Ashley has loved the same boy since high school. She knew Davis Frothingham was special even before he championed her at her senior prom. She also knew he was completely out of her league.Years later, her attraction for him is still there, but Davis? He doesn’t even remember her.When Ashley is tasked with being the nurse for Davis’ terminally ill grandmother, she’s thrown back into his world. … into his world. More than anything, she wants him to remember her, but that recollection could come at a price of its own.
Can Ashley accept that she’s good enough for Davis? And can Davis learn to love a girl from the wrong side of the tracks? Find out in this delightfully fun romcom about love and life in Creek Water, Missouri!
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Dreamy:
Warning: Once you start reading you won’t want to put it down!
I loved this book which makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It is cute, fun and will have you chuckling along with some of the comments and goings on. However there is also depth to the story and I liked how the author dealt with the complexity surrounding bullying.
It broke my heart reading about Ashley’s life growing up and I admired her determination and grit to make a better look life for herself. She has had a crush on Davis since high school but he was in a different league to her. When their lives reconnect all these years later there are decisions that need to be made and old hurts that need to be healed.
I thought the brief diary entries at the beginning of each chapter were a great addition. It was fun being back in Creek Water. There weren’t any crazy antics by the folks in town as in previous books; this was more about exploring how we can be affected by what happens during childhood but thankfully people can also change and move beyond this. I loved the line, “We must live in a state of gratitude while the blessings rain down on us and a state of hope during the darker moments.”
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
I loved Davis and Ashley’s story so much! Whitney Dineen’s Creek Water series concludes with a triumphant bang! So many beautiful moments in this story. John visiting Gran really got to me. I won’t give any more examples, but it is amazing.
I think others have mentioned this, but I’ll add my two cents – this series would make a fantastic and original limited series. Each season could follow a different couple. Voila!! Perfect! Whitney’s humor and heart are so fantastic and her characters so lovable! I read it in one day. I couldn’t put it down.
This review contains SPOILERS
The Dream is book four in the Creek Water series and I couldn’t put it down! Have I mentioned how much I adore the Frothinghams? Because I do.
This is Ashley and Davis’ story and it’s uniquely theirs. Each of the Creek Water books has been similar in that they revolve around the Frothingham family, antics involving Cootie from the country club, and the closeness of the big, loving, all up in each other’s business, family that is the Frothingham clan. This installment was missing Cootie and instead focused more on the main character and her life, both past and present.
In ‘The Dream’ we meet Ashley Monroe who is not a Frothingham, however, she’s lived in Creek Water since she was 15 and has crushed over Davis Frothingham throughout the fifteen years since. Ashley grew up very differently than Davis and lives an equally different life as an adult. She only had her mother and grew up in trailer parks. Whereas Davis has a big, close knit family whose ancestors founded Creek Water. In high school Davis’s friend tormented Ashley and made life very difficult for her. It isn’t until senior prom that Ashley is paired up with Buck, her future best friend.
That was twelve years ago. A lot changed in the intervening years. Ashley lost her mother to lung cancer, Buck has moved to London to pursue his dreams. Despite leaving college to care for her mom Ashley eventually earns her degree and takes on a supervisory role in the local nursing home. She is exactly the caring, compassionate person that you hope would be looking after your loved one should they ever need to be in a nursing home. Ashley is so determined to make her dreams come true and achieve everything she wants, and that, in her mind, her mother failed to do that she’s ignored having a social life and works constantly. She is way overdue to find some balance in her life.
Mrs. Frothingham, Davis’s grandmother, resides in the nursing home and it is through his visits to see his Gran that Ashley begins to cross paths with him again.
Mrs. Frothingham has been struggling with dementia for quite some time and she doesn’t always recognize her own family. Davis approaches Ashley with a proposal that he and his family be allowed to take Gran out for family dinners each week leading up to Emmie’s wedding in hopes that they may bring Gran back to herself, and have one last family event with her. Ashley agrees and ends up further agreeing to be Mrs Frothingham’s companion during her weekly outings.
As Ashley and Davis spend more time in each other’s company it becomes obvious that there is interest from both parties. Yet both seem confused as to what the other’s stance is. Then, Buck, now known as Alexander, comes home for a visit and Davis isn’t sure what to make of their relationship. Next, enter Jessica. She also tormented Ashley in high school, and did I mention that she and Davis dated back then? Buck pined after her while Ashley was pining after Davis. Now he’s back and has long since shed his awkward teen self. Jessica doesn’t recognize him, at all, and is as interested in what exactly is going on between Alexander and Ashley as Davis is. Yet Ashley is of the impression that Davis and Jessica may be rekindling their high school romance.
There’s a lot of crossed wires, soul searching, emotional moments, and love. It’s hard to read this series and not wish to be part of the Frothingham family. There’s such warmth between them and it extends to all of those they care about.
You’ll be rooting for Ashley, and waiting impatiently for her to make up her mind. In the end you won’t be disappointed with the decisions that she ultimately makes. I highly recommend this series.
My only critique is that as emotional as the scenes with Gran were, I would’ve preferred that she be given a proper goodbye with family, and Ashley, around her. Having her passing just mentioned afterward felt off since we knew that time was coming and to expect it.
4.5***** stars. Ashley has self-esteem and confidence issues from her growing up in a trailer park and her mother’s feistiness. She’s still living there but to save money for a house. She was treated cruelly and invisible during her teenage high school years. Davis has been crushing on her for a long time thinking it was unrequited. As she gets involved with his family through his grandmother, she feels undeserving of the open arms from his family. As usual, lack of and incomplete communication has kept them separate. Perhaps, the distance has allowed them to grow and go towards discovery and acknowledge their feelings. Everyone around them sees it and now it’s their time.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book
Men who stay away from you to “protect” you don’t deserve forgiveness- a swift kick in the backside is needed – repeated as often as needed
It is touching that Ashley finds her self confidence again after her mother’s death, and sweet and kind that she is able to give others a bit of dignity while putting her business and nursing degrees to work
Glad that Ashley gets a chance at her retro eighties happy ending with a modern “she can be happy for herself by herself “ twist
Is there a happier ending for her too ?
Perhaps in this transformational series that gives so many residents of a small town such a variety of chances and options
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great read with wonderful cast of characters. It will run you through an emotional gamut of warm extended families, snobby socialites, bullies, two job people trying to get ahead, and dreamers…Dementia and cancer don’t discriminate by your social standing…and dreams are one of the common threads of everyone.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book brings in so many things you may or may not want to think about. It does talk about high school bullying and its effect on people. It does show us how strong the human spirit can be to rise above all the bad stuff and still be positive about life. And there is much more to contemplate.
Ashley has always been drawn to Davis Frothingham in high school, mostly because he was her hero at the senior prom. They were worlds apart, though, so a future was never thought about. When Ashley is brought back into his life years later, the nurse for Davis’ terminally ill grandmother, he doesn’t remember her. But she has endured suffering of her own and is the perfect person to help the family share in their grandmother’s final days. Love, forgiveness, moving on, acceptance – so many things are touched on. But in the end, will Ashley get her chance with Davis, or will she quietly move out of his life once again?
Pull out the tissues and brace for impact. This story has the power to be a full-force ugly-crying-fest. At least that’s where it took me. It was an emotional roller-coaster filled with ups and downs and more than a few tailspins. I think I’ve had a crush on Davis since the very first book in the series. There was just something about this youngest Frothingham son that called to me, so it’s really no surprise that I adored Davis. I didn’t always like Ashley through the course of this book. There were a few times I gave her and my reader a suspicious side-eye. However, I admired her work ethic and drive to make something more out of her life than what she’d previously known. I loved the messages of growing up, moving on, and forgiving in this story. None of those things is easy, but they’re all so very worthwhile. And even though this story absolutely broke my heart, it took the time to put it back together again. I love this offbeat little corner of the world. I don’t ever want to leave.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.
It’s hard for me to write a review for this book without giving any spoilers so there will be large gaps in what I feel I can say. I did love this story. Ashley’s (let’s call them) life experiences are truly heartbreaking – but she never saw it that way. She just tried to live her life and make it thru each day. I liked Davis as well, however, I’m not sure I agree with Ashley’s thought processes regarding him. Again, I won’t say much more because, spoilers, however I’m not sure I would have been as gracious if I were Ashley. And for me, it applies to the other wonderful characters in her life, too.
Loved the journey Ashley and Davis had. Loved the crazy characters in her life! For me, I just think I would have held a few more grudges, for a lot more years. And I won’t even think about the psychology behind that… Great addition to this wonderful series!
I have received this for an honest review!
First let me tell you this series is so great. I really recommend grabbing it if you like a clean story.
Then I will let you know from all the other story Davis has been my favorite. Just a seemingly all around nice guy. Quiet, a giver, a lover not a fighter type. So when I got his book I was over joyed.
This story went along at a great pace until the end and boom it was like the author took a break and when they came back they were like let’s just end it here. I wanted it to be a little longer and feel finished. This feel like it was just hinting at the future.
But I did love the resolve we got from the past issue and the romance and friendships that came from this book. So I didn’t mark it down any further than four stars.
The Dream is alive! but so are you: hearts break and mend
4.5stars
Great writing, a fun range of characters and frequent poignant moments characterize this story for me. I loved the plot and heroine Ashley’s attachment to the Molly Ringwald John Hughes movies of the 80’s. Ashley has been laid low by embarassment, disappointment and loss so often; she’s the heroine you can’t not cheer for when she gets a break.
This story is a page turner and included some of the saddest moments in the series thus far. Matriarch Mrs. Frothingham is moving on to her last hurrah and Ashley is there to smooth things out and help the Frothingham clan take full advantage of their last days with her. Ashley’s sad loss of her mother so early and her struggles as a teenager and young adult made this a wonderfully moving story.
While I didn’t think the reasoning and explanations for the cruelty and indifference Ashley suffered in her teens in any way made up for the bullying and humiliation by Chad and Jessica, I truly enjoyed the story otherwise.
I read a copy of the book provided through Booksprout before publication but purchased the book anyway! This is my voluntary and honest review.
I had mixed feelings about “The Dream” by Whitney Dineen. There were some aspects I liked about it, particularly the main character, Ashley Monroe. She seemed a bit depressed when the book began, and really fixated on her trailer park upbringing, her mother’s untimely death, bad things that had happened when she was in high school over a decade earlier, and her current lack of close friends. That said, I liked the way her character grew over the course of the story. Ashley gained a lot of confidence in herself and everything she had accomplished, including a college degree and finding a good job where she was able to care for others as well as save quite a bit of money towards her dream of purchasing her own home. To me, Ashley’s journey of self-discovery was much more important (and better developed) than the romantic aspects of the book, which made the story seem more like chick lit than contemporary romance, despite how the book was marketed.
What I did not particularly enjoy about this book was the love triangle between Ashley, her best friend Alexander “Buck” Freeport, and her high school crush Davis Frothingham. I was happy when Buck came into the story because he pushed Ashley out of her comfort zone and made her seem somewhat more fun and playful, while also helping her realize that she was just as good as anyone else despite her trailer park beginnings. However, the idea of a romance between Ashley and Buck seemed incredibly awkward and forced to me because they had zero chemistry and acted more like brother and sister than potential lovers. Ashley’s chemistry with Davis was much better, and I really liked how accepting his family was of her. The Frothinghams were exactly the kind of family Ashley would have loved to be part of when she was growing up, and it was obvious how much she enjoyed spending time with them.
Overall, I can’t say that “The Dream” is going to be a keeper for me, but I did like enough of what I saw of the characters from the earlier books in the Creek Water series to consider giving them a try. In addition, even though it reads as a standalone, I would recommend this book mainly for existing fans of the series. The most interesting parts of the story were the scenes involving the Frothingham family, which are likely to be of interest primarily to readers who are already familiar with those characters from the previous books.
*ARC provided by the author/publisher via Hidden Gems Books. All opinions expressed are my own.
This was one of a series. I’ve read several from the series. Easy to read, but no redeeming values. This was entertaining only. I call it a “beach book”.
Cute and wholesome. I expected a better pay-off at the end. Likable supporting characters. Great heroine but the hero wasn’t particularly well-drawn–it was almost like she was projecting more on to him than he deserved. I enjoyed reading and I finished it easily, but would give it 3 1/2 stars.