Where Dreams Begin

by Lisa Kleypas

[Angie]

Where Dreams Begin is another sweet and sexy tale of romance. Lady Holland has been a widow for three years, but she's still in mourning for her late husband. Then one night at a ball, a stranger in the dark mistakes her for another woman and they share a remarkable kiss. Zachary is the star of a rags to riches story, building a fortune to rival any peer in London, but no one wants to accept him into society. In order to get close to Holly after their kiss, he decides to higher her as a kind of social guide for him and his family. Holly has her work cut out for her upon arriving at his mansion. Zachary is very rough around the edges, his sister is as graceful as a lame chicken, and their mother is having trouble accepting her new station in life. Plus, there's the servants who know their employers have no clue what they're doing and take advantage.

I adore these kind of make-over stories and Where Dreams Begin is a cute one. Zachary was a prizefighter before he earned his considerable wealth, and he hasn't let go of that rough young man yet. But with some coaching from Holly, he's on track to becoming a true gentlemen and catching himself a bride. Although, the only woman he wants is Holly, but he's convinced that she needs someone more calm and gentle like her husband was. However, Holly also undergoes a transformation while helping the Bronsons. She's the perfect picture of a lady, but her grief and a promise to her husband is holding her back from actually living her life. Zachary brings out the more carefree side of her, and shows her that it's okay to move on, and to stop wearing gray all the time!

I really liked Where Dreams Begin, but the last couple of chapters felt unnecessary. I think they could have been left out entirely, or condensed into an epilogue, since they really added nothing to Holly and Zachary's story. Their reunion was quite perfect and it would have been a great ending. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Zachary's sister, Elizabeth toward the end, since I really liked her!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.