5 SMOOCHES!
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SYNOPSIS:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Dream Man and Rock Chick series comes a brand new story about love, friendship, and the bonds of sisterhood.
Evie is a bonafide nerd and a hyper-intelligent chick who has worked her whole life to get what she wants. Growing up, she had no support from her family and has only ever been able to rely on herself. So when Evie decides she wants to earn her engineering degree, she realizes she needs to take an alternative path to get there. She takes a job dancing at Smithie’s club thinking this would be a quick side gig, where she can make the money she needs. But with her lack of dancing skills and an alpha bad boy who becomes overly protective, Evie realizes this might not be as easy as she thought.
Daniel “Mag” Magnusson knows a thing or two about pain, but the mask he wears is excellent. No one can tell that this good-looking, quick-witted, and roguish guy has deep-seated issues. Mag puts on a funny-guy routine so he can hide his broken heart and PTSD. But when Evie dances her way into Mag’s life, he realizes that he needs to come face-to-face with the demons of his past if he wants a future with her.
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REVIEW:
When Kristen Ashley teased this book to her readers in 2019, I couldn’t wait, and it instantly became one of my most anticipated books of 2020. I loved her Dream Man series, and the commandos were always these interesting, elusive guys popping up when everyone needed them most. I wanted to know more then, and I’m thrilled KA is giving readers that now.
Dream Maker kicks off KA’s new Dream Team series with the romance of Mag and Evie. Make no mistake, this is a brand new series set around new characters that have really only been alluded to in previous books and series. But KA pulled off a double whammy with this book, delivering a story that was both comfortingly familiar and brand-spanking- new. It was a wonderful blend of nostalgia but with a fresh take.
As any KA reader will tell you, her stories aren’t just about the hot guy hero. Oh no, not even close. He’s a star, don’t get me wrong, but getting equal billing is a heroine who holds her own in the face of all that alpha-hotness and a tribe of friends that define what it means to belong to a sisterhood. I read KA stories just as much for those fantastic female friendships as I do for the heart-racing, heat-filled, knee-weakening romance. In Dream Maker, KA gives readers a solid tribe of female in Smithie’s girls, and their brand of shenanigans and sisterhood can stand right up to that of the Rock Chicks – who make liberal appearances and welcome the strippers into the fold.
Mag and Evie each come to the table with their own baggage, and Lottie, the mastermind behind their pairing, chose them specifically for each other. They pretty much only agree to this blind date set-up to get Lottie, the queen of Smithie’s strippers and another commando’s woman, off their backs. Neither is prepared for the instant attraction and the shocking spark of chemistry, and Mag is immediately taken in by Evie’s endearing clumsiness. Evie may be gorgeous and a Smithie’s girl, but she’s also a genius with a huge heart. A nerdy girl through-and-through, she finds herself in a serious jam thanks to her good-for-nothing brother. Mag is one of Hawk’s commandos, and he’s got a heart of gold. His attraction and reaction to Evie rocks him to his core, but he’s a smart enough man to recognize this woman, these feelings – the whole package is special and rare. His gentle, patient pursuit of Evie was the kind of sigh-inducing, swoon-worthy magic I’ve come to expect from KA, and man oh man, did she deliver the goods here.
Dream Maker was everything I love about a Kristen Ashley romance. A strong, sassy, smart heroine and a protective alpha male with a mile-wide sweet streak team up in a love story full of friendship, fun and fire. Kristen Ashley did not disappoint with the first book in her new Dream Team series. I devoured this book eagerly, and I’m already on the edge of my seat, counting down for the next book. A top favorite of the year, Dream Maker by Kristen Ashley gets five smooches from me!
~Danielle Palumbo
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review. I have since purchased a my own copy of the ebook for my digital library.
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