At first I was unsure how these two stories were going to come together. I felt invested in both and wanted to learn more. The story grabbed my interest from the beginning and was a quick read. Just like all of his other books, this one is a winner. The love story was sweet. Not only about a romantic love but a strong sibling love and the need to protect family.

I truly loved this book. Nicholas Sparks is a genius and this book is truly worthy of all the praise it receives. I loved how there were essentially two stories within this book and they tied together so nicely. The writing and storytelling was simply beautiful, but that comes to no surprise since this is Nicholas Sparks! Overall, I loved the characters and the character development. Beverly's story was so different than Colby's, but they were both equally entertaining to read. The plot twists were crazy and just added so much more. Definitely recommend reading this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this free arc in exchange for my honest review.

I haven't picked up a Nicholas Sparks book in years! I saw this one come up on NetGalley and thought that I'd give it a spin. He's the same sappy writer that make a perfect palate cleanser.. This book was pure joy.

I loved the different points of view of the characters and then the twist at the end. So good. So good!

Colby seemed to be too good to be true. A farmer taking care of his family, trying to build a singing career, falling in love while on vacation. He checks all of the boxes.

This book makes me want to go back a read more of Nicholas Sparks. He weaves a great tale!

I haven’t read a book by Nicholas Sparks in years, not for any particular reason, I mean I’ve bought them all (lol). I’m so happy I got the chance to read this one and rekindle my love for his storytelling and writing style. Everything he writes just flows beautifully.

I love how different Colby and Morgan are. Colby had a tough backstory while Morgan led a comfortable childhood, as most of this author’s books are. I was impressed with Colby’s personal growth throughout the book.

Beverly was doting mother, who would literally do everything for her son. Their relationship was beautiful and so loving. The lengths she would go were endless.

Throughout the whole book I felt like I was reading two separate stories, one from Colby and one from Beverly. I was longing for them to intersect. When they finally did it was not at all what I was expecting the twist was so unexpected to me. I highly recommend this book!

If you enjoy two stories weaving together this book is for you. I haven’t read a Nicholas Sparks book in a minute and was pleasantly surprised. Colby is an accidental farmer who is also a talented musician. His life is anything but easy but he decides to take a few weeks off, take a bar gig and play a few nights on the beach. Enter Morgan. A young, talented musician (she’s only a few years younger then him) with an big degree, a massive following from her dance routines on all social media platforms and an even bigger dream in Nashville.

From the second we meet Beverly we are on high alert. She is running from her abusive husband Gary with her son Tommie, trying to give him a better life then the physical and emotional abuse he causes them. She winds up in a small town but is she safe?? You feel her anguish at every moment.

And somehow, these stories mesh together. You’ll just have to read it to find out how …

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Excellent novel by Nicholas Sparks. The characters in this novel are well developed in this work that weaves two story lines together. The way that the story lines eventually collided was not predictable. This novel opens with two point of views, one of Colby and another of Beverly. Colby is a young man who put his musical dreams on hold to run his family's farm with his sister and aunt. Simultaneously, Beverly is on the run from her abusive husband Gary with her young son Tommie. Colby decides to take a vacation in Florida and meets the girl of his dreams, Morgan. Unfortunately, due to a family emergency, Colby must return home, leaving Morgan behind to follow her musical aspirations. Ultimately, this book explores the test of love, loss and family bonds. Excellent read which I could not put down. Well done Nicholas Sparks!

This wasn’t my favorite book from Nicholas Sparks. I’m starting to realize I enjoy his older works much better. This book has 2 main points of view, and I only enjoyed one of them. I felt connected to her and enjoyed her journey. The other point of view was hard for me to believe, and I felt like the storyline dragged on for too long. If Morgan were more relatable, I may have enjoyed the book more. Thanks NetGalley for this advanced copy.

Nickolas Spark’s Dreamland due to be out September 29, 2022. Thank you Net Galley for the early reading opportunity.

The delightful romance alternating with a suspense had me hooked on how they were going to connect. Absolutely loved both storylines as they unfolded. The climax of the story well worth the read. Absolutely loved this latest Sparks book.Dreamland did not disappoint.!

I loved the telling of two {completely different} stories. While the stories are so different the characters of both are so well developed.

Experiencing a new love with Colby and Morgan. Feeling the heartbreak and terror of a mother fleeing to protect her child from an abusive situation.

And then real life. These stories collide with so much real life and heartbreak. When chasing your dreams and the love of your life try to compete with responsibilities and loyalty to those most important in your life, it’s all there. This is a hauntingly beautiful story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this story.

ARC Review: Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
publication date September 20, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars

Can the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past?

Dreamland jumps between two POVs.
Colby - a farmer that has taken time off to drive to Florida in an attempt to do something for himself for a change - sing. Even if just for few weeks, it helps him escape the normal routine and allows him to think about his future and what path he should take. He meets Morgan, an aspiring dancer/singer/songwriter and their lives are swept up by love.

Beverly - a mother that has run away from an abusive relationship with her 6 year old son and just the clothes on their backs (and whatever money she had stashed away). You follow her story, her past, and the runaway to a better future for the two of them. She never lets down her guard because she knows her husband will eventually find her.

I knew these two stories would eventually come together - and they do toward the very end, but not at all in the way I was expecting. I enjoyed this book and the nice plot twist it held. This was not the tear jerker I am used to reading by Nicholas Sparks but it was very good, as all of his stories are.

Dreamland will be available on September 20, 2022.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishers, and Nicholas Sparks for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Nicholas Sparks earlier works. As time went on the books seemed repetitive and fell flat. While this one wasn’t the worst one I have read, it still fell flat. It just didn’t hold my attention the way it should have and that 100% could be me just not getting into it.

I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Nicholas Sparks meets Music ❤️ As a musician, I loved that this story involved music. I really enjoyed Colby and Morgan’s story and while I was confused by Beverly’s story at first, I really loved how it all tied together in the end! I’m always a NS fan!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Dreamland" and all opinions expressed are my own. I used to read every book that Nicholas Sparks wrote. Then I moved onto other authors because a few of his books were not as good as his early works. I couldn't figure out where this book was going. It seemed like two separate stories. Towards the end it all comes together. I did enjoy the story.

For Colby Mills, music came naturally. Although he put aside his dreams to run his family’s farm, he still enjoys singing and playing guitar. When on the first vacation he has ever really taken from the farm, he meets Morgan Lee, a recent college graduate with musical aspirations of her own. In the short time they spend together, Colby and Morgan hit it off and feel like they’ve known each other forever. Meanwhile, Beverley is on a dangerous mission to escape from her abusive husband with her son. She will do anything to keep him safe, no matter what it costs her. How do these people possibly fit together?

Nicholas Sparks does it again!! He will always be an auto-buy author for me and I’ve never been disappointed with his books yet. Even though he is the king of romance, he really can deliver an exciting mystery with thriller undertones. Told in alternating points of view, we learn Colby and Beverley’s stories and just how they tie together. I’ve said it many times, but I really love a book with a twist I don’t see coming and this absolutely delivered! I can hear Colby and Morgan’s song in my head just from the picture Sparks painted. Now
I can only hope this story is made into a movie like so many of his other incredible novels!

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Randomhouse and Nicholas Sparks for the ARC! “Dreamland” is out September 29th.

This review will be shared to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle).

Nicholas Sparks has such a following because his stories are able to transport you in ways the few other contemporary fiction writers can. Dreamland is told from two points of view following two characters whose lives don't overlap until they do. The circumstances under which they come together are both heart-wrenching and beautiful.

Colby is a North Carolina farmer on a solo trip to Florida when he meets Morgan, a college student and blossoming influencer. Their whirlwind romance is the stuff of spring break trips, but easy reading if a little shallow. Beverly is on the run from her abusive husband with her six-year-old son, Tommie attempting to start a new life in a rural town away from the prying eyes of her husband and his contacts at the Department of Homeland Security.

I went back and forth between the audiobook and the ebook for this, and the audio is excellent. Narrated by Austin Nichols and Thérèse Plummer, with an author's note read by the author. Austin Nichols nails the Southern accent of Colby without being grating or annoying (I'm from the South, I can say it). And Thérèse embodies Beverly's anxiety in a way that had me unable to put the book down.

Pretty significant content warnings for this one, but I recognize that some of these could be considered minor spoilers. I've hidden those to allow the reader to choose what information they see. Content warnings include recollections of physical abuse and gaslighting including of a child; (view spoiler); and some significant diet culture talk.

Thanks to PRHA for the advance listening copy and Random House for the early copy. All opinions are my own.

I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks and I am sad to say I did not enjoy his newest novel, Dreamland.

Dreamland starts with two totally separate stories. First is Colby. Colby's love for music was cut short by family tragedy. Colby lives with his sister, aunt and uncle on a farm in North Carolina. Colby is given the opportunity to sing and preform at a bar on the coast of Florida. This is where he meets Morgan. She has just graduated from college and she also has a love of music. A romance takes off quickly. He seems to think, "what would a girl like her want with a guy like me". He seems to be obsessed with her tiny size and several times he talks about what she does and doesn't eat. The romance seems shallow.

Story two, Beverly. Beverly and her son are on the run from her abusive husband. She leaves with only a backpack and very little money. Her husband works for Homeland Security and she lives in fear that they will be found.
This portion of the book I found realistic and full of suspense.

The entire time I am reading this book I am looking for clues to the two stories somehow coming together.
The two stories do come together in the last few pages, but it doesn't feel realistic or believable.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the e-Arc. I mean what can I say Mr. Sparks can do no wrong I think Ive read most if not all of his books and have yet to be disappointed. He is one of the OG or romance novels and this one did not disappoint. I loved the devotion that Colby had for his family but also the love he had for music and that how he felt torn for it all cuz that is a feeling that many of us can resonate with. This story did not let me down.

Nicholas Sparks will always be a master of romantic storytelling. However, this book fell flat for me. It’s told through two separate POVs/storylines that eventually converge. They just didn’t come together for me and seem like they should have remained two separate, distinct stories. It isn’t until the book is 90% done that you get the reveal (although I guessed the twist much earlier on, which is why I think the storylines didn’t mesh together well), it took too long to get to the point. This book was a quick and easy read, mainly Beverly’s chapters, but it just didn’t work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Two stories, two points of view intersect in a way readers will not anticipate. Beverly's story of an abusive husband and running to protect her son will tug at reader's hearts. Her powerful story is both believable and heartbreaking. Colby and Morgan's relationship had no depth and wasn't as believable. i loved Colby's deep love for his family and his desire to help. Enjoyed the ending.

Nicholas Sparks at his best. A story of loss, love, family responsibility, and lifelong dreams connected with music. Everything you have come to love about Nicholas Spark novels is in this novel.