Here we go again! Today I’m sharing my thoughts on a book I read well over a year ago. Once again, it took me a while to realise where I had put the review… I know I’m an idiot but at least I have finally found my review of Dolly’s Dream by Dilly Court and I’m delighted to share it today.

Published by Harper Collins on 2nd February 2023, Dolly’s Dream is available for purchase through the links here.

Dolly’s Dream

Dolly’s dreams could lead her astray . . .

Dolly Blanchard dreams of a bigger life. She wants to make a mark on the world, not simply wait for a husband to come along. So when an impoverished actress offers her a lifeline, Dolly flees to London, determined to make it on the stage and prove to her family – and herself – that she can strike out alone.

But the dark city streets are full of danger. With her dreams fading to dust, Dolly soon finds herself in peril. And with the family’s future under threat at Rockwood Castle, and secrets tumbling out of the shadows, she faces a difficult choice.

Will her heart call her home?

My Review of Dolly’s Dream

Dolly wants a better life.

Dolly’s Dream is a sumptuous example of being careful what you wish for, wrapped in a thoroughly enjoyable historical tale. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read other books in the Rockwood Chronicles, because within a very few pages Dilly Court made me feel as if I knew the characters and background completely. Initially my heart sank when I saw the family tree at the beginning of the book, because I thought I might struggle to remember everyone, but in fact I found it easy to distinguish characters as a result of Dilly Court’s well-crafted prose.

Dilly Court’s style is simply wonderful. Her descriptions plunge the reader into both setting and era, and there’s a wickedly dry sense of humour that runs through in places, so that not only is Dolly’s Dream entertaining, it’s amusing and uplifting too. Each of the senses is catered for with such quality that Dolly’s Dream is effortless to read, but frequently made me ravenously hungry! There’s such a clear sense of place that, although the story is set in the 1870s, it feels vivid and fresh, because just the right amount of transporting detail is provided.

The themes in Dolly’s Dream are woven into the story with considerable realism and absolute skill. Social hierarchy, convention, ambition, love, family and so much more mean there’s interest and engagement. I loved the theatrical motif because it extends beyond Nick’s theatre productions into the roles and personas that people present in everyday life. I had no idea, for example, whether Gus was genuine or a complete charlatan until the very end of the book.

There’s drama, romance, scandal and intrigue aplenty in Dolly’s Dream. The book can be described as a proper story by a skilled storyteller who ensnares her readers. The  lively plot is brilliant, being totally absorbing and great fun. I loved the sense of history and especially Dolly’s unwillingness to conform to convention as it made her a heroine for any reader.

Dolly, or, more formally Adela, is a triumph. She’s reckless and brave, intelligent and foolhardy, morally upright and conventionally unfettered so that her antics in the story have pleasing light and shade. Dolly is the kind of young woman who feels far more convincing than a character on the page. It’s as if she might walk through the door at any moment.

Dolly’s Dream is my first Dilly Court read. It is smashing and I am delighted to have an entire back catalogue to discover.

About Dilly Court

Dilly Court is a Sunday Times bestselling author of over thirty novels. She grew up in North East London and began her career in television, writing scripts for commercials. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband.

To find out more about Dilly, please visit her on Facebook.