Member Reviews
I absolutely loved the dual perspective, the two stories were amazingly descriptive and had you wondering how these characters and stories were going to come together. Sparks keeps you guessing right up until the last section that was told in Colby's perspective it was late and I kept on reading because I had to know! I did at one point see the twist but I was unsure how all the things lined up, but when Sparks explains it and everything gets revealed so seamlessly it really worked well for the narrative.
The first perspective is Colby a young farmer that has travelled to Florida for a break on the farm to go back to his first love of being a musician. On the trip he mets Morgan, who he feels a connection to right away. On his vacation the two grow close together, the vacation is nearing an end when tragedy happens at the farm and Colby leaves unexpectedly.
Then we meet Beverly, a young mother fleeing an abusive relationship, starting a while new life with her young son. I felt extremely connected to Beverly as some of her experiences paralleled my own life.
If you are a fan of a love story, finding yourself, family bonds, a dual prespective that is both mysterious and suspenseful then you definitely should pick up Dreamland.
I was expecting to fall in love with this but it didn’t do it for me like I thought it would. I really love dual POV but I only liked one of these POVs.. Beverly’s story is easily a page turner, I was intrigued from the start to the end of her story. Colby on the other hand, I really wasn’t a fan of his story. I honestly think it was just Morgan though.. wasn’t a fan of her at all. She made their story kind of boring and uninteresting for me. I was wicked tempted to skip Colby’s parts but knew they were eventually going to tie in with Beverly’s. I love St. Petersburg and I love the Dalí Museum! There is SO much to do there!!
This book is told in two protagonist voices. We first meet Colby who is on a somewhat work vacation singing in Florida at a bar for a few weeks. He meets Morgan she has just graduated from college and is doing one last hurrah with her friends before they all go off living their individual lives. Neither Colby nor Morgan imagine that in such a short time they have known each other they would be falling in love. The other Protagonist Beverly has plot out the perfect escape plan from her abusive husband and has seem to settle in her new home with her son Tommie but yet she still feels like eyes are watching her and she begins to wonder if and when her husband will find her. As the synopsis dictate all three characters life will meet together. I know as I was reading i begin playing detective in my mind trying to decipher how that would be. I want to say while reading some clues the characters were saying i start to imagine what it could be and proud to say i was not to far off but not quite. As with Mr. Sparks work as a reader you cannot go wrong reading any book of his. Review on Goodreads and amazon.
Colby Mills has been head of the family farm since tragedy struck and his music dreams were set aside. When he accepts a gig at a bar in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida, he meets Morgan Lee and wonders if his dreams of a career in music are still possible. Beverly’s journey couldn’t be more different. On the run with her young son from her abusive husband, Beverly finds a safety in a small town off the beaten path. But with danger at every turn and money running out, Beverly will be forced to make a choice that could change everything.
𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: I hate to say it but I was very disappointed in this one. I haven’t read a Nicholas Sparks book in a while and I’ve missed the past couple new releases so my hopes were very high. The romance really fell flat for me and the chapters about Colby and Morgan moved a lot slower than I would have liked. I felt more drawn to Beverly’s chapters and enjoyed the faster pace. The one thing that really bothered me though was how Colby wouldn’t stop making comments on Morgan’s size. Like he couldn’t believe she was that skinny and still eating cookies. I’ve had comments like that made to me over the course of my life and it just really rubbed me the wrong way. On a more positive note, the way the two storylines converged in the end was so well done and I really didn’t see it coming! Thank you to the author and publisher for my gifted e-ARC copy.
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks is appropriately named as the novel centers around 2 individuals with dreams and aspirations. The novel has two separate story lines focusing on the main characters of Colby and Beverly. Beverly is leaving an abusive relationship with her young son, Tommy. Beverly was more than willing to stay in the marriage for the sake of Tommy, until mysterious bruises began to appear on him. Beverly leaves, but continues to look around every corner in fear that she will be discovered. The other point of view is that of Colby, a farmer and musician. We see Colby as he is performing in Florida, taking a vacation from his farming, and he meets a woman, Morgan. Morgan is also a musician, but she has a more privileged past. Nevertheless, Morgan and Colby begin to develop a relationship. How do these 2 stories intersect? You will find how the stories of Beverly and Colby intersect. This book was interesting, heart warming, and one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book and any book by Nicholas Sparks. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.
I have been a fan of Nicholas Sparks since book one. I had to take a break away because some of the stories broke my heart. They were too much. Thanks to Net Galley and this opportunity to get back into what I love about they way this author tells a story. Grips you from chapter one and leaves you hoping and wishing for a Happy Ever After. This book is no different. The writing is beautiful, the story is heartfelt. I was looking for available rooms at The Cesar as soon as I finished this book. I loved this story.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. It was a break for the typical Nicholas Sparks stories and I really enjoyed it. Told from two character’s POV, I had no idea how they would weave together or even if they would. Quick enjoyable story!!! Definitely recommend!
Colby has taken a much-needed vacation to St. Pete Beach in Florida, albeit a working vacation where he plays at a bar on the beach in the evenings. When tragedy struck years earlier, Colby gave up any chance he had of being a musician to return home to the North Carolina farm where he was raised.
This Florida vacation is the first time he’s taken any time for himself in years. He meets Morgan who also shares a passion for music and plans to head to Nashville after her trip to pursue a career. They feel something for each other that they’ve never felt before but are unsure what will happen once they go back to their respective lives.
Intertwined with their story, is the story of Beverly who has fled with her son from her abusive husband. She has taken great lengths to ensure that she and her son are safe and able to make a fresh start.
The stories eventually come together. . . will love, family, old responsibilities and new allow dreams to become reality?
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #RandomHouse #Dreamland #NicholasSparks
Nicolas Sparks is BACK!! I have not been able to make it though any of his new stuff but this was just like all of his older novels. Loved it
Dreamland has two seemingly unrelated story lines but we don’t see the connection between the two until later in the book. One storyline features Colby, a farmer and musician who is performing in a bar at the beach in Florida. There he meets Morgan, who is visiting the area with her friends. They instantly have a connection and fall in love. The second storyline features Beverly, who is fleeing her abusive husband with her son Tommie.
I really struggled to get through this one. The story had potential but the writing felt flat. The Colby-Morgan relationship did not feel realistic and that storyline contained a lot of dialogue. I usually struggle when there is a lot of dialogue because it just tends to not feel natural. And Morgan and Colby both felt a bit too mature for their ages.
The Beverly storyline started out strong and I liked it better although I felt like things weren’t as cohesive towards the end of her storyline.
I usually struggle with Sparks’ writing and this was no different. There were also some of the usual elements that seem to appear in every book of his which just didn’t make the story feel fresh - the characters are always cooking for each other and there is always a scene where someone is taking a shower or changing clothes and the other person is thinking about that person being naked in the other room.
I am only semi- satisfied with the ending and felt like it needed something a little bit more. Dreamland had some potential but I really feel like it missed the mark with me, and it was just ok.
Three characters, three personal stories, and two timelines merging together into one unique story that affirms Nicholas Sparks as a giant in the genre. There were things I really love about this book (Colby, the way Beverly's story wove into the stories of Colby and Morgan, Tommie!!, the focus on music) and some things I really disliked (Morgan's personality, mostly) but overall, this book fits incredibly well into Sparks body of work, and I can already see the feature film.
I loved this book. It was a book about fate that brought two people together. I love the style in which Nicholas Sparks writes. Always makes you feel from the heart would highly recommend.
I enjoyed nicholas sparks a lot but for some reason I couldn’t connect to this story like I could with a lot of his others. I don’t know why I couldn’t but just something about this story felt lacking to me. I think people will still enjoy it but something felt off to me about it overall and I loved the last one he put out- it got me back into really loving his books but I do find his hit or miss for me.
Dreamland tells two different stories. One of Beverly and one of Colby. While reading, I really got curious how these two entirely different POVs would come together until I finally reach the connection and yep, my jaw just dropped. Definitely a must read!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
I read my first Nicholas Sparks book last year, The Wish. I loved it. I felt an emotional connection to the characters and cared about their story immediately. In this book, however, I never really cared for any of the characters. Most of them were unlikeable and unbelievable. The two storylines were too extreme and it felt forced when they came together. This was a miss for me unfortunately.
Another classic Nicholas Sparks with love, fate and intertwined stories. This was a heartwarming tale, that I highly recommend!
This was my first book by Nicholas Sparks. I am just use to watching his movies. So I've dediced to try one of his books this time. Even though I had enjoyed this book, I didnt love it. There was a couple different point of views, Colby and Beverly. It was interesting to see how their lifes intertwined with eachother. About 40% in for some I predicted how that would be. Also the romantic relationship that Colby and Morgan had didnt feel real/genuine. Overall, it was an ok read.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for this ebook for an honest review.
I used to love Nicholas Sparks but now it is getting too predictable. He is still a good writer and they are still enjoyable but I am super sad that they aren't different enough that I am excited about them.
I typically love Nicholas Sparks books so I am sad to say that this one just didn't work for me.
I liked the general idea of two very separate story lines that come together at the end, but the story lines in this one were so separate and the payoff just didn't make it worth it to me. I also felt the story lines without the connection at the end were kind of boring. The story between Colby and Morgan especially I found to be lack luster and, but for wanting to know how the stories connected, I would have probably DNFed.
While this one wasn't for me, I have no doubt I will read the next Nicholas Sparks book because on the whole I love his writing and character development.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an EARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
From one of the more consistent writers of the last twenty years comes a new novel that adheres to Sparks’ tried and true template. “Dreamland”, like many of Sparks’ novels, begins by telling two seemingly separate stories that ultimately converge by the novel’s end. The central story is a romance (of course) between a 30-something farmer and a young college co-ed that he meets while on vacation in Florida. The romance is given time to develop and the progression feels both organic and genuine. The “other” story that Sparks tells is about a mother who flees an abusive relationship with her young son in tow. My main issue with the novel as a whole is the convergence of these two stories. It is the central mystery of “Dreamland” and one of the main reasons why the reader keeps on reading (outside of just enjoying a couple in the throws of new love). Without getting into the reveal, it involves a tired mental health/psychiatric disorder trope. Not only was it hard to believe, it just didn’t seem to tie-in to the central story all that well. Despite this, the novel still succeeds because Sparks keeps the reader engaged, reminds you of what it feels like to love for the first time, and produces wholesome and relatable characters.