Another emotional read from Jennifer Hartmann! She always manages to have me ugly crying! 😭 🤭 Get read to feel all the feels with this one. From love to heartache to so many highs and lows. The chemistry lex and Stevie share is excellent. This is by far one of my favorite reads of the year! Highly recommend

Lexington Hall and I were never supposed to collide―he, the golden boy of Hollywood, and me, a small-town dreamer with stars in my eyes. But when we shared the stage in our high school musical, something ignited.

Then, just as quickly, it all fell apart, leaving my dreams in pieces.

Now, four years later, Lex is a household name, turning our past into a television sensation. He's spun our story for the world to see, while I'm still haunted by what we lost.

With millions obsessed over the "real" Stevie St. James, Lex reappears with an offer too tempting to turn down: a fake romance to keep the buzz alive, in exchange for the financial freedom I desperately need.

I convince myself I can play the part. But as old feelings resurface and new risks emerge, the line between fiction and reality begins to blur.

Dreams are easy to chase―but falling for the guy who shattered mine could cost me everything.

4.5⭐️ ARC review

This book will gut you but you also can’t put it down. Stevie aka Nicks is a small town theater girl with dreams of making it to Hollywood. Lexington aka Lex is hollywoods golden boy coming to Stevie’s small town to finish out his senior year of high school. Lex is a recluse who sticks to himself until he meets Stevie. Stevie makes him feel safe and happy again for the first time in forever. But due to a tragedy and Lex’s past traumas they get pulled apart. Until 4 years later Lex is releasing a show he produced. This new show just so happens to be based off his time spent with Stevie. Jennifer Hartmann really shows what Hollywood is like and how it can ruin people. She shows how it’s not perfect or easy to be in the spotlight. I was rooting for Lex throughout the whole book to heal from his trauma and not push everything good away.
Favorite quote: “This is what dreams are
supposed to feel like, Lennox. They're not something you fight for. They're what finds you when you finally learn to let go and just be.”
Ps I hope there is a follow up book on Rudy and Joplin!!

There is a reason Jennifer Hartmann is my favorite contemporary romance author and this is it!

The talent Jennifer Hartmann has to craft and weave an incredible story that truly showcases the difference between conditional and unconditional love is nothing short of phenomenal.

This story truly highlights the importance of love and what it is at the end of the day. It shows us that love isn’t something you can demand from someone and it definitely isn’t something you can just give away on a whim. She takes us through the gut wrenching emotions that teach us the truth about love through the eyes of Lex and Stevie.

We follow them on their own journey to understand what love really is and the sacrifices they give to be able to get it. They show us that love comes in all shapes and sizes and no amount of force can show you what true love actually is. It’s something beautiful to be cherished and given freely, not something to be demanded and taken.

This book touches on some tough topics, but Jennifer Hartmann is incredible in her craft to be able to take us into tough times but also pull us out. She teaches us what we need to learn, but never holds us in their turmoil longer than we can bear it.

So whether you’re new to the writing of Jennifer Hartmann or an addict to the pain she can cause who’s coming back for more. This is an absolute must read! So buckle up and strap down your heart because chasing your dreams is never easy, but Lex and Stevie will show you the way 💜

Automatic 5 stars. Period. I mean, it’s Jennifer Hartmann. You KNOW it’s gonna be good.

🎬 Lex and Stevie’s story had me in a chokehold. 😩 In true JH fashion, I swooned, I laughed, I cried (a LOT), I wanted to hurl my Kindle across the room, I wanted to punch a wall, I wanted to give both of them the biggest hug. JH’s stories take you on an emotional rollercoaster 🎢 , take your heart out of your chest, stomp on it a few times, feed it to you for lunch, then gently place it back where it belongs. ❤️💔❤️‍🔥❤️‍🩹

🎥 Both MCs have pasts that haunt them. Lex & Stevie (“Nicks”) meet in high school and both characters couldn’t be more different. Their backgrounds, their current lives… so much contrast yet so much comparison, too. Lex’s story ripped my guts out and really provided such a good example of “the grass isn’t always greener…” Stevie’s story was so raw, full of grief and blame for events she could never control.

⚠️ I can’t stress enough to CHECK YOUR TRIGGER WARNINGS before diving into this one! I read them and went in fully aware, but still had to put my Kindle down for a minute before continuing on in some parts. The lives these two have lived are RAW and full of some gut-wrenching, freaking mind-blowing events. 🤯 Just prepare your mind for the brilliance that is Jennifer Hartmann. She doesn’t hold back with these tough subjects and I fully believe that’s one of the many reasons I love her writing so dang much.

🩵 Add this one to your TBR RIGHT NOW!! If you think you’re not gonna love this one, “Dream On, friend.”

Many thanks to Net Galley and Bloom Books for this ARC opportunity!

Jennifer sure does know how to take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. This book was a wonderful read full of angst and heartbreak and I couldn't put it down. Stevie is a wonderful main character and I felt terrible for all of the heartache and pain she had to go through. Lex comes off as an annoying jerk at the start but quickly turns into a character that I could empathize with and I ended up loving him dearly. This book has plenty of ups and downs and you'll need your tissues for the highs and the lows.

Thank you to Valentine PR and NetGalley for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much Valentine PR and Bloom books for the E-ARC of this title.
Jennifer Hartmann can do no wrong in my book. I had high expectations for this one and it exceeded every single one!
I loved the angle that this book took. Second chance, Fake Dating, Fame, but with Jennifer Hartmann's touch, each of these tropes felt so much more significant and multi-layered.

Stevie and Lex have had a complicated relationship from day one. Not quite friends, not quite enemies, forced to star together opposite each other in the school play, The lines between real and acting blur and this continues throughout the book. Complete opposites, they find a bright light in each other that doesn't dim with the curtain closes. There is a time jump and while this book starts YA, much of it is spent in adulthood.

This book gives meaning to what it means to truly live. Not living in the shadows or staying in a box. The quiet moments speak the loudest. No amount of fame or fortune can create a life without feeling every emotion that loves brings.

Another spellbinding, soul searching book by Jennifer Hartmann.

Stevie & Lex
Fake Relationship
Forced Proximity
Broken Hero
He Falls First
Second Chance
Slow Burn
Angsty & Emotional

Jennifer Hartmann is the kind of author who's writing just sucks you in from the very start, it has you hooked the entire time and will have you in a chokehold for months after finishing the book, and this book is certainly no different!

I absolutely ate up the story of Lex and Stevie and I was rooting for them the whole entire time.

Their story is full of emotion that had me tearing up multiple times! And the angst, it has all the angsttttt!

Such an incredible book that I know will continue to live rent free in my head for the foreseeable.

The audio narrators, Angelina Rocco & Lee Samuels, are incredible at portraying the deep levels of emotion in this one! I could listen to them every day!

“Dream On, Nicks.” I am forever in complete AWE of Hartmann and her ability to create such heart-achingly beautiful stories that have so much depth, emotion and meaning behind every word. Her characters jump out of the page and feel like real people who work through real traumas and have a bumpy road to healing. This is a slowwww burn, childhood friends to lovers second chance romance and believe me when I say the tension and angst is WORTH IT—the spicy scenes are hot but even more so, they’re meaningful and purposefully written. Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies of all time and the soundtrack was a staple in my teens (and now) so I really appreciate the small details and underlying themes from the musical throughout. Like every book from this author, I was leaking tears and feeling so much pressure and emotion in my chest…it’s a journey to get to their HEA but is so so worth it! Highly recommend this story and author!

What a beautiful story! I was hooked from the beginning and rode the emotional roller coaster until the end. Jennifer Hartmann has a way with words and is a brilliant storyteller.

Wow. I loved this book so much. Stevie and Lex stole my heart. I thought it was a typical JH heart break but we are all addicted to that. The first 20% of the book I thought it was going to be a fluffy love story completely forgetting it’s a Jennifer Hartmann book. Then in JH fashion it was a ride after that. I think Lex stole all of our hearts. What a beautiful book. Thank you.

Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann, published by Sourcebooks Bloom Books, is an ya, second chances story.
Stevie and Lex meet for the first time when they're both in highschool. They becoming ffriends, but making a fatal mistake. Lex leaves and Stevie has to bear the consequences.
Fast forward 4 years, Lex is an Hollywood star, actor and writer and he just premiered his first movie.
Stevie who grew up with limited resources but a loving family is still in her area, being a pianist.
Fate, or rather an agent has the glorious idea to re-unite Lex and Stevie for marketing purposes. Said and done, both meet again and soon sparks are flying. But much has happened and can they thrive in all the glitz and glamour that is Hollywood?
Two flawed characters that still have a lot of growing up to do, beautifully written, not as raw and gritty as some other books by one of my fav authors.
I recommend this read, 5 stars.

5⭐️ ARC Review

Lexington Hall: Hollywood heartthrob, musical golden boy, and—oh yeah—the guy who televised our teenage trauma for ratings.
Stevie St. James: small-town girl with Broadway dreams, a financial crisis, and a front-row seat to her own emotional unravelling.

This book is like if Glee had a scandalous love child with The Bachelor, and then that baby was raised by Taylor Swift’s most unhinged breakup songs. One moment you’re laughing at the absurdity of faking a romance for the press, and the next you’re clutching your chest wondering if Stevie’s dreams (or dignity) will survive.

Highlights include:
• A fake relationship contract with more tension than a live finale.
• Lex being equal parts swoony and emotionally constipated.
• Stevie, trying to be chill while internally combusting like a glittery firecracker.

And let’s be honest: you know the line between fake and real is going to blur faster than a mascara tear during opening night.

Final verdict:
This is the ultimate “he broke me and now he’s back hotter than ever” second-chance romance. It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it’s perfectly over-the-top in the best Hartmann way. Prepare to dream on, spiral a little, and maybe text your high school ex just to say, “You wish this was about you.”

Jennifer Hartmann has done it again she simply cannot write a bad book. Her writing is breathtaking, poetic, emotional, and so vivid that I often find myself highlighting entire pages. From the very first sentence, she pulls you in and refuses to let go.

This story follows Stevie and Lex, two characters from completely different worlds. Stevie is a high school girl with big dreams of becoming an actress and singer. She comes from a loving, tight-knit family who may not have much money, but their home overflows with warmth and support. When her parents manage to buy her a used car, Stevie is over the moon until her first day driving it ends with a fender-bender… courtesy of Lex.

Lex is her opposite in many ways wealthy, brooding, and hiding more than his fair share of pain. A former child actor, he’s just moved to town and is adjusting to life in public school, which just so happens to be Stevie’s. While Stevie’s life is full of love, Lex’s is marked by emotional neglect. But beneath his guarded surface, Stevie sees the hurt in his eyes. And despite everything, Lex finds himself drawn to Stevie’s light. She’s everything he isn’t kind, genuine, full of heart.

Their connection deepens when they’re cast together in the school play, and their on-stage chemistry bleeds into something very real off-stage.

The story later jumps forward in time and without giving too much away, I’ll just say the emotional depth and growth of these characters is incredible. The pacing is perfect, the plot unfolds beautifully, and the themes of love, pain, healing, and hope are woven masterfully throughout.

If Jennifer Hartmann writes it, I’ll read it. Every. Single. Time. This book is a stunning, unforgettable journey

"If love had a scent, it would be this house. I think that's why I keep coming back here."

"I don't hate you. I violently dislike you"

Arghhhhh This Story!!!

I stayed up until 4am .... 4am!!! I can't remember the last time I did that for a book 😅

Jennifer's writing is PHENOMENAL!! She really knows how to emerse you in a story and become soo attached to the characters, the world they are in and the pain/trauma! You FEEL it ALLLLL😭😭

She always has pretty cutesy covers BUT don't be fooled she will RIP your heart out, trample on it, throw it around a bit more before sloooowly putting it back together again!

3am Sobbing ... check!

Angst... check!

Heartbreak...check!

Love and Healing ... check!

Heartwarming Family... check!

Beautifully Heartbreaking and Lex and Stevie will always be apart of me!

The story takes you through a whirlwind and you get to see the story from both Lex and Stevies PoVs .... you hurt for them ... you hurt WITH them!

This a story that's sooo easy to read in the sense that it flows seamlessly. You feel like you are in the book yourself!

This is a story about love, loss,family, romance with second chances and overcoming trauma that stems deep from past to present.

Thank you sooo much for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful masterpiece 🫶

Lex and Stevie are my new favorite couple! I love this story. As always she brings the trauma, the love, more trauma, the love and then the healing. This book touches all the emotions, as usual JH loves to put you on a roller coaster and let you ride the waves of emotions.
Suburb girl with big city dreams, big city guy just wanting to escape big city dreams. The collide in this slow burn romance full of trauma and love. I just don't think that I have all the words to give this book the justice it deserves. You just need to read it!! I can't wait for it to be on my shelf next to all my JH books! I am never disappointed with my auto-buy of her books!!
10/10

Jennifer has been a one click buy author for me since still beating so naturally I was excited for dream on, and was not disappointed. Stevie and lex’s story is full of some of the most popular tropes (second chance, fake dating, forced proximity, slow burn) and i’m here for them all. In true Jennifer fashion the angst is angsting and the emotions, emotioning.
The side characters are also amazing, I’d love to hear more from them in the future.

Just finished Dream On—or maybe it finished me. If you’ve ever read a Jennifer Hartmann book, you know she doesn’t hand over a happily-ever-after without taking you through the emotional wringer first. This story had me feeling everything: excitement, joy, sorrow, heartbreak, and yes, even anger—before finally piecing my heart back together. An emotional rollercoaster in the best way. ★★★★★ Bravo, Jennifer.

well guys….. this by FAR my favorite contemporary romance of the year. I had no idea when i get this ARC that i would instantly fall in love with these characters and their story and learn to love reading all over again because of it.

This was so heart felt, touching and beautiful. Jennifer hartman has such a way with words and writing the most beautiful stories and this is only my 2nd book by her. But her writing sticks, it’s memorable.

lex and stevie is such a beautiful story 🥹😭 at first i thought this was a YA but it definitely is not YA loll (my fault for not reading that part) so take your trigger warning seriously yall!! We get a second chance romance in this story and it’s so beautiful 😭 We see their friendship progress in high school and then see them rekindle things 4-5 years later and lemme tell you guys it’s just SO DANG BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I do think Jennifer Hartman did such an amazing job at representing depression in this book and other heavy topics.

Anyways, 5 stars, no notes, absolute perfection, they got their happy ending and most of all thank you too valentine pr & netgalley for sending me this arc🖤🫶😘

“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.”

✨ ARC Review: Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann ✨

Jennifer Hartmann is a master at emotionally gutting you—and Dream On is no different. This book will throw your heart into a blender, hit purée, and somehow leave you thanking her for it. It’s a beautiful mess of dreams: stardom, freedom, love, and the fight to claim them. It’s raw and so, so powerful.

The love between Stevie and Lex is chaotic in the most beautiful way. Their story proves that even the most broken, baggage-filled love can still rise to the top. Their determination to protect each other and their devotion is absolutely soul-shattering.

The child actor storyline broke me. It’s heartbreaking because it’s real—this isn't just fiction, this is reality for so many. Jennifer Hartmann doesn’t shy away from the darkness, but she also reminds you that light can still break through. And true to her signature style, Hartmann drags you through the emotional trenches—shocking twists, gut-wrenching moments, and devastating heartbreak—only to stitch your heart back together with tenderness and hope. It’s like your soul walks through the fire with these characters and comes out whole again.

This book is magic. It’s chaos. It’s healing. It’s everything. 💔✨

Jennifer Hartmann writes stories that are so beautiful, they break your heart and then carefully piece it back together.

I absolutely loved Stevie and Lex’s journey, from their high school spark to a second chance at love years later. Their story was tender, emotional, and just full of love. It felt like watching two souls slowly find their way back to each other, and it was just so, so sweet. Their story has hard topics they discuss, so please check the trigger warnings.


Thank you VPR, netgalley and Bloom books for my ebook arc!