Ho-ly bananas. Lucid Dreaming got a new 5 star review the other day and it is said THE NICEST FREAKING THINGS. I couldn’t even believe it when I read it, and I still can’t. I’ve asked permission from the reviewer to share it on this platform and she said yes.

Desdemona Wren (author of Marjorie Diaz’s Unfortunate Introduction to Magical High Society) apparently likes my book. A lot. I haven’t read hers, but you can bet your ass I’m about to. It would seem we have similar taste, after all. I’ve posted the review below, along with my reactions:

“This book brought me to Quinn Kaneko levels of obsession. I rarely read anything this fast, but holy heck I devoured this book.”  (“Quinn Kaneko levels of obsession” tell me everything I need to know. SQUEEEEE!”)

“I don’t think the word “enrapture” is too strong a word for what this book dud to me. Every single word on the page screamed to be read. There was not even a single letter out of place and very few passages that gave me pause.” (Wow…Enrapture!?!)

“Every second I spent reading this book was rapturous. Heather Blair’s prose is delectable!” (Rapturous? Delectable!?! Someone pinch me!)

“I absolutely adore Alison and her family (with one obvious exception). It is so rare that I find a book with a well-written female character in a story with a predominantly romantic plot, but Alison is IT. She is strong-willed, she is smart, she is everything I want my female MCs to be. She gives as much as she gets and even a little more to Quinn and everyone around her, but she is by no means perfect. Her flaws are what make her so well-rounded and incredible.” (“Alison is IT” with a capital IT? I’m DYING. I mean, that’s certainly what I was going for, but one never expects to actually achieve a goal like that. This makes my heart warm.)

“The love scenes were otherworldly good. Blair definitely knows her way around well-written smut. I have not read a smutty book I’ve enjoyed the way I enjoyed Lucid Dreaming in years. The love scenes were exciting and full of description and care between the two characters.” (First of all, “otherworldly”? I don’t know about that but I’m beyond grateful. Secondly, no one has ever told me I knew my way around well-written smut before. I am delighted. Thirdly, I’m so glad the care was not lost in the lust. That was important to me.)

“God, I especially loved how Blair handled the break up between Alison and her first boyfriend, Logan without demonizing him. Sure, Logan has his moments where he isn’t a great guy, but Blair never takes him too far. She never makes him abusive or shitty and she definitely doesn’t kill him off. That meant the world to me.” (I am friends with several of my exes. They’re not all evil, especially when the relationship was had at such a young age. Each old relationship is a kind of learning experience, right? It makes me happy that the Alison/Logan dynamic “meant the world” to someone. )

“Thank you, Heather Blair, for your astonishing novel, Lucid Dreaming. I cannot wait for the sequel.” (No, thank YOU Desdemona for reading it and writing this mind-boggling review that I am clearly not worthy of. I feel reinvigorated by your kind words and I’m off to chip away at that sequel right now!)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I will never get used to hearing people talk about my work, especially when praise is involved. I lived almost 33 years without sharing any of my writing (outside of school work) from sheer terror. Part of me regrets the delay, but the other part thinks this feeling was worth the wait. I think I appreciate it more for having been so terrified for so long.

So again, thank you Desdemona. I look forward to reading about Marjorie Diaz soon!