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Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks

Are you doing yourself justice if you don’t follow your heart and chase your wildest dreams? That idea is what Nicholas Sparks explores in his latest novel, Dreamland (Random House). 

ROMANCE GROUNDED IN REALITY

Colby Mills has wanted to be a musician for as long as he can remember, but responsibilities and family have grounded him, and he views those aspirations as more of a hobby. He’s happy with his life on the farm, loves his grandmother and sister, and generally enjoys his life. But when he accepts a gig in St. Petersburg, Florida at a local bar, his life and his dreams will change forever. 

When he meets Morgan Lee, a recently graduated student on vacation with her friends before “real life” begins, his life is forever altered. They fall for each other hard and fast, and as he learns more about Morgan, he realizes that she is kind, thoughtful and an incredibly talented singer destined for fame in Nashville. 

They compliment each other so well; it feels like they have known each other for much longer than a few days. And as they start to imagine a life together in the future, Colby wonders if he needs to live his life chained to the responsibilities he has grown up with.

RUNNING TOWARD A BETTER FUTURE

Meanwhile, Beverly is on a journey of her own. Running from an abusive husband, she escapes with her son and ends up in a small town where she tries to settle in and make a life for her family. But danger is around every corner and she is in a constant state of panic, all while trying to establish stability for her son. 

These two paths don’t seem to be connected … until a shocking twist reveals that they are. All of the characters must determine if their dreams are more important than duty and whether the thought of a “better life” outweighs the truth of the past. 

FOR NEW OR RETURNING FANS OF SPARKS

As a teenager, I read nearly every Nicholas Sparks book — especially after The Notebook movie came out. The love that he writes and conveys to the reader, and the intricacy of his stories is captivating. It makes me feel like I’ve really made it as a reviewer to be writing this right now, after reading his books for around two decades! 

This book, at first glance, seems like a present-day romance. When there are references to TikTok, I usually run for the hills. But the fact that we have three intricate, interesting and insightful characters chasing dreams of careers, love and freedom makes this story much more real. These characters feel like people you know in real life — people chasing dreams while maintaining their responsibilities and the tangible parts of life that chain us to reality. 

This book is for readers who want to dream along with characters and read something that will make you consider your life and deepest desires. It is the perfect summer read that has both depth and the perfect amount of cheese, true to Nicholas Sparks’ form.

 

About Nicholas Sparks:

Nicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 105 million copies sold worldwide in more than 50 languages, including over 75 million copies in the United States alone.

Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), Dear John (2006), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011) and The Longest Ride (2013), among others. Dreamland is his 23 novel.

Sparks lives in North Carolina.

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks
Publish Date: September 20, 2022
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Page Count: 384 pages
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 978-0593449554
Lydia Lefevre

Lydia Lefevre is a marketing professional working in financial services at Advent International in Boston, MA. Having graduated from Emerson College in 2016 with a Masters of Communication in Integrated Marketing, she previously worked at State Street Corporation and Brown Brothers Harriman. She is an experienced content strategist working in areas such as public relations, social media, content development and more. Lydia also posts her reviews to her Instagram. Make sure to follow for more insights!

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