Once She Dreamed part 1 - Review

Once She Dreamed #1

By: Abbi Glines

Published: October 10, 2016 by Smashwords

107 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library 

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:

Everyone in the small country town, Sammy Jo Knox had been born and raised, never left. They made their life there. Got married, had kids, lived in the same houses that were always there along the streets that never changed. The whole white picket fence and tree swing might look good on greeting cards but in real life it was boring, at least to Sammy Jo.

When Sammy Jo was a little girl she began dreaming of something bigger. Brighter. Something that wasn’t her town. She wanted to see the world and experience it all. Just how she was going to do that she had no idea. Because if her momma had her way she’d marry one of the boys in town and be spitting out babies and going to church on Sunday with them all lined up in a row.

The day Hale Christopher Jude III walked into the bakery she worked at, she knew he was it. That part of life she was missing. He smelled of foreign places and exciting things. He represented all the bright lights she dreamed of and simply put she hoped he was her way out of this place.

What Sammy Jo didn’t realize was things that appear perfect… aren’t. And chasing her dreams could lead to something very different.

MY REVIEW:
My first thought was "aw man, this is super short!" However, what I discovered after reading it is that this is intended to be a "novella series". I honestly didn't know that was such a thing and I definitely didn't know this before coming across it. But for $.99 I didn't mind snatching it up since I had some gift card money left over. It's not super deep or emotional, but it's entertaining and a super fast read for YA/NA contemporary romance fans.

Set in Alabama, which Abbi tends to write a lot about since she lives there (as do I), I appreciated the use of real town names: Moulton, Cullman, Florence. Small town girl, Sammy Jo, lives in Moulton, Alabama. And let me tell you, having lived near there for a year and half during my sophmore year through junior year of high school, I can atest to the fact that Moulton is indeed a very small, country town. For the purpose of the story, I thought the town choice was fantastic. A small town where most people are farmers and nobody leaves - they go to school, get married, have kids, rinse and repeat. Sammy Jo wants MORE than that life though. She wants to see the world. She wants to experience big city living. She wants to travel and live an adventure outside of Alabama. So when "Mr. Expensive" walks in the bakery where she works, and then keeps coming back, she becomes enamoured with him and what his appearance of wealth might mean for her. Such that when he offers her a job taking care of his penthouse in New York City she nervously takes a leap of faith and accepts.

However the vibe we get once she gets settled in and Mr. Hale comes for a stay at his penthouse, is that he may be more than a legit buisnessman, he's secretive at best about his work, and he may want more from her than just her cooking and cleaning skills. One thing is clear though, he intends to change her to look the new part of the city girl - country girl in plain clothes just won't work in New York City. Even her name isn't going to work for the circles of people he's around. The question remained in my head, how much is she willing to change for this new world?

That's about where the story ends. Like I said, it's short so we really just get the foundation of what's to come in book two. We get a bit of juice before it ends leaving you wanting more. I'm intrigued and will be immediately snatching up book two when it releases.

Top Favorite Quotes:
"Guess when you love someone, where they are is where you'll be."

"Just remember Sammy Jo, not all fairy tales are real, true or wise. Firstly, they are tales. There's more to a man than his money and what he can gift you with his wallet. It's his heart that matters most."

"That's why," he said softly as his lips finally broke. "We fit. Perfectly together."

Language: 1 (light)
Mature Content: 2 (medium)
Final Rating: 3.5 stars