second chance at romance as adults is magical. As someone who lives very close to New Hampshire, I loved the small town New England feels.

THANK YOU to Berkley Publishing for this eARC! I always always always eat up an Ashley Herring Blake story. The main movie plot in this book being based on Iris's book is such a wonderful way to tie it all in to the rest of her world. Ramona and Dylan have incredible chemistry and when they get to come together and...come together it is SO GOOD. They are also big dumb idiots who need to use their words with each other even if they don't believe they deserve the happiness they find in each other. And I am already strapped in ready to GO for April's story. Bring on this universe forever and ever.

Dream On, Ramona Riley is Ashley Herring Blake’s first book in a new series set in a small New Hampshire town. Ramona is in her 20’s and is stuck in her town as she had to give up her career ambitions to be a costumer designer to help her family. Just as her best friend April is pushing her to get out of her comfort zone, a Hollywood movie production comes to town, starring a familiar face from a chance encounter from Ramona’s past. This novel is heartfelt, warm, and endearing. Both main characters, Ramona and Dylan, have to face their pasts and be willing to put themselves out there to make peace with their families and their career ambitions so they can find true happiness. This highly recommended read has a teenage meet cute, a Hollywood bad girl, and lots of small town charm.

What an absolutely beautiful story. I loved it from the very first page. If you liked any of this authors other books, you will eat this one up too!

(3.5⭐️ but rounding up) I'm conflicted. My love for Ashley Herring Blake often inflates my ratings of her books, but what I know for certain is that this was definitely not my favorite of her works.

Starting with the positives, I liked both characters as individuals. They're deeply messy and have a plethora of personal insecurities and past traumas to work through, but that makes them relatable and human. Also as a fellow libra, I relate to Ramona's desire to try to be everything to everyone.

However, the messiness of how their relationship begins left me feeling a bit icky throughout and definitely depleted how romantic I actually found their story. At the end of the day I was rooting for them, but the majority of their love story felt tainted, so that was disappointing.

tropes: small town | celebrity romance | each other's first kiss

Final thoughts:
Overall mediocre but I am still excited to see how the rest of the stories in this universe unfold.

I really enjoyed the characters and plot of this story SOO much! I really loved the development of both characters in how they prioritized what they cared about both for others and themselves.

If you love selfless older siblings, actress-regular person romances, movie set drama, and overall some pretty incredible story lines around friendship and family, this book is for you!

There was no doubt that these two characters were made for each-other and I already can’t wait to read April’s story! Also - thank you Ashley for the bi-representation! It was refreshing to see two bi characters as the leads ❤️

absolutely loved these flawed ladies. and the supporting characters felt so real to me. my love for AHB contines!

Characters: 9.5
Atmospher: 8
Writing: 10
Plot: 9
Intrigue: 9
Logic: 8
Enjoyment: 10

This book swept me away. Second chance and celebrity are two of my favorite tropes- made even better by the small town aspect. The characters were sweet and I could easily see why they were perfect for each other. The one thing that threw me off were the steamy scenes…they’re written well and all fine and good but the way the MC’s were together in the bedroom didn’t match their characters to me. The second half also felt a little cliche though I still enjoyed it. I especially loved the side characters and am really looking forward to April’s book!

Short summary: after leaving RISD to return home to help care for her sister after her father’s accident, Ramona is now stuck far from her dreams of being a costume designer. Until a movie set rolls into town with her first kiss playing the lead role. If only Dylan remembered her…

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Lately, Ashley Herring Blake's writing has felt really clunky and hard for me to read, and this is coming from someone who absolutely adored the entire Bright Falls series, but hasn't really enjoyed anything since. I really wanted to give her writing another chance when I picked this one up, but I couldn't even get to the potential relationship because it was so hard for me to read for some reason.

I was given an ARC through Netgalley. Thank you Berkley Publishing for giving it to me. I had only read one book by this author and loved it so when I applied I thought I wouldn't get it but I got it. This book was amazing. I did not want to wan this book to end I loved it so much the characters feel so real and fleshed out breathtakingly like Ashley Herring Blake usually does with her books.

i had a decent time reading this! AHB is sometimes hit or miss for me, so this one was right in the middle. mostly because i didn’t feel connected to the story or the romance so much, and the pacing felt off in a way i can’t explain. but the cover and the scenery makes up for it!!!

I ALWAYS go into an Ashley Herring Blake romance with high expectations, but this was sooooooo good. It's similar to her last trilogy in that it's set in a small town (I can't wait for book 2) with an outsider coming in, but their sweet childhood connection was so nice.

Overall, I really connected with both characters and their journeys as well as the relationship! SO GOOD.

I loved Delilah Green Doesn't Care, but after that I feel like my love for the author lowered. The stories just weren't the same and this was was no better. I just couldn't do it. The story, the characters they did not work for me at all. The conflict was utterly ridiculous and communication would've solved everything. I think this is going to be my last by the author.

Do you love small-town romances set in the summer, in a picturesque lake village? Romances that are sapphic and spicy? Do you also enjoy romantic stories with actors, fake dating in a wholesome town with a mushroom museum, a sassy group of close friends and family, and a beautifully crafted, perfectly queer world? Then this is the book for you!

I loved this book. As someone in their mid-30s (36), I adore how much it centers on the idea that it’s never too late to start over, pursue your dreams, or learn more about yourself and those around you. My favorite romances to read are those with characters who are deliciously flawed and relatable. Both Ramona and Dylan have been through so much, and their healing and growth journey together made my heart so happy—especially as they learned to let each other in. This book gave me all the feels. I even shed a few tears at parts that hit a little too close to home.

I can’t wait to receive my preorder of this book. Another Ashley Herring Blake book for the win—all the stars! I’m also beyond excited to read more about the characters introduced in this book.

The biggest and sincerest thank you to the Berkley Publishing team and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the small town setting of Clover Leaf! I am looking forward to more books set in this town. These two women were a little broken and searching and I definitely enjoyed their character ARCs. It did have a lot of downtime in my opinion because it took me over a week to read. I think some edits could have been made.

When I picked up this book, it was expressly because I wanted to read an Ashley Herring Blake without Iris Kelly, the worst character I’ve ever been asked to picture as a romantic lead. Unfortunately, this is a connected universe so I didn’t get that. This book has a problem which also showed up in Astrid Parker’s book - the whole conflict could have been solved if the characters would even once try to communicate. The ending saved this from being a two star read, but this is definitely the last AHB book I will read.

As a huge Ashley Herring Blake fan, this was my most anticipated 2025 read and I'm so happy to say it exceeded all expectations! Dylan and Ramona were so lovable from the start, and this romance felt believable yet dreamy. I felt truly immersed in Clover Lake, and I can't wait to see what April's story holds!

5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Fat bi MC, bi MC, pan side character, bi SC, unlabeled queer SC, Black trans woman SC, Black queer SC, lesbian SC, East Asian SC, BIPOC nonbinary lesbian SC

Content warnings: Parental abandonment (past) and grief related to it, car accident and resulting injury (past), unsafe living situation for a child including witnessing drug and alcohol abuse (past), getting drink, non-graphic vomiting

Ashley Herring Blake is simply incapable of writing a bad novel. This book overflows with their signature humor, found family, character development, diversity, and sexiness (I swear the spice gets hotter with each publication). The entire cast is wonderful and I adore Ramona and Dylan, even when I got frustrated with their lack of communication — not a spoiler, btw, since that’s the premise of the novel. They just both feel so delightfully human, like people I’d be friends with in real life. Dare I say, they’re on par with the Bright Falls gang, or perhaps even better!

Minor editing note from someone who studies astrology that the date mentioned for Saturn in Pisces is wrong. When April and Ramona read that horoscope before the book’s climax, Saturn would not be moving into Pisces in July; that would happen in September.

I will absolutely purchase a physical copy of this book when it publishes, and I already can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

**HUGE thank you to Berkley for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

This was not my favorite of Ashley Herring Blake's books. I liked both main characters but I didn't feel there was much depth in their emotional connection. I felt for both characters in their troubled relationships with their parents, but I wasn't as invested in their HEA as I usually am with her books. I would recommend this to readers of sapphic romance.