In Dream Keeper (Dream Team #4) by Kristen Ashley (11/30), Single mom Pepper Hannigan has a 
lot of hopes and dreams for both her and her beautiful eight-year-old daughter Juno. After the way things ended with her ex a few years ago, those dreams don’t (currently) include a man. But if there’s a guy who could change Pepper’s mind, Augustus “Auggie” Hero would be the one. The gorgeous commando is intelligent, kind, and adores Juno. Then there’s the insane chemistry Auggie and Pepper have together. And although the thought of a new relationship is both exciting and scary for Pepper, the thought of her daughter’s heart getting broken should things with Auggie not work out is enough to have her put her guard up, big time.
“No one has stood beside me. No one has protected me. And as such, it’s safe to say, no one has ever believed in me, Auggie. So the bottom line is, you believe in me.”
That was when Auggie kissed me. Hard.
Auggie is basically at his wit’s end with how things are working out–or *not* working out, as the case may be–with Pepper. He’s not a fan of playing the hot-and-cold game. But just when he’s ready to throw in the towel, things heat up between them. Again. And this time it shows no sign of slowing down. Auggie is glad to finally have some time with Pepper, as well as with her adorable daughter Juno. It turns out, though, that Juno has recruited some help in pushing Auggie and Pepper together, a person that causes some concern for the commando. But it’s Pepper’s family–and his own, too–that really causes the most trouble. Thankfully, he’s adept at handling threats of any kind, given his line of work. Because no one is going to ruin the one good thing Auggie finally has in his life.
“You wanna shield Juno from everything, but you can’t. I wanna shield you both from everything, but I can’t. That said, when I can, I’m gonna.”
A story that Kristen Ashley fans have been waiting for, Dream Keeper finally paired up Pepper and Auggie–a couple who have danced around each other since the beginning of the Dream Team series. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Do I still want more time with this awesome duo? You can’t imagine how much. And based on the teaser at the end of this novel, there will be a few more books to come–so it looks like we’ll be catching up with *all* the couples in the future as well as meeting some new faces.
“I’m serious about you. About seeing if there could be an us. And I understand you’d come to me already as an us with Juno… I told you I would handle her with care. What I’m telling you now is that you’ll get that from me too.”
I’ll admit that I was worried about how Auggie & Pepper’s romance would play out. Mostly because Pepper had been so back and forth with Auggie for months. There were reasons. Of course. But I wasn’t okay with some of the choices she made in the beginning of the book. Things (thankfully) got straightened out rather quickly after Auggie went off the rails a bit. lol And from then on it was pure KA drama–mostly with Pepper and Auggie’s families but also with the dirty cop situation that’s been a thread through it all since book one. And oh didn’t that take an interesting turn at the end! We’ll have to wait to see how the investigation proceeds in the future.
It goes without saying that I love all of KA’s heroes–and her heroines who are crazy-cool–but Auggie was *such* a good guy. He’d not been shown a lot of love in the past and had been treated poorly by many people over the years. So to see him find Pepper, a Zen Supermom whose daughter Juno was The Bomb, it was all I could have hoped for. Auggie and Pepper had a lot coming at them, both in their relationship and with their own families. But they made a great duo. And bonus: they were not only a fun couple, they were sexy as all get out.
I do want to mention that Juno also gets her moment to shine, with passages written from her POV. It was…everything. I honestly can’t imagine Auggie & Pepper’s story without getting Juno’s take on it. And pay close attention to who she befriends in her quest to pair her mom and Auggie up. It was unexpected. But it was the sweetest, funniest, most touching friendship. One I think fans will *love*.
QOTD: The Dream Team series looks to have at least three more books to go, which was a surprise. (But a happy one!) If you’re a fan of a series that unexpectedly gets extended, do you stick with it?
Book Info:
Publication: Published November 30th, 2021 | Forever | Dream Team #4
Spinning off from the bestselling Dream Man and Rock Chick series, this is the emotional and steamy contemporary romance fans of the Dream Team series have been waiting for!
Pepper Hannigan is determined to keep any romance off the table—and out of her bedroom—while her daughter Juno is still young. Sure, a certain handsome commando is thoughtful, funny, and undeniably hot, but Pepper’s had her heart broken before, and she won’t let it happen again. Not to her or her little girl, even if this hero could melt any woman’s resolve.
Augustus “Auggie” Hero can’t deny his attraction to beautiful, warm-hearted Pepper or how much he wants to make a home with her and her little girl, but Pepper’s mixed signals have kept him away. That is, until Juno decides to play matchmaker. Her efforts finally bring Pepper into his arms, but they expose the danger Pepper is in. To protect Pepper and Juno, Auggie will have to live up to his last name and prove happy endings aren’t just for fairy tales.
