Cover Image: Dreamland

Dreamland

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

For the first time ever, I was not “wowed” by a Nicholas Sparks book. I struggled to connect to any of the main characters - Beverly, Colby or Morgan. It may be because I am so much older than they are written & don’t relate to the TikTok generation well. The story just seemed to drag for me & I felt the romance between Colby & Morgan fell flat - it lacked the magic of a typical Sparks couple. I also felt the end was rushed, once Colby landed back home. Morgan was all of a sudden famous & they split up & were back together in a matter of pages. Overall, I felt “Dreamland” really lacked depth & the characters were shallow. Not my favorite Nicholas Sparks novel.

Was this review helpful?

I was super thankful to get an arc through net galley of this book for my honest opinion
But I’m super super disappointed. I’m a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks and all of his books but this one fell way too short for me.
First of all Morgan was just to little for me I felt like Colby deserved a lot more .
The beginning started of super slow and every time it went back and forth from Colby and Beverly there was Too much repetition. It seemed it was never going to get to the point. And 80 percent into the book you get to the point and as mind blowing as it is because you don’t expect it. It’s not enough

Was this review helpful?

Nicholas Sparks has done it again!! Colby meets a girl and instantly knows it is love at first sight. The problem is that she is moving to Nashville and he has obligations at home. Throughout the book, we follow their journey. There is also Beverly, who in the end is somehow intertwined into their lives. Such a good book!!

Was this review helpful?

A nice, quick beach read. Secondary story added some interest. Conversations not very realistic for a 21 year old. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Was this review helpful?

I am an avid Nicholas Sparks reader. And this is one of my top favorites of his books for sure! The two stories both had me turning the pages! It was an easy read, but pulled me in emotionally! I will miss the characters now that I have finished this book!

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely breathtaking. One of my new favorites by Sparks. Three storylines that progress and develop throughout. A twist I could never see coming. The book contains a story about love, family, and the true stories about mental health and it’s effects. Eloquently written. A page turner I couldn’t put down until the very end.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Sparks is one of my top favorite authors who I automatically always read his work even without knowing what it is about. This one seemed very different than a typical Sparks, but I absolutely loved it! I really enjoyed the mystery element of it. With two different point of views happening and wondering how they were going to connect carried my curiosity throughout the book. When I got to the last quarter of the book, I could not stop reading! I devoured the book in one day of course. I think readers of Sparks will be thrown a bit as this isn't your typical Sparks romance, but I know they will think its great by the end.

Was this review helpful?

This story is told from two different points of view. First, we meet Colby, who is enjoying and showcasing his musical talents during a vacation in Florida. The change of pace and scenery is welcomed from his regular life of managing a farm alongside his sister and aunt. He enjoys the beaches, warm weather, and people he meets in Florida, including the sweet Morgan.
The second point of view is from Beverly, who is on the run with her son Tommie, trying to escape an abusive husband. We follow her journey to find a new home, without being traced, and feeling like she always has to look over her shoulder.

The book is laid out with several chapters from Colby, followed by several chapters about Beverly. For a majority of the book, the two storylines leave the reader wondering how these characters connect, and the pieces fall into place near the end of the story.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! Just wow. I was a bit confused about the book in the beginning but was completely hooked at the end. The way the characters were written at first I was like how do these two connect? Some chapters were a few minutes of reading. Others were just a few paragraphs. Amazing book. Just in time for mental health awareness month.

Was this review helpful?

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publishing Date - Sept. 20th 2022
When I was approved by Netgalley and the publisher to read this one , I was so excited! This is a classic Nicholas Sparks book! Two divergent stories that come together in the end! I loved this one! I believe fans of Nicholas Sparks will honestly love this one too! Just be warned it will grab you and you won’t be able to put it down.

Was this review helpful?

I will always read a Nicholas Sparks novel before reading the description. They are that good. I was beyond excited and honored to get this early copy!
This story is told from two different POV’s; Colby and Beverly. Throughout the story you aren’t really sure how the two are connected but near the end, it all comes together. My heart burst! Wow. What an amazing book! Loved this one so much!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

When Nicholas Sparks comes out with a new book, I run to get it. And when I get approved from NetGalley and the publisher to read one, I’m even more excited!!! This one starts out with Colby who is a farmer and an aspiring singer who goes to FL to sing in a bar. He meets Morgan, another aspiring singer. Then we’re introduced to Beverly who is on the run with her son from an abusive marriage. Being that Nicholas Sparks is such a terrific writer, I knew these two stories would come together towards the end and boy oh boy did he deliver!!! I was not expecting such a fabulous twist at the end!!!! A great big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

At first I didn’t get it… I couldn’t understand how the two POVs were related. It baffled me. And then 80% in we had a collision and it all became clear.

The male POV was frustrating up until 70% in. It almost felt like he was autistic in a way. I didn’t get any real emotion from him. It felt like I was reading and not like the story was unfolding. There wasn’t a connection of who the character was and what he was feeling.

The female POV was different. It was curious and each page kept me wanting to figure out what the hell was happening.

One thing Nicholas Sparks does in apart all of his novels is use medical issues to drive home emotions. He centers everything around them. This novel was no different. Except in this novel, he used it silently at first. Lots of foreshadowing moments happened.

Overall this was a cute read. It was light. Even the “hard” portions of the story were told in a passive way. I don’t see this one turning into a movie like some of his other novels.

I received an ARC from netgalley for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely love books by Nicholas Sparks, and this is no exception.

When Colby, a 25 year old South Carolina farmer takes his first vacation in years, he heads to Florida. While it is technically a vacation since it is away from is farm and family, he uses the time to play a gig at an oceanside bar, doing what he loves, playing his guitar and singing his own songs.

One day he meets a young woman watching the sunset with her friends. When they run into one another again, they start talking and from that point on, a very strong attraction begins. Their time in Florida is limited, she is heading to Nashville to try and break into country music, and he has responsibilities at the farm he can't leave.

We also meet Beverly. She is a young mother, on the run from an abusive marriage. She has her own storyline in the book, which isn't tied up until almost the end. But trust me, it all ends up making sense.

This book deals with some difficult situations, like domestic violence, drugs and guns. Not descriptive or prolonged, but they are present. Of course Mr. Sparks handles these topics with care for his readers. The powers of family and love wind beautifully throughout the story. I hope that someone makes a movie about this book so the images in my mind can come to life.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

I’m an avid reader of Nicholas Sparks so naturally I was anticipating this read. I could feel the spark (no pun intention) between the young couple, Colby and Morgan when they met in Florida. I eagerly read each page to see where their journey would take them. I also was intrigued with the other storyline about Beverly, and had constantly wondered how both stories would mesh in the end. This made me flip the pages as fast as possible and boy, I didn’t expect that ending. Sparks always executes his books with his beautiful storytelling abilities.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley for my eBook in exchange for a review. I was extremely excited to read Nicholas Sparks new book, Dreamland. He is one of my favorite authors. Loved it, but not as much as all his other books primarily due to Colby and Morgan’s relationship. They are 21 and 25 and fall in love after only a few days and I find that unrealistic. I was fascinated at how he weaves the two parallel stories together. This book is written with Sparks’ usual romantic style. You can lose yourself in the story. It’s a very quick read and I highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

I did it again.... I skipped way ahead. I try to read my ARCs in an order of release date but when I get approved for something I have been anticipating for basically, ever, I have to drop everything I am doing and read the book.

Dreamland, has been on my radar since the day Nicholas Sparks announced he was writing it.

I have never missed one Nicholas Sparks book and that is saying a lot since I typically gravitate toward thriller/suspense. Here is the thing though, if you have ever read a Nicholas Sparks book then you know his books DO in fact have a lot of suspense packed in and Dreamland does not differ.

This is an amazing love story that will keep you begging for more. You will laugh, you will cry, you will be extremely anxious and you will also fall in love and have your heart shattered all within this one book.

The characters are multi-dimensional and come alive through the pages. I can not say enough good things about Dreamland, all I can do is highly recommend you pre-order this book. You will not be disappointed.

Was this review helpful?

Dreamland
Nicholas Sparks
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a huge Nicholas Sparks fan, he never disappoints me with his books! Dreamland is no exception…. Another 5 stars book! It was on that I didn’t want to put down!

Was this review helpful?

I rate Dreamland a solid 3.5 stars, maybe 4.

I have not been an avid Nicholas Sparks reader in the past, though I have seen a few movie adaptations of his books and am generally familiar with his body of work.

Overall, I enjoyed Dreamland. It was an easy read in the best way, and would make a great "beach read" or vacation read. It mostly takes place in mid-May in Florida, where a couple of the main characters are vacationing.

I found myself turning pages, eager to find out what happens next. The book features two different stories, interwoven, and I found myself trying to find the connection between the two the entire book, and that curiosity compelled me to move through the book quickly. I read it in a couple of days. I found myself a bit more drawn to the "Beverly" storyline than the Colby/Morgan one, but Colby and Morgan's relationship was nice in its own way, following a more formulaic "romantic" storyline. I thought Sparks did a good job of fleshing out his characters and their motivations. He's a descriptive writer.

I also liked how the book came together in the end. While not totally unexpected, I still found myself surprised somehow, which was nice.

A couple things I didn't like as much--near the beginning of the book, the character of Colby is described as someone who lives in a small town on a farm and, as a way to convey to the reader that Colby is very much removed from society and focused pretty solely on farming and his music, it is mentioned that he does not vote. To me, this was a weird detail to include, especially at a time in our country when voting is more important than maybe ever, and doing anything to dissuade someone from doing so (even in the form of a fictional character) is in bad taste, IMO. Colby's personality and background would have been communicated just the same without that small detail. I also didn't like a snippet later on in the book where Colby essentially asks Morgan how much she weighs (by asking how much more than 50 pounds she weighed). Sort of a turnoff as a reader, but overall the book was still enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an e-ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Another winner from Nicholas Sparks! Colby, a young NC farmer meets a fellow singer in Tampa. They have a fun storyline throughout the novel. Then Beverly makes an appearance d the novel turns heavy. Interesting twist how the stories come together.

Was this review helpful?