MAN OF MY DREAMS by FAITH ANDREWS

Gitte: So, as far as love triangles go I thought the one in Man of My Dreams was both believable and sympathetically told from all sides! Without spoiling anything, I think readers who hate cheating are safe to read this story as the crux of the problem is a real grey area on both sides and minimal in the bigger picture. I truly loved this story and I think it’s one that has aspects many of us can relate to don’t you agree Jenny? The high school crush we’ll never forget as well as the ‘stuck in a rut’ routine you can so easily fall into once married. The grass isn’t always greener, how often do we get told that, we know it to be true, however who can control their dreams right?!  At one stage or another who hasn’t second guessed their life choices when their trust and faith has been breached? Wondering what would have happened if we’d said or acted differently. Made another choice. Where would we be now as a consequence?

I thought the writing was beautiful and the characters had real depth. The way in which we were taken easily from the present into the past gave me, the reader, a strong connection and insight. I believed in Mia and Declan, I felt their love and whatever they went through emotionally, I was right there with them.  Man of My Dreams was a beautiful and a very real and honest story packed full of emotion. It made me smile, laugh, swoon and yeah it also made me really cross at times mostly with Mia (hahaha we have the text messages to prove it don’t we Jenny!). I fell in love and if we’re talking teams, I’m definitely team Declan! Seriously, how much did we love Declan, Jenny?!

Jenny: Completely agree G.   I truly do believe readers who have a bit of an aversion to love triangles and/or cheating will actually still enjoy this story because as you said, there are so many aspects that many will relate to. The love triangle/cheating felt more like a ‘side note’ rather than the main focus and in my eyes, Man of My Dreams was more a story about a marriage and a journey of Declan and Mia as a couple more than anything else and in my opinion, the triangle/cheating merely served as a vehicle for delivering the message in this story.  Arrggh it’s so hard to explain myself without giving anything away but I do know that I feel this way because of how beautifully and flawlessly Faith Andrews handled this story and because I understood a lot about their relationship and I “got” it.

‘Life gets in the way of love sometimes.’ – Mia

As for being Team Declan?  Well, we were Team Dec from our first meeting and we never faltered….not one teeny tiny step. Our feelings for the beautiful and soulful man never deviated…Not once!

“I’m gonna kiss you in front of all these people babe.”- Declan

I loved Man of My Dreams and I still have that giddy book rush after finishing it. I loved experiencing that exciting anxious feeling when my work day was coming to a close and I was able to rush home and get stuck into this book. I knew I was on a winner at that point.

Like you G, I laughed, cried, swooned (oh boy did I swoooon!) and yes….we had some pretty expletive messages back and forth about Mia. lol  Hmmm we’ll keep those private I think.

Gitte: Mia loves her husband. They met in college, fell in love, married and had kids at a very young age meaning they grew up fast without really experiencing life on their own first. Mia had a high school crush which she’s never forgotten….Noah…the man who surfaces in almost every dream she has. It’s the one who got away so all Mia has are her dreams based on sweet and innocent high school memories. I actually liked Noah, he was inoffensive and seemed to honestly care about Mia. Despite the circumstances I thought he was a real descent and honourable man.

I think most readers will have an understanding of Mia’s situation and her reaction when her marriage to Declan is rocked off balance. She’s a stay at home Mum, she’s fallen into a routine of ‘an ordinary life’ and also…one word…KIDS!!! The romance and time with your hubby, even the nookie factor will always suffer!! Won’t it? When faced with even the smallest betrayal does true love or lust win? What would we risk for a chance with the boy we ‘loved’ in high school but never truly had?

“It’s not even the cheating that stings the most – it’s that he gave up on us.” ~ Mia

I really did empathise with Mia. Sure, I wanted to slap some sense into her a time or two after she did something that wasn’t warranted in my opinion. I suppose you could say I disliked her as much as I liked her. However, I felt she went through real personal growth and a journey of self-discovery.

“I’ve been able to live without Noah for a long time now, but the idea of living without Declan is unfathomable.” ~ Mia

Actually, I was surprised at how strong my feeling were in this story in regards to my compassion with Declan rather than Mia, so kudos to the Author for my emotions going in the opposite direction of what I would’ve expected! I put that down to brilliant writing!

How did you feel about Mia, Jenny?

Jenny:  Me too G. I’m so surprised that I didn’t go the other way and that my compassion wasn’t completely with Mia. Although I understood Mia I have to say there were moments when I was gritting my teeth over her. I wanted to shake her a time or two but overall I could relate to why she did what she did.  It must be awful to have that constant niggling feeling thinking about a high school crush, the one that got away and wondering if the choices you made, if the life you lead was the right one. To have the object of your conflict make a starring role in some of your *cough cough* dreams…well, that would kind of put you off kilter that’s for sure. Especially if you feel you are not receiving the attention you desire and feel some kind of disconnection from your husband.

‘The word “torn” comes to mind, but torn doesn’t even begin to cover it. My heart feels like it’s being ripped apart and tugged in two different directions.’ – Mia

Life is full of what ifs and in Man Of My Dreams Mia takes the reader on an emotional ride as she gets to revisit her high school sweetheart and experience the time with him she so craved back in high school after her perceived “perfect” marriage hits a crossroads.

Noah was a lovely character and I could absolutely understand Mia’s feelings towards him but for me there was only one man in this triangle and that was Declan. My heart was unequivocally his and because of this I found myself questioning a few of Mia’s decisions and although she sometimes frustrated me I loved how we saw her mature and grow through this whole experience.

Gitte: As for Declan….the man is perfection in my eyes, so gorgeous, romantic, protective and loving.

“As if his incredible looks weren’t enough, the man has a heart of gold. Compassionate, attentive, and loving, he stole my heart on our very first date.” ~ Mia

He’s a fighter in every sense of the word. He stumbled, yes, but I kind of understood how it came to be.  After all, if nothing else this Author has written an extremely realistic account of what can happen in a marriage.

“I miss you, Mia. Please let me come home. I will never stop fighting for us. I love you!” – Declan

I felt this ‘issue’ was very true to life in respect to how it was dealt with. From the second he realised what ‘could have happened’, Declan did not put a foot wrong in my opinion. If anything, despite being younger than Mia, he showed incredible maturity, resolution and restraint. I fell completely in love with this man who was utterly and wholeheartedly in love with his family.

I nearly fell off my chair in excitement when we got to hear Declan’s voice. We got an insight into some very poignant moments in his relationship with Mia and it strengthened his case and my love for him even more.

When you stop and you’re forced to look at and examine your life. When something rocks it, do you not question everything? How far would you go to fight for what you want? In what manner do you question an honest reaction to the obstacles and tests thrown at you in a relationship?

So many question were asked off us and I have to say I absolutely loved this flawless and emotional story!

“Can we go home now? Start the rest of our forever?” ~ Declan

How did you feel, Jenny?

Jenny: For Declan, Mia and his daughters were his reason for breathing and he wasn’t going to give it all up without a fight, even if he was somewhat responsible for his predicament.

‘I wanted him to fight for me. Here he is fighting the only way he’s even known how.’ – Mia

There were times when I felt I really wanted  to get inside Declan’s head. My desire to understand things from Declan’s perspective overwhelmed me and I have to say that when I clicked over the page and saw “Declan” as a chapter heading I will admit I cried. To have my wishes granted at such a pivotal moment and to hear from the man himself took this book to a whole new level for me. Declan’s POV only served to intensify my feelings and understanding of this man and his actions. Yes, he tripped up, but I didn’t feel any animosity towards him over it and felt that in light of where he was at emotionally, the actions he took and what he was feeling at that time, I couldn’t denigrate him for it. 

‘I know life changes a person, but is it a fucking crime to miss the woman I fell in love with?’ – Declan

Marriage is about love, respect, communication and feeling connected. It’s about never taking each other for granted. Easy words to say, not always easy to put into practice when real life and every day demands take hold and sometimes it takes something to remind us of what we have and how important that is to our existence and this is the message in Man Of My Dreams.  Declan had the wakeup call he needed and Mia…. did she get hers?  You’ll have to read this wonderful book to find out.

‘……and I know it all too well – allowing words and emotions to flood your consciousness and pump through your veins, makes you feel goddamn invincible.’ – Declan

I loved this boo G. I loved Mia and Declan. I loved the flashbacks, the music and the pop culture references and most of all I loved it because it felt like such a real account of what can evenutate in a marriage.

‘Our love has always been the center love my universe, the power that could conquer all.’ – Mia

The past/present flow was so flawlessly written that I couldn’t help but ‘live’ every triumph and every heartache right along with Mia and Declan. Man of My Dreams was swoon worthy, warm, funny, heart-breaking, sexy and a real winner for me. Although the ending did feel a little rushed this didn’t impact on my feelings about the book as a whole. My heart fluttered and it faltered and I enjoyed every single minute of it.