Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Book Review: In Your Dreams by Ginger Scott


In "In Your Dreams," we meet Casey Coffield. Casey's a DJ with an extraordinary talent for mixing songs so well, bodies on the dance floor are hypnotized by the beat he lays down for them. But, according to a few others, like Casey's father, Casey's a screwup.

After a video surfaces on YouTube of Murphy singing a song she wrote called, "In Your Dreams, Casey Coffield," Casey realizes that whoever the girl in this video is may not be HIS biggest fan. But, he immediately becomes HER biggest fan. Casey is enamored with her voice. He's convinced that he can make her a star.


Murphy Sullivan is a singer with purple hair, grey eyes, and a raspy voice. She works with kids by day part-time teaching music to kids in elementary school. By night, she signs herself up for Open Mic nights at a local bar called "Paul's." And, she's acquired a bit of a following. She's got a brother, Lane, who has Down's Syndrome and lives at home with Lane and their mother. She's college-educated and lacks the confidence she needs to put herself out there and go for that record deal that she wants badly but doesn't quite yet realize that she deserves to have one.

Casey knows Murphy was in the same high school class as he was but, he simply can't remember who she is or why she would write a song bearing his name that is NOT meant to be a compliment. What he does know is that her voice is something that needs to be heard. The other thing that Casey is completely sure of is that Murphy is not the type of girl that you use as a "wham, bam, thank you ma'am," or a "love 'em and leave 'em." Chase just knows by something instinctual that he needs to move slow with her, work with her, get to know her and that she's the kind you work to keep.


I've heard many refer to this particular novel of Ms. Scott's as a "slow burner." And guess what? If Casey's relationship with Murphy is the kind of relationship where Casey needs to work for her, then a "slow burner" it must be. You can't have the relationship going at one speed and the book flying on all pistons. Ms. Scott definitely chose right when setting the tone and the speed at the same pace. That does NOT mean that you will be able to put the book DOWN. Oh no! That is NOT going to happen. There's a big difference between a "slow burner" and a "slow reader."




Ms. Scott displayed two her best gifts (she has many more) in this novel just as she's done in her others: writing the first kiss scene and the "first time" scene. As I read the first kiss scene in "In Your Dreams," what I saw in my head was literally slowed down to slow motion.  Oh GAWD was it absolutely fabulous. You WILL go back and read it over and over. I even read this a few times OUT LOUD because I wanted to hear what I would sound like if I was the one reading the audiobook version. 

The coveted "first time" scene? I can't say much about the scene itself because that would be telling. Trust me, you don't want it spoiled for you. But, let's just say that the "always willing to be daring" Ms. Scott went a different kind of "all the way" with it. And the best part? She's so damned GREAT at how she writes these scenes, one feels like one is somewhat of a voyeur looking in on it all. Man, oh man, did I love "watching" THAT.


I honestly could rave on and on about everything. The characters are all multi-dimensional, including the secondary characters. Ms. Scott always gives multiple layers to all of her characters. You'll definitely want to know HOW Murphy knows who Casey is and, why he doesn't remember HER. You'll probably be mad at Casey for a few pages. Trust me, you'll get past it.

I would have liked a longer, more detailed ending as well. But I just wanted more novel because I love reading Ginger Scott's books and I'm greedy for as much of her story writing as I can get. 

I liked how the book ended. The way the book was brought to its end could have been longer. But, it gives me a chance to make up my own theories about some of the time frames not covered. 

"In Your Dreams" is definitely a FIVE-STAR novel. If it rises to #1 on Amazon like other Ginger Scott novels have done, I won't be surprised. Not even a little bit.




I received an advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Scott's timing is somewhat magical. As I was writing to her about some really BAD family news and asking her if the ARC's were ready yet because I needed escape so badly, she was sending the ARC to me. And I mean it came in the email as I was writing the email to her. Definitely magic! Just like Ms. Scott and just like "In Your Dreams." 

Bring on the withdrawal until the next book! How does one quell the withdrawal of the Ginger Scott novel? By reading all of her books over again, of course!

About The Author:


Ginger Scott is an Amazon bestselling author of eight young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, Wild Reckless and The Girl I Was Before.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).