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Dreamland: An Evening Standard 'Best New Book' of 2021

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For her Genevieve Planche novels--"The Blue" and "The Fugitive Colours"--she drew on her own heritage to create her Huguenot heroine. Nancy is a descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. Pierre's stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State. Overall, Dreamland is a suspenseful historical mystery set in an intriguing time and place with lovable, strong characters. I loved it! While on her adventures around the theme park, she meets a Serbian artist named Stefan. Their secret romance ignites under the veil of night on a beach, however everything gets entangled when bodies of young girl’s bodies start to appear, ensnaring Peggy into a web of murder, corruption and mystery. Coney Island - America's playground. It's 1911 and American Heiress, Peggy Battenberg has been requested (told/your better come or else) to spend the summer at the Oriental Hotel with the rest of her family. She would rather continue working at the Moonrise bookstore, but appearances are everything and she (and her family) must keep up appearances. This was a wonderful work of historical fiction that looked at Coney Island and the division between the social classes over a century ago. Themes then are still reverent today: family secrets, young love, crimes against women, family expectations, etc. Besides the impressive research that went into this wonderfully written book, it is also engaging, and the plot flowed seamlessly. Although, Peggy had to do what her family wanted, she still found a way to find freedom, have courage, and do what she felt was right even when it went against her families wishes. Peggy is a likable character with spunk.

Above is the Oriental Hotel during the 1890's. This is the hotel that Peggy's family stayed at in the story. Read more about Coney Island Historic Luxury Hotels. I have to admit that at some points I felt it is a little slow-paced, but it wasn't the book's fault. After some time I have realized that the not too slow not too fast pace of it, it was perfect for this kind of book, and it gave me time to sink in all the information and feelings. Peggy is told not to mix herself with the common folk of Coney Island, but never one to conform to her family’s expectations, she sneaks into the darkness to Dreamland. Beverly’s story was so intense and I was on the edge of my seat when I was reading her parts. I was rooting for her and her son, so much. And that’s all I’m going to say about her story.

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. On the whole, the target reader is definitely YA, which is not me, so I guess they may rave about 'Dreamland', for me it was just an OK read, and I enjoyed it mainly for the period details. This author has written a variety of historical fiction novels that I have enjoyed over the years. And when I say variety, I mean variety. She’s written books about Tudor era mysteries with nuns and eighteenth century porcelain collectors and now here we are moving across the pond to Coney Island in the early 1900s.

I shipped Peggy with someone else, even though I absolutely HATE myself for it. If you’ve read this you probably know and if not… just know I hate my brain and I need to stop reading messed up new adult romances. Nancy Bilyeau delivers an extremely entertaining storyline, with captivating underlying tension. This gripping, perfectly paced and well-written read here that I absolutely loved how seamlessly and cleverly written this story was, and thought the author did a fabulous job with the delivery. I was totally invested all the way through to the satisfying end. There is definitely a market for this type of ""comedy"" writing. Its just not for me. I mean I tried, 6 episodes in and didnt laugh which is fine because we all have different likes but I couldnt connect with any of the characters either. I didnt like, admire or feel sorry for any of them.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamour of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything…even murder. Overall it was a compelling mystery story, with some interesting comments on class and prejudice in the early 20th century. Such fans do not really have to work that hard to put all the pieces into place and make sense of all the jargon that Dale Brown throws around. For most normal readers, though, the Dreamland series can feel like a chore to read He understands aerospace technology, and it was only natural that he would seek to explore the subject in fiction. The Dreamland series is very reminiscent of Brown’s earlier work.

I cannot say liked this novel although some moments were interesting. To begin with, I found the presentation of the famous Coney Island in its golden days truly interesting, its entertainment and the people who provided it. At times I liked Peggy Batternberg for her independence and inquisitiveness. However, I found her too naive on the one hand and too intelligent on the other hand, which makes Peggy a character I can't trust. That may be a bit dramatic, but so was this romance. Saying I love you after meeting for like the second time? No thanks.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 Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home. Then there’s Lillian, a former concert pianist who followed her husband from the United States to Singapore in an attempt to escape her demons. But the emotional scars left by the death of her parents at an early age can’t be outrun. When she sees Lani, he’s the spitting image of her father. The grief, stress and aimlessness that have ruled her life for so long begin to bubble over. If you tell Nancy Bilyeau that reading one of her historical novels of suspense is like strapping yourself into a time machine, you'll make her a happy woman. She loves crafting immersive historical stories, whether it's Jazz Age New York City in "The Orchid Hour," the 18th-century European porcelain workshops and art galleries in "The Blue" or "The Fugitive Colours," or Henry VIII's tumultuous England in "The Crown," "The Chalice," and "The Tapestry."

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