Book Review: Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

When a movie is being filmed in her small lakeside town, Ramona Riley is faced with the future in costume design that she gave up to take care of her family as well as the girl with whom she shared her first kiss, who is now the movie's star.

4/5 Stars

When June rolled around and my favorite local bookstore/place of employment rolled out their Pride Bingo challenge, I knew I was in the mood for a queer Rom Com. I had heard a lot of great things about Ashley Herring Blake and had been meaning to read her work for a while now. It was serendipitous that her new book, Dream On, Ramona Riley, came out just in time for me to get a corner spot on my bingo sheet for reading a "wlw book." Also, this book takes place in New Hampshire, with what appear to be references to Lake Winnipesaukee- a lake that I actually studied for a year while at grad school! I felt like this book was meant to be before I even began, and now that I have finished, I can honestly say it was a fun, cute summer read to sink your teeth into.

Ramona Riley works at the local diner in town, having given up her college dreams of moving to LA to work as a costume designer. She returned home years before to take care of her injured father and younger sister after her mom walked out on the family. She and her best friend are following all the small town gossip about a movie being filmed in town when Dylan Monroe, the movie's star, walks into the diner looking to learn how to work the day shift. Ramona immediately recognizes Dylan as the girl she shared a first kiss with years before by the lakeside, but Dylan doesn't remember her with all the other things on her mind. The young actress is in the process of reconciling with her historically deadbeat but recently recovered famous parents, contending with her bad girl reputation in the press, and failing to connect with the role that she hopes will open more doors for her in the future. When their two worlds collide again, that teenage summer romance seems like it may be able to blossom into something more. Can a small-town girl navigating putting herself first after so many years of prioritizing others and a movie star with insecurities about being seen as only a means to an end for those trying to climb the Hollywood ladder really make a full-fledged relationship work?

This book was all sorts of fun with all sorts of heart. The Clover Lake community is adorable and feels just like it did when I lived in small-town New Hampshire. Both Ramona and Dylan feel like fully fleshed-out characters with plenty of flaws and doubts to keep the plot going without relying on too many miscommunication tropes. The drama felt grounded and mature while the situations they found themselves in felt fluffy and romantic. And the side characters were just as fun as the main characters, which is always cool to see. This was a great book all-around- a solid 4/5 stars for me- and it was a fantastic way to be introduced to a new author. I will definitely be reading more Ashley Herring Blake in the future!