After barely graduating from culinary school in New York, Madison Walker is desperate to return to her hometown Rome, Kentucky but she doesn’t want her family to think that she is a failure. When a teary Madison accidentally calls her brother’s best friend James Huxley, he gives her the opportunity to return home with her head held high by signing on as the head chef at the new farm-to-table restaurant that is opening on his farm. Unbeknownst to Madison, James has been secretly in love with her for years and would do anything to make her smile, even converting the unused greenhouse on the farm into a restaurant. While prepping for the restaurant’s opening, which is essential for the farm’s struggling finances, James experiences some concerning health issues and is frustrated when his younger brother Tommy starts flirting with Madison.
In Your Dreams is a slow burn smalltown romance featuring the forced proximity, brother’s best friend, and he falls first tropes. I would recommend In Your Dreams and the entire When in Rome series to fans of the Lovelight series by B.K. Borison, the Blue Moon series by Lucy Score, the Silver Pines Ranch series by Paisley Hope, and the Bromance Book Club series by Lyssa Kay Adams. In Your Dreams features themes and topics like appearance versus reality, finances, anxiety and trauma, mental health, high blood pressure and heart attacks, family and found family, grief, change versus tradition, self worth, as well as loneliness and isolation. In Your Dreams is the fourth and final book in the When in Rome series; it can be read as a standalone but for an optimal reading experience, I’d recommend reading the series in order.
There was a ton of slow burn swoon and secret mutual yearning in Madison and James’ story, which I loved. One of my favourite parts was when James gently supported a struggling Madison when she faced her fears and stepped back into an industrial kitchen after all of the trauma she endured in culinary school. Additionally, I was very pleased to see that there was no third act break-up in Madison and James’ story! The greenhouse restaurant setting, as well as Madison’s nearby cottage (which James built for her), sounded so cosy and inviting, and I loved getting to hear about all of Madison’s culinary creations. We also got to see more of the town’s signature good-natured meddling, and I appreciated that all of the Walker siblings (and their partners) were very present in this book.
On the downside, I felt like this book was a little slow to start; I think this is because Madison is mostly in New York during the other When in Rome books, so we don’t know her as well as the rest of the Walker siblings. Also, after reading about all of the delicious recipes that Madison works on throughout the book, it felt like a missed opportunity that there weren’t any recipes included at the end of the book (although maybe there will be in the final print version or a special edition of the book).
Overall, I enjoyed this book and the entire When in Rome series. I’m excited to see what’s up next for Sarah Adams!
In Your Dreams is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of December 30th 2025.
Will you be picking up In Your Dreams? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis
A homecoming to Rome, Kentucky, sparks a new romance—and lots of drama—between two old family friends, from the New York Times bestselling author of When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal.
Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is her shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend.
James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and running the family business. But when Madison’s happiness is on the line, he’s willing to take up his estranged brother’s offer to launch a restaurant. James has loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance, but now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that.
Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy restaurant in record time, but keeping things strictly professional soon becomes impossible, and the town can’t help but meddle in their relationship. As opening night looms closer, Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back.
When an unexpected disaster collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.
