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Sweet Dreams
California Girl
Mark, an injured football player, makes it difficult for Jennie to concentrate on her goal of making the Olympic swim team
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1983
2 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Janet Quin-Harkin
128 books76 followersJanet Quin-Harkin is a pseudonym of Rhys Bowen
Rhys turned to writing children’s books under her married name, Janet Quin-Harkin. Her first picture book was an immediate success and won several awards. More picture books followed, then her agent asked her to write a book for young adults. This was a turning point in Rhys’s career. Her first young adult novel was an instant hit. By her third she was selling half a million copies. Many more popular YA novels followed until Rhys decided she had said all she wanted to say about teenage love and angst, and she turned her real love—mysteries.
Rhys turned to writing children’s books under her married name, Janet Quin-Harkin. Her first picture book was an immediate success and won several awards. More picture books followed, then her agent asked her to write a book for young adults. This was a turning point in Rhys’s career. Her first young adult novel was an instant hit. By her third she was selling half a million copies. Many more popular YA novels followed until Rhys decided she had said all she wanted to say about teenage love and angst, and she turned her real love—mysteries.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 8, 2009
Again, one of my teen reading favorites! I read it numerous times, and would love to read again!
The novel features a sixteen-year-old swimmer with Olympic aspirations. When Jenny's coach moves to Texas, the teen's family follows so that she can continue training. However, Texas is a far cry from Jenny's former home state, and she is now viewed as strange due to her devotion to her sport. Fortunately, Jenny finds a new friend in injured football player Mark, who helps her train for her dream: a spot on the Olympic team
Read more: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1955...
The novel features a sixteen-year-old swimmer with Olympic aspirations. When Jenny's coach moves to Texas, the teen's family follows so that she can continue training. However, Texas is a far cry from Jenny's former home state, and she is now viewed as strange due to her devotion to her sport. Fortunately, Jenny finds a new friend in injured football player Mark, who helps her train for her dream: a spot on the Olympic team
Read more: http://biography.jrank.org/pages/1955...
December 6, 2010
One of my favorite books as a teen...it still has a big place in my heart
February 11, 2012
My favourite Sweet Dreams. It had something more than the average book in this series. Janet Quin Harkin was certainly their best writer.
September 3, 2024
I'm riding that post-Olympics high by enjoying this Sweet Dreams entry. I mean look at this amazing cover.
Janet Quin-Harkin is always an engaging writer. All of her series plus contributions to big mammoths like this are guaranteed to be good. She's a Sweet Dreams staple for a reason.
This was a breezy and quick book about an Olympic-hopeful swimmer who follows her coach to a new state to train and has trouble fitting in with her demanding swim schedule and strange new girl status. She meets a recently injured star football player and falls in L-O-V-E.
Janet Quin-Harkin is always an engaging writer. All of her series plus contributions to big mammoths like this are guaranteed to be good. She's a Sweet Dreams staple for a reason.
This was a breezy and quick book about an Olympic-hopeful swimmer who follows her coach to a new state to train and has trouble fitting in with her demanding swim schedule and strange new girl status. She meets a recently injured star football player and falls in L-O-V-E.
February 24, 2010
Synopsis (taken from http://sweetdreamsseries.com):
In California, swimming was important and Jennie was determined to be an Olympic competitor. But at her families new home in Texas, football is all anyone cares about. Jennie is alone, an outsider, "that weird Californian girl". Then she meets Mark. He was a football star until a serious injury left him on crutches. Nobody pays much attention to Mark since his accident - except Jennie. She's seen his beautiful drawings and is falling in love with his artistic soul. Secretly, Jennie enters Mark's drawings in a contest, and overnight Mark has his star status back. But he may be leaving Jennie behind. Jennie is so hurt and confused that she isn't concentrating on her swimming. Did Mark ever really care for her? Is Jennie losing her love and her chance at her Olympic dream?
Janet Quin Harkin also writes murder mysteries under the name Rhys Bowen.
In California, swimming was important and Jennie was determined to be an Olympic competitor. But at her families new home in Texas, football is all anyone cares about. Jennie is alone, an outsider, "that weird Californian girl". Then she meets Mark. He was a football star until a serious injury left him on crutches. Nobody pays much attention to Mark since his accident - except Jennie. She's seen his beautiful drawings and is falling in love with his artistic soul. Secretly, Jennie enters Mark's drawings in a contest, and overnight Mark has his star status back. But he may be leaving Jennie behind. Jennie is so hurt and confused that she isn't concentrating on her swimming. Did Mark ever really care for her? Is Jennie losing her love and her chance at her Olympic dream?
Janet Quin Harkin also writes murder mysteries under the name Rhys Bowen.
July 29, 2015
I remember really liking this book because I could relate to the fact that the main character was living in Texas which is where I was living for most of my life. All of these books are really good and each one is unique. This one made me wish I had pursued swimming while in junior high and high school.
September 27, 2009
I loved this book! It's so cute! What I love about the Sweet Dream Romances is that they're really clean, and adorable, and perfect! I liked this one a lot!
August 18, 2013
Good BOok
January 6, 2015
a common teenagers story
June 7, 2016
Les classiques coeur grenadine. Je pense que tout est dit, des histoires jeunesses sans prise de tête que je lisais avec grand plaisir !
June 22, 2024
Janet Quin-Harkin writes the best stories. This one was actually much better than I expected it to be. I love how realistic and human Jennie's character is, and I also love Mark's mysterious yet sweet portrayal. Definitely a gem from the series. Go ahead and give it a shot!
January 15, 2022
That's the first book I read when I was a kid and that made me fall in love with reading. 🥰
January 29, 2025
Audio. 3.5 -story was good but Narration was horrendous. Incredibly hard to not dnf. Probably 4 if read. Def different vibe from previous Susan Mallory reads.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews