I didn’t mean to review three lesbian romcoms back to back, but here we are lol.

In Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake, the titular main character is comfortable with her quiet life in Clover Lake, working as a barista. She gave up on her dream of being a costume designer in Hollywood long ago, after her single dad broke his leg and needed help raising Ramona’s younger sister. So when Hollywood comes to her—in the form of a new queer romcom being filmed in town—she’s determined to not care… At least, she doesn’t care until she learns that her designer icon will be part of the crew, and Dylan Monroe is one of the lead actors. Dylan, daughter of two famous musicians, has been a mess for years, in the tabloids almost constantly, but Ramona remembers her from their chance encounter at the beach when they were both thirteen—when they instantly felt a connection, and shared their first kiss. Unfortunately, it seems that, once they reunite, Dylan doesn’t remember Ramona. But does Ramona even want her to remember?

I’ve read several books by this author, and I think this is one of her best ones so far. From the Hollywood drama to the small town gossip, there’s a lot of entertainment here. But there’s also a lot of heart, as both Ramona and Dylan have to grapple with a lot of emotional struggle as they navigate their love story.

For a start, I really liked Ramona. She’s a very sweet person, prepared to sacrifice herself to take care of others, even if it’s clear that deep down she still has dreams of her own. And Dylan is also quite sympathetic, having been raised by unreliable rockstar parents who she can’t quite bring herself to trust, even now that they’re clean and committed to making up for past mistakes. She has a lot of understandable self-doubt, and being so intensely in the public eye doesn’t help. I liked seeing both women evolve over the course of the book, in what was to me quite organic and believable character development.

The side characters are fun too, like Ramona’s best friend April, her sister Olive, and Dylan’s prickly costar Blair. In fact, all the supporting cast was solid. This makes for a lot of engaging scenes, even when the main romance plot isn’t center stage. And as for the romance, I liked it, especially how Ramona and Dylan have a history and now get a second chance. I didn’t love how some of the drama they dealt with had to do with them not communicating properly, but it did make sense narratively why they didn’t. Still, I just don’t love that trope. But overall, they’re good together, and I was invested in their relationship.

I should note, though, that Blake writes spicy books, so if you aren’t interested in reading books with multiple explicit sex scenes (in this case also involving some light kink), this is not one for you. If you do like that kind of thing, though, read away!

In the end, Dream On, Ramona Riley is pretty delightful. A charming setting, relatable and realistic characters, and a lovely love story come together in a marvelous way. I loved the themes about forgiving yourself and others, about learning to prioritize yourself, and about taking chances for love. The elements of Hollywood glamor contrasted with small town comfort is really fun, and I had a wonderful time reading this. The audiobook, narrated by Gail Shalan, is excellent.

Dream On, Ramona Riley is available now!