Title: Dreamland
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Published: September 27th 2022
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Pages: 384
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
RRP: $34.99
Rating: 4 stars
The brand new captivating love story by the internationally bestselling and beloved author of The Notebook.
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Wish comes a poignant love story about risking everything for a dream-and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind.
Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, until tragedy grounded his aspirations. Now the head of a small family farm in North Carolina, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home.
But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, making him wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need dictate his life forever. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.
While they are falling headlong in love, Beverly is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. Fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, she is trying to piece together a life for them in a small town far off the beaten track. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true.
In the course of a single unforgettable week, two young people will navigate the exhilarating heights and heartbreak of first love. Hundreds of miles away, Beverly will put her love for her young son to the test. And fate will draw all three people together in a web of life-altering connections . . . forcing each to wonder whether the dream of a better life can ever survive the weight of the past.
Review:
‘Hold on to Dreamland
Forever, not just today
Someday Dreamland will be ours
Hold fast, don’t fall away’
Famous around the globe for his bestselling books and films based on his novels, Nicholas Sparks presents his readers with Dreamland, his latest release. Two worlds collide in this engaging new Sparks tale, holding the reader completely captive with this risky love and life story.
Dreamland unveils the lives of two core protagonists in this poignant new journey tale from Nicholas Sparks. We meet Colby, a man who has big dreams of making it in the music world, but family pressures and obligations have got in the way of his career goals. But out of the blue, Colby agrees to take part in a gig that will change his life forever. Colby’s temporary dalliance in the music world leads him into the arms of Morgan, a star on the rise. Morgan soon inspires Colby to reignite his passion for music and she encourages him to take a chance on a new life with her. As Colby and Morgan forge an unforgettable bond, Beverly is a woman on a drastic journey. Escaping her violent husband and protecting her young son from his abuse, Beverly must forge a new undercover existence in a town where no one knows her name. With the constant threat of her husband finding out where she and her son are hiding, Beverly lives on the edge. Will Beverly find her safe haven? How will the lives of these three souls intertwine as their dreams collide with their past ?
Nicholas Sparks is one of my unquestionable auto buy authors. Although Dreamland was published in September, I reserved this latest Sparks release for the Christmas period. It is always a book treat to read a Nicholas Sparks novel and I’m happy to report that this was another fine read by the global bestselling author.
Told over seven page turning parts and sixty-eight engrossing chapters, Dreamland is the twenty fourth release from Nicholas Sparks, an author who needs no introduction. Utilising an alternating form of narration between a man named Colby and a woman named Beverly, Sparks presents two vastly different viewpoints. It is hard to see how and when Sparks will make the character linkage, but I placed my complete trust in one of my favourite writers. Eventually I was presented with a huge collision between the lives of Colby and Beverly. I loved how Sparks managed to bring these two contrasted protagonists together in a crushing turn of events. Poignant, sad, full of meaning and sacrifice, Dreamland was a moving read. I found most of the novel addictive and it really ramped up towards the last third of the story. I couldn’t turn the pages of Dreamland quick enough in the latter addictive stages of the novel.
Dreamland features a very immersive narrative style which allowed me to develop a lasting bond with Beverly. I was less enamoured by Colby and Morgan’s story, but they were still well rendered protagonists. I was itching to get back to Beverly’s journey each time Sparks made the switch back to Colby. I’m not sure why I found Colby’s story and romance plot less attractive. Beverly’s story had me riveted, as it featured some crime and mystery vibes. I was reminded of the movie Sleeping with the Enemy while following Beverly’s tense story. Sparks really involves the reader in Beverly’s narrative, so we feel an overwhelming sense of urgency, despair, nervousness and fear. Tying in themes of grief, loss, health, mental illness, parenting, family care and domestic violence, Sparks illuminates some rather heavy ground within the format of a highly accessible contemporary narrative. With periphery ideas on music, careers, love and hope, Dreamland is a bittersweet tale.
Do have a few tissues on hand as in true Sparks style this double story is both happy and sad, but Dreamland will leave your heart full.
Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks is published by Hachette Australia on September 27th 2022. $34.99.
*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
To learn more about the author of Dreamland, Nicholas Sparks, visit here.
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