I finished Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann late last night. I probably stayed up a lot later then I should have, but the few hours of sleep I lost did not compare to the epic ride this book took me on. I truly enjoyed everything about this book. Stevie and Lex will be my favorite couple for the foreseeable future.

Stevie St James is from a small town outside of Chicago. She lives on a farm with her parents and younger sister and she has dreams of making it as a actress in Hollywood. She is not letting anything get in her way and is driven to see her dreams come true. That is until one night, all her dreams come crashing down. Thanks to a boy named Lex. Lexington Hall is a well known name around town, and lets face it the whole country knowns him. He’s graced the cover of magazines, tvs and commercials since he was young, because he is a child actor. Wanting a little normality, him and his family move from Hollywood to finish out his senior year in the same town as Stevie. After a small encounter with Stevie at a red light, his life has changed forever.

Stevie and Lex learn to live and grown with each other and co actors in the schools up and coming production of Moulin Rouge. Little did they know that their practices together and rehearsals would lead them to becoming close. But that closeness and friendship is put to the test one frightful night. After a terrible accident, One broken leg, a broken heart and a broken soul Lex disappears and leaves Stevie forever. Until 4 years later Stevie’s world comes crashing down when the next big hit television show ‘Come What May’ is released and not only is the leading actor Lexington Hall, he produced it and wrote the show. A show that was written about Stevie and Lex’s time together.

How will Stevie react to this… Will Lex and her ever come to an understanding of what happened 4 years prior. Those are questions that will be answered if you read Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann. Due to release August 12th anywhere books are sold and also found on Kindle Unlimited.

First off, I may or may not have watched Moulin Rouge on repeat during this incredible read. IYKYK 💃🏻

Just when you think the last couple in a @author.jenniferhartmann novel is your favorite, you get a new one. Stevie & Lex. 😍 Not to mention the emotional rollercoaster I experienced while at the gym. 🙃

Once again, @author.jenniferhartmann nailed it! This book was sweet and angsty and heart-wrenching like all the others, bringing emotion from me that isn’t always easily released. Just like in her other novels, Dream On is full of characters you either love or hate and you find yourself undeniably rooting for love and cursing the jerks. This was a beautiful story and one I’ll forever recommend.

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down!! Stevie and Lex were amazing characters and the story told with them was amazing!!! I couldn’t put this one down!!!

Rating - 4⭐️

“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.”

What a beautiful book, a story of childhood love, the dangers of Hollywood and making your own dreams. I love Jennifer Hartman’s writing and the ways she captures due emotional depth and trauma. Lex is such a complicated character that you want to hate at times but you just can’t. This book showed that you can have it all without truly having it all.

This is my first Jennifer Hartmann book - even though I have several sat on my bookcase and WOW it did not disappoint!!

Dream On had me all in my feels and I was hooked from page 1!!

“You love me?”

“Yeah, Nicks. 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”

I absolutely loved Stevie and Lex’s story, Jennifer Hartmann is a beautiful writer and really captivates you in such a way you feel you have a Birds Eye view to the story.

I cried so much - both sad and happy tears!

5 ⭐️ read ALL DAY LONG!!!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

Jennifer Hartmann never misses!!! Every single book of hers ends up on my favorites list, and Dream On is no exception. She owns my emotions at this point.

Stevie? Ugh, my heart. She’s confident, kind, and a total rock for everyone around her—someone who makes you feel safe just by existing.

Then there’s Lex. Cold, smug, and totally untouchable… until you realize he’s just a guy who’s been hurt too many times. He hides behind that tough shell, but there’s so much softness underneath...vulnerability, fear, longing. And Stevie sees him. Truly sees him.

From their messy first meeting to the slow-burn, forced proximity goodness, Lex and Stevie’s story is everything. It’s gutting. It’s healing. It’s painfully beautiful. Their connection is deep and raw and SO well written.

Jennifer Hartmann just knows how to write grief and love like no one else. Her stories feel real and like they’re reaching right into your chest. Lex and Stevie live rent-free in my heart now.

Also… Jennifer, if we could get more Joplin and Rudy? I wouldn’t be mad about it. Haha!

✨ Wow… Where Do I Even Begin?
RUN, don’t walk, to pre-order and read this book. Dream On shattered my heart into a million pieces and then put it back together better than before.

💫 Stevie & Lex: My Heart Belongs to Them
Stevie and Lex have a piece of my heart forever, and this book has officially landed among my favourite reads of the year.
Lex —dammit, baby is so precious— he’s everything. He has to be protected at all costs. “My Christian.”
AHHHHH. He’s easily one of the characters I’m most proud of this year.
And Stevie? She’s the calm strength you can always count on, art personified. Together, Lex and Stevie are pure magic.

🖋️ Stephanie Hartmann’s Healing is Masterful
The way Stephanie Hartmann writes healing probably makes her my favourite author in that department: it’s masterful and should be taught. You can feel her PhD in clinical psychology bleeding into every page.
She writes healing that is human, patient, holistic, organic, and sustainable. She takes her characters through every step: the confrontation, the messy middle, the parts of themselves that need healing, even if they’re not tied to the “big trauma.”
Her characters fall in love, but they also learn to accept love and, most importantly, become their own friends first and love themselves.

🎭 Moulin Rouge Magic
And the story structure? Perfection. The book is divided into three acts:
• Act 1 follows Lex and Stevie at 17 ~ on stage as Satine and Christian doing Moulin Rouge school musical.
• Act 2 has them reconnect at 21 ~ in their own rendition of Come What May.
• Act 3 is the culmination.
The first two acts end in tragedy, just like Moulin Rouge, which this story beautifully nods to (as a massive fan of the musical, I was thrilled). You can practically hear the music threading through the pages. Then comes Act 3, when all the healing, peace, and happiness finally come together.

🌟 Epic Love, Epic Story
Lex and Stevie are art and magic and stars, and together they shine so brightly they light up the dark night.
Their story is epic. Throughout the book, it felt like there was a vice grip on my heart, crushing it, then loosening its grip just enough for me to breathe, only to squeeze again. They never let that grip on my heart falter or loosen throughout their story.
They own a piece of my heart, and they deserve to be protected at all costs.

🏆 Dream On is absolute perfection. 💥

Thank you Valentine PR, Jennifer Hartmann, and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for the eARC.

What a beautifully aching story. Stevie and Lex first meet in high school, brought together by the school musical, Moulin Rouge, living two very different lives, one unexpected connection. But just as quickly as they fall into each other, Lex disappears without a word, leaving Stevie behind with only memories and heartbreak. Four years later, their story is everywhere, because Lex has turned it into a hit TV show. And just like that, Stevie is thrust into the spotlight. To navigate the chaos, she agrees to a fake relationship with Lex to make great press for him, and for her, a shot at reviving dreams she thought were long gone. What follows is emotional and raw. Both carry scars from the past, yet somehow, they still find light in each other. Their love is messy, hard-won, and deeply real and that’s what makes it so beautiful. If you’re drawn to emotional, angst-filled romances that tug at your heart and linger long after, Jennifer’s stories are ones you won’t want to miss.

P.S.
I never wanted it to end.

This book was quite different than what I have read before by her but in the best way.

Stevie, a small-town girl but not living in a lonely world, with dreams of becoming an actress, meets Lex, (MMC), actor a seemingly cocky and stubborn when they both audition for a high school musical. Despite his outward appearance, Lex has hidden trauma and a soft side. They both land the lead roles, and sparks inevitably fly between them.

However, a tragedy separates them until years later when a show comes out that strikingly resembles Stevie’s past. The twist? Lex wrote it. This raises questions about his motives and his proposition for fake dating, especially since Stevie also gets paid. What’s his angle, and what’s the catch?

This book delivered on the banter I love between characters and definitely satisfied my craving for an angsty love story. I loveeeeeeeeeed this book.

Thank you to Jennifer Hartmann, Bloom Books, and Valentine PR for the advanced readers copy of "Dream On". This book will be published on August 12, 2025.

To be honest - when I saw this book was YA, I was a little worried I wouldn't enjoy it - BUT HOLY AIRBALL, Jennifer is a genius and I forgot how good of a writer she is!!! I honestly didn't want to put the book down, I was so engrossed in the world of Lex and Stevie. I honestly haven't enjoyed a book as much as I did this one in a while. There was no question in my mind that this book was an absolute 5 stars for me.

This book follows Stevie (FMC) and Lex (FMC) as they meet in HS and star in a theater production together. Lex, a former tv star, has had a rough upbringing and Stevie is the only person that truly understands him, so why do they lose contact for 4 years?? You'll have to read to find out!! We don't do spoilers around here! BUT I did LOVE the Moulin Rouge element of the book! ("My Christian") IYKYK.

TROPES:
- Second Chance Romance
- Fake Relationship
- SLOW BURN
- Forced Proximity
- SOOOOO MUCH EMOTION

Jennifer writes SO much depth to her characters. She builds things up and then breaks you. Be ready for your emotions to run high as a kite! This is my third book by Jennifer and quite frankly may be my new favorite. At this point in the year, I would put this book in my top 5 favorites!

I'm cruising with Jennifer on the LoveLit Cruise and I CANNOT WAIT to talk about this with her!!

You guys will need to stop everything you're doing and pick up this book on August 12th!

Every single time without fail, while reading Jennifer's books, I binge read and stay up way too late to finish. Reading Jennifer's books is like watching a movie, and you can't just stop in the middle. The only option is to completely consume.

This is definitely a good wholesome read. While it does have triggers, they're definitely not as intense as her previous books. Big-time movie star meets small town dreamer, both just trying to save the other. This is absolutely one of those stories you root for the happy ending so badly. (It does have one) And the grand gesture at the end was so cute. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

Stevie + Lex

-fake relationship
-forced proximity
-broken hero
-second chance
-slow burn
-angsty & EMOTIONAL

i literally don't have the words. why do i always feel so emotionally drained after a jennifer book?! like…the end when they’re finally getting everything they deserved the whole book is when i break down & sob for the remainder of the book…but like it’s never FINALLY THEREEE until literally the last like 2 chapters…so i didn’t even have enough time to finish my good menty b cry…so then like it’s over but i just want to continue crying…in bittersweet happiness? idk WHY SHE DO THIS TO ME!! its more than just emotional whiplash...it’s an emotional ONSLAUGHT!! cause like…there’s no more!!! nothing else to feed these emotions SHE LEFT ME WITH! i’m just supposed to WHAT?? FUCKING SIT WITH THEM??? WHEN SHE NEVER EVEN LET ME CHILL LONG ENOUGH TO FINISH A GOOD CRY???
so yeah anyways...this was amazing...top read of the month *smiling face with a face full of tears & snot*

This is an epic second chance romance! Lex and Stevie are both hurting when they meet at seventeen. Their pain and the school musical bring them together, only for an accident to rip them apart. Fast forward five years and they are forced together again, this time in a fake dating situation where both hope their time together with get them closer to their dreams. Made to confront past secrets and constantly battle the obstacles that come with being famous in Hollywood, it begins to feel impossible. Definitely a heart wrenching story that shows dreams can always change.

5 ⭐ 2 🌶️

Another absolute gem from Jennifer; Dream On was heartbreaking and angsty and everything I expect from her. I laughed. I cried. I immediately wanted to start over once I saw "THE END". I loved Lex and Stevie so dang much and I truly couldn't get enough. This one is fairly long, but it went by in a flash as I immersed myself in their story.

There's not a lot I love more than a broken boy finding love and my gods does Lex fit that bill. From the moment we meet this spoiled rich boy we know there's something deeper going on... But it was worse than I imagined between his many childhood abusers. He was constantly pushing people away to save them and it broke my heart when it almost worked on Stevie.

Thankfully these two were able to find their way back to each other and their happy ever after had me smiling ear to ear. (well, after that real rude moment when I thought things may actually end tragically...) Seeing them living their best life fed my soul and filled my cup to the brim.

Thank you so much Jennifer for the advanced copy. I can't wait for what's next.

This book was such an unexpected surprise 🤯. I’m normally not a huge YA fan, but this one will go down as one of my favorite books ever! 💖 JH is an auto-read for me 📝 and I was blessed to receive this one as an ARC 🙌✨.

I won’t give away spoilers 🤐 but a lot of this book centers around the play/movie Moulin Rouge 🎭❤️🎶 which just so happens to be one of my favorite movies of all time! The second it was mentioned, I got REALLY interested REALLY quick 😍🔥 haha!

This is a second chance romance 💔➡️❤️ with an enemies to friends to lovers TWO TIMES 😱💘. It’s such a sweet story filled with A LOT of trauma and sadness 😢💔… but also so much healing and love 💞. So many tearjerker moments 😭, I was emotionally wrecked in the best way!

I loved the characters 🫶, I loved the plotline , and I LOVED the Moulin Rouge element 🎤💃🗼. Everything about this book is what I love about reading 📖💫. I couldn’t wait to finish it… but also didn’t want it to end 🥹💫.

ARC review! 5 bright and shining stars!!!

This book was so beautiful, tragic, and full of emotions. Stevie & Lex had me feeling so deeply for them both. A battle of following your dreams and dealing with the fall out of what happens when it doesn’t go the way you planned. This one had me smiling, tearing up, holding my breath, and falling completely in love with these two characters. My heart was so torn, back and forth, but this put me right back together in the end. So fantastic!!

Thank you Jennifer Hartmann & Valentine PR, & NetGalley for this arc opportunity 🩷

✨Dream On✨

💜By: Jennifer Hartmann💜

⭐️First off: Please read your trigger warnings before reading this book. Some of this book could be sensitive to some readers.

⭐️Second off: this is listed as a YA book last I saw, and I feel it is adult romance. Not for a young adult/teenager IMO

⭐️But why was this book so good? I was THRILLED to receive an ARC copy of the book from Jennifer Hartmann via NetGalley. It did not disappoint! My reading this year has taken me through reading her back log, but this was different than some of her books I’ve read this year. It was heavy dealing with topics of abuse, but it wasn’t as heavy as a lot of her adult books were. There was some spice involved, which if I was a parent, I wouldn’t feel comfortable allowing my young adult/teenager to read, but felt it was a great adult story. Another great example of how Hartmann told the story of love healing old wounds.

⭐️Stevie St. James has big dreams of becoming a Hollywood star. This star shines as the female lead character of her high school play, hoping it’ll take her somewhere bright. Lex, a fading child star, needs a break from the spotlight and moves to the quiet small town to catch a breath. Stevie St James takes his breath away and before he knows it, he’s trying out for the male lead role of the school play. After the night that changes both their lives forever, the book takes us four years after their high school career. With new challenges, Stevie and Lex reunite, and respark their off the chart chemistry. Lex and Stevie have to learn to accept and move forward from the past together.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars. I’m excited to buy my own copy of this book on August 12th! If you love Jennifer Hartmann books, this one will be a new favorite for you. Highly recommend for a quick and emotional story about trauma and how love helps you heal from it.

Thank you to Jennifer Hartmann + Valentine PR for an ARC copy of Dream On!

Once again, Jennifer knocks it out of the park! I ADORED Stevie + Lex! Opposites attract when these two meet as kids: Lex as a young childhood actor + Stevie a small town girl with BIG dreams - end up landing the lead roles in their schools play. Lex has a troubling past + doesn't want, nor care, to let anyone in. But Stevie makes him feel safe - + as they spend time together preparing for the play, they form an unexpected friendship (+ more?)

But when tragedy strikes, Lex leaves Stevie behind, feeling alone + neither thinking they would ever see each other again. Except when he produces + stars in a tv show about their story, the world now wants to know who Stevie is + she is presented with the opportunity to have a fake relationship with Lex in exchange for financial freedom + the possibility of making her own dreams a reality.

The problem? Stevie never got closure after Lex left + old feelings resurface as they start to spend more + more time together. So I was left wondering, will they finally end up together? Or are we doomed with the 'what if's' of what they could have been? I was really rooting for them to figure it out - even with the odds stacked against them. I absolutely LOVED their story + how they overcame everything (+ every one: *Lex's horrible mother + toxic, unhinged fans) that seemed to stand in the way of their happy ending.

This was a beautiful, heartbreaking, emotional read + I absolutely devoured it!!

Let me start by saying—I adore Jennifer Hartmann’s books! They always make me feel the entire range of emotions, and this one was no exception!

The main characters first meet during their senior year of high school. Lex is already a well-known actor from a wealthy family, while Stevie is a small-town farm girl with big dreams of becoming an actress. They play the lead roles in the school musical, and sparks fly! But after a tragic event, they part ways and reunite four years later for a fake dating arrangement.

I instantly fell in love with both characters. Lex might seem like a cocky guy who has it all—fame and money—but deep down he’s broken and convinced he doesn’t deserve happiness. Stevie has such a big heart. She sacrificed so much, never gave up, and fought for Lex. The book also touches on how brutal the Hollywood industry can be.

The main trope is fake dating, but as always, Jennifer managed to turn it into something unique. The scenes are so vivid—whether it’s the high school musical, Stevie’s cozy farmhouse, or Lex’s LA apartment, I could see it all so clearly in my mind.

This story completely consumed me. I felt every emotion right alongside the characters. I was flying through the pages! And when I got to the secret trope—I literally squealed inside! It’s one of my all-time favorites!

This is a heartbreaking, multilayered story about first love and second chances. Lex and Stevie will stay in my heart forever, and I will be coming back to them again.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓slow burn
✓second chance
✓fake dating
✓forced proximity
✓broken hero

Thank you to Jennifer Hartmann and Valentine PR for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely devoured this book. I could not put it down! I even fell asleep with my kindle one night reading it.
I loved the dual timeline.
Jennifer Hartmann always makes me cry in her books and even though this book broke my heart at times she put the pieces back together by the end.
I definitely recommend this book!