Review: Dream Fighter - Hilton Head Island #3

Dream Fighter book cover on blue background

Words cannot express how much I've enjoyed the Hilton Head Island Series by Ivy Emerson! Dream Fighter is the third book and is such a joy to read. This book had me smiling at all of the antics while appreciating the gentle humour and heartwarming words that I've come to expect from the author. The whole series is not to miss!

Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

Darcy:

I got the message years ago—I'm the problem, an inconvenience, a burden…

So, I've poured everything into my MMA career, to prove I can succeed on my own...

But now, my greatest opponent is the doubt creeping into my heart…

My plan? Stay focused, keep swinging, and never depend on anyone…

The only problem is... after seven years of silence... he's back.

Noah:

I thought being perfect would make me worthy—worthy of love, of her…

So, I went in search of approval, but all I found was a past that’s too broken to fix…

But now, I'm back with a heart full of regrets and a second chance I can’t afford to lose…

My plan? Fight for her, tell her she’s the only one I’ve ever wanted…

The only problem is… I might be too late.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

What a beautiful final book in the Hilton Head Island series. These books are so near and dear to my heart due to the author's gentle communication of the Christian faith in such impactful ways that each book leaves me with a deeper truth about God. Not only am I amazed at how well the characters exemplify different attributes of God, but I simply adore the love stories that have been developed for each character. In this case, seeing Darcy and Noah's second chance romance reminds me of God's faithfulness when we are weak and of His provision through the care and concern of others. Noah's selflessness is tender, and Darcy's drive to help others is admirable.

Being a part of Noah and Darcy's own journeys in spiritual growth is wholly satisfying, making it easy to root for them to come together. If you've read the other Hilton Head Island books, you'll know that Ivy Emerson writes scenes with the most romantic gestures, and this book is no exception. At the same time, all of the lessons about faith and our identity in Christ are solidly written, creating the perfect balance between romantic love and spiritual love. I love that sensitive issues are explored truthfully and that Dream Fighter is all about how God can grant us even bigger dreams than envisioned. Readers wanting to meet tenacious characters who have abiding relationships with God will enjoy this book and the whole series.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Didactic Scenes

I love researching and recently looked into Harlequin's Love Inspired line's submission guidelines to find out if there were certain parameters in the stories they accept and publish. One of the lines that stood out to me was: "Mandatory faith element that is integral to story and shows rather than tells, avoiding didactic, preachy tone or doctrinal language." This had me thinking about one of the cinematic attributes I've heard over the years between British and American movies and television, where one tends to show the story and have people reason it out, whereas the other can get into further detail, eliminating the need to piece things out as much when watching a story. I wish I could find the source for this thought as it's shaped how I view and compare a lot of mysteries and dramas (I confess that I may be a tad too shy for British comedies)—broadly speaking, of course. As a result, I can understand how didactic language isn't always pleasant to s...

Christian Book Review Programs

Over time, I've been on the hunt for Christian book review programs that readers can join. As a result, I've been able to compile the following list which may be of interest if you are seeking review copies of Christian books. This list mostly applies to print and ebooks, although some publishers offer audiobooks as well. If further information is available for any of the publishers below (or any missing publishers), please let me know as I am happy to update this list—thank you! Please note that you can also search for these publishers on NetGalley and other review sites in case there are no review programs available to you or you don't qualify for one 😊 List last updated: September 23, 2026 Christian Publishers 10ofThose Availability: U.S., Canadian, and U.K. residents Format: Only books published by 10ofThose qualify for review requests so as to avoid impeding with other Christian book review programs Genre: Christian non-fiction, children's books Email for availabi...

Speed and Comprehension

The topic of reading speed came up in a conversation I had at church when there was a discussion about how many books people can read in a year. I confess that there are many books I listen to rather quickly just to get through it; however, most of the time, I do want to savour what I'm reading or listening to. With physical books, it's a little harder for me to speed through, and if I start skimming quite heavily, I'll know that it's not the book for me. I've also realized that while I enjoy listening to Christian non-fiction when I'm doing chores, I don't necessarily retain every detail. My comprehension is strongest when I'm doing things that don't require much thought, but the moment I start multi-tasking, something will usually give. It's getting to the point where I've observed that it's hard for me to pay attention to people talking to me for long periods of time as my brain goes into auto-pilot as if they're an audiobook! To c...