Dreaming of... Books in Order

The Dreaming of... books are standalone contemporary romances that link together through a simple promise in the title. Each story begins with a woman who has been dreaming of a particular place Venice, Florence, Rome, Verona, Tuscany, Italy as a whole or even a snow covered Alpine resort, and finally gets the chance to go there.

Often that trip arrives at the worst possible moment. Penny in Dreaming of Venice is stuck in a dead end job and a long distance relationship that is sliding away from her. Debbie in Dreaming of Florence meets a handsome doctor by chance, then has to reconcile the fantasy of a romantic Italian life with tight finances and a demanding boss back home. In Dreaming of Christmas, Zoe accepts an invitation to the Alps even though it means holidaying with the ex who broke her heart.

Other heroines are dealing with loss or upheaval. Bee in Dreaming of Tuscany wakes up in a Tuscan hospital after a serious accident on a film set. Suzie in Dreaming of Verona is at a crossroads in her career when she agrees to accompany a spoiled heiress to Italy. In Dreaming of Italy, location scout Emma is chasing a promotion that could define her future, only to find that the historical consultant on her trip may have more to teach her than any guidebook.

Wherever they go, these characters discover that the real story is less about ticking off landmarks and more about the people they meet. Williams populates his cities and villages with artists, doctors, hoteliers, film crews and, often, an endearingly greedy black labrador or two. Local food, small conversations in cafés and the rhythm of daily life matter as much as grand gestures.

The result feels like a series of gentle, hopeful armchair holidays with a romantic core.

Although the books share a loose connection through recurring side motifs and the idea of chasing a long held dream, each novel stands on its own with a complete story. Readers can start with the destination that appeals most whether that is canals in Dreaming of Venice, Renaissance art in Dreaming of Florence, the Eternal City in Dreaming of Rome, lakeside festivities in Dreaming of Verona, rural vineyards in Dreaming of Tuscany, a cross country tour in Dreaming of Italy, Alpine slopes in Dreaming of Christmas or sunlit beaches in Dreaming of St-Tropez and then roam the rest of the series in any order.