Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau was not the book I expected. That's not to say it was a bad book, just not what I thought I was getting based on its categorization as a "mystery/thriller". I expected a story of murder and intrigue set in America's Playground. What I got was more akin to a family drama and an 'instant love' sort of romance. Neither of those things are particularly my cup of tea.

I had expected to like the forward-thinking, bookish Peggy, but she fell a little flat for me. I appreciated moments where she woke up to her rich, white girl privilege but they were too few and underwhelming. Another disappointment came in the form of less of the turn-of-the-century Coney Island that I had hoped for, though the setting does play a major role in the story.

I was pretty bored, forcing myself to keep reading, until I hit about the 55-60% mark. Then the pace picked up, the story got more interesting though I really found no mystery to the story. There was a lot of predictability with both the identity and motivations of the killer amid all the pomp and circumstance of the wealthy elite.

I ultimately thought the ending was quite fitting and believable, something that can be quite rare so kudos to the author on a job well done there.

This isn't necessarily a story I'd recommend to mystery lovers or even really romance lovers. However, if you enjoy historical drama centered around families, this might be a good choice for you.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this early copy!

Did not finish - I did not connect with the plot and writing and decided to put it down.

AHHH.

THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD.

I am a huge fan of books set during early 1900s, particularly if they have a circus/carnival/vaudeville setting and thus Dreamland taking place at Coney Island was a huge draw for me. I loved that Peggy was atypical, reluctantly part of the elite class, and very much a fiercely independent woman. A rare type of character to encounter for the time period.

This book reminded me a lot of Fiona Davis' works and I think fans of hers would love this one as well!

1911 - Peggy Batternberg has been forced to leave her job in a bookshop and go to Coney Island for the summer with her family to support her sister Lydia’s engagement. As part of the Battenberg family, one of the richest in America, she is there to help her sister and fiance set a wedding date. The Battenberg name is losing money and popularity so there is a lot riding on her sister's wedding to Henry. Whilst on Coney Island for the summer she meets and falls in love with a Serbian artist Stefan, which she knows her family will not approve of. They fall in love, but due to their difference in class they have to keep it a secret.
Alongside this there have been a couple of murders of ladies whose bodies show up at the beach which eventually Peggy and Stefan get caught up in, but Peggy’s status can't protect him and he ends up beaten in jail. She works hard to find a way to get Stefan out of jail, by trying to find the real killer.

I liked how strong minded the two sisters are, and that Lydia starts to grow as an individual rather than someone who follows the rules or what her mother has told her to do. The characters are great, although sometimes quite stuck up for my liking but then that is the type of people that would have been in that society back then. Her sister Lydia at first reminded me of an annoying sibling that always wanted to be the best and would do anything she could to get her mother's love and recognition whereas Peggy was happy being on her own. As the story continues, their relationship seems to solidify and they grow close again by helping each other cover up excursions they don't want their mum to find out about, it was heartwarming to see.
With that being said, there was also a lot of history for all of the characters of which could have been reduced and the story would not have lost anything.
I feel that the story line was OK, not overly engaging and could be quite boring at times and it went off in a different direction than I thought it would. Throughout there always seemed to be another way it could go but it never did as something else happened, like it was sidetracked.
Overall, It was entertaining enough to continue reading but would not say gripping. It was not what I was expecting. I was looking forward to a murder mystery as that's what drew me to the book but it was more focused on the social structure and the families structures. The ending and the final discovery of the killer felt rushed to me as well, like there was a certain word limit and so much of it had been spent on the world of the Battenberg’s that she forgot to write about the killer. I did not like how it ended either, not enough justice for me - but don't want to give away too many spoilers!

If you like Young Adult and historical fiction then I feel like this is something you’d enjoy.
Thank you NetGally for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I really don't know how I feel after reading this book. I would say I would give solid 4 stars for plot and thrill given. I wish few descriptions were a bit more described and few chapters developed better. The book has a satisfied ending, but it really took me for a bumpy like/I don't like ride.

I loved this book. Some historical fiction takes a while for me to get into, but not this one. I'm so glad this wish was granted for me to get an early copy of this! I connected with the characters so well, and I felt like I could really picture what was going on!

This one was a bit too girtty for my taste I didn't finish it if you like darker things you will probably enjoy this just wasn't for me

Historical fiction isn’t generally my favourite genre, but occasionally the blurb will draw me in and I take the leap outside of my comfort zone. I was not disappointed, I felt totally absorbed by this fantastic story, with great characters and an interesting storyline.

Coney Island in it's heyday was the ultimate setting to get away from your regular, boring life. In 1911, it would have been one of the few places where a young woman could loosen up and forget about the rest of the world. But inevitably you must return to reality. Dreamland gives us the story of a young woman's escape and her return. Nancy Bilyeau did an excellent job of painting an accurate picture of the many restrictions placed on young women and what happens when the world dishes out the consequences of one summer's actions. A great look at a different time in US history.

"Dreamland" was a book that made me company these lonely Covid-19-self-imposed-isolation days and I sure can say it made my mind pretty much occupied. This is a novel of a rich girl and a poor artist, but it isn't necessarily just a love story, especially not the conventional love story. It is a story about finding yourself beyond the privileges attributed to growing up in wealth, and so much more. I need to say, there is also so much space for improvement in the matter of style and story telling, but still, this was an interesting reading.

I thought this book was really well done. I feel like a lot of times when authors try to write historical fiction about social issues, they go too far and make it unrealistic for the time period. However, the main character in this story struggled and wasn't always perfect. I loved the setting and time period! It felt new and exciting and not like the same setting re-hashed from a different historical fiction novel. The element of mystery helped the historical fiction genre to be more readable. Great book! 4.5 rounded to 5 stars.

First-time reader of Nancy Bilyeau and the book cover enticed me before I even started to open the book.

I was intrigued with the whole story, Peggy being of high stature, but wanting to be part of something more than just her inheritance; the power in which men had in the early 1900s and can still be the case today and the discrimination faced by those of a different race and class.

Nancy was able to bring the world of Coney Island alive with such imaginative detail with just enough to keep your mind entranced with the main story.

Beautiful book.

It’s the summer of 1911, and Peggy Batternberg belongs to one of the richest families in America. Her uncle informs her that she will be spending the summer with her mother, sister and brother at the Oriental Hotel near Coney Island. She would much rather continue working during the summer at her job at a bookstore, which she was lucky her family allowed her to do, but she can’t really refuse her uncle’s requests. Plus, her younger sister is engaged to a man from another very wealthy family and her future is riding on this summer, so Peggy goes along with the plan.

Peggy yearns for freedom and the ability to choose the kind of life she’d like, but she must spend her days playing her role of wealthy socialite, eating fine food and being attended on by those in the lower classes. At night, however, she manages to slip away to the working-man’s playground of Coney Island. She meets an artist whose work catches her attention but who is an immigrant with little to his name, and as they manage to sneak away to spend time together, she falls for him. But both get caught up in the murders that are happening right on the beach. Because of her history with both her sister’s fiancé and her cousin, Peggy is nervous about what each may be involved with or guilty of — but the incredibly rich can get away with anything.

Dreamland is a mystery, an exploration of class, and a period piece that immerses readers in the bygone days of New York City. It was fun to explore through Peggy’s eyes the attractions of Coney Island and almost smell and taste the foods sold there, and it was fascinating to contrast the luxurious lives of the rich (even while realizing today most of us have it better in some respects during heat waves because even the rich then didn’t have air conditioning and had to sweat it out with everyone else) with the lives of average workers. The book is excellent historical fiction, and it’s a satisfying mystery as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dreamland
by Nancy Bilyeau

Endeavour Media
Endeavour Quill
Historical Fiction , Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 16 Jan 2020



I am reviewing a copy of Dreamland through Endeavour Media/Endeavour Quill
and Netgalley:




In 1911 twenty year old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to America's Playground. The problem with the invitation is that despite coming from one of America's richest families is that Peggy would much rather work at the Moonrise Bookstore than keep up appearances with New York City Socialites and she doesn't relish having to deal with her snobbish controlling family either.




Soon though the Hedonism of Coney Island gives Peggy the Freedom she had been longing for. Before long Peggy finds herself in love with a trouble pier sided artist who has little means. HSomeone the Batternberg patriarchs would not approve of.






They may dissapprove, but hidden under their pomposity, they have woven a web of deceit, betrayal and deadly secrets. As the bodies mount up on Coney Island it is as if the Batternberg can get away with anything, including murder.





I give Dreamland five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

~ ARC received in exchange for an honest review ~

Set in 1911, twenty year old heiress Peggy Batternberg is attempting to live her life as a 'New Woman' and create distance between herself and her family by playing shopkeeper in New York, however she becomes obligated to spend the summer with them in order to secure her sisters marriage to a wealthy suitor. A family drama unfolds while they stay at the Oriental Hotel which is a mile away from Coney Island. There she meets a foreign artist and they fall for each other, while simultaneously becoming embroiled in a murder mystery.

Plot-wise this story hits the ground running and maintains a good pace throughout, and all of its characters are portrayed well. Each individual is distinct and Peggy herself is quite a likeable protagonist. The simple, straightforward writing style conveys her character well as she's a plain speaking and honest individual trying to set herself apart from the politics of the society she was born into.

This was an enjoyable read, although for me ended rather abruptly and the inevitable conclusion was quite obvious from early on.

~Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title~

This is another book that I was such a fan of the author's previous works and this one was disappointing. I loved Ms. Bilyeau's Tudor series but I struggled to get into this one. I really did. Great writing but the theme just did not catch my interest.

Dreamland is quite different from my typical thriller genre, and I found most of it to be quite engaging. A historical fiction mystery, it takes place in 1911, surrounding a wealthy family, and their obligations to keep up appearances and do as expected. I really identified with the main character, Peggy. She's a bookworm, who would rather spend her time alone than keeping up with family obligations. This is a good read for anyone looking for something a bit different.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchanged for my unbiased review.

With Dreamland Ms. Bilyeau recreates life during the early 1900s with stunning ability. With the first few pages you feel as though you have been swept back in time. The complicated family relations of Peggy and her family are interesting but don't go too much of an extreme that the characters lose their credibility. The parts dedicated to the murder mystery was very reminiscent of The Alienist (with the discord between the police and immigrants), but didn't feel like a rip-off. The only aspect of this book that I did not like was the romance between Peggy and Stefan - I thought it felt a little forced and came about so quickly that it was hard to buy in to. It would have worked just as well if they were just friends or if their connection came about another way. Henry was a great villain and I would have been interested to have more of a showdown between him and Peggy.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review via Netgalley

Having read some of Nancy Bilyeaus books before I had high expectations of this book, and I was not disappointed. This is an immersive trip to 1911 New York Coney Island. Its dazzling in is vivid detail that makes you feel as though you are right there with the amazing Peggy. Falling in love, pushing the boundaries of her place and time and becoming aware of how ugly the world can be outside her bubble. Highly recommended if you want to escape to another time and world with a highly likable woman. I hope Nancy considers writing more stories featuring Peggy.