Great book club type read

If you’re looking to escape to a beautiful place and simpler era, this is the summery book for you.
The author creates an enthralling world very different from any I’ve seen, and the intensity of this unusual family’s bonds are captured perfectly.

This is a novel that builds steadily so by the time we are a quarter through we are COMPLETELY invested in this group of characters we MUST know what’s going to happen to them! Truly a love story about an ocean lifestyle and the unbreakables bonds of family.

I cherished the last ten pages especially, knowing I’d have to say goodbye and leave this bright world and was truly sorry to see it end.
This novel has inspired me to visit the real Channel Islands described in the contemporary (well early 00s) plot of the book.

1980’s California. Free spirits. Beautiful scenery. Decades in the making reunion. All of these things made me so excited to read this book, and yet it wound up being not for me.

The Merricks are a free spirit family who live off the grid in their van. They never stay in a place too long and aren’t prone to photographs getting out about them. So when one does, it disrupts their lifestyle, and their family, in a way no one saw coming. Can it be resolved some 20 years later?

I wanted to love this book, but I found myself struggling to read/finish it. It never felt like it was going anywhere and the major plot points didn’t connect for me. If it wasn't an ARC, it would have been a DNF for me. It was all very anti-climatic for me as a reader.

Traveling the coast of California in a van sounds like a dream come true to many people. The Merrick family, four children and their parents, swam, surfed and lived off the grid, while doing odd jobs to support their nomadic lifestyle. They lived frugally, hid their van from the nosy public, and had very little interaction with other people. I felt bad for the children, but they seemed at peace most of the time with their laid back lifestyle. The only girl, Ronan, would sometimes stare wistfully at other teenage girls with their trendy sweatshirts and cute hairstyles. Her twin brothers, who were excellent surfers, often wished they could enter the local surfing contests because they knew they would win. The youngest child, Dylan, was happy just reading and drawing in his field journal, while always keeping a keen eye on everyone.

The storyline goes back in time to the mid 1980’s and then to 2002, when the family comes together to celebrate the life of their beloved husband and father, “Cap.” Ronan, now 32, hadn’t seen her family in fifteen years and it was a bittersweet reunion for all of them. She had run away, bringing with her a big secret that she hoped would never leave Pandora’s box. Everyone still wanted a piece of the Merrick family, or “The California Dreamers” as they were nicknamed after a photo of the happy-go-lucky surfing siblings was mysteriously made public. While apart, Ronan had a taste of real life and even had a family of her own, which made me wonder how her brothers couldn’t possibly resent her for leaving them all those years ago. Sharing memories of their father brought back the closeness they once had but in reality, it may never be the same. What would happen when secrets are revealed and the deep, dark truth comes out? Will it further erode their shaky family bond or bring about peace in their hearts at long last?

Review

I can imagine this being the beach read in everyone’s hands this summer all down the coast. When stuck in an endless loop of work, errands, and the minutia of everyday life, who hasn’t imagined their version of a simple life off the grid. Idyllic in theory, life isn’t as charmed and carefree and you’d imagine being the only girl in this family of surfers as she comes of age, pushing the limits of the pressure to conform to her family’s “nonconforming” ways. This is one I couldn’t put down. I loved the characters and the glimpse into their family dynamic. The movement back and forth between different points in time was done so gracefully. I just wish I could see what life has in store next for the Merricks.

An escape back to a simpler time and a sensitively-plumbed character study of one most unusual family living in their beloved, brilliantly tricked-out van, The California Dreamers feels like a throwback to the sweeping, earnest dramas of the mid-80s.

Artfully plotted, with gentle plot twists that hold attention as we ache to know what split the family apart and how they might mend the breech.

But it is the California coastal landscape that shines most here. And that is not a complaint.

Excellent upmarket fiction for spring vacationers

The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan had its strengths, but it didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The setting was beautifully described, the nostalgic coastal vibes and sun-soaked memories made me feel like I was right there with the characters. Doan’s writing really shines when she’s exploring themes of friendship, self-discovery, and second chances.

Wow—The California Dreamers by Amy Mason Doan was an absolute journey, and I loved every second of it. This book swept me away with its nostalgic, sun-drenched setting and beautifully layered storytelling. It’s the kind of novel that makes you feel—friendship, love, loss, and the bittersweet pull of dreams we chase and the ones we leave behind.

The characters felt so real, their relationships complex and deeply moving. I laughed, I teared up, and I found myself completely immersed in their world. Amy Mason Doan has such a gift for weaving past and present together in a way that feels effortless and so emotionally resonant. If you love books that transport you and leave a lasting impression, this one is a must-read!

This book takes readers on an intimate journey with a very complex family. I found many parts of the book interesting, but I felt like it was lacking connection, I didn’t feel a connection myself with the characters, and I was hoping for more insight into Ronan’s life after she left her parents and brothers. I wanted to know where she stood with her sons and husband and the life she’d built there; I wanted to know more about that family, and what would happen when she returned.

This is a really special book about an unconventional family and their experiences and the results of those experiences. I really really loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I love a book set in California surf culture. The Merricks were non-comforists living in a van before van life was popular. This was an atmospheric family drama with interesting characters. It moved a bit slow for me, but I still enjoyed it.

I greatly enjoyed this unusual family story and its many unexpected twists.

Beach read with plenty of heart and a complicated family dynamic that’s presented with insight and care.

Recommended!

What a beautifully written and totally unique story!

I adored everything about this one, from the gorgeous coastal-island settings to the retro vibes to the genuinely satisfying ending.

I feel like I KNOW this truly endearing family of six, especially only daughter Ro. She tries so hard but she’s flawed and her “mistake” felt completely realistic to me. She’s just a teenager, after all, forced to act much older because her parents are child-like.

And the last scene had me in tears. It’s a thought-provoking family dynamic that I’m still thinking about, weeks later.

Highly recommend for anyone seeking a memorable, touching reading experience.

A sun-soaked trip down memory lane, The California Dreamers is a nostalgic ride through surf, secrets, and sibling drama. With a dash of ’80s charm and a twist of family intrigue, it’s the perfect beach read with heart!

Beautiful story of a family reuniting for their father’s ocean memorial and delving into their unusual shared past living in a van as drifters by choice. And it is inspired by a fascinating real family, making everything more poignant.

This is an uplifting, escapist, and gorgeously written novel.

There are very few books that deliver on the blurb but this one did and then some.
Endless summer, secrets, a sun-washed family in both past and present - check.
It is all much deeper and more intricate than I expected so I was happily surprised.

I loved this emotional and nostalgic story!

The siblings were all vividly depicted and their life felt like just the escape I craved right now. It's not a perfect one, as the author explores in sensitive depth, but the idea of no telephones, no "tethers" as the father calls it, only a loving family living day-to-day, beach-to-beach, sounds immensely appealing.

The prose is inviting and compelling, and twists kept me turning the pages, with very few lulls.

Recommended for anyone looking to be swept away and hoping to shed a happy tear by the end. It's a good one.

4...wish we had just a little more romance, but the hint of it was nice

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovingly crafted and large-hearted novel by Amy Mason Doan, publishing April 8 2025.

It's a stirring, at times heartrending, but always compelling tale of a family of six like none I've ever met. The Merricks live by their own rules, chasing waves and above all freedom in early-eighties California/Oregon/Washington. They don't cross to Mexico or Canada, and that is significant.

When they're younger, the four children follow worshipfully...until cracks begin to appear in the parents' carefully-constructed world.
Is this truly freedom? What about school and the intriguing friends they'd like to get to know on the beach?

Ultimately, the sole daughter breaks from her family to carve out her own path, a choice as difficult for her as swimming out to sea...but she's summoned back.

I rooted this family on every step of the way, pulled in completely until the mysteries were sorted, forgiveness was offered, and Ronan came to terms with her parents' decisions.

This is a wise and unforgettable book.


Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

The California Dreamers is a fun romp of the California surf scene in the 1980s, told from the perspective of a nomadic, van-life family, primarily through the eyes the only daughter, Ronan. The California Dreamers is a light family drama, makes a great beach read, especially if you enjoy setting as acharacter in its own right. Much thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for an honest review. 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, this book is such a vibe. I picked it because I grew up 30-minutes from Santa Cruz, California. Born in the 80s, I'm well versed in the life of surfers, beach bums (as we called ourselves), and even the occasional RV or van life family that swept through town. It wasn't a hobby, it was a way of life, all of us practically born from the salty water. I wanted to see if a writer could really do justice for that love for the ocean, for the freedom, for the joy of the ride. She did. This is an incredible book that stole my heart from the very beginning and clutched it all the way to the end. Beautiful.

The California Dreamers is a beautifully described story about a family of surfers told in dual timelines. It was slow, but as a fan of Amy’s, I’ll read anything she writes!

Dreamy is the right word!!

I fell in love with this incredibly unique family story set across decades, exploring the life of an off grid family back when that was truly possible…or the dream of it was.

Ronan and her brothers Griffin, Magnus, and Dylan navigate their parents’ dreams of freedom for them with heartbreaking maturity and loyalty. The setting and eras are brought to life, and I truly felt I was with them on their journeys, both emotional and physical.

It’s a full sensory experience - sights, sounds, the feeling of salty water and wind off the coast are beautifully depicted.
My one quibble is I would have liked to stay on the island with this family longer (in the present thread), it all is wrapped up realistically. And the final “paddle out” for father Cap is heart wrenching.

This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far and I will seek out more from this author. fans of Educated and The Alone seeking a slightly lighter vibe will enjoy this one very much.
4.5 enthusiastic and sunny stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫