In your dreams
My favorite time to read is on an airplane.
Flight attendants brings you snacks, everyone is relatively quiet, and I’m usually on a plane for a few hours.
The airport is okay, it’s busy and I’m alert to the fact that my gate could change or my flight could get cancelled or delayed at any point.
During my last trip across the country there was a terrible snowstorm. We managed to board the plane, which was huge and most of the seats were empty. It was glorious.
But we sat on the ground for almost 2 hours as they de-iced the plane, the runway, the plane again.
But did I notice, nope! I had my nose three inches deep in a book and forgot I was even supposed to be in the air.
When the time came to de-board the plane I was sad my reading time was over, not that the flight was being canceled.
I take work trips once or twice a year. They are not terribly common or terribly long, usually 4 days or less.
And I bring a stack of books with me! Typically 3-5.
It sounds insane and when I’m packing the books I laugh at my own ambition.
But I finish them all. Every. Damn. Time.
So much so that I actually picked this one up in the airport. I probably paid double for it but I could not imagine sitting on a plane for the next 6 hours forced to read an in flight magazine. Or worse- talk to the person next to me.
One time I sat next to a lady that also had a romantasy book and made the mistake of asking about it. I heard the 60 year old woman’s life story, and never got the name of the book.
Yupp, never doing that again!
In my dream life I am a travel blogger that does editorial work on the side.
Now this little cutesy book is actually apart of a series. Unbeknownst to me at the check out line.
It’s actually book 4 in the series, though in true Contemporary Romance fashion, they can each be read as stand alone’s.
Now Madison has barely passed chef’s school at some fancy New York school. And when I say barely I really mean it, by like 0.5%.
She’s already viewed as the family failure. Chasing whatever dream is the shiniest at the moment but never seeing it all the way through. She feels judged by her sisters and was determined to finish something, even though she hated it.
When she moves back to Rome (Kentucky) she doesn’t want her sisters to know about her newest near failure.
But when she runs into her childhood family friend and he offers her a place to stay and the opportunity to open a restaurant on his families organic farm, who would say no to that.
Most of the book she feels like a fraud. She’s taking advantage of this kind guy, that is super strong and sexy, and never seems to wear a shirt.
Oh yay and he is secretly in love with her!
She’s so wrapped up in herself that she doesn’t seem to notice it though.
Even though everyone around them knows it.
James is just a wonderful guy, maybe a little grumpy but he is thoughtful and has amazing morals. Loves his family and his community, and his farm.
So much that he doesn’t want to sell out to a big box store and have to use pesticides just to make ends meat. That’s why he half heartedly thought of opening a restaurant.
He actually thought of it after Madison accidentally called him on a super emotionally-raw night at the end of school and confessed she felt like a failure. He hung up the phone and called his hot-shot LA brother and demanded they open a restaurant in 6 months or less.
He also is battling some health problems that I don’t feel get nearly enough page time. He is so stressed he is basically at risk for a heart attack. And the guy has the gall to smoke!
Smoking is a turn off for me so when they kiss after he smokes a cigarette I had to kind of forget about the smoking part to enjoy it.
Now it’s a slow burn but once the spice starts to hit it heats up quickly!
The two try to keep things a secret from everyone else in town, but they all know the moment they lay eyes on them.
And the whole town loves it!
Now even with the endless support and love in town, and the two finding solace in each other, Madison is still counting the day until her own demise when the restaurant opens and she is responsible as head chef.
In chefery school she had a terrible time trying to impress the teacher. They are mean in chef school! Nothing is ever perfect or salted well enough. The plating is messy, and there is a lot of unnecessary yelling.
So running a full kitchen staff, designing a menu, and ensuring guests enjoy their experience seems like a huge undertaking to someone that can’t even step foot in the kitchen.
The first night starts out terrible. All the stress got to her and she basically thinks she failed and has to move away and start a new life.
But her community rallies around her and James is there to push her to try again.
And she does.
A little differently.
Her own way.
She adjusts the menu with home-style dishes and with ingredients that mean something to the locals.
She rolls up her sleeves and gets a crash course in delegating.
And the night ends splendidly.
She stopped trying to be the person she thought everyone wanted and just decided to be her, the person everyone already loved.
Such a wholesome ending.
Overall ⭐⭐⭐.5 | 📚 Glad I Read It | 💫 A – Adult (Ages 18+)
Worldbuilding🗺️
Ick Factor 😇
Fangirl Moments 💖
Spice🌶️🌶️🌶️
Errors/Plot Holes
Tropes: Small Town, Contemporary Romance, Grumpy Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Rom Com
Title: In Your Dreams
Author: Sarah Adams
Genre: Romance
Series: When in Rome
Format: Physical
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Length: 358 pages
