The book tells the story of Peggy Batternberg, a young heiress who faces pressure from her family and society to meet her expectations. Peggy prefers to spend her days working at a bookstore, but she is invited to spend the summer in Coney Island, where she can finally feel a little bit of freedom.
On that beach, Peggy finds love with a humble artist, which challenges her family. In the middle of all this, the people Peggy had met start dying. His powerful family seems to have the ability to hide his crimes, but Peggy realizes there's something else at stake.
I love it.

There were some elements of Dreamland that I was a fan of - I ejoyed the summer setting, and the historical context of the extreme heat of 1911 gave a depth to the otherwise quite lacklustre story. I also enjoyed the New York setting, because I always do, and the insight into high society families of thaat time. However, I just couldn't get behind Peggy and Stefan's supposedly scandalous relationship, and on a wider scale,I just couldn't find myself really caring about anyone, or being particularly interested in finding out the ending, as harsh as that may sound. The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, and I just wish that the actual Dreamland element, the selling point of the book, was utilised more, and that the story took that path rather than it turning into a murder mystery with an extremely obvious killer.

This is one of those books where I ended up liking the concept much more than the execution. The setting was my absolute favorite part: Coney Island in 1911. I also liked the idea of the social classes mixing in a time when this was frowned upon. However, the way the story was told didn't really work for me. The pacing was off (the middle dragged terribly and the ending felt rushed), and the mystery played out 100 percent like I thought it would from the very beginning of the book. There were no surprises, no twists, and no real depth to any of the characters. Pretty much everyone acted as their stereotypical roles would suggest.

I love historical fiction and I do feel like the author did a good job capturing the time period and the societal restrictions that would have played out during that time. But at the end of the day, I didn't really enjoy reading this at all and I flat out hated the ending. I won't be recommending this to other readers.

I feel like this book tried to be too many genres at once and didn't really succeed in most of them. I know that sounds harsh, but I did somewhat enjoy this book anyway - I think the historical fiction aspect was the strongest, and I was invested in early 20th century Coney Island as a setting. Then the crime, and the insta love romance started and I started to lose interest sadly.
I would say this is one of those that could go either way for people, so if any of the synopsis sounds interesting to you I would still give it a try!

Historical fiction with dashes of romance, Dreamland painted a picture of coney island that i hadnt considered before. A bit gatsby-ish in it's weaving around hedonism and life's pleasures i enjoyed this book for what it gave me - an escape. I wanted a bit more magic in the beginning but in all honesty by the end i dont believe it needed anything else at all.

I have been a fan of Nancy's books since the very first one. So when promoting her new book The Orchid Hour I noticed that there was a book I missed, Dreamland. When this book was published I was sick with Covid and didn't read much. Thought I better remedy that and decided to read Dreamland. Sure glad I did.

It is 1911, and Peggy Batternberg, her sister Lydia and their mother are invited to spend the summer months at the Oriental Hotel which is not far from Coney Island. The Batternberg family is a wealthy and powerful family in New York City. The family made their money from mines that are scattered across the US.

Peggy is reluctant and is talked into going. She thinks that her time there will be boring, with the Batternberg men ruling the roost, so to speak. Peggy would rather continue working at a bookstore. That was not going to happen if her uncle had anything to say about it. Since he controlled the purse strings of the family, she did not have much choice in what she did for the summer.

Peggy's sister, Lydia is engaged to Henry Taul, and he will be at the hotel also with his mother, who wants to meet the Batternberg family. Peggy's time there is nothing but boring, in fact, it will become dangerous for her. One day she goes to Coney Island and is mesmerized by the sights and sounds. While there she meets and falls in love with a man who is Serbian, Stefan, an aspiring artist.

They spend time together at Coney Island, where their relationship grows. It is marred by a murder that takes place where they had been. Of course, being an immigrant, Stefan is questioned and held because the police think that he is the murderer.

Another woman is murdered and now Peggy finds herself at the police station being questioned regarding the murders, what does she know? Her relationship with Stefan comes under scrutiny. This happens to be the summer that Coney Island is struck with a horrible heat wave, the rich are pampered and the poor have to suffer.

Peggy is determined to find out what happened to the woman and she enlists the help of her sister Lydia, well at least to cover for her when she goes to Cone Island after dark. By this time Stefan is sitting in a jail cell. If Peggy is found out, it would not be a good thing, especially with the men in her family. Peggy finds that some of the men have been engaging in immoral activities and would not be happy if she outed them. Could one of them be the killer?

Peggy's relationship with Lydia's affianced is not a good one. She had previously been courted by Henry but he brushed her aside because he felt that she was 'spoiled'. So needless to say they are not on the best of turns. Peggy is still trying to figure out why Henry was insistent that the family spend the summer at his expense. What are his motives?

The story culminates at Dreamland, one of three parks at Coney Island where Peggy enlists the help of some of the workers. They know Stefan and she is determined to get him out of jail because she believes in his innocence. This encounter puts Peggy's life at risk.

Like I said before, I love all of the author's books. This one included. Nancy's writing puts the reader right into the time period and story. I love historical fiction, my favorite genre. Nancy's words are all-encompassing and the research is impeccable. If you have not had a chance to read any of Nancy's books, what are you waiting for?

I give the book 5 stars!

The cover is absolutely amazing. It drew me in off the bat. The story in the beginning was great, but it took a downward spiral and kept going downhill at a fast pace. I had to put it down and couldn't finish it. Sad really. 2 1/2 stars.

Dreamland tells the story of Peggy Battenburg as she is bullied by her extremely wealthy family into quitting her job and spending the summer with her family at a lavish Manhattan hotel. While staying there, she ventures into Coney Island and experiences all it has to offer. Women are also being murdered in spots very close to where she is. Will she be able to find out what’s going on with these women and survive her family at the same time?

This book had a very unique setting that I really enjoyed reading about. Peggy was a character who was trying to transcend above her birth expectations but would never understand certain things. She was such a human character who was trying to do what was best and I loved that about her. I did guess who the murderer was and wish that there had been a little bit more in some way! Overall, this was an entertaining read and I think I enjoyed it more on audio!

This had potential but honestly by the half way pointy interest completely dwindled... I didn't care about the murders, I didn't care about the family, I didn't care about the budding romance, I just wanted it done and skimmed through to the end. I did enjoy the descriptions of historic Coney Island and Manhattan Beach and followed a number of rabbit trails through Google because the setting piqued my interest. Unfortunately as a whole though, just not the book for me.

An entertaining and unusual - like nothing I have read before. It’s one I would recommend to others as it’s so unique and think would suit a variety of readers.
Although there was less focus on the mystery than I expected, I loved the historical aspects to the novel and reading all about Peggy’s family!

Peggy is a member of one of America’s richest families. Her family is on a summer holiday at the Oriental Hotel, which is a mile from Coney Island. Peggy is forced to leave her job at a bookstore and join her family. Shortly after her arrival, a woman is murdered at Coney Island. Can Peggy find the killer while also falling in love with an artist?

Peggy is a fun character. She is feisty and bold. She is a young woman that yearns to break out of her wealthy social circle and become an independent woman. Throughout the novel, she struggles to find her own happiness. She wants to make her own choices rather than let her family define her. I also love the relationship between her and her sister. She cares for her and helps her a lot. I also found her to be a smart, capable heroine who could solve the crimes around Coney Island. Thus, Peggy was the best character in the novel and a person to root for!

Overall, this novel is about finding one’s place in the world. Aside from Peggy, I found the characters to be very stereotypical. The romance between Peggy and the artist was undeveloped and mostly felt like an instant romance. The novel was also focused more on political issues in the early 1900s, which tended to distract me from the main plot. The mystery was predictable, and I guessed the killer pretty early in the story. Still, the novel is very well-written, and the author did an excellent job of making Coney Island come alive! I recommend this book for fans of The Museum of Extraordinary Things, Murder on Astor Place, and Cartier’s Hope! Dreamland is an enjoyable cozy mystery for a hot summer afternoon!

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

I was not able to get interested in this book and I did not finish it. The characters and the plot were not able to catch or keep my attention.

Entertaining and unusual (for a british reader) I can see myself recommending this to a number of readers. Its a good story well told - even if personally I found some of the characters a little on the predictable side ...

I got to 30% and didnt finish it, unfortunately. It had too many The Night Circus vibes, which I didnt like. If you do enjoy this kind of novels, then you would probably love this one.

I adored the setting and the time period that the story was set in.
This was beautifully written filled with lovable characters.
An entertaining with mystery at its core

This book was an interesting up-close glimpse of the wealthy, and the working class in early 1900 New York.

The main character Peggy Battenberg is 20-year old heiress to a fortune, but that money comes with tight family ties. When she is forced to summer near the "depraved" Coney Island, she becomes embroiled in a multiple-murder mystery and a forbidden love affair.

Peggy was equally brazen and strong, but at the same time naive and foolish. Some of her decisions had me absolutely cringing! But I appreciated her willingness to forgo the status quo, even if her illicit adventures did seem far-fetched.

I really liked the author's descriptive style of story-telling, it made the settings come to life in a way that I could really envision them and feel I was there. Yes, it slowed the pace somewhat, but it remained steady, and I felt compelled to keep turning the pages, reading way past midnight.

The murder/mystery piece felt not fully-developed, and the cumulation of the entire book's build up felt very rushed and implausible. Also, the insta-love, while charming, also did not end in a satisfying way.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read, which I devoured in 2 sittings!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Great book. I loved reading it. Very interesting and covers alot of information

Dreamland has many significant themes and wonderfully portrays class distinctions of the Gilded Age. When Nancy Bilyeau shifted gears in the historical fiction genre, at first, I had my doubts. I am rather fond of her Joanna Stafford Trilogy and love the period in which it is set in. She hasn’t disappointed in switching periods in history one bit. Dreamland has made it to the top of my list of favorite stories Bilyeau has written.

Peggy Batternberg’s invitation to spend the summer on Coney Island isn’t exactly an invitation. More like an unwelcome demand from her Uncles. When they arrive to the Island, she is greeted by her family and trying to make the best of it, she gets caught up in a murder investigation. The author presents a group of likely suspects and Peggy must race to find out who did it to protect the ones she loves. She isn’t your typical heiress we all read so much about. Peggy would make one heck of a sleuth.

I am remiss in admitting that I haven’t heard of Dreamland on Coney Island until I read this story. I absolutely enjoyed reading about the amusement park in this book and since, I have delved further about its history. Bilyeau did a marvelous undertaking with describing the park, and weavs the history of the park’s attractions befitting to the plot.

I wonder if we will read more about Peggy’s adventures? Wouldn’t that be fun? A delightful read and a wonderful diversion to immerse yourself in. Highly recommended.

Stephanie Hopkins

It’s time to visit the world of the New York elite. Our guide: Peggy Battenburg, who is swept away from the bookshop where she’s trying to make a life for herself, in order to spend the summer holidaying at the coast with her rich family.

But danger is on the horizon and Coney Island might not be as safe as it seems.

This book definitely qualifies as a fun romp: we have rich families trying to marry off their children, an edge of mystery, and the fun, beguiling world of Dreamland: the Edwardian fairground home to a group of eccentrics that are rejected by polite society.

Bilyeau is an engaging writer, and the plot romps along, but the ending feels a bit thin to me- and the story goes on for that little bit too long to keep it interesting. Still, it’s a pleasant trip into the past- with a flavour of The Night Circus.