Title: In Your Dreams Series: Blue Heron #4
Author: Kristan Higgins
Published: September 30, 2014
Genre(s): Romance: Contemporary
Page Count: 473
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Everyone loves Jack Holland, but Emmaline Neal needs him. Her ex-fiancé is getting married in Malibu and, obviously, she can't go to the wedding alone. In Manningsport, New York, tall, blond and gorgeous Jack Holland is practically a cottage industry when it comes to rescuing desperate women. He knows the drill, Em figures, so he won't get the wrong idea.
What Jack needs is an excuse to leave town. Ever since rescuing four teenagers from a car wreck, he's been hailed as a hero and the attention is making him itchy, especially since his too-pretty ex-wife is back, angling for a reunion. He's always liked Emmaline. She needs a weekend date? No problem.
So when they wind up in bed together, Em chalks it up to red wine and chocolate cake, just one impulsive night not to be repeated. But Jack's pushing for more, and if she lets down her guard, either she'll get her heart crushed again, or discover that Jack's worth more than just dreaming about.
Kristan Higgins’ books are always delightfully cute, quick reads, and her latest installment in the Blue Heron series was no exception. I breezed through In Your Dreams in just a few hours, inhaling all the sugary goodness like it was going out of style. And like any confectionary, I can’t say this book was substantial or long-lasting in any way, but it hit the spot at the time.
Jack, being the last unmarried Holland sibling, obviously was in need of a book dedicated to him, and that is what this is. In Your Dreams is about Jack’s relationship with police officer Emmaline, who is dealing with severe self-confidence issues that, magically, Jack’s love and attention solve. Wow! And also, Jack’s super-dramatic ex-wife is back in down playing Scarlett O’Hara in distress. Yay.
As per usual, I did question some of Higgins’ themes and ideas. For instance, Emmaline is a apparently a woman who doesn’t spend a lot of time with makeup or hair, enjoys playing hockey, and is a police officer. Everyone then assumes she’s gay, and people are constantly telling her to look more “feminine”. Ew! There is no one-size-fits-all standard for what femininity is. Let’s not pretend there is. I do not appreciate that.
The annoying ex-wife was not a fan-favorite either, let me tell you.
Obviously, In Your Dreams isn’t perfect, but it was still enjoyable for all that. Jack was a very nice man who had a nice sense of humor, even if he did really put his foot in his mouth at times. Emmaline was the kind of non-traditionally beautiful romance character it’s easy to like. And there was a cute dog.
In short, I think Kristan Higgins did a nice job with In Your Dreams. It wasn’t earth-shattering, and I had some issues, but overall it was a very nice snowy romance novel that captured family dynamics the small-town vibe. I had fun reading this, and that’s great.
