A small-town judge meets her match in a rodeo star troublemaker, but soon they may both end up targets of the town’s matchmakers in this delightful and heartwarming tale of romance.

Darcy Jones Harper is thrilled to have finally shed her reputation as the girl from the wrong side of the tracks. The people of Sunshine Valley have to respect her now that she’s the new town judge. But when the bad boy who broke her heart back in high school shows up in her courtroom, she realizes maybe things haven’t changed so much after all . . . because her pulse still races at the sight of him.

Jason Petrie wants to make amends for the mistakes of his youth—starting with the woman he never stopped loving. Darcy may not believe that he really intends to quit the bull riding circuit and stick around this time but Jason vows—with the help of the matchmaking Widows Club—to pull out all the stops to convince her that they both deserve a second chance.

Titles in the Sunshine Valley series include – Can’t Hurry Love (which now includes a novella) – A Very Merry Match (which now includes a novella) – Dream A Little Dream –

Title:  Dream a Little Dream
Series:  Sunshine Valley #3
Author:  Melinda Curtis
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  February 23, 2021
Publisher:  Forever
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Dream a Little Dream is the third title in the Sunshine Valley series and brings us the story of Darcy and Jason who we’ve been introduced to previously as they made an appearance in A Very Merry Match.  If you haven’t read the entire series, don’t let that hold you back from an emotional second chance for two childhood sweethearts who made choices that changed the course of their lives for years.

Darcy is the new, temporarily appointed judge for her small town after her husband’s death who was the previous judge and had set in motion the handing down of the position to his widow.  To say that his decision was not well received by several of the townsfolk would be an understatement.  Darcy had married George, who was older than she was and had been a mentor to her as she set out to get a life far different than her family’s.  They each had their reasons, there was affection between them but not the burning love she’d had for the town bad boy and a future bull rider, Jason.  No, Jason lost Darcy when she saw him kiss another woman after a rodeo win – even though it wasn’t a romantic kiss.  Darcy believed otherwise and broke off their relationship and built her life in the law, as a lawyer, and eventually as George’s wife.

Now she’s sitting on the bench as judge and Jason is back in town after an injury, re-evaluating what he wants his life to be now.  And what he wants most is Darcy back in his life, at his side.  Yet, the reality is that both Jason and Darcy still have some growing up to do, some letting go of the past, and seeing each other with new eyes as the different people they are now.  But all that is nothing the town’s Widow Club matchmakers cannot handle as they set out to get this couple back together and on their way to happiness.  It’s not going to be an easy journey, there are potholes along this road for both Darcy and Jason to face and overcome before their happy ever after has a chance of becoming a reality.  Yet, when the love is, and always has been, real and the timing finally is right – love wins every time.

I enjoyed Dream a Little Dream very much.  I love a small-town romance, it’s where I grew up so I’m comfortable with the unique situations that living in a small town where everyone knows your business, even if they get the details wrong, is like.  So returning to Sunshine Valley is always a trip back home for me in many ways.  The writing, as usual, is smooth, the plot detailed, and the romance definitely closed doors.  We’ll find another romance brewing in the background, one that I smiled and chuckled at when they were on-page. Jason really has to work to get Darcy to give him a second chance, as she’s deep in impostor syndrome feelings with her appointment to the judge’s position, as well as knowing her family’s reputation in town isn’t anything to be proud of.  Add in some tensions from some people in town who believe she shouldn’t be the judge and you’ll find that Darcy is dealing with a lot of plates juggled in her hands.  Watching how both Jason and Darcy grew through their story, the re-kindling of a love that never really died, and the hope forming for their future was a delightful, emotional journey.  Now, it’s time to wait for the next visit to Sunshine Valley (and I really hope there is another visit soon).

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Forever via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Available in paperback or for your favorite e-reader, mine is the Kindle