Escapist read with sensitive character studies, propulsive olot, and gorgeous settings on every page.

This book builds steadily and surely to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. Along the way, we don’t just meet the family, we become part of it, riding in their van home and swimming in the same west coast waves.
The braided narrative structure is used to full effect, with both present and past storylines equally compelling and detailed with richness and nuance. Ronan’s story is relatable and layered as her love for her family shines despite her growing questions about their unusual lifestyle

A ideal choice for spring book clubs or upmarket vacation readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-ARE in exchange for my honest review

This book is a rare combination of escapism and depth.

Mason-Doan plunges us into a world that’s both foreign to most and completely relatable. Father “Cap” Merrick’s decisions in carving out a separate, free life for his children may prove controversial, as there’s so much he holds out of their reach. Stability. Conventional education. A broader community.

But in the author’s deft hands we see that his intentions, at least, are pure. And his sole daughter eventually must look at her past squarely and accept the mix of good and bad, the intense love and struggle and the reverence for natural beauty that cannot be forgotten — and which she carries with her gratefully.

Tenderly wrought, gripping, and set along the West Coast’s most jaw-dropping settings, this should prove a popular spring read for book clubs and readers craving relatable women’s fiction brimming with nostalgia and intelligence.

Amy Mason Doan’s The California Dreamers is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that follows the Merricks, a legendary surfing family, through multiple time frames. Told from the perspective of Ro, the family’s daughter, the story explores the tension between freedom and fame, family loyalty and personal identity.

The Merricks live a nomadic lifestyle, avoiding the spotlight, but Ro starts to question whether this way of life is truly the freedom her father, Cap, dreams of—or just another kind of cage. His deep respect for nature feels more like an early 2000s mindset than something from the 1980s, adding an interesting layer to the story. When a single photograph catapults the family into fame, Ro decides to leave at 17, craving a more normal life.

This is very much a coming-of-age story, with well-developed characters and a layered narrative. The pacing can be slow at times, but the emotional depth makes up for it. It’s a really good book—not perfect—but definitely worth a read.

I wanted to love this book. the characters are well written, the cover is beautiful, but the storyline is all over the place and the ending was rushed.

This is a slow moving story about a non traditional family living the surf life out of their van and how one photo of them wrecks their family. I liked the descriptive writing and could picture them in their van traveling the coast but I wanted more from the story. The mom goes on “rambles”, dad is revered as godlike and the kids pretty much raise themselves. The story is told from the point of view of the only girl and alternates between past and present. There were a few extra plot lines ( a reporter, a female friendship and a nemesis of the dads) that did not add to this story and seemed like filler.

This is a beautifully written book, but just did not grab me and pull me in. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy!

**Book Review: "California Dreamers"**

"California Dreamers" is a captivating novel that follows a group of friends as they navigate their hopes and dreams in sunny California. The characters are relatable and well-developed, each facing their own challenges and aspirations. The vibrant setting brings the story to life, making you feel the warmth and energy of the Golden State. The themes of friendship, love, and self-discovery are beautifully woven throughout, creating an engaging and inspiring read. Overall, it's a feel-good book that encourages readers to chase their dreams and cherish their connections. Highly enjoyable!

There are some books that I'm so happy I choose to read instead of listen to and The California Dreamers is the newest addition to that list. Reading this book made me feel like I was wrapped in a golden sunshine hug throughout its entirety. Taking place up and down the California coast and told in 2 timelines, Amy Mason Doan paints a beautiful picture of a family of surfers finding their way in the 80's. As with most families, there are things that the kids keep from their parents and vice versa. Then, a picture of the family is published (though the patriarch has a strict no picture policy) and the golden bubble the parents have created to keep their children in, threatens to burst.

Being from California and a lover of the beaches and coast, I could picture every place the Merrick family landed. I also appreciated how the love that each of the members have for each other is laid out in their own unique way and explored throughout the book. When the story came full circle in the last few pages it had me crying like a baby, which is something, I've said before, that doesn't happen that often.

If you're looking for a feel good story about family dynamics, sunshine beaches and a couple of twists thrown in, I highly recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Based on a true free spirited family that lived like nomads and surfed from dawn to dusk in the 60's.
Ronan, along with her older twin brothers and younger brother, have only known life in the van her parents call The Gull, traveling from one perfect set of waves to the next. The dad known as Cap has laid out a clear set of rules that they all follow - surf till the waves tell you to stop, take care of the earth and only depend on each other. No formal education, health care or jobs they avoid the authorities and follow the sun. Life is good until a photo of the family appears everywhere giving them notoriety and Ronan runs to start a new life at 17. She is summoned years later after Cap dies for a memorial and homecoming that will either mend or break the family forever. The story moves like the tide going from Ronan remembering her childhood to the current day filled with gentle swells and hidden riptides. A deep coming of age story of an unusual family filled with a sense of belonging that will resonate with readers of family drama and former California surfer kids who still search for the best waves from the beach. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of The California Dreamers. Unfortunately I did not love this book. The cover of the book was very alluring but the story was very boring to me. This is about a family who lives the van life and travels up and down the western coast. The children don’t go to school, spend most of their time surfing and the parents do sketchy shit. The family dynamic was weird. The only thing that kept it interesting to me was the little twists that were thrown in there.

I absolutely loved this book! The author painted a beautiful picture of surfing culture and van life. It left me thinking about the characters and setting for days, and got me really excited about a planned trip to Southern California!

I was drawn in immediately by the gorgeous cover but inside was a nicely written story about complex family relationships and varied ways of living. At times, this was really slow-paced but the character development was well done and I liked the thought-provoking undercurrent of questioning whether the way the Merrick kids were being raised was the "right" way. I think that thread is something we can all relate to in one way or another. Overall I thought this was a decent read, but no big wow factor to hook me in.

This is my first Amy Mason Doan novel, and it won't be my last. I am rushing to read more from this fantastic author! I absolutely love this novel. Wow. I fell in love with the Merrick family. These characters and their closeness touched my soul. The way the story was told had me wanting to jump in the book. I can see the picture California Dreamers so clearly. I can see the Gull and Cap's hat, Ronan's hair, Dyl's field journals, the waves, the coins, the secret sea. I could go on and on. I didn't want the story to end. My heart breaks for the lost 15 years and death of Cap. In the end, the connections and misunderstandings come to light, but so does forgiveness. I chose this book because of the setting. I love the ocean. The novel was so much more. Thank you, Net Galley, for the ARC. It's definitely one of my favorite reads!!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Dysfunctional family stories can be really interesting or too over-the-top, but this one was well-written and plotted, with fully-developed characters the reader is invested in.

Ronan Merrick grew up with her unconventional parents and three brothers living in a van (couldn't help but think of Chris Farley's hilarious Saturday Night Live "I live in a van down by the river" sketch), and roaming up and down the California coast. Father Cal does odd jobs (some not so legal), Mama make lavender sachets and what-not and "teaches" the kids from mostly ecological-themed books. Mostly, they surf, and even though Ro is an excellent surfer, Cal only seems to encourage his sons. After a photo of the family running toward the surf with their boards is sent to a local newspaper and goes viral (the photo eventually shows up on blankets, ads, cups, you name it), Cal is outraged that his family is exposed to the terrible excess of consumer greed.

The story goes back and forth from the 1980s to 2002. Ro, who changed her name, got married and had two children, lives on a farm in Oregon, but when one of her brothers unexpectedly shows up to tell her their father has died, she is talked into returning to California for the funeral -- which in the surfing community, involves a "paddle out" ceremony. Family secrets are gradually revealed, relationships are tested, and while it's not relatable to many of us, it's told so beautifully, that you root for everything to turn out okay in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Graydon Books for the eARC and the opportunity to read and review this novel.

Fell in love with this book on the first page. It’s beautifully written and has the most complex characters. It follows the story of a family of 6 who live a nomadic life traveling the west coast surfing in the 90s. It has multiple points of view which gives you insight in how their childhood affected each sibling. There’s unexpected twists and I just kept hoping the story would never end!

This was such an interesting read. The unique family dynamics pulled me in and I felt as though I was traveling with them in the van. With the dual timelines, I just wanted to keep reading to put all the puzzle pieces together. At times, I was a little confused by what was happening but I felt that it was all wrapped up in the end.

I love me some 1980s throwback stories. This book was so well thought out and written. Not oy touching on the difficulty of living non traditionally but how family dynamics follow a theme no matter how you choose to live. The characters were really written to give you a deep connection to each uniquely.

A breath of fresh ocean air and an escape to a more hopeful world.
The California Dreamers is deserving of the title; it’s a dreamy world, one I haven’t encountered in any other novels.
But the author takes our hand for the journey to ground us. I especially enjoyed the complex and at times tense family dynamics and the realistic simmering of emotions.
Ronan’s small act of rebellion (spoiler) and its ripple effects made for a suspenseful framework, but it’s the overall dreamy mood and peaceful settings that drew me in fully.

I will remember this one for a long time.

This is a sweeping and thought-provoking new novel about a family living a fiercely off-the-grid lifestyle in a van. Dedicated to nature and ocean life with a special devotion to surfing every morning, the 6 Merricks have rejected money and society for a simpler existence.
In their ancient gray and white van home — a fixed up lunch truck with broken awnings they nickname “The Seagull” because it reminds them of one — they travel the western US coast in the 70s and 80s.
We are plunged into their world without judgement, seeing the family and outsiders or “citizens” through the sharp perceptions of the only girl.

At times heartbreaking, sometimes mysterious but always fascinating, we see new layers and struggles as she ages.
And by the time the family reunites in early middle age to mourn their “exasperating but worshipped” dad, I was truly along for the dreamy ride.

An unusual and fresh book. Enjoyable and gorgeously depicted.

Simply beautifully- told story of one unusual family striving for happiness in their own way, flying from beach to beach in a beat-up camper van in the 80s. Life is not perfect, even though it looks it in the family’s immortalized photo.

Then when the patriarch passes away decades after the children grow up , they gather to memorialize his life and examine their own.
All is tied together surprisingly by the end. We see this unique world through the sensitive lens of the sole daughter, Ronan or ‘Ro’.
I enjoyed this one very much. Entrancing and fast paced with just enough surprises to keep me guessing, and clearly a tenderly loved (by their author-creator) set of characters.

A favorite of 2025 so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and HT press for this early look in exchange for my true opinions

3.5 Stars

Set in California in the 1980’s, this is a story of a family, with a somewhat unconventional life, a family who become famous, despite not wanting to carry that fame. In fact, they avoid it as much as they possibly can, living in an RV.

A story shared slowly over time, sometimes a little too slowly, but overall a story of living a life outside of the average life, and avoiding, or trying to avoid, the people who see them as ‘famous’ while they wish to be left alone.

While at times this was somewhat atmospheric and thought-provoking, to me, and I enjoyed it, the ending seemed to not have any connection to the beginning.


Pub Date: 08 Apr 2025

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing / Graydon House

The Merrick Family—Legends in the surfing world. Drifters, who follow the coastline in their old van, the Gull.

The interesting story covers the family’s values, different beliefs, secrets, complicated relationships, and their love of surfing. The novel is emotional, at times, especially when they’re obviously betrayed by their peers, and constantly ostracized by much of society, yet revered as surf celebrities because of a rare family photograph. A newspaper reporter brings it all into perspective at the end. It’s obvious the author spent a lot of time plotting characterizations for the family.

This is a wonderful story. I hope many readers will enjoy.

I honestly read and reviewed a digital arc provided by Harlequin Publishing/Graydon House. All opinions are my own.