Only in My Dreams (The Ties that Bind Book 2), by Ricki Dagosta

Publication: November 1, 2018

About the book:

Bored with men unwilling to commit, thirty-year-old Kristen Dorman has left her wild days behind and transformed into the kind of woman she believes will attract the perfect mate.

Dr. Vince Parker has spent the past three years trying to escape memories from the worst night of his life, even moving across the country. His friends and co-workers aren’t aware of the guilt he harbors or the sleepless nights he endures. To them, he seems funny, charismatic, and an all-around great guy.

When Kristen and Vince turn up at a popular pub on the same night, fate intervenes. He races to her side after she is involved in a bizarre accident, and Kristen falls hard for the good-looking doctor. This time the feeling is mutual.

Will love prevail or must Kristen help Vince break free from his past before they can share a future?

My Review

I’m so excited to review Ricki Dagosta’s second novel in her The Ties that Bind series, Only in My Dreams! This contemporary romance is out tomorrow, and continues with some familiar characters from her debut novel, A New Beginning. This time around, the story is about Kristen Dorman (from the last novel), and the handsome Dr. Vince Parker. Kristen has some not-so-distant memories and feelings about herself and her behavior with men over the years but has turned over a new leaf. Vince moved to the area and started in the same OB practice as Scott (who has a past with Kristen) and is also running from painful memories in his past. Out on the town one evening, Kristen suffers a series of accidents due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Having already caught his eye, Vince comes to the rescue to help out, leading to a whirlwind of romantic feelings.

I almost decided that just like in the first novel, I preferred the lead male character to the female lead, but as the novel progressed and I thought about it after – I would have to say I love them both. Vince has suffered a horrible tragedy and has some secrets. Kristen has painful memories of her childhood, as well as, shame about some of her adult behaviors. The interesting thing about their dynamic – other than the instant and easy chemistry between them – is that they sort of switched roles over the course of the novel. Vince starts out as confident, sexy, successful, put-together, romantic, and so on. Kristen, on the other hand, seems very reserved in the beginning, cautious, and at times, ashamed. However, as their relationship progresses and develops, the reader sees Vince admitting to and facing weaknesses, while Kristen seems to grow stronger and surer of herself.

Ricki Dagosta has already demonstrated so much growth in her second novel! Both Kristen and Vince are well-developed with great depth, but the main thing that grabbed my attention was the ease of the flow of dialog (both inner and outer). In the first novel, I found myself struggling with the dialog at times, feeling that it didn’t flow as it should. That was not an issue in Only in My Dreams, where I noticed the dialog as natural and appropriate, providing much more insight into the characters and their emotions.

There are some difficult topics in this novel involving death, addiction, and neglect – however, the overall tone of this novel is one of change, hope, and finding happiness not only in relationships but within yourself. I will warn you that this one was a tear-jerker at times, both happy and sad, but mostly happy. The end of the novel had me steady crying tears of joy and when finished reading, I had a fantastic warm and fuzzy feeling. Also, those that aren’t a huge fan of explicit sex scenes, this is perfect for you. There are numerous romantic and sexy moments, but not in an overly detailed way. Ricki Dagosta sets the tone, lets you know what’s going on, but allows the readers to use their imagination 🙂 I highly recommend Only in My Dreams to fans of contemporary romance that enjoy a strong element of friends and family and just an overall wonderful story. I can’t wait to see what this talented author brings us next!

*Thanks to Ricki Dagosta for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review!