New Release: Dream On by Jennifer Hartmann

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A good romance book comes along every once in a while. You know, a romance that is going to break you in the best possible way. For me, anything with Jennifer Hartmann’s name on the cover automatically gets added to that list. She doesn’t just write romance, she writes emotional experiences. She writes stories that grip your heart by crushing it. Then, she carefully hands it back to you. She promises that even broken things can be made beautiful again.

Her latest release, Dream On, is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. From the very first line of the blurb, it’s clear this book will be overflowing with nostalgia. It will also be filled with angst and longing. It also promises the complicated love that keeps readers up way past bedtime. Fake dating and second chances? A celebrity-meets-small-town-girl setup? A love story rooted in both teenage dreams and adult realities? It’s giving everything.

This isn’t just a romance. It’s a story about what happens when the past comes roaring back into the now. It’s about the messy space between love and performance. It is about learning to navigate heartbreak when the whole world is watching. It’s also about daring to dream again even after your first ones have been shattered.

And honestly? I can’t wait to dive in.

WHAT IT IS ABOUT

Jennifer Hartmann sets the stage with a premise that feels both cinematic and deeply personal.

“Lexington Hall and I were never supposed to collide—he, the golden boy of Hollywood, and me, a small-town dreamer with stars in my eyes. But when we shared the stage in our high school musical, something ignited.”

Right away, I was hooked. This is not just the story of a chance meeting. It’s the fated spark that happens during adolescence. At that time, everything feels bigger. Things are louder. Everything seems more dramatic. Stevie St. James and Lexington Hall are two people who were never meant to cross paths, let alone share something so intense. Yet, for a moment in time, they did. And like most teenage romances, theirs burned fast and fell apart even faster.

But what makes this story unique is what comes after.

Four years later, Lex is no longer just the boy Stevie fell for. He’s a household name, a rising Hollywood star who has mined their shared past for creative inspiration. Their story isn’t just theirs anymore. It belongs to the world, plastered on screens and consumed by millions. Meanwhile, Stevie is left with the scars of what they once had. She is trying to build a life that feels steady. She lives in the shadow of others’ version of her story.

Then Lex shows up again.

“With millions obsessed over the ‘real’ Stevie St. James, Lex reappears with an offer too tempting to turn down: a fake romance to keep the buzz alive, in exchange for the financial freedom I desperately need.”

This is where the tension skyrockets. A fake romance is already fertile ground for drama and sparks. Add in their complicated history, the public’s obsession, and the raw vulnerability of old wounds. You have a setup that guarantees emotional intensity.

Stevie convinces herself she can play the part. Pretend to be the girl Lex needs her to be in front of the cameras. Pretend her heart isn’t still bruised from the first time around. But of course, feelings aren’t so easily boxed away. As the lines blur between what’s scripted and what’s real, Stevie is forced to confront the truth. Dreams are easy to chase. Nevertheless, love, the real kind, which is messy and unfiltered, cost her everything.

WHY I CAN’T WAIT

Where do I even start? This book feels tailor-made for romance readers who crave emotional depth alongside their favorite tropes. Here’s why Dream On has me so excited:

The Fake Relationship Trope Done Right

Fake dating is one of those tropes. I will never get tired of it. Hartmann knows how to do angst like no one else. The premise isn’t just about putting on a show for convenience. It’s about reclaiming power in a world where Stevie has lost control of her own narrative. By agreeing to this arrangement, she thinks she’s being practical. But anyone who has read a romance novel understands this. Pretending to be in love often exposes the real feelings still simmering beneath the surface.

A Second Chance at First Love

There’s something devastating and beautiful about reconnecting with the person who once held your heart. Lex and Stevie’s past has been turned into a public spectacle. This adds layers upon layers of conflict, longing, and unresolved emotion.

Celebrity + Small-Town Girl Dynamics

Hollywood glitz crashing into small-town realism? Yes, please. Millions adore Lex, but Stevie is different. Stevie sees past the spotlight to the person underneath. That balance of power, paired with the ache of history, creates a fascinating dynamic. I can’t wait to see it unfold.

Jennifer Hartmann’s Signature Style

If you’ve read Still Beating or Lotus, you already know Hartmann doesn’t write simple romances. She writes love stories that force you to feel. Her characters are raw and real, her prose lyrical yet grounded, and her themes universally resonant. I know this book is going to hurt, and I’m here for it.

Character Analysis

Stevie St. James

Stevie’s arc feels deeply relatable. She’s not the star. She’s not the one who cashed in on their story. She’s the girl left behind, trying to survive the aftermath of a love that shaped her but also broke her. What excites me about Stevie is her resilience. She’s practical, agreeing to Lex’s fake dating scheme because she needs financial security, but she’s also vulnerable. She embodies every dreamer who has had to rebuild after disappointment.

Lexington Hall

Lex is fascinating because he’s both hero and villain. He’s the boy who once made Stevie believe in magic. He’s also the man who exploited their past for his own gain. Yet beneath the fame, there’s clearly still that same boy who fell for her in high school. Watching him balance his Hollywood persona with his true self around Stevie is bound to be compelling, messy, and swoon-worthy.

Their Chemistry

The tension between Lex and Stevie is electric. From the high school musical stage to the staged romance for the cameras, their connection has always been about performance. Yet, the feelings underneath are real. That blurring of fiction and reality creates a constant will-they-won’t-they tension. I know it will have me flipping pages late into the night.

Themes and Emotional Takeaways

At its heart, Dream On is about much more than romance. Here are some of the themes that stand out:

• The Power of Storytelling: Who gets to control the narrative? Lex has the platform, but Stevie is the heart of the story.
• Second Chances: Can love survive not just time, but betrayal, exploitation, and heartbreak?
• Identity vs. Image: Lex’s celebrity world thrives on illusion, while Stevie struggles to hold onto her truth.
• Dreams and Reality: What happens when your dream collides with reality? How do you find the courage to dream again?
• Love as Risk: The quote on the promo image says it all,“To feel is life’s greatest honor. And I know now, the source of all of it is love.” This book is about daring to feel even when it hurts.

Hartmann’s romances always carry the message that pain and love are intertwined. That the risk of heartbreak is part of what makes love worth it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Jennifer Hartmann lives in Northern Illinois with her husband and three kids. She balances family life with writing emotional romances. She’s known for her sharp wit, her love of tacos, and her talent for finding humor in everyday life. When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her biking, traveling, or binge-watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns.

Her books have built her reputation as a master of angst. Readers often describe her writing as cathartic, heart-wrenching, yet healing. She doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions. Instead, she leans into them to create stories that resonate long after the last page.

If you’re new to her work, prepare yourself. She’ll break you, but she’ll also remind you why we keep coming back to love stories in the first place.

Let’s Talk

Have you ever had a book that broke your heart but also made you grateful for the experience? That’s what Jennifer Hartmann does best, and I’m dying to know, are you ready for Dream On?

Are you a fan of fake dating? Do you love the second-chance trope? And most importantly, which Hartmann book wrecked you the hardest? Let’s swap stories in the comments.