Gripping account of four siblings growing up in a beach van with their unconventional parents, and then meeting as adults to sift through what was real and what really matters

Family ties and the lengths we will go to to forgive those who can love and frustrate us most in this life.

I was thoroughly entranced by this one. The scenery made it ideal for a spring break read with a little more substance.
4 1/2 bright oceanside stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the alc and arc.
This book was ok. I thought it was kind of hard to keep track of all the characters. Therefore, the audiobook would've been much better if it had multiple narrators. I did enjoy Anne Marie Gideon though. I may try more books by this author in the future.

This was a good book. About a family living off of the grid in a van. It was interesting reading about a totally different life style than the one most if us have.

There's this idea of an off-the-grid sort of life: traveling anywhere, living in a van, and being able to pick up and chase the sun and the waves. When I think about a life like this, it's dreamy and romantic, but I hate sand and worry too much.

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan is the story of a family who lives off-the-grid. The Merrick's are chasing waves and freedom. The four children, Griffin, Magnus, Ronan, and Dyll, are educated by their parents and by life. Every morning starts with exercise and the days are spent surfing. They live in a retired food truck, fully rigged up with bunks. Their 1980s dream life was destroyed the minute that a photographer secretly captured a photo of the wild and free family with their surfboards in the sand.

Moving forward in time, in 2002, Ava LeClair lives on a lavender farm with her twin sons. When she finds a coin on her birdbath, she knows everything is changing again. Ava is Ronon, and she has escaped the van and her family. Her older brother is on the farm to bring her back to her family because their beloved father, Cap, has died. Ronan travels with her brother to a remote island for one last request from Cap.

When a journalist is allowed access to the family, all of the siblings must reconcile the truth about their lives and the truth about the future.

Amy Mason Doan was influenced by the first family of surfing, the Paskowitz family. While the father in that family was open and honest about his origins, adding the mystery of Cap and Mama's beginning helped move this story along. I found the writing descriptive and lush. It was easy to smell the lavender of the farm, to feel the sun on your face, to feel the pain of a life full of questions.

The California Dreamers is the story of a family full of dreams and ideals. Whether these ideas are good is up to you, but the idea of family is universal.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book takes you to California in the 80’s! I felt like I was with the family driving up and down the PCH!! If you have ever wished you could be in California surfing, dive into this book! California Dreamers is about the bond of family, what it means, trust and forgiveness. It really shows that your childhood experience shapes who you are. We may often look back and wonder if things were different who would we be? I love how this book explores the bond of family and society all while driving through PCH and surfing in California! This was such a fun read while making me think about life in a new and interesting way. Read this book while listening to the sound of waves!!

I greatly enjoyed "The California Dreamers" and remarked to a colleague that I haven't been surprised by a book like this in a long time

The breezy coastal setting, near where I grew up and now work in Southern California, is captured perfectly, as is the eighties era of the past part of the novel.

Characters are all fully fleshed out and jump off the page with realistic dialogue that drew me in. By page 20, I was grumpy to set this title down, and that is a rarity for me.
Gentle twists, moonlit swims, hammock campouts, and healing discoveries against a backdrop of island waves, with a little love story added in. This was a life affirming and joyous book, and readers of heartfelt fiction will be hooked.

mild adult language; closed-door love scenes

Adult Literary Fiction
Setting: California

Wow. This one came from nowhere and blew me away.

I requested it due to the cover and escapist vibes and got so much more. Family drama but not melodrama, surprises around every corner, lovable cast of characters, and a heartfelt ending. I think it's interesting to consider how "Van Life" really began and to imagine life unconnected from the depressing reality of today -- overstimulation, news 24/7, distant politics Even if it's not perfect, as our MC discovers, there is a lot to recommend that life.

In this story, we're plunged in with the Merrick family and don't question their lifestyle until daughter Ro does. It's a meaningful and enjoyable journey. And by the end I was feeling everything the family was at the memorial. Really touching and unforgettable moments throughout this one.

Will seek out more from this author

*****
4 1/2 STARS ROUNDED UP FOR VIBES AND SCENERY.

I was sucked into this in the beginning! I loved the premise and switching from the past to present. I just started losing interest towards the middle of the book. Too much time focusing on the past storyline when I wish it would focus more on the present. There was so much filler parts also. I DNF’d at 52%, sorry :(

California Dreamers is a thought provoking story about family; exploring the secrets that keep us close and the secrets that wedge us apart.

Ronan grows up in an anti-establishment family focused on natural living and centered on surfing. She ran away from her family at 17 without explanation. When her brother shows up asking her to come home for one last obligation, she makes the hard decision to join.

This story has a lot of flashbacks which add rich backstory as you uncover more and more about Ronan’s experience growing up in a close-knit family. An experience of freedom and restriction; of togetherness and loneliness. This will definitely make a nice beach read for the summer!

Well, that left me in happy tears.
Wonderfully complex and touching story of a family living by their own rules in eighties Cali.

The Merricks are a fiercely loyal and independent tribe of ocean lovers who call a van home — by choice.

As the only daughter grows up, tensions simmer and their beautiful way of life is threatened.

Then, as an adult, the daughter gets summoned to the father’s memorial….and it’s on an island off Santa Barbara Cali that is forbidden to the public.

This book is everything I enjoy. Pure escapism and family dynamics explored with depth and tremendous insight.
I will look for more from this author as it is her third novel.

I wanted to love this book but it missed the mark in so many ways that it was a chore to complete. There are better books to spend your money on.

I found this compelling and sun soaked.

In the 1980s the Merrick siblings and their parents lived a life of nomads, traveling from place to place at their leisure, surfing the days away. The siblings grow up not knowing anything different, basking in their picturesque life, but there are carefully crafted rules and ways they must live by to sustain their lifestyle. When a photograph of the entire family appears in the news, and further on a bigger scale, that life they crafted seems like it could disappear.

In present day, not all of the siblings have remained close, but they all reunite in celebration of their beloved father. Coming to terms with their upbringing, the ways in which they parted, and long buried secrets are all things that they must confront. I enjoyed the dynamic of this family. I found their story and their lifestyle to be so intriguing. There is a little of everything in here. You get adventure, strong family connection, some romance, and an interesting coming of age story against sunbaked ocean backdrop.

The Merrick family are nomads. They live out of a van and stay out of public eye as much as possible. They have rules about not being photographed or talking to strangers about their personal lives. One day a photo of the family surfing is published, causing a rift in the family dynamic. Ronan left home at 17 and now has a family of her own. Her brother shows up, letting her know that their father died and they want her home to send him off. Ronan is hesitant, but decides to go home and face her past.

I loved this story! At first, I was a bit stuck with the writing style and did consider not continuing, but I’m SO glad I did. I binged the book in one sitting and ended up crying by the end. I really appreciated reading about a family with a different lifestyle from mine, learning how they navigated and grew from the life they had as kids. This was a beautiful story that speaks to multiple generations of the Merrick family.

Richly depicted and dreamy story of a family living in a van home in the early eighties..

Fiercely private and idealistic, the Merricks family lives by their own rules in a rusty van they call “The Gull.”

Soaring from beach to beach, they spend their time in the water or otherwise communing with nature. But the sole daughter, coming of age in tight quarters, listening to her parents’ whispers in the night, begins to ache for more…or at least, more answers as to why they live as they do.

A cautious friendship - and first love - open her eyes to more of the world beyond her father’s self-imposed bubble.

And Pandora’s box is opened.

To reveal much more would take from the myriad pleasures of this unusual and special story.

Thoughtful, emotionally honest and deeply enjoyable, this is a memorable title for spring 2025 adult upmarket fiction fans.

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan

⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)

📄 Pages: ~368
📖 Genre: Contemporary Fiction
📅 Age Rating: 16+
📚 Availability: Kindle, Paperback, Audiobook
⚠️ Content Warnings: Drama, Emotional Distance, Slow Burn
🔥 Spice Level: None

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Overall Reading Experience & Impressions:

I really struggled to get through this book, and it ended up feeling more like a chore than an escape. I requested it because the premise sounded like something I’d love, but unfortunately, the execution fell short. The story meandered, the plot was scattered, and the drama felt forced. The dialogue and setting were highlights, but it wasn’t enough to carry the entire narrative. I kept reading hoping it would turn around, but it stayed slow and unfocused.

⸻

What I Liked:

✨ Beautiful Setting: The descriptions of the scenery and atmosphere were vivid and immersive.
🗨️ Well-Written Dialogue: Despite the plot issues, the conversations between characters felt natural and emotional.

⸻

What Didn’t Work:

🐢 Slow Pacing: The story dragged, making it hard to stay engaged.
🌀 Scattered Plot: It felt all over the place, with no clear direction or momentum.
🎭 Overdone Drama: The conflicts felt unnecessary and exaggerated, adding more frustration than tension.
❓ Misleading Cover: The cover gives a different vibe than the actual story, which led to unmet expectations.

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Final Thoughts:

I wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t click for me. It had moments of beauty, especially in the descriptions and dialogue, but the lack of cohesive plot and slow pace made it tough to enjoy. If you’re someone who loves ultra-slow, character-driven stories with dreamy vibes, you might still enjoy this — but it wasn’t for me.

⸻

Who Would I Recommend This To:

🌿 Fans of atmospheric, lyrical writing.
🪴 Readers who enjoy off-the-grid, whimsical lifestyles.
📚 People who prefer quiet, introspective narratives over action-packed plots.

Amy Mason Doan’s The California Dreamers is a beautifully written, nostalgic journey through the sun-soaked beaches of 1980s California and the complexities of family, identity, and the price of freedom.

The novel follows Ronan (Ro) Merrick, the only daughter in a family of surfers living off the grid in a van, moving from beach to beach in search of the perfect wave. Their unconventional existence is upended when a photographer’s candid shot of them goes viral, exposing their private world to the public and setting off a chain of events that ultimately fractures the family. Decades later, Ro—now living under a different name—must confront her past when she reunites with her estranged brothers to honor their late father. As secrets unravel and long-buried tensions resurface, the Merricks must decide whether to heal or remain divided.

Doan masterfully captures the allure of California’s coastline, making the ocean feel like a character in itself. The dual timelines—Ro’s coming-of-age in the 80s and her present-day reckoning in 2002—add depth and suspense, revealing family secrets at a tantalizing pace. The relationships, especially Ro’s bonds with her brothers Charlie and Dyl, are richly drawn and deeply moving.

Inspired by a real-life nomadic family, The California Dreamers is a poignant meditation on what it means to belong. It’s perfect for fans of atmospheric, character-driven stories about love, loss, and the unbreakable ties of family.

#TheCaliforniaDreamers #AmyMasonDoan #HistoricalFiction #FamilyDrama #CaliforniaVibes #SurfCulture #ComingOfAge #BookReview #BohemianLife

In 1983, on a California beach, we are introduced to fifteen-year-old Ronan Merrick, the only daughter in her family. With her three brothers, father "Cap," and her mother, the Merricks lead a free-spirited life, choosing to live unconventionally. They reside in a van, traveling up and down the coast, searching for perfect surfing spots. The family gains unwanted notoriety when an unauthorized photograph of the family holding their surfboards is splashed across the country, threatening their nomadic lifestyle.

The story shifts to 2002, and Ronan is living in Oregon under the name Ava LeClair with her two sons, who are unaware of her true identity. After years without contact, Ronan's brother Griffin contacts her to inform her that their father has died, and an ocean memorial service is planned on a remote island. While a tense reunion is inevitable, the situation becomes more complicated when a journalist shows up to write about the family. This unique family's story is told through the period when Ronan decides to leave her family and at the time of the memorial, when the family tries to determine if they can truly be reunited.

Few authors have captured the essence of California like Amy Mason Doan. In The California Dreamers, you can almost feel the ocean, the sand, and the warmth of the sun. The Merrick family was inspired by a real family who led a transient bohemian lifestyle for over two decades, traveling in a camper from one wave to the next. This is a touching coming-of-age story about the preciousness of family. If you remember the musical group the Mamas & the Papas, you'll be humming their song California Dreamin as you read this enjoyable book.

The cover and description of this book was what initially drew me in and the first 1/4 of the book had me interested but that interest unfortunately didn’t hold me throughout the rest of the read.

The story is about a family that lives a very off the grid/nomad lifestyle. The timeline jumps between the past and present day where they’re all meeting up again after lots of hardships that get revealed. They live a very secretive life and a photo of them surfing gets published and becomes a huge sensation which adds to a lot of the strife they deal with as a family.

I had a difficult time with a couple different things. The writing was beautiful but also slightly confusing at times. I’d be trying to picture the scene and then the descriptions would just cut short and I’d be left wondering what just happened. Almost as if the author was writing in riddles at times. Another thing that bothered me with the surfer/van life slang. I just couldn’t understand the dialogue between characters enough personally.

I never felt super attached to any of the characters. I loved what was happening with Ro and Charlie at first and that got me excited to see their story unfold. But then it abruptly changed course and then picked up again way later in the story.

All of the drama seemed so extreme and dramatic over a simple photo. So many grudges and missed opportunities with each other over something so silly, but I understand it was more of a big deal for ‘this’ family. It just didn’t add up for me.

Amy Mason Doan’s The California Dreamers is like a perfect summer day—warm, nostalgic, and a little bit bittersweet. Her writing pulls you right in, making you feel like you’re there with the characters, soaking up the sun and sorting through the messy, beautiful parts of life. The friendships feel authentic, the emotions hit just right, and there’s this effortless mix of heart and escapism that makes it hard to put down. If you love stories about second chances, deep bonds, and chasing dreams (even the ones you didn’t know you had), this one’s a total treat.

This book is a must for your beach bag this summer!! A family with four children traveling the coast of California spending the days surfing the various beaches. They are a nomadic family living in their van completely off grid. The story is told in past and present timelines. The atmospheric description really set the setting for the book and this family. I just felt like I was living with these kids in the van as they experienced life. This had a little bit of mystery, family dynamics, and secrets.