OMG!! I can't even begin to describe this book. It was absolutely a beautifully written masterpiece. This is Lex & Stevie's story & I loved all of it! They meet in their senior year in HS & are in a play together. The magic that happens was amazing!! And Lex, OMG my heart broke for him, he's been through too much as a teenage star. A tragedy happens & she takes the fall. This book spans a few years & it is a slow-burn. The love they have for each other & all that they go through was so emotional. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Jennifer did it again,,another masterpiece - 5 star infinity for me!!
I freaking love Lex! I was drawn to him immediately. His story will break your heart, you will see his strength, his beautiful heart and fall in with love him, like Stevie did. Stevie is just a damn good human. She is kind, talented, beautiful, and real. Two different worlds collide in an accident and both lives are forever changed, Lex and Stevie become friends while practicing for their high school play - Moulin Rouge, a bond forms, then a beautiful night turns into tragedy and hearts are broken until they meet again. This is their story and your heartstrings will be pulled but it will all be worth it. I could talk about this book forever but I do not want to spoil this beautiful sweet love story, I want you to have the same experience I had -
* Dream On Nicks *
_ found family, child trauma, Hollywood, enemies to lovers, loss of child, second chances_

If Jennifer Hartmann writes it, I’m reading it, end of story. Her books are emotional rollercoasters that leave you breathless, teary eyed, and somehow more in love with the world. Dream On was no exception. It was raw, angsty, and beautiful in every way.

Stevie & Lex’s journey is more than just a romance. It’s a story of trust, forgiveness, and finding your way back to the person who feels like home.

Add in fake dating, second chance romance, forced proximity, golden boy x dreamer vibes, and that signature Hartmann heartbreak and heal magic? This book is going to live rent free in my head!

If you’re ready for laughter, tears, and the kind of love that feels fated, Dream On needs to be your next read. 🌻

#️⃣ Tropes:
💕 Childhood Friends
💔 Second Chance Romance
🎭 Fake Dating
🏠 Forced Proximity
🔥 He Falls First

Lex is the golden boy of Hollywood, while Stevie is a small-town dreamer. These two shared a stage in a high school musical, and the sparks fly between them, until everything falls apart. Now 4-years later Lex is a household name on the screens, and when he offers Stevie a tempting offer, will they get another chance to be together?
This is a well written easy to read, emotional roller coaster, with family, friendships, loss, vulnerability, opposites attract, obsession, heartbreak, anger, fear, fake relationship, second chances, healing, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, haunting, an unpredictable, page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

Can't believe this is my first Jennifer Hartmann book but it will definitely not be my last. This book is everything. It's heartwarming and sweet but it will also break your heart. There's so much angst and emotion between the leads and you can't help but just root for Stevie and Lex. From what I am hearing, this is typical Jennifer Hartmann and I love it. I cant wait to discover more books from her. Here are just a couple of quotes I love from the book:

“You’ve been the only thing that has ever made me feel alive.”

“That’s what love is. It’s the ups and downs. The in-betweens. The dark, the ugly, the beautiful, the surreal. It’s in both the perfect melodies and the off-key notes. The hardships make us stronger. Braver. That’s how love grows.”

“But I have two hands that will hold you forever, a voice that will sing to you until we take our last breaths, and eyes that will see you for all that you are, every day, every minute, just as you’ve seen me.”

Pick this up, you won't regret it. Thank you to @Jennifer Hartmann and @Valentine PR for the advance copy!

I enjoyed this story so much. I read it in one sitting. This was such an emotional roller coaster. Wonderful characters, amazing storyline. 5 stars.
I received an ARC copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest voluntary review.

Jennifer Hartmann is an automatic pick author for me. She is incapable of writing a bad book, and this one was another amazing one to add to the list. A rich backstory for her characters with so much emotional depth and angst, I couldn’t help but feel every emotion right along with them.

Stevie and Lex first meet in high school. Lex is an actor and Stevie is an aspiring actress. They are put into each other’s lives when they are paired as leads for the school play. Their relationship slowly develops leading up to the play, when a tragic accident forces them apart for 4 years. They are later reunited when Lex turns their tragic story into a hit TV show. A lot of feelings are brought back to the surface when he asks Stevie to be his fake girlfriend, and they are forced to deal with the feelings that they never expressed to each other and that never went away.

Stevie was such a great character, so optimistic about the possibilities life could offer her without being unrealistic about many of the hardships. And, Lex was very closed off and guarded when we met him and throughout most of the book. Stevie felt like a guiding light for him, the only thing able to help him see past his pain to a better future ahead. I loved the moments where they were just together, hanging out or practicing their lines, it was really sweet to see them open up to each other and get more comfortable with each other little by little.

I wanted to cry multiple times throughout the book, especially at the end of the first part. But, I loved seeing Stevie and Lex reconnect and relearn each other as adults. The deep feelings and connection were obviously still there but buried under years of trauma that they had to work through if they had any chance of coming out on the other side.

This book was heartbreaking and really dealt with some deep emotional topics. But, Stevie and Lex really demonstrated such strength and resilience to overcome everything they did, especially Lex.

I loved everything about this book from start to finish. And, it wasn’t all sad either; there were plenty of light moments as well. Stevie’s family and friends and Lex's manager were so amazing and supportive, I was so happy they both had them to lean on.

OH MY GOD WHAT A BOOK !! Jennifer Hartmann never misses and this one truly captivated me from the moment I started it and I couldn't stop reading. I loved how much of Lex and Stevie's past we got as well as the hints to Moulin Rogue. I mean it was everything. The acts were perfectly split up and this book gutted me several times. Don't worry I was put back together by the end.

The way that Jennifer writes is so beautifully emotional. Nothing feels overly lyrical and flowery. This one has a sense of drama and flair which makes the tone match the story but also adds so much to the atmosphere. I felt so lost in the world of hollywood and dreams. Even the pain these two felt was so raw and real. Everything about it felt so real and vulnerable. I can't recommend it enough!!

Wow what an amazing 6 star story this was. An emotional roller coaster ride. Binge worthy kind of story.

Stevie and Lex met when they were both late teens. What started their journey was a car accident. They became friends and Stevie was a sunshine to Lex’s broodiness. She became his light in his darkness. Then one night it all changed everything for the both of them. She was left with the devastation of that night. Lex sacrificed a lot for her. Then 4 years later circumstances brings them back together again. She is still his light in his darkness. But this time will she able to bring him into her light?

oh my god! I read this on a road trip and I was hooked from the very first page to the last one. It was an highly emotional journey from 2 people who were destined to be together. Highly addicting and captivating story that left me very happy at the end. Beautifully written with a seamless plot. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 - 𝟝 ⭐️ & 𝟚 🌶️

ℚ𝕦𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤:
🦋 They don’t know how she can captivate an audience with a single look, how she sings like a goddamn angel, or how her talent is bigger than anything I could ever create.

🦋 I kissed her last night. Really fucking kissed her. The “I’m one dirty moan away from shoving you into this bathroom and losing my virginity on a sink” kind of kiss.

🦋 I’m scared to let her go. I’m scared to be alone again because now that she’s back, I remember. I remember what it’s like to really feel.

🦋 “I’ve never loved anything the way I love you. That’s why it’s so obvious that I haven’t been the same without you. I’ve been this shell, this broken person. Every part of me—everything I am—makes sense when you’re here. That’s how I know.”

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
This book made me cry from the very beginning, I don’t know why. I mean, it wasn’t a very sad book, I read books a lot sadder and they didn’t make me cry, but this one did. 🥲

It’s about Lex who is an actor since he was a child, and something happened to him, a trauma, that made him ask his parents to move. And his very first encounter with Stevie, our FMC, was when he crashed her car, when he didn’t tell the truth that it was a red light and he saw it. 😂

After that, Stevie finds out that the boy who crashed her car is actually the new colleague. Later, after she auditioned for a role in the Moulin Rouge musical and got the role for Satine, she finds out that Lex got the role for Christian. 😉

That’s where their friendship started… and a little more. But then an incident made him go back to Los Angeles and cut ties with Stevie. After 4 years, Lex made a TV series inspired by his experience in the small town. ☹️

Obviously, when he made that TV series, even though he tried not to say exactly who the girl character was based on, eventually it got out. The fans found out, and as a strategic move to make the fans love the show even more, Lex’s agent came up with the idea to show their friendship. But one thing led to another, and they kinda started fake dating. 😏

I don’t want to tell you more and spoil it, but this book had some tragedy in it, so you better check the TW. I do recommend reading it — I didn’t think I needed to read it until I did. ✨

This one had all the drama I live for: second chances, heartbreak and a fake relationship that blurs way too many lines. I was hooked by the premise: high school sparks, years of silence and then a messy reunion wrapped in TV drama. The chemistry between Stevie and Lex was pretty good even when things got complicated.

That said, the pacing dragged in parts and some scenes felt repetitive. But even with that, there were moments that pulled me in. The story has this aching, bittersweet vibe that sticks with you.

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 : second chance, fake dating, small town fmc x famous mmc, forced proximity, angst.

𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : ★★★.25

Thank you to Jennifer Hartmann & Valentine PR for my e-ARC copy.

Dream On by Jennifer Hartman is another story from this author you can't put down and keep wanting more. Spanning over several years with a jump in time, we follow Lex and Stevie. Lex is looking for normalcy and Stevie is dreaming big. Their story of love, loss, and moving forward with a second chance love delivers all the emotions. This author is brilliant when it comes to the complexity of the characters and making the reader have all the feels. I absolutely love her writing and this story is perfection!

Such an amazing twist on a second chance/fake dating romance. Thoroughly enjoyed this and on true Jennifer Hartmann style, she delivered an emotionally charged, sometimes tragic and heartbreaking story that completely changed my brain chemistry.

Dream On is a raw, beautifully written novel about love, loss, and rediscovery. Jennifer Hartmann doesn’t just tell a love story—she delivers a journey of two people learning to trust again, choosing hope over fear, and reassembling themselves piece by piece. It’s one of those romances that hurts so good—riveting, tear-inducing, and ultimately healing. If you’re drawn to emotional depth, angst, character growth and development, fake dating and second-chance romance this is for you!

However, there are some themes readers may find triggering so please check trigger warnings prior to committing to this.

Thank you to VPR, Jennifer Hartmann, SOURCEBOOK Bloom Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to be an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 ✨️ 2/5 🌶

Dream On Arc Review 💕🎥

Jennifer Hartmann's stories remain among the most distinctive I've ever read, and Dream On is no exception. Lex and Stevie are another of Jennifer's magical couples through the spotlight of the theater, the gentle sound of a piano playing, and the ugly side of Hollywood, fame, and in front of the camera and behind closed doors, with side characters you'll fall in love with.

Lex and Stevie meet during their final year of high school. Lex has moved to town and is looking for a new start. Stevie is the girl from a vast, eccentric family. Lex soon discovers solitude, kindness, and tenderness with Stevie. When they take their last bow, they are left with a bottle of underlying feelings. However, when they're on the verge of their own epic love story, their worlds fall apart. Now, 4 years later, the door opens for them to reconnect, and so does the memory of the girl who showed him that he was more. But Lex needs Stevie's help; he makes her a deal that can change her life when she agrees to be his fake girlfriend. Yet, feelings of past fame, hardships, and time come to the surface. Will it be enough for Lex and Stevie not to let the past ruin the future and dreams they could have?

When we meet Lex, he is broken, spoiled, and cold but don't let that defer you from Lex—a teenager who was forced to grow up quickly and become an adult when he wasn't ready. He's only ever known life, with his name splashed in the media, fans, and grownups who cater to him. But Lex is so much more than his Hollywood persona; as an adult he battles with himself internally, but his every intention is for Stevie.

Jennifer always writes female characters that I always find pieces of myself in. Stevie is always the underdog that comes from a place filled with color, love, and happiness; she's also got a heart that is too big for the world, has big dreams, loves music and books.

Yet, Lex and Stevie's story turned out to be about one of the most passionate couples I've read about in a long time. Their love story is so much more than a celebrity romance; it's a challenging, intoxicating, messy, and breathtakingly beautiful story.

Please check TW 💕

Thank you, Jennifer and ValentinePR, for the arc.

I was intrigued by the premise of Dream On and found the first half of the book engaging and relatable. Jennifer Hartmann did a great job introducing the main characters and drawing me into their emotional journeys. I connected with their struggles and was invested in where the story was going.

However, the second half didn’t quite deliver the same impact for me. The pacing slowed, and some of the plot developments felt less compelling compared to the strong start. While I still enjoyed Hartmann’s writing style and her ability to craft heartfelt moments, the ending left me wanting more.

Overall, a mixed reading experience—strong opening, but the momentum just didn’t carry through to the end.

Huge shoutout to Jennifer Hartmann, NetGalley, and Valentine PR for an advanced copy of this book!

This isn’t my first Jennifer Hartmann book so I thought I knew what I was getting when I requested this ARC. I have loved everything I’ve read by her.

Hear me - I. Love. This. Book. This might be my top read of 2025. There is so much emotional depth, pain and healing, the mending of relationships, standing up for what you believe, finding the people you really need and cutting out the ones you don’t, and using your voice when you never thought you would…. I am wrecked.

You get your HEA but not before you out through a blender and pulverizer.

As a diehard fan of second chance romances, Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann delivered. I’m always drawn to love stories where time and distance aren’t just plot devices, but necessary detours. For a second chance to resonate, I need to believe that the time apart meant something—that it changed the characters in a way that makes their reunion deeper, not just sweeter. And Dream On gives us exactly that.

When Act One ended and I realized four years had passed before the story picked up again, I was wrecked, literally crying. Not exploring the time apart and just pulling a blanket “four years later” header can sometimes feel like a cheat, but Hartmann pulls it off. You feel the weight of those missing years. You feel what wasn’t said, what wasn’t done, what was lost. She doesn't walk us through every detail of that time, but she doesn’t need to. I actually felt like it was a smart move that keeps the pacing tight without losing the emotional weight.

Our FMC: Stevie St. James
I read a lot of romance, and usually, the FMC gets the glow-up, the transformation, the big emotional arc. But not here. Stevie St. James doesn't change—and that’s what makes her stand out. She’s calm. She’s grounded. She’s gentle. She’s not static, but she doesn’t need an overhaul. She’s the eye of the storm in Lex’s chaotic world, and that consistency made me love her all the more. She is, hands down, one of my favorite female leads in a Hartmann novel—because she already knows who she is, and that’s rare in romance.

Our Leading Man: Lexington Hall
Make no mistake—this is Lex’s story. He is, without question, the main character. Watching him unravel, learn, and rebuild himself was everything. There’s a lot to be said about a male lead in romance who goes through deep, internal work and not for love, but for peace. Safety. Stillness. Those are the things Lex starts to chase, and I think anyone who's ever felt untethered will see themselves in that. His growth was real, and maybe not always linear, but earned. And when he finally starts using words like “peace” and “safety” not just to describe Stevie, but to describe how he feels within himself… WOW that hit hard.

Writing Style & Tone: A Shift in Hartmann’s Voice
Now, I want to be super freaking honest here, because I’ve read Jennifer Hartmann before, and I know what she can do emotionally. I went into Dream On expecting the kind of soul-wrecking angst she’s known for. And while the book definitely delivered in its emotional depth, I couldn't help but notice a tonal shift. It felt... cleaner? More refined? Which isn’t inherently bad, but to me, it read like a book written with a publisher in mind. Less like raw, unfiltered JH and more like something in the Bloom lineup. I don’t say that as a negative exactly… It’s just different. Less gritty, more polished. I think some longtime fans will pick up on that.

Also lminor critique… The subplot involving Stevie’s brother didn’t quite land for me. It felt a little undercooked, or maybe just unnecessary in the grand scope of the story. Almost like it was added for external emotional factor that wasn’t really needed.

Final Thoughts
Despite that, I loved this book. Like really loved it. I connected with the characters, I felt their loss and their hope, and I rooted for them like they were real people. That’s the magic Hartmann brings, no matter the format, her characters live.

And finally, if you're a fan of second chances where the love never wavers, but the journey back is earned, if you crave emotional growth that doesn’t rely on melodrama, and a male lead who gets to take center stage in a vulnerable, authentic way, Dream On is for you. Even though it’s a more polished version of Hartmann’s usual emotional chaos, it still has her unmistakable heart at the core.

Tropes:
✨️ Forced Proximity
✨️Past Trauma
✨️Dual POV's
✨️Slow Burn
✨️Second Chance
✨️Fake Dating

This book got me so emotional. It gripped me from the very begging and I felt all the emotions.
Stevie was kind, caring, forgiving and protective. She didn't hesitate to step up and protect her loved ones and even to risk her dreams for them. I loved her character so much amd I wanted to hug her.
Lex was sweet, insecure at times, but he was also kind and protective.
“I don’t know what the future holds or where we’ll end up, and fuck, I don’t even know if I can live up to everything you deserve,” he says. “But I have two hands that will hold you forever, a voice that will sing to you until we take our last breaths, and eyes that will see you for all that you are, every day, every minute, just as you’ve seen me.” He pulls me closer, our hairlines touching. “You’re it for me, Nicks. You’ve always been it for me.”
Stevie's father was hilarious with his attempts to encourage and support his daughter. Often saying the goofiest things.
The relationship between Stevie and her sister was amazing and inspiring.
Joplin is that kind of sister that will stand beside you and be right there whenever you need her them most.
In conclusion I loved this story and it's characters. I can't wait to read the next book. Thank you valentine_pr, Netgalley and the author for giving me a chance to read this book.

'Come what may'... and make sure you come ready to be emotionally wrecked.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Firstly, the urge I had to crawl inside this book and wrap Lexington in the world’s biggest bear hug? Painfully real. His story absolutely shattered me, and honestly - him and his kind deserve to be bubble-wrapped and protected at all costs 🥹

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙."

The writing? Pure perfection. The story follows Lex and Stevie through high school, with a meet-cute that happens during a car accident. Sparks truly ignite when they’re cast as the leads in the school play, and from there… well, you’ll just have to hold onto your heart.

"𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 - 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜."

The detail is insane. I felt like I was right there with them the whole time and could so clearly picture what was happening in my mind. This story completely consumed me in all the best ways. My heart is still recovering ✨️

"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜." 𝘕𝘰. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.