Dream a Little Dream (Chicago Stars Series Book 4)

It was a briliant balance of class, attitude and strength. The kind of woman you would treasure as a close friend. She seemed brutally honest and darring to a fault. Discovering that life is not black or white but contains several shades of gray. i am biting my nails waiting for a second run with this author.

I chose this rating because this book didn't have a tenth of the depth, humor, or clarity that her past books have had. I was confused. At one point I even checked the cover to make sure this was a SEP novel.

It seemed forced and trivial, and I regret this purchase.

One of her better books. Loved heroine. Hero not so much. A vet turned drive-in owner? He was seriously conflicted, though, which made the plot and conflict between hero and heroine plausible. I enjoyed the story overall.

First time reading this author and it just wasn't what I was expecting. I bought it on other readers recommendations that this author was comparable to Jennifer Cruise, not even close. I didn't like either one of the main characters at all!

I certainly, would NOT recommend this book to young readers. Sends an entirely wrong view on not just love but also sex.

What a whiplash-inducing experience :) If you'd asked me to rate the first third of this book, I would have gushingly informed you that five stars just didn't feel sufficient to capture how much I loved it. I fell immediately and deeply in love with the writing style. I couldn't get over the beautifully, poignantly REAL depiction of these characters and their struggles. So we've got a down on her luck yet plucky, sassy heroine whose resourcefulness and resilient spirit enables her (and, in this case, her son) to survive. And we've got a very broken hero who's drowning in pain over a tragic loss and has withdrawn from the world prior to meeting our heroine. Sounds like the setup of a mere 12 zillion other romance novels, right?! But what set this apart for me is that the author writes with an almost achingly sharp realism about the pain our heroine Rachel and, to a somewhat lesser extent, Gabe (I'm loath to call him a "hero" for reasons I'll delve into later!) are enduring. We don't just get a few hastily scribbled lines about Rachel's current poverty and hunger: we actually experience it right along with Rachel and her solemn son Edward. It takes a little longer to figure out why Gabe is such an assh---er, struggling so mightily, but once we learn of the tragedy he's suffered we can feel the sense of intolerable loss and hopelessness right along with him. Rest assured, though, that the angst is mercifully mitigated by plenty of wit and glimmers of hope. That first third or so was all so eminently engaging and effective and amusing and beautifully sad---a book that was wholly in my heart rather than just my head.

And then the rest of the book happened.

So I will readily admit that I'm not as enamored with (or tolerant of!) extreme alphas as most, which probably explains why many readers liked Gabe a whole lot more than I did. Scarily angry, icy, snarling jerks just aren't a romantic ideal for me. (And apparently this guy is actually among SEP's LESS awful heroes?! Good lord!) I realize that much of Gabe's jackassery can be attributed to the terrible tragedy he suffered. I get that, and to a large extent I even sympathize with that, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed being in this man's company for 380 pages. There's a dangerously thin line with these very damaged, drowning-in-ManPain-and-taking-it-out-on-the-world alphas between a good man who acts badly and a man who just becomes too awful for me to like and root for on any level. For a while I had complete confidence that SEP would tread that line successfully and manage to redeem Gabe in a wholly convincing way. After all, Gabe does sometimes do very generous things despite acting like a jerk, right? And we're told many times that he USED to be a gentle, caring man. And he does care about our heroine---or,well, at least about making sure she doesn't literally starve to death and about having sex with her. :)

But here's the dealbreaker for me: this guy is persistently and frequently AWFUL to Rachel's sickly and sad five-year-old son. Not just once or twice, but throughout nearly the whole novel. Now, I'm not one of these people who gets excessively gooey over kids, and in fact sometimes I avoid books where kids play a large role because they can be kind of precocious, cutesy and annoying for me to read about. But, wow, Gabe ranged from callous to outright cruel to Edward...who, let me reiterate, is a sad and sickly kid who's been through horrendous ordeals and is just FIVE freaking years old! We're meant to excuse this because of what Gabe has gone through, but get this: when Gabe talks about needing to "toughen up" and make a man out of this poor kid (and apparently that's accomplished by being a callous bastard), we're supposed to think he has a somewhat valid point! I did mention this kid is only FIVE and has endured an enormous amount of pain in his own young life, right?! (Extreme poverty and homelessness, the death of his father, loneliness and isolation and, oh yeah, near fatal pneumonia.)

Rachel, an otherwise great mom, knows that Gabe is horribly unfeeling (at best) and sometimes even outright mean towards her little boy. She hates it and wants to stop sleeping with Gabe and all that, and then...stays with him anyway. And this is for a guy she's known for a very short period of time who's already announced he doesn't love her, can't be in a bona fide relationship and won't get past his own very serious demons, by the way. Whatever. Oh, and Gabe and Edward spend about a page reconciling towards the end and we're supposed to think it's all okay, but honestly, I was somewhat alarmed to think that after treating him so shabbily for nearly the whole novel this dark, "demon-plagued" man would be helping to raise Edward from now on.

And, see, this is where I was uncomfortably reminded of why I usually prefer historicals: there are just certain gender expectations and behaviors that are far more palatable to me when they take place in the 19th century than in the 2000s, and extreme "alpha-nesS" in particular is easier for me to tolerate.

Anyway, so Gabe hates poor little Edward, and Edward (quite understandably, in my book) hates Gabe, and pretty much 98% of the town hates Rachel, and both of Gabe's brothers (Ethan and Cal) hate Rachel, and Rachel hates Ethan, and Rachel and Gabe have sex but act like they semi-hate each other for portions of the novel as well...and, honestly, it's just exhausting and unpleasant. By the end, I neither bought that everyone's now living in harmony nor still liked most of these people enough to care.

All that said, I'll probably try another book by this author. Yes, I must be a masochist ;) I really love HOW she writes despite my complaints about some of WHAT she writes, and it's so sadly rare for me to find a contemporary romance writer whose style I love. I did love her wit, her insights, and her ability to elicit such a wide variety of emotions from me (including profound annoyance, but still!) But while I neither want nor expect my heroes to be flawless (far from it!), I am at a stage in my reading where I'd like them to be...well...just a little less egregiously awful ;)

Thanks for reading this insanely long review, and if anyone can suggest a witty, sharp SEP book with a more likable hero, please let me know!

After reading Nobody’s Baby But Mine I told you that I had a hard time liking Cal. He was such a jerk through a lot of that story. Well, the love of a good woman can’t totally change a man. Cal and Ethan are total d-bags in this story! I was so disappointed in them both. I understand why they acted how they did, but only to a certain extent. They really got my dander up. Ugh!

On the other hand, their brother Gabe is quickly seen for the softy he is and not the gruff jerk he acts like when we first see him in this book. Aside from his treatment of Rachel’s son, Edward, he treats everyone kindly without being a push over. His treatment of Edward is over the top, but just like with his brothers I can see why he acts the way he does. He’s just lucky Rachel is so kind-hearted.

The first 100 or so pages of this book are just gut-wrenching. Not that there aren’t other gut-wrenching parts after that. There’s just so much internal pain and suffering for both Gabe and Rachel at the beginning it’s hard to take it all in at once. I immediately became a cheerleader for Rachel. There was only one issue I had with her and it had to do with how she thought of the little chest she was after and who it should or should not benefit. And that is just a by-product of the things I love about her; her strength, fortitude, mama bear instincts, etc.

Just as in the previous book of this series, this book is really two stories in one. We have the story of Gabe and Rachel as well as a story about Ethan and his secretary/friend Kristy. Because I was so upset with Ethan for reasons to do with Rachel, it was hard for me to root for him to come out ahead in his story line with Kristy. I think the author meant it to be that way though. As much as he would piss me off, I loved his conversations with God. Especially when God was being Mrs. C. (you’ll get that when you read the book!)

It blows me away each time I read the books in this series that I never really notice the year. This was published in 1998 and it could have been written today. There are very few references that date the work and I love that!

I adore the Bonner family, even when they’re driving me nuts. I also adore that little cabin up on the mountain. I feel it holds some magic. I will miss the Bonner’s and the cabin, but I’m looking forward to the series circling back around to where it all started with Phoebe’s little sister getting a story.

This is one of my absolute favorites, making it the best of the best.

Gabe is a widower, having lost the love of his life and their small child in a car accident. It's been 2 years, but he hasn't begun to heal or to live again.

Rachel was a young and naive Christian woman who fell for the razzle-dazzle of a televangelist who came through town. It didn't take long for her to become disillusioned, but by then she was pregnant and trapped. As the authorities were about to arrest the preacher for bilking his followers, he fled... and died in a plane crash. Nobody missed him, but they did wonder about the $5 million that was missing. Rachel left town, and nobody missed her either. They might have if her rat-fink husband hadn't blamed her for everything on his last show.

Now it's several years later and both Gabe and Rachel have returned to town. They start out hating each other, but they also need each other more than they can imagine.

As with any SEP book, we get to revisit previous characters, and share a happy ending with an additional couple.

SEP's books are always so full of characters with spirit who you come to love. You laugh with them, cry with them, and certainly celebrate with them.

I would definitely read NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE before reading this one. This book is a continuation of the Bonner brothers. Gabe doesn't want to feel anything after the death of his wife and son two years before. Rachel is desperate to find security for her young son. Returning to Salvation is her last hope, but she's not welcomed there. Can she break through Gabe's walled up heart to at least give her a job? SEP writes with a deep heart of human emtion and the snapest dialogue written on the page. Absolutely kept me up all night to finish.

This is one of my absolute favorites, making it the best of the best.

Gabe is a widower, having lost the love of his life and their small child in a car accident. It's been 2 years, but he hasn't begun to heal or to live again.

Rachel was a young and naive Christian woman who fell for the razzle-dazzle of a televangelist who came through town. It didn't take long for her to become disillusioned, but by then she was pregnant and trapped. As the authorities were about to arrest the preacher for bilking his followers, he fled... and died in a plane crash. Nobody missed him, but they did wonder about the $5 million that was missing. Rachel left town, and nobody missed her either. They might have if her rat-fink husband hadn't blamed her for everything on his last show.

Now it's several years later and both Gabe and Rachel have returned to town. They start out hating each other, but they also need each other more than they can imagine.

As with any SEP book, we get to revisit previous characters, and share a happy ending with an additional couple.

SEP's books are always so full of characters with spirit who you come to love. You laugh with them, cry with them, and certainly celebrate with them.

I would definitely read NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE before reading this one. This book is a continuation of the Bonner brothers. Gabe doesn't want to feel anything after the death of his wife and son two years before. Rachel is desperate to find security for her young son. Returning to Salvation is her last hope, but she's not welcomed there. Can she break through Gabe's walled up heart to at least give her a job? SEP writes with a deep heart of human emtion and the snapest dialogue written on the page. Absolutely kept me up all night to finish.

Rachel and her five years old son Edward arrived in Salvation, North Carolina, without money, home and on top of everything her car collapsed in front one old drive-in theater. To be even greater misery the owner of that cinema was really big butthead (that is Rachel word), cold and arrogant Gabe Bonner. Rachel knows that in Salvation is persona non grata (unwanted) but she has nowhere to goes and no one, so she decide that this old cinema is opportunity for her to get a job there, no matter what the owner says or do. After few funny situations she gets a job.
Rachel is very brave women although she has no money, no home and starves, she is a fighter and with the last forces she is struggling to provide a crust of bread for her son. I like her very much, because despite her situation she don’t falls into desperation, but she is funny maybe more sarcastic.
Opposite to Rachel, Gabe is desperate and wrapped in his grief, without a glimmer of hope in his life. His sorrow is gigantic.
Edward is little cute, he makes me cry in some situations and makes me laugh in other. He is little child with adult attitudes.
This book warm my chests, makes me to cry and laugh and to feel like I’m in the sky.

Dream a Little Dream is the fourth installment in Susan Elizabeth Phillips's Chicago Stars series. I love Ms. Phillips's books because of the humor in the stories but this one didn't have that. By all means, it is a great story but it is more serious. I was disappointed only for that reason. It is a beautiful story of two people overcoming different forms of loss and learning to love. Once again, this installment features a romance between two side characters. Dream a Little Dream shows a darker side of religion. Note I said religion and not spirituality. For example: faith healers that "heal" for money, and judgmental/spiteful leaders of the church whose behavior sets harmful examples for their congregation. On the other end, readers are offered hope in being able to move on from bad situations and hope that good lies within us all, even if we have stepped away from it for a while.

My favorite quote:
"Ironic, isn't it, what religion does to people?"
"I guess it's more ironic what people do to religion."

Dream A little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Her swindling husband dies in a crash and Rachel and her son go back to her home in Salvage, NC
Rachel Stone and her 5 yo son has a scandalous past and nothing much left to her name.
Gabe Barner wants to be left alone. He has lost his whole life and child and sees her as a nuisance.
Over time he tries to help her and her son out and gets a bit too close at times. He is still healing and can he move past it?
She has a hard life trying to convince others it was her husband cheating them all and not her. Some in town think she can be their miracle and cure them from their ailments.
Hot steamy sex scenes. She realizes that there is no treasure where she thought it was and maybe it was time to move on...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Rachel Stone, has suffered through a rough past that she is now trying to overcome. She has no money and a young son to look after. So when her car breaks down in a town that despises her, she is resigned to believe that her luck just went from bad to worst.

These unfortunate occurrences do not deter her because she knows she has to be strong for her five year old. So she swallows her pride and is prepared to do whatever it takes to get back on her feet.

Gabe Bonner is a tough egg to crack. Haunted by painful memories, he builds up a wall and is emotionally unattached. So the last thing he needs is spirited and determined Rachel coming around him. It annoys him that she is the first woman since his wife who has brought some light back into his dreary world and he is not trying to have her interfere with the new life he is trying to build for himself.

Before long the pair act on the emotions that are brewing between them despite the protests of Gabe's brother Edward and the unforgiving town of Salvation, NC.
This isn't their only challenge. Rachel can't see a future with Gabe as he detests her son Edward who comes first and foremost in her life.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM is a matchless story with wonderfully developed characters, raw emotion and lots of amusement. I really enjoyed it.

Years ago, Rachel Stone's deceased spouse, the Reverend Snopes, a very popular TV evangelist, embezzled several million dollars from the townsfolk of Salvation, North Carolina. When her husband died in a plane crash, the money was never found. Rachel, accompanied by her little boy, decides to return to Salvation in hopes of locating the missing funds.
Gabriel Bonner has never recovered from the deaths of his wife and son. To pass time, he is restoring an old dilapidated drive-in theater. When Rachel's car breaks down by the theater, she asks him for help. He tells her to get lost, something she refuses to do. He eventually hires her because he cannot stand idly by watching the two Stones starve to death. It does not take long for the townsfolk to treat Rachel like a plague-filled Delilah because she is blamed for her husband's fall from grace. However, as Gabe and Delilah work together, their acerbic exchanges awaken their inner souls from long term hibernation. Still, before this couple can take any further steps towards a lasting relationship, he must fully accept that the Rachel working alongside of him is nothing like that public image even his brother believes to be true.
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM is a fun to read contemporary romance due to the relationship between Rachel and Gabe, and the inciteful comments from five year old Edward. The story line of redemption is well designed by the sensational Susan Elizabeth Phillips and the characters add a genuine feel, especially the child, to the tale. This novel is must reading for fans of regional modern day romances constructed, in part, from today's headlines.
Harriet Klausner

The tone is darker than Phillips" other romances. Rachel and her son Edward are almost over the edge of survival. Because she refuses to take "no" for an answer, and meets her challenges with courage (because she has nothing to lose), Rachel and Edward both receive (in the end) everything they have dreamed about having--and more. People in real life have a habit of expecting every relationship to end badly, if that has happened to them in the past. Rachel and Gabe both took risks to really know and appreciate each other, and that was how they healed their personal wounds to enable them to be in relationship, first, individually (learn to love him/her self), and then to love each other. I have been reading romance novels for about a year and a half, and have been healing my own wounds and assumptions about relationships, though it's not what most people would consider to be "therapy." Susan Elizabeth Phillips is one of the best writers of this genre around. Last year, when I finished "Nobody's Baby But Mine," I was shocked to see that I needed to wait a year for her next book! I feel the same way today. My best friend said she didn't enjoy this one as much, but I think that's because Dream A Little Dream is different: more tension/anxiety and a more hazardous situation.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. This is her fourth book I have read in the past month and I have given three of those books the highest rating. Her stories are so touching and full of life. In Dream a Little Dream, her leads are very likable with well-rounded and interesting secondary characters. And one of those secondary characters is Rachel's five-year-old son, Edward. At times your heart loves him and breaks for him as he attempts to guard his mom, arrange a marriage for her, and put down roots in Salvation. This is not some cutesy kid - this is a heartrending portrayal of the son of a single mom who doesn't expect any one to like him and requires so little in life for happiness. As the son of a crooked, notorious, deceased televangelist, he has experienced a lot of rejection. There is a lot to be worked out in his life and it is a very dear sideline for this story. His relationship with the hero is realistic - filled with problems and those problems propel the turning point of the book.
Rachel has returned to her former home of Salvation, North Carolina - a place where she is despised because she is the widow of the deceased televangelist who put Salvation on the map and then ran away with millions from his ministry. They believe she was involved in the religious scam and spurn her and her son at every turn. Rachel is totally without money, friends, family, or resources. Her car breaks down as she is nearing Salvation at an old drive in movie theatre. There she meets Gabe Bonner who has purchased the old drive in and is restoring it. He has advertised for help and she decides she will fill the job. However, Gabe wants nothing to do with this woman and her young son. He is unkind, insulting, and pushy as he demands that they get off his property.
Gabe is a rugged, good-looking man recovering from a tragic loss. Even with his pushy, rude treatment of Rachel and Edward in the beginning of the book, he still appears as an overall attractive and very desirable man. Gabe is unaware that Rachel's broken down car is their home and calls a tow truck to get it and them off his property. But Rachel won't give up so easily. She is probably the most persistent heroine I have read and Gabe eventually gives in and hires her. Gabe and Rachel find themselves drawn to one another although neither wants a relationship. While Rachel would deny to anyone her poverty status, Gabe begins to recognize the many things Rachel and Edward go without and attempts to help them financially. It was rather refreshing when Rachel accepted his help - that seems to be in the "no-no" book of rules for romance heroines. So often the heroine refuses sensible help because she doesn't want to appear "bought". However, Rachel had no such qualms.
The characters from Nobody's Baby But Mine return in this book. I have not read this prequel to Dream a Little Dream. I think I would have enjoyed this book even more if I had but it also stands fine as a read alone book. One adult secondary character you will really enjoy is Gabe's younger brother - a pastor in Salvation. I have read few - if any - realistic portrayals of a minister in romance. But this one is really well done and adds greatly to the story line. Cal, Gabe's older brother (and the hero from Nobody's Baby But Mine), is quite the antagonist and behaves rather badly towards Rachel. He's a former good guy who becomes one you "love to hate" at one point in Dream a Little Dream. His comeuppance is served so well and with such subtle humor that it is one you will definitely remember.
I highly recommend Dream a Little Dream. It is a moving story in so many aspects. There are no silly misunderstandings between the leads and they both act quite maturely once they become involved. The sensual rating is about a 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). Dream a Little Dream is the third of four books in the Chicago Stars series. First in the series is Heaven, Texas followed by Nobody's Baby But Mine, then Dream a Little Dream, with This Heart of Mine as the last.

Rachel Stone's bad luck reached its pinnacle the moment her car stalled in front of the Pride of Carolina drive-in. Rachel is the widow of G. Dwayne Snopes, the crooked televangelist who died while fleeing Salvation, North Carolina with millions of dollars donated to his church. With only nine dollars in her pocket, and a few meager possessions, Rachel's old car is now the home for herself and her five-year-old son. She's returning to the town whose inhabitants can't stand the sight of her. But Rachel has a child to care for, and she will survive no matter how insurmountable the obstacle.
The drive-in is now owned and being renovated by Gabe Bonner, a member of the town's most prominent family. Gabe's life is empty and overflowing with the pain of survival, after losing his wife and child in an auto accident two years prior. He doesn't want anything to do with this strong-willed woman, and her son who triggers painful memories, but he finds himself unable to abandon them.
What happens when you combine a determined woman who has lost her faith in God, but will survive at all costs, with a miserable man who has all but given up on life?
This is the fourth installment in the Chicago Stars/Bonner Brothers series, and serves as another sparkling example of this author's immense talent as a master storyteller. I have quickly become a most devoted fan of Ms. Phillips work. This is a beautifully written, inspirational story of love, forgiveness, and redemption. Thank goodness SEP injects a healthy dose of humor throughout, because the story certainly deals with some heavy issues with these two troubled souls. A great deal of the humor came from the secondary love story between Gabe's minister brother, Ethan, and his secretary who has been infatuated with him for years. I found myself frequently laughing out loud at the three voices of God that speak to Ethan. With a compelling story involving well-defined characters, steamy love scenes, and lighthearted moments, this is a must read! In fact, this whole series is a must read!
I wanted to add a footnote to correct an error in a previous review. This series, to my knowledge, consists of five books and their order is: IT HAD TO BE YOU, HEAVEN TEXAS, NOBODY'S BABY BUT MINE, DREAM A LITTLE DREAM, and THIS HEART OF MINE.

This book absolutly had me hooked! I almost finished it in one day, but once again that sleep thing got in the way.
Three years after leaving Salvation, NC after her televangalist husband is killed and found to have stolen money from the congregation, Rachel Stone is back to try to find the five million dollars that he stashed away. Unfortunately, things don't go well for Rachel. She has nine dollars in her pocket, a car that just broke down (which has also been her home for the past week), a five year old son and has to deal with Gabriel Bonner.
Two years after Gabe's wife Cherry and their five year old son Jamie was killed by a drunk driver, Gabe is still greiving. He's a very unhappy man, especially when Rachel Stone shows up with her kid and wants a job. Reluctantly he gives her a job and the two eventually fall in love, although they wouldn't dare admit it.
Since Rachel's husband swindled the town out of millions of dollars the entire town of Salvation, NC hates her. She can't go down the street without names being called or having her tires slashed. Gabe is time and again coming to her rescue.
Something that I both liked and disliked about this book was Ethan and Kristy's relationship. I really found I enjoyed their story, but they should have had their own book. That is my only complaint.

Open DREAM A LITTLE DREAM and visit Salvation, NC where the famous Bonner family resides. Get in a little deeper and get to know Heartbreak Mountain, which is the heart of the Bonner Family. Read more and get hooked on Dream A Little Dream, the story of Gabe Bonner and Rachel Stone.
The Bonner brothers have always been close, looking out for each other. When Rachel Stone's car breaks down and is stuck in Salvation, they think she's not good news and try to get her to leave. But they're not the only ones who do, the people of Salvation have decided to blame all their problems on her. Because she was married to a televangelist who played them all for fools.
Most importantly, Gabe wants Rachel and her 5 year old son gone too. He's grieving over the death of his wife and son and doesn't want to feel anything again.
However, Rachel is broke and her luck had just run out. And she was not going to give up the only hope she has of securing her son's future. As for the people and the Bonner brothers, she's never given up on a fight before.
Dream A Little Dream is about many things, the love of a mother for her son, the healing of a grieving heart, the struggle of a strong woman to make it, and how they teach each other to love again.
Susan Elizabeth Phillips is known for her funny and heartwarming dialogue, and Dream A Little Dream is no exception. However, it also has a deeper sense of feeling. She'll make ya laugh and cry, and at the end, make ya feel good all over!

I think this is a wonderful book!. This is almost like the conclusion to "Nobody's Baby But Mine", because "Dream A Little Dream" involves the second Bonner brother, Gabe Bonner.
Rachel Stone was the widower of a very evil and greedy man that made Rachel take the blame of his greediness. After her husband died, everyong hated her because they believed that she was the reason, her husband became so corrupt. But Rachel don't care what the others think because she got a son to take care of, Edward who perfers to be called Chip. (Go Figure)
Rachel was stuck in Salvation, North Carolina because her car broke down, right in front of the property that belongs to Gabe Bonner.
Gabe Bonner was a man who was cold and empty of all emotions because of the devastating loss of his wife and son, due to a car accident. Gabe hired Rachel to help with his drive-in and they work together, side by side. When Gabe starts to living as as an almost human being again, the animosity the town causes a few problems for both of them. The problems might force Rachel out of the town but Gabe isn't going to let Rachel and her son go without a fight. And Rachel is no puhover either.
I love this book! Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a genius with words. I can never think to write such outrageous things, if I was to write a book but Philliips pull it off and with a big sucess. "Dream A Little Dream" is like a must read and whoever doesn't is in a great loss. I'm glad I read this book, but it was kinda hard with all the late nights I spent with this book.
= o )

After reading Heaven, Texas and Nobody's Baby But Mine, I didn't think it could get any better. Boy was I wrong. This story picks up where Nobody's Baby But Mine leaves off and tells the story of the remaining two Bonner brothers, Gabe and Ethan. Gabe had lost his wife Cherry and 5-year old son, Jamie in a tragic auto accident. Rachael Stone (Snopes) enters the town of Salvation, NC a broken, poor, young widow with a sad little boy, Edward (also 5 years old). Through a course of events, Rachael and Gabe meet and are anything but friends. As the story unfolds and Rachael struggles to rebuild a life for her son and herself, her strength and love for human kind are almost too much for the distraught Gabe to ignore. Rachael fights against the odds of life and the people who want her out of town, including Gabe's brothers, Cal and Ethan. It is a fascinating story and you will get completely engrossed with all of the characters, but particularly, Rachael. Cal and Jane are back as is their precious little daughter, Rosie. Brother Ethan Bonner's story is more developed in this book as he struggles with his calling as a Pastor through his relationship with long time friend, Kristy Brown. Don't miss this fantastic addition to the Chicago Stars/Bonner Brothers series.

This book absolutly had me hooked! I almost finished it in one day, but once again that sleep thing got in the way.
Three years after leaving Salvation, NC after her televangalist husband is killed and found to have stolen money from the congregation, Rachel Stone is back to try to find the five million dollars that he stashed away. Unfortunately, things don't go well for Rachel. She has nine dollars in her pocket, a car that just broke down (which has also been her home for the past week), a five year old son and has to deal with Gabriel Bonner.
Two years after Gabe's wife Cherry and their five year old son Jamie was killed by a drunk driver, Gabe is still greiving. He's a very unhappy man, especially when Rachel Stone shows up with her kid and wants a job. Reluctantly he gives her a job and the two eventually fall in love, although they wouldn't dare admit it.
Since Rachel's husband swindled the town out of millions of dollars the entire town of Salvation, NC hates her. She can't go down the street without names being called or having her tires slashed. Gabe is time and again coming to her rescue.
Something that I both liked and disliked about this book was Ethan and Kristy's relationship. I really found I enjoyed their story, but they should have had their own book. That is my only complaint.
Overall, excellent read, highly recommended.

This is my first Susan E. Phillips novel to read. I'll have to admit, I know talent when I see it. Susan Phillips will be a great author of many more novels. Although I only gave the review three stars, I agonized to give it four stars. Maybe I shoudl have. I loved Rachel's perservance and her wit. I disliked Gabe Bonner from the start because of his reaction to a small child. I enjoyed the story and how SEP tried to pull the plot together. I simply found flaws in her writing that made me wonder how she got from one place to another. For instance, we were talking about her deceased husband making off with millions of dollars and later, it turned out to be diamonds. No where did I see how this happened. I have a problem with the ending, where Rachel visits the child with leukemia. Rachel had lost all faith and had not regained it. And she is supposed to lay her hands on a dying child and make it well. Okay, I have a problem with this, so I thought SEP could have changed her plot a little. Overall, I like this author. I think she has talent and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

This was such a great book! I absolutely loved Rachel and Gabe. Their relationship was a roller coaster of a ride. Gabe's tragedy was heart breaking and Rachel's struggle to overcome the prejudice caused by her dead husband's betrayal of a town was valiant and admirable. Her son Edward's need for a stable home and a father was heart wrenching. It was wonderful to see them accept the unevitable love that had developed and finally become a family. It was also wonderful having the other characters in the book grow and heal. Kristy's wish finally comes true when Ethan, her employer, a minister and Gabe's brother, finally realizes his love for her. Their scenes were hilarious and touching. Cal, Gabe's older brother, his wife Jane, and their baby daughter Rosie, were also fun to get to know. This book is definitely worth your time and money. You'll love it. Trust me!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips packs a heavy punch through her words. This book was so emotional, it drains your senses while enchanting the whole way through. Rachel is a woman to be admired for her gutsy, driven personality. I like how SEP gives her charachters a gritty, down-to-earth, in-the-mud kind of life. There is never too much glitter in her stories, even when they start out in the high life, SEP knocks them all off their pedastals and forces them (and her readers) to face the dirty side of life. "Dream A Little Dream" takes on the after effects of a televangelist's downfall. He's dead, but he left behind a bitter town, and a wife soiled by his fall. Five years later, Rachel returns to Salvation with her young son in tow, to retrieve the five million dollars, her husband embezzled from the town and his followers. Rachel meets Gabe, the black sheep son of the town's fabled family. Gabe has demons of his own, and he wants nothing to do with Rachel and especially her child.
I was fighting for Rachel every time I flipped a page. It was sad when it ended...I wanted to continue being a voyeur into Rachel and Gabe's story.

This book challenges the romance genre. Here, we have a heroine that dresses in old lady housegowns and oxford shoes. SEP takes a clear departure from the cliche scenario: strong wilful but beautiful heroine with beautiful clothes. While this book is clearly a romance, SEP focuses on developing an interesting and moving story.

Rachel Stone comes back to Salvation, North Carolina. This town hates her because her now deceased husband was a phony televangelist who took Salvation on a wild but ultimately disappointing ride. Rachel, however, is in survival mode. She needs to find the link to the missing 5 million dollars that her husband took with him to the grave. She has something like $5 to her name and a broken down vehicle, but most important she has a 5 year old son to take care of. Where this child is concerned, she has no pride. As such, Rachel demands a job from Gabe Bonner, a man with a sad past, having lost his wife and son to a car accident. Rachel and Gabe may seem like an unlikely pair, but they come together and through the course of their story, we see how they really belong with each other. This book unlike other SEP books is full of sad moments, but a page turner nevertheless.

This was my first Susan Elizabeth Phillips. What a find! Dream a Little Dream is the best romance novel, maybe the best book, I've read in quite a while. I could not put it down. No Victorian drawing rooms here, this one gets down and dirty, just like the totally-down-on-her-luck but brave heroine Rachel and her plucky, undernourished 5-year old son Edward. Some of the judgmental and unforgiving townspeople of Salvation, North Carolina, who stomp on her when she's down and out, are all too true to life. In the process of redeeming herself, Rachel saves Gabe Bonner, who thought he was past the point of salvation. AND there's a nice little treasure hunt mystery thrown in. Just a great book.

This is a seriously awesome book. It's so incredibly well written that you don't want to put it down. I've read it three times now and will still read it again. The characters have so much depth, the relationships feel real, the humor is fabulous. This book makes you cry and laugh - how many books can do that? It's a joy to read. One of my all time favorite novels.

I read this book on another platform, but the store is where I read and write reviews. This is one of the most heart-wrenching books in the Chicago Stars series. Like all of them, this one has a lot of heart and humour, but somehow it cuts deeper, most probably due to the presence of a little child and to the lengths the heroine is going to in his name - somehow it rings more true than the romance, which is definitely good, and perhaps a bit more heartfelt than the other books due to both key characters being more tortured than in any other book of this series. My main complaints again center around how the author treats lust and the realizations of being in love from the male perspective (this applies both to Gabe and Ethan) - those moments are kind of a weak spot in her writing. However, she's still leaps and bounds above many other writers.

If you don't mind annoying, bitchy, rude, selfish, irrational, whiny, self-pitying, petty heroines who snap and snarl at everyone, then this book is for you.

Rachel = person I despise.
Edward = the most annoying, unlikable kid in booky existence.
Gabe = very likable hero.
Rachel + Gabe = bad idea!
Gabe, you can do better!

I suppose I was supposed to feel sorry for Rachel because she was poor and had to take care of her kid, but I just didn't, because she was mean as heck! Especially to Gabe, who she supposedly loved. I'm not sure why she did, because, it seemed to me she didn't like him at all. I really despised that she made Gabe list the things he didn't like about his dead wife, just to make herself feel better. That was petty and unnecessary and made me hate her. Rachel spent this entire book complaining and whining about virtually everything.

I couldn't blame Gabe for not liking Edward. The kid was not likable at all! And he didn't act like a kid. I guess I was supposed to feel bad about THAT, too. Oh, boohoo he had a horrible childhood and had to grow up quickly, but...I just didn't care. He seemed fake to me. So did his "resolution" with Gabe. Why did Gabe suddenly love him? It made no sense. I also suppose I was supposed to be angry with Gabe when he gave Edward a little whap on the behind. Well, I really couldn't blame the guy! That sounds bad, and I don't think he should have done it, but honestly, it wasn't a big deal, and Gabe felt really bad about it afterward...

I don't know, I just felt like the purpose of this book was for me to sympathize with Rachel and her son, and condone the big bad Gabe, but it was pretty much the opposite for me.

With all that said, I can't deny that I enjoyed the book, even with my annoyance. The relationship between Gabe and his brothers was well written, and I thought the secondary romance with Ethan was sweet. It was good to see him finally realize the woman he loved was right in front of him the whole time, and I like when the couple has known each other for a long time before they get together. And, I must admit, Rachel is a good mother, even if I don't like her--or her son.

It was also nice to see both Rachel and Gabe forgive each other for the mistakes they'd both made. Neither of them was perfect, and they both accepted that.