Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

 Rachel Stone's bad luck has taken a turn for the worse. With an empty wallet, a car's that's spilling smoke, and a five-year-old son to support, she's come home to a town that hates her. But this determined young widow with a scandalous past has learned how to be a fighter. And she'll do anything to keep her child safe—even take on. . .

Gabe Bonner wants to be left alone, especially by the beautiful outcast who's invaded his property. She has a ton of attitude, a talent for trouble, and a child who brings back bad memories. Yet Rachel's feisty spirit might just be heaven-sent to save a tough, stubborn man.

Series: Series: Chicago Stars #4 | Publisher: Books on Tape | Narrator: Anna Fields | Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Publisher | Ratings: 1.5 Cups

Challenges Read For: Blogger Shame

Okay, so it’s official, while I like most of SEP’s romances, the Bonner brothers are not for me and, apparently, neither is Anna Fields’ narration.

               

While this one wasn’t nearly as torturous as Nobody’s Baby but Mine, I still spent the majority of the book wanting to hurl things at the characters.  So, why did I read/listen to it? Apparently, I like to be tortured and I really wanted to mark this one off my Blogger Shame list because it was now or never with this one.

 

Here’s what drove me insane, I mean, what’s going on. Penniless and with a five-year-old son, Rachel Stone decided to return to the town that hates her in search of something that could improve her and her son’s future but when her car finally gives up the ghost across from the drive-in Gabe Bonner is renovating, she makes it impossible for him to say no to hiring her. Gabe wants nothing to do with Rachel Stone and her son but seeing as the town is treating her like a pariah and she is in danger of losing her son, he steps in and soon finds Rachel awakening things he thought he lost.

 

This one had the potential to be a great read but the characters ruined it.

 

Okay, so I understand that Rachel’s desperate and, at this point is willingly to do anything for her son, but I don’t understand why a mother would return to the town that basically cast them out to search for something that may not exist. She knows the town residents will treat her and her son like garbage and that no one would be willingly to hire her so I can’t understand why someone would be willing to subject their child to that. It was very hard to get behind her actions. Then there’s the fact that she was willing to be with Gabe knowing that he hates her son and is mean to him.

 

I couldn’t stand Gabe. I understand that he lost his wife and child in a car accident but that doesn’t justify his treatment of Rachel’s son or his actions toward Rachel. And rather than holding him accountable, his brothers coddled him and treated him like a toddler. Gabe does eventually change is behavior but by that time it was way too late.

 

So, there’s a side plot that gives Ethan Bonner’s story and, honestly, I could have done without it. He’s a preacher that’s highly judgmental of Rachel—without knowing or caring about her side of the story—yet he’s basically a horny toad lusting after the women in his congregation who wear tight clothing. Apparently, he’s not the practice what you preach type of preacher. Then there’s his secretary, who’s trying to catch his attention, so she enlists Rachel’s help with a makeover, then Ethan turns around and calls her a whore and slut for dressing like that—allthewhile he’s still lusting over the women who dress the same way. Then there’s the fact that he hears God’s voice as three different t.v. personalities. Cue the eyerolling.

 

I’m just not a fan of the narrator. She makes a trying book even more trying.

 

Overall, that Bonner brothers are so not my cuppa tea. I’ve heard good things about the rest of this series so, hopefully, one of the other books will catch my fancy.

 

 

Have you read the Chicago Stars series?