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Land of Dreams
In this tale of hope and love, too-tall spinster Thea Coulson wants to be a mother to a child who arrives in Nebraska on an orphan train. When Booker Hayes shows up to take his niece, a marriage of convenience suits them both. Thea’s nights are filled with dreams of the tall, dark army major, but she guards her heart. Booker’s first taste of home and hearth has him longing for more, but first he must win the trust of his niece..and the heart of the sun-kissed farmer's daughter.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1995
91 people are currently reading
600 people want to read
About the author
Cheryl St. John
72 books554 followersCheryl is the author of more than fifty historical and contemporary romances. Her stories have earned numerous RITA nominations, Romantic Times awards and are published in over a dozen languages.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real-life situations.”
With a 4.9 star rating on amazon, her bestselling non-fiction book, Writing With Emotion, Tension & Conflict by Writers Digest Books is available in print and digital.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
May 6, 2015
I remember the day that I was given this book. I was 14 and my Grandma saw that I was reading just about every book I could get my hands on, she also noticed that my preferred genre was Romance. I remember her sliding this book over to me and I laughed at the cover. The cover originally on this book was a cheesy Harlequin one. My first thought being how embarrassing it will be to be seen reading this because well, I was 14, and only adults read them. I asked her why she wanted me to read it. She told me that she has noticed how much I love Romance books and she thought I might really enjoy a grown up version. She also told me that after she finished the book, I reminded her of the Heroine Thea. I gave in and took the book from her.
I think it took me about two months to finally give in and read it. I fell in LOVE! I had read this book about 150 plus times, it was to the point the poor paperback needed to be retired. Thea was a woman of so many insecurities. She is taller then most women and most men. This is not something that men find attractive, they want a petite woman which is not Thea. This book is set in the late 1800's where women are married off at a young age and if they get past 25 without a husband, they are considered Old Maids. Thea is a 29 year old woman, living at home with her Father. She takes care of their farm and their home. She has all but given up hope that she will ever find a companion. When Thea takes in a little girl named Zoey as a temporary placement for foster care, she falls in love with her. She brings Zoey back from the dark place she has been living. Thea's fear is that someone is going to want Zoey and she will lose her. That day arrives when Booker comes to town looking for Zoey because she is his Niece and he feels it's his duty to take her in to his care. Thea is crushed. When Booker can't seem to get Zoey to come around, he asks for Thea's aide while he builds his house.
"I've watched your family, the townspeople, the church members— everyone— ignore your needs. You look after everybody else while you're neglected . It angers me how you're taken advantage of. "I've watched you with them, and I can't understand— can't fathom how they can overlook your femininity, your sensuality, your beauty and charm."
When Booker has Thea help him with Zoey he doesn't see her as a potential wife, he is too fixed on making a home for the little girl. That changes through time as he starts to really see Thea. She's selfless, she cares for the people around her without expectation and to him she's beautiful. When Booker finally realizes what he wants he goes after it but not without a fight from Thea. He has to fight her to make her believe he wants her for her and not as a mother for Zoey. The build to Booker and Thea's love for each other is and was wonderful to read.
This book is more then just a love story to me. When my Grandma passed away when I was 24, the first thought I had was that I wanted to read this book. I guess maybe because her giving me Land of Dreams was a fond memory of her and I wanted any connection I could get. The problem that I had, was that I couldn't find it in my belongings. Somewhere in my life I had lost it, I searched everywhere for it. I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author but I could remember everything else, what the cover looked like, who the characters were and where they lived. Google wasn't much help to me and so for a long time I was lost. That's when I began reading again. I started reading other Romance books and made my way in to the Goodreads community and then in to blogging. Then, one day I was scouring Amazon for something and I came across a book that sounded so familiar to me. I couldn't put my finger on why I felt that I knew this book, I looked on Goodreads to see if anything would jog my memory and I saw the old cover. I wanted to cry. I found it!
To me books have always been more then just words on paper. They are like music to me, they create memories. I can remember who I was talking to when I read a book, I can tell you who I met or what I was doing while I was reading a book. Most of my references are "Oh yeah I was reading (this book) when that happened." I'm pretty sure only a book lover like myself could understand that. This book is proof of that. 18 years after I read it I still remember everything about it, I still remember what I was doing, who gave it to me, why they gave it to me. I don't know if Cheryl St. John will even read this review but I want to Thank her for writing this book. I want to Thank her for creating a memory, for sparking my interest in reading Romance novels. For making a story my Grandma felt I needed to read that inevitably brought me here. If that would have never happened I wouldn't have met these amazing women that I blog with and these amazing authors I read now. So, Thank You Cheryl for writing Booker and Thea's story!
I think it took me about two months to finally give in and read it. I fell in LOVE! I had read this book about 150 plus times, it was to the point the poor paperback needed to be retired. Thea was a woman of so many insecurities. She is taller then most women and most men. This is not something that men find attractive, they want a petite woman which is not Thea. This book is set in the late 1800's where women are married off at a young age and if they get past 25 without a husband, they are considered Old Maids. Thea is a 29 year old woman, living at home with her Father. She takes care of their farm and their home. She has all but given up hope that she will ever find a companion. When Thea takes in a little girl named Zoey as a temporary placement for foster care, she falls in love with her. She brings Zoey back from the dark place she has been living. Thea's fear is that someone is going to want Zoey and she will lose her. That day arrives when Booker comes to town looking for Zoey because she is his Niece and he feels it's his duty to take her in to his care. Thea is crushed. When Booker can't seem to get Zoey to come around, he asks for Thea's aide while he builds his house.
"I've watched your family, the townspeople, the church members— everyone— ignore your needs. You look after everybody else while you're neglected . It angers me how you're taken advantage of. "I've watched you with them, and I can't understand— can't fathom how they can overlook your femininity, your sensuality, your beauty and charm."
When Booker has Thea help him with Zoey he doesn't see her as a potential wife, he is too fixed on making a home for the little girl. That changes through time as he starts to really see Thea. She's selfless, she cares for the people around her without expectation and to him she's beautiful. When Booker finally realizes what he wants he goes after it but not without a fight from Thea. He has to fight her to make her believe he wants her for her and not as a mother for Zoey. The build to Booker and Thea's love for each other is and was wonderful to read.
This book is more then just a love story to me. When my Grandma passed away when I was 24, the first thought I had was that I wanted to read this book. I guess maybe because her giving me Land of Dreams was a fond memory of her and I wanted any connection I could get. The problem that I had, was that I couldn't find it in my belongings. Somewhere in my life I had lost it, I searched everywhere for it. I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author but I could remember everything else, what the cover looked like, who the characters were and where they lived. Google wasn't much help to me and so for a long time I was lost. That's when I began reading again. I started reading other Romance books and made my way in to the Goodreads community and then in to blogging. Then, one day I was scouring Amazon for something and I came across a book that sounded so familiar to me. I couldn't put my finger on why I felt that I knew this book, I looked on Goodreads to see if anything would jog my memory and I saw the old cover. I wanted to cry. I found it!
To me books have always been more then just words on paper. They are like music to me, they create memories. I can remember who I was talking to when I read a book, I can tell you who I met or what I was doing while I was reading a book. Most of my references are "Oh yeah I was reading (this book) when that happened." I'm pretty sure only a book lover like myself could understand that. This book is proof of that. 18 years after I read it I still remember everything about it, I still remember what I was doing, who gave it to me, why they gave it to me. I don't know if Cheryl St. John will even read this review but I want to Thank her for writing this book. I want to Thank her for creating a memory, for sparking my interest in reading Romance novels. For making a story my Grandma felt I needed to read that inevitably brought me here. If that would have never happened I wouldn't have met these amazing women that I blog with and these amazing authors I read now. So, Thank You Cheryl for writing Booker and Thea's story!
March 3, 2013
This one came out in eBook in January, 2013!
a) Neligh Mills in Neligh, Nebraska.
An old flour mill along the Elkhorn River,
beautifully preserved.
b) A Danish immigrant built this wind-powered grist mill
near Boelus.
c) Map of the Great Plains State
d) Pastoral Nebraska.
a)
b)*
c)
d)
★★★★✩ Too Tall Thea has been passed over for love. . . or has she? Enter a man statuesque enough to see eye-to-eye with Thea on the welfare of his niece. Add his obvious appreciation of Thea’s giving nature, and you’ll find an enamored ex-major, Booker, who is just perfect for romance.
Booker’s tracking down his niece who was mistakenly placed on the Orphan Train. He finds her in Nebraska, where he just happens to own property on which he plans to build a mill. The cast is rounded out with a selectively mute niece, Zoe; a traumatized run-away boy, Lucas; and a Native American Indian friend, Red Horse.
*Photo b) is taken from USGenNet the first nonprofit historical-genealogical web hosting service on the Internet: NSHS Ed Leaflet website
a) Neligh Mills in Neligh, Nebraska.
An old flour mill along the Elkhorn River,
beautifully preserved.
b) A Danish immigrant built this wind-powered grist mill
near Boelus.
c) Map of the Great Plains State
d) Pastoral Nebraska.
a)
b)*
c)
d)
★★★★✩ Too Tall Thea has been passed over for love. . . or has she? Enter a man statuesque enough to see eye-to-eye with Thea on the welfare of his niece. Add his obvious appreciation of Thea’s giving nature, and you’ll find an enamored ex-major, Booker, who is just perfect for romance.
Booker’s tracking down his niece who was mistakenly placed on the Orphan Train. He finds her in Nebraska, where he just happens to own property on which he plans to build a mill. The cast is rounded out with a selectively mute niece, Zoe; a traumatized run-away boy, Lucas; and a Native American Indian friend, Red Horse.
*Photo b) is taken from USGenNet the first nonprofit historical-genealogical web hosting service on the Internet: NSHS Ed Leaflet website
June 11, 2023
Well…
This went from a 4 star to a 3 star and now I think I’ll settle it at a 2.5 rounded down
I like slice of life.
I like low angst.
This was pretty up my alley, I was really enjoying it until we got to the MISCOMMUNICATION/lack of communication on the wedding night and how long it dragged out.
Then they say their ILYs and the H says he won’t keep anything from her again. The next day he doesn’t show up for lunch and when he gets home HE DOESNT TELL HER WHERE HES BEEN/WHAT HE WAS DOING. This horrible behavior continues and gets worse. He’s seen in town with a woman. Thea overhears gossip about him being a skirt chaser.
He’s in jail and she asks if he was with a woman HE DOESNT DENY AND DOESNT OFFER EXPLANATION I guess cos his ego is hurt that she doesn’t trust him so she doesn’t deserve to be reassured 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Thea obv thinks she’s the problem and she should never have doubted the H’s love for her EVEN THO HE HE STILL HASNT REASSURED HER. Then they have sex when he makes her tell him that she knows there’s no one else. 🤡
Apparently he was on a secret adoption plan and didn’t wanna tell Thea in case it didn’t work out 🙄🙄🙄🙄 he wanted to adopt the teenage girl who offered herself sexually to him at the orphanage. It felt really weird that he did this all behind Thea’s back. It could’ve been a nice scene of him opening up to her, talking about what happened when he first went to try to get Zoe and then the conversation would’ve led to them deciding to try to adopt her too. 🤷🏻♀️
I liked:
Thea’s caring nature.
Booker’s POV. How he thinks Thea is beautiful and he’s smitten, it wasn’t just her personality, he was also attracted to her even tho other men thought of her as “too tall”
Thea’s family
Lucas 🥺
The first half of the book
I didn’t like:
That I spent most of my afternoon reading this when the further I got the more annoyed it made me.
The miscommunication.
Booker keeping a secret about his plan to adopt the teenager girl, which led to the town gossiping about him and Thea overhearing and causing insecurities to pop back up and him completely refusing to reassure her and then be depressed in jail cos he needed Thea and she wasn’t there for him like he needed her to be. 🤡
The constant jumping of POVs. This story would’ve been easier to read if each character got a chapter instead of jumping to a different POV after a paragraph.
This book came out in 1995 so I guess I can’t be too mad about it. I’m sure it was wonderful for its time but 2023 Jess isn’t impressed.
My ratings are always reflective of my enjoyment of the story. ❀
This went from a 4 star to a 3 star and now I think I’ll settle it at a 2.5 rounded down
I like slice of life.
I like low angst.
This was pretty up my alley, I was really enjoying it until we got to the MISCOMMUNICATION/lack of communication on the wedding night and how long it dragged out.
Then they say their ILYs and the H says he won’t keep anything from her again. The next day he doesn’t show up for lunch and when he gets home HE DOESNT TELL HER WHERE HES BEEN/WHAT HE WAS DOING. This horrible behavior continues and gets worse. He’s seen in town with a woman. Thea overhears gossip about him being a skirt chaser.
He’s in jail and she asks if he was with a woman HE DOESNT DENY AND DOESNT OFFER EXPLANATION I guess cos his ego is hurt that she doesn’t trust him so she doesn’t deserve to be reassured 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Thea obv thinks she’s the problem and she should never have doubted the H’s love for her EVEN THO HE HE STILL HASNT REASSURED HER. Then they have sex when he makes her tell him that she knows there’s no one else. 🤡
Apparently he was on a secret adoption plan and didn’t wanna tell Thea in case it didn’t work out 🙄🙄🙄🙄 he wanted to adopt the teenage girl who offered herself sexually to him at the orphanage. It felt really weird that he did this all behind Thea’s back. It could’ve been a nice scene of him opening up to her, talking about what happened when he first went to try to get Zoe and then the conversation would’ve led to them deciding to try to adopt her too. 🤷🏻♀️
I liked:
Thea’s caring nature.
Booker’s POV. How he thinks Thea is beautiful and he’s smitten, it wasn’t just her personality, he was also attracted to her even tho other men thought of her as “too tall”
Thea’s family
Lucas 🥺
The first half of the book
I didn’t like:
That I spent most of my afternoon reading this when the further I got the more annoyed it made me.
The miscommunication.
Booker keeping a secret about his plan to adopt the teenager girl, which led to the town gossiping about him and Thea overhearing and causing insecurities to pop back up and him completely refusing to reassure her and then be depressed in jail cos he needed Thea and she wasn’t there for him like he needed her to be. 🤡
The constant jumping of POVs. This story would’ve been easier to read if each character got a chapter instead of jumping to a different POV after a paragraph.
This book came out in 1995 so I guess I can’t be too mad about it. I’m sure it was wonderful for its time but 2023 Jess isn’t impressed.
My ratings are always reflective of my enjoyment of the story. ❀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2024
Rating: 5 / 5
About as cheesy-sweet as you'd expect, Land of Dreams is a lighthearted romance story with only a few minor problems that are solved quickly and without angst. Most of these problems are cliched and a typical for a harlequin romance, but...well, just based on the cover, title, and summary of everything, a reader should know what to expect going into this. And the truth is that sometimes we need those cheesy and predictable romances with few to no problems just...get us through the day, the gloomy times. It's not a read that you'd prefer to discuss in a book club or puzzle over or think it's amazing or anything like that...
But is IS a read that you will come back to over and over again when you're feeling emotionally vulnerable and need those stable, supportive moments that such books provide. Is it exciting? Er...no. Is it a captivating read? Not really. But it IS comforting, and sometimes, that's just enough.
Lovely romance, lovely characters, happy mushy ending. Sweet!
About as cheesy-sweet as you'd expect, Land of Dreams is a lighthearted romance story with only a few minor problems that are solved quickly and without angst. Most of these problems are cliched and a typical for a harlequin romance, but...well, just based on the cover, title, and summary of everything, a reader should know what to expect going into this. And the truth is that sometimes we need those cheesy and predictable romances with few to no problems just...get us through the day, the gloomy times. It's not a read that you'd prefer to discuss in a book club or puzzle over or think it's amazing or anything like that...
But is IS a read that you will come back to over and over again when you're feeling emotionally vulnerable and need those stable, supportive moments that such books provide. Is it exciting? Er...no. Is it a captivating read? Not really. But it IS comforting, and sometimes, that's just enough.
Lovely romance, lovely characters, happy mushy ending. Sweet!
March 1, 2019
3.5 stars
This book had a pretty slow start, but after the 20% mark it took off and became so much better. Our tall freckled heroine is firmly on the shelf and spends her days taking care of her father, half-sisters and the community. When she rescues a deaf, disabled orphan her life is enriched but then the hero, the said orphan's uncle comes for her turning her life upside down. The hero needs her help to get through to a niece who doesn't know him. I really liked the h/H and how the hero saw that everyone around the heroine naturally wanted something for her. He saw her goodness and was so great with her. I loved seeing him, Lucas and other orphans build a family.
This book had a pretty slow start, but after the 20% mark it took off and became so much better. Our tall freckled heroine is firmly on the shelf and spends her days taking care of her father, half-sisters and the community. When she rescues a deaf, disabled orphan her life is enriched but then the hero, the said orphan's uncle comes for her turning her life upside down. The hero needs her help to get through to a niece who doesn't know him. I really liked the h/H and how the hero saw that everyone around the heroine naturally wanted something for her. He saw her goodness and was so great with her. I loved seeing him, Lucas and other orphans build a family.
May 31, 2016
I picked this one up before realizing I had read it before. Upon rereading, I am demoting it from three ("liked it") stars to two ("it was okay"). The first half of the book was great. I really liked all the characters and seeing how they were building their lives. The last half was where I started having some problems with the story.
1) I didn't like the conflict between Booker and Thea over lack of communication . It didn't jive with their interactions up to that point and it felt contrived to me.
2) I didn't like that Booker was saved by a plot device that was a bit too precious .
3) It really bothered me that Thea let Booker down and I didn't see nearly enough remorse from her. If the roles were reversed, with the hero doubting the heroine, you can bet we'd see a lot more groveling. I love me some good groveling! Instead, here, she barely even has to say she is sorry. I wanted her to work for it a little more than she had to.
4) The epilogue didn't contain ANY information about Red Horse. The author used him as a huge plot device and then wrote him out without any fanfare or care. Throughout the book, he was an important part of the plot and the family. I felt like his character deserved at least a line or two in the epilogue to let us know what happened to him.
Overall, this book started with a lot of promise and I thoroughly enjoyed it...until I didn't. So, my advice to people who are considering reading the book is to think of this as two books. The first is about the couple getting to know each other and building a life and the second is about a separate conflict they have to overcome. I think you'll enjoy the first bit, but set your expectations lower for the second.
1) I didn't like the conflict between Booker and Thea over lack of communication . It didn't jive with their interactions up to that point and it felt contrived to me.
2) I didn't like that Booker was saved by a plot device that was a bit too precious .
3) It really bothered me that Thea let Booker down and I didn't see nearly enough remorse from her. If the roles were reversed, with the hero doubting the heroine, you can bet we'd see a lot more groveling. I love me some good groveling! Instead, here, she barely even has to say she is sorry. I wanted her to work for it a little more than she had to.
4) The epilogue didn't contain ANY information about Red Horse. The author used him as a huge plot device and then wrote him out without any fanfare or care. Throughout the book, he was an important part of the plot and the family. I felt like his character deserved at least a line or two in the epilogue to let us know what happened to him.
Overall, this book started with a lot of promise and I thoroughly enjoyed it...until I didn't. So, my advice to people who are considering reading the book is to think of this as two books. The first is about the couple getting to know each other and building a life and the second is about a separate conflict they have to overcome. I think you'll enjoy the first bit, but set your expectations lower for the second.
April 22, 2013
4.7 stars, I absolutely loved it.
I cannot describe how much I admire and love Cheryl as an author. I love the way she describes, the way she SHOWS the readers instead of telling them. Her writing style is beautiful.
As for the story itself, I loved it. So simply, without words. It cut out a large chunk of my heart somewhere in the middle and is never going to return it. I loved Booker, his goodness, the way he cares and my heart wept for how others misunderstood him. I loved how much he loves his niece, all the things he did for her, his sweetness and caring. I loved how he made Thea believe in herself again. And Thea herself, I loved her too, her selflessness and her giving nature, how she cares for everyone in her own special way. I loved how she bloomed under Booker's loving eyes and how she started believing in herself again. At one point, I got really pissed off at her, but she redeems herself.
All in all, it was a very good read, one I thoroughly enjoyed.
I cannot describe how much I admire and love Cheryl as an author. I love the way she describes, the way she SHOWS the readers instead of telling them. Her writing style is beautiful.
As for the story itself, I loved it. So simply, without words. It cut out a large chunk of my heart somewhere in the middle and is never going to return it. I loved Booker, his goodness, the way he cares and my heart wept for how others misunderstood him. I loved how much he loves his niece, all the things he did for her, his sweetness and caring. I loved how he made Thea believe in herself again. And Thea herself, I loved her too, her selflessness and her giving nature, how she cares for everyone in her own special way. I loved how she bloomed under Booker's loving eyes and how she started believing in herself again. At one point, I got really pissed off at her, but she redeems herself.
All in all, it was a very good read, one I thoroughly enjoyed.
September 27, 2013
With St. John's vivid writing we transpose ourselves into the story of love and romance. You are drawn into the lives of Booker, the hard gruff bachelor and the innocent Thea. The story comes alive and you can picture the land and the characters she is telling about. You want to tell Booker to lighten up and let his soft side show. And with Thea, you want to hug and love her. Most of all you want the two to find love with Zoe and be a family. When they do, you rejoice with them.
September 14, 2015
The first half was quite good, I would give it 3-4 stars, but then the book flagged quite a bit during the second half. Toward the end, I mostly skipped through it and the epilogue was allright but too sugar sweet for me.
August 23, 2015
Loved the heroine in this book.
February 5, 2021
This was a wonderful story that I really enjoyed. The setting is Nebraska 1875, the main characters Thea and Booker felt like real people with real emotions. I especially loved Thea, being a tall woman myself at 5’11 and how I endured years of teasing because I was so tall and skinny, part of the storyline really hit me.
Thea lacks confidence in her looks and at 29 and on the shelf feels that her dreams of having a husband and family will never come true. She puts all of her energy into taking care of her father, stepmother and siblings and blends into the background. While hosting a gathering for a group of orphans who are looking to be placed with families, she comes across Zoe who is mute and has a limp.
Booker has just resigned from the army after serving for years and goes to visit his sister, her husband and their daughter Zoe only to find that his sister and husband passed away and that his niece was placed in an orphanage. Hunting down his niece, Booker finds Thea and what transpires from there is a great love story.
The relationship between Thea, Booker and the children in this story will tug at your heartstrings and keep you reading.
Thea lacks confidence in her looks and at 29 and on the shelf feels that her dreams of having a husband and family will never come true. She puts all of her energy into taking care of her father, stepmother and siblings and blends into the background. While hosting a gathering for a group of orphans who are looking to be placed with families, she comes across Zoe who is mute and has a limp.
Booker has just resigned from the army after serving for years and goes to visit his sister, her husband and their daughter Zoe only to find that his sister and husband passed away and that his niece was placed in an orphanage. Hunting down his niece, Booker finds Thea and what transpires from there is a great love story.
The relationship between Thea, Booker and the children in this story will tug at your heartstrings and keep you reading.
September 12, 2019
A sweet romance, quite similar to The Tenderfoot Bride, with a frontier romance, a hard working heroine, a gruff hero and cute kid. Unfortunately, some unnecessary OTT drama near the last third of the book dragged it into melodrama instead of a simple love story. This was still sweet and I enjoyed my time with it but I would recommend the Tenderfoot Bride over this one.
There are a few odd pacing choices here which confused me.
I settled on three stars for this as despite the last third, I enjoyed the book and like what Ms St. John does with frontier romance tropes. Plus, this is a pretty clean romance for those looking for something less steamy than some of the modern romances.
There are a few odd pacing choices here which confused me.
I settled on three stars for this as despite the last third, I enjoyed the book and like what Ms St. John does with frontier romance tropes. Plus, this is a pretty clean romance for those looking for something less steamy than some of the modern romances.
July 12, 2018
It’s so sweet I’m my toes curl
I love this sweet story from Cheryl St James, a first-time author to me. The heroine is exactly the heroine that I like in romance novels- strong, beautiful but unassuming, isn’t coy, and so tender and loving.
The hero is also perfect. The book had its predictable parts, but I didn’t care. This is one of those sweet stories I can read again from time to time.
I love this sweet story from Cheryl St James, a first-time author to me. The heroine is exactly the heroine that I like in romance novels- strong, beautiful but unassuming, isn’t coy, and so tender and loving.
The hero is also perfect. The book had its predictable parts, but I didn’t care. This is one of those sweet stories I can read again from time to time.
September 23, 2010
– Land of Dreams is a very sweet, homespun romance with charming characters and a Plain-Jane theme. While parts of the story were predictable, the heroine is so well-drawn and compelling that its easy to overlook the minor shortcomings. Author, Cheryl St. John, knows how to tell a story and its easy to lose yourself in one of her novels. ~ Ana, http://www.ireadromance.com
May 12, 2009
I could not put this bok down. It only took me a few hours to read and I was almost sad by how fast I read it. I love when the story unfolds and you go away wanting more, but not because you are left behind. This author did a great job of ending this story.
April 4, 2012
It's a rare romance novel that doesn't have a 'happily ever after' ending, but this was an enjoyable story even if it was somewhat predictable with it's ending. If you like reading romance, you will probably like reading this one.
March 26, 2023
Wow, this story is fantastic. I loved it and want to read more like this one by this author. I’ve never read one quite like this before. It’s a bit psychic and mystical I suppose.
Our heroine keeps having dreams about her nephew who died in an accident where her sister’s car somehow ended up in the river. She was found still in the car but the baby was nowhere to be seen and was never found. She is convinced he is still alive, but there is the problem she can’t solve. She has had “gifts” all her life and has been studied at an institute to access her physic abilities and needs to hunt down the one person that was also studied at the same institute. She tracts him down in Colorado and he is basically a recluse now. She sees a rather younger man coming towards her with his dog and she assumes he takes care of the old man she thinks the one she is looking for. She asks if he is the caretaker of the man or the son. He says son. It’s really him, but he wants nothing more but to send her back to wherever she came from. After he asks more questions, he says he will help her. He also kind of likes her even though, he’s been living like a hermit. He tells her that he will help her and wants to know about her abilities and he wants to help her gain more of what she has in her abilities and find her nephew. After all the learning, practicing and getting to trust one another they set out to find if her nephew is alive and where has he been all these years. They also seem to fall in love which both claimed they didn’t want. They go several places and seek information and find out what was happening and its much more sinister than they ever thought. After all they did and all the places they went and what the horror of what they found out had happen to many children, not just her nephew, they were appalled at what people can scheme when people want to do to get rich. She was so thankful, that found her nephew and other kids that went missing also and why. Case or cases solved. Happy ever after.
Thank you Cheryl St John for such an awe inspiring thriller and refreshing story that showing there are people who really do have these kinds of gifts.
Our heroine keeps having dreams about her nephew who died in an accident where her sister’s car somehow ended up in the river. She was found still in the car but the baby was nowhere to be seen and was never found. She is convinced he is still alive, but there is the problem she can’t solve. She has had “gifts” all her life and has been studied at an institute to access her physic abilities and needs to hunt down the one person that was also studied at the same institute. She tracts him down in Colorado and he is basically a recluse now. She sees a rather younger man coming towards her with his dog and she assumes he takes care of the old man she thinks the one she is looking for. She asks if he is the caretaker of the man or the son. He says son. It’s really him, but he wants nothing more but to send her back to wherever she came from. After he asks more questions, he says he will help her. He also kind of likes her even though, he’s been living like a hermit. He tells her that he will help her and wants to know about her abilities and he wants to help her gain more of what she has in her abilities and find her nephew. After all the learning, practicing and getting to trust one another they set out to find if her nephew is alive and where has he been all these years. They also seem to fall in love which both claimed they didn’t want. They go several places and seek information and find out what was happening and its much more sinister than they ever thought. After all they did and all the places they went and what the horror of what they found out had happen to many children, not just her nephew, they were appalled at what people can scheme when people want to do to get rich. She was so thankful, that found her nephew and other kids that went missing also and why. Case or cases solved. Happy ever after.
Thank you Cheryl St John for such an awe inspiring thriller and refreshing story that showing there are people who really do have these kinds of gifts.
October 12, 2019
A quiet smile and an enlightened heart - this was the feeling I had after reading this story
I may have given it a 4.5 stars but hinestly, i wouldnt know what to say if someone asked me what it lacked
Story: 4.5
Characters: 4.5
Sex: 3
Booker was a very unexpected character with so much depth that even he doesnt know why people avoid him yet he keeps on giving his all
Thea, yes she may have been prone to her own insecurities but hey, who doesnt after being cast out as an outlier all her life then suddenly someone like this ragged, handsome stranger gives you the chance of living your dreams.
And an unexpected love for Lucas. I dont know but without Zoe, i think the story would still be lovable without her. She actualy was just the reason that Booker saw her for daioly basis and fell in love for all the right reasons. Lucas was such a character that you'll just his quiet ways and even his parts of POVs is loving. I just wanted to hug him each time
Spoiler:
I really really loved the prison scene. Their fight touched cores and cores of each others' insecurities and misunderstanding. It was such a mature fight not like the ones that we read in othr HR novels. So this was an eye opening for me to what kind of writer Ms. St John is
I may have given it a 4.5 stars but hinestly, i wouldnt know what to say if someone asked me what it lacked
Story: 4.5
Characters: 4.5
Sex: 3
Booker was a very unexpected character with so much depth that even he doesnt know why people avoid him yet he keeps on giving his all
Thea, yes she may have been prone to her own insecurities but hey, who doesnt after being cast out as an outlier all her life then suddenly someone like this ragged, handsome stranger gives you the chance of living your dreams.
And an unexpected love for Lucas. I dont know but without Zoe, i think the story would still be lovable without her. She actualy was just the reason that Booker saw her for daioly basis and fell in love for all the right reasons. Lucas was such a character that you'll just his quiet ways and even his parts of POVs is loving. I just wanted to hug him each time
Spoiler:
I really really loved the prison scene. Their fight touched cores and cores of each others' insecurities and misunderstanding. It was such a mature fight not like the ones that we read in othr HR novels. So this was an eye opening for me to what kind of writer Ms. St John is
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2024
Will Read Again
It will sound strange, but I look forward to the day that I'm digging around for something to read and pick this one up again. St. John captures nuanced human behavior in the balanced, likeable characters. The story follows the formulaic arc with a tense, third act traumatic event. The generally peaceful setting and characters creates a solid contrasting backdrop for the third act, thought the mystery is superficial given the otherwise pastoral nature of the story. If you enjoy well-constructed, character-driven stories along the lines of LaVeryl Spencer's work, give this one a go.
It will sound strange, but I look forward to the day that I'm digging around for something to read and pick this one up again. St. John captures nuanced human behavior in the balanced, likeable characters. The story follows the formulaic arc with a tense, third act traumatic event. The generally peaceful setting and characters creates a solid contrasting backdrop for the third act, thought the mystery is superficial given the otherwise pastoral nature of the story. If you enjoy well-constructed, character-driven stories along the lines of LaVeryl Spencer's work, give this one a go.
June 10, 2022
Surprisingly I didn't hate this. It reminded me of a lot of old school historical western romances I used to read back in the day. While not perfect, there were some parts of the story I enjoyed: marriage of convenience, found family trope, a bit of a mystery....
so yes, overall not horrible for a thrift story find. Thanks for the gift, Sis!
Reading Challenge 2022
Month: June Letters: K/L
so yes, overall not horrible for a thrift story find. Thanks for the gift, Sis!
Reading Challenge 2022
Month: June Letters: K/L
August 21, 2018
First time read from this author
Story was interesting, kept you guessing what would happen next. Enjoyed the characters development. Have to admit I was surprised at the seal scenes, very descriptive, more involved than I would guess for a story in the 1800's. Overall good read and keeps your attention.
Story was interesting, kept you guessing what would happen next. Enjoyed the characters development. Have to admit I was surprised at the seal scenes, very descriptive, more involved than I would guess for a story in the 1800's. Overall good read and keeps your attention.
August 14, 2019
Millions and Trillion of stars for this beautiful and well written book. This wonderful story, I just:
and dear Cheryl St. John:
and dear Cheryl St. John:
October 18, 2020
Lovely story with a disappointing ending. I really dislike the “big event” plot points that do very little other than to try and make the end more exciting. What’s wrong with a lovely story where they just work together rather than big arguments and suspense?
January 12, 2018
3.5 stars. I feel like if I have read this at another time, I'd like it even more.
August 31, 2018
This is what I want in my life.. what a beautiful story.. crying over and over again..
April 2, 2019
3.5 stars
April 24, 2021
Love them all especially the heroine. 🥰
August 7, 2023
Sweet
Well written, fast paced with very likable characters. I really did enjoy it and will read more from this author.
Well written, fast paced with very likable characters. I really did enjoy it and will read more from this author.
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