This is a fun novel about a surfing family who lives and travels in The Gull--a van they can take anywhere. It begins in 1995 when protagonist Ronan is out surfing with her dad, Cap. It then moves quickly to 2002 as Cap has died and his wishes were for his ashes to be scattered--what better place than his beloved ocean! What happens in-between those years is a great family drama as it shows how dynamic values can change and stabilize!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thanks to @harlequinbooks for the ARC- this one releases April 8th🌊🏄🏻‍♀️

I was not as enchanted with this one as everyone else seems to be. I’ve spent a lot of time in San Diego come my late teens and early 20’s and lived an hour from a beach at any given time on the opposite coast for 15 years.

I don’t have a soft spot for van life nor do I ever want to experience it. It’s crazy that Cap and Mama were never arrested and have the four kids taken by CPS. No social security numbers or birth certificates the Merricks barely exist outside of the small jobs their father can barely hold and their one trusted friend Charlie who spends half her time in Hawaii.

The twist was buried so far down in the flowery story that I barely cared by the time it was revealed. I never once felt bad for Ronan and quite frankly she was just as bad as her family for what she chose to do to her own.

Satisfying ending with all grievances aired and everything tied up.

I loved this book it had such a beachy vibe with a touch of mystery.thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book Thanks
Highly recommend

This was my first book by Amy Doan and I really enjoyed it!
It had that beachy mystery vibe too it

I loved the vibes and the story line was really good!

I can’t wait to read more from this author

What fun to read this beachy/mystery/family saga story as I am stuck in the dead of winter here in the Midwest!

I love beach stories, and I love nostalgia. This certainly had a different twist to it than most beach stories, but it was packed full of glorious '80s nostalgia.

It's a story of a family living somewhat a unique life as they trek the beaches all up and down the California coast in search of enticing waves, sandy dunes, and a place to hide "Gull," their van which is not only their mode of transportation, but also their living quarters. It's a rather eccentric and sometimes a erratic lifestyle for Merrick family - Cap and Mama and their four children.

The story alternates between the early '80s to present day when the four offspring reconvene on a remote island with Mama and a surprise guest to scatter Cap's (the Dad's) ashes. By this time, Ronan (the only daughter) has been living away from the rest of the family for nearly a quarter of a century. She fled at 17 when an image of the six with their surfboards was captured on the beach then was commercialized and skyrocketed them grudgingly into the public spotlight. While on the island, more secrets from the past emerge as strained relationships also surface.

This was such a fun novel to read with twists that kept the reader engaged right up until the end, and you can't beat those California beaches and the 19080s as the setting. Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this sun drenched ARC.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from California Dreamers, having never read anything by Amy Mason Doan. But the description of an endless summer, a secret photograph, and siblings revisiting their past pulled me in, and it went straight to my TBR.

Narratives from multiple time frames were woven together beautifully to bring the story to life. The unexpected twists and turns kept me guessing and I honestly didn’t want to put it down. The only thing that seemed out of place was the brief romance subplot - with so much else going on it felt like a distraction. But aside from that, it was an engaging read from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The California Dreamers is the first Amy Mason Doan title that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. Amy has a way of building characters that resonate with the reader and make you want to know what happens to them even after the story is done. A beautiful novel about a family raised in an unconventional manner. Please read this book.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This is a unique story! It is different than most books right now which makes it really appealing! It took me a while to get into it and there were moments where I was a bit confused. However, as the book went on I became invested in the characters and the storyline.

This book absolutely has my heart!! I have lived in California my entire life, and the backdrop of the west coast in the 80s was both familiar and comforting.

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan is a beautiful story about a family of 6 who spend their lives off the grid, traveling the west coast in their van. It is told from the point of view of the only daughter, Ronan Merrick. The dual timeline alternates between Ronan’s childhood and present day, when she is reunited with her family fifteen years after running off and leaving that whole world behind.

Don’t we all fantasize about living off the grid at some point in our lives?! Mason Dean expertly captures the Merrick family’s unconventional, yet simple way off life, from their love of surfing and appreciation and care for nature, to the strong family bonds that develop as the siblings come of age, and later reunite.

I loved each and every member of the Merrick family, each unique and special in their own ways. By the end of the book I felt like I was part of the family and wasn’t quite ready to let them go. Of course the characters are not without their faults, but I love how the author slowly pulled back the layers of this story, as past secrets were slowly revealed. By the end, I came to appreciate each of them in a whole new way.

Thanks to Graydon House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#TheCaliforniaDreamers #NetGalley

this book was so beautifully written and captivating. I love the California in the 80s vibes. The dual timeline was also very fun and unique. This book follows a family of 6 living in a van and traveling across west coast living off the grid. it was such a unique concept for a book. it was so interesting to see how someone's life could very so wildly based on their upbringing. I loved the secrets that were revealed throughout the book. and i loved the ending. defiantly worth the read!!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. Inspired by a real family, The California Dreamers tells the story of Ronan, her three brothers and her parents who live an unconventional life, living in a van and traveling up and down the west coast to surf. A photograph taken of the family without their permission became famous, and the fallout from the photo was felt by every member of the family. I found the premise interesting but the whole story kind of rambling and while there were some surprises, I kept waiting for a big one that would help the rambling make sense and for me that never came.

Good book…was a little drawn out at times. Felt like at times there was a lot of build up for not much of a twist…also wish we would have known ahead of time that there are LGBT themes.

The Merrick family..mom, dad/cap, 3 sons and 1 daughter live a nomadic life in the 1960s surfing along the coast in a converted food truck. Mom and dad were very strict in some ways and lax in others. I was hard to like either one of them. When a picture of them is taken that becomes iconic, it upsets and changes the family. This was a different story than i was expecting but not unhappy about that. It seemed repetitive in some parts but the dual timeline kept me interested.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I could not stop reading this book! Following the Merricks in their journey and also specifically Ro in hers was fascinating. It’s a world I do not have any experience with, nor will I ever, and I think that made me all the more spellbound with the settings and descriptions of the nature, relationships, and conflicts inside this story, The time frames were easy to follow as were most of the journal entries; I won’t say why I used the word ”most” because it would be a spoiler. The end was satisfying and left me wondering about a couple relationships and where those would wind up in the future. I am intrigued by those who live the van life, and this gave me a glimpse into 1980s vanners. It would be so much easier now! I do recommend this book—it was a quick read simply because I couldn't leave it alone. It is well crafted and developed. I will definitely look for the author’s other books.

The California Dreamers is a gem of a novel. The unique plot is loosely based upon the real like Paskowitz family who are considered the first family of surfing. In this book, the main characters are the Merriks who are a family of five and is written from the perspective of the only daughter, Ronan. They are a surfing family, live in a van, homeschooled, and cruise up and down the California coast. This book is beautifully written with many underlying themes and heartfelt insights.

Once in a while you stumble upon a book that makes you fall hard. For the story, for the characters, for the landscape, for the writing, and for everything those characters went through, could have gone through, but never did.
Cap and Ella (Mama) Merrick raised their three sons and one daughter in a small, fixed up van, driving up and down the California coast, surfing the days away, and keeping them out of school and friendless. But at seventeen years old their daughter Ronan left without saying goodbye.
Written in dual timeline, in the 80s and fifteen years after Ronan left, “The California Dreamers” takes you through years of a family’s unconventional life. However while representing an ideal to the parents, is it really an ideal to the children?
This book is a full sensory experience: the writing, the endless sunny California summers, the smells of Mama’s orange and clove potions and of surfboard wax, Dyl’s Field Journal, the children’s (often repressed) thoughts and feelings, and their parents’ rules and beliefs. I will think about the Merrick children for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who has never surfed or even around the ocean, this book was so visual and had a sense of beauty to it. I enjoyed following the characters and how both mother and daughter sought a different life that was for them.

I felt the book was very detailed and the characters were well written. I am planning to read more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this ebook ARC of 'The California Dreamers' by Amy Mason Doan - expected release date of 04/08/2025

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautifully written, engaging story of a free-spirited, holistic, nomadic family living off the grid, traveling across the west coast in an old food truck. Written from the lone daughter Ronan's (Ro) perspective, in both the past (her coming of age years) and the present (after her father's death). While this lifestyle would be more socially acceptable in today's society, the 80s was a much more regimented, structured time, which forced the family to keep their living situation a secret.

The kids were wildly street-smart and lived in fear of the outside world and what troubles they would bring their family if there was any interaction. They also internally questioned a lot of their parents choices, and wondered about social norms of that time, yet never confronted their parents, instead they bottled that all up.

The family was avid nature and surfing lovers. A captivating photo of them in their glory was secretly taken, submitted to a newspaper and it went viral. This action blew up the family's privacy and caused Ro to run away at only 17 in an attempt to start living her own life.

Their secrets are revealed slowly through the book and they sure are juicy. Charlie and Dyl's characters were so rich and captivating, I adored both of them and their close relationship to Ro.

I appreciated all the nods to 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' throughout. As an 80s baby myself, this was one of the first novels I remember reading in school, and helped kickstart my insatiable need to read.

I loved following this family as they followed their dreams. The off-grid van living, photography, and surfing were a great combination. A fascinating family as you learn about each of their lives throughout the years.