Book Review: In Your Dreams

I have been so excited to finally read James and Madison’s story in the Rome, Kentucky series by Sarah Adams, so I immediately preordered In Your Dreams last year and finally read it last week.

As mentioned above, In Your Dreams follows Madison Walker and James Huxley. There has been little hints of something between them and tension throughout the series so I was really excited to read their book. Madison left her teaching job and her hometown of Rome two years ago to go to New York and attend culinary school. She came back for a bit in Beg, Borrow, or Steal contemplating quitting school because things weren’t going how she thought they would, but her older sister, Emily, convinced her to go back. When the novel begins, Madison is graduating from culinary school after just passing and having a nightmare of an internship with a renowned chef. During an emotional night, Emily tries to get ahold of Emily to talk to her, but accidentally calls James.

James Huxley has been friends with all of the Walker siblings since they were kids and is best friends with Noah, Madison’s brother. He is a farmer and owner of Huxley Farms, inheriting it from his parents now that they’ve retired to Florida and James’ brother is a hotshot restaurateur in California. He’s also secretly been in love with Madison for years. So when Madison accidentally calls him one night and is on the verge of tears about not having a job lined up after culinary school and being homesick, but not wanting to come home jobless and have her siblings and the town think that this is another thing she has failed at, he offers her a job as executive chef to the restaurant he is opening in the old greenhouse on his farm. She is ecstatic at the opportunity, but nervous because her internship experience has left her feeling less than confident in her abilities. James is happy that he can help Madison and that she will be coming home. The problem? He now needs to open a restaurant and get his brother, Tommy, to help him get an investor to open the restaurant. If the restaurant is successful, it will help the farm that has been struggling lately. But, if it isn’t it could be the thing that brings down the farm.

We follow Madison figure out what her vision for the restaurant is and build her confidence in the kitchen back up while James figures out how to keep the farm going without sacrificing his health due to the stress of it all. And through it all, the two friends become best friends and their secret feelings for each other grow even stronger.

I loved Madison and James. The yearning and longing in this book was thick and addictive. I loved the development of their relationship from friends to lovers. It was one of the best friends to lovers examples I’ve read. And I love that James is so enmeshed in her family and vice versa. The only thing I wish was in this book is an epilogue, especially because it’s the last book in the series. I wish there was a big wrap-up of where all the couples are in a few years and just a general closing out of the series. The ending to this book just seemed like a regular ending to a standalone novel, not the 4th book in an interconnected series where the Walker siblings are all main characters in the books. I, like many readers, became so invested in Rome, Kentucky, the Walker siblings, and the other characters that I needed something more at the end.

Other than not having an epilogue, I loved the book.

Read this if you want a spicy romcom with lots of yearning and the small town and friends to lovers tropes.

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