Sara and Melissa Talk About...Dreams

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are currently in our fifth year!

This month, we are talking about dreams. We tend to email each other when we have strange dreams and Sara even sent Melissa a dream analysis book one year as a birthday gift because of this. 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Melissa Amster:

I keep getting the song "Dreams" by The Cranberries in my head whenever I think about this topic. It's a good song though! In any case, I have had so many crazy dreams over the years. Some end up being pretty vivid and some disappear as soon as I wake up. For this post, I'm just going to share what I dream about most frequently. Keep in mind, I have zero control over my dreams.

1. Ex-boyfriends. I clearly do not manifest this into my dreams as they are not in my life anymore, but somehow they show up in my dreams a lot. Especially the one I don't even want to dream about at all. And that just gets so annoying each time he shows up. 

2. The friend from college who ghosted me over 20 years ago. I'm sure this could be attributed to unfinished business and not getting any closure, but she will just show up in random places during my dreams and we'll end up having conversations. Most of the time, we somehow reconnect as friends.

3. Work. It consumes enough of my life that it's natural I would dream about doing work. I can even see the work I'm doing on my computer in my dream! I used to dream about my previous job sometimes, as well as being back in the office where I used to work. 

4. Entertainment venues. Weirdly, a lot of the time I end up at sports arenas or ball parks. I don't like sports, so this is odd. I occasionally have a theater dream but those are pretty crazy too. I remember having one before I saw Company, where I was at the theater but was completely blocked from seeing the stage at all. I've probably been to a few movie theaters in my dreams too. 

5. My nephew. I have had a bunch of dreams where I am spending time with my (almost) two year-old nephew. Sometimes he's talking and other times he's just being sweet and affectionate. 

6. Having babies. I am way past done having babies and am happy being the mom of teenagers, but I still have dreams where I'll be giving birth or ending up with a baby of my own somehow.

7. Friends I am close with, even if I haven't met them in person or last saw them in person a long time ago. I think Sara was even in one of the dreams a while back! 

I think I've given up trying to analyze the dreams by this point in time, even though I still have the book on my dresser. 

Sara Steven:

I can’t remember any of my more recent dreams. I’m not sure what that means. I used to have some pretty vivid dreams and what I’d felt at times were important premonitions that sprouted from the dreams, but that happened a lot more often in my youth and not as often in recent years. 

There was the time I dreamt of an ex-boyfriend, who I later ran into in person that same day! I can’t remember the details of the dream–only that I didn’t feel at all surprised when I saw him at the local roller rink. It had been two years since we’d broken up. I still feel like the universe was trying to give me a head’s up about that encounter.

Then there was a dream I’d had regarding a guy I’d been dating, who appeared as some sort of mystical vampire literally sucking the life force from me. Fangs in neck. Copious amounts of blood. Apparently his true-to-life leeching showcased itself within my dream, indicating it was time to let the bloodsucker go.

When I was pregnant with my second child, I had a dream that I was hanging out at an indoor pool where newborn babies swaddled in either pink or blue blankets floated around, waiting their turn to be placed within the arms of expectant mothers. Attending women moved around within the shallow water, handing over baby after baby, and when it was my turn, I’d been given a newborn wrapped in blue. I protested, sure there had been some sort of mistake. “But I’m having a girl,” I said. I was sure of it. The attendant shrugged and carried on with her duties, while I gazed deeply into the hazel green eyes of a sweet little bald baby who later turned out to be my little guy in real life–he lost most of his hair after he was born, and he still has the prettiest hazel eyes.

Then there was the dream I’d had with a good friend of mine who fought valiantly after receiving a stage four cancer diagnosis. At the time, I was in another state, visiting family for the holidays when I dreamed of my friend, sitting in a pick-up truck, slurping on a chocolate milkshake. She was never one for milkshakes, but this time, she shrugged and said, “It doesn’t matter now,” giving me one of her famous loud laughs that I’ve missed every single day since I last heard it. I told her I wasn’t ready for her to go, but she told me if I ever needed her, I knew where to find her, and she looked up into a bright blue sky, smiling. I woke up to my cell phone ringing, with a call from her sister that our beloved friend, sister, and mother had passed on. 

I do think dreams can tell you what your subconscious is trying to get you to factor in, or better understand, especially if you have something going on in your life that ends up manifesting into dreamland. But I also think dreams can be a calling card or a way to revisit our loved ones, especially the ones that we miss and haven’t spoken to or seen in a very long time. 

What do you dream about?

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Book Review: One Perfect Couple

By Jami Denison

British author Ruth Ware is often compared to Agatha Christie, and her books are brilliant takes on Christie’s classic locked-door mysteries. Her latest book, One Perfect Couple, is a modern telling of Christie’s famous And Then There Were None, along with a dose of The Lord of the Flies. When five couples sail to a desert island to compete on a reality TV show, the stakes are more than roses and fame—they’re life and death.

Virus researcher Lyla has hit a dead end with her latest project—the numbers just don’t add up. When her boyfriend, struggling actor Nico, is offered an opportunity to compete on the new reality TV series One Perfect Couple, it seems like a great chance to take a break. The couples will fly to Jakarta, then take a seven-hour boat ride to a new island resort in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Along with Lyla and Nico, the other couples include Conor and Zana, Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, and Joel and Romi. The players hunker down for the duration: No phones or laptops, a game that lasts six to eight weeks.

But after the first challenge, a violent storm batters the island, leaving two people dead, others injured, the electricity off, and no way to contact the boat. As the survivors band together to salvage what’s left of the food and water, it gradually becomes clear that one of them is a danger to the rest. And then the dying starts.

One Perfect Couple unfolds at a dizzying pace, even in the early scenes setting up Lyla and Nico’s relationship and the later parts of the book when days turn into weeks. Ware’s narrative voice is perfect for suspense, and unlike many authors in the genre, she writes in the past tense, making it easier for the reader to lose herself in the prose. Lyla is the first-person narrator, and as a scientist who doesn’t watch reality TV, she’s an ideal stand-in for the reader.  

Interspersed with Lyla’s narration is the diary that Zana updates as events unfold. And Zana’s take is a lot different than Lyla’s descriptions. But her entries are so short and seem so divorced from the experience of trying to survive on a desert island that I never doubted Lyla’s account, and I wondered Ware’s purpose for including the diary. That reasoning doesn’t come clear until the end, when it plays a part in tying everything together. 

There were a few twists that I’d anticipated that did not play out. The book is a lot more straightforward than other offerings in the genre, and readers expecting to be tricked may be disappointed. By the end, though, I was happy that my predictions didn’t come to fruition. Rather than playing games with her readers, Ware is able to tell two stories: One about a group of people stranded on a desert island, and the other about toxic masculinity, the importance of trusting a fear response, and how our culture is set up to both glorify and excuse its perpetrators. This “second story” is another way in which Ware resembles Christie. Many of Dame Agatha’s murder mysteries, especially Miss Marple’s, have subtle messaging about sexism and abuse of women. 

One Perfect Couple is another home run for one of Britain’s leading crime fiction writers. Every fan of the genre should have her books in their libraries.

Thanks to Gallery for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Ruth Ware:
The It Girl
One by One
Zero Days

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Say "bonjour" to Kimberly Belle...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

Ever since I read The Marriage Lie, Kimberly Belle has become one of my go-to thriller writers. She always manages to keep me in suspense and guessing from beginning to end. And my heart races each time. I'm excited to celebrate the recent publication of her latest thriller, The Paris Widow, which earned five stars from me. (Reviewed here.) Be sure to buckle up for this armchair adventure, and check out our interview in the meantime. Thanks to Emi Battaglia PR, we have one copy to give away!

Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author with over one million copies sold worldwide, with titles including The Paris Widow, The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller, and the co-authored #1 Audible Original, Young Rich Widows. Kimberly’s novels have been optioned for film and television and selected by LibraryReads and Amazon & Apple Books Editors as Best Books of the Month, and the International Thriller Writers as nominee for best book of the year. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam. 

Visit Kimberly online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * TikTok 

Synopsis:

When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics.

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

An irresistible, fast-paced read set in some of Europe’s most inviting locales, The Paris Widow explores how sinister secrets of the past stay with us—no matter how far we travel. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"I was glued to the pages of The Paris Widow! I couldn't stop reading and was blown away by the twists and turns. One of my favorite reads this year!" 

—Freida McFadden, New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid

“The Paris Widow is irresistible from the very first page. Simultaneously glamorous and harrowing, full of danger and excitement, with a passionate love story at its heart, this is the definition of a page-turner. I devoured it and so will you.” 

—Michele Campbell, internationally bestselling author of The Intern

"The Paris Widow is a gripping tale that takes you on a thrilling journey through some of the most enchanting locales of Europe. This book is a must-read for those seeking an enthralling escape into a world where danger and intrigue intersect with the enduring echoes of past secrets. Belle has crafted an irresistible page-turner that keeps you hooked from the first page until the very end." 

—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?

Just one? Hmm, hard to choose, but I think I would tell myself to stay true to the stories I really want to write. It’s so easy to let yourself get swayed by what editors think is best for your “brand” or what the market is clamoring for, and though you definitely shouldn’t ignore market trends, the best stories are the ones that demand to be told. Write the story that speaks to you, I’d tell myself, and the right readers will find it.

How is Stella similar to or different from you?

Stella and I share a keen wanderlust. Like her, I’m always thinking about my next trip, my next foreign adventure. As a former flight attendant, though, Stella has seen a lot more of the world than I have. She’d be a great travel partner, and the kind of loyal and fun person I’d choose as a friend. 

How much research did you have to do in order to bring Paris to life on the page?

The kind of research that meant multiple visits to Paris, thankfully. I stood at the base of the Eiffel Tower when it lit up at night. I walked the same piece of the Seine I chase Stella down. I drank café au lait and ate galettes at so many sidewalk cafés that I lost count. What is it they say? Paris is always a good idea, and all my visits really made the city come alive for me as I was writing.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

Kristin Wiig. She was so fabulous in Palm Royale, and her accent was spot on. I’m nowhere near as funny as she is, but I’m always happy to laugh at my own expense. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?

While I’m spending a few weeks in the US for the book’s release, the rest of the summer I’ll be in Amsterdam –a season the city really comes alive. We’d start with a boat trip through the canals, the very best way to see the city, and make stops at some of the best highlights. The Anne Frank House, of course, along with the Rijks and Van Gogh museums, and no trip to Amsterdam is complete without a visit to the Red Light District. Smack in the middle of the chaos there is one of my favorite sights in the city, Our Lord in the Attic Museum, a 17th century canal home with a Catholic church in the attic. It’s an important bit of Dutch history—hidden churches like this one were tolerated by the Protestant city government., and vice versa when the Catholics were in charge. Even today, Dutch people are known for their live-and-let-live attitude.

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?

I watch more TV than movies these days, but I really loved American Fiction. It was such a scathing satire of the publishing industry, and a lot of it felt uncomfortably familiar. It’s a film that’s hilarious and entertaining but also very relevant, and not subtle about its themes. 

Thanks to Kimberly for chatting with us and to Emi Battaglia PR for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends June 23rd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Summer Escape

By Melissa Smoot

Anna Moore didn’t just wake up one day and decide to go on a wild quest—especially since her life no longer lends itself to wild anything—so how in the world does she end up racing against the clock with Owen Harris, a sexy, enigmatic adventurist, to prove her beloved dad innocent of stealing a million-dollar necklace? 

It’s all Wendy’s fault. Her older, bossy sister, who’s seven months pregnant and on bed rest in their small Lake Tahoe hometown, is desperate to clear their departed dad’s name. Owen, though, is convinced he’s guilty as hell and wants to return the jewelry back to its rightful owner—his elderly great aunt. Together Anna and Owen go on a scavenger hunt for clues to the past (with Wendy remotely along for the ride via an earbud, supplying a running wry commentary to boot).  

On opposing sides and suspicious of each other as they are, Anna and Owen still can’t deny the inexplicable and explosive chemistry between them on this heart-stopping adventure, the outcome of which will prove the necklace isn’t the only thing stolen—their hearts have been as well. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This is the second book I have read by Shalvis, and I enjoyed it as much as the previous one (The Bright Spot--reviewed here). The author has a way of making her characters so relatable and realistic. Just as in the last book I read of hers, there is a fun and quirky cast of characters to round out the story. I really like how the books in this series (Sunrise Cove Series) are all set in beautiful Lake Tahoe. Shalvis describes the scenery so wonderfully and it adds more depth to the plot.

The Summer Escape had a lot of humor as well as heartfelt and thoughtful moments. I felt that it was extremely well-rounded, and the last few chapters kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how we got the backstories for all the main characters and why the mystery of some missing items mattered to each of them. When Anna Moore finds something mysterious in her deceased fathers belongings, it leads her on an adventure that she never could have imagined. When Owen Harris shows up claiming what Anna found was stolen from his great aunt, things take an interesting turn. 

It isn’t until the end that we learn what really happened, but the road to get there was a fun one. I fell in love with Anna and Owen, and even Anna’s sometimes annoying older sister, Wendy. This book is the perfect “summer escape” if you are looking for a dreamy mental getaway.

Thanks to HarperCollins for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jill Shalvis:
Second Chance Summer
Lost and Found Sisters

The Family You Make 

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Book Review: Every Time We Say Goodbye

By Melissa Smoot

In 1955, Vivien Lowry is facing the greatest challenge of her life. Her latest play, the only female-authored play on the London stage that season, has opened in the West End to rapturous applause from the audience. The reviewers, however, are not as impressed as the playgoers and their savage notices not only shut down the play but ruin Lowry's last chance for a dramatic career. With her future in London not looking bright, at the suggestion of her friend, Peggy Guggenheim, Vivien takes a job in as a script doctor on a major film shooting in Rome’s Cinecitta Studios. There she finds a vibrant movie making scene filled with rising stars, acclaimed directors, and famous actors in a country that is torn between its past and its potentially bright future, between the liberation of the post-war cinema and the restrictions of the Catholic Church that permeates the very soul of Italy.

As Vivien tries to forge a new future for herself, she also must face the long-buried truth of the recent World War and the mystery of what really happened to her deceased fiancé. Every Time We Say Goodbye is a brilliant exploration of trauma and tragedy, hope and renewal, filled with dazzling characters both real and imaginary. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Even though I opted to review this book, I am not typically a big reader of historical fiction, so I did not know how I would feel about this story. I loved it! The setting in beautiful Italy, and the glitz and glamour of the movie industry pulled me in right away. I liked how the author jumped back and forth between 1943 Italy, when the war was still going on, and Post-war Italy in 1955. By adding in the backstory of 1943 Italy, it gave me such a rich and deep understanding of how the characters became their present 1955 selves, and the trauma and terror they experienced prior. 

Most of the books I have read about the war are centered around Austria and Germany, so the setting in Italy gave me another perspective as to what the world was going through at that time. It was interesting how large of a role the Catholic church played in whether citizens could watch certain movies, or if they could even be written and filmed. The political clout they held was staggering. 

Each character in the story had suffered their own heartbreaks throughout the war. This created a sense of community and a shared understanding for the individual tragedies. The children separated from parents, husbands, sons, and fathers being ripped from families, and the prisoners of war and refugees during the Nazi occupation were all part of the story. I felt that Jenner beautifully portrayed the sense of stoicism that most people probably felt after coming out on the other side of such a war. 

Every Time We Say Goodbye is an incredible book to add to your list if you are looking for a brilliant, yet touching story that will draw you in  and leave you breathless.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Natalie Jenner:
The Jane Austen Society
Bloomsbury Girls

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Elyssa Friedland hits the jackpot!

Credit: Lucia Engstrom

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I have read all of Elyssa Friedland's novels and have enjoyed each one. The family sagas are especially interesting, and I hope she'll eventually do one about a wedding because there's always so much going on. Her latest family saga, Jackpot Summer, is her best one yet! I had such a fun time getting to know the "Jackpot Jacobsons" and joining them on their lottery journey. I will be reviewing this novel as soon as I can, but you can check out my Bookstagram post in the meantime. (I had fun with a Monopoly set.) Jackpot Summer is newly released this week and I enjoyed asking Elyssa some questions about it, as well as seeing her answers.

Elyssa Friedland is the author of five novels and a forthcoming picture book. She attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News, and is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She worked as an associate at a major firm before turning to writing full-time. She teaches an undergraduate course at Yale called Contemporary Novel Writing. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, LitHub, POPSUGAR, RealSimple.com, Bustle, Modern Bride, New York magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, CBS MarketWatch.com, Yale Alumni Magazine, and more. Elyssa resides in New York City with her husband, three children and puppy.

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL was a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and a Book of the Month selection. It was the OneBook, One Hadassah selection for August 2022 and is currently in its 5th printing. THE FLOATING FELDMANS was a People Magazine “People Pick” and a “SkimmReads” selection and was praised by Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and more. 

Elyssa loves wine, ice cream, Forensic Files, and texting her friends obsessively. (Bio adapted from Elyssa's website.)

Visit Elyssa online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

The four Jacobson children were raised to respect the value of a dollar. Their mother reused tea bags and refused to pay retail; their father taught them to budget before he taught them to ride a bike. And yet, now that they’re adults, their financial lives are in disarray.

 

The siblings reunite when their newly widowed father puts their Jersey Shore beach house on the market. Packing up childhood memories isn’t easy, especially when there’s other drama brewing. Matthew is miserable at his corporate law job and wishes he had more time with his son; Laura’s marriage is imploding in spectacular fashion; Sophie’s art career is stalled while her boyfriend’s is on the rise; and Noah’s total failure to launch has him doing tech repair for pennies.

 

When Noah sees an ad for a Powerball drawing, he and his sisters go in on tickets while their brother Matthew passes.  All hell breaks loose when one of the tickets is a winner and three of the four Jacobsons become overnight millionaires. Without their mother’s guidance, and with their father busy playing pickleball in a Florida retirement village, the once close-knit siblings search for comfort in shiny new toys instead of each other.

 

It’s not long before the Jacobsons start to realize that they’ll never feel rich unless they can pull their family back together. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
To chill out. That so much of a book's success is out of the author's hands. It's about timing, luck and some magical alchemy that publishers are still trying to figure out. While it's good to work hard and promote the book, it's important that it doesn't come at the expense of one's mental health and other priorities. 
 
What were the biggest rewards and challenges of writing Jackpot Summer?
I enjoyed learning so much about real-life lottery winners. Learning how many lottery winners soon go bankrupt and are unhappy despite the windfall shocked me. I enjoyed exploring the reasons why this occurred - it helped me gain perspective on my own goals and what I assume will make me happy. It was challenging to create characters that felt entirely new and fresh from my other books. I write sprawling family dramedies and I want each book to feel totally unique, which each family and its members to be new and interesting. 
 
If Jackpot Summer was made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack?
"Money, Money, Money" by ABBA
"Mo Money Mo Problems" by Notorious BIG
 
If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
Central Park. It dazzles me every time. And my favorite bookstores around New York City. 
 
If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Julia Louis-Dreyfuss
 
If you won the lottery, what are three things you would put some of the money toward?
Cancer research, my children's education and a beach house in Malibu

Thanks to Elyssa for chatting with us and to Berkley for coordinating the interview.

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Book Review: The Seaside Sisters

By Melissa Smoot

One summer can change everything.

Brooklyn-based Hannah is a bestselling author struggling to write her second book after personal losses. Her older sister, Sara, still lives in Chatham, Cape Cod, where they grew up, and is married with four children. Once a dedicated librarian, Sara dreams of reviving her love affair with literature, but instead, she is stuck with too many family responsibilities and a fizzling marriage.

When Hannah gets the chance to retreat to her aunt's oceanfront house in Chatham for the summer, it seems like just the thing to get her creative juices flowing. And she’ll be able to spend more time with Sara, who is eager to find her way back into the workforce, to do something rewarding and book-related. The pair will spend the summer making friends, rekindling romance— especially Spencer, an old acquaintance from high school-turned very hot grump— and opening themselves up to the magic of books and the beach. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

The Seaside Sisters is the quintessential beach read. The story takes place on Cape Cod, in a town called Chatham. Kelley made sure to not leave out any minor detail so that the reader feels as though they have been there before. I have been there, and I felt like the author described it perfectly. It is a dreamy little beach town and that feeling definitely came through in Kelley’s writing.

I really enjoyed this book and that the plot centered mostly around family, specifically two sisters and their aunt. I am very close with my own sister as well as all my aunts, so it made my heart feel warm to read about the love these characters shared with one another. There was the perfect balance of humor and emotion and I identified with the main character, Hannah, and her tough decision on whether to leave NYC and move home to the Cape, or not. 

All the secondary characters were loveable and warm, which I always enjoy. It wouldn’t be complete without at least one antagonist, but I liked the unexpected drama that was thrown in. I was really rooting for Hannah and her neighbor’s grandson, Spencer, but I wasn’t sure how things would pan out until the end, and it worked well. Add this to your beach read list immediately because it is perfect in every way.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Pamela Kelley:
The Bookshop by the Bay

The Restaurant

The Fifth Avenue Apartment

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