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arhodes202's review
4.0
If Only In My Dreams is a Christmas, enemies to lovers, second chance romance. We get the sexy, reclusive musician Porter and the Recently divorced and still confused Madison. We are taken on a whirlwind of emotions throughout, and so much chemistry. You get hate, fear, bitterness, as well as so much love between these two characters and all their baggage. This was a great read with amazing character development. I was hooked from the beginning. a 4 1/2 star read for me.
taniamg's review
4.0
Porter and Madison were more like fling to enemies to lovers. They had a thing in high school but Porter broke Madison’s heart. They both moved on or tried to and fast forward couple years later and she moved back home. When they first see each other again they weren’t the nicest to each other; it was brutal the things they would say to each other at times. But it was inevitable they falling for each other again. Side note: everyone needs a bff like Gigi. Porter and Madison had their ups and very downs but they came full circle and realized that they are miserable without each other. Great story!!
javalenciaph's review
4.0
Note: An ARC was provided by the author.
Carrie Aarons delivers a heartwarming holiday romance in her newest standalone. If Only My Dreams is a story about second chances with an lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers feel to it. Madison Goldwin and Porter Kelly were once young and in love, albeit neither one admitting to feeling the latter. She's back in their hometown after her husband unexpectedly divorced her. After a rather caustic reunion in the grocery, Madison wants nothing more than to cancel the holidays. But she doesn't really have much of a choice but to be merry and bright, what with her parents insisting that she do her share with the family business. The clincher? Porter works for her parents, being all swoony while serenading those who ride the Christmas train. Maybe this is a second chance for them to rekindle what they once shared, but this could also be yet another opportunity for Porter to break Madison's fragile heart.
This was an entertaining read, one that had the kind of tension that I look forward to when it comes to main characters whose last impressions of each other from years ago wasn't exactly the best. I liked that it took time for Madison and Porter to rebuild what they once had, except this time around, it was on firmer ground. There were other issues that they had to deal with, Porter with his mother and Madison with her feelings of insecurity stemming from her ex-husband's treatment of her, but nothing was overly dramatized for the sake of making everything more angsty than necessary. With steady pacing and strong character development, Carrie Aarons has produced a touching story about returning home, rediscovering true love, and moving forward. 4.5 stars go to If Only in My Dreams.
Carrie Aarons delivers a heartwarming holiday romance in her newest standalone. If Only My Dreams is a story about second chances with an lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers feel to it. Madison Goldwin and Porter Kelly were once young and in love, albeit neither one admitting to feeling the latter. She's back in their hometown after her husband unexpectedly divorced her. After a rather caustic reunion in the grocery, Madison wants nothing more than to cancel the holidays. But she doesn't really have much of a choice but to be merry and bright, what with her parents insisting that she do her share with the family business. The clincher? Porter works for her parents, being all swoony while serenading those who ride the Christmas train. Maybe this is a second chance for them to rekindle what they once shared, but this could also be yet another opportunity for Porter to break Madison's fragile heart.
This was an entertaining read, one that had the kind of tension that I look forward to when it comes to main characters whose last impressions of each other from years ago wasn't exactly the best. I liked that it took time for Madison and Porter to rebuild what they once had, except this time around, it was on firmer ground. There were other issues that they had to deal with, Porter with his mother and Madison with her feelings of insecurity stemming from her ex-husband's treatment of her, but nothing was overly dramatized for the sake of making everything more angsty than necessary. With steady pacing and strong character development, Carrie Aarons has produced a touching story about returning home, rediscovering true love, and moving forward. 4.5 stars go to If Only in My Dreams.
mlst's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
cmitchell2781's review against another edition
4.0
Very cute
A very cute holiday read. Almost like reading a (much steamier) hallmark movie. Exactly what I was looking for this time of year.
A very cute holiday read. Almost like reading a (much steamier) hallmark movie. Exactly what I was looking for this time of year.
1bookobsessionconfessions's review
4.0
4.25 Wonderful STARS
This has all the feelings and festive fun of a holiday romance PLUS character depth and a really engaging story!
Madison and Porter have romantic history from high school, along with a lot of misunderstanding and hurt/confused feelings.
She’s back in their hometown feeling raw from her recent divorce.
The story has the fiery back and forth of enemies along with the pull of the undeniable chemistry between them.
It has the spark’s flying that made me feel the excitement for the romance to take off. That wonderful anticipation! Their chemistry is great.
The family relationships are both heartwarming and heart wrenching.
Both characters have some emotional healing and growth that happens. It’s believable and makes them so lovable. I was rooting for their happily ever after.
Wait! I need to mention Porter is a budding singer/songwriter… hot and swoony! He’s definitely the broody and sexy artist.
The steam and sex was hot! It’s not without some dirty talk and hot times.
It was a very full and satisfying romance. Like I said, I expected a cheery Christmas story and got that plus more.
I love the characters, the writing style and the journey the characters go on.
This has all the feelings and festive fun of a holiday romance PLUS character depth and a really engaging story!
Madison and Porter have romantic history from high school, along with a lot of misunderstanding and hurt/confused feelings.
She’s back in their hometown feeling raw from her recent divorce.
The story has the fiery back and forth of enemies along with the pull of the undeniable chemistry between them.
It has the spark’s flying that made me feel the excitement for the romance to take off. That wonderful anticipation! Their chemistry is great.
The family relationships are both heartwarming and heart wrenching.
Both characters have some emotional healing and growth that happens. It’s believable and makes them so lovable. I was rooting for their happily ever after.
Wait! I need to mention Porter is a budding singer/songwriter… hot and swoony! He’s definitely the broody and sexy artist.
The steam and sex was hot! It’s not without some dirty talk and hot times.
It was a very full and satisfying romance. Like I said, I expected a cheery Christmas story and got that plus more.
I love the characters, the writing style and the journey the characters go on.
artsandbookish's review
5.0
I was really looking forward to this one, because who doesn't love a story set in December, but it turned out to be so much more than just your Christmassy romance book. It was an emotional journey and is now one of my favourite Carrie Aarons' books.
The female protagonist, Madison, is back home after her marriage of two years ended for no apparent reason. She starts helping out in the family business, trying to come to terms with things, until Porter, a broody ex-hook up, shows up. And boy, oh boy, there is tension in the air. At first Porter seems like an absolute jerk, but later reveals his true feelings bit by bit. There is some great banter and chemistry between them. It was great to see how Porter helped Madison see her own strengths and potential, and on the other hand, how supportive Madison was of Porter’s dreams. What put me off a bit in the beginning was Porter's behaviour towards Madison; which made me enjoy even more when she put on this bold attitude and stood up for herself. The individual character growth in this book, as well as how their relationship evolved, was so enjoyable to read. The Christmassy twist gave it a little extra on top.
"If Only in My Dreams" is a sweet, swoony romance with all the banter and spice, small town charm, and Christmas cheer you could want.
[I received an ARC of this book from Greys Promotion but this is my honest opinion.]
The female protagonist, Madison, is back home after her marriage of two years ended for no apparent reason. She starts helping out in the family business, trying to come to terms with things, until Porter, a broody ex-hook up, shows up. And boy, oh boy, there is tension in the air. At first Porter seems like an absolute jerk, but later reveals his true feelings bit by bit. There is some great banter and chemistry between them. It was great to see how Porter helped Madison see her own strengths and potential, and on the other hand, how supportive Madison was of Porter’s dreams. What put me off a bit in the beginning was Porter's behaviour towards Madison; which made me enjoy even more when she put on this bold attitude and stood up for herself. The individual character growth in this book, as well as how their relationship evolved, was so enjoyable to read. The Christmassy twist gave it a little extra on top.
"If Only in My Dreams" is a sweet, swoony romance with all the banter and spice, small town charm, and Christmas cheer you could want.
[I received an ARC of this book from Greys Promotion but this is my honest opinion.]
deneekoncz's review against another edition
3.0
Good but not great .
The book was good but it went from being so drawn out to speeding up so fast. The relationship was great and they complimented each other well, but I wanted more of a detailed story .
The book was good but it went from being so drawn out to speeding up so fast. The relationship was great and they complimented each other well, but I wanted more of a detailed story .
mirrorchaser's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I got this book! I think it was a lot less Christmassy than I initially anticipated. The male main character had surprising depth and the female main character was kind of annoying but I can empathize with her situation. Overall, these are very realistic characters and I totally see something like this happening in real life.
books_and_more_books_byt's review
5.0
Carrie Aarons was a new-to-me author, and I am so glad I had the chance to read her work. This was a beautiful heart-tugging second chance romance that will have you crying and laughing at the same time. It was well written, easy to read, and had plenty of depth.
Twenty-six-year-old Madison Goldwin returns to her small hometown to live with her parents after her painful divorce. It is Christmas time, and her parents own the Christmas train ride in town so she can’t avoid the holiday. Discovering Porter Kelly, the boy who broke her heart, worked for her parents was a shock.
Porter Kelly had kept a secret through his childhood and after writing his story he is trying to get over it all. He would never commit to Madison while they were in high school and as an adult, he still has issues he must overcome. When he finally admits to himself that he has always loved Madison he slowly starts to reveal his true self.
I really enjoyed seeing Madison and Porter grow and start communicating with each other. They both had baggage and fears to overcome but they needed to learn to trust each other. This was an amazing book to read, and it will touch your heart. I look forward to reading more books by the author in the future.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Twenty-six-year-old Madison Goldwin returns to her small hometown to live with her parents after her painful divorce. It is Christmas time, and her parents own the Christmas train ride in town so she can’t avoid the holiday. Discovering Porter Kelly, the boy who broke her heart, worked for her parents was a shock.
Porter Kelly had kept a secret through his childhood and after writing his story he is trying to get over it all. He would never commit to Madison while they were in high school and as an adult, he still has issues he must overcome. When he finally admits to himself that he has always loved Madison he slowly starts to reveal his true self.
I really enjoyed seeing Madison and Porter grow and start communicating with each other. They both had baggage and fears to overcome but they needed to learn to trust each other. This was an amazing book to read, and it will touch your heart. I look forward to reading more books by the author in the future.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.