Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley is a twisty thriller that may frustrate romance readers—but thriller fans looking for chaos and curveballs will probably have a blast

There’s a very specific kind of thriller setup that immediately hooks me: an intense romantic connection that feels just a little too perfect to trust. Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley initially seemed poised to deliver exactly that kind of story. Ivy Harcourt, a bestselling romance author unlucky in love, meets Liam—an attractive British architect who eerily resembles the male lead from the novel she’s currently writing. What follows at first feels like the beginning of a glossy psychological thriller in the vein of the 1995 film Never Talk to Strangers, with mounting suspicion, romantic tension, and the creeping sense that something underneath the fantasy is deeply wrong. Then the book swerves hard.

About a third of the way through, Man of My Dreams reveals what kind of story it actually wants to be, and that pivot will likely determine whether readers end up loving or hating the novel. For me, the transition didn’t entirely work. I didn’t feel like there was enough groundwork laid to support the shift, and several developments later in the novel left me questioning the internal logic of the narrative. By the end, there were enough loose ends dangling that I found myself more distracted than shocked.

That said, I can absolutely see this book finding a devoted audience among readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers that prioritize momentum and surprise over airtight plotting. If your favorite kind of read is one where the author keeps yanking the rug out from under you—even if some of those twists are messy—you’ll probably have a great time here. The writing itself is highly readable and moves quickly, making this the kind of novel that’s easy to tear through in a weekend.

---

---

Readers going in primarily for the Ivy-and-Liam dynamic should probably temper expectations, though. Despite the marketing setup, Liam ultimately feels less like the dangerous centerpiece of the story and more like an early distraction from the novel’s real focus. He isn’t especially frightening or psychologically compelling; honestly, he mostly comes across as a painfully average “nice guy” whose lies of omission are supposed to carry more weight than they actually do. I kept wanting the book to lean further into the unsettling romance angle because those early chapters hinted at a much more interesting story than the one that eventually unfolded.

Still, there’s an audience for exactly this kind of thriller: readers who want something quick, dramatic, unpredictable, and immediately entertaining. Man of My Dreams functions a bit like a roller coaster—fun while you’re on it, full of sudden drops and sharp turns, but not necessarily something that lingers once the ride is over. If you enjoy thrillers that throw increasingly wild complications at the reader and you don’t mind suspending disbelief along the way, this one may hit the spot.

I landed at two stars overall because the book ultimately didn’t deliver the story I was hoping it would become, but I suspect readers who enjoy twist-heavy popcorn thrillers more than psychologically grounded suspense may have a very different experience with it.

What kinds of thriller twists work for you—and which ones completely lose you? Let me know in the comments.

Man of My Dreams releases June 2, 2026. An advance reader copy of this book (ARC) was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Related Content

• Creative conversations: Olivia Worley (The Mood Board)
• Q&A: Olivia Worley, author of People To Follow (The Nerd Daily)
• Alexandra Brown Chang and Olivia Worley go deep into the world of debutantes (CrimeReads)
• Why I’ll never stop writing thrillers set in Louisiana (Novel Suspects)

Now available in print and on Kindle!

Now that Jack has been forced to reflect on everything he has to lose, he resolves to do better. He’s determined to spend more time at home with his family and repair the relationships that have suffered over the years while he’s been so focused on work. But as Callie’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, Jack realizes he has a lot more room to improve than he realized – and it might be too late to save his daughter after all.

For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.