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Wildest Dreams
- Narrated by: Tillie Hooper
- Series: Fantasyland, Book 1
- Length: 19 hrs and 19 mins
- Categories: Romance, Fantasy
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Summary
Seoafin "Finnie" Wilde was taught by her parents that every breath was a treasure and to seek every adventure she could find. And she learns this lesson the hard way when they perish in a plane crash. But she never forgets, and when she discovers there is a parallel universe where every person has a twin, she finds a witch who can send her there so she can have the adventure of a lifetime. But upon arrival in the Winter Wonderland of Lunwyn, she realizes she's been played by her twin and finds herself walking down the aisle to be wed to The Drakkar.
Thrown into inauspicious circumstances, with years of practice, Finnie bests the challenges and digs into her adventure. But as Frey Drakkar discovers the woman who is his new wife is not Princess Sjofn, a woman he dislikes, but instead his Finnie, a free spirit with a thirst for adventure just like him, without her knowledge he orders his new bride bound to his frozen world, everlasting. But at the same time, Frey plunges Finnie into a web of political intrigue that includes assassination plots, poison, magic, mystery and...dragons.
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What listeners say about Wildest Dreams
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 10-06-20
This book made so angry
If you're looking for mutual love and romance leave this book alone. Don't touch it with a barge pole. This book made so angry with its backwards thinking that I didn't finish it. First time I have ever bailed half way through a book. Here are my reasons for quitting this book: She might be a lesbian, but you can still force yourself on her. That's rape... No thank you. I am big important man! I can make decisions for you without your consent! I am a man and can sleep with whoever I want regardless of marriage because I am a man. You as woman must be faithful to husband. I as man take away your choices as woman. As man I want you to have my child and will go behind your back and tamper with your BIRTH CONTROL. You will have my child and have NO CHOICE IN THIS MATTER! Or knowledge of this until you are pregnant AND THEN we can discuss this. THIS IS NOT OKAY! I stopped listening after this. Because of these abusive themes wrapped in pretty ribbons I genuinely feel this booked should have a warning. Argh... The main character looses her backbone as well, becomes the man's door mat and accepts it all as her fault! Lastly there are no repercussions for man's abusive decisions! Just don't bother.
11 people found this helpful
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- Revdave39
- 03-08-20
Thought I was buying Sci Fan, but got porn instead
Thank goodness I bought this in a sale! Just porn dressed up as literature! Ripoff!
3 people found this helpful
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- Nalana
- 03-03-18
I think I have found my favourite genre
Would you listen to Wildest Dreams again? Why?
I have listened to this book at least 5 times, understanding the small details and twists. I really enjoy the ups and downs of the characters.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Wildest Dreams?
Chapter 5, titled Welcome home. The moment the main characters really talked
What about Tillie Hooper’s performance did you like?
She is amazing, her male voices are impressive.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I was addicted to this everywhere I went it was playing in my ears.
Any additional comments?
I think this is one of my favourite books in my audible library. It was beyond my Wildest Dreams.
3 people found this helpful
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- Traceyb
- 26-10-17
Amazingly good
Due to a recent problem with migraines i decided to try an audio book. I really enjoyed the narration and have already bought the next one. I am already a fan of me Ashley 's books I am happy to now add audio books to my collection.
1 person found this helpful
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- Tomás Timon
- 21-01-21
Amazing narration, engaging story
Tillie Hooper's performance is outstanding! Let it be a male or a female character's monologue, or the narration of Finnie's thoughts, her impersonations are perfect, which really does bring the story to life. On the other hand, the story is also engaging, full of tiny twists and turns which have kept me engaged to the very end. The writing itself is also decent, I liked the fact that the author dared to be explicit when the situation called for it, while still being able to refrain from being vulgar. Moreover, while being able to gift each character a memorable personality, sometimes the effort felt a bit overt. For example, the frequency with which Finnie used the word 'cool' to express her admiration has grown to be overwhelming, by the end... In my opinion - dispite slowing down at certain points, and focusing mainly on the main character's feelings -, this is a great adventure novel which even a more action-oriented audience can find entertaing due to its recurring twists and well-placed thrills. People strictly seeking deep philosophical content might want to look elswhere, it is a light read/listen, but there is nothing wrong with that :) . My recommendations.
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- Erica H.
- 06-10-20
loved this book
brilliant story, really enjoyed it, made me laugh and cry...the narration is brilliant to really recommended it.
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- Debbie
- 16-07-20
Do not miss this amazing story
I love K.A. books but admit this series was one that I wasn’t drawn to..... Until I listened to it. Now it’s my favourite and I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series. I don’t know how she does it but I fell head over heels for the characters. The narration is fantastic. I would definitely recommend 😍
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- karen
- 06-05-19
OMG 😲 WOW!!!!!
EXCELLENT FROM START TO FINISH! Narration is spot on. Story has intrigue, excitement, mystery, love 💘 and adventure what more could a listener ask for? I can't wait for the series to continue , I just hope it's just as brilliant as the first instalment. 😁
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-02-17
Brilliant Story Well Narrated
Loved it - nearly 19 hours filled with a good story.
During the narrative we are following a year in the life of Seoafin "Finnie" Wilde who changes places with her doppelganger, Princess Sjofn from another dimension. It is an arranged exchange but unfortunately for Finnie, Princess Sjofn has not been honest about her circumstances and so the tale develops.
Finnie is a little rich girl who loves adventure and is able to stand on her own two feet.
Tillie Hooper was an excellent narrator and the tale progressed well so at no point was I bored. However on occasion I wanted Finnie to stand up for herself a little more.
Wildest Dreams is worth its credit. I will in due course read it again.
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- Elle
- 09-12-16
Fantastic Audio book
Brilliant, loved the story when I read the book, the Audible Version made it come alive,.
Narration was great.
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- Kagomaru
- 26-06-19
Important note if you're unsure about listening!
Look, there are a LOT of bad reviews detailing what's bad about this book- and a LOT of raving reviews that don't even touch what the bad reviews address. So here's a good review addressing the bad issues. The #1 most important thing to know is that you need to be capable of thinking (or at least accepting) another culture's way of life. Kristen Ashley has created a beautifully detailed world that takes place in a mostly mid evil society, and sometimes even a barbaric one. So YES, the men will be chauvinistic- that's the way their world works! If you traveled back in time 1000 years and you were a woman, you would be extremely lucky if you only had to deal with what these women do. But if you just can't stand that kind of thing, you will NOT enjoy this series- period. As for the language, yes, there is a very liberal use of words like: Cool, Awesome, Sucks, and Freakin' - get over it. It's not my favorite either, but you know that you've met people that talk like that! I feel like it makes the female lead more real in that (like that coworker I want to hand a thesaurus to) she can make me annoyed by the way she talks more than due to her actions. And finally, Tillie Hooper does a fine job. Her male leads voice isn't my favorite, but everyone enjoys different things. The important thing is that she really helps bring these characters to life. So whether (like me) you pay for the Escape (aka Romance) package, or you're using a credit, or you're outright purchasing- if you can accept a character's actions as they pertain to the world/society they live in versus judging them on current, real world standards- this book is fun and most likely worth it.
94 people found this helpful
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- Jordan
- 18-01-17
The hell..?
What would have made Wildest Dreams better?
It would be nice if it didn't promote blatantly abusive and one sided relationships. Was this really written by a woman? Because it seems like it was written by a scorned man. I wouldn't want any young girls to read this book until they've matured into young women, the story is written just well enough that I would fear it would encourage them to pursue abusive relationships and to blame themselves when they are treated badly.
What could Kristen Ashley have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
I am male and I know this wasn't really geared towards me, but this was borderline disturbing to read at times. Finnie should not always be the one in the wrong and the one who needs to change. And he just trapped her in his world without any consideration for what she wanted, which seems unforgivably cruel and selfish to me. I do not understand the point of this story.
What about Tillie Hooper’s performance did you like?
She did fine. No complaints about her
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
I would have liked it if Frey was ever held accountable for his behavior and not perceived as perfect or always in the right. I saw a lot of promise in the beginning of this book but it just became clearer and clearer that this was a terrible story with little to no point or moral fiber.
Any additional comments?
This book almost made me believe in censorship.
48 people found this helpful
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- Helen
- 21-07-16
I gave it an honest try...
...but I was so annoyed that I couldn't finish it. Maybe the ending is stellar and will redeem the bad writing and vapid lead, but I got a little over half way through before being too revolted to keep listening another 7 hours. The narrator did well enough, considering how little she had to work with. So...here's the laundry list:
Problem 1: the writing. "Soooo coooool" and "frickin awesome" would be acceptable in moderation, but those are the main adjectives. Kristen, get a thesaurus! Also, the dialogue is inauthentic, and her descriptions of emotions and emotional growth are ham-handed. Her descriptions of places and sex scenes are good, but that is not enough to support the plot.
Problem 2: Finnie is horrendous. Aside from the choice to go to the parallel world, she doesn't make any major decisions or assert herself; things just happen to her. That is absolutely not in the spirit of an adventurer, so her primary motivation immediately falls through. Her other motivation, grief, is treated superficially, so there's really no other motivation to make her interesting or sympathetic. However, it's awesome to see a female protagonist who chooses to be domestic and really owns her femininity, given that so many female protagonists take on traditionally masculine traits, so hooray! There is a redeeming quality!
Problem 2(a): Whenever Sjofn is discussed, she sounds much more interesting than Finnie. Why aren't we reading about her?
Problem 3: this book is surprisingly anti-woman. I expect women authors to know better than to write so many women who are motivated only by the need to impress men. Most of the women are shallow, irrational, don't make their own decisions, or all three. The relationships between the women are completely unrealistic, and there is a conversation where Finnie's other mother actually tells her that she just needs to sleep with Frey more and then he'll be faithful. Ugh. Finnie is not responsible for Frey's behavior, period, but Finnie doesn't seem to realize this. For the author to claim that women are responsible for men's actions, especially when the women don't actually make many significant choices, is both ridiculous and medieval.
Problem 4: Frey is boring. He doesn't respect women, as shown by his conversation with his second-in-command right at the beginning of the book, and he's never willing to meet Finnie halfway; she always has to accommodate him. He is emotionally two dimensional and magically overpowered to boot. He's basically an anime hero, or something you would expect from an adolescent male writing a wish-fulfillment character.
Problem 5: Plot? What plot? The only plot points that I was trying to stick it out for were a) dragons, and b) Finnie's response when she finds out Frey has bound her to the parallel world. Maybe then she will grow a backbone.
So, in conclusion, bleh. Don't waste your money.
78 people found this helpful
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- Mo
- 12-08-16
What. The. Actual. F?
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
A completely different story.
What could Kristen Ashley have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Never have written it.
What three words best describe Tillie Hooper’s voice?
Sexist, demeaning, disgusting
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Wildest Dreams?
I just can't.
Any additional comments?
How has this story gotten such good reviews? The whole thing is demeaning towards women and I am genuinely disgusted. I listened to the first few chapters and then could not force myself to continue ... Spoilers ahead...
So, things I tried to ignore but ultimately could not...
1) This princess is a lesbian and is being forced to marry and when she tells her future hubby, he's so repulsed by her (and by the fact that she wears pants -_-) that he hates her with a fiery burning passion. BUT, he likes her butt in said pants and even though he hates her, he wants to watch her fool around with another woman because he thinks it'll be 'interesting'.
2) Frey, or as we will now refer to him, Creeper, doesn't realize that said princess is so horrified by the idea of marrying him that she's switched universes with her alternate self Finnie. Finnie's main objective in switching universes is to see her parents again, who died in her world. BUT, when she gets to this new world she is forced to marry Creeper and then dragged by him to the middle of nowhere and abandoned at a lodge (with carriage and horses, let me clarify). Does Finnie, our supposed adventurer, grab the horses and set off to find her parents? No, she has to, in very great detail, clean the house. Then she goes through her 'very sexy underwear' and makes friends with the locals who (SURPRISE) teach her to cook! Oh, and don't forget baths in a nearby stream. Can't forget the baths.
3) Then Creeper comes back to check on his wife with his friend in the middle of the night, and his friend gives us this little nugget here:
“I must say, Frey, I wouldn’t give a gods damn that one preferred tart. That was my new bride, she’d be tasting my cock either straight through her mouth or because I was thrusting it so deep, she’d savor it in her throat,”
4) This is where I stopped because I couldn't even. But, I read through some other reviews on here to see if anyone else was as appropriately appalled and I learned that Creeper ultimately messes with Finnie's birth control so she gets pregnant and has to stay with him. Yeah, that sounds totally okay.
Returning immediately.
55 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 02-01-17
Great narration, terrible story
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
People that don't mind the heroine being a complete doormat
Has Wildest Dreams turned you off from other books in this genre?
Nope, but I'd really like a warning label for "male lead is a chauvinist pig"
Would have saved me money
What does Tillie Hooper bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Really great and engaging narration. The only reason I held on as long as I did
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
Real sorry to let this one go, but I can take no more. Stranded in chapter 16
I listened this one (audiobook). The narrator was not to blame. In fact, she's the reason I got this far. The beginning was rather nice, I was enjoying the female lead. A sassy lady with spunk and a glass half-full attitude. Que the male lead... even though he was a real *not nice* (insert male bodypart) at the start, I warmed up to him as he warmed up to Finny. I was iffy on the whole keeping a secret from Finny part, but he could have salvaged that.
What was un-salvageable was the whole; "I'm an aristocrat, I'll fuck whoever I want, whenever I want even though I'm married and you'll just have to live with that if I'm inclined to do so" and "if you withhold sex, you're at fault if I get it somewhere else" and with the 'mother' adding insult to injury "it's up to you to keep your husband interested, as long as you give him anything he wants he won't be inclined to go looking outside of his marriage"
Finny turned into a brainless twit around him, a freakin' ninny agreeing to anything and everything and begging for it all. And that was a damn shame.
I hadn't read any reviews on Goodreads before buying (just the ones on Audible and they were raving) but after a few disappointed signs from Frey, I went looking. One of them said that at some point he even substitutes her birth-control meds for placebo's because "HE" will decide if and when baby's will be bourne (!!!). At that is AFTER he already cut her off from her own world without her knowing at the time, or notifying her after that.
I tried to listen on after that, but there were some more male chauvinistic remarks and the mothers "advice". And I was afraid I might throw my phone in anger if I came across the whole birth-control issue and the book isn't worth that. So this is it for me.
I like some aspects of the Alpha male type but Frey took it too far and I'm allergic to Ninny heroines.
16 people found this helpful
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- Brian Mauney
- 06-10-19
F&%King Amazing!!!!
When I Chose this book I never thought that it would be like this.... Story line … Gripping, edge of seat, you never want to stop listening Romance … omg … The Sex Scenes make you need a partner to listen with you!!! Like I said AMAZING I just want to finish this one to get to the next one! So good I don't write reviews but this books more than deserves it! Thank You Kristen Ashley for writing with such passion. And, to Tillie Hopper your narration did everything to bring that passion to life!!!
4 people found this helpful
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- Amanda P.
- 22-07-16
So bad, I stopped listening half way through.
some spoilers ahead. I REALLY wanted to like this book. I thought it would be worth a credit.... I was wrong. I can get over the "magically keeping her trapped" because every story needs something like that but... the main guy... Drakar... he's just a shovanisitc, egotistical, passive aggressive and manipulative prick... *spoiler alert* once he sabotaged her birth control, I said to myself "thats it, that's the last f-ing staw* and stopped listening. I don't like men who think they are the best or think they are "master of all ", just because they have a penis, I don't like it in real life and other certainly don't like them in books.
This book is not worth listening to... even the narration was bad.
14 people found this helpful
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- Karen Campbell
- 13-07-16
One of the few who didn't like it
I think I was hoping for something original, judging from the extremely positive reviews this book received. Unfortunately, although it has a nice writing style, the book borrows way too much from cliche situations that I could not be bothered finishing it. Not nearly enough attention to the kind of detail that would have built this new world into something wholistic and real. This 'alternative world' was a romantic take on historical Europe with some unoriginal fantasy. The main character, Finny, used language that should have caused at least some comment, if not confusion from her contemporaries in the alternative world (eg: "fricking cool").
All in all, it didn't have anything new that could capture my attention
19 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 04-12-16
couldn't finish
I struggled to finish this book for many reasons. Mostly it was due to misogyny. The MMC is so misogynistic and controlling and overbearing that I wanted to puke at some points. I realize it's part of the world building, and the FMC does stand up to him, but I couldn't stomach it. I have a thing where men make decisions about a woman's body for her and without her consent or knowledge. It's a huge NO for me.
8 people found this helpful
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- B. Cano
- 28-07-16
"So freakin'" AWFUL!!!!
What disappointed you about Wildest Dreams?
Almost everything disappointed me about this book. But the top four disappointments: Full of anachronisms, full of cliches, cringey dialogue and the narrator's over enunciated voice.
Has Wildest Dreams turned you off from other books in this genre?
No, thankfully I've read other articulate writers who can express their ideas much more eloquently.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The narrator over enunciated her words to the point that I felt like it was the equivalent of nails on chalkboard every time I heard her say "so freakin' cool!" (I am not sure how many times she says this, but it's a lot. At least 40 times?) Additionally, I now hate the word "twitched", because everyone's mouth "twitched" all the time plus the narrator over enunciates the "ch" sound so much I dry heaved every time I heard it.
What character would you cut from Wildest Dreams?
The two main characters, Finnie and Frey. They were one-dimensional, their love was unbelievable, and their actions didn't make sense. He acted like no one any self-respecting woman would love, and Finnie accepted all of his disrespect. UGH! He was simply an a-hole and I could not identify with her nor root for their "love".
Any additional comments?
The only reason I forced myself to listen to this book was because I wasted a full credit on this audio book. The premise was good (which is why I bought it in the first place) but the execution was not. I'm mad at myself, for I read the negative reviews, but I didn't take heed.
Although I never read "50 Shades of Grey", I read enough reviews to know the writing itself was not quality, so I stayed far away. However, if "50 Shades" (sexy writing) appeals to you, which I know it does to many, then you may possibly enjoy this book.
21 people found this helpful