Other Possible Prompts: 7. Household object on the cover, 11. A book with less than 2022 Goodreads ratings, 17. A book picked based on its spine, 34. An author’s photo on the back cover, 45. A book with illustrated people on the cover, 52. Published in 2022

This book was unexpectedly adorable! I enjoyed Dream On even more than I thought I would, and I think Angie Hockman has made a fan out of me. This was sweet, cute, easy reading that reminds me of Jen DeLuca and Rachel Lynn Solomon.

After getting in a horrific car accident following the bar exam, Cass wakes up from a coma with memories of a man she’s never met: Devin Bloom. Shocking family an doctors alike, she has three months of memories with this man – who unfortunately for Cass, was never really in her life.

Months after the accident, still haunted by these memories of unknown origin, she sees the real Devin in a Cleveland flower shop. After telling him her story, they begin to explore a real relationship, and try get to the root of why she remembered him to begin with. It seems like fate has brought them together…but the universe has other things in store for Cass.

The basis for the plot in this novel is absolutely wild and so creative. Even though it’s a romance, and follows the typical romance arc, this was a breath of fresh air in its originality. I didn’t know how I would feel about the premise, but I can confirm, it was extremely well done and tons of fun to read.

This novel is of the sticky-sweet variety. I loved Cass and I love her evolution as a character from beginning to end. A lawyer with a creative side, she’s drawn to the world of the flower shop and the whimsy of fate. It was a beautiful backdrop to this story – I love colorful and warm settings like this one. You can almost feel the shift in tone between Cass’ time at the flower shop, and at the large firm where she is a summer associate.

The supporting characters in this book were also top notch. I may not have liked them all, but they were well-rounded and I understood how they fit into the story. I don’t wish to spoil Cass’ romance for you – so, spoilers ahead – but Devin kind of sucked for Cass! And I say this because I think it brings up a whole other element of Hockman’s talent: not only could she show you what her soulmate would look like, she showed us all the ways Devin isn’t it. I think it takes a lot of skill to be aware of all parts of your character in that way, as some writers simply write a romance, and I don’t even think the couple goes together properly. The awareness of her characters’ needs was next level.

Overall, I just really enjoyed this one. It was a quick read, but it pulled me in from the first. I think this showcases a lot of talent and I’m not sure why we’re not talking more about Angie Hockman. It only lost a star in my book for not holding the level of ~steam~ I’ve come to expect from the genre; it’s definitely more on the slow-burn, cutesy side of things. Not at all bad, just not what I’ve come to love and expect from the genre.

Highly recommend! Love, love, loved this and I will definitely be picking up Shipped. This is the first book in a while that I have very few complaints about, and actually liked the vibe of. Have a great week!