Keertana @ Ivy Book Bindings

Where Dreams Begin may not be my favorite Kleypas novel, but it is one of the best romance novels I have ever read. If you’re looking to sample the historical romance genre, this is the book I’d suggest you begin with. Not only does it steer clear of the irritating alpha-male stereotype that allows heroes to rape their wives and come across as romantic while doing it (you won't believe how common this is!), it also features strikingly unique characters in this clichéd genre and tacks on quite a bit of the historical setting as well. Granted, Where Dreams Begin isn’t your classic historical romance novel, but it manages to charm, romance, and leave you as utterly satisfied – if not more – than most novels do. As one of Kleypas’ early novels, I was a little worried if Where Dreams Begin would carry the same writing quality and style I’d come to love from her later installments, but I needn’t have worried. Where Dreams Begins starts out ever-so-slightly typically – at a ball. Lady Holly Taylor has been a widow for the past three years and, still grieving from her husband’s early death, is re-adjusting to the social scheme she is now permitted to re-enter. When she encounters a mysterious stranger whose kisses drug her on the balcony, however, she flees and returns home to the memory of her husband and her adoring daughter, Rose. Zachary Bronson, the self-made man who society rejects, on the other hand, cannot forget Lady Holly so easily. After accidentally kissing her and sharing an intimate moment with the woman, Zachary is already besotted by her and determined to have her. As such, he offers her a deal she cannot refuse – teach the Bronson family, including Zachary’s younger sister Elizabeth, the rules of high-class society and be rewarded handsomely. Lady Holly, though a stickler for propriety, is forced to consider her growing financial dependence upon her late husband’s family and takes Bronson up on his offer, quickly assimilating with the members of his household. What the two don’t bargain on, however, is losing their hearts and worse, the ghosts that prevent them from their elusive happiness together. Quite honestly, you’d be hard-pressed to find many historical romance titles that don’t feature virgins, gentlemen, or perfectly run households. Where Dreams Begin stands out because of its characters and, as such, its pace is much slower. It is a long, drawn-out novel, taking care to highlight even the most minuscule of conversations, all of which play a role in deepening our understanding of our widowed heroine, who yearns for more and is yet afraid to go beyond her confinements in society, and our dashing hero, a rogue and street fighter who refuses to give up his innovative views and yet wishes to become a part of upper class society. While Lady Holly can grate at times, re-calling her late husband far more than is strictly necessary, Zachary Bronson captures hearts at a break-neck pace. Not only is he courteous and respectful to Holly, listening to her protestations when she refuses intimacy with him and retaining a firm friendship with her despite his growing attraction, but he is also kind to her daughter, charitable, and vulnerable underneath his roguish exterior. Bronson wants to be accepted in society while most rogues don’t quite give a damn which only makes him all the more alluring. Moreover, Bronson falls in love with Holly through conversation, far before either of them has shared any real intimacies, which is refreshing and utterly sweet – rare, but disarmingly lovely. Lady Holly too, though, is a witty and energetic heroine, never dull despite her widowed status and “shocking” in her thoughts at times. One of the best qualities of this novel, though, is its ability to build its setting so thoroughly. It is hard to imagine the lives of men and women during this time as it seems so ludicrous, but Kleypas does an excellent job of thoroughly assimilating us with the rules and regulations of “proper” society. Additionally, the secondary characters are charming and Elizabeth’s love story, subtly interwoven, was absolutely butterfly-inducing in the most innocent of ways. In comparison to most Kleypas novels, Where Dreams Begin certainly draws out the sexual tension, making you wait on pins and needles until these two finally give into their attraction for each other – and even then not all is well-and-good – but the wait is worth it, the sexual tension palpable and rewarding, and the ending, though unnecessary and ludicrous in part because an entire chapter is unnecessary, is wholly satisfactory. I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to any fans – or newcomers – of the historical romance genre and the audio book, though exasperating at times for its ability to drag out the sexual tension even more, is a wonderful listen. All of Kleypas’ novels are narrated by the same, talented voice who manages to imitate a variety of characters successfully – which is probably why hers are the only audio books I ever listen to. Where Dreams Begin is not a love story I’ll forget easily and I know for a fact this is one I’ll be returning to, whenever I’m in need of a warm, soft story that will wrap around me and bring a sure smile to my face. (Or swoon, if Zachary Bronson has anything to do with it!) Note: Lisa Kleypas has the capability to (a) make her reader blush and (b) make her reader agonized. BOTH happen in this novel. I never thought I could be more distraught with a Kleypas novel than I was while I listened to Tempt Me at Twilight, but I was wrong. Very bluntly put, this book has ALL THE FEELS. You will roll your eyes at every mention of the perfect George Taylor. You will clamp your fingers into a fist of desperation as these two are constantly told that they are not made for each when they so obviously are. You will fist-pump every time an idiotic man muses that Lady Holly would never go against the grain – and is proven wrong because Lady Holly is kick-ass in her own way. And you will die a slow, agonizing death due to the sexual tension. You have been warned.