Episode 81 – Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Welcome to the second episode of our Valentine’s Day 90’s Bad Boys-a-thon! This time we read Lisa Kleypas’ Dreaming of You, knowing full well that we dare the wrath of the Derek Craven fan club. He’s a moody emo Cockney kid from the mean streets, made his money and unsure of what to do with it now that he’s got it! She’s a spectacled young authoress, fresh outta Green Acres – she wants to get a good look at the big city but what she mostly gets a good look at is him! She starts the book off by killing a man and ends it by beating the snot out of a mean girl! She’s a Sara-without-the-h like me! It’s great!
This one is generally safe for all romance readers, but it does have a brief sexual assault (it’s so clearly not going to happen that we forgot about it until we started recording) and a throwback Evil Blonde.
This has some great international covers! And some not great international covers! Mostly they are the wrong book!
Italy! Whose house is this?! Seriously, most of this book takes place in a London gaming hell. This is not Dreaming of You, this is Ethan Frome.
Spain! THIS IS A REGENCY, SPAIN. This is not Dreaming of You, this is The Awakening.
America. Whose house is this?! This is not Dreaming of You, this is International House Hunters.
Indonesia. Goddamn it whose house is this did we all read a different book?! This is not Dreaming of You, this is Jane Eyre.
Lithuania. Is… is that a zipper? Again, I cannot stress this enough, this is a Regency. This is not Dreaming of You, this is the time you had to be a bridesmaid for your cousin who went to Versailles one time.
The OG boring cover – I included this because I think it’s hilarious that it’s blurbed by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Also, the book does in fact include handkerchiefs. Good job, this is Dreaming of You.
France. I unironically love this. Five stars, no notes. She looks expensive.
Bulgaria. Extremely literal!
France again. Very retro! Lovely clinch cover! Questionable mullet!
Germany! Slightly sillier clinch cover!
And here’s Czech saying “hold my beer!” It is absolutely hilarious that this dude is holding the audience’s gaze. You can’t look away. He’s already got you. It’s too late. Prepare your body.
Romania. This is not Dreaming of You, this is The Three Musketeers.
Thai. I cannot stress enough that this book does not feature a fancy country house. This is not Dreaming of You, this is the time you took some random-ass drug a fellow backpacker gave you and you could hear the songs of the flowers but had to go on the historic houses tour anyway. Whee!
China. This is lovely!
