I enjoyed this book but felt myself wanting more details. More atmosphere. I wanted more to happen at coney island. I did really enjoy the characters but I wanted more development of them. Maybe a little more romance between Peggy and Stefan. Especially because they were both such courageous people.

Started this book with a complete visual of everything described by the book's MC, Peggy Batternberg. Manhattan during summer's heatwave. The sounds and smells of Coney Island diffused all around me. Millionaires' Row and its wealthy, influential residents came to life once again. I don't know about you, but when I read historical fiction I tend to spend lots of time Googling people and settings from the story. (There's a lot to Google here.) Doing so allows me to better place myself within the storyline. I immediately bonded with Peggy because she cherished her duties at the Moonrise Bookstore. I'm always gonna root for a chick that digs books. I got in to the read quickly, but it kind of fizzled towards the end. Still, I quite enjoyed this historical mystery. Well worth the read. Atmospheric.

Peggy is an heiress. She doesn't have to work. She likes the independence she feels, if one can call it that. Unfortunately, the Batternbergs do not think kindly of a monied young socialite schlepping to a day job. How common and uncouth! Peggy's need to distance herself from uppity relations will find her entangled with a Serbian artist and three questionable crime scenes. If she had doubts about being the Batternberg black sheep, it's safe to say she's wearing the wool well.

America’s playground Coney Island turns into America’s nightmare in this historical fiction. Peggy, the female lead is a “modern woman” way ahead of a time where the rich ruled and most important the men. Having been born into an affluent family, Peggy doesn’t have much say in the way her life is lead which at times has her coming off as a bit naive to the reader. Many a time this naïveté kind of annoyed me because she truly believed she could change the world whom had decided her role in life from the moment she was born.

Not only does Peggy have to follow her families whims and orders but she falls in love with a working man who would never be accepted by her family. Underneath the surface of all this though lurks a serial killer hell bent on making Peggy’s life miserable and to keep her beloved out of prison, it is up to her to find out just what kind of secrets the rich hide.

This was a mesmerising novel. The whole time I was reading it, I felt I literally escaped to a whole new world. The language was vastly rich in its descriptions of Coney Island the socialite high life style. The heroine's character was layered, filled with the innocence of youth and idealism, making me feel nostalgic about first loves and rebel days of the past. It almost reads as a hypnotic tale of mystery and finesse. This was a beautifully constructed historical fiction novel, one that will hold a tiny piece of my heart with it. If you're a fan of historical fiction and a strong female lead, then this is a little gem.

I loved this! I have read all of Nancy Bilyeau’s previous novels – The Crown, The Chalice and The Tapestry, set in Tudor England, and The Blue, about an 18th century porcelain painter – and enjoyed them all, but I think Dreamland, her new historical thriller, is her best yet.

It’s the summer of 1911 and twenty-year-old Peggy Batternberg, one of America’s wealthiest heiresses, has just started an unpaid job at New York’s Moonrise Bookstore. Her family disapprove, but Peggy has been feeling uncomfortable with her sheltered, privileged lifestyle and is enjoying the experience of doing something useful for a change and getting to know people from different backgrounds. However, she has hardly had time to settle into her new job when she is ordered to join the rest of her family at the Oriental Hotel near Coney Island to spend the summer there at the invitation of her sister’s fiancé, Henry Taul.

Peggy is disappointed and angry. She resents having to leave her position at the Moonrise and she dislikes Henry, so it is with a lot of reluctance that she agrees to change her plans. Shortly after her arrival at the hotel, she slips away from her Batternberg relatives and ventures through the gates of Dreamland, the newest and most impressive of Coney Island’s three huge amusement parks. It is here that she meets and falls in love with Stefan, a Serbian artist who sells hot dogs from a cart – definitely not the sort of man considered suitable company for a Batternberg heiress! Her family would be even more shocked if they knew that she had become mixed up in a murder investigation, but that’s exactly what happens when the body of a young woman is found on the beach near the hotel…

There was so much to enjoy about this book. First, the setting. I have never been to Coney Island but Nancy Bilyeau describes it all so well – the luxurious hotels, the beach and, most importantly, the rides, shows and other attractions of Dreamland itself – that I could form a clear picture of everything in my mind. In reality, the events that take place towards the end of the novel happened in May 1911, but Bilyeau plays around slightly with the dates so that the story unfolds during the summer heatwave instead, adding even more atmosphere to the novel.

Although Peggy is a fictional character, she is loosely based on the real American heiress and art collector, Peggy Guggenheim. It was interesting to follow her personal development over the course of that summer at Coney Island as she becomes increasingly aware of the disparity between the world in which she has grown up and the world populated by those who are less advantaged. Her visits to Dreamland open her eyes to a whole different way of life and her relationship with Stefan shows her the difficulties faced by immigrants in a society where they are viewed with suspicion and distrust.

I think the mystery aspect of the novel was actually my least favourite part of the book. There were only a few suspects and the eventual solution didn’t surprise me. What interested me more was the prejudiced way in which the investigation was handled by the police and the assumptions they made about various people based on factors such as name, nationality, gender and level of wealth.

The way Dreamland ended seemed to leave things open for another book about these characters; I would love to read a sequel, but if there’s not going to be one then I’m sure Nancy Bilyeau will find another equally fascinating setting and time period to write about next!

My thanks to Endeavour Media/Endeavour Quill for granting my wish for an eARC via NetGalley of Nancy Bilyeau’s ‘Dreamland’ in exchange for an honest review.

Extra thanks to The Pigeonhole as I participated in their group read for this title and very much enjoyed sharing observations with my fellow pigeons on our daily chapters. Nancy Bilyeau kindly shared a number of rare archive photographs of Coney Island and Dreamland with us that helped to get a sense of the setting.

In 1911 twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Battenberg is invited to join her family for a vacation on Coney Island at one of its grand hotels. Peggy isn’t enthusiastic about this as despite being a member of one of the USA’s richest family she feels very much an outsider.

While wandering through the attractions of Coney Island she meets a humble pier-side artist and quickly falls in love well aware that her family will certainly disapprove.

Alongside this plot of forbidden love is a murder mystery as a number of young women are murdered on Coney Island. Peggy begins to suspect that the murderer is a member of the entitled milieu that she and her family are part of. Can the rich and powerful get away with murder?

I found this a highly engaging novel. It is extremely rich in period detail evoking the fashion, food, architecture, and manners of the time. Peggy proved a very sympathetic narrator.

Not long after I started reading it I was delighted to discover that Nancy Bilyeau had loosely based her Peggy on the early life of heiress Peggy Guggenheim. I was familiar with her through my study of art history. She lived a fascinating life and indeed was a free spirit who rebelled against her privileged background and became a passionate supporter of modern art.

I enjoy historical novels that feature mysteries, especially when the author has done their research and is able to transport me for a short time back in time. This novel fulfilled that criteria. I certainly will be recommending ‘Dreamland’ to like-minded friends.

As I scrolled through Net Galley looking for my next read, I came upon DREAMLAND and its amazing cover. I knew then and there that I must read and review this book. I wasn’t familiar with Nancy Bilyeau, so it really was the cover had me from the start, I didn’t even read the book description. I can tell you now that I was instantly sucked in. I don’t think I even looked up until the first third of the book was devoured.

So…
**If you love the harmonious mix of Historical Fiction and Mystery then DREAMLAND is for you.
**If you love really great writing and want to try something new then DREAMLAND is for you.
This book truly is amazing, and the writing is hypnotic and beautiful.

1911 – Margaret (aka Peggy) Battenberg belongs to the American royalty. Her grandfather was considered one of the riches men in America (in the lines of the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts) Although the Battenberg’s would rather spend their time with all the luxuries of life, Peggy would rather spend her time at Moonrise Bookstore (at job she loves as it’s so far removed from her life as a heiress). She’s even earned the title as the black sheep, as she wishes not to follow the posh life that her family lives by.

When her sister Lydia is set to marry Henry Taul, the Battenbergs and Tauls convene to Manhattan Island – and to Peggy’s dismay, she’s forced to leave her bookstore job behind. Even far from home, her family still lives a life of poshness as they call the magnificent Oriental Hotel home.

It’s at Coney Island, that Peggy manages to slip away and stumble upon an art exhibit. The mysterious Stefan, is the talented artist who Peggy instantly falls in love with.

But underneath all the pompous air of the Battenbergs, young love, and the amazement of Coney Island, there are bodies being found, and soon a web of lies and secrets start to unfold.

A big thank you to #NetGalley and Endeavour Media Ltd, for the opportunity to read and review DREAMLAND. It was such a pleasure to read a new and fresh author (that is, new to me author).

Captures you from page one and does not let you go. A engrossing look at New York's Gilded age. Definitely will look for more from this author.

It definitely kept me intrigued, however the heroine doesn't actually decide to try to solve the mystery until 78% of the way into the book.
The first three quarters of the book is a bit Downton-esque, on a smaller scale. It felt like Peggy was Mary and Sybil rolled into one, and her sister was more like Edith. And just like Downton, you have a family on the hunt for money to keep up their lavish lifestyle and servants. So they try to force black sheep Peggy back into the fold as she'll be coming into her inheritance soon, and to join her sister to a mining tycoon so they can join their enterprises.
Peggy shuns her family's ways and while pursuing her independence from them, meets Stefan, and the two fall into a whirlwind romance. He comes from a country of political revolt, the American police are convinced he's an anarchist, and although three women have already died, it's not until they try to pin the murders on Stefan that Peggy becomes determined to solve the murders herself to clear his name.
The last quarter of the book is Peggy trying to unravel the mystery. Since the mystery is kind of corralled into a short portion of the book, it's fairly fast-paced and straightforward. Still good, but the book is definitely more about Peggy's bid for independence than the mystery. The time period details are very good, and I enjoyed the Coney Island setting. The writer clearly portrays the impact that such a new and in-your-face diversion had on the straight-laced aristocracy and how it started mingling the middle and upper classes. Very good historical fiction.

DREAMLAND BY NANCY BILYEAU⁣⁣
⁣
𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: 2.5/5 STARS ⁣⁣
⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: None the Batternberg family really sucks. ⁣⁣
⁣
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: The Batterberg family. ⁣⁣
⁣
𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: The time period was interesting. I liked the setting of Coney Island, the premise of the story is really the only thing that was enjoyable. Even then, I wanted more descriptions about the glamour of this era with the “New Woman”. I also liked the cover but it really doesn’t make up for all the parts I hated. ⁣⁣
⁣
𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦: This section may include some brief spoilers! Where to begin? The plot was cliché, I guessed who had committed the murders in the first few chapters of the book. It was so utterly dull that I merely skimmed over pages as I got closer to finishing. ⁣⁣
⁣
The characters. Oh what a let down of characters. Peggy spent most of her time with her tears welling up in her eyes and making stupid decisions or the sake of her sister. Her sister, Lydia, who made equally stupid decisions about Henry Taul, Peggy’s ex, and then experienced a complete character shift towards the end? Then there’s her cousin Ben, who Peggy sort of had a relationship with—I was beyond creeped out. It was altogether just a book filled with two-dimensional characters obsessed with money and purity. It really had no substance. ⁣⁣
⁣
𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥: readers who want to rant about books they dislike.

I could not get into this book at all. I did not really like the writing style and the story was different to what I thought it was going to be.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

In 1911, independent-thinking heiress Peggy is forced to leave the job she enjoys at Moonrise Bookstore to spend an entire summer in America’s Playground; Coney Island. Expecting an insufferable summer with her snobbish and controlling family, Peggy’s holiday becomes anything but boring when she finds love and freedom while murders happen close-by. Peggy finds herself drawn into the mystery surrounding the murders but freedom turns to danger when she gets too close to the answers.

I really enjoyed this book. The story is told from Peggy’s point of view and I found her a very relatable narrator. Confined by her family’s status, she longs to lead her own life and is determined to find her own way while also making compromises for her family’s sake. The style of prose is very readable and I was eager to keep reading.

The descriptions of the family’s surroundings of the grand hotel on the sea-front give a strong sense of place. I also enjoyed Peggy’s journeys into the amusement park of the title; Dreamland. I was expecting more of the story to take place there due to the title and cover of the book. As I really enjoy stories about carnivals, circuses etc., I was hoping for more, but the park does have an important role in the story.

There is a powerful sense of unease with the unbearable heat of the summer and the unsettling nature of several members of Peggy’s family. There is also plenty of tension regarding who Peggy should trust.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with dubious characters and plenty of tension.

Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavour Quill for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Peggy Batternberg is the black sheep in one of the wealthiest families in early 20th century America. However, she shuns the families way of thinking and considers herself a ‘New Woman’ and has secured herself an unpaid job in a bookshop in an attempt to distance herself. Whilst she is working there she is visited by her uncle and forced to spend the summer with her family in Brooklyn. Her younger sister is engaged to one of America’s top bachelors and in an attempt to secure a wedding date for her sister (and future monetary security for the family) Peggy obliges against her wishes. The family stay in an opulent sea front hotel but the magic of mystery of Coney Island soon draw Peggy in. Here, Peggy meets a Serbian artist, Stefan, and very quickly falls head over heels in love.

Around the same time of their arrival, women are being found murdered in the area. Peggy’s love interest is soon the number one suspect and Peggy has to enter the dark world of murder, prejudice and corruption to identify the true killer.

Bileyeau truly excels at transporting the reader to the glamorous 1911 New York setting. The description of the clothing, the hotels, beaches and amusements parks are magnificent and shows Bileyeau true talent. I could almost smell the salt water and the amusement park food.

Peggy is a strong lead female character, fighting the way for women to have a mind of their own but also restricted by and fighting against the expectations of her social standing. I was a bit disappointed that she fell in love almost instantly which I found to be cliched. Her sister, Lydia, definitely had the most character growth throughout the novel. She starts as the pretty yet vain, conforming heiress who never puts a foot wrong and never has much to say. She soon grows into a complex, independent character who I found myself rooting for.

From the first murder I knew who the killer was so this was no surprise to me, however I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and there were many twists and turns throughout to keep my interest. I can’t decide what genre this book belongs in but if you like a little bit of murder and a little bit of romance set against a wonderful early 20th century backdrop, I would give this book a chance.

3.5 stars

*Thank you Netgalley and Endeavour Media for provide me with a copy of this book for review,all opinions are my own*


This is not the kind of book I usually read but I confess that it has captivated me in the end

So let’s talk about it:

The main character's istalove was kind of annoying but as the love interest (Stefan) was amazing I managed to even enjoy the romance.

The most shocking and horrifying thing to me in this book was the way Peggy was treated in this book by all the men around her (except Stefan) they threaten her, subordinate her, control every aspect of her life and choice all the time, I got completely disgusted by it several times.

The mystery of murders that the book brings is not surprising, you can't find out just by paying attention, but I admit it was very well done.

The motivations of the characters and them themselves was in my opinion one of the best things in the book very well written by the author.

Which I liked a lot and at the same time disgusted me the way the police treated Stefan and knowing that this happens currently is terrifying to me.

This book shows us very harsh realities that even the book taking place years ago is still completely related to today.

In the end is a book that you can read very fast especially in the end because you want to know how it ends.

This book is not a romance or a mystery but the story of a woman trying to be free and make her own choices without the intervention of men in her life.

Nancy Bilyeau’s ‘Dreamland’ is a beautifully-written novel - exciting, evocative - and, in some ways, an homage to the early 1900s in America, a time when everything was so new.

Peggy Batternberg, eldest daughter of a wealthy New York family, is forced into spending the summer on Coney Island with her family and her sister Lydia’s fiancé. They make the lavish Oriental Hotel their home, enjoying all that it has to offer. Soon after arriving, Peggy meets Stefan, a Serbian artist, and what follows is a tumultuous, heady summer of death, obsession and intrigue.

Bilyeau creates an America which is a country of extreme wealth and, at the other end of the scale, great poverty. Peggy’s family don’t want her seeing Stefan - a lowly immigrant in their opinion - and instead try to coerce Peggy into following a controlled lifestyle she has little interest in.

Coney Island would have been exciting and dangerous then: ‘Hell’s Gate’ and its terrors; the land of Lilliputians; debauchery and excess. But for Peggy, it’s her own family that terrifies her, particularly when she knows that Stefan is innocent and someone she knows well is the guilty party.

If anything, Bilyeau’s narrative is slightly unbelievable in that she is creating a world from over 100 years ago - and it seems just a bit too contemporary to be completely realistic. However, the story overall is gripping and highlights how people’s perceptions of men and women were so different then compared to now.

<b> ARC received in exchange for an honest review</b>

Not going to do a super long review for this one. In short, I did enjoy <i>Dreamland</i> but I think I wasn’t in the proper mood or setting to fully enjoy it. This would be better as a summer read and here in Toronto it’s anything but.
Great writing but I just wasn’t compelled enough to be wowed, but that’s probably more to do with me than the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavour Quill for the opportunity to R&R

This book was quiet the adventure! I was very enthralled by the writing and the story itself. This is going to be a must read for fantasy lovers!

If there’s a kind of novel I get very excited about is when I get to travel back in time to a place I would have loved to have visited for real. Dreamland is set firmly in America’s golden age and at the heart of Coney Island. A ticket back in time to 1911 you say? I’m there!



Dreamland was one of three theme parks which became known as America’s playground. The hedonism, the parties, the promises! It sadly burned down in 1911 but the author has brought it back to sizzling life! You can tell she’s been there and I half suspect she has a time machine and that she went in a crinolene dress such is the attention to detail that this novel immerses you inside.



Imagine being on the cusp of your new life at a time that America was changing. Peggy in the novel is an heiress so think of the Vanderbilts and all that jazz and it’s a whirlwind ride. It’s a time of changing morals, women’s freedoms, how women were supposed to act and how rich heiresses were supposed to act in particular. Family dynamics are interesting!



And that’s not all this novel is. There are some really juicy themes such as the place and role of foreigners in America, settling in to a new country and place, class barriers etc. The characters, issues and backdrop all combine to a magically captivating effect and I was totally captivated.



Can I just say that the day she went against her family and got a job in a bookstore I cheered! Just one of many little details and nuances that makes this book shine.

“Four miles long and a half a mile wide – and anything your heart could desire here on Coney Island, America’s Playground!”

Having read other books by Nancy Bilyeau that focus on Tudor period historical thrillers, I was interested to see what a move in time and place would bring. What she has produced is another stunning historical mystery but this time set in America’s playground, Coney Island. Some inspiration is drawn from the life of Peggy Guggenheim and Dreamland was one of the amusement parks that operated from 1904-1911.

“You keep saying I am needed. They don’t need me. I need to have a purpose. You can’t take that away from me.”

This is a fabulous mystery/thriller with a serial murderer on the loose. There is some romance but the focus was more on the growth of the fabulous leading lady, Peggy - her longing for freedom away from her controlling rich family. Once again I have nothing but praise for Nancy’s writing as she sweeps you away to the heatwave of Coney Island in the summer of 1911. Her writing is rich in detail and cleverly scripted to immerse you in a classic ‘whodunnit’. Nancy maintains a good level of intrigue throughout and builds the suspense to a satisfying conclusion. There are many characters, each having important roles to play and all are complex and engaging.

I felt a twinge of fear, that this wasn’t a web of happy coincidences linking us all, but from the start it was an iron chain, dragging us to something dangerous.

Yet there is so much more to this novel: social status - life of the rich and famous versus the working class; gender status and the role of women as Peggy seeks to break those bonds; and, the attitude towards immigrants with the unfolding events in Europe at the time. Interwoven are rich characters from both sides of the social spectrum and some interesting situations concerning the criminal justice system and corruption. This really makes for a holistic and sophisticated story.

If you love historical fiction this is a must read on many levels. Personally, I think this is Nancy's best novel yet. The writing is rich and although with the mystery you may have strong suspicions, it is the overall variety in themes that make this a real winner and definite page turner.


“Everything is real on Coney Island–and nothing is real.”





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Nancy Bilyeau's Dreamland captures the exciting and tumultuous time and place of 1911 Coney Island by throwing readers right into the heart of Dreamland, one of three amusement parks that were part of the original location.



I absolutely adored this book and I'm not even sure where to start my review, so let's just start off with one of my favorite things about this book: the setting. The physical setting of Coney Island in 1911 was so beautifully and authentically brought to life by Bilyeau. It's so apparent that she took great care to present a setting that captures the atmosphere and perception of the world in 1911. (As an aside, I personally always manage to remember the year 1911 because it's the year that my great grandma and Lucille Ball were born, so the fact that this book took place in that year was just a weird, fun coincidence for me.) This was an interesting period of America since occurred right after the turn of the century when a lot of new modern concepts were beginning to grow and win popularity, yet there was still such a sharp desire and effort to keep with the traditions and norms of the past. There's a huge confliction of morals, ideas of modesty, etc. that were constantly developing and I think Bilyeau captured this atmosphere really well through her characters and the varying conflicts between Peggy, her sister, cousin, uncles, mother, and society as a whole.



Another thing that I really loved about this book was Peggy herself. Peggy is a modern, forward-thinking woman who has no problem standing firm in her own beliefs and preferences. She is headstrong in the best way possible, though being headstrong can of course lead to some rather dangerous and unpleasant situations, which Peggy certainly encounters. Despite being so determined and adamant about her own views and desires, one thing that I really liked about Peggy was how she was aware of and willing to sort of bite her tongue at moments when she knew saying something or acting out could harm her sister or another family member. She was always willing to do what she wanted, but I appreciated that she had boundaries that always popped up to hold her back from letting her actions harm others. She sticks up for these she cares about, no matter, it seems, the consequences to her and her situation in life.



Dreamland tackles some really big themes and concepts that still hold relevance today. There is a big plot point that has to do with foreigners in America and how they were treated in 1911 America (and, frankly, a lot of it still points to issues that we have today), an issue that Peggy wasn't aware of at the beginning of the novel, making it particularly interesting to see how she discovered this prejudice and mistreatment and what she did to try to combat it. There was also a great handling of power dynamics and relationships and how there are so many different types that can in just as many different forms. In Dreamland, there's the power struggle between the police and the foreigners, the rich and the not-rich, those in romantic relationships, those within family, and so many more. I really appreciated how well Bilyeau handled these topics and how much care she put into crafting all of them.



The pacing of Dreamland is on the slower side, so if you're looking for something fast-paced and full of action, this probably isn't it. Personally, I found the pacing to be the perfect form of slower--it allowed me to really fall into this setting and get to know the characters and the situation/purpose of the plot while still maintain my interest and making me not want to put down this book.



Overall, I've given Dreamland five stars. I also put this in my 'favorites' category on Goodreads because I really think back on this book with fondness and it's one that still seems to be popping up into my head a lot even weeks after I've read it. I can't wait to dive into more of Bilyeau's book and to see what's next!