nut free nerd

Nadette Rae Rodgers gave me an advanced copy of Sweet Dreams last summer, and I just got around to reading it now… it’s been a hectic year! However, I can now confidently say that this third installment in the Illusion Trilogy was worth the wait. Here are some of my favorite things about this novel:

It plays with time.

Although it may sound strange, this novel takes place in many different times. Sometimes dreams turn into flashbacks that continue on for several chapters; sometimes one character is in the “present” while another is in their “past,” yet the feelings they share are similar. These time jumps could easily be confusing, but Nadette ensures clarity by putting a time stamp on each new section.

It jumps from narrator to narrator.

This novel is mostly told through the alternating first person perspectives of Addison and Zach, with others (that of Zach’s mom, for example) thrown in here and there. Seeing the same story through many different eyes creates depth in the novel, especially in parts involving dreaming (and the adorable wedding scene…). I also really like how each character who narrates has a different font for their narration. Sometimes reading a lot of different first person perspectives can be confusing, but once again Nadette solves this problem with a formatting fix.

The detailed web is explained.

Books with many characters and plot lines can sometimes feel enigmatic, like the reader’s questions will never be answered. I love how Nadette connects the dots and ties up all the loose ends in this third installment, filling in any blanks I had before starting the book. In particular, I appreciated that things were cleared up about Them, other dreamers, and Zach’s mom in the Haven.

Closure at the end.

This book has an adorable, satisfying ending without being over the top. It perfectly fits the rest of the trilogy and made me sigh with relief when I read it. I couldn’t imagine a more fitting conclusion for this trilogy.

Overall, Sweet Dreams exceeded all of my expectations for how this trilogy would end. I feel lucky to have been on this trilogy’s journey from start to finish, and I am incredibly proud of Nadette for writing such captivating, heart-warming, creative, cohesive novels. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys romance, dream interpretation, and magical realism (the closest genre I can think of that describes the function of dreams in this series). Thanks so much to Nadette for the advanced copy of Sweet Dreams! Be sure to check out her blog here. 

Have you ever read this trilogy? Do you like thinking about the meaning behind what you dream about when you sleep? Let me know in the comments section below!

Yours,

HOLLY