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Better Than a Dream
Sometimes, having what you dream about can make life better, but it doesn’t always make it easier. After a disastrous proposal and breakup, Gemma Wilson is finally working on accepting her true self, knowing that there is no time like the present to get her life in order. While trying to maintain her fledgling marketing business, she’s resolved to finally put herself out there, excited at being in the lesbian world for the first time. When she meets a woman at a party, she feels the magnetism that people talk about and that she’s only felt in her dreams the past few months.
Harper Kennedy is everything a twenty-something New Yorker aspires to be, but she has her own baggage that’s holding her back in ways that not even she can acknowledge. She may be successful in the business world, but she’s never had a successful relationship, and the idea of fitting that piece into her life feels utterly insurmountable, not that she’s ever even wanted to try before.
After a fling that would seemingly end there, the two are thrown back together, convoluting an already tricky situation for both of them and turning their worlds’ upside down. Is it possible to make it through this project in one piece, and maybe even find love along the way?
Harper Kennedy is everything a twenty-something New Yorker aspires to be, but she has her own baggage that’s holding her back in ways that not even she can acknowledge. She may be successful in the business world, but she’s never had a successful relationship, and the idea of fitting that piece into her life feels utterly insurmountable, not that she’s ever even wanted to try before.
After a fling that would seemingly end there, the two are thrown back together, convoluting an already tricky situation for both of them and turning their worlds’ upside down. Is it possible to make it through this project in one piece, and maybe even find love along the way?
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 22, 2017
182 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Monica McCallan
17 books1,466 followersMonica McCallan was an enthusiastic fan of romance novels before she began writing them.
Writing is her passion project, and she currently lives in Philadelphia, working at a startup which gives her lots of great inspiration for the settings and storylines of her contemporary romance novels.
She lives with her partner and two tiny dogs, cannot parallel park to save her life, enjoys playing pool a few times a week, and has enjoyed every second of the craft beer explosion these last few years.
Join her mailing list here: http://bit.ly/MonicaMcCallanLesfic
Writing is her passion project, and she currently lives in Philadelphia, working at a startup which gives her lots of great inspiration for the settings and storylines of her contemporary romance novels.
She lives with her partner and two tiny dogs, cannot parallel park to save her life, enjoys playing pool a few times a week, and has enjoyed every second of the craft beer explosion these last few years.
Join her mailing list here: http://bit.ly/MonicaMcCallanLesfic
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
April 15, 2018
DNF @ 61%. Ok that's not true I skimmed the majority of those 18 chapters. I'm sure there are some readers who might like and even love this book but I'm not one of them. There is such minimal interaction between the characters. I noted that even at 31% into the book there were only 4 sentences of dialogue between the main characters and maybe a total of 4 or 5 pages max. of dialogue in general.
I guess this is how you write a book where no one speaks to anyone else but everything is described. Which brings me to the other thing that absolutely annoys me about the author's writing style. It's that she rehashes part of the previous chapter but from a different POV. This turned out to be a giant NOPE for me.
I guess this is how you write a book where no one speaks to anyone else but everything is described. Which brings me to the other thing that absolutely annoys me about the author's writing style. It's that she rehashes part of the previous chapter but from a different POV. This turned out to be a giant NOPE for me.
January 2, 2018
Its good but just not my liking...
The story was actually a pretty good one. Simply put...girl A realizes she's gay after a panic attack proposal. Girl A meets Girl B in a bathroom (need I say more). Both girls keep getting thrown together and find they can't stay away.
Ok...so like I said the story part of it was pretty good but the delivery and writing style was just not my cup of tea. There was too much tell...too much monolgue and inner thoughts...too much back tracking of events in the past...and not enough interaction...at least for me. The chemistry was there but telling me about it as opposed to seeing the characters talk it out or interact left me bored in reading.
Like I said, the style was not my favortie but it was free on kindleUnlimited so I can't complain too much.
The story was actually a pretty good one. Simply put...girl A realizes she's gay after a panic attack proposal. Girl A meets Girl B in a bathroom (need I say more). Both girls keep getting thrown together and find they can't stay away.
Ok...so like I said the story part of it was pretty good but the delivery and writing style was just not my cup of tea. There was too much tell...too much monolgue and inner thoughts...too much back tracking of events in the past...and not enough interaction...at least for me. The chemistry was there but telling me about it as opposed to seeing the characters talk it out or interact left me bored in reading.
Like I said, the style was not my favortie but it was free on kindleUnlimited so I can't complain too much.
December 29, 2021
This was truly such a bummer for me. I’ve either loved or enjoyed all of the other (four? I think?) books that I’ve read by Monica McCallan, but this one I really struggled with. I skipped around a Lot trying to just hurry up and be done with it. I think from looking at the publishing dates that this might have been her first published novel, and for me, it shows. If this is the only experience you have with her work, I urge you to pick up something else, because I’ve really loved the other works of hers that I’ve read and would even go as far as to say they’re some of my favorite reads of this year as a whole. It shows how much people can improve in a short amount of time, because this one (for me at least, YMMV) was not emblematic of her other works. I think my biggest issues were the lack of dialogue, pacing, and a lot of telling not showing. Both MCs had potential, but I never connected to them because of the way the story was being told. We got a LOT of internal monologuing (which can be fine!) but here it didn't work and a lot of it felt really repetitive. We’d switch POVs pretty regularly, only to go back a few paces and get the other characters internal narration for a bit before then catching back up to the moment we left off with the other, and this was constant in a way that frustrated me.
If you want to enjoy this author, leave this one and pick up one of her other works because she absolutely improves from this, and I really adore a lot of her other books. In a way, it’s nice to see just how much she’s improved from this one, but other than that, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me. On to a different one of hers for sure.
If you want to enjoy this author, leave this one and pick up one of her other works because she absolutely improves from this, and I really adore a lot of her other books. In a way, it’s nice to see just how much she’s improved from this one, but other than that, it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me. On to a different one of hers for sure.
February 29, 2024
OMG JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER
dnf
January 17, 2018Copy provided by author for a free and honest review
This book is by no means bad but the writing isn't working for me. There's very little character interactions and paragraphs about things I don't really care about and feel they serve to make the book longer. I like the idea of someone figuring out they're gay later in life but there wasn't much with the characters interacting.
This book is by no means bad but the writing isn't working for me. There's very little character interactions and paragraphs about things I don't really care about and feel they serve to make the book longer. I like the idea of someone figuring out they're gay later in life but there wasn't much with the characters interacting.
February 26, 2018
The book was hard to get through because it read more like a story someone was talking about than an actual novel or book. There was almost no dialogue and the very little dialogue there was felt flat and unnatural.
December 29, 2017
Better than a Dream opens a window on hooking up with the wrong woman for all the right reasons.
Gemma Wilson, nearing thirty and done with her latest boyfriend, has been having lovely dreams. A beauty to be sure, Gemma's life was filled with unfulfilling hook ups, dates and coasting along with Ryan. After Ryan proposed, she bolted and her panic attack signaled a deafening response of "no". As hard as she tried to find it, none of these experiences held any passion. In college, she'd been an athlete and shared occasional kisses with other women. Consciously, she dismissed the idea of having a relationship with another woman until her dreams woke her up to the deep seeded reality of her true desires
.
Harper Kennedy couldn't be more different. Her first love came along at nineteen. She came out to her small-town, small minded parents and they promptly disavowed her. Her lover was unfaithful and broke the remnants of her already tattered heart. In the decade that followed, Harper took up with women for the casual sex of one and done. As a gorgeous and successful lesbian in New York City, women were willing to partake in this ritual of quick release. Harper's only commitment was to being single. The very idea of giving anything like love to another woman drove her to sex filled mania.
Gemma and Harper find each other at a lesbian party held each week at a gay club. Their eyes lock and they express their urges in a VIP lounge bathroom stall. Gemma's first lesbian experience takes place against the walls of a public toilet, with a woman who hasn't even shared her name. Fueled by confusion and embarrassment, Gemma jets without a backward glance as soon as the deed is done. As fate dictates, Gemma submits an advertising proposal to market the LGBTQ gym that Harper and her long time business partner are opening. Shocked and humiliated by seeing her Saturday night hook up at her Tuesday afternoon business interview, Gemma tries to act professionally following Harper's lead for a second time.
Better than a Dream probes under psychic rocks to unearth the forces involved in bringing together and forcing apart Ms. Right and Ms. Right Now. The hazards of coming out, casual sex and holding back a tidal wave of feelings play havoc with Gemma and Harper. Their lustful encounters refuse to be contained except by their business obligations and their personal demons. Monica McCallan has written an exceptional lesbian romance. The characters and storyline are finely tuned like musical instruments to deliver an lilting melody. The dance steps are predictably one step forward and two steps back, but it is executed with such artistry that it commands undivided attention. Gemma and Harper alternate narration duties as each woman highlights different aspects of the plot. The dual first person POV effectively tells the story of a very messy and inescapable attraction.
Gemma Wilson, nearing thirty and done with her latest boyfriend, has been having lovely dreams. A beauty to be sure, Gemma's life was filled with unfulfilling hook ups, dates and coasting along with Ryan. After Ryan proposed, she bolted and her panic attack signaled a deafening response of "no". As hard as she tried to find it, none of these experiences held any passion. In college, she'd been an athlete and shared occasional kisses with other women. Consciously, she dismissed the idea of having a relationship with another woman until her dreams woke her up to the deep seeded reality of her true desires
.
Harper Kennedy couldn't be more different. Her first love came along at nineteen. She came out to her small-town, small minded parents and they promptly disavowed her. Her lover was unfaithful and broke the remnants of her already tattered heart. In the decade that followed, Harper took up with women for the casual sex of one and done. As a gorgeous and successful lesbian in New York City, women were willing to partake in this ritual of quick release. Harper's only commitment was to being single. The very idea of giving anything like love to another woman drove her to sex filled mania.
Gemma and Harper find each other at a lesbian party held each week at a gay club. Their eyes lock and they express their urges in a VIP lounge bathroom stall. Gemma's first lesbian experience takes place against the walls of a public toilet, with a woman who hasn't even shared her name. Fueled by confusion and embarrassment, Gemma jets without a backward glance as soon as the deed is done. As fate dictates, Gemma submits an advertising proposal to market the LGBTQ gym that Harper and her long time business partner are opening. Shocked and humiliated by seeing her Saturday night hook up at her Tuesday afternoon business interview, Gemma tries to act professionally following Harper's lead for a second time.
Better than a Dream probes under psychic rocks to unearth the forces involved in bringing together and forcing apart Ms. Right and Ms. Right Now. The hazards of coming out, casual sex and holding back a tidal wave of feelings play havoc with Gemma and Harper. Their lustful encounters refuse to be contained except by their business obligations and their personal demons. Monica McCallan has written an exceptional lesbian romance. The characters and storyline are finely tuned like musical instruments to deliver an lilting melody. The dance steps are predictably one step forward and two steps back, but it is executed with such artistry that it commands undivided attention. Gemma and Harper alternate narration duties as each woman highlights different aspects of the plot. The dual first person POV effectively tells the story of a very messy and inescapable attraction.
February 22, 2025
I’m going back and reading all of Monica McCallan’s back catalogue. This is her debut novel and for a debut, it’s pretty good. Are there problems? Yes. The MCs barely have spoken to each other by 30% into the book. Like maybe 4 words. There is a TON of internal monologue. There is a pile of telling and not showing.
Is there good? You betcha. For a debut, the spice is very good and there’s more than 3 scenes. There is still the Monica McCallan in there that I adore. There’s really only one secondary character, Mel, and she is great. And don’t forget, Cujo, the chihuahua.
Is there good? You betcha. For a debut, the spice is very good and there’s more than 3 scenes. There is still the Monica McCallan in there that I adore. There’s really only one secondary character, Mel, and she is great. And don’t forget, Cujo, the chihuahua.
March 15, 2018
Hmm....I think my dreams are better.
November 17, 2021
I liked this story but it has a few flaws that made me rate it less than other McCallan novels I've read. Gemma Wilson has her own small marketing business in NYC. She is also close to 30 and finally accepting that she is gay. Hunter Kennedy very successful in business but keeps her heart locked. The two meet one night at a bar but Gemma takes off before they even exchange names. Both are surprised when Gemma is the person Hunter's partner has chosen to market their new business venture.
I like how comfortable Gemma is in accepting herself and trying to put herself out in a world she is less familiar with. I got whiplash as did she trying to keep up with Hunter's various moods about their encounter. The biggest problem I had with the story was so much was internal monologues. Even when they go away together for a weekend it is more about the thoughts in their heads than in talking and getting to know each other. They are hot and steamy but I wanted conversations.
I like how comfortable Gemma is in accepting herself and trying to put herself out in a world she is less familiar with. I got whiplash as did she trying to keep up with Hunter's various moods about their encounter. The biggest problem I had with the story was so much was internal monologues. Even when they go away together for a weekend it is more about the thoughts in their heads than in talking and getting to know each other. They are hot and steamy but I wanted conversations.
February 1, 2018
This is a gem I found on ku. Started slow but I got into after a bit. Really liked these characters even though Harper can be an ass. The author had me going towards the end with an unexpected occurrence and well that’s about all I can say so as not to give too much away. Good read and well written.
September 25, 2023
too often I found myself annoyed by the amount of words spent on describing each characters feelings/how their day went. It felt like there were pages between a couple of sentences of dialogue almost every single time.
Also Harpers behaviour barely made sense, especially at the end. truly came out of nowhere.
Also Harpers behaviour barely made sense, especially at the end. truly came out of nowhere.
January 10, 2025
2,75/5
Is the dialogue banned in this book?Trying to find it it's as harder as trying to get diamonds on survival mode in minecraft.
Too much inner thoughts and soooo incredibly boring and unnecessary, and the double povs on the same scenes???I didn't need all that
Is the dialogue banned in this book?Trying to find it it's as harder as trying to get diamonds on survival mode in minecraft.
Too much inner thoughts and soooo incredibly boring and unnecessary, and the double povs on the same scenes???I didn't need all that
May 24, 2025
there are no words to describe how mediocre this was.
February 14, 2021
For most of the book, I really enjoyed this. It is fairly heavy on the internal dialogues, but I thought because both characters were dealing with so much, that it worked for me. The chemistry between the leads was solid and the sex scenes were hot.
But then.....
So I went with 3 stars. After all, if I was this invested, there was a lot going right in this book. I've really liked another of the author's books (Good Spin), so I'm sure I'll read more, but this one was so close to being a 4 star book.
But then.....
So I went with 3 stars. After all, if I was this invested, there was a lot going right in this book. I've really liked another of the author's books (Good Spin), so I'm sure I'll read more, but this one was so close to being a 4 star book.
April 27, 2020
Lukewarm Story but Steamy Chemistry . . .
I'd really rate this novel at a 2.5 stars, for plot and character development.
Honestly happy this was not my first read and not the last book written by this author, because it wasn’t her best, but I’m still a fan of her other books. Sadly the story didn’t seem worth the time I took the read it all, as I felt like skimming through a lot of it. The book was mainly thoughts and writing of what was happening or had happened rather than the characters actually speaking to each other. I love when characters actually talk to each other and heat up the pages that way. Now there are quite a few steamy scenes, but by the end I almost didn’t care about the characters, because their relationship was hot but felt one dimensional, especially after rehashed POV scenes and no real communication between the two characters.
I'd really rate this novel at a 2.5 stars, for plot and character development.
Honestly happy this was not my first read and not the last book written by this author, because it wasn’t her best, but I’m still a fan of her other books. Sadly the story didn’t seem worth the time I took the read it all, as I felt like skimming through a lot of it. The book was mainly thoughts and writing of what was happening or had happened rather than the characters actually speaking to each other. I love when characters actually talk to each other and heat up the pages that way. Now there are quite a few steamy scenes, but by the end I almost didn’t care about the characters, because their relationship was hot but felt one dimensional, especially after rehashed POV scenes and no real communication between the two characters.
November 20, 2019
Cute! The characters were sweet, I liked them both a lot. The story didn't have much tension though, outside of their developing feelings for each other. I wanted an additional plot layer. It was a bit anticlimactic and I was kind of ready for it to wrap up.
I didn't like the writing all the time; it's told in alternating POV and they'd rehash the same scenes, without adding much of anything.
This was a sugary sweet romance and I liked it, but it's not an all-time favorite.
I didn't like the writing all the time; it's told in alternating POV and they'd rehash the same scenes, without adding much of anything.
This was a sugary sweet romance and I liked it, but it's not an all-time favorite.
February 8, 2018
Hmm
I liked this one but it was a little heavy in the inner monologue department. I found myself skimming and skipping paragraphs because of the unnecessary thoughts and words. I really liked how Gemma and Harper interacted. Would love to see more of them as an actual couple though.
I liked this one but it was a little heavy in the inner monologue department. I found myself skimming and skipping paragraphs because of the unnecessary thoughts and words. I really liked how Gemma and Harper interacted. Would love to see more of them as an actual couple though.
July 15, 2022
Finding out that this was McCallan's first book made a lot of sense once I got to the last like 30 pages. It was cute and spicy and fun but then the last little bit just fully fell off and I nearly threw my hands up like wait ...that's where we're going with this .. okay then lol It kind of ruined it honestly for me, which was a bummer
August 19, 2018
Well I really liked the second book I have read of Monica's as well and am following this author now and can't wait for her to publish more.
June 3, 2018
Gemma and Harper share an intense attraction to one another when they first meet at a lesbian club. After a quick but amazing hook-up in the club bathroom, Gemma runs off before they can even know one another's names. The reason is that this was Gemma's first sexual experience with a woman after coming out in her late 20s. Although greatly affected by this woman, Harper chalks it up to a quickie experience and goes about her life as a successful entrepreneur. When her business partner hires Gemma to create a p.r. plan for their new gym, the two women meet again, are forced to work together while the intensity between them remains unresolved.
This is an interesting romance, short on plot but strong on the internal processes of both characters, especially Harper, who has functioned as an "Ice Queen" and avoided relationships. Gemma is more content to watch things unfold, following Harper's lead and not do anything to rock the boat. While she starts out as the more interesting character, in many ways, this is Harper's story.
I'm rating this book as a 4 instead of a 5 for a few reasons. First, the writing varies. The epilogue is a rush through job, not told from either character's POV. There are a number of copy edit mistakes in the text that should have been fixed. But the book did grab me and so it's a solid 4 and recommended.
This is an interesting romance, short on plot but strong on the internal processes of both characters, especially Harper, who has functioned as an "Ice Queen" and avoided relationships. Gemma is more content to watch things unfold, following Harper's lead and not do anything to rock the boat. While she starts out as the more interesting character, in many ways, this is Harper's story.
I'm rating this book as a 4 instead of a 5 for a few reasons. First, the writing varies. The epilogue is a rush through job, not told from either character's POV. There are a number of copy edit mistakes in the text that should have been fixed. But the book did grab me and so it's a solid 4 and recommended.
September 11, 2018
Amazing book from start to finish!
Better Than A Dream, had everything you could ask for in a good book. A believable storyline, a rollocoster of emotions, suspense and of course an amazing chemistry between the two main characters, as well as a happy ending.This is the first book I've read by Monica McCallan, and definitely won't be my last. Hoping that a sequel is in the works!
Better Than A Dream, tells the story of Gamma and Harper. Gemma is fresh out of a relationship with a man whom asked her to marry him, after freaking out and a series of dreams she is ready to acknowledge the truth, she is a lesbian. With a new discovery, Gemma is set on embracing the gay scene. Whereby she meets Harper, Harper is a successful business woman who has lived the past couple of years, on a string of hookups with women after being heartbroken and dissmissed by her family after coming out. Gemma and Harper have an insane attraction for each other, which leads to a steamy encounter that neither had anticipated. When fate throws them together, time and time again we are taken on a journey of love, lust, fear, numerous encounters and rejection. I can't recommend the book enough!
Happy Reading =]
Better Than A Dream, had everything you could ask for in a good book. A believable storyline, a rollocoster of emotions, suspense and of course an amazing chemistry between the two main characters, as well as a happy ending.This is the first book I've read by Monica McCallan, and definitely won't be my last. Hoping that a sequel is in the works!
Better Than A Dream, tells the story of Gamma and Harper. Gemma is fresh out of a relationship with a man whom asked her to marry him, after freaking out and a series of dreams she is ready to acknowledge the truth, she is a lesbian. With a new discovery, Gemma is set on embracing the gay scene. Whereby she meets Harper, Harper is a successful business woman who has lived the past couple of years, on a string of hookups with women after being heartbroken and dissmissed by her family after coming out. Gemma and Harper have an insane attraction for each other, which leads to a steamy encounter that neither had anticipated. When fate throws them together, time and time again we are taken on a journey of love, lust, fear, numerous encounters and rejection. I can't recommend the book enough!
Happy Reading =]
January 7, 2018
I weirdly want more
I want more and it’s weird because I was having a hard time keeping my mind of track with how much was actually described in detail throughout the book. Every thought and feeling was explained so much that I would somehow zone out from the words and it kind of reminded me of reading a long poem (for reasons I don’t even know how to explain).
***SPOILER ALERT***
With what happened toward the end of the book where Harper completely ignores the history and feelings of Gemma was probably the least explained. How exactly did she realized she made a mistake? Most people push people out and never acknowledge that it was the unhealthy or wrong thing to do. I wanted to know her exact thought process when she somehow got the news of her fathers death. Everything else in this book was so thoroughly explored and explained except this.
I rated this book 5 stars because it actually provoked some strong emotions from me.
The story is good, the characters are intresting, my only problem was the ending and how brushes aside all of that kind of was.
I want more and it’s weird because I was having a hard time keeping my mind of track with how much was actually described in detail throughout the book. Every thought and feeling was explained so much that I would somehow zone out from the words and it kind of reminded me of reading a long poem (for reasons I don’t even know how to explain).
***SPOILER ALERT***
With what happened toward the end of the book where Harper completely ignores the history and feelings of Gemma was probably the least explained. How exactly did she realized she made a mistake? Most people push people out and never acknowledge that it was the unhealthy or wrong thing to do. I wanted to know her exact thought process when she somehow got the news of her fathers death. Everything else in this book was so thoroughly explored and explained except this.
I rated this book 5 stars because it actually provoked some strong emotions from me.
The story is good, the characters are intresting, my only problem was the ending and how brushes aside all of that kind of was.
August 28, 2023
I Don’t Get It
Personally, I don’t understand how this book got so many five star ratings. It was 95% internal dialogue and narration. There was hardly any dialogue whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I would wager that there was more dialogue during the sex scenes, than there was in the outside world.
Then there were what I like to call $20 words. Most of them were used fairly correctly, however, they didn’t fit. You had this general narration then all of a sudden the $20 word that could’ve very easily been something more “normal“
Then there was the issue with chapter 20 (I think.), which reformatted, and took on a entirely different style altogether.
Then there was the issue with Harper being a complete and total asshole at the end of the book. I don’t care what you’re going through, you don’t treat someone like that and expect them to take you back. That was completely unbelievable. Like I said, I don’t understand why this book was so highly rated. I just don’t get it.
Personally, I don’t understand how this book got so many five star ratings. It was 95% internal dialogue and narration. There was hardly any dialogue whatsoever. As a matter of fact, I would wager that there was more dialogue during the sex scenes, than there was in the outside world.
Then there were what I like to call $20 words. Most of them were used fairly correctly, however, they didn’t fit. You had this general narration then all of a sudden the $20 word that could’ve very easily been something more “normal“
Then there was the issue with chapter 20 (I think.), which reformatted, and took on a entirely different style altogether.
Then there was the issue with Harper being a complete and total asshole at the end of the book. I don’t care what you’re going through, you don’t treat someone like that and expect them to take you back. That was completely unbelievable. Like I said, I don’t understand why this book was so highly rated. I just don’t get it.
March 9, 2018
You know, maybe it should be a three. It was okay, but it was an enjoyable okay, and entertaining, and that usually gets a four out of me, because for some reason we can't use a blasted 10-point scale here, with half-points, despite that being WAY more accurate… I got frustrated with the end of the book, and the drama, and then how it resolved itself. But I enjoyed the journey up to that point.
Okay, 3.5 stars, but I'm not going to mark it down to 3, since I also got to read it for "free" with my KindleUnlimited subscription.
Quick read, but I've had the flu, so I had to put it down a lot while reading it so that I could pass out and sleep.
Okay, 3.5 stars, but I'm not going to mark it down to 3, since I also got to read it for "free" with my KindleUnlimited subscription.
Quick read, but I've had the flu, so I had to put it down a lot while reading it so that I could pass out and sleep.
January 14, 2025
Mild gripe: cover has white text on a lighter background = hard to read.
Gemma, after the end of her most recent relationship, realizes she might be gay. While out with her friend Harper sees Gemma and is drawn to her, but isn't sure she's into her. They have a encounter in the VIP washroom, then Gemma flees.
About a week later Harper is hiring a ad agency... and in walks Gemma.
Mild gripe #2 there are some long flashback infodumps that hamper the flow of the story.
Holy crap Harper is a ass in the last third. Yikes.
Mild gripe #3: There's formatting weirdness in the second half. Sections in various fonts or bolded. Annoying.
2.5 stars, for the various gripes.
Gemma, after the end of her most recent relationship, realizes she might be gay. While out with her friend Harper sees Gemma and is drawn to her, but isn't sure she's into her. They have a encounter in the VIP washroom, then Gemma flees.
About a week later Harper is hiring a ad agency... and in walks Gemma.
Mild gripe #2 there are some long flashback infodumps that hamper the flow of the story.
Holy crap Harper is a ass in the last third. Yikes.
Mild gripe #3: There's formatting weirdness in the second half. Sections in various fonts or bolded. Annoying.
2.5 stars, for the various gripes.
January 11, 2023
I won't lie, this book took me longer to read than it usually would. Idk what it was about it, but I couldn't read it as well as I have other books. I think it was well over half the book when I was able to finally get excited and get ahold of that "OMG YES!" feeling of "I'm finally going to see them fall in love". I think it was just too detailed for certain things. There was some over explanation that was not necessary and many details that were not needed in order for this book to work well.
February 10, 2018
Enjoyed!
I’d recommend to anyone interested in lesbian romance novels to have a go at this one. Short read, didn’t want the story to end...giving it a 4 stars because it was too much inner dialogue as opposed to dialogue. The ending came way too fast, I would have loved to have gone through Harpers dilema instead of hearing about it after the fact. Not positive how she came to the conclusion that she missed Gemma that much. We were just told it happened.
I’d recommend to anyone interested in lesbian romance novels to have a go at this one. Short read, didn’t want the story to end...giving it a 4 stars because it was too much inner dialogue as opposed to dialogue. The ending came way too fast, I would have loved to have gone through Harpers dilema instead of hearing about it after the fact. Not positive how she came to the conclusion that she missed Gemma that much. We were just told it happened.
February 19, 2022
McCallan's First
I decided to read McCallan's books in the order they were published.
Better than a Dream is McCallan's debut novel. She has definitely progressed as a writer and I'm glad I got to see how it all began.
There was never a point where I lost interest, with this book, but I felt like there were a few holes and rushed moments.
Along with a few other reviewers, I was pretty irritated with Harper towards the end.
Onto the next book, Back to the Start.
I decided to read McCallan's books in the order they were published.
Better than a Dream is McCallan's debut novel. She has definitely progressed as a writer and I'm glad I got to see how it all began.
There was never a point where I lost interest, with this book, but I felt like there were a few holes and rushed moments.
Along with a few other reviewers, I was pretty irritated with Harper towards the end.
Onto the next book, Back to the Start.
December 22, 2023
OMG the inner monologues!
By the time on of them says "Hello" it takes 2 full pages for the other one to answer and I have totally forgotten what the question was in the first place and have to flip back to remember.
The story was good but as I've pointed before, there's too much inner monologues and descriptions between dialogues and actions that you start to skip entire paragraph just to keep the interest going.
By the time on of them says "Hello" it takes 2 full pages for the other one to answer and I have totally forgotten what the question was in the first place and have to flip back to remember.
The story was good but as I've pointed before, there's too much inner monologues and descriptions between dialogues and actions that you start to skip entire paragraph just to keep the interest going.
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