Everyone thinks Dean Collins is too old for Fallon Blackwood. Her parents, her friends, even Dean himself. In fact, he wants her to date guys her own age.But Fallon doesn’t care about that. All she cares about is that she can’t take her eyes off Dean, her neighbor, her best friend, the guy who taught her to ride a bike and to climb trees.And sometimes Dean can’t take his eyes off her, either. And … either. And sometimes he looks at her like he wants to kiss her.So it doesn’t matter that he’s thirty-two and she’s eighteen.
All that matters is that they belong with each other, and she needs to convince him of that. Good thing they’re taking a cross-country road trip together, right?
California to New York; three thousand miles and a love story in the making…
Featuring Simon Blackwood and Graham Edwards from the ‘Heartstone Series.’*This is a STANDALONE NOVELLA. This was released as a part of Mixtape Anthology. Since then, it has been revised, expanded and re-titled.
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California Dreamin’ is a delectable and emotional tale from Saffron A Kent, one that hit all my buttons as only this author can do. From Fallon’s sweet and sincere proposal to Dean when she was three, to her grown up determination to win Dean’s heart as an adult, her perseverance is awe-inspiring. He may be much older, but he’s everything she ever imagined when she dreamed of a love like her parents have.
Dean has always been a fixture in Fallon’s life, but he fought his attraction through long distance, strong will, and a huge amount of respect for her parents. A totally swoonworthy hero, I loved watching Dean struggle against Fallon’s budding confidence and seductive intent. Watching this couple’s relationship intensify was so much fun!
One of my favorite parts of the book, beyond the main couple, was the glimpse into the thoughts of other characters from the series. I cannot wait to see what Ms Kent has in store for us!
California Dreamin’ is nice sort of bundle of the couples from Medicine Man and Dreams of 18 with a nice splash of their children’s romance. I honestly just wanted this book to be able Dean and Fallon. I really loved reading about their relationship from when Fallon was a child and how much Dean cared for her. It was so sweet and adorable. Then for Fallon to realize she was in love with him and followed him across the country to get the man she loved. It was brave and beautiful and I loved it. I just wanted to read more about Dean’s struggles and dealing with his absent father, how Simon and Willow took him and his sister in and made them family, and seeing him come to terms with his love and attraction for Fallon. I would have loved for this to be a full length novel.
I also loved Rosie(Graham and Violet’s daughter) and Brenden(Simon and Willow’s son). They were freaking adorable. I needed more than one chapter with them. I would have liked to get to know both of them better and see how alike and different they were from their parents.
So overall I liked reading about all my favorite characters and their kids. It just made me want more of their children’s romance.
What a fun freaking book!
I’m a little softie for Dean and Fallon, let me start by saying. Fallon is the daughter of Simon and Willow from Medicine Man, and Dean is Fallon’s lifelong best friend and neighbor. Fallon proposed to him when she was three years old. He’s the one she ran to when her knees were scraped or she needed a bedtime story at night. Not her mom, not her dad; DEAN. He taught her how to ride a bike and climb trees, so of course she’s in love with him. She’s been in love with him her entire life!
Insert: cross country road trip.
Lord, this book was HOT. Nobody writes sex scenes like SAK. Somehow she makes your heart swoon and lower regions throb at the same damn time. Like, I want a man to talk to me the way SAK’s heroes talk to their girls in bed.
We also get chapters and appearances from Willow, Simon, Graham, and Violet! It was such a nice touch to catch up with them and see how they were doing! All in all, I absolutely adored this California Dreamin’ and I may or may not be dreamin’ of more books in the Heartstone series…
: age gap, friends to lovers and steamy
For such a short book this was phenomenal!!! I adored Fallon and Dean’s relationship, from being childhood friends to lovers.
I wish the book was longer to explore more their friendship and life struggles, but still I enjoyed every bit of their story.
Another thing I love are the snippets we get about Willow/Simon, a couple I adore and love, and Violet/Graham.
Now I’m waiting for miss Saffron to write a book about Brendan and Rosie’s story because I fell for them and I wanna get into their story asap.
Highly recommended!!
4.5 I GONNA MARRY DEAN STARS!!!
Since I read Medicine Man I was intrigued with Dean and after reading the epilogue I was obsessed with little Fallon and her infatuation with the older Dean and I wanted their story so bad so when it came out in an anthology and later in a separate novella I was beyond excited.
Since Fallon was little Dean was everything she cared about and she wasn’t going to let him slip through her fingers even though he was a bit reluctant to admit his feeling because of their age gap. So when she turns 18 and a chance arrives to be closer to him she takes it.
This was an emotional, sweet, amazing fast-paced story. I loved Fallon and Dean and I was so glad we got to catch up with some of my favorite characters. I do wish this was a full-length book but only because Saffron’s writing is perfection and I could keep reading about those characters forever. Besides that, this was another amazing book by this author.
“I didn’t know that I wasn’t alone. That meeting with your dad was a stroke of fate. I had no idea that your dad finding me would lead me to find you. A girl who was born for me. A girl I watched grow up. A girl with so much strength and light and immense fucking love. Every day you stole a piece of my heart, Fallon. Every fucking day for as long as I can remember until there was nothing left in my chest. Until all my heart was gone. It was gone and it belonged to you.”
Review California Dreamin’ by Saffron A. Kent
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Saffron strikes again with a beautiful Novella featuring Dean and Fallon. Fallon is the daughter of Simon and Willow from Medicine Man and can I just say how absolutely wonderful it was to catch up with Simon and Willow again! Both are just absolutely outstanding parents can Willow please be my mom!? This story was heartwarming, beautiful, and mesmerizing. I can’t even begin to describe what Saffron makes you feel.
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Fallon has been in love with Dean ever since she could remember. She proposed to him when she was just 3 years old and Dean was 17. All thought it was sweet and that her crush would soon fade away those people couldn’t be more wrong. All throughout her life Fallon hasn’t been able to let go of her crush, this is so much more then a crush it’s all consuming the way she feels for Dean. He’s her bestfriend, her confidant, and he is an absolutely beautiful man inside and out. Now Fallon is 18 and Dean is 32 She chose a university all the way in California to follow Dean and be closer to him. Now she just needs to convince him they are meant to be together and what better way then on their cross country road trip back home.
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I am obsessed with Dean. The way he would always try to fight his feelings towards Fallon was so heartbreaking. You could feel the chemistry between these two flying off the pages and I was literally screaming Dean just kiss her already!!! Fallon was feisty, confident and adorable. I loved how she was ready to fight for Dean and show them how they are meant to be together.
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5-Beautiful-Meant To Be-Stars
Steam5/5
Another delectable and emotional tale from miss Saffron A Kent. This book hit every aspect for me and she just took me on a ride. I loved Fallon and Dean and was so happy we got their book. Theor realtionship is one for the books, their story was like poetry and felt fated. I love how strong they both were , and despite the odds against against them persevered and took time to nuture rheir love. Dean was such a swoonworthy hero,and to see him struggle against Fallon’s budding confidence and seductive intent was super funny. You could tell he had no chance when it came to her lol. I just loved seeing them grow and he happy. Another great read!
Spanish & English Opinion
Esta autora es de mis favoritas. He leído todos sus libros y la angustia, la anticipación, la obsesiva forma de enamorarse de los personajes me gusta mucho.
Fallon y Dean me encantaron desde Medicine Man. Los personajes son de mis favoritos y poder leer más interacción entre ellos y los papás de Fallon estuvo perfecto, porque nos da más visión de lo qué pasó con ellos.
La primera versión de esta historia ya la había leído, y aunque en la primera había más anticipación de los personajes para reconocer su amor, en esta tenemos una visión más larga de lo qué pasa con ellos. El árbol genealógico del final me gustó mucho. Y qué padre que Rose y H se quedarán juntos.
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I love this author! Every book has the obsessive, incondicional and irrational love that she writes perfectly and I love reading it.
Fallon and Dean were my favorites in Medicine Man and having a story for them was EPIC. Even though the first version had more anticipation between them, this second version gives us more information about their future, how the parents reacted… and I loved it!
The family tree explaining the connections between the stories of the series was great and I loved that Rose & H are a couple
I really liked this book as a wrap-up to the Heartstone series. I loved Medicine Man so much and enjoyed reminiscing about Willow and Simon’s relationship. Of course, it’s fitting that Fallon and Dean would find love in a similar way and with the same age gap. Even though this was a much shorter book than the other two books in this series, I really didn’t feel like anything was missing or that the story “should’ve” been longer. Saffron told the story beautifully and with enough detail to make it impactful. Fallon and Dean’s relationship was so genuine and I definitely felt the connection! Great book!!
Oh, Dean and Fallon! I loved this extended version of the novella I previously read. Delicious. So happy to read them again and fall for them again. Age gap is my guilty pleasure, when it’s written right I can lap it up like cream and roll around in all that forbidden romance. I recently discovered Saffron Kent’s books this year and I’ve enjoyed them all. Simon’s book being a favorite so I was delirious to see him in father mode, protective over his Fallon.
This author does taboo like no other. I love her prose and how she can easily draw me into her worlds and characters lives.
3.5 STARS!!!
I love Saffron Kent. That said this book was an okay read for me. The overall plot was straight-forward: cute, short and to the point. However, (I try to be open minded) what bugged me most was the vast age difference between Dean and Fallon. She was barely legal, and for that I felt she was very immature in some instances. I did love Dean and thought he was a sweetheart. And I did like the secondary characters. All-in-all, a decent read.
Saffron Kent gives us another age-gap love story to devour.
Even though it was a novella, it really hit the spot. That forbidden love that makes your heat flutter.
Dean and Fallons journey from California to New York is gonna give you all the heart working feels.
Loved seeing characters from other books, great highlight to the story!!!
**this novella was publish in a past anthology.
Whoa! I love me some age-gap romance. Absolutely love Fallon and Dean’s love story. Fallon is 18 years young but fierce and matured beyond her years. She is knows who she wants and she will stop at nothing to catch him 🙂 Dean is so noble and sweet. Dean is also in love with Fallon but he did the adult thing by giving Fallon time to grow up and experience life. Those years apart hurt Fallon but I think that is what make their relationship and bond much stronger. I like that little bit of slow burn and angsts. I love that Dean is respectful of Fallon and her parents. This story is told in a few point-of-views so we got to catch up with Fallon’s parents Willow and Simon. LOL, her father Mr. Medicine is still a Neanderthal as usual…intimidating and protective of his girl 🙂 I love forbidden romance and Ms. Kent gave us an amazing, heartfelt, beautiful love story. Just wish it is a bit longer – this is a novella – short and sweet. The ending is absolutely ADORABLE! I am hoping for a book on Rosie and Brendan.
NO SPOILERS!
Saffron A. Kent’s sexy, forbidden, age gap romances are my jam, and even though it was a novella and much shorter than her other books, I loved California Dreamin’!
Dean and Fallon’s story, though shorter than I would’ve preferred, was amazing from beginning to end, and I loved every single second. It was a fun, sexy, forbidden, and swoon-worthy journey, and I’m so glad that I read it.
The characters were wonderful. I loved Dean, Fallon, and all of the other characters that made appearances. Dean and Fallon were perfect together, and I loved their personalities and the deep connection and friendship they shared. Dean and Fallon’s chemistry was super hot, and I loved how their relationship progressed throughout. I also loved all of their banter and interactions with each other, and was very happy with the outcome to their love story.
California Dreamin’ was a sexy, forbidden, swoon-worthy, age gap standalone romance novella that you don’t want to miss! I loved Dean and Fallon’s story, and I know you will too. Saffron A. Kent’s books are MUST READS, especially if you love the forbidden and age gap tropes, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for My Darling Arrow!
Omg!!! California Dreamin’ was so wonderfully perfect!! The story was sweet and emotional, the bits that it gives us makes this book EVERYTHING!!!! My heart is so deliriously happy! Fallon and Dean are a special love story. It’s forbidden feelings because of the age gap, but Fallon is 18 and she has her mindset to take that chance on her love. I loved how possessive and protective Dean is of Fallon, lots of swooning and sighing. It’s a short and sweet story that melts your heart. I swallowed this book whole. Kent is a favorite author of mine, she loves to tease that line of forbidden and it’s always so addictive. She is the queen of age-gap romance for me! I was so happy with this special treat she gives us. Fallon’s parents are characters that I loved! I read their book and getting a piece of them in this book was just all kinds of amazing! But wait! That’s not all we get, my all-time favorite couple that Kent has written is in here! I devoured the bits we got of them!… And that’s not all! Yep! Kent just keeps giving us all kinds of fantastic things with this short story! We get a piece that just has me dying for more!! I need with every fiber of my being, more of Brendan and Rose! I hope that kent has more surprises in store for us! I highly recommend this book and Kent’s other books! You just don’t want to miss out on these phenomenal characters! I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I feel like this was a cute story with an age gap, I read it in one sitting.
Looking for an age gap quick read, then this is it.
Fallon has loved Dean since she was 3 yours old but he refused her as the 17 year old he was. Dean is a family friend and has always been in her life, being there for her. Fallon needs to let Dean know how she feels and asks him to drive her over 3000 miles so they can go home for Christmas. She knows this would be a 5-day trip and sets her plans in motion.
I really admired Fallon and how she went after Dean. Suffering from a mental illness, she doesn’t let that stop her. When both reveal their feelings, nothing can hold this pair back. I loved their connection and everything about them.
For fans of Kent. Fallon is the daughter of Willow and Simon (Medicine Man – which I still need to read!). Simon is very protective over his daughter and I really loved this family. We get POV’s from them and from Violet and Graham, who I love and we also get the beginning of a new romance between Brendan and Rose.
I love forbidden, age gap romances and this book ticked all the boxes. It was a nice easy, happy read, beautifully written and I read it in one sitting. Age gap fans will adore it and I will be reading Medicine Man soon! Although it isn’t needed to read this story, I just want to more of Willow and Simon!
ARC received for an honest review – thank you
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 29%
POV – Duel
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Steam –
Chemistry –
Saffron writes the most heartfelt swoon worthy romances! These men so buff on the outside yet so deliciously soft on the inside! The women are all so amazing also, each so unique from each other but share the same strength and will power.
One of the many things I loved about this story was the link between these characters, all from her previous books! Genius on the way Saffron told this, you get to see more of these characters we fall in love with, to grow with them on their journeys! I really hope she continues with this. I’d love to see more and more of these families!
If you haven’t read Medicine Man or Dream of 18, that’s okay, saffron does a great job of telling without reading them, but you will definitely want to go back and read after this!
I was so excited to see Dean and Fallon again after reading Medicine Man. For a short story, man does this one pack a punch. It was sweet, sexy and left me wanting more!! If you love a forbidden romance, you DO NOT want to pass this one up. I was definitely not ready for this story to end and would love for them to have their own book, pretty please! Saffron, you hooked me from the very first sentence!
Saffron is a literary Maestro!!
As soon as I saw the author line up for this one, I knew for certain this would totally be my jam.
Not a second-stringer among them!
I can’t wait to get through all of the stories and will be back with full reviews for each of them.
After all, it’s not over til the ‘phat’ lady sings and all that jazz.
For now, far be it from me to ever doubt the ability of Saffron to make me sing the praises of an anthology!
Her naughty novella included a special treat for all of the devoted fans of Medicine Man. Demonstrating once again her uniquely talented writing skills, Saffron has written another angsty, forbidden, somewhat taboo storyline that always seem to strike a chord with me. Some might say that I sound like a broken record, but what can I say…Fallon & Dean played my heart like a fiddle!
This is so much fun. Hehe!
My initial reaction as posted on FB:
How. Do. You. Do. It?!?!
Good GAWD that was off the charts HOT!!!
I wanted to lick my Kindle just on the off chance it might possibly taste & smell like Dean…he was total thigh clenching goodness Saffron!!!
Honestly…I felt like an actual voyeur watching every scene play out in my head.
I really want to curse to emphasize just how much I enjoyed that novella, but all I can hear is Dean reprimanding me!!!
#language
#Deantookcareofmetoo
#Saffronismydefinitionofromance
#watchmereaditagainbeforebedtonight
If you’ve met Simon and Willow, the you are well aware of the warrior power that must course through the veins of their precious Fallon. Despite the powerful need that Dean had to try and run the show and “call the tune” as they say, Fallon clearly showed him that she marches to the beat of her own drum when she orchestrates their road trip together.
Basically, Fallon has been in love with Dean for 15 years and can’t imagine that ever changing. Even though a large age gap exists between the two, and Dean is determined to fight his attraction towards her, Fallon is equally determined to force him to face the music and change his tune. There is no way she can reconcile herself to sharing herself and what would be akin to enduring a life of elevator music with another man.
With an incredible amount of affection, anticipation, chemistry and sexual tension existing between these walking, talking, 3D versions of human hormones, it’s only a matter of time before they are no longer able to fight the urge to tango. Like every tango that has come before them, it is HOT! Very few authors can combine the flavorful notes of sweet and seductive with the same flare as Saffron. As per her usual, she does it with bells on, delivering sweet music to your eyes and ears.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND