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sprainedbrain's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
iheartya311's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
mommingandreading's review against another edition
4.0
I was so excited to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau from Endeavor Media! This was a fun romantic mystery about the summer of 1911 in Coney Island. Peggy Batternberg would rather be in Manhattan, working at her local bookstore, but is brought begrudgingly to the opulent hotels of Coney Island for the summer with her entire extended family. The Batternbergs happen to be very, very rich and are used to a certain level of propriety and standard of living, reminiscent of many Gilded Age families like the Vanderbilts.
I have sadly never been to Coney Island, but I’ve always been fascinated by coastal beach towns & boardwalks. This book did a perfect job of setting the scene between the haves & the have-nots. I loved the richness of the settings described by the author and felt the delight in the atmosphere as I was reading.
Unfortunately, the characters felt a little flat to me. I wasn’t super invested in any of the Battenbergs, instead preferring the scenes when Peggy spent time with Stefan. Their romance was GREAT. I also really enjoyed the peripheral stories of the criminal activity going on all around Coney Island.
All in all, this was a fun read, but it did feel a little rushed at the ending. This was a 3.5/5 star read for me, and I think if you’re someone looking for romance with a little mystery in an phenomenally atmospheric setting, this could be the book for you!
I have sadly never been to Coney Island, but I’ve always been fascinated by coastal beach towns & boardwalks. This book did a perfect job of setting the scene between the haves & the have-nots. I loved the richness of the settings described by the author and felt the delight in the atmosphere as I was reading.
Unfortunately, the characters felt a little flat to me. I wasn’t super invested in any of the Battenbergs, instead preferring the scenes when Peggy spent time with Stefan. Their romance was GREAT. I also really enjoyed the peripheral stories of the criminal activity going on all around Coney Island.
All in all, this was a fun read, but it did feel a little rushed at the ending. This was a 3.5/5 star read for me, and I think if you’re someone looking for romance with a little mystery in an phenomenally atmospheric setting, this could be the book for you!
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
4.0
Visit the locations in the novel Dreamland
there’s a kind of novel I get very excited about is when I get to travel back in time to a place I would have loved to have visited for real. Dreamland is set firmly in America’s golden age and at the heart of Coney Island. A ticket back in time to 1911 you say? I’m there!
Dreamland was one of three theme parks which became known as America’s playground. The hedonism, the parties, the promises! It sadly burned down in 1911 but the author has brought it back to sizzling life! You can tell she’s been there and I half suspect she has a time machine and that she went in a crinolene dress such is the attention to detail that this novel immerses you inside.
Imagine being on the cusp of your new life at a time that America was changing. Peggy in the novel is an heiress so think of the Vanderbilts and all that jazz and it’s a whirlwind ride. It’s a time of changing morals, women’s freedoms, how women were supposed to act and how rich heiresses were supposed to act in particular. Family dynamics are interesting!
And that’s not all this novel is. There are some really juicy themes such as the place and role of foreigners in America, settling in to a new country and place, class barriers etc. The characters, issues and backdrop all combine to a magically captivating effect and I was totally captivated.
Can I just say that the day she went against her family and got a job in a bookstore I cheered! Just one of many little details and nuances that makes this book shine.
openmypages's review against another edition
4.0
I read Nancy Bilyeau’s The Blue last year and was really interested by the unique concept. So when I saw her new novel I jumped right on it.
Dreamland follows a young entirely sheltered heiress trying to find her way in the world in early 1900’s. The story is a little bit coming of age, a little bit romance and a little bit murder mystery. She is expected by her family and society to live her life a certain way and she is determined to find her own happiness. The story explores the social, political and moral aspects of the time.
One summer Peggy finds herself staying outside of Coney Island with her family and is exposed to a level of society that she has never been aware of. This awakening has her looking at everyone in her life a little differently and uncovering the dark underbelly of polite society.
This book reminded me a little of Lauren Willig’s The English Wife, a little of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (without all the crazy POV changes!) and a little of Boardwalk Empire.
I received an eARC of this book from Endeavour Quill via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dreamland follows a young entirely sheltered heiress trying to find her way in the world in early 1900’s. The story is a little bit coming of age, a little bit romance and a little bit murder mystery. She is expected by her family and society to live her life a certain way and she is determined to find her own happiness. The story explores the social, political and moral aspects of the time.
One summer Peggy finds herself staying outside of Coney Island with her family and is exposed to a level of society that she has never been aware of. This awakening has her looking at everyone in her life a little differently and uncovering the dark underbelly of polite society.
This book reminded me a little of Lauren Willig’s The English Wife, a little of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (without all the crazy POV changes!) and a little of Boardwalk Empire.
I received an eARC of this book from Endeavour Quill via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
shrutinaik's review against another edition
3.0
The cover of Dreamland is beautiful. It reminded me of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus which I really liked and I requested for this one without reading the summary. It's a completely different genre—Dreamland being a historical mystery and The Night Circus being fantasy. I don't know if it's just me but the cover seemed to promise magic and it was a slight disappointment when I read the summary and realized there would be none.
Dreamland takes place in 1911—Peggy Battenberg, a twenty year old girl belonging to one of the richest families in America is forced to spend the summer with her family in Coney Island. Living at the luxurious Oriental Hotel, Peggy only occasionally gets the chance to slip away from the scrutiny she is under and one such time she wanders into Dreamland, an amusement park, where she meets and falls in love with a Serbian artist, Stefan. During her stay, two women are murdered in Coney Island. Between the police investigating the case and Peggy's own disagreements with her family members, Dreamland is a story of mystery, love and courage.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that the women in the story are smart and strong-willed. Set during the suffragette movement, when women weren't even allowed to vote, Nancy Bilyeau articulately describes the discrimination faced by women and immigrants as well as the orthodox mindset of the older women and men in the story who believe a woman's place is in the kitchen. A mindset that the main character, Peggy, has no patience for!
The focus on the mystery was much lesser than I'd expected which was disappointing. Most of the story focuses on Peggy's family and just a bit at the start and a bit at the end truly focuses on the murders (the reveal wasn't surprising at all). Having said that, I did enjoy the family drama and I feel the character development was commendable.
The book didn't have any 'Wow' moments but overall, it was a fun read. So if you're looking for a book that you can read at a leisurely pace and be able to put down whenever you need to because it isn't very gripping, this one will work well.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Endeavor Quill and Nancy Bilyeau for this ARC.]
Dreamland takes place in 1911—Peggy Battenberg, a twenty year old girl belonging to one of the richest families in America is forced to spend the summer with her family in Coney Island. Living at the luxurious Oriental Hotel, Peggy only occasionally gets the chance to slip away from the scrutiny she is under and one such time she wanders into Dreamland, an amusement park, where she meets and falls in love with a Serbian artist, Stefan. During her stay, two women are murdered in Coney Island. Between the police investigating the case and Peggy's own disagreements with her family members, Dreamland is a story of mystery, love and courage.
What I really enjoyed about this book was that the women in the story are smart and strong-willed. Set during the suffragette movement, when women weren't even allowed to vote, Nancy Bilyeau articulately describes the discrimination faced by women and immigrants as well as the orthodox mindset of the older women and men in the story who believe a woman's place is in the kitchen. A mindset that the main character, Peggy, has no patience for!
The focus on the mystery was much lesser than I'd expected which was disappointing. Most of the story focuses on Peggy's family and just a bit at the start and a bit at the end truly focuses on the murders (the reveal wasn't surprising at all). Having said that, I did enjoy the family drama and I feel the character development was commendable.
The book didn't have any 'Wow' moments but overall, it was a fun read. So if you're looking for a book that you can read at a leisurely pace and be able to put down whenever you need to because it isn't very gripping, this one will work well.
[I'd like to thank NetGalley, Endeavor Quill and Nancy Bilyeau for this ARC.]
tinybibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Tiny Synopsis: It is 1911 - Peggy Batternberg hails from one of the richest American families and with that comes power, prestige, and privilege. However she would rather be working at the Moonrise bookstore and earn her own living and away from her snobby and rigid family. During the summer, she is forced to put her bookstore job on hold to head to Coney Island with her family at the luxurious Oriental hotel. On her adventures, she meets and falls for a mysterious immigrant from humble beginnings- that her family would surely frown upon. When there are multiple murdered women taking place in the area, Peggy takes on the challenge of trying to solve who the killer is to save someone she cares about.
Thank you to @netgalley and Endeavor for the advanced copy for my honest review! The book is out Jan 16, 2020!
My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
This era in time was very interesting - women’s suffrage and women wanting more for themselves: the New Woman. This novel is very well written and descriptive - you definitely feel like you are in 1911 and going through all of Peggy’s restrictions and rebellious nature. She’s young and she makes frustrating decisions - you want to scream at the book. Her family is extremely interesting - their secrets alone seem like it could be another book. I wasn’t loving the ending - certain relationships felt a bit forced. Some parts dragged but it does help provide context. It is overall a mix of mystery thriller and historical fiction with a touch of the love story.
Thank you to @netgalley and Endeavor for the advanced copy for my honest review! The book is out Jan 16, 2020!
My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
This era in time was very interesting - women’s suffrage and women wanting more for themselves: the New Woman. This novel is very well written and descriptive - you definitely feel like you are in 1911 and going through all of Peggy’s restrictions and rebellious nature. She’s young and she makes frustrating decisions - you want to scream at the book. Her family is extremely interesting - their secrets alone seem like it could be another book. I wasn’t loving the ending - certain relationships felt a bit forced. Some parts dragged but it does help provide context. It is overall a mix of mystery thriller and historical fiction with a touch of the love story.
josiannepf's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely enjoyed the time period it was set in ! However, not sure what this book was trying to accomplish... I kept waiting for something exciting to happen or even an surprising twist... missed the mark for me !
*Review posted on NetGalley*
*Review posted on NetGalley*
jaibee's review against another edition
4.0
A fairly good historical mystery with an interesting socio-political setup, but a fairly predictable ending and I’d have liked more depth into the rich/poor divide imo
3.5 rounded up
3.5 rounded up