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Dream For Me
In a society awake for twenty-four hours a day a man who sleeps is a freak. But not to neurobiologist Shay Mistry. Jacob Garcia, the last known sleeper in America, is the test subject whose brain Shay has been dying to get his hands on for years. When they meet, Shay discovers the sleeper’s brain comes accompanied by a gorgeous body and a hostile attitude. As Jacob sleeps night after night in his lab it’s harder and harder for Shay to resist their mutual attraction.
Jacob is tired of being a lab rat, but he’s got his reasons to be in Shay’s lab—one of them he’s not going to tell anyone about—and his plan is to do what he came to do and leave. So falling in love with Shay is like adding a hand grenade to all the other balls he’s juggling. He doesn’t need this added complication, but his desire for Shay is too strong to resist. When Jacob’s secret comes out it triggers a chain of events leaving Shay irrevocably changed and forcing Jacob to choose where his loyalties lie.
Jacob is tired of being a lab rat, but he’s got his reasons to be in Shay’s lab—one of them he’s not going to tell anyone about—and his plan is to do what he came to do and leave. So falling in love with Shay is like adding a hand grenade to all the other balls he’s juggling. He doesn’t need this added complication, but his desire for Shay is too strong to resist. When Jacob’s secret comes out it triggers a chain of events leaving Shay irrevocably changed and forcing Jacob to choose where his loyalties lie.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2014
1 person is currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 5, 2015
****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance****
4.25 Stars Dream for Me presents an interesting premise: in the future, almost no one sleeps. What does this mean for the world and what does it mean for those few who do sleep?
It was interesting to see the little differences in the world that marked it as being in the future without everyone wearing silver and flying in hover crafts. There were biometric locks, fancier phone-like communication devices, and electric cars. They also had personal rooms instead of bedrooms, as beds were no longer necessary items. All these things, and more, made it feel much more realistic and potentially possible.
I really enjoyed seeing Shay’s fascination with sleep, and Jacob, the last sleeper in America. It was good to see Jacob thaw from his status a “Number One Lab Rat” to see Shay in a different light than all the other scientists in his past. I would have liked to see Jacob’s feelings develop more though. We see time pass and can believe he feels the way he does, but a lot of the time is glossed over.
The adventure and intrigue with Jacob’s family and the government was well developed and kept me invested in the story. I enjoyed the little plot twists and the outcome.
Overall, a great little sci-fi piece with a believable couple. I wish there was a little more emotion between Shay and Jacob but otherwise really enjoyed it!
4.25 Stars Dream for Me presents an interesting premise: in the future, almost no one sleeps. What does this mean for the world and what does it mean for those few who do sleep?
It was interesting to see the little differences in the world that marked it as being in the future without everyone wearing silver and flying in hover crafts. There were biometric locks, fancier phone-like communication devices, and electric cars. They also had personal rooms instead of bedrooms, as beds were no longer necessary items. All these things, and more, made it feel much more realistic and potentially possible.
I really enjoyed seeing Shay’s fascination with sleep, and Jacob, the last sleeper in America. It was good to see Jacob thaw from his status a “Number One Lab Rat” to see Shay in a different light than all the other scientists in his past. I would have liked to see Jacob’s feelings develop more though. We see time pass and can believe he feels the way he does, but a lot of the time is glossed over.
The adventure and intrigue with Jacob’s family and the government was well developed and kept me invested in the story. I enjoyed the little plot twists and the outcome.
Overall, a great little sci-fi piece with a believable couple. I wish there was a little more emotion between Shay and Jacob but otherwise really enjoyed it!
September 5, 2018
A fresh new world with engaging characters and a great story line!
October 16, 2014
A very interesting plot, a bit too many sex scenes for my taste, and I wasn't that fond of the characters, but they were well fleshed out and felt real, overall a good story. Kinda creepy. 3.5 stars
October 3, 2015
Why do people outside the US keep setting books in this country? Does it really make a difference for sales? I'm so tired of books set here and the potential for mistakes is profound.
Anyway, this was an interesting premise and a sweet story for the most part. There was a short element of cheating (on existing partner, not MC) which bothered me but it was not seen as good at least. The pacing kept me reading and the characters were likable. The motivations of the bad guys were obvious to me as soon as they were introduced to the point that I thought the book was messed up, but the plot was still good. There was too much sex, but the scenes were not excessively long.
I can imagine how hard it would be for Jacob. I've done sleep studies and you don't get any sleep. Interestingly, they don't talk about how much you're prodded and poked and woken up to have you move or do something different like turn on your side or your back or your other side.
While I think it would be great to have more hours in a day and therefore the equivalent of a much longer life span, I do love sleep. But I guess I wouldn't miss it. I can see how it would be seen as a handicap if the rest of the population didn't sleep. Not being able to sleep when sick sounds awful. I'd be so bored.
I appreciated the realism in places. For example, people would get interrupted mid-conversation that they would later come back to rather than conveniently at the end. Phone calls would interrupt as well. Other places, not so much. For example, not everyone knows Jacob is gay. Given that his life has been on display since he was a baby, it would be common knowledge. It's also interesting that everyone still drinks coffee. I would think that caffeine would become out of fashion and more of a recreational drug.
A couple of comments I objected to. For example, at one part the narration said, "The world could work hard enough and long enough to support it's ever-growing population." Having people awake half again as long, would make most resources that much more in demand. In addition to increased food and power needs, merchandise like clothing and electronics would wear out sooner. People would have more time to have sex and breed creating more people. And that's just a couple of things I thought of.
I also disagreed that trying to "cure" sleepers was genocide. Sleeping in that society is a handicap. They can live and work fine, but they don't have the same opportunities as everyone else. There may be a death to the culture which is unfortunate, but it's not genocide.
I liken this to the Deaf community. (I know I'm going to get reamed for this.) It's an community for people who have a disability to join with others in the same circumstances. They've developed a rich culture of shared experiences outside anything hearing people can understand. I know that being deaf is not always seen as a handicap to people in the community, but it is a deficit. A fundamental ability that everyone else has is missing. Life is harder. It can be completely full and wonderful, and I think it's fabulous that there's a way the people feel empowered. Their brains pay more attention to other senses in a way it's hard for anyone else to do, but it's not impossible with training. I would be very surprised if anyone who is deaf would puncture their child's ear drums to make him or her like the parent.
I once had someone tell me that being gay was the same. It's not. A gay person has exactly the same abilities and opportunities as everyone else (civil rights violations aside). They can have children, they just have to go about it a little differently.
These are all minor complaints, though. I really loved this book and highly recommend it.
Anyway, this was an interesting premise and a sweet story for the most part. There was a short element of cheating (on existing partner, not MC) which bothered me but it was not seen as good at least. The pacing kept me reading and the characters were likable. The motivations of the bad guys were obvious to me as soon as they were introduced to the point that I thought the book was messed up, but the plot was still good. There was too much sex, but the scenes were not excessively long.
I can imagine how hard it would be for Jacob. I've done sleep studies and you don't get any sleep. Interestingly, they don't talk about how much you're prodded and poked and woken up to have you move or do something different like turn on your side or your back or your other side.
While I think it would be great to have more hours in a day and therefore the equivalent of a much longer life span, I do love sleep. But I guess I wouldn't miss it. I can see how it would be seen as a handicap if the rest of the population didn't sleep. Not being able to sleep when sick sounds awful. I'd be so bored.
I appreciated the realism in places. For example, people would get interrupted mid-conversation that they would later come back to rather than conveniently at the end. Phone calls would interrupt as well. Other places, not so much. For example, not everyone knows Jacob is gay. Given that his life has been on display since he was a baby, it would be common knowledge. It's also interesting that everyone still drinks coffee. I would think that caffeine would become out of fashion and more of a recreational drug.
A couple of comments I objected to. For example, at one part the narration said, "The world could work hard enough and long enough to support it's ever-growing population." Having people awake half again as long, would make most resources that much more in demand. In addition to increased food and power needs, merchandise like clothing and electronics would wear out sooner. People would have more time to have sex and breed creating more people. And that's just a couple of things I thought of.
I also disagreed that trying to "cure" sleepers was genocide. Sleeping in that society is a handicap. They can live and work fine, but they don't have the same opportunities as everyone else. There may be a death to the culture which is unfortunate, but it's not genocide.
I liken this to the Deaf community. (I know I'm going to get reamed for this.) It's an community for people who have a disability to join with others in the same circumstances. They've developed a rich culture of shared experiences outside anything hearing people can understand. I know that being deaf is not always seen as a handicap to people in the community, but it is a deficit. A fundamental ability that everyone else has is missing. Life is harder. It can be completely full and wonderful, and I think it's fabulous that there's a way the people feel empowered. Their brains pay more attention to other senses in a way it's hard for anyone else to do, but it's not impossible with training. I would be very surprised if anyone who is deaf would puncture their child's ear drums to make him or her like the parent.
I once had someone tell me that being gay was the same. It's not. A gay person has exactly the same abilities and opportunities as everyone else (civil rights violations aside). They can have children, they just have to go about it a little differently.
These are all minor complaints, though. I really loved this book and highly recommend it.
August 11, 2014
4.5/5 stars...
Jacob Garcia has spent the better part of his life in labs, an anomaly, only worth what he can give the doctors and scientists that are studying him. In a world where no one sleeps, Jacob is a sleeper, someone that can still dream. Shay Mistry is one of those doctors that only value Jacob for what they can find during REM, or is he?
There is an attraction there from the start. Jacob can tell by the way Shay looks at him, his eyes full of hunger, lust and need. Hesitant to explore any type of romantic relationship with Jacob because of his sleep study, Shay resists as much as he can. But chemistry ignites when Shay is faced with Jacob leaving town. Lust sends Shay to Jacob’s apartment, but emotion keeps him there. Having never really experienced tenderness and love, Shay is entranced with the man that really see’s him.
All the while Jacob is romancing Shay, there is a threat brewing behind the scenes. A group of sleeper’s that are hiding out in a place they call Nyx have been working on a study of their own, a way to make everyone sleep again. And the final piece of that puzzle is Shay. Can Jacob stop his people, his own family from unleashing a germ that could not only make everyone sleep again, but quite possibly kill people as well? Will he choose his family or the man he loves?
This was a very vivid and detailed future that Black wrote that could very well be based as reality. The arguments from both sides as to why things should either stay as they were, or be changed back to how they were, were both compelling and sound. And the forced sterilization aspect on sleepers so no more would be born is so much like something our government would do, it’s frightening! The writing was so descriptive that I could actually envision this Denver in my mind.
My only complaint, which may sound odd to some, I don’t like sex in a book just for the sake of having sex. If it doesn’t advance the story or add to the characters in some way, it should be either left out of just eluded to. While I love a sweaty, sexy, passionate romp between two men, a couple of times it seemed forced or thrown in to add page count. Aside from that, I was intrigued throughout with this story. I’ve never read another story like it, where the norm is always awake.
This one is a must read for SciFi fans. It’s passionate, romantic, fast paced and engaging.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews*
http://www.mmgoodbookreviews.wordpres...
Jacob Garcia has spent the better part of his life in labs, an anomaly, only worth what he can give the doctors and scientists that are studying him. In a world where no one sleeps, Jacob is a sleeper, someone that can still dream. Shay Mistry is one of those doctors that only value Jacob for what they can find during REM, or is he?
There is an attraction there from the start. Jacob can tell by the way Shay looks at him, his eyes full of hunger, lust and need. Hesitant to explore any type of romantic relationship with Jacob because of his sleep study, Shay resists as much as he can. But chemistry ignites when Shay is faced with Jacob leaving town. Lust sends Shay to Jacob’s apartment, but emotion keeps him there. Having never really experienced tenderness and love, Shay is entranced with the man that really see’s him.
All the while Jacob is romancing Shay, there is a threat brewing behind the scenes. A group of sleeper’s that are hiding out in a place they call Nyx have been working on a study of their own, a way to make everyone sleep again. And the final piece of that puzzle is Shay. Can Jacob stop his people, his own family from unleashing a germ that could not only make everyone sleep again, but quite possibly kill people as well? Will he choose his family or the man he loves?
This was a very vivid and detailed future that Black wrote that could very well be based as reality. The arguments from both sides as to why things should either stay as they were, or be changed back to how they were, were both compelling and sound. And the forced sterilization aspect on sleepers so no more would be born is so much like something our government would do, it’s frightening! The writing was so descriptive that I could actually envision this Denver in my mind.
My only complaint, which may sound odd to some, I don’t like sex in a book just for the sake of having sex. If it doesn’t advance the story or add to the characters in some way, it should be either left out of just eluded to. While I love a sweaty, sexy, passionate romp between two men, a couple of times it seemed forced or thrown in to add page count. Aside from that, I was intrigued throughout with this story. I’ve never read another story like it, where the norm is always awake.
This one is a must read for SciFi fans. It’s passionate, romantic, fast paced and engaging.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews*
http://www.mmgoodbookreviews.wordpres...
August 26, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.75 stars
The world Black created is at once familiar and foreign. It’s a future we can all recognize, but for the fact that no one needs to sleep. Going for twenty four hours a day, people are much more productive than ever before. What I particularly liked was that it was absolutely believable. This wasn’t some great utopian society, or even dystopian. It was solidly in the middle, much like the real world today, and it was easy to get immersed in it. I could easily picture the world, with its credit chips, automated and electric cars, and personal terminals. With the way technology advances, it was an easy step into this book.
Jacob Garcia is my kind of guy. Doing what he needs to in order to get by in this world, he has a chip on his shoulder and a grumpy personality. Most of the time. But he also has a soft heart underneath, and he is intensely loyal. When his loyalty shifts to Shay, it was easy to see why. His love and affection for the man just leapt off the page. Jacob is the kind of guy that wants to do the right thing, and he isn’t above changing his mind when new facts are presented. Every choice Jacob made, every action, had solid basis in his character and I understood him and his motivations completely.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
4.75 stars
The world Black created is at once familiar and foreign. It’s a future we can all recognize, but for the fact that no one needs to sleep. Going for twenty four hours a day, people are much more productive than ever before. What I particularly liked was that it was absolutely believable. This wasn’t some great utopian society, or even dystopian. It was solidly in the middle, much like the real world today, and it was easy to get immersed in it. I could easily picture the world, with its credit chips, automated and electric cars, and personal terminals. With the way technology advances, it was an easy step into this book.
Jacob Garcia is my kind of guy. Doing what he needs to in order to get by in this world, he has a chip on his shoulder and a grumpy personality. Most of the time. But he also has a soft heart underneath, and he is intensely loyal. When his loyalty shifts to Shay, it was easy to see why. His love and affection for the man just leapt off the page. Jacob is the kind of guy that wants to do the right thing, and he isn’t above changing his mind when new facts are presented. Every choice Jacob made, every action, had solid basis in his character and I understood him and his motivations completely.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
September 11, 2014
This is a very interesting book to review in that it sits outside of the norm of so many genres. This is a m/m dystopian novel with a little sci-fi thrown in for fun. Ms. Black has created a new version of Earth where over 90% of humans no longer sleep. This was such an interesting book to read because something we take for granted, the simple ability to sleep, is considered a disability. If you have to sleep you are less productive and therefore considered less desirable as a member of the work force.
We get to meet Jacob Garcia one of the last known sleepers in the world and Dr. Shay Mistry, the doctor who is conducting a sleep study on him. These two characters are so believable and I loved them both from the beginning. The two of them characterize so perfectly the pinnacle of their respective DNA groups. Dr. Mistry is a genius scientist and Jacob, considered to be one of the last of his kind, a sideshow freak. We get to see the two extremes of the human psyche.
While I loved the characters and the plot was very interesting it seemed to fall flat in the middle. It did pick up at the end and lead me on some quite interesting twists and turns so overall I was quite satisfied with this book.
We get to meet Jacob Garcia one of the last known sleepers in the world and Dr. Shay Mistry, the doctor who is conducting a sleep study on him. These two characters are so believable and I loved them both from the beginning. The two of them characterize so perfectly the pinnacle of their respective DNA groups. Dr. Mistry is a genius scientist and Jacob, considered to be one of the last of his kind, a sideshow freak. We get to see the two extremes of the human psyche.
While I loved the characters and the plot was very interesting it seemed to fall flat in the middle. It did pick up at the end and lead me on some quite interesting twists and turns so overall I was quite satisfied with this book.
September 20, 2014
A world where no one sleeps and anyone who does sleep is an anomaly. What a horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE world!
I enjoyed this story a lot. The world created here is fascinating and touches on interesting concepts such as the impact on the economy and culture of a society which never needs sleep.
The romance was nicely done with interesting repercussions for Jacob who needs sleep and Shay who doesn't. I loved how the author took the relationship to different levels throughout the book.
I enjoyed this story a lot. The world created here is fascinating and touches on interesting concepts such as the impact on the economy and culture of a society which never needs sleep.
The romance was nicely done with interesting repercussions for Jacob who needs sleep and Shay who doesn't. I loved how the author took the relationship to different levels throughout the book.
July 14, 2014
Interesting premise and good plot delivery. Liked Jacob and Shay's characterizations and their relationship.
July 20, 2014
3.5
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews