Natasha's Dream by Heather Greenis

I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

First Impression: Nice clean cover, and interesting premise about growing up and the choices we make.

Characters: Keeghan and Will are a married couple in the present time, and this first installment covers their meet-cute towards the end. Natasha and Stewart were young people from different worlds, who fell in love long ago. I found these characters from the past spoke true to their time, and reacted appropriately.

World Building: The story of Natasha is told through a dream Keeghan has while napping one day outside her beachfront property. Earlier, Keeghan and her husband Will had found an old bottle with a royal portrait inside. The young princess in the portrait is Natasha, and Keeghan dreams of a good portion of Natasha’s life while asleep. The main story focuses on love, and feels like how Romeo and Juliet would have turned out if they had been a bit smarter.

Writing Style: I enjoyed author Heather Greenis' story-within-a-dream element, and it was easy to follow along. I found the writing in general told me rather than showed me the story unfolding, which lead to a bit of detachment. There were a few instances where dialogue used didn’t seem to fit Natasha’s historic period, but that is easily fixed in future books I’m sure.

What I Liked: I’m drawn into stories of love worth fighting for and breaking down walls of normalcy. I appreciated all the elements that tied together, and would read the next installment.

Deal Benders: “Natasha’s Dream” contained a few sex scenes that don’t jive with the genre. These scenes never seem to add to the story anyway, in my opinion. Are people in love only after they have sex? Let’s keep the ‘romance’ books where they belong over there in the corner. I also felt there was a bit of rushing at the end of the story but no resolution with Keeghan and Will’s timeline. I understand sequels carry on stories, but there needs to be an even break off point.

Overall Rating: I give this book 3 stars because I do like it overall. I would have to see if some of the kinks are worked out in the next installment to give more stars.

For Fans Of: Nicholas Sparks