GUESS WHO’S BACK WITH A NEW BOOK?! THE QUEEN HERSELF MS. LAUREN ASHER *cue applause in background! WOO! The final book in the Dreamland Billionaire series, the long awaited book of the one and only Callahan Kane. This book had small town trope, second chance romance, and the magical touch that Lauren brings to each book she creates. This book did cover some heavy topics so please look up trigger warnings before reading.

Cal was the final one out of his brothers who had yet to complete his task that his grandfather set aside for him in order to receive his full inheritance. Now, Cal had to go back to Lake Wisteria in hopes of selling his the summer home his grandfather left him, but fate had a funny way with messing with him when he finds Alana, his childhood sweetheart living in the house. Alana thought she’d seen the last of Cal when he broke her heart six years ago, and promised to never return, oops seems like another broken promise on Cal’s part. Now Cal and Alana were forced to be around each other once again as they tried to figure out what to do about the house, and of course they butted heads so that totally didn’t complicate things *in sarcastic tone.

I feel like this story was the one we had all been waiting for and my goodness it didn’t disappoint. For starters, we finally got to meet Alana! Alana was a strong willed, independent, and as she liked to say, “women should be two things armed and dangerous”, yup Alana was a certified black belt in mixed martial arts, and I loved her immediately! Before this book, Alana had been a bit of a mysterious to everyone, but this time we were able to uncover all the past and present things of her life, and most importantly what happened between her and Cal so many years ago. With the knowledge of Cal and Alana’s past, this story dove into some heavy topics including alcohol and drug abuse, so caution while reading. Anyways, Cal and Alana use to close when they were younger, but with Cal’s addictions he played a role in the heartbreak that Alana suffered. With Cal back in Lake Wisteria, Alana had to face the past coming back and trying to navigate Cal being a constant presence around her home. 

*note for legal reasons this is a joke… DOES THIS BOOK HAVE CRACK?! BECAUSE I WAS ADDICTED AND COULDN’T STOP READING! One minute I was starting this book earlier in the day and the next thing I know I’ve already zoomed through 200 pages, and realize, “oh that’s right Lake Wisteria is a fictional place Lauren created”. Safe to say while reading I was fully immersed in the story and got caught up in Lana and Cal’s story. Reading this book was very enjoyable, but also reminded me of why I love Lauren’s books so much because, whenever I’ve read her books, I get so caught up in the characters stories that I find myself thinking I’m in the thick of everything! I’m a sucker for the small town trope and with the way Lauren wrote that into the story I was loving it, and living my best fictional life at Lake Wisteria. I couldn’t get enough of Lana and Cal, and at times was tempted to slow down while reading in order to prolong the time, but then I couldn’t help myself and kept reading to see what would happen next. Personally, I find Lauren’s books to be an easy read but enriched with so much heart, vulnerability, love, and significant themes that enhance the reading experience overall.

Can we all take a moment to appreciate the sheer cuteness and abundance of energy for Cami? That little kid was so cute and adorable, and not to mention so smart and intuitive. Some people don’t necessarily enjoy kids in stories, but the way that Lauren wrote Cami, it was easy to adore her. I loved seeing the dynamics between Lana with Cami and with Cal. Originally, Cal wasn’t much of a kid person, never had much experience with kids so when he met Cami, it was a first for him, but also even he couldn’t help but care about the little munchkin. Lana’s love and attention was admirable when it came to Cami, and while I wasn’t expecting Cami to be part of the story, I’m glad she was because, she brought a sense of joy to the story. 

Cal and Lana’s story was one that involved heartbreak, first love, and more. The second chance romance started to pick up little by little as Cal was back in Lake Wisteria with Lana, but also made him realize that he would do everything in his power to prove to Lana that he was determined to give their love another shot right this time around. With Cal’s alcohol addiction, that was one of his biggest obstacles he needed to overcome for himself. With Lana back in Cal’s life, it wasn’t just her in the picture, it was also Cami, and for the first time in a long time, Cal felt the need to put in the work to get himself sober not just for Cami and Lana, but also for their future together. Lana and Cal equally had their own shares of obstacles to overcome in order to reach their happy ending, but I actually appreciated seeing the raw, emotional side to their story, and how despite them loving one another, they still had to face the reality that was in front of them which was Cal’s lack of sobriety. All things considered, the way Lauren wrote Cal and Lana’s story, I absolutely adored them together, and also appreciated the pure vulnerability that they expressed throughout the book. 

OMG LAUREN! GIRL! HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THESE AMAZING SPICY SCENES?! SOOOOOO GOOD! Let it be said that Callahan Kane exceeded my expectations in every way possible, I legitimately was blown away by him being so commanding and down right steamy in the bedroom! Phew! Somebody get me a tall cold glass because THIS SPICE IN THIS BOOK WAS HOT! Cal was all kinds of flirty, fun, and a bit of a goofball in the previous books, but this time around we got to see him in every way possible. I mean, I knew there was going to be spice obviously, but like… DANG! Cal in the bedroom was all kinds of raw, passionate, uninhibited desire over Lana. Even Lana was commanding in her own way so together, Cal and Lana just increased the temperature by A LOT! I’m talking dirty talk galore, many enjoyable moments between one another, and of course the deep intimacy underneath all the fun sexy times Lana and Cal had. I feel like once you read this book, you’ll see that out of all the Kane brothers, Cal is in a league of his own… (sigh) I’m getting hot just thinking about certain scenes! *screaming internally!

With all that was said and done, this was the perfect way to end the series. Lauren, if by any chance you’re reading this long winded review, just know that you absolutely knocked this book out of the ball park, and have brought me to tears (happy & sad ones), smiles, and laughter. Cal and Lana were fantastic and I absolutely loved seeing them get another chance at their love story. Also can we take a moment to appreciate the meaning behind the title because… OMG BRILLIANT! Dang I didn’t see that coming, but once I figured it out in the book it made the sentiment even stronger. This book had everything and more that I adored from the beautiful small town of Lake Wisteria, to the lovable characters like, Cami and the rest of the Kane family members. The epilogue was oh so sweet, but the extended epilogue had me crying tears of joy. (Sigh) it’s kind of bittersweet now that the series is done for me, but I will forever cherish Cal, Lana, and all the characters immensely. I feel like I’ve gained more friends through this story, and just like Lauren Asher book I’ve read, I’m overjoyed, emotional, and so grateful to have read this story.