Review by Ronny
Series Name: The Gamblers of Craven’s, # 2
Dreaming of You is proof that Lisa Kleypas is a master at her craft.
Favourite Quote:
Lodged at the bottom of the reticule was the extra pair of spectacles. Derek examined them minutely, the round lenses, the dainty steel frame, the small curved earpieces. He squinted through them at the words she had written. After he folded the spectacles, he placed them in his coat pocket and closed the reticule. When Sara discovered the spectacles were missing, she would assume she had left them somewhere, as she often did. It was the first act of outright thievery he had committed in ten years. But he had to have them. He wanted to own a little piece of her.
Book Synopsis:
She stood at danger’s threshold—then love beckoned her in.
A prim, well-bred gentlewoman, Sara Fielding is a writer who puts pen to paper to create dreams. But now curiosity is luring her from the shelter of her country cottage into the dangerous world of Derek Craven—handsome, tough, and tenacious—and the most exciting man Sara has ever met.
Derek rose from poverty to become the wealthy lord of London’s most exclusive gambling house. And now duty demands that he allow Sara Fielding to enter his perilous realm of ever-shifting fortunes—with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But there is a hidden strength and sensuality to the lady that captivates him beyond his better judgment.
And in this world, where danger lurks behind every shadow, even a proper “mouse” can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress—and a cynical gambler can be shaken to his core by the power of passion and the promise of love.
Review:
Every time I read this book, I fall more and more in love with it. Dreaming of You is probably one of my top three Lisa Kleypas books. There are so many things to love, adore, and obsess about when it comes to this story and its characters. Now, before I go gushing about why I love this book so much, I feel like I should say that this book was written in the early 90’s and even though I would say the majority of the book ages well, there are some things that may not click with some modern-day romance bookworms. My advice would be to try to remember that some of the terminology used in this book and how some of the characters act were considered the romance book norm during that time. So, if you can try and just gloss over those parts and enjoy the overall story and romance unfolding on the pages in this book because it’s a damn good love story.
One of the things that stands out the most for me (and many other bookworms) is Derek Craven’s character. There is just something so delicious, addictive, and wonderful about this man. For me, I feel like he is the archetype of that broken, broody, alpha male. Lisa has created a hero that encompasses all those qualities in Derek’s character, making a reader’s heart beat a little faster and swoon whenever he is on the page. His character is also surprisingly complex and has a tremendous amount of depth. We learn about his past from other characters in the book and from Sara’s prying information from him. We find out that he was born in a gutter, raised by sex workers, and has survived terrible and dangerous ordeals as a child, and yet somehow manages to become one of the richest and most feared men in England. He is a self-made man who is driven by this need to have more, whether it’s more money, more power, or just more of everything. Yes, Sara’s story and growth are important to the story, but Derek’s journey really stuck with me. He truly believes that he is not good enough for Sara and tries to push her away. Yet, no matter how hard he tries, he is drawn to her by a force that will not be denied. It is when he finally truly gives in to those feelings he has for Sara that he learns to be happy and to love.
Sara’s character doesn’t stand out as much as Derek’s, but I still enjoyed her and thought she was a great fit for the story. When we first meet, Sara is just hiding in an alleyway, observing those entering Craven’s gambling hall. She is trying to research the inner workings of an upper-class gambling hall for her upcoming book that she is writing. It’s while she is in the alleyway that she notices Derek is in trouble and rescues him. Sara’s journey is interesting and slightly unique. She has a surprising amount of freedom in this book. She travels and spends her time in places that no respectable woman would be, and her parents accept that she is capable of making her own decisions and trust her. There are no restrictions placed on her movement, which is unique for a heroine in a Regency romance, especially one written in the 90s. Sara’s growth is around her shedding those emotional restrictions that seemed to have been placed upon her. Perry, her beau, and growing up in a small town has caused Sara to become very emotionally reserved. She doesn’t have a lot of big emotional outbursts or reactions in the first bit of this book. But as she spends more time with Derek, that need to shed that respectable image grows until she decides she wants to experience those things that have been denied to her.
The romance is perfection. There is just the right amount of lust, angst, and drama to keep readers entertained and very happy. The main hurdle Sara and Derek have to overcome in this book is Derek’s all-consuming belief that he is no good for Sara and that if he has any relations with her, he will destroy the essence that makes Sara so special. Lisa makes Derek suffer, and I mean I suffer, in this book, but you are going to love watching this main suffer because you know that in the end, he is going to get his HEA with Sara. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two. For me, nothing is better than watching a hero be baffled and befuddled by the heroine. Poor Derek didn’t stand a chance when it came to his attraction to Sara. I loved Sara and Derek’s journey, and the epilogue is perfection… like I mean utter perfection.
Dreaming of You is an addictive Regency romance that you will want to read again and again.
