Dylan Monroe is one of the two main protagonists in Dream On, Ramona Riley, a romantic comedy novel written by bi author Ashley Herring Blake. The novel focuses on the relationship between Ramona Riley, an ordinary young woman from a small town, and Dylan Monroe, a world-famous Hollywood actress.
Dylan is a world-famous Hollywood actress best known for playing the vampire Giselle in the fictional supernatural TV series Spellbound, and she is the daughter of world-famous rock stars.
Dylan’s bisexuality is explicitly confirmed in the novel through narration and dialogue. In Dylan’s first point-of-view chapter, fellow actress Blair Emmanuel is introduced as “bisexual just like Dylan,” directly establishing Dylan as bi. Dylan also openly discusses attraction and queer identity throughout the novel, especially with Ramona Riley, her bi love interest, as well as with her friends.
This is how Dylan came out to Ramona’s little sister, Olive:
— Dylan, this is my sister, Olive, and her best friend, Marley.
Marley stuck out her hand.
— I’m gay.
— Smooth, Ramona said.
But Dylan just laughed and shook Marley’s hand.
— Hi, gay, I’m bisexual.
The novel makes it clear that Dylan understood she was bi from a young age. One of the happiest memories of her childhood takes place in Clover Lake, where she meets Ramona as a teenager. The two girls, not knowing each other’s names, call each other Cherry and Lolly and share their first kiss. Years later, Dylan returns to Clover Lake to film the queer romantic comedy As If You Didn’t Know and reconnects with Ramona as an adult. Their shared experience as bi women is one of the ways they emotionally connect and understand each other.
Dylan’s bisexuality is also tied to her career and artistic ambitions. After years of playing dark and emotionally damaged characters, Dylan desperately wants to star in queer projects and openly expresses interest in playing bi historical figures such as Marlene Dietrich. The novel therefore presents bisexuality not only as part of Dylan’s personal identity but also as something that influences the kind of art and representation she wants to create.
Although Dylan grows up in a deeply dysfunctional family, her bisexuality itself is not connected to her trauma. Her parents, despite their failures and neglect, accept that she is bi, and her sexuality does not damage her career in Hollywood. Instead, Dylan’s emotional struggles stem mainly from neglect and instability during childhood and from growing up around people who struggle with addiction. This distinguishes her from many queer characters whose main conflict centers entirely on biphobia or self-acceptance.
Dylan Monroe is a strong example of bi representation because the novel portrays her as an openly bi, professionally successful, and emotionally vulnerable person without reducing her identity to stereotypes or tragedy. Her story shows a bi character whose sexuality is visible and important while also allowing her deeper emotional struggles to exist independently of her being bi.