Dreaming of You
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- Create Date：2021-05-14 11:53:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Lisa Kleypas
- ISBN：038077352X
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Summary
She stood at danger's threshold—then love beckoned her in。
In the shelter of her country cottage， Sara Fielding puts pen to paper to create dreams。 But curiosity has enticed the prim， well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world。
A handsome， tough and tenacious Cockney， he rose from poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy， but hardened and suspicious。 And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence。 But here， in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes， even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion。。。and the promise of love。
In the shelter of her country cottage， Sara Fielding puts pen to paper to create dreams。 But curiosity has enticed the prim， well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven—and into Derek Craven's dangerous world。
A handsome， tough and tenacious Cockney， he rose from poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house—a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy， but hardened and suspicious。 And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence。 But here， in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes， even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion。。。and the promise of love。
Reviews
Nana
，
Más 2。5， pero tiene muchos tropos de los buenos。
Erin
，
Finished this book in one night。 Loved the country mouse and the drainpipe gutter rat。 ❤️❤️❤️
Kanishka
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This is what I wanted。 This is what I fucking needed。 Damn my heart！So it's a story where we see real protagonist。 We connect。 We feel。 We love。The h was one of the strongest and loveliest I have met and I'm sure I'll love her。 She was what the H needed。 And damn Lisa Kleypas did a fine job in giving him and us something magical。As for the H。 Oh where do I start。 He was everything。 Not at all perfect。 Too cynical。 Too altruistic。 Too sardonic。 He did so much。 He conquered so much but never was s This is what I wanted。 This is what I fucking needed。 Damn my heart！So it's a story where we see real protagonist。 We connect。 We feel。 We love。The h was one of the strongest and loveliest I have met and I'm sure I'll love her。 She was what the H needed。 And damn Lisa Kleypas did a fine job in giving him and us something magical。As for the H。 Oh where do I start。 He was everything。 Not at all perfect。 Too cynical。 Too altruistic。 Too sardonic。 He did so much。 He conquered so much but never was satisfied。 No belief。 No faith。 And finds himself undeserving of happiness。 He was too hard and the too soft h was perfect for him。 Because she taught him the love。 She taught him that there is softness and happiness and love within reach。 If the author had made a hard h for the H then m sure it would not have work out。 Because Derek had too much hardness in his life。 He was broken， and lonely and stupid。 So stupid that he always pushes the h away。 And oh the scenes when he again get trapped into her orbit。 Aha my heart sores。I felt the h and H。 I smile and I cry with them。 I love them and will forever love them。 I wanted more in the ending。 I was not ready to part with them。 And I'm hung up right now（view spoiler）[ SPOILERThere's 2 scenes where many reviews had addressed as Cheating。 And they might be but if you think deeply then you will know that was not although cheating。 In my opinion。 In one scene the H was convinced he had send his Love of life away forever。 And she'll marry the man she has been engaged too。 So he find comfort in one of the house prostitute who looked like her because he was miserable。 Going in self loathe and longing。 Totally drunk and out of his senses。 In another his ex fling came into bed when he was still in that longing， drunk miserable stage and he was again out of senses to see who was with him。 In this case he didn't fucked her when he saw who he was with。 Now a little in the past of the H。 He was a scoundrel。 No morals。 Had been a male escort and cockholded many aristocrats。 He had did bad things like really bad things。 For him it's drinking and sex and earning money。 And if he had lost the only girl he care about he was on self district。 He tried to cope with the misery the way he seems fit。 He was completely imperfect and I was okay with it because I know these actions were a part of his imperfections。（hide spoiler）] Believe me ， give this a chance。 You will understand the H and the h。 Their actions and their love。 The imperfections and the mistakes shaped them and the ending。 Gosh so sweet and still we all wanting so much more。 Now I'll go and dream about Mr。 Craven。 。。。more
Bran
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Fun！ Steamy bits were fun， the historical stuff was fluffy and harmless and the main character was a bit silly， but I can't hate a character that loves to write novels。 Not the best period romance I've read， but probably the steamiest I've read in this genre so far。 Fun！ Steamy bits were fun， the historical stuff was fluffy and harmless and the main character was a bit silly， but I can't hate a character that loves to write novels。 Not the best period romance I've read， but probably the steamiest I've read in this genre so far。 。。。more
Ilma Nurika
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WELP I ACTUALLY HAVE READ THIS。 SO THIS IS DEFINITELY REREAD。 LATER LOL
Claudia Van
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My first Lisa Kleypas book and I loved it so much， I will definitely read more of Ms K。 😍
Princess Kyuhyun
，
Dreaming of You。 By Lisa Kleypas。Overrated menurut gue sih。 Karena konsep awalnya 'pasaran'， mulai dr main ke pesta dansa， berubah demi narik perhatian orang lain， main kucing-kucingan perasaan。 Udah ketebak arahnya kemana。Gue juga gak begitu suka karakternya。 Gak konsisten。 Sara macam naif dan bego。 Dia kan penulis cerita gelap， udah tau dunia pelacuran， perjudian， dll， tapi tetep aja bisa terjebak di dunia kayak gitu， semata2 karena penasaran。 Terus pas akhirnya berhasil ditolong， bisanya cuma Dreaming of You。 By Lisa Kleypas。Overrated menurut gue sih。 Karena konsep awalnya 'pasaran'， mulai dr main ke pesta dansa， berubah demi narik perhatian orang lain， main kucing-kucingan perasaan。 Udah ketebak arahnya kemana。Gue juga gak begitu suka karakternya。 Gak konsisten。 Sara macam naif dan bego。 Dia kan penulis cerita gelap， udah tau dunia pelacuran， perjudian， dll， tapi tetep aja bisa terjebak di dunia kayak gitu， semata2 karena penasaran。 Terus pas akhirnya berhasil ditolong， bisanya cuma minta maaf sambil nangis。 Karakternya si Derek juga， katanya kejam lah， jantan lah， tapi cuma gembar-gembor doang。 Aslinya gak ada。 Kayak waktu Sara hampir diperkosa terus Derek datang menyelamatkan ngancemnya doang sangar， mau narik kepala sampe putus lah， narik isi perut dari leher lah， tapi kelakuannya boncos。 Si pemerkosa cuma diusir pergi 。。。 Terus udah。 Mana tuh yg katanya kepala mau diputusin？ Gak ada。Udah gitu cara membangun perasaannya juga aneh。 Selalu dikaitin sama ketertarikan fisik， gairah meletup2， terus tiba2 Sara bilang cinta。 Wkwkwk itu cinta apa napsu？Gak tau deh， mungkin karena ini novel paling 'jadul' dari LK， jadi masih banyak yg gak rapih， mislogic， dan enggak konsisten。 Tapi spicy-spicy nya masih lumayan lah。 Juga mesra-mesraan antara Derek dan Sara。1。5 dari 5 bintang ⭐✨ 。。。more
lala
，
Here's the thing。。。 the first Lisa Kleypas book I have the recollection of reading was Devil in Winter。 And it spoiled all books for me！ It's such a favourite of mine and Sebastian is one of my favourite heroes。 Derek was also an interesting character and the book was enjoyable， but it just isn't at a 5* level for me。 Here's the thing。。。 the first Lisa Kleypas book I have the recollection of reading was Devil in Winter。 And it spoiled all books for me！ It's such a favourite of mine and Sebastian is one of my favourite heroes。 Derek was also an interesting character and the book was enjoyable， but it just isn't at a 5* level for me。 。。。more
Kate
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I think LK and I are just not meant to be。 I didn’t like the hero， the heroine drove me crazy。 There’s a lot of messed up in this book and if he hurt her by grabbing her arms one more time， I was going to chuck this in the trash。
Renata
，
Oh my god！ This is exactly what I wanted in a historical！！ Ahhhh Derek and Sara have my whole ass heart！。 I just I’m so high off this book so my review will only be this and to say that it’s become a favorite of mine by Lisa。 I was so scared the hype would disappointment but it didn’t！！！Highly recommend。
Cat
，
3。8。 Issues of sexual consent， editing and not enough conflict。 Derek doesn't do anything actually bad。。。 it's just repeated that he is a bad person。also no real conflict between him and Sarah。 Perhaps if he had done something bad that she had witnessed？I appreciate the depth of the story and the interesting support characters。 3。8。 Issues of sexual consent， editing and not enough conflict。 Derek doesn't do anything actually bad。。。 it's just repeated that he is a bad person。also no real conflict between him and Sarah。 Perhaps if he had done something bad that she had witnessed？I appreciate the depth of the story and the interesting support characters。 。。。more
Rebecca M
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Derek Craven is mentioned so often in historical romance circles and I was very much looking forward to reading his story after completing the first book of this series， but。。。 I didn’t love this as much as Alex and Lily’s book。Don’t get me wrong， I fell in love with Derek and Sarah。 I loved the self-made hero。 I loved the authoress。 I loved the maturity of Sarah’s character。 The casino setting and the secondary characters were wonderful， and pro-woman， while also devoid of being derogatory towa Derek Craven is mentioned so often in historical romance circles and I was very much looking forward to reading his story after completing the first book of this series， but。。。 I didn’t love this as much as Alex and Lily’s book。Don’t get me wrong， I fell in love with Derek and Sarah。 I loved the self-made hero。 I loved the authoress。 I loved the maturity of Sarah’s character。 The casino setting and the secondary characters were wonderful， and pro-woman， while also devoid of being derogatory towards sex workers - thank you！ And this was such a fun read， and I love （spoiler alert） a heroine who can save herself。But I felt it took a long time for me to get into the story， and the sex scenes were more of a faint flicker of the flame rather than the furnace I was expecting after such great sexual tension。I absolutely look forward to reading more from Kleypas though。 。。。more
Bookish。n。caffinated （Shannon）
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really liked this book。 Almost， almost a love。 I loved the story wasn’t about members of the ton but of regular people who made something of themselves。 I loved the quirkiness and bravery of Sara。 From the very first scene， I was rooting for her and Derek。 I loved Derek and his dark side。 I loved that despite everything he believed he had a fundamental moral code to care for others。 I loved his need to prove himself and most of all I loved his love of Sara。 I LOVE me a good rogue to doting hus I really liked this book。 Almost， almost a love。 I loved the story wasn’t about members of the ton but of regular people who made something of themselves。 I loved the quirkiness and bravery of Sara。 From the very first scene， I was rooting for her and Derek。 I loved Derek and his dark side。 I loved that despite everything he believed he had a fundamental moral code to care for others。 I loved his need to prove himself and most of all I loved his love of Sara。 I LOVE me a good rogue to doting husband historical and this one does not disappoint。 There is suspense and fire， slow burn and fury。 It is a great story from beginning to end。 The side characters are also wonderful。 Lilly is an amazing best friend and Worthy and the rest of the employees are just so wonderful to Sara and Derek。 I just loved all them。 Lady Ashby however， was a raving lunatic！ I wasn’t surprised to see Joyce coming after Sara。 I assumed that would happened but it just seemed to stretch to have her want to kidnap her rather than just have her kill Sara。 I just couldn’t understand the motivation there。 Oh but when they describe Derek seeing Sara again。 And when he just gushes about his love for her and how much he wished he had been able to tell her earlier。 It was so swoony。 So many swoony and sexy moments with these two。 Just a great read！ 。。。more
Dini - dinipandareads
，
3。5 starsI picked this up immediately after reading Then Came You and while I liked it and read it in one day， it did leave me with mixed feelings！ I enjoyed Kleypas' writing and setting of the scene—although I'm no expert of this time period the author made it feel so authentic and believable。 Craven's seems like an insanely wild place to hang out but I'd have loved to have Sara's behind-the-scenes experience with all the staff and I certainly wouldn't have minded being plied with all that deli 3。5 starsI picked this up immediately after reading Then Came You and while I liked it and read it in one day， it did leave me with mixed feelings！ I enjoyed Kleypas' writing and setting of the scene—although I'm no expert of this time period the author made it feel so authentic and believable。 Craven's seems like an insanely wild place to hang out but I'd have loved to have Sara's behind-the-scenes experience with all the staff and I certainly wouldn't have minded being plied with all that delicious food by the chef！This is another opposites-attract romance with Sara being the innocent and wholesome wallflower and Derek being， well， one of the wealthiest and most notorious rags-to-riches men who own Craven's， the most popular gambling den in London。 Sara was a great heroine。 She's a sweet young woman who starts off quite timid but there's a restlessness to her that has you yearning to see her break free from the bounds of propriety。 I loved seeing her accept that she deserved more and that she unashamedly fought for it。 Derek was also very different from what I expected after meeting him in book one。 I really felt for him and his past—it's harrowing and full of pain and injustices， and it was heartbreaking that despite everything he has done to pull himself out of his early meager circumstances， he still believes he is so lacking and unworthy of good things。 While I was initially pretty wary of him， the more we get to see past his defences of indifference， the more we realise that he's just a cinnamon roll who is scared to accept love but ultimately deserves it despite his questionable past。 I did come to develop a soft spot for him and I can see why he's such a well-loved hero， but I still think others might be more partial to him than I was。I also really loved the side characters in this—Worthy was such an interesting guy and everyone at Craven's was so lively and supportive of Sara。 I loved how invested everyone seemed to be in her very popular novel， Mathilda， and how she wrote a character that was so life-like that nobody believed she wasn't real （I know as readers we can all relate to those feelings）！ 😂 Lily and Alex also play a bit of matchmaking and have a big supporting role in this story and it was so great to see them thriving！ 😍Why I didn't rate this higher is because I thought the romance started out a bit thin。 I didn't really feel the attraction between Sara and Derek as they didn't spend much time together （initially）。 They were often at the same location， had occasional conversations and there was a curiosity between them， but I never felt that it'd lead to the level of feelings they developed for each other and so quickly， too。 There's also a brief period of separation （view spoiler）[during which Derek ends up seeking comfort from one of the house-wenches because he misses Sara so much （？？？ Ugh no pls！） （hide spoiler）] before they come together due to forced circumstances， so that was even more time spent not building their connection。 I did eventually become invested as they spent time together and we got to see their chemistry spark。 This was also admittedly pretty steamy so if you're looking for that fire， you'll definitely find it here。 🔥That said， I do wish that I felt more about the romance because both H/H were great characters！ 。。。more
Cristina
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Me ha gustado mucho。 Unos muy buenos protagonistas， originales。 Ella es una chica sencilla que vive en el campo y que le gusta escribir。 Es observadora， humilde， fuerte e independiente。 Va a Londres， a los barrios pobres， para recoger información para su próximo libro y allí salva la vida del protagonista。 Un chico que ha nacido en la pobreza， ha tenido un pasado durísimo， y que se ha hecho a sí mismo llegando a ser uno de los hombres más ricos de Inglaterra。 Pero es un hombre marcado por su pas Me ha gustado mucho。 Unos muy buenos protagonistas， originales。 Ella es una chica sencilla que vive en el campo y que le gusta escribir。 Es observadora， humilde， fuerte e independiente。 Va a Londres， a los barrios pobres， para recoger información para su próximo libro y allí salva la vida del protagonista。 Un chico que ha nacido en la pobreza， ha tenido un pasado durísimo， y que se ha hecho a sí mismo llegando a ser uno de los hombres más ricos de Inglaterra。 Pero es un hombre marcado por su pasado， que solo piensa en ganar dinero， incapaz de amar， cerrado a toda relación personal， pero que según avanza la novela se ve que todo eso es una coraza para ocultar sentimientos y un corazón enorme。 Me han encantado los dos protagonistas。 Él tan rudo， ella tan sutil。 Él tan distante， ella tan sociable。 Hacen una pareja muy buena， muy intensa su relación， y muy bonita， cociéndose a fuego lento según se van conociendo。 La evolución de los dos también está muy bien contada， muy bien escrita。 Engancha mucho。 Además tiene varios giros hacia el final que le dan aún más dinamismo。 Muy recomendable。 。。。more
Lisa
，
It was good to have Lily appear in this book and have the story centered around Derek。 Some parts were good and some parts I skimmed。 Overall this was better than the first of the Gamblers of Craven's series。 It was good to have Lily appear in this book and have the story centered around Derek。 Some parts were good and some parts I skimmed。 Overall this was better than the first of the Gamblers of Craven's series。 。。。more
Luli
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Lo leí en su versión original porque ya en el primer libro de esta serie nos decían que Derek tenía ciertos problemas a la hora de expresarse en inglés por el fuerte acento Cockney。 De hecho comprobé en la versión en castellano y no hacen ninguna diferencia cosa que en la versión original sí es patente。 Y ahora pasemos a la historia propiamente dicha。 Qué puedo decir， me he quedado pasmada de lo hermosa que es esta novela。 De lo bien narrada que está de los personajes tan bien definidos。。。 Cómo Lo leí en su versión original porque ya en el primer libro de esta serie nos decían que Derek tenía ciertos problemas a la hora de expresarse en inglés por el fuerte acento Cockney。 De hecho comprobé en la versión en castellano y no hacen ninguna diferencia cosa que en la versión original sí es patente。 Y ahora pasemos a la historia propiamente dicha。 Qué puedo decir， me he quedado pasmada de lo hermosa que es esta novela。 De lo bien narrada que está de los personajes tan bien definidos。。。 Cómo me gustan los hombres atormentados。。。Derek me recuerda un poco a Zachary Bronson de “Donde empiezan los sueños” de la misma autora （otra de mis novelas preferidas）。 Un personaje de pasado muy duro que consigue escapar de un futuro predestinado para convertirse en uno de los hombres más ricos de Londres。Sara me encanta， es la contraparte perfecta para Derek。 Fuerte， decidida， sencilla， generosa y madura a pesar de su edad y que cuando se da cuenta de lo que realmente quiere va directa a por ello。Después hay muchas cositas que me encantaron:Lo de Mathilda me encantó。 Me partía de risa todos pensando que existía y Sara ya desistiendo de explicar que era una ficciónLa ternura y piedad que siente Sara cuando encuentra las notas escritas por Derek llenas de faltas de ortografía。Derek robando las gafas de Sara y llevándolas en el bolsillo de la chaqueta。 Derek haciendo una lista de los caballeros para casar a Sara。Cuando la vuelve a ver después del incendio。。。No sigo porque no pararía de recordar momentos。 Esta novela se ha convertido en una de mis favoritas y desde luego habrá más de una relectura。Y ahora vuelvo a tener esa sensación de desamparo cuando has leído algo muy bueno y nos sabes qué leer a continuación。Algo que eché de menos: Saber qué fue de Worthy， Gill y Tabitha entre otros。 。。。more
Books and B。S
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（I'm not sure why I can't attach this review to the first book of the series， instead of the second， but here we go）I went severely out of my comfort zone to read a romance book， but not just any。 I chose the best selling historical romance book I could find on my new Scribd membership。 Everyone knows I don't like romance， and yet I rated this 5/5 for the objective idea that the writing was really good and clear， the setting brought the fantasy to life， and the amount of character development in （I'm not sure why I can't attach this review to the first book of the series， instead of the second， but here we go）I went severely out of my comfort zone to read a romance book， but not just any。 I chose the best selling historical romance book I could find on my new Scribd membership。 Everyone knows I don't like romance， and yet I rated this 5/5 for the objective idea that the writing was really good and clear， the setting brought the fantasy to life， and the amount of character development in the story was overwhelmingly heartwarming。 It had a lot more saucy scenes than I would have cared for， but that's just because I'm a "fluffy romance" kind of girl。 I'm sure this book is perfect for those who really enjoy both the steamy scenes， as well as the "dramatic love confession" parts。 I assure you it's not as theatrical as bad fan fiction。 It actually taught me a very important factor that goes into a really well made romance story: The main characters have to not only touch each other's lives， but also completely flip them around。 The main character is a-not shy， but conservative published author with a naive fearlessness in her attempts to research the "Old English Hood" to write her books。 While her love interest happens to be the most unconservative playboy of the entire town who owns a gambling casino。 Brings a whole new meaning to opposites attract， let me tell you。 It was fascinating to see how they affected each other。 The main girl wanted to be more risque in disguise of her book character while the main guy was-against his instincts-becoming more and more protective of her fearless behavior。 I thought the story would end after they confessed each other's love and did the usual saucy bits and planned for marriage。 But I was pleasantly surprised that a happy ending doesn't really exist in real life， so why should it in a story？ Even after being married， they had to adjust to each other's personalities。 But above all， they put the final touches by putting the characters through an ordeal that sort of "pushed" the male character to finally overcome his fears and admit how desperately in love he was with her， even if he's scared she'll hurt him。 It had very real emotions and heart warming dialogue。 I honestly enjoyed it。 The character development is both raw and real and just a great read。 I won't be reading the sequel， because I'm quite satisfied with the ending， and it was again outside of my comfort zone。 But I'm glad I could be here anyway writing this review。 Thanks for reading。 。。。more
is-a-bele
，
dnf'd dnf'd 。。。more
Annuccia Palmeri
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4+ Anche la storia di Derek è stata una bella lettura。 L'ho trovata， però， meno dinamica rispetto a Infine tu。 4+ Anche la storia di Derek è stata una bella lettura。 L'ho trovata， però， meno dinamica rispetto a Infine tu。 。。。more
Sparty
，
So good All the feels。 You can just feel how much they want each other。 Took 1 star off cause the drama at the end was kinda ridiculous: the crazy chick （bad guy） was just a little too crazy IMO。
Greyland Reviews
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5 stars“I didn't want to give you the one last part of myself that I couldn't take back。 And then you were gone。。。 And I realized it was already yours。 It had been since the beginning。 Except that I hadn't told you。 It drove me mad， the thought that you would never know。”Y'all I have a new favorite book of all time！！！ This was so so so good！ Now I know why Derek Craven gets his own day。 I just couldn't get enough of Sara and Derek。 Their chemistry and interactions through out the whole book made 5 stars“I didn't want to give you the one last part of myself that I couldn't take back。 And then you were gone。。。 And I realized it was already yours。 It had been since the beginning。 Except that I hadn't told you。 It drove me mad， the thought that you would never know。”Y'all I have a new favorite book of all time！！！ This was so so so good！ Now I know why Derek Craven gets his own day。 I just couldn't get enough of Sara and Derek。 Their chemistry and interactions through out the whole book made it for me。 Trigger Warnings: physical assault， violence， death， blood， misogyny， kidnapping， and gun shots 。。。more
Jess Steenlage
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Very rapey， much cringe。 The first half of this book was good！ I was excited！ A spunky heroine with a relatable personality and quality writing that didn’t make me want to just fast forward to the sex scenes！ But then when I got to a sex scene the book deflated。 Yuck。 Whit was a pushy jerk， and while I was able to believe he was honestly smitten with her her I did NOT like the way he basically forced her into intimate situations。 At one point he saves her from near rape only to nearly rape her h Very rapey， much cringe。 The first half of this book was good！ I was excited！ A spunky heroine with a relatable personality and quality writing that didn’t make me want to just fast forward to the sex scenes！ But then when I got to a sex scene the book deflated。 Yuck。 Whit was a pushy jerk， and while I was able to believe he was honestly smitten with her her I did NOT like the way he basically forced her into intimate situations。 At one point he saves her from near rape only to nearly rape her himself。 The line of consent is fuzzy sometimes in these stories， but Sarah never seemed comfortable with his dominance， often asking him explicitly to stop。 IN FACT he once told her he would always stop if she asked him only to turn around and NOT STOP WHEN SHE ASKED HIM just pages later。 Barf。 Also， once they have sex Sarah’s characterization becomes totally inconsistent。 She researched and wrote a highly acclaimed， racy novel about a prostitute but then she demurs when Whit puts the moves on her？ It was like I was reading a totally different novel in the second half of the book。 The writing style stays consistently high， but the themes and characters don’t stay true to themselves。 。。。more
Tammy
，
If you’re looking for a scintillating romance with a heroine that knows exactly who she is， and has a broody alpha hero to swoon over， this is it！！ It’s book 2 in The Gamblers of Craven’s series。 Our hero is the swoon worthy， bad guy Derek Craven， an elite gambling den owner and self-made man。 Our heroine is the well known writer Sara Fielding， a country girl from Greenwood Corners。 She’s in the rookery doing research for a book she’s writing。One night Derek Craven is attacked by three men。 He’s If you’re looking for a scintillating romance with a heroine that knows exactly who she is， and has a broody alpha hero to swoon over， this is it！！ It’s book 2 in The Gamblers of Craven’s series。 Our hero is the swoon worthy， bad guy Derek Craven， an elite gambling den owner and self-made man。 Our heroine is the well known writer Sara Fielding， a country girl from Greenwood Corners。 She’s in the rookery doing research for a book she’s writing。One night Derek Craven is attacked by three men。 He’s badly injured， his face knifed， when he’s rescued by Sara Fielding shooting one of his attackers with her little pistol。 He asks her to take him to Craven’s on St。 James street， she not knowing that he’s THE Derek Craven。 Once there， Sara’s name is instantly recognized by Derek’s employees。 What’s funny is that they think the character in her first book Mathilda is real， and IS HER。 Sara tells them different but they don’t believe it。 So Sara is allowed to stay in the gambling hall and take notes， and Derek keeps his distance even though he’s very intrigued with her。 Sara and Derek have a skirmish over her wanting to attend a ball Derek’s having there。 He won’t allow her to attend。 She asks Worthy （Derek’s right hand man） who reluctantly says yes。 She plans to wear a mask and slip in unrecognized。 Lady Lily Raiford， a good friend of Derek’s， helps her plan it， gives her a makeover and finds her THE dress that will bring Derek to his knees。 Lily wants Sara to break the wall Derek has built up proving he’s not as invincible as he thinks。 Sara wants to prove she’s not a “mouse” as Derek refers to her。Drinking a bit too much brandy， she feels her nerves disappear as she enters the ball， with all eyes only on her。 What happens next is so beautiful （and is everything I’d expect from Lisa Kleypas！）Derek has quite a sordid past with women， he doesn’t trust anyone。 As soon as there’s any danger of becoming attached to one， he’ll discard her and find another。One in particular， Lady Ashford， is stalking him。 She refuses to be told no by anyone， and will go to any depth to get what she wants。 Unfortunately she wants Derek， which puts Sara in danger too。Derek struggles with his feelings for Sara。 He longs for her so bad。 I especially loved how Derek stole Sara’s glasses and kept them in his pocket next to his heart。 How could I not love this book to pieces！！ It’s a passionate and empowering love story you don’t want to miss！！ 。。。more
M。E。 Carter
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Okay。 I see what all the fuss is about now。 Was Lily's story the book before this one？ Okay。 I see what all the fuss is about now。 Was Lily's story the book before this one？ 。。。more
Lea Bookjoy
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French & English reviewsOhhh un Lisa Kleypas que j'ai beaucoup trop tardé à lire =DComme d'habitude， Lisa Kleypas arrive à écrire une romance historique originale avec des héroïnes féminins qui sortent des stéréotypes （une femme écrivaine =D） et des héros masculins qu'on a envie de kidnapper =D （cette scène au bal <3） Et le tout sur fond d'intrigue passionnante （c'est cliché mais j'adore l'ex maléfique =D） dans un décor historique plus que réaliste （la prostitution， les salles de jeux etc。）Ce qu French & English reviewsOhhh un Lisa Kleypas que j'ai beaucoup trop tardé à lire =DComme d'habitude， Lisa Kleypas arrive à écrire une romance historique originale avec des héroïnes féminins qui sortent des stéréotypes （une femme écrivaine =D） et des héros masculins qu'on a envie de kidnapper =D （cette scène au bal <3） Et le tout sur fond d'intrigue passionnante （c'est cliché mais j'adore l'ex maléfique =D） dans un décor historique plus que réaliste （la prostitution， les salles de jeux etc。）Ce que j'adore particulièrement avec ce livre （et les suivants aussi） c'est de voir l'évolution des mœurs et de la façon de penser de la société （les personnages des premiers livres comme ici sont beaucoup plus durs mais les générations d'après sont plus ouverts d'esprit et on sent l'influence de l'industrialisation =D）Bref， encore une fois un livre que j'ai dévoré sans modération =D~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ohhh a Lisa Kleypas book that I took way too long to read =DAs usual， Lisa Kleypas manages to write an original historical romance with female heroines who are far from being stereotypes （a woman writer =D） and male heroes who we want to kidnap =D （this scene at the ball <3） And all with a fascinating plot （it's cliché but I love the villain ex =D） in a more than realistic historical setting （prostitution， gambling halls etc。）What I particularly adore about this book （and the following ones too） is to see the evolution of customs and the way of thinking of society （the characters of the first books like here are much harsher but the generations of 'later are more open-minded and we feel the influence of industrialization =D）In short， once again a book that I devoured without moderation =D 。。。more
Bee ♡♪
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The LK that wrote Devil In winters and this CANNOT be the same。 I refuse to accept it。
Marisa
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I feel like I am receiving a Romancelandia badge for finally reading this book。 It is one of the most-talked-about， most-highly-recommended historical romances I’ve encountered in interactions with Romancelandia and I am so happy I finally have joined the ranks of Team Derek Craven。 But I am also Team Sara Fielding， so let’s not get it twisted。 There was a lot of delight for me here。 Sara is independent and headstrong with a mind full of aspirations and a determination that is not easily deterre I feel like I am receiving a Romancelandia badge for finally reading this book。 It is one of the most-talked-about， most-highly-recommended historical romances I’ve encountered in interactions with Romancelandia and I am so happy I finally have joined the ranks of Team Derek Craven。 But I am also Team Sara Fielding， so let’s not get it twisted。 There was a lot of delight for me here。 Sara is independent and headstrong with a mind full of aspirations and a determination that is not easily deterred。 She is devoted to telling her stories with accuracy， compassion， and attention to detail， which brings her to cross Derek’s path in the first place， and I knew from the opening of this novel that I would love her all the way through。 Both Sara and Derek are seen as “odd” by others in their own ways because Sara comes from a tiny， small-minded town and a courtship that has involved her minimizing herself to live up to expectations that feel more cage than comfort。 Derek has seen the worst of everything life has to offer since the first time he took in air， and there’s an emptiness inside him that he longs to fill with his accomplishments while refusing to show his hand when it comes to his emotions。 Both are， in a way， bound to the expectations others have for them—how they should behave， with whom they should consort。 They both long for more but are expected to always “know their place”。 It’s not until they meet in yet another dark moment of Derek’s life in an alley that fate steps in to show them both that they are capable of more than those rigid expectations have allowed them。 And they are capable of breaking free of these cages together。 We absolutely adore a man who thinks he’s incapable of love finally accepting that he’s all the better for finally allowing himself to feel it。 And the wonderful juxtaposition of Derek rising to glory and power in this dark world but being SO INCREDIBLY SOFT in the way he cares for Sarah is that good shit I like。 Furthermore， I love the way Derek embraces who Sara as she is。 Sure， he is protective and terrified of losing her - a man who has never had something so important as someone to love being bestowed upon him would be - but he never once expects Sara to abandon her life as a writer， nor does he shame her for simply WANTING。 I just。。。this was a treat。 I will whole-heartedly revisit it。 And now I gotta go listen to the Dreaming of You and Derek Craven day episodes of Fated Mates。 。。。more
Taylor （taylorcatherinemareads）
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I have to say that romance bookstagram heavily influenced me to read this book。 I mean I found out there’s a week dedicated to Derek Craven， the hero in this book， and I just knew I needed to read it asap。 Also， it doesn’t hurt that it’s a Lisa Kleypas book， who I mentioned in my past post， I absolutely love！。。The premise of a woman writer， our heroine， saving a certain hero from harm and then asking to tour his gaming hell for writing material is just an amazing premise in general。 Then throw i I have to say that romance bookstagram heavily influenced me to read this book。 I mean I found out there’s a week dedicated to Derek Craven， the hero in this book， and I just knew I needed to read it asap。 Also， it doesn’t hurt that it’s a Lisa Kleypas book， who I mentioned in my past post， I absolutely love！。。The premise of a woman writer， our heroine， saving a certain hero from harm and then asking to tour his gaming hell for writing material is just an amazing premise in general。 Then throw in amazing side characters， amazing chemistry between the main characters， and sunshine one & grumpy one trope that makes for one perfect historical romance book。。。It also had enough tension and angst where your heart was physically hurting for these characters and you just wanted to shout at them to just be with each other already！ I definitely know now why people love this book and Derek Craven so much and next time Derek Craven Week comes around， I will be celebrating with everyone else。 。。。more
Page Passion
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So far St。 Vincent is still the best Kleypas hero。 However， I see the appeal of Derek Craven。 This is beloved romance and initially I couldn’t get into it。 This time around， I’m more familiar with Kleypas work and she really doesn’t follow the typical romance formula。 The thing with this book is the beginning pacing。 It gets better at the halfway mark and really doesn’t stop。 Plenty of drama and sexy moments to keep readers enthralled。 Oh， Derek。 You sweet， tortured man。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dreaming of You
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dreaming of You&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dreaming of You&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0