To Catch a Dream by Audrey Carlan ~ a Review

by MK French

Evie Ross and her sister Suda Kaye were given a stack of letters each when their mother died of cancer, with one meant to be opened on their birthday. Suda Kaye was a free spirit and Evie stayed home and forged a successful career in finance. She doesn’t have much else in life other than her job, her sister, and her brother-in-law’s family. Discovering more letters her mother kept in a safety deposit box causes her to rethink her outlook.

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March 2021; HQN; 978-1335180933
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); romance

To Catch a Dream is the second book of the Wish series, following What the Heart Wants, which is Suda Kaye’s story. Even without reading that, I gathered quickly that Suda Kaye wandered the world and eventually returned home to Colorado where she and her childhood love reconciled and married. (That probably spoils the first book. Oops.) Evie and her sister are half Comanche, but I really don’t see the impact of her culture other than nicknames and references to being on the reservation. She takes after her Caucasian father’s coloring, being blonde and blue-eyed. Initially, we don’t see much of the Comanche grandfather that raised her and her sister while her mother traveled around the world. When we do see him, he’s a solid and thoughtful figure, and I enjoyed his character.

Evie’s childhood crush Milo never really showed interest in her, but now he does. I’m really uncomfortable with his approach, cornering Evie and calling her a coward for avoiding him, saying he wants to talk business over dinner, then telling her when she arrives that he wants her in his life and in his bed. Whenever Evie feels reluctant with his demeanor, everyone else seems ready to push them together. That amuses Milo, but it feels like a red flag to me and not romantic. I was so thankful when Suda Kaye called him on it, but then when he outright declared he intended to marry her and have children without discussing this with her once and everyone else seemed to find that okay and didn’t worry about that causing a panic attack, I was livid on Evie’s behalf. Evie didn’t know why she panicked and fainted? I understand completely.

I think I’m supposed to find Milo endearing and hunky, given it’s stated several times, but even his heartfelt past didn’t help. Whatever attraction he and Evie have is supposed to build up to a relationship that seems to run hot and cold. He came to her defense when she was bullied as a child for appearing so white on the reservation, but even his own family finds it difficult to let go of her heritage. Then she calls herself Milo’s prey when she tries to break off whatever is growing between them, which rattled me even more. There is a lot of emotional byplay, both between them, then when Evie speaks to people on the reservation and with her sister. She has a lot of pent-up emotions she never dealt with. For that, I was thankful to see Evie in therapy, processing her feelings about the past and fear of being abandoned. She has a lot of grief to work through, as well as her own fears of herself, the future, and the people around her. That certainly prevents her from reaching for things that she wants. Evie finds Milo endearing and frustrating at once, and she does want the future that he paints for them. From that standpoint, the two will have their happily ever after despite the losses that occur in Evie's small family. I'm not as thrilled with Milo as everyone else is, but the important part is that Evie is happy with her choice. He is there for her when it matters in the second half of the story, which somewhat lessens the creeper vibe I got from him in the first half, but he's still not my favorite.

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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