 "Just a Dream" was well-received and garnered several positive reviews from critics.Matt C. of Engine 145, a country music blog, gave the song a "thumbs up" review, calling it one of the best performances of Underwood's in an album that otherwise contained "bombastic vocals".Although he said that the first verse was written in a convoluted fashion ("a swing and a miss by the writers"), he also thought that Underwood's vocal performance compensated enough to make the song viable.