This is a charming read from a first time author. What a dream come true for Iliana to meet her celebrity crush in person. The more I got to know Jeff, as the person and not the celebrity, the more I did fall for him. It was easy to see how Iliana fell for Jeff. Although, I did feel bad for her family (the children). Not so much her husband. This is only because he came off as a bit of strong arming Iliana and at the point that Iliana met Jeff, there were some bumps in Iliana and Matt's marriage. Although when it did come to the romance between Jeff and Iliana, it was mild. There was some flirting and a kiss but again not something that would steam up my glasses. This book is a good summer fling read. ( )

As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Who of us hasn't thought about the road not taken? Longed for a do-over? Wondered how to meet the needs of those we love most, while holding onto the dreams we once had for ourselves? Josselsohn deftly explores these themes in this engaging and insightful debut novel. ( )

I was provided this book pre-official release in order to review. I read the description provided by the publisher and I couldn't wait to actually read it. But for some reason it sat on my "to read" list for about a month before I finally decided to get to it.

It's like I knew that it wouldn't be as great as I wanted it to be.

The Last Dreamer is about a writer who has given up her career in order to raise her children. Her husband, a lawyer, is working hard to gain a promotion but has put a lot of pressure on his wife to make them look worthy. Not her job? Not her job, but nonetheless, they are finding that it's bringing a lot of stress to their relationship. As a writer, she wants to get back into publishing but isn't sure how. Fast forward to a day where she sees her teen celebrity crush on tv and decides that she is going to interview him and that will be her big break.

But it's never that easy, is it?

I really wanted to like this book. But, honestly, I had a really hard time getting through it. The characters were annoying (at least to me), the story was very surface level, and it never felt fully developed like I wanted it to. I can tell the idea was great, but I just didn't find it to be an enjoyable read. Maybe it was better than I'm giving it credit for because I did finish the book in order to ultimately see what happens, but it's not one that I see myself recommending to others in the future.

I was provided with a free copy of this book in order to conduct this review.


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The Last Dreamer is Barbara Solomon Josselsohn's engaging debut novel and provides a poignant study of the role of women and an interesting look at our mad celebrity culture.
The main character, Iliana, is going through a bit of an identity crisis. She put her career as a journalist on hold when she got married and had two children. Fifteen years later, she seems to be defined as the supporting wife to a career-minded lawyer and as her children's taxi driver and servant. She thinks she may have found her way to get back into publishing when she discovers a former TV crush from her teenage years now operates a business close by, so she decides to set up an interview with him.
I really enjoyed the author's writing, and found the story interesting and quite unique. I think anybody who has stayed at home with children while their partner concentrated on their career would be able to relate to Iliana and the issues she was facing. The characters created by the author were very real. Not exactly a feel-good book, but rather sad and depressing at times, but quite a realistic look at relationships, responsibilities, expectations, hopes and dreams. It stays with you. I still kept thinking about this book for some time after I had finished it. That has to be a good indicator that it was an evocative book. I will certainly keep an eye out for any further publications by this promising new author.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for my copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. ( )