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Picture Perfect Love
Dani Babich always had a plan. A thriving legal career, a polished fiancé, and a condo with a view to match the life she'd curated perfectly. Or so it seemed.
But when secrets start to crack the glossy surface and someone she trusted turns out to be playing a different game, Dani's picture perfect life begins to unravel in the most unexpected way. What happens when you realize the dream you were chasing might not have been yours at all?
With humor, fierce friendship, and more than a few steamy coffees, Between dreams and reality, there is a smart, emotionally rich story of a woman finding her footing-not in the life she built, but in the one she's brave enough to create.
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center, Jojo Moyes, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is a story about breaking the rules, rewriting your narrative, and discovering the strength that was never missing, just waiting.
But when secrets start to crack the glossy surface and someone she trusted turns out to be playing a different game, Dani's picture perfect life begins to unravel in the most unexpected way. What happens when you realize the dream you were chasing might not have been yours at all?
With humor, fierce friendship, and more than a few steamy coffees, Between dreams and reality, there is a smart, emotionally rich story of a woman finding her footing-not in the life she built, but in the one she's brave enough to create.
Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Katherine Center, Jojo Moyes, and Taylor Jenkins Reid, this is a story about breaking the rules, rewriting your narrative, and discovering the strength that was never missing, just waiting.
- GenresRomance
456 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2025
3 people are currently reading
5581 people want to read
About the author
Dana Lucka
3 books22 followersDana Zupanovich Lucka, a native Californian, fell quite by accident into writing romance novels over a (couple) glass of wine and a plate of Christmas cookies.
After writing two textbooks and editing her fair share of journal articles, she wanted to write something that didn’t put college students to sleep! Now she writes books about modern love, independent women and beautiful Adriatic sunsets.
Dana pens blog and a monthly newsletter, Fresh Brew, about strong coffee, great wine, garlicky cooking, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it at https://mailchi.mp/danalucka/newsletter
Before embarking on a writing career, Dana was wrapped up in the world of higher education, as an administrator, a director and a faculty member. Still, a romance novel was always within arm’s reach. Now that she no longer buries herself grading papers and complaining about APA citations, she has ample time polish her skills and dream up stories about the crazy journey called life. Truthfully, she spends most days avoiding piles of laundry or researching vacation destinations.
Dana, a second generation Croatian, and her husband, who grew up in Poland, divide their time between their home in California and their place in Poland.
After writing two textbooks and editing her fair share of journal articles, she wanted to write something that didn’t put college students to sleep! Now she writes books about modern love, independent women and beautiful Adriatic sunsets.
Dana pens blog and a monthly newsletter, Fresh Brew, about strong coffee, great wine, garlicky cooking, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it at https://mailchi.mp/danalucka/newsletter
Before embarking on a writing career, Dana was wrapped up in the world of higher education, as an administrator, a director and a faculty member. Still, a romance novel was always within arm’s reach. Now that she no longer buries herself grading papers and complaining about APA citations, she has ample time polish her skills and dream up stories about the crazy journey called life. Truthfully, she spends most days avoiding piles of laundry or researching vacation destinations.
Dana, a second generation Croatian, and her husband, who grew up in Poland, divide their time between their home in California and their place in Poland.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 1, 2026
Great first book by a new author. Kept me wanting to get back to it. Looking forward to the next one.
January 2, 2026
Fun read - really loved the bits of wisdom toward the ending. Looking forward to Dana’s next book!
December 26, 2025
Her life seemed picture prefect but it is not all it seems as her life begins to unravel. Her life goes from good to bad in a very short time which makes her wonder if her life was meant for someone else. See how she gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a powerful read
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a powerful read
December 30, 2025
Life can’t be planned, and Picture Perfect Love reminds us of that magnificently. Through Daniella Babich’s journey, Dana Lucka shows us that the perfect plan for life isn’t always what we really want. This book is written in a captivating way that takes you inside the story and keeps you there for hours on end. Lucka takes us on a rollercoaster ride with Dani as she navigates love, family, friends, self-love, and drinks lots of coffee. What I loved most is how this story is very realistic and relatable. If there was a sequel, I would read it immediately.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews