4.5 rounded up. There was a lot to love about this book including the vivid imagery and tight knit family. The bond was deeply evident with supporting details throughout the book. Enjoyable but I truly didn’t get the secrecy and wide chasm in the family.

Advanced listener copy provided by Graydon House but all opinions are my own.

This book was so easy for me to sink into. I love historical fiction and I loved the setting of California in the 80s. The Merrick Family’s story was so interesting and each character was well developed, which made it easy to become invested in the story. I think this is a great choice for readers looking for a beachy family drama to read this summer.

Great book. A bit of a mystery along with family drama. Thought provoking about how the choices we make impact our lives.

This gripping family saga masterfully weaves drama, mystery, and suspense into a story that transports readers straight to the sun-soaked beaches of California.
With a richly atmospheric setting and complex characters, it’s a powerful tale that keeps you turning the pages.
Emotional, layered, and utterly engrossing—this is the perfect summer read.

I have to say that the cover and San Diego location are the two things that made me want to read this book.
It was an interesting story about a nomadic surfing family that lived in a van in the 80's. I found myself very surprised and wondering throughout the whole book how the parents of all these kids were never arrested or never had the kids taken away based on how they were living. Especially after some of the "truth" comes out later in the book when the one child that got away to make something of her life came back to spread her father's ashes with her siblings and mother and admitted what she did.
It was an interesting take on family and how when you are older the secrets don't really hold the power they did before you told them.

thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A family of 6 going up and down the California coastline, swimming and surfing in the 1980's. Got to know what that was like for them and then also, the memories that they took away from that very unconventional lifestyle and how it effects their lives going forward. I love reading about family life in the 1980's and the sun and fun in California made this a real sensory experience.

I have read all of Amy Mason Doan’s novels and was thrilled to read The California Dreamers. I knew I would be challenged and drawn into the story, and I was not disappointed. Set along the California Coast from near the Mexico border up past San Francisco, this is the story of the surfing Merrick family, as told through the eyes of their daughter, Roan. Much like the van they live in, named “The Gull,” this story travels back and forth, with chapters alternating from the 1980s (including when Roan leaves the family at 17 and creates her own life in Oregon) and the year 2002, when they, including Roan, gather on an island near Santa Barbara to say farewell to their recently deceased father and scatter his ashes. Secrets are revealed, and the relationships among all members of the family are put to the test. Will the family that was broken apart be able to come together?

The family, including parents Cap and Mama, twin sons Magnus and Griffin, Roan, and Dylan the youngest boy, stays off the grid, moves to new beaches frequently, eschews interactions with others, who they refer to as “civilians,” and absolutely do not allow anyone to take their photos (which ends up being a major plot point and ultimately thrusts the family into the spotlight). No formal schooling for them, instead they are taught by their parents, and life experiences (for better or worse) comprise their education.

There were times I wanted to stop reading, but Ms. Doan’s gift is that with nearly every chapter, she left enough “bread crumbs” to entice me to keep going. I had to continue going along for the ride, and, as someone who grew up in Southern California and still loves to travel along the coast, Ms. Doan’s descriptions of the beaches, surfing, even just looking up at the stars at night illustrated the delicious freedom we all can experience. I went back and forth about my feelings for the parents and the lifestyle they chose for their children, but ultimately, what came through was the love they had for one another. Like her other books, The California Dreamers is well-written and thought-provoking, with realistic dialogue and three-dimensional characters.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing/Graydon House and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced reader’s copy. I am voluntarily providing this honest review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I loved the setting of this book especially the parts that took place in the 80’s. I feel like the author did a great job capturing the time of California surf setting. I could feel myself wanting to climb back into the time period.

This book has a little bit of everything: family drama, a little romance and a mystery that is waiting to be solved. I also think the author did a fantastic job by the end of the book being her theme across about judging others and how they live their lives.

My biggest complaint is that the book is a little slow. While I really enjoyed the past in this book the present was slow for me and I found not much happened and even with the family catching up with either other it felt like they didn’t do much of of. So many things left unsaid..

Overall, I will be recommending this book.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

Incredibly atmospheric and full of interesting, unique, and complicated family dynamics. There are some frustrating and heartbreaking moments that make this a story I felt invested in.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book. It is part family drama/historical fiction. We go back and forth in time to find out what happened to the Merrick family, who it appears has the picture perfect, California surfing life. But when the father passes away and Ronan returns home, we find out about the truly Nomadic life this family lived, and how it isn't as picture perfect as it may seem. I enjoyed the relationships of the Merrick family and felt connected to their story and pain. This would make a great summer beachy read also.

A story about a family in the 80’s living an untraditional lifestyle - I am in! The Merrick family of six reside in a van in California , driving up and down the coast surfing. They are free of a structure, and don’t engage with anyone outside their family other than one their father’s friend.
The story is told in the voice of Ronan who in dual timelines integrates their family secrets, relationships, and what home and forgiveness means.

The California Dreamers was a good book. I really read it quickly and enjoyed it. I want to thank Amy Mason Doan, Harlequin Trade Publishing | Graydon House, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Merrick siblings, this idyllic vision is their reality, as they travel up and down the coast with their parents in a van year-round, surfing and swimming their days away. But when a photographer secretly snaps a stunning photo of the family with their boards in the sand, and the image ripples across the country, the only life they’ve ever known is put at risk.

This is truly a unique family with some crazy rules. I love how they seem separate…but cause them some problems and they circle around each other in protection.

This is told in two different time periods. I wanted a bit more distinction between the two. But, this could have been because of the format. The audiobook might have caused part of this issue for me.

But y’all…the setting of the different California beaches and riding the waves…freedom at its best.

The narrator, Ann Marie Gideon, is pretty good. She was not as emotional in some areas as I felt the story needed.

Need a family drama with a great setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

California Dreamers” is set around the iconic 1980’s photo of 6 surfers walking into the sunset. The Merrick Family live the true nomadic life. Living for the next wave. The family travels in a van that is their home. Yes the Merrick kids never feel as though they are missing out on life. Cap, their father, protects the family from outside influences. This is an interesting read that weaves you through the only daughter’s thoughts and emotions. As well, the reflection of their lifestyle with the male members of the family. There is more to their lives then what you see on the surface. Great read! Out April 8th. Thank you to NetGalley and Graydon House Publishing for this advance copy.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Trade Publishers | Graydon House for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Amy Mason Doan. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

It was a photo captured in the 1980s of a family living the van life on the West coast, a stunning photo with the family lined up with their surfboards in the sand. The image takes on a life of its own, putting the family at risk. Decades later, the now mostly estranged siblings gather to honor the death of their father. But an eager journalist is also there, wanting the truth about the photo.

Told from both the present and past timelines, the story slowly unfurls. It's a character study, a coming-of-age story of Ronan, the only girl in this family who lived such a different life. No traditional schools, always chasing the next big wave, with family secrets galore, yet also famous because of a photograph. There's a bit of everything - family drama and relationships, budding romance, and even a mystery. It's very atmospheric - you can almost feel the sunshine and see the ocean!

Woah! The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan was a phenomenal read.
I devoured this book! And was so sad to see it so soon.
I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

I appreciated this book for the snapshot of time in California history and surf culture it captured. The sibling story and family lore held my interest but I felt like this book could have been shorter.

This was a great story about the complex Merrick family told from the daughter, Ronan’s POV.
The story is set against the backdrop of California, describing their lives surfing the coast with their parents in a van.
Ro tells the story from childhood to adulthood describing the their experiences and the challenges she and her brothers faced throughout their lives. It’s a heartfelt and thoughtful story set in the 80s when I also grew up.
Highly recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

It’s perfect that Dream is in this title because it has an utterly dream-like quality that I felt immediately.

This story of a woman, Ronan, grappling with mixed feelings about her HIGHLY unusual upbringing sucked me in and didn’t let go until the epilogue. It’s a rare mix of world building, setting, characters, conflict, and beachy vibes.

At heart it is a sibling story and I enjoyed it very much despite never having touched a surfboard and being from the opposite (east) coast. Or maybe that is why it felt so escapist to me.
A few quibbles with the wrap up but maybe that is only because I didn’t want to say goodbye to these characters. Overall this is an utterly enticing and refreshing read.

Good book club potential as the family’s situation/choice is a little controversial.
5 ⭐️

An emotional, dual timeline, family drama based on real life about 1980s counterculture, surfing and family secrets. I really enjoyed this story about four adult siblings reunited when their father dies who look back nostalgically about their time growing up in California in the 80s unhindered by the strictures of society and free to embrace their surfer lifestyles. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like Malibu rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid or California golden by Melanie Benjamin. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio and digital copy in exchange for my honest review!