Lippman turns a sharp eye to men who fancy themselves open-minded but are still so poisoned by patriarchy that they perpetuate the same misogyny they think they're above. While there's an obvious Misery influence, Lippman uses it with a different focus so it is a fresh experience.

***An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review***

I really like Laura Lippman's books. They are normally funny with good plots and characters I like to read about. I noticed her newer books are getting more serious, but I have still enjoyed them. In contrast, I don't enjoy books by authors like Phillip Roth, where a lot of nothing happens. "Dream Girl" reads like a Roth. In fact, he is referenced a few times in the book. So is the concept of a writer cutting out parts that the reader skips. I read every word, thinking that somehow the thoughts and sex life of the main character, an unlikeable man, would somehow come into play. I was wrong. I should have skipped them.

At one point Tess Monaghan showed up and I actually sighed in relief. Now the book would start to be good. But it was a short and pretty dull appearance.

I did like the ending. But it was the only part of the book that I found at all amusing.

I appreciate that Lippman is evolving and maybe the Tess books aren't what she wants to write at this point in her life. I prefer her old formats and will be careful before purchasing her next book to see if she continues in this vein. In the mean time, I will go back and re-read the Tess series.

A cleverly written book, that goes a few steps beyond “Misery.” I enjoyed the various twists and revelations, although I found the interwoven timelines and characters a little difficult to follow at times. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have several of her books on my TBR shelves and I’ve been meaning to read Laura Lippman for years. I’ve been wasting those years! This was a stunner!

Dream Girl is the place where Stephen King’s Misery meets #metoo and kills (pun intended) the suspense game.

I really don’t know how to talk about this book without spoilers, except to say it’s the dissection of a mind meeting its past and coming face to face with the gravity of truth, without the filter of lies we tell ourselves. It is a reckoning and it’s a realization, but it’s also a line of sight into a human’s ability to commit the most atrocious of acts and excuse the behavior.

It also takes a deep dive into the true complexity of human nature. It speaks to the ways in which our minds romanticize our history and choices making them far more palatable than reality. And that what we think we are doing or have done is more likely our own inability to see our true intentions.

Or perhaps there is far more to be said for personal perception?

5/5 ✨

A fine, decent thriller. Somewhat difficult to follow the plot. Zero likable characters. All in all, a fine read but overall fairly forgettable.

Terror, mystery, twists and turns are all on board with this thrilling thrill ride of a thriller. Grab a beverage, put on something comfy and prepare for intrigue. Laura Lippman knows what keeps the masses coming back.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read and review Dream Girl by Laura Lippmann. I must admit that I struggled with this one. The characters in this book have no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's hard for me to stick with a book when I can't be on anyone's side. The timeline jumps around significantly, making the story hard to follow. That may have been the point, but for me it did not work. Additionally, the ending felt rushed and undeserved. This one just wasn't for me.

This is my second Laura Lippman book and I have been pleased both times now. Dream Girl reminds me of a Stephen King type novel and usually nothing else is like Stephen King! It is impressive how she builds this male character into such an interesting person. I don't like him but I ended up really wanting to read more about him.

Gerry is a womanizer, or maybe I will say, a man with a past with no respect for the women in his life. He suffers a horrific injury and while recuperating he experiences many thoughts of the past and present. He also receives calls and mail from a female but he can't tell reality from fiction. This female is the character in the book he has written! Is he suffering from Dementia or is this real?

I read this book in two days because I wanted to get to the ending. The end comes with a twist that is totally unexpected and satisfying. Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow. I appreciate the opportunity to write an honest review.

How can a woman who never existed come back to haunt you? Gerry Anderson is about to find out. Creepy in a good way and dark and claustrophobic also in a very good way. This book ran all over the place with a lot of threads the reader ends up having to connect on their own. The wasn't necessarily a bad thing but there was a lot going on here. The end totally blew me away. I am a big fan of this author and this book did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This was just right in the middle for me. Not great, not horrible. I know I am the unpopular opinion with that and I'm happy with that! The timelines jumping all over the place was a little jarring to me and I couldn't grab ahold of reality for the longest time. It took me out of the story. It gave me real Misery vibes and that aspect I enjoyed!

Well-written & fast-paced, this gripping and twisted book kept me guessing until the end. Laura Lippman's slow burn tale of Gerry Andersen had me questioning my sanity as well as his. A must read!

Oooooh this was spookily, claustrophobically good. Gerry Anderson is a critically acclaimed, successful (snobby) 60 something male author. He's returned to Baltimore from his glittery life in New York to be with his mother during her final months of life. Gerry is an only child, his father left home when he was a child - alas his mum dies from a dementia related illness shortly after he moves into his modern, soulless penthouse. When Gerry falls and discovered he is to be bed bound for weeks, his assistant Victoria hires night nurse Aileen to be with him during the nights to give him his meds. Gerry has had a complicated love life, with three ex-wives behind him and a tricky ex, deliciously dangerous Margot, who is refusing to believe her meal ticket in Gerry is over. While bed bound and on strong painkillers and sleeping tablets Gerry receives a call from a woman who claims she is the character in his bestseller novel Dream Girl. Who is the woman calling him - does she exist? And what is the relationship between Margot, assistant Victoria and night nurse Aileen. This was an excellent read, very cleverly plotted and with compelling characters.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Wow.
There is so much I would like to say about this story and its telling, but I really have to tamp that down to avoid spoilers. Instead, I'll give you a taste of what you can expect.
This book is being touted as a great summer read, and it is, but don't let that fool you into thinking that this is bubblegum fun. I mean, it is, but it's much more.
Lippman tells the story of Gerry Andersen, a Phillip Roth-like character (generalizing, but you get the picture), an author with one huge hit book and modest success after, who in his 60s has an accident that causes him to be bedridden...…………
he starts to get calls from his "Dream Girl"...…...who was fiction...…….or was she?
There are so many sly references that made me smile (the most unexpected was the TV series "My World and Welcome to It"), and so many directions this story can go, with plenty of throwaway references throughout that hint at foreshadowing...……..or do they?
I also really enjoyed that ins and outs of the writer's life and process...…….the ego, casual misogyny, insults real and imagined. Lippman deftly plays the reader so well, it's like a shell game. Her sharp wit is released and in full display here.
It's a mystery. Its a comedy. Enjoy the misdirection as it unfolds....you'll get there.
I highly recommend this book.

A novel that frightened me as much as it had me enthralled! Can a character appear from within the pages of a book? And can it haul the author? Those are the questions that are the crux of this excellent story.

I love books about writers and this one was refreshingly original. Lots of dark humour throughout and some genuinely creepy moments. I loved the style of writing and couldn't help liking Gerry Anderson despite his questionable behaviour and attitudes over the years.

I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Laura Lippman's books and will be reading more.

How often do you say "I won't do things like my mother." That's a vow our narrator Gerry makes, he does not want to be like his father. Gerry, however, has been divorced three times and mentions some lovers or one-night stands.
Lippman, our author, has long been a favorite. She has been a voracious reader. Gerry, also a novelist, teaches about writing, thus this book Dream Girl details other books and movies.
Several flashbacks in Dream Girl, plus several women, thus it was a bit hard to keep straight on what was going on. Quite a story, and I'm so glad I read this book.
Interesting note: Lippman's recurrent detective Tess Monaghan makes a brief cameo appearance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me a chance to read this fabulous book in return for an honest review. This book gave me the feels of Stephen kings misery novel (in a good way). It was also very current in its me2 theme.
The plot was interesting. The characters were complex and I could not stand Gerry. I feel like that was the point, having a narrator that was unreliable and unlikable, yet you wanted him to survive so we could at least figure out why they things that were happening were happening to him. I certainly didn't see part of the ending happening, some aspects of it was predictable, but again, there were some elements I didn't expect. Overall I enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more by this author.

In her best novel since the noirish Sunburn Laura Lippman sets up a wonderful story that is attention holding imaginative and suspenseful

When novelist Gerry Anderson comes to Baltimore for his dying mother he has no idea that he will wind up
bedridden from a fall down a staircase. Attended to by his assistant and a night nurse Gerry has dreams of writing another book that will top his most successful novel Dream Girl. Little does he dream he will receive a call from a character identifying herself as Aubrey , a character in Dream Girl. Real, hallucinations from the drugs he's on, a scam? Subsequent phone calls up the ante in the fear department and suspects are considered-his two attendants, former wives, an ex girlfriend.................

When a dead body appears in his bed the energy is moved up in intensity. And that was to whet your appetite. Now read the book..

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman was an exciting read that somehow managed to be darker than I expected, yet strangely refreshing. Particularly, I was quite drawn in by Lippman's writing style. Her ability to capture the cynical voice of aging, narcissistic author Gerry Anderson kept me entertained throughout—even despite his being bedridden for the majority of the novel.

One thing I did not like as much was the constant flashbacks to seemingly random points in Gerry's life. While I understand that these flashbacks tell us more about Gerry as a person, and help explain some of what is going on in present day, I often felt that they pulled me out of the story. This led me to want to skim past the flashbacks, and I found myself having to re-read portions containing context that I missed.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Dream Girl, and would definitely like to read more from the author in the future!

So this book was dull and confusing. I am convinced this was most read this year. The book opens with Gerry stuck in bed because he has had an accident. He is a writer and while he has not written many books, he has written a very popular one that has allowed him to live comfortably. The story was all over the place and it did more telling instead of showing.