Dream On, Ramona Riley

By: Ashley Herring Blake

Narrated by: Gail Shalan

A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.

Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.

But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.

©2025 Ashley Herring Blake (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Ashley Herring Blake writes sweet, sexy romances with a supporting cast of queer found family like no one else. In Dream On, Ramona Riley, I was so invested in Ramona and Dylan rediscovering the fireworks they'd felt with each other even as far back as an early teenage encounter. Set in a Schitt's Creek-esque small town filled with homey diners and gossip and secret places, this book is such a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to spend more time in Clover Lake!"—Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World

"Dream On, Ramona Riley is another winning sweet, sexy, sapphic, small town romance from Ashley Herring Blake. As always, Blake gives readers two complicated but lovable heroines to root for and fall in love with—as they fall in love with each other. I ate up the behind-the-scenes movie-making that descended upon Clover Lake, the family drama swirling throughout the narrative, and of course the beautiful—and sexy!—love story between Dylan and Ramona."—Amy Spalding, author of On Her Terms and For Her Consideration

"Dream On, Ramona Riley is a lovely romance about finding the person who makes you want better for yourself. Dylan’s and Ramona’s respective heartaches are fully captured on the page, and yet the story still felt as cozy and comforting (and, occasionally, scorching hot) as a cup of tea in a small town café."—Rachel Runya Katz, author of Whenever You're Ready

Excellent

Probably my favorite of Ashley's books. Sweet, sexy, a touch of angst to keep things interesting. The narration was phenomenal as well.

Just an Audiobook Review

The only thing that takes away from the entire experience is from around Chapter 20 onwards “Ramona” becomes “Romana”—with alarmingly increasing frequency as the audiobook goes on. Bit distracting. Thought that should’ve been caught during editing. But I really don’t know how audiobook publishing works.

Overall, still a great performance by Gail Shalan of another banger of a novel by Ashley Herring Blake.

will I ever not cry reading an Ashley Herring Blake novel?

Ashley has now become the Queen of breaking my heart before putting it back together. It started with Delilah and her reading those pesky journals. Now Ramona and Dylan with their traumatic childhoods they had to overcome. I was literally crying sitting on the public bus.

Dylan and Ramona both are so loveable and I felt so much for them with their internal struggles. This was another winner from Ashley for me. I also love the link to the Bright Falls series.

Entertaining

Was pretty good. Not my fav by Ashley but still enjoyable. My biggest complaint is the overuse of the word “said.” When you’re listening and there’s a conversation and it goes Ramona said, Dylan said, April said, over and over and over without any variety on the word “said” it really pulls you out of the story.