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Dream Lover
Her naked skin made a soft, sensuous sound as she shifted on the satiny sheets. Moaning softly, she was drawn into a wonderful warmth. A strong arm came around her, firm fingers splayed over her back, and she begged for the softness to cover her, to meld with her, to make her whole... Jo couldn't remember when the dreams began, but they always ended the same way - with her desperately reaching out for something just beyond her grasp. The dreams could easily be a metaphor for her own unfulfilled existence. Having given up all hope of love and happiness long ago, Jo now seeks only escape from the scattered remnants of a failed marriage and the dreadful apathy that seems to engulf her more and more each day. On an extended vacation, she hopes that a change of scenery will help her get on with her life. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that a chance meeting with an attractive stranger would lead to her first taste of real passion - on the lips of a woman with the strength and the desire to make all her dreams come true.
264 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1997
13 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Lyn Denison
15 books60 followersLyn Denison was born and still resides in Brisbane, Australia, and attended school in Brisbane and Charters Towers. Before making writing a full-time career, Lyn was a librarian. Apart from reading, Lyn enjoys genealogy, scrapbooking, photography, playing her 12-string guitar and chatting with friends.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 21, 2022
This review is for the audiobook version, released in December of 2021.
I've had the paperback of this first published work of Lyn Denison's on my shelves for more than two decades. Originally released by Naiad Press in 1997, it's one of those classic lesbian fiction novels that provided much-needed representation at a time where it was so much harder to find.
This was before cell phones were pervasive (in fact, one of these characters has one in her car and it was considered something of an extravagance), when few people were generally out and society had very specific views on gender roles. So while this story is a bit dated, it doesn't take away from the fact that it's part of sapphic lit herstory. And I love that the two mains from this book make appearances in Denison's later works - so if you continue on, you'll get updates on them.
For someone like me who was so impacted by these books, it's huge to have them released on audiobook. Especially when Denison has chosen such a gorgeous narrator. Anthea Greco is credited as narrator on this book, but she is also the voice of Jenny Walters, who I fell in love with on two of Denison's other releases. I would have loved for her to do all of Denison's books. Her Australian accent is dreamy and the quality of her performance is excellent. Some of Denison's books have been narrated by Cat Gould as well and I am looking forward to listening to those soon.
I would love to see our community support these self published audiobooks. The cost to produce and release them is not insignificant and I really appreciate that Denison is doing it. She's a pioneer that paved the way and it's so rare we get these classics in this format. Once I'm done enjoying these sentimental favorites, I'll move on to her more current work.
I've had the paperback of this first published work of Lyn Denison's on my shelves for more than two decades. Originally released by Naiad Press in 1997, it's one of those classic lesbian fiction novels that provided much-needed representation at a time where it was so much harder to find.
This was before cell phones were pervasive (in fact, one of these characters has one in her car and it was considered something of an extravagance), when few people were generally out and society had very specific views on gender roles. So while this story is a bit dated, it doesn't take away from the fact that it's part of sapphic lit herstory. And I love that the two mains from this book make appearances in Denison's later works - so if you continue on, you'll get updates on them.
For someone like me who was so impacted by these books, it's huge to have them released on audiobook. Especially when Denison has chosen such a gorgeous narrator. Anthea Greco is credited as narrator on this book, but she is also the voice of Jenny Walters, who I fell in love with on two of Denison's other releases. I would have loved for her to do all of Denison's books. Her Australian accent is dreamy and the quality of her performance is excellent. Some of Denison's books have been narrated by Cat Gould as well and I am looking forward to listening to those soon.
I would love to see our community support these self published audiobooks. The cost to produce and release them is not insignificant and I really appreciate that Denison is doing it. She's a pioneer that paved the way and it's so rare we get these classics in this format. Once I'm done enjoying these sentimental favorites, I'll move on to her more current work.
September 16, 2025
Another beautiful story by Lyn Denison. In the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Jo is taking long service leave and staying on a property of a friend of her parents and recovering from a cheating husband, when she comes across Alix, on whose land she is trespassing while drawing the scenery. From there begins a beautiful relationship, done slowly and with a few bumps along the way. Good one, my third by this excellent Aussie writer.
'A lot of women find sex unsatisfying, Jo, straight and gay. As far as I'm concerned it's the love, the closeness that comes with it that counts as the bottom line.' (p. 134).
'Jo. Don't burn all your bridges. Not now. Not in the aftermath of great sex. A lifestyle is more than sex. That's a big part, I'll admit, the attraction and everything. But you have to live in a world that doesn't exactly smile down on you with approving benevolence.' (p. 137).
'What I'm saying is, it's far more complicated than just deciding you want to sleep with a woman. And all that's on top of the usual difficulties that come with sorting out a relationship. Like whether or not you both want the same sort of commitment.' (p. 137).
'A lot of women find sex unsatisfying, Jo, straight and gay. As far as I'm concerned it's the love, the closeness that comes with it that counts as the bottom line.' (p. 134).
'Jo. Don't burn all your bridges. Not now. Not in the aftermath of great sex. A lifestyle is more than sex. That's a big part, I'll admit, the attraction and everything. But you have to live in a world that doesn't exactly smile down on you with approving benevolence.' (p. 137).
'What I'm saying is, it's far more complicated than just deciding you want to sleep with a woman. And all that's on top of the usual difficulties that come with sorting out a relationship. Like whether or not you both want the same sort of commitment.' (p. 137).
April 14, 2017
I haven't found a book by Lyn Denison that I haven't enjoyed yet. Her writing style really pulls you in and her characters are always interesting. Dream Lover shows you two women who have been burnt by past relationships slowly find love once again in unexpected places. Jo's coming out was great to read about, usually I find coming out stories to be rushed but Jo's story was a nice slow burn that had me rooting for the couple's happily ever after.
July 21, 2022
3.4 star rating
This is a straight girl falls story. It was an entertaining read but might I say one that certainly should not mimic reality.
I am growing to be a proponent of at least a couple of sexual exploration before any commitment especially for the female gender. It is just so depriving to be bonded for years, get divorced and then end up again with the first next person one ends up in bed with. These conditioning of women to be 'proper' is a grave injustice to not only their own wellbeing but also to the milieu at large.
This is a straight girl falls story. It was an entertaining read but might I say one that certainly should not mimic reality.
I am growing to be a proponent of at least a couple of sexual exploration before any commitment especially for the female gender. It is just so depriving to be bonded for years, get divorced and then end up again with the first next person one ends up in bed with. These conditioning of women to be 'proper' is a grave injustice to not only their own wellbeing but also to the milieu at large.
June 19, 2022
I mean it was pretty terrible but I had a fun time reading it!
November 3, 2021
Lyn Denison has been a pioneer of the lesbian book since 1990, when she released her first book.
She has written over twenty books formerly published by Bella Books. The 90s were not yet very open to lesbianism. but since that date she has been able to write lesbian romances with sexual relations.
Many lesbian books today would not be published if some authors had not taken the lead. Read,The Wild One, Gold Fever, among others.
Read her books and see the modernity of what she wrote.
She has written over twenty books formerly published by Bella Books. The 90s were not yet very open to lesbianism. but since that date she has been able to write lesbian romances with sexual relations.
Many lesbian books today would not be published if some authors had not taken the lead. Read,The Wild One, Gold Fever, among others.
Read her books and see the modernity of what she wrote.
April 28, 2025
Dream Lover is the story of soon-to-be-divorced Jo slowly coming to the realization that she may not be as straight as she thought she was. When this thought crystalizes, her relationship with Alex transforms from friends into a serious relationship very quickly. The supporting cast is a little thin and consists primarily of one-dimensional characters who provide some insight into Jo’s environment. Jo and Alex obviously have physical chemistry, but their emotional connection does not come across as overly deep. While not terribly engaging, this is a decent read with a happy for now conclusion.
May 9, 2023
Dream Lover brings us Jo, a woman in limbo while she waits for her divorce to be final. Taking a holiday to rediscover herself, she meets Alex...a dynamic, strong, confident woman who's everything Jo wishes she was. This is such a sweet tale of a woman finding her true path, along with her own strengths. Love it!
March 12, 2025
✔Sapphic Book Bingo Challenge 2025 🌈✨: Main Board - Sloth Burn
2 stars. Boring. Underdeveloped story, characters, and the romance is pretty much non existent until the last couple of pages. I didn’t care about Jo or Alex and thought they had zero chemistry between them. I like Denison but this book was definitely a dud.
2 stars. Boring. Underdeveloped story, characters, and the romance is pretty much non existent until the last couple of pages. I didn’t care about Jo or Alex and thought they had zero chemistry between them. I like Denison but this book was definitely a dud.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews