If you read [book:Wish You Were Here|57701764] and found yourself annoyed by the plot twist, chances are this one might not be your favorite Nicholas Sparks novel. I liked the two stories and they didn't come together in the way I expected. I feel like Morgan's character needed more substance and I'm still not quite sure I believed her and Colby's love story. However, it was a quick read and (mostly) nice story and I liked the ending.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Let me start by saying that Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors, but this book was not one of my favorites of his.
The two points of view made the book interesting and kept you hooked the entire time trying to figure out how the two main characters connected. Beverly’s story was intense and suspenseful, and Colby’s was lighthearted and surface level. In the end I had tears in my eyes!

What a beautiful, beautiful story! I’ve waited weeks to review this book because I had to continue to process it. In my classroom, we talk a lot about mental health - most of my students deal with it in one way or another, either personally or second-hand with family members. There are a lot of great YA books that discuss the issues that arise but some of my students, ones who have matured more and quicker than their peers, who would so benefit a more adult perspective. As always, this author writes stories we get sucked into and learn valuable lessons by the end. So excited for it to be released so I can suggest it my teacher book club!

I thought this was a really sweet love story. It also had a twist with mental illness in the family. I haven’t read him in a while and I am really glad I read this story. I highly recommend this book.

Okay, listen! I am not a reader of love story books, like at all. If someone isn't getting murdered, I ain't reading it lol. But I decided to step out of my comfort zone and read the new book by Nicolas Sparks. I've never read any of his other books ( although I've watched The Notebook quite a few times).

I ended up loving this book! It starts out telling 2 different people's stories. Going back and forth between Colby and Beverly. I gotta say, Colby's story was like akkk lol. I hate love stories but by about 75% of the way towards the end, I couldn't put the book down.

I can't say anymore than that because it'll totally give the ending away but I resonated so much with the ending that I almost cried a little.

Definitely giving this one a 5 star rating!

I enjoyed the plot and the twists. The romance between Morgan and Colby felt comfortable and their banter was enjoyable. I’d definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

Dreamland follows the stories of two different characters on two different journeys. Colby has been convinced by his sister and aunt to take a vacation, so he is in Florida. He is playing a gig and working on his songwriting. He meets Morgan and they fall in love. Miles away, Beverly, along with her son, is on the run with her son. They find themselves living in a farmhouse and constantly looking over their shoulders. Fate will bring all of these characters together. Can the dream of a better life help you escape the past?

Sparks is a go to author for me, so I was so excited to be granted this ARC! I was hooked on Beverly's story from the beginning because you are just waiting for what could appear around the corner. Sparks is always good for these stories of the woman looking for a second chance. He is also good at writing love stories that capture our hearts and Colby and Morgan certainly do that. Towards the end of Colby's vacation, a decision has to be made and the angst is always portrayed well in a Sparks novel.

There is always a twist and I saw it coming in this novel, but I didn't see how it would play out, so kudos to Sparks for surprising me once again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Dreamland is Nicholas Spark's newest novel. It centers around two storylines that eventually weave together. The first one follows Colby and Morgan. Colby is a farmer that decides to take a 3-week vacation to travel and perform in Florida. There, he meets Morgan and falls in love. The second POV is centered around Beverly and her son's escape from her abusive husband. The two different storylines sucked me in, and I couldn't put the book down. I fell in love with each of the characters. I absolutely loved the ending. Must read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for my eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Spoiler Alerts Ahead:

What is wonderful about books by Nicholas Sparks is that you always sort of know what to expect. There will always be a love story with two people that seem unlikely, with the odds stacked against them and yet they can't help but fall in love. They come from small conservative towns where dreaming big is just that, a dream.

This story has all that and a separate character story on a completely different level. This story focuses on two characters: Colby, a farmer who happens to be a talented singer/songwriter who takes his first "vacation" to spend a little time on his love of music. And the second main character is the opposite, a woman on the run with her son trying her best to hide from her abusive husband.

Their stories alternate throughout the book and it's very hard to even see a connection between them. While their paths are different, their character development is also pretty different. It isn't until the very end of the book that you see how they relate but it feels rushed and odd. Their character arch's don't follow through to the end. Their stories feel rushed and like the author was trying to write two different books smashed into one. He could have written each individually and with more depth in two books that would have felt better.

Sometimes you read a story and the book, the characters, leave you with something to take away. Unfortunately, this is not one of those books. While I learned more about mental conditions, it should have been the center point of the book versus a clinical writeup towards the end and rushing to explain it.

Nickolas Sparks doesn't disappoint with Dreamland. Colby is a farmer and he meets Morgan on his working vacation. He is singing for his supper and vacation time in a bar. The characters are easy to like and the book is current with the times. The chapters with Beverly confused me. I couldn’t figure out how it mattered in Colby and Morgan's life. Think goodness I kept reading.

WOW Nicholas Sparks never fails to amaze me. I loved everything about this book! This is definitely a more modern storyline than his previous novels, but that doesn't take away from the heartfelt connection between the main characters. The style of the book keeps you on your toes, making sure you don't miss any information, and the way it all ties together will leave you in shock and complete heartbreak - but in a good, touching way! I seriously can't wait for everyone to read this, this book is truly something special, and one of my favorites by Sparks.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for granting me early access to this book! I loved every second.

As a lifelong fan of Nicholas Sparks' work and having LOVED his newest effort. The Wish, I was beyond giddy to receive an advanced reader copy of Dreamland. The Wish gave all the old school Sparks vibes so I went into this book with high expectations. I can honestly say that Dreamland was enjoyable start to finish.
We start off with Colby Mills, full time farmer/part time musician, in Florida for a getaway- a little business and a little pleasure. Morgan Lee is in town vacationing with a group of friends and quickly catches Colby's eye. True to form, Sparks' characters fall fast and fall hard. Colby and Megan could not be more opposite, but are undeniably drawn to each other. They soon realize their common bond- music- and their bond quickly strengthens beyond anything they could have imagined.
The pace changes, quite drastically, and we meet Beverly and her young son Tommie. Beverly and Tommie are escaping a severely abusive home life. With money running low and fear creeping in, Beverly just wants to find a safe spot for she and her son to land. Once they find a house to rent Beverly feels a sudden relief and she and Tommie settle into their new life. The relief is short lived and she can't help but feel like she has made a mistake somewhere along the way and no amount of disguises or hiding out will bring her peace and her son the happiness she so badly wants for him.

While reading I was bummed when it switched from Colby's story to Beverly's. Then when it switched back to Colby I was furiously flipping pages to get back to Beverly and Tommie's storyline. Both stories are equally compelling and kept my interest. I had a few theories about where we were headed but it wasn't until over halfway in that it all started coming together for me. And even then more surprises were in store! This book is full of emotion and suspense. A page turner!! Mental health & death are big plot points. Although parts of this book felt like typical Sparks there were definitely new elements to his writing this time. Not my favorite of his novels, but a great book none the less. 4 stars. Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of Dreamland in exchange for my honest review.

Its been quite a while since I picked up a Nicholas Sparks book. But I'm so glad I did! Dreamland is the romance of Colby and Morgan. But there's another story woven throughout, the story of Beverly and her son Tommie. I kept waiting to see how they would intertwine and its not until the last few chapters that it becomes known. I enjoyed this book. It had a good mix of happiness and heartbreak. Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read Dreamland in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a great book. I finished it in 2 days. Nicholas Sparks will always be one of my favorite authors & this book does not disappoint. I honestly thought this would be exactly like another book he had written, but I was wrong. It was beautiful & heartbreaking at the same time. There are trigger warnings with this book, so if you are sensitive to topics, you may want to skip this. Overall, I thought it was great! Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

Yet another incredibly well written novel by Sparks. This one features a handsome cowboy from a small down in NC who meets an aspiring singer while taking a much needed break. The secondary story of Beverly is both heartbreaking and empowering as it shows a broken woman doing what she can to protect her son and keep him safe. As the reader discovers the connection between the 2 story lines, compassion is felt all around. This novel touches on a side of mental illness that many people never see and I’m so grateful to see it touched upon and explained in such a way that the reader understands and can also sympathize. I of course also love that Sparks is a hometown writer how always features the towns near his home and captures their spirits so well for all to enjoy.

Dreamland
By Nicholas Sparks
Format: ebook

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Well, if you love Nicholas Sparks nothing I say here will talk you into reading this book. You’re most likely already anticipating it’s pub date! So I’m talking to those of you who don’t have this book on your radar yet when I say, you need to have this book on your radar! It’s been a looooong time since I’ve read a Nicholas Sparks book and this one got me back on his bandwagon. Now I want to read them all! It’s also been a long time since I’ve flown through a book and had a book keep me up late. Such a good, good book!

Dreamland takes us on the journey of two people- a young, music loving farmer named Colby and a single, run away mom named Beverley. Colby is currently vacationing in Florida for 3 weeks for the first time since he’s been full time at the farm. There he meets a girl and is instantly head over heels. They bring out the best in each other and could grow in life together so well. But she’s going to Nashville and he has to go back to the farm and his family.

Beverley is escaping an abusive marriage with her son, Tommie. They flea their home and take train after train until they finally find a home where there were no questions asked. It’s only a matter of time before Beverley’s husband finds them and she runs out of money. She is very stressed and anxious all the time but she still puts Tommie and his needs first.

The stories between these two strangers eventually make sense together…I had guessed it but kept talking myself out of it because facts just didn’t add up. I had to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen and find out how the stories of Colby and Beverley played out. This book was so engrossing and so well written. It was also fast paced for me!

🗓 Publication date: September 20, 2022

A great book for captivating entertainment.The novel tells two stories that seem to lack a connection. They are surprisingly tied together in a completely unexpected way. The last Colby chapters were hard to walk away from. There were surprises, some realistic decisions, more surprises…good reading. A good vacation read, as it was quick and enjoyable.

I had a little bit of a problem getting into this book at first. I don't know why but maybe I was just distracted Once I got into it, I read for eight hours straight The characters were relatable and the story was so good. Sometimes we have to pick our immediate family as our priority and it can cause problems in our other relationships. It is a Nicholas Sparks book that I would recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley, even though I generally don’t get the hype about his books. Truly, I feel like it’s the movies made from his books that everyone is reacting to, rather than the books themselves. Having said that, while I didn’t love this book, I think it will make an awesome movie, frankly. Sparks’ writing is much too simple for my tastes. And by that I do not mean stupid. I mean that I like writing that paints more of a picture than his words do. And I much preferred the way the Beverly sections were plotted and presented to those from Colby. But, of course, I’ll get it for my library because my high school students love them some Nicholas Sparks.

Dreamland is Nicholas Sparks at his mystifying best with a country western song writer singer vacationing in Florida while his farm successfully survives in North Carolina without him. The story appears to be two separate stories until like only Nicholas Sparks can miraculously weave it all together into a beautiful romance novel. It is a winner for him again.