Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Updated: Dylan's Review at the Bottom!

She stood at danger's threshold-

then love beckoned her in.

In the shelter of her country cottage, Sara Feilding puts pen to paper to create dreams. But curiosity has enticed the prim, well-bred gentlewoman out of her safe haven and into Derek Craven's dangerous world.

A handsome, tough and tenacious Cockney, he rose from, poverty to become lord of London's most exclusive gambling house a struggle that has left Derek Craven fabulously wealthy, but hardened and suspicious. And now duty demands he allow Sara Fielding into his world with her impeccable manners and her infuriating innocence. But here, in a perilous shadow-realm of ever-shifting fortunes, even a proper "mouse" can be transformed into a breathtaking enchantress and a world-weary gambler can be shaken to his cynical core by the power of passion. . .and the promise of love.

I love this book. Love it. I fell in love with Derek Craven when I read this.

A man who grew up not knowing love, trust or friendship. Derek meets Sara but feels unworthy of her. He sstrongstong, unfeeling,invunerablerable but really, he craves to be loved by Sara. He wants her like no other, but knows he does not deserve her.

He forces her to leave believing its for her good. While she is gone, Derek is short tempered and hostile. He runs into Sara at a mutual friends house and meet in the garden. Sara confesses her love for him.

"You can't change the truth. You can act as if you're blind and deaf, you can
walk away from me forever, but the truth will still be there, and you can't make
it go away. I love you."-Sara to Derek

She asks him to stay with her and he walks away from her. She is then later attacked and Derek asks her to marry him. They have a happy marriage. Derek adjusting to having a wife. But then his jealous ex lover (who is jupsychoyscho slut) burns the club and takes Sara hostage leaving Derek to believe she's dead.

"I love yocouldn'tdln't say it before. I couldn't-"
"I love you," he repeated hoarsely, burrowing against her. "I would have
given my life to have one more day with you, and tell you that."-Derek finding out Sara is alive.

Derek is my favorite hero of all time. He's my lobster. When he got scared and protective when Sara teased on how she may not marry him cause he's so rich touched my heart. How he ached for her so much. I mean the man stole her glasses and kept them near his heart. Sigh....

I love Derek Craven. I know Holly doesn't understand why I love him so. And that's ok, cause I don't get the Ben Lewis attraction. But Derek is my ultimate hero and this is one of my favorite books.
Grade: A+

Dylan's Review:

Hero: Derek Craven
Heroine: Sara Fielding
Grade: A+

Before I start this review, I've got to apologize to my dear friend, Holly. Holly, I tried very hard to not like this book as much as I did, but as you can see by my grade, I failed in that endeavor. So, because I LOVE Derek Craven, I apologize to you for letting you down. I hope you don't cut me out of your will, because I still love you. ;)

Now, on with the review.

Wow.

This story took me on one helluva rollercoaster, I tried very hard not to turn into a raving lunatic over Derek Craven and though I've accomplished that (not by much though), I have got to say that I can totally see why everyone is totally loco for this guy. The story and the characters were just oh so great.

I enjoyed this book immensely.

The storyline was great, I thought Sara Fielding was a GREAT heroine, one who didn't shy away from her feelings once she accepted them, she didn't try to make Derek crazy, telling him one thing and meaning another thing, she was straight up with him about everything and I really admire that because it's so hard to really do that. She didn't try to belittle her feelings for Perry when she got back and I loved how she gave them a chance even though she knew deep down that she was really in love with Derek.

I loved most of all, how she saw behind the mask Derek wore for everyone and loved the man for all that he was and all that he became.

She didn't love him because of what he could for her, or what he could buy for her, she loved him for HIM. She loved Derek Craven, for better or for worst and I really liked the way she tried to make Derek see that he's more than worthy of her love, like in the above quote Izzy supplied us with.

This book hit all the right spots with me, I thought it was exceptional and was the perfect first book to read by Lisa Kleypas, as it made me all the more excited to read the rest of her books, the only thing that irked me a little was the fact that I found out, AFTER I read the book that Lily and Alex's book came BEFORE this book, I have that book and didn't even bother looking at it, was too anxious to start Derek's book.

Derek Craven is a fantastic hero...he hasn't replaced KMM's Dageus MacKeltar or SB's Sam Starrett but he comes very close, he's very close to the top, usurping Sin MacAllister's spot in my heart (sorry Grace). I loved this man. I loved the man he grew up to be, the man he tried desperately to hide from the world and regardless of his snaggled tooth, I loved every part of him, he was so dreamy...the perfect hero, or one of them anyway..

Thanks to all of you out there in the bloggerworld for pimping this book to me, it was a great great read for me!

I loved it!