Dream On, Ramona Riley

Blake (Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date) enchants with this sapphic second-chance romance. At 13, Ramona Riley and Dylan Monroe had an adorable meet cute that ended with a life-altering kiss. Eighteen years later, the two are unexpectedly reacquainted in Clover Lake, N.H. Waitress Ramona feels trapped in the small town, having largely given up on her dream of becoming a costume designer to raise her younger sister after her mother abandoned her family and her father was injured in a car accident. Then she learns that a hotly anticipated queer rom-com is set to film nearby and hopes the production could be her way into the biz. Dylan, as it happens, is the film’s star. She’s eager to prove her acting chops and step out of her famous parents’ shadows by making her performance as a small-town waitress convincing. But after her chaotic upbringing in the spotlight, she has no idea what the quiet life is even like. When the women meet again, they strike up a mutually beneficial arrangement: Dylan will help Ramona make connections on set while Ramona will be Dylan’s “guide to all things normal and mundane.” The ensuing relationship is equal parts sensual and sincere and the exploration of ambition, aspiration, and resilient bonds adds heart. This is a winner. (May)