Bunny's Reviews: The Dream Heist Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for The Dream Heist by Christina Farley! Read on for more details and a chance to win a $50 gift card to winner's vendor of choice and a paperback copy of the book! Visit one of our fantastic hosts on Instagram to enter!

The Dream Heist is the first book in the Dreamscapes series by Christina Farley. Get ready to be pulled along into a high stakes drama as this page-turner novel will keep you on the edge of your seat!

The Dream Heist details Aria’s story. She’s still in high school, but she already has her life planned out for herself. So, as you can imagine she has little time or patience for boys in her future. Of course, there is more to that particular line, but you’ll learn more about that later on in the book. Aria enjoys her job at her dad’s dream therapy company, and stands with him in his ambitions and goals for it. However, things are about to take a turn when one of the patients is familiar to her. Protocol states – you need to inform the team. So then, why does Aria choose to keep this a secret? While she may be able to keep this a secret for a little while, it won’t stay secret for long. Compound all of this with first an assault on her father, and then an attack on the lab, and things are about to go pear-shaped real quick. With little no clues as to what has happened to her dad can Aria and her friends piece together who took him and why?

Author Farley really brings it with this book and endeavors to keep you page-turning as the characters race against the clock to find Aria’s dad and figure out who stole $81 million dollars. Talk about a jaw-dropping heist that directly connects to their latest “patient.” Of course, said “patient” immediately suspects Aria and her team. Though one could ask the question – why? Well, you’re going to have read to find that out – but let’s just say that the “patient” needs to be prepared to take some accountability themselves. In an offhand way they do, but not fully. They simply admit a part of their part in this whole fiasco, but nothing else. Sorry not sorry, but they are just as culpable if not more so. Lesson for the ages kiddies – don’t yield to peer pressure! It will only get you in a ton of trouble.

One of the fun aspects of this book is that you get to travel around the world with these characters. Of course, they can only wish that it was a vacation that they were taking with all the sights they see. There is a lot of high stakes drama playing out as it’s not just Aria’s father’s life that’s at stake. Theirs are too as they face some close calls here and there.

Christina Farley works and succeeds at engaging your emotions in this book. You will feel excitement, anger, hope, anxious and more. Hoping for some romance to heat up the pages? Well, you get that, too! Hoping for some green-eyed jealousy to add some spice to the pages? Well, there you’re going to be disappointed, because there’s not a drop of it. LOL! But, it’s not that big of a let down. So you won’t be too disappointed. It definitely would have made things interesting though! LOL!

We will say that there were some missed opportunities for added drama. With Aria using the company card to “jet set” around the world, it’s surprising that they (the company) doesn’t take any form of action. This feels overlooked, but this was probably by design. There was probably a viewpoint that it would have hampered Aria having to contact them and explain what is going on. However, it would have added a touch more realism to the storyline.

Now, about that romance. It will move pretty quickly. Not saying that that is necessarily a bad thing, but some more development would have been nice. I mean, the guy she falls for does accuse her of “using” him to steal the money, and he does almost do physical damage to her by messing with equipment he has NO idea about. Is it wrong that I really wanted someone to deck him in that particular scene? No? Good, because I regret nothing! LOL! He absolutely deserved to be drop kicked for that. The romance does get a little hot, but things are kept PG-13 since they are still in high school.

The twist in this story is such a good one, it’s something you wouldn’t even dream of. You know, since this book is about dreams? LOL! Anyways, my jaw probably hit the floor, because it explains so much. Yes, you get a detailed explanation as well as flashbacks with the character. It’s really well done and just further fuels you to keep reading to find out what happens next.

The overall idea behind this storyline is fantastic start to finish. Using dreams to help dementia patients, and someone using SWIFT codes to steal $81 millions dollars. Science fiction meets reality, and then going to further to expound upon it all to create something new and unique. This book gives you realistic characters with a touch of science fiction that teases a not so distant future. This book will fascinate you to the last page, and then leave you eager for more.

Pros:

- Page-turner

- Realistic characters & situations (mostly)

- Packed with drama

- Just the right amount of science fiction

Cons:

- Missed opportunities on realism.

- Romance felt rushed.

This book earns 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to the author, Christina Farley, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! I look forward to what comes next!

The Dream Heist (The Dreamscape Series #1)

Publication Date: November 15, 2022

Genre: YA Thriller

Publisher: Everbound Press

Your dreams are no longer safe…

Eighteen-year-old Aria Hale loves her job at her father’s dream therapy company where she enters dementia patients’ dreams to save their memories. But when their lab is ransacked, two technicians are murdered, and her father is kidnapped, everything changes for her.

Determined to find her father, Aria and her friends embark on a harrowing hunt across continents using the dreams of their enemies to guide them. But this dangerous journey plunges her into a world she never bargained for: deception, intrigue, and even love. As she races to save her father and hunt down her enemies, she soon realizes she’s in fact the one being hunted. And her dreams are the greatest danger of all.

In the vein of Inception meets The Bourne Identity, THE DREAM HEIST propels readers into fast-paced adventure that will have you racing to the very end.

“A high action adventure with swoon-worthy romance and a mystery that will keep you turning the pages all night long!” –Beth Revis, New York Times bestselling author

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Excerpt

His fingers, warm and strong, intertwine with mine and heat floods up my arm, sending goosebumps over my body. Is this what it would be like to touch him in real life? Or is this just a sensation I’m making up in my mind?

Touching him is totally against the rules and holding hands is definitely against the rules.

Ignoring protocol, I go with my gut and squeeze Jake’s hand. “Let me come with you.”

He nods and then steps to the edge of the doorway. The wind roars around us, whipping against my clothes and face. I look down to find mist curling around jagged mountain peaks and ocean waves raging against sharp, hundred-foot cliffs. I think about Dad’s theory that you can’t die in a dream unless your mind thinks it’s real.

This is just a dream, I tell myself. It’s not real.

Jake smiles at me and then his hand slips from mine as he leaps. The moment he’s gone, the helicopter begins to disappear, piece by piece.

“Now or never,” I say.

Sucking in a shaking breath, I jump.

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About the Author

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the bestselling Gilded series, THE PRINCESS AND THE PAGE, and THE DREAM HEIST. Prior to that, she worked as an international teacher and at a top secret job for Disney where she was known to scatter pixie dust before the sun rose. When not traveling the world or creating imaginary ones, she spends time with her family in Clermont, Florida with her husband and two sons where they are busy preparing for the next World Cup, baking cheesecakes, and raising a pet dragon that’s in disguise as a cockatiel. Visit her online at ChristinaFarley.com.

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