This one was so good! I loved it so much! The first 5 stars I have given in a long time! If I hadn’t already made my wrap-up for last month it would have been my favorite of the month. This book had two stories in one and I couldn’t figure out how they were going to mesh. I can’t say much more without spoiling but this one is totally worth the read! Especially if you love twists and turns and surprise endings.

Nicholas Sparks writes in a way like no other: the poignant outpouring of love and pain; real life situations and emotional circumstances that pull at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more – his writing is a gift that the readers are lucky to keep receiving.

Dreamland tells the parallel stories of Beverly and her young son Tommie, trying to escape an abusive husband, and farmer Colby – who meets dancer/singer Morgan Lee on a work vacation in Florida. While Beverly is trying to get by with what little she has – barely eating to make sure her son is fed, Colby is an aspiring singer and songwriter performing at a beachy restaurant and failing quickly for Morgan. The two tales cannot be more different, yet somehow you are waiting for these lives to intertwine but can’t foresee how.

I admit I absolutely loved Colby’s sections and quickly read through his budding romance with Morgan, while Beverly’s portions were a little more painstaking and took me extra time to fully absorb. The issues Sparks tackled were heavy, as is his norm, and he pulls it off in a way that just weaves through your mind and heart effortlessly. I would be cautious that some of the subject matter may be triggers for some people reading.

The character development was good, and you felt like you really understood each person, even if they weren’t fully relatable. In addition, I absolutely loved the constant theme of music: knowing a lot of people in Nashville living out their dream, I think the goal of pursuing your dream of singing/songwriting is not an easy one but was nice to read about.

It's interesting to think about what exactly Sparks meant by a Dreamland – is it the state of love with another, or making your professional dreams come true?

This thought-provoking novel is full of an undercurrent of suspense that builds with each chapter. Alas, it took me awhile to fully be engaged in this novel, but once you are hooked you can’t wait to finish it. Since I wrongly will compare every one of his novels to The Notebook (which I can read and watch repeatedly) and this one wasn’t quite on that level for me, I rate this 4.2 stars. (I confess, if this was written by anyone else but Sparks, the rating may be lower.)

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC; all opinions are my own!

“… but I was living in a dreamland.”

such a fan of nicholas sparks,, he always delivers.
loved the two povs and the way the story was written, it made it so much more interesting and this book really is a page turner.
his books always have big plottwists, or they’re at least really suspenseful and this one was sooo good.
you’re wondering how beverly and colby’s stories are gonna intertwine because they seem totally different and when it finally happens it’s just wow.
anyways i recommend !!

I really enjoyed this story. I’ve read a good amount of Nicholas Sparks novels and haven’t completely decided where this ranks for me. It was two stories weaved together making one beautiful, unputdownable story. I was able to finish it in one sitting and days later, am still thinking about it. I go back and forth about book to movie adaptations but with a lot of Sparks’ novels heading that way, I’d love to see how this would be done! ’

While it was an enjoyable read it wasn't one of his best books. I had trouble with the storyline between Colby and Morgan. Mostly on from Colby's perspective. Who says "She's more than a pretty face" these days? The way Colby thinks of Morgan and how she's so out of his league, etc made me like him less, and the writing less.

Many thanks to NetGalley, and Nicholas Sparks for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.

Colby, a farmer by day, is taking some time off to go play a gig in Florida at a local bar. He had a troubled childhood and never gave music a real shot but he is happy to work on the farm. His aunt needs the help and his sister Paige, who helped raise Colby, has returned home as well. This will give him a much needed break. One night in walks Morgan, with her group of friends, also celebrating finishing school and sparks fly.

Beverly is on the run. She has narrowly escaped her abusive husband and taken her young son Tommy with her. They have one knapsack each and only a tiny bit of money. She knows she needs to get a job, something that pays cash since she could’t take her ID with her. Her husband works for Homeland, so he will be on the hunt for them and has every resource at his disposal. She can only pray that she was careful enough.

And so the story begins. Told with these dual perspectives Sparks leads us through a tale of highs and lows. The juxtaposition of young love and the abused on the run mother and child. You know that at some point the stories are going to converge but to be honest even when I thought I had figured it out, I hadn’t.

I’m not sure how to feel about this one. I think I went into this wanting a “Notebook” and got something different. It wasn’t bad different, it was just different. I found myself liking the parts about Colby and Morgan, but eventually I got caught up in Beverly’s struggles as well. The writing is solid, the characters a little cookie cutter. My only issue really was the ending. I don’t want to give away too much, but I felt like Sparks had created a solid epilogue and then boom took a serious left turn.

Overall I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, perfect for summertime beach reading or a lazy afternoon any time. I am recommending you pick it up and give it a try. Rating 3.5 stars.

I love Nicholas Sparks books. He’s one of my favorite authors and an auto buy author for me. I was ecstatic to get an ARC of Dreamland from Netgalley

If I had to compare this book to one of Taylor Swift’s cd’s it would be Reputation. Upon initial read you are confused and left wondering how this fits with all the other books of his you’ve read and loved. Don’t get me wrong, there are some high notes (just like Reputation has Dress and Getaway Car). But it was not love at first listen (read).

The book has 2 very different storylines, switching back and forth every so often. It took me awhile to understand how the stories intersected. One story line had an air of suspense to it. The other one was an insta- love story. It was fine- but it didn’t seem quintessential Sparks to me like some of his previous books.

Will I still auto buy all of his books? Absolutely. I’m not giving up on him, just like I didn’t give up on Taylor after Reputation- and even learned to love the album like all of her others.

I am a bit bummed by this book though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. But if you read it I really want to know your thoughts and know if it worked for you or not!

*I will say, his books are so readable and I zoomed through it in just over 24 hours
Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for my e-arc!

Colby Mills is taking from his vacation from his life on the farm in Washington, N.C. Although vacation may not be the right word—he’s spending his days in St. Pete’s playing a gig at the local bar, Tommy T’s. During his trip he meets Morgan Lee—who is as sweet and beautiful as she is talented. Morgan’s a social media influencer and has millions of followers to his hundreds. She’s too good for him, but she seems to like him anyways, and before long they are falling in love at St. Pete’s beach.

They are from two different worlds. She is young and off to move to Nashville to explore her singing career. And he has a farm to run, and women there who depend on him. But how can they live without each other? Would long distance really work?

Dreamland may have been my favorite Nicholas Sparks’ book so far. In fact, I was about 80% done with the book and couldn’t believe how quick and easy of a read it was—I would’ve sworn I had to be only about halfway through. I absolutely loved the characters and the heart wrenching situations they found themselves in. Definitely a good read. I can’t wait to read his next book!

I have read all of Nicholas Sparks's books and this one was done in true old fashion Sparks style. I've been waiting years for him to come back around.

In this story Colby is running his family farm. While on a much needed vacation he comes across Morgan who is about to start an adventure to become a country singer.
Meanwhile, Beverly and her son Tommie are struggling to find a better life away from an abusive husband and father.

The entire time I was reading I was expecting a tragic story of someone dying because all Spark books usually have a sad twist. It was a great turn of events though.
It probably could have been longer but other than that it was excellent.

Thank you for allowing me to preview it!

ARC provided by NetGalley and publisher for an honest review.
Nicholas Sparks brings all of the feelings with this book. In true form, you will be left with a page-turner that keeps you up all night to see it through. Great character build-up with a heartfelt storyline.

Great, quick read! I've loved Nicholas Sparks books for a long time and read all of them. This one is true to his style of writing and included relevant current topics like mental health conditions. If you like other books by this author, this one does not disappoint!

Dreamland is a typical Nicholas Sparks read, but with a twist. You’ve got your love story over a week long vacation and then you’ve got your thriller storyline that has your heart racing. I had my guesses on how it would end, but I’ll admit I was surprised by the conclusion. However, I was not sold by the love story storyline - it lacked the depth that it needed to make me believe these two unlikely people actually fell in love. All in all, it was still an enjoyable Sparks read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book started out great, I loved the crossover of the stories, but it fell flat for me at the end. To me it was too typical boy gets girl.

I really enjoy Sparks' movie adaptations, so I figured I'd give a book a try instead. I didn't like it...but fans of Sparks' previous novels probably will.

I love Nicholas Sparks. His books are captivating and just good that you can't put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed Dreamland and I think you will too. I definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an arc copy of Dreamland for an honest review.

I have always enjoyed reading books by Nicholas Sparks, especially since he lived in my hometown. Like with all novelists, some books are better than others, and I was intrigued by the premise of his latest novel Dreamland.

The novel alternates between two characters: Colby, a young man running his family farm who is on vacation for three weeks in Florida and is enjoying his hobby of singing and writing music, and Beverly, a woman on the run from her husband. I found Colby's story to be easy-to-read and fast-paced; he meets and quickly falls in love with a recent college graduate Morgan, and the differences in their lives make it a bit difficult for love to overcome. Morgan, the daughter of two doctors, majored in voice studies and will be moving to Nashville; Colby barely squeaked by in high school and has to take care of his aunt and his sister on the farm. Beverly's story was heartbreaking; reading about her attempts to protect herself along with her young son from her former husband really made you connect with her.

If you have read Nicholas Sparks's books, you know there is usually a twist, and with this book, it had to do with how the characters were connected. Based on his hints, I was able to predict the connection. I also had a difficult time liking Morgan as a character. She was described as being naive, and her lack of worldly experience definitely did not make her a good fit for Colby, in my opinion.

I think this book is worth reading if you read a lot of books, but if you find yourself pressed for time, I would skip this one.

This was a captivating, wonderful story of family, romance, loyalty, and commitment.
The book is told in alternating parts between Colby, a 25 year old singer/farmer on a hiatus in Florida, and a woman, Beverly, on the run from her abusive husband. The two do not appear to have any connection but each story had me turning the page all night to see what happened next. When the two eventually connect, all the pieces of the story fall into place, and the story takes on a whole other dimension. Absolutely brilliantly told. This book was a little different from other Nicholas Sparks' books, but highly recommend for his fans. Could not put it down.
I received an advance copy of this. book in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a long time fan of Nicholas Sparks and was so excited to get a review copy of this book until I started reading it. I had a really hard time getting into this book to the point that I have had to put it down a few times and am now just giving up without finishing.

Colby seems like a hard working man who would love a career in music but is busy working on the family farm instead. Morgan is on a vacation with her friends that her family has paid for and I feel that she does not understand the differences in their lives.

I thought that this story moved too slowly and I had a hard time staying interested in it. To say that I am disappointed in this book is an understatement but I hope that others have a better time with it than I did.

I have loved every book that Nicholas Sparks has written and this is no exception! The story is interesting from beginning to end. I didn't get what was going on until about halfway through the book and what a surprise it was. Everything came together and I can't stop thinking about it. Great book!

This book is divided into "parts" that alternate the point of view between Colby, a farmer from North Carolina on vacation in Florida, and Beverly, who is on the run with her young son from an abusive husband. The parts don't seem to have anything in common except that they pull you in and you want to get to the end of the book to find out how this all fits together. I have to say that it is a page-turner. I don't want to put the book down. Nicholas Sparks has given his fans a real treat in Dreamland. I loved this book and would give it more than five stars if I could. Thanks to author Nicholas Sparks, Random House, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook for an honest review.