I’m normally a massive fan of this author but this one I really struggled to get into. I’m not sure if maybe I’m a bit over the YA genre at the moment. I struggled to connect with the couple on the pages. Their will they wont they back and forth became a bit of a drag and I quickly lost interest.
Yes there were some deeper themes explore in this again which I did enjoy, but overall I struggled to become engrossed din the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

DREAM ON 🎥🎬🎞️

First & most importantly - JENNIFER HARTMANN HAS DONE IT AGAIN! 👏🏻 Secondly, I’m beyond thankful for the opportunity to receive this e-ARC from Jennifer Hartmann and Valentine PR. It means the world to me since JH is one of my top favorite romance writers.

The way how I couldn’t put this book down and completely devoured it over this past weekend! From the disturbing hard truths behind chasing dreams in Hollywood to reconnecting after years of silence being apart due to a life-changing event, I was truly on a roller coaster of emotions with this one. Every word felt intentional and every scene carried weight. I loved how everything written came back full circle — it wasn’t just writing words to hit a word count limit. Just a fair warning that JH will break your heart into pieces but know that she’ll also weave that heartbreak into something so magically beautiful.

TROPES:
🎬 Slow burn
🎞️ Second chance
🎥 Fake dating
🎞️ Moulin Rouge references

I have so many annotations marked but here are some of my favorites:
“The quiet doesn’t sound as loud when you’re around.”
“Nerves are the heart’s way of reminding you that you care.”
“A heart can only break if it care enough to.”
“But…maybe the dream isn’t always about having more. It’s about finally seeing what’s right in front of you.”

Just how much did I enjoy this one? Enough that I already want to re-read it! Oh did I also mention I’ll be attending her NC book tour stop?! I’m even more ecstatic about going now!

You don’t want to miss out on this one! Preorder your copy now as this one releases on Tuesday, 8/12.

If you know Jennifer Hartmann's books then you know that you are in for another emotional roller coaster in the best possible way. Even if you have not experienced the same thing as these characters, Jennifer has a gift for making them relatable. The pacing was fantastic, there is not a lot of spice in here, but what it has, is done perfectly and adds another layer to this story. I must have gone through all five stages of grief reading this but when all was said and done I had a smile on my face. Another five star read for me. This is a standalone crossover and I can’t wait to see more.

Once again, Jennifer Hartmann crushed it! She is easily becoming one of my automatic buy authors because I have loved absolutely all her books so far. This book is so sweet and kept me wanting to read more and more throughout the whole book. The adorable story between Stevie and Lex through high school and into their adult lives is so emotional. I laughed, cried, kicked my feet with happiness so many times while reading this book. I am so thankful to have received this ARC and can’t wait for everyone else to get the chance to read it!

💖

But when you really break it down, I think that's what life is all about.
Feeling.
Feeling everything: joy, heartbreak, grief, loss, friendship, and passion. Feelings aren't a burden, no matter how much they hurt. They're a privilege.
To feel is life's greatest honor.
And I know now, the source of all of it...is love.

Well, I’m always left speechless after a Jennifer Hartmann book. This was no different, I needed some time to gather my thoughts before writing a review. This book broke me and put me back together, several times actually. Such a beautiful story, Lexington the man that you are!

Stevie is a high school student with dreams of becoming an actress, she’s very tight with her family. They don’t have a lot of money, but they have a lot of love. Her parents buy her a car, unfortunately the first day driving it she gets into an accident. This is when she meets Lex….

Lex is a former child actor, he’s wealthy, broody and a pro at hiding his pain. He’s just moved to town, ending up at the same school as Stevie. These two couldn’t be more opposite of each other, but Stevie can see his pain and Lex is drawn to her light. They end up being cast together in a school play, the chemistry between them is undeniable.

A lot happens throughout this story, told in a few different parts as well as timelines. I don’t want to give too much away, but this story is beautifully written. You can feel the pain these characters are feeling, the inner turmoil that Lex is going through. The character growth was phenomenal especially for Lex, healing from his past trauma. I loved Lex and Stevie, I rooted for them from page one. This was such an amazing book, I definitely recommend!

Thank you Jennifer Hartmann and VPR for the ARC!

Oh my gosh, where do I even begin with this book? This is exactly why Jennifer Hartmann is one of my all time favorite authors. She has this incredible way of creating a story that's not just AMAZING, but one that burrows deep into my heart and stays there.

The moment I started reading, I was completely hooked by the characters. Stevie and Lex's story is so beautifully emotional and their connection just felt so real and raw. Watching them navigate their complicated relationship was a journey I didn't want to end. I was completely invested in their story.

This book is a stunning, emotional journey that had me thinking about it long after I finished the last page. It's a powerful story about dreams, forgiveness, and the true meaning of love. I truly couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a beautifully written, emotionally heartwarming book that will stay with you for a long, long time, I can't recommend this one enough.

Wow wow wow wow. I was not expecting this! I was so sucked into the story from the very first pages.

The real standout of this story is Lex and that was a huge surprise to me since he doesn't make the best first impressions in the opening of the story. However, he was such a complex character and I was rooting for him so hard throughout the book. The moments when we are in his head, hearing his inner turmoil and his struggle with opening up to Stevie, was absolutely heart breaking. Stevie, our female main character, was also so fun to be following. I loved how warm and understanding she was of everyone around her but she also took absolutely no shit which I applaud her for because I, too, detested Lex's parents with every fiber of my being.

It was really a joy to see how no matter what these characters were experiencing or feeling there was an unbreakable underlying current of support and love between them. There was nothing that Lex or Stevie could truly do to one another that would actually make them stop showing up for one another. These two spend so much time growing and evolving as characters, both with and without each other, and it was nice to be able to love both characters separately as well as together. My biggest celebration in this book, though, is the fact that the third act break up was SO short and there was no annoying miscommunication or withholding of the truth from one another. It just amounted to being afraid to hurt one another and coming to terms with whether or not the reward outweighed the risk.

There is a MAJOR component of sexual assault in this book and I never consider talk about subject matter like that to be a spoiler to a story but be warned here it comes: I think the author excelled at showing a male victim of sexual assault and the ways in which it impacted his life for years and years to come. We also get excellent support and understanding from the people that matter in his life. No one brushes it off, doubts his story or judges his. He is granted full support and empathy which plays a huge part in his healing and made this story all the more heartwarming and emotional.

Now, I will say, in the first part of this book I was absolutely DESPISING Lex's father. I was wishing for terrible, terrible things to happen to that man the entire time he was on page. HOWEVER, as we continue in the story Lex's mom really said "oh you thought his dad was bad... hold my beer" and when I tell you the overwhelming fury that was emanating from my body every time I had to read about this miserable woman was palpable.

There are plenty of scenes in this book that I am still thinking about and have taken up permanent residence in my heart and head. I mean... the iced coffee in the new car?? the star pendant in the drawer??? the moment when Lex admits he just needed a hug... I was absolutely destroyed in a puddle on the floor. Overall, this was a super emotional romance and I loved the characters so much. I just wanted them to be happy.

Side note: there is a secret trope in this book that I ADORED as well as a chapter that would have had me throwing the book against the wall and screaming like a mad woman had I not been reading this on my e-reader. How dare the author scare us like that?! But... well done lol.

This emotional rollercoaster is definitely a ride you want to take! My heart was pulverized and reshaped by the end of this slow burn romance with tragic elements. The juxtaposition of Lex and Stevie…. From the outside, it looks like Lex has the golden ticket, but where it truly counts, it turns out that Stevie is the superstar. The prose is lyrical at times and when the spice makes an appearance, it definitely raises the room temperature. Round it off with a happy ending and this is truly the stuff that dreams are made of.

Thank you NetGalley & Valentine PR for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story was good, I just wasn’t as emotionally invested in the characters as I thought I would be. I might be getting too old for the constant back & forth “will they, won’t they?” story because I was getting really frustrated with the couple. The author touched on important real world topics but I feel like she could have taken it further. I can see why other people enjoyed this book but it just wasn’t for me.

ARC review - as always, I am in awe for the feeling JH makes me feel. Though I wasn’t AS into this one as some of her other ones, I still really enjoyed the story. Lex and Stevie have quite the history and I loved seeing how they grew throughout the story. Hoping maybe we get another story in this universe for a certain side character.

This was really good! I loved Stevie but Lex sometimes made me want to punch him in the through! I know he’s supposed to be super grumpy though and Jenn definitely made him that way! So many great layers to their story and the spice was chefs kiss!! 4/5 stars 2/5 peppers!

This was my first ever Jennifer Hartmann book and will definitely not be my last! The way she was able to convey human emotion and the raw feeling of heartbreak was so impactful. Lex and Stevie felt so real, I almost didn’t even believe I was reading. I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. A stunning, 5 star read!

Lexington and Stevie couldn’t be more different on paper. He’s a former child star trying to escape the spotlight for a normal high school experience. She’s a small-town girl with big Hollywood dreams. But when they’re cast as the leads in their school play, their worlds collide and a deep, beautiful friendship begins to form. One full of unspoken feelings, stolen moments, and a connection that runs soul-deep.

Then an accident changes everything.

What broke me the most was Lex. He’s been dealt a shitty hand and is just trying to survive the only way he knows how, by burying the darkness. But Stevie… Stevie sees him. Not the Hollywood version of him. Not the persona. Him. She’s his light. His calm. His grounding force.

Jennifer Hartmann's writing is pure magic. The way she crafts these broken, beautiful characters and weaves their story — it’s a masterclass in emotional storytelling. She has this unmatched ability to completely shatter you and then slowly, tenderly, stitch you back together again.

This book made my heart ache in the best way. It’s a story about friendship, love, loss, and finding home in another person.

***Received an ARC for an honest review***

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 2/5
Tropes: second chance, fake relationship, celebrity, found family, forced proximity, he falls first

JENNIFER HARTMANN, you did it again. Broke my heart and put it back together…TWICE in one book.

This was a beautiful yet heartbreaking story of two people who had to learn and grow from their pasts in order to build a successful future together. Lex is such a complex character. Definitely Mr. Grumpy, but when you learn what made him be this way, you can’t help but empathize with him. Stevie also had to learn how to move forward from her own grief, while forgiving herself for putting others before herself.

Veronica can rot btw. Same for Bianca.

Anyways, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to cry when they read, in the best ways though. Check those trigger warnings!

It's happened again. My Jennifer Hartmann high is over and now I am left longing for the beautiful worlds and stories she creates for my head. The ending of this book is no exception, and I am honored to be able to read this story.

That being said, this book had me wanting to strangle Lex and tell Stevie to run at least 75% of the time. This story features an MMC who is truly broken and frozen in time as a broken child that everyone turned their back on. Because of this mindset, he makes some STUPID decisions. This is the beauty of a Jennifer Hartmann book though. She writes REAL people with REAL issues. She doesn't tell you a sweet little happily ever after with rainbows and butterflies along the way. She writes book that make you want to scream, cry, throw things and fall in love all at the same time. This book was also a slowwww burn and the first part is their history in high school, but the full picture is so beautiful.

I will ALWAYS be a diehard Jennifer Hartmann fan because she speaks to my soul in a way that other books haven't. I love reading stories with real people figuring out their lives and being messy along the way. If you don't like messy characters, you may struggle with this book. However, if you're like me and find home in the pages of a traumatic story, this book is a must read.

Side note: the villains in the story deserved way more tragedy than what found them and it's another one of those books where I wish I could jump into the story and turn into their villain myself. You all are on my hit list, fictional or not.

Oof, another Hartmann heartache & redemption with this one. Definitely cried multiple times per usual. Heartfelt moments and heartbreaking ones too between Lex & Stevie. Lex seems to have it all being an actor from Hollywood but he hides so much hurt from a horrible SA situation & Stevie seems to not have anything being a poorer middle class teen but she has what truly counts (love & support). These two are so sweet and sad but when they find each other again it’s wonderful. Lex’s parents are terrible, the glimpse of the deplorable in Hollywood is horrible and shows how everyone needs to do better for the kids (& women) in the industry (& truly just in flipping general). As an actor who lived in L.A. for almost a decade there were amazing people in power and also those like the ones described here. It is a tale as old as time with those in power preying on those who aren’t and it’s horrific and as Lex says, everyone needs to do better. I’m glad he found his peace and Stevie found her passion & dreams with each other. Enjoyed it immensely!

Dream On is a beautifully crafted and raw emotional story. It's full of angst, turmoil, young love, heartbreak, and healing. It's a story that highlights how complicated the world around you can make something so simple, like falling in love, can be. Lex and Stevie's journey pulled at all of my heartstrings and it's a book that I will not soon forget.

Lexington Hall would seem to have it all; money, fame, looks, social standing, but behind every fake smile is an empty shell that would be Lexington Hall. The very thing that made Lexington Hall a household name is also the world he detests. He's caught in his own web and he doesn't know how to escape. On top of his Hollywood fame, he has horrible parents and the only time he feels peace is when he's around a small town girl. A girl who represents everything that is opposite from the world he's from, a girl named Stevie St. James, who likes to call "Nicks".

Lex and Stevie did not see eye to eye when they first met. She was not taken in by his Hollywood fame, or good looks, but when they are cast as the leads in the new school musical they end up spending lots of time together. It's then that Stevie's gentle heart gets to know the real Lexington and she sees behind the mask he wears for everyone else. For the first time in Lex's life he finds a real connection to someone outside the make believe world he lives in and Stevie can't help but fall for the boy underneath the glamour.

It hit me hard, over and over again, the depth of Lex's pain, yet how strong he continued to be wearing his mask each and everyday while ultimately dying bit by bit on the inside. It was Stevie, her gentle strength, who only ever saw the real person beyond the fake smiles, beyond the glitz, beyond the wealth, come what may, who allowed him to dream.

The beautiful beginning between Lex and Stevie is everything, but tragedy tears them apart for four years. GAH!! However, it was the real world suffering, pain, and heartache of the rest of the book that made this story unputdownable, unforgettable, and worth reading!! I know I couldn't stop and I'm in love with these two characters.

Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and Netgalley for the advance copy and all opinions are my own.

I was so very lucky to receive an arc for this. I got a bit behind on reading it, I got halfway through and then got the stomach bug but I thankfully finished it. I’m such a fan of Jennifer’s work. It has heart and character. Her characters always have such depth and layers. There were so many moments where I just wanted Stevie to throw in the town and give up on Lex, but I’m glad she didn’t. I love seeing male characters with trauma and baggage, representation for them is important and I think she executed it beautifully. Thank you to Jennifer and her team for sending me this arc.

There is no question that Jennifer Hartmann likes to pull at our heartstrings. It's clearly what she has become known for and with Dream On, she pulls at them hard. However, I'm very sad to say that with this latest book of hers, mine were never in fear of breaking. Which was very surprising since the blurb alone had me bracing for the worst. But I guess for me, it's like there were layers upon layers of drama, simply for the sake of creating angst. That Stevie St. James and Lexington Hall, although presumed to be meant to be, should have never even been together. Their relationship is toxic from the very start as their very different worlds collide both figuratively and literally and from those first moments in the book, it's nothing but over-the-top reactions and misunderstandings galore.

The book is extremely lengthy and I have to be honest, I was getting frustrated with how many times Lex was a complete bastard to Stevie and how easily she forgave him. I mean, sure, they were just 17 when they met but when we fast-forward to 4 years later, and Lex and Stevie meet again after their fiasco of a parting, nothing changes. Lex is still horrible to Stevie and Stevie remains the martyr no matter what is thrown at her. Even as she allows herself to be used to keep Lex's name in the spotlight and act like a star-crossed couple. Hey, I get falling for someone despite their faults but the cruelty Lex throws at Stevie is way beyond anything she should have endured. I kept waiting for her to grow a pair and stop accepting his horrid attitude.

Now, I will concede that secrets that are laid bare when Lex finally opens up a bit were troubling at best. And as someone who has experienced a bit of what Lex did at the hands of a trusted caregiver, I get that it changes your perception of being intimate with someone. But honestly, what happened with Bianca felt like it was more than what had actually occurred and perhaps should not have made Lex so determined to stay celibate. I'm not demeaning anything that happened but I think that part could have been a bit more intense to get what the author wanted to convey. It just seemed a bit weak from my perspective.

And yes, Lex's parents were terrible to him. His evil father was brutal and his aloof mother failed her son. So yes, I get where his character was deeply affected from the time he was very young and left on a Hollywood set to fend for himself. But why didn't he get therapy? There is no mention except when his co-star Willa tries to get through to Lex later on in the book and he says how she sounds like his therapist. Really? Because that therapist needed to be fired immediately. The man was in desperate need of some real help.

The amount of tears shed by Stevie was almost ridiculous. I almost wanted to start keeping count of how many times tears ran down her cheek or she held her hand in front of her mouth on a gasp. But I suppose when you tangle with a man like Lex, you're gonna be destroyed over and over again.

In addition, the tangent about Stevie's little brother felt very misplaced. I mean, what exactly was the point in having that storyline even a part of the book? It confused me since the early mention had me thinking that Lex would have had something to do with it but yet it just felt like yet another layer of drama that wasn't needed. Not to mention the scene at the dinner table where Stevie's family would share a good thing that happened that day and Stevie talks about baby brother Morrison, causing her mother to leave the table in tears and her father silent for the rest of the meal. Something dealt with, with no apologies, reminding me of how many other scenes were like that with no 'closure' so to speak or repercussions as to what happened the day or night before.

I just don't know what happened here. The book seems a bit all over the place with a pairing that should have ended much like it did in "Come What May". I just didn't think Stevie, despite her good heart and willingness to help 'save' Lex no matter what, should have settled for a man like him. Yes, they finally have a showdown and Stevie gives a speech worth clapping for, but I was hoping that they'd part ways. That Stevie would find success on the stage and Lex would stay in his miserable world, wishing things could be different. Even with how he left things with his mother (finally standing up to her nonsense), Lex is not the man for Stevie...there I said it. And to me, there's no sin in not giving us a happy ending, but I know it's hard to keep readers when you do so.

I will always support Jennifer Hartmann since she is a darn good writer, applauding anyone who crafts a story and puts it out in the world. Dream On, however, just wasn't the book for me and once in a while that does happen. Even with beloved authors who typically rock my world, sometimes our thoughts about a story just don't mesh. But for now, I'll just move on and wait once again to fall in love with her words. And that will happen.

3 stars.

Jennifer Hartmann writes stories that feel. Dream On is emotional, raw, and deeply human. It’s not just a second chance romance—it’s a story about trauma, healing, forgiveness, and the complicated kind of love that doesn’t come easy.

Stevie was such a powerful character. She stayed true to herself, even when life kept knocking her down. I ached for her, admired her strength, and rooted for her through every heartbreak. And Lex… he was hard to love at times, but real. So layered, flawed, and broken by a past he never asked for. Even reading from his POV, you could feel how lost he was—even to himself.

This book made me cry, reflect, and ultimately, believe in redemption. Jennifer handles heavy topics with so much care and honesty, making every emotion hit that much harder. Stevie and Lex’s journey wasn’t easy—but it was worth every page.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️