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The Year #2
The Year of Chasing Dreams
"Readers will swoon over this story of love despite impossible odds."-- Romantic Times
From the author of Don't Die, My Love comes this young adult novel that intertwines a family saga with a grand love story. This novel stands alone or can be read as the companion to The Year of Luminous Love and Wishes and Dreams . For fans of Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More and Ann Brashares's Forever in Blue.
Ciana Beauchamp hasn't seen or heard from Jon Mercer in months. Until now. He's back in Windemere to see her. Deep down Ciana is filled with joy and relief. She has never stopped loving him. It's proof of Jon's love that he has returned, but what will their future be?
When tragedy strikes, almost no one in town is left unscathed. Tragedy has a way of bringing people together, but it can also tear them apart. Ciana can hardly face her choices, but she knows she must, and there are now people who she can turn to if only she is willing.
From the author of Don't Die, My Love comes this young adult novel that intertwines a family saga with a grand love story. This novel stands alone or can be read as the companion to The Year of Luminous Love and Wishes and Dreams . For fans of Sarah Dessen's The Moon and More and Ann Brashares's Forever in Blue.
Ciana Beauchamp hasn't seen or heard from Jon Mercer in months. Until now. He's back in Windemere to see her. Deep down Ciana is filled with joy and relief. She has never stopped loving him. It's proof of Jon's love that he has returned, but what will their future be?
When tragedy strikes, almost no one in town is left unscathed. Tragedy has a way of bringing people together, but it can also tear them apart. Ciana can hardly face her choices, but she knows she must, and there are now people who she can turn to if only she is willing.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
19 people are currently reading
1139 people want to read
About the author
Lurlene McDaniel
138 books2,731 followersLurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.
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https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
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Other places to find her are...
https://www.facebook.com/lurlenemcdan...
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/aut...
http://www.youtube.com/user/LurleneMc
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 9, 2019
It's a cliche. That's it. It's a bundle of typical drama cliches. Charismatic rich dude wants to buy the land? Of course the whole town is in on it! But oh nooo, the heroine won't allow it so she gets threatened, mocked, jeered at, made a social pariah because how dare that Bad Woman not do what we say! And then someone tries to kill her! Except it wasn't the jerk who mocked her for not selling, it was the toadies of her friend's evil ex! "How DARE that dirty woman save her friend, it's all her fault our leader was a dumbass who got himself killed and made us have to do something with our lives except kissing his boots! Let's TEACH HER A LESSON! HURRRRRR!" At least they ended up in jail.
Meanwhile, other heroine is totally into Hot Guy, but oh no! His evil slutty ex-girlfriend wants him all for herself! She's a MEAN BITCH to the heroine, even smugly reveals her tragic past! And of course she's rich, like all Bad Women in the Lurleneverse are. And a hot supermodel, because Beauty is Bad in romance novels unless it's the heroine. At least Eden doesn't whine and bawl like a limp dishrag and Garret's not Mr. He-Man going RAWR I KILL WHOEVER MADE MY WOMAN UPSET.
And everything conspires to keep Jon and Ciana apart. First she won't stop running away from him, then he's in a coma, then the fake "oh no we might be COUSINS!!!" drama. I didn't love Eden and Garret's subplot but I liked it better once the Alyssa drama died. At least their relationship stayed fairly strong and they even got to indulge in pre-marital sex without being horribly punished for it.
But of course everything turns out okay in the end because it's a romance. Though I was happy for Eden and Garret, they kinda grew on me. Drama, angst, but they stayed together all throughout. That's rare in a romance novel.
This isn't one of Lurlene's better books.
Meanwhile, other heroine is totally into Hot Guy, but oh no! His evil slutty ex-girlfriend wants him all for herself! She's a MEAN BITCH to the heroine, even smugly reveals her tragic past! And of course she's rich, like all Bad Women in the Lurleneverse are. And a hot supermodel, because Beauty is Bad in romance novels unless it's the heroine. At least Eden doesn't whine and bawl like a limp dishrag and Garret's not Mr. He-Man going RAWR I KILL WHOEVER MADE MY WOMAN UPSET.
And everything conspires to keep Jon and Ciana apart. First she won't stop running away from him, then he's in a coma, then the fake "oh no we might be COUSINS!!!" drama. I didn't love Eden and Garret's subplot but I liked it better once the Alyssa drama died. At least their relationship stayed fairly strong and they even got to indulge in pre-marital sex without being horribly punished for it.
But of course everything turns out okay in the end because it's a romance. Though I was happy for Eden and Garret, they kinda grew on me. Drama, angst, but they stayed together all throughout. That's rare in a romance novel.
This isn't one of Lurlene's better books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2023
I thought this was such a great book! Once I got started it was hard to put down. I loved all the characters and plot of the story. This book was so heartbreaking and heartwarming. I liked how this had two points of view. I accidentally read this one first before reading before the first book, but I will be doing that next.
October 16, 2017
I loved this book. It's about a girl and this guy fell in love and her best friend also finds a partner.It tells about both of the relationships and obstacles they have to go through. Its packed full of romance and action. When I got halfway through I couldn't stop reading this book. It a great fiction book. I highly recommend this book.
November 23, 2018
bye arie
garret is cool
oooh, the ENDING!! love it. the suspense had me dying and so tense that when we found out
(can't say what) I had to stop and take a breather.
garret is cool
oooh, the ENDING!! love it. the suspense had me dying and so tense that when we found out
(can't say what) I had to stop and take a breather.
July 28, 2014
The Year of Chasing Dreams made me feel a whole mess of emotions.
Months have passed since he and Ciana parted, and it's rather shocking to see Jon turn up on Ciana's doorsteps all of a sudden at the start of this book. As we aren't given much context on what has transpired since then, and time jumps around with Ciana unsure of how to deal with his reappearance into her life, it takes some time for the story to warm up. The slow development and Ciana's refusal to confront her feelings for Jon and his betrayal of her made it hard on me emotionally, as I still can't quite find it within myself to forgive Arie... and Jon... for putting Ciana and Jon's relationship through the wringer in the last book. I don't believe in affairs, and it was really unfair of them to put Ciana through all that.
Though time does pass in this novel, Ciana and Jon's relationship seems to progress surprisingly fast, especially for a couple that has avoided talking about what happened between them in the past. I guess it works for some people(?), but I would have expected them to need to sit down and work through some things. Getting over my initial disbelief, however, I found myself more and more engrossed in their developing relationship as the novel progressed. There's real chemistry and connection between these two, and I found myself emotionally invested in their relationship. The same goes for Eden and Garret. They're a wonderful couple, and I'm so happy that they find each other again!
At the same time, the multiple perspectives didn't work for me in this book. The story switches perspectives frequently between Ciana and Eden, and it can be jarring to jump from one girl to the next. It's disappointing because I love both girls so much and would have liked to spend more quality time with each of them, and I'm not fond of the time lapses in between each turn with have with a girl. There are plot threads that come up and go away without having been given much attention such as the appearance of Garrett's ex-girlfriend, who wants her man back.
Some shocking things happen in this book. It's almost as if the worst things that can happen do happen for these girls. Though it also means that the wonderful, beautiful things that find them are all the more beautiful and amazing. Like the amazing, supportive guys they've found in their lives. (The romance definitely gave me a lot of feels in this book!) And the family they find in each other. It does seem like a disturbance has come up in Eden and Garret's relationship, however, and I'm intrigued to see how their relationship progresses from here on out. I'd also love to see more of Ciana and Jon and the life they are building for themselves at Beauchamp.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I'll definitely be on the lookout for another book in The Year saga!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
Months have passed since he and Ciana parted, and it's rather shocking to see Jon turn up on Ciana's doorsteps all of a sudden at the start of this book. As we aren't given much context on what has transpired since then, and time jumps around with Ciana unsure of how to deal with his reappearance into her life, it takes some time for the story to warm up. The slow development and Ciana's refusal to confront her feelings for Jon and his betrayal of her made it hard on me emotionally, as I still can't quite find it within myself to forgive Arie... and Jon... for putting Ciana and Jon's relationship through the wringer in the last book. I don't believe in affairs, and it was really unfair of them to put Ciana through all that.
Though time does pass in this novel, Ciana and Jon's relationship seems to progress surprisingly fast, especially for a couple that has avoided talking about what happened between them in the past. I guess it works for some people(?), but I would have expected them to need to sit down and work through some things. Getting over my initial disbelief, however, I found myself more and more engrossed in their developing relationship as the novel progressed. There's real chemistry and connection between these two, and I found myself emotionally invested in their relationship. The same goes for Eden and Garret. They're a wonderful couple, and I'm so happy that they find each other again!
At the same time, the multiple perspectives didn't work for me in this book. The story switches perspectives frequently between Ciana and Eden, and it can be jarring to jump from one girl to the next. It's disappointing because I love both girls so much and would have liked to spend more quality time with each of them, and I'm not fond of the time lapses in between each turn with have with a girl. There are plot threads that come up and go away without having been given much attention such as the appearance of Garrett's ex-girlfriend, who wants her man back.
Some shocking things happen in this book. It's almost as if the worst things that can happen do happen for these girls. Though it also means that the wonderful, beautiful things that find them are all the more beautiful and amazing. Like the amazing, supportive guys they've found in their lives. (The romance definitely gave me a lot of feels in this book!) And the family they find in each other. It does seem like a disturbance has come up in Eden and Garret's relationship, however, and I'm intrigued to see how their relationship progresses from here on out. I'd also love to see more of Ciana and Jon and the life they are building for themselves at Beauchamp.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I'll definitely be on the lookout for another book in The Year saga!
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
August 26, 2016
I had heard of Lurlene McDaniel as a teenager and knew her mostly as the author who wrote books about teens dying. So I was a little leery of this book but I figured I'd try it. I did read most of "The Year of Luminous Love" and was not impressed. (*ugh* what a horribly cloying title!) I realize that there are teens who do have horrible lives and alcoholic parents or parents who are bipolar, but it didn't take long before my suspension of disbelief was pretty much hanging by a teeny tiny thread. Seriously, Eden didn't have a social worker? What kind of parents allow a child's friend to stay with them for weeks at a time and never question what's going on in her home life? I would think either Arie's parents or maybe even Ciana's grandmother would have wondered after having Eden stay with them so many times, or a teacher or a neighbor might have noticed her situation. Windermere was supposedly a small town where everyone knows everyone's business after all. This is beside the fact that the characters acted way older than their presumed ages of about 18-19.
All of these things continued on into the second book. There was constant mention of drinking wine by the girls-- never mind that the legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 so someone was obviously providing alcohol to minors and it most likely wasn't Ciana's mother-- sex, running off to be with older men, etc. To be honest, this book struck me as more of a tepid attempt at "New Adult Fiction" rather than a true young adult book. And what was this about "Year of..."? The two books together only take place over just over a year, tops! I'm also not sure McDaniel's was keeping a true timeline of events because at one point someone asks Ciana how old she is and she says that she's 20 going on 21, which is nigh impossible unless she either started school really late, or was held back a year. Most teens graduate from high school when they are 17-19, tops, with the average being about 18. I was also a little put off by all the melodrama and running from one crisis to the next, especially the horribly awful manufactured 11th hour crisis at the end. I mean, seriously?! It was just too much crammed into one book. If McDaniels was trying to be like Brashares I only have this to say: Sisterhood this isn't, and I could sure have used some traveling pants to get me away from this awful book!
Oh, I'm sure McDaniel's many fans will enjoy this, as will some fans of romance, but for me it was just too much. At least Garret was kind of interesting and Jon sounded sexy.
All of these things continued on into the second book. There was constant mention of drinking wine by the girls-- never mind that the legal drinking age in Tennessee is 21 so someone was obviously providing alcohol to minors and it most likely wasn't Ciana's mother-- sex, running off to be with older men, etc. To be honest, this book struck me as more of a tepid attempt at "New Adult Fiction" rather than a true young adult book. And what was this about "Year of..."? The two books together only take place over just over a year, tops! I'm also not sure McDaniel's was keeping a true timeline of events because at one point someone asks Ciana how old she is and she says that she's 20 going on 21, which is nigh impossible unless she either started school really late, or was held back a year. Most teens graduate from high school when they are 17-19, tops, with the average being about 18. I was also a little put off by all the melodrama and running from one crisis to the next, especially the horribly awful manufactured 11th hour crisis at the end. I mean, seriously?! It was just too much crammed into one book. If McDaniels was trying to be like Brashares I only have this to say: Sisterhood this isn't, and I could sure have used some traveling pants to get me away from this awful book!
Oh, I'm sure McDaniel's many fans will enjoy this, as will some fans of romance, but for me it was just too much. At least Garret was kind of interesting and Jon sounded sexy.
August 8, 2014
I've wanted to read The Year of Chasing Dreams since I read the first, The Year of Luminous Love. I remembered enjoying the characters and even though Arie isn't in this one, I still liked Eden and Ciana. Besides, Lurlene McDaniel is on my automatic read list so, I would have wanted to anyways.
Lurlene has a way of crafting characters in such a way that I am so invested in them and she always writes with such emotions. This one is no different although this one didn't have as much of a young adult feel as her normal ones. The characters are 20 in this one though so it could pass for NA I suppose. Though sex and foreplay are mentioned, nothing is explicit so YA audiences wouldn't be appalled.
Eden and Ciana are tested in whole new ways in this one, and it made me feel so much for them. They have ideas of how they want their lives to go, but love, tragedies and the unexpected definitely makes them work for what they want and love. Garrett, Enzo and Jon also make repeat appearances, and Ciana is faced with a hard choice, and she has to listen to her heart.
I love the southern hospitality and the theme of family and friendship found in these books. Blood family has its strong place, but also the family that you chose, and the people that you let in your life and keep around.
I flew through this one and enjoyed and felt for the characters that I've come to love and I am hoping for more books in this series.
Bottom Line: Emotional and great catching up with characters I enjoyed.
Lurlene has a way of crafting characters in such a way that I am so invested in them and she always writes with such emotions. This one is no different although this one didn't have as much of a young adult feel as her normal ones. The characters are 20 in this one though so it could pass for NA I suppose. Though sex and foreplay are mentioned, nothing is explicit so YA audiences wouldn't be appalled.
Eden and Ciana are tested in whole new ways in this one, and it made me feel so much for them. They have ideas of how they want their lives to go, but love, tragedies and the unexpected definitely makes them work for what they want and love. Garrett, Enzo and Jon also make repeat appearances, and Ciana is faced with a hard choice, and she has to listen to her heart.
I love the southern hospitality and the theme of family and friendship found in these books. Blood family has its strong place, but also the family that you chose, and the people that you let in your life and keep around.
I flew through this one and enjoyed and felt for the characters that I've come to love and I am hoping for more books in this series.
Bottom Line: Emotional and great catching up with characters I enjoyed.
September 14, 2014
Meh. It was fine. I just don't really love sappy, dramatic love stories. For those that do, and those that don't like to think while reading, this book is great.
Twenty-one year old Ciana is trying to recover from the loss of her best friend and keep her family estate afloat. To make things even more stressful, her old beau shows up. She never thought she'd see Jon Mercer again, but her he is, ready and waiting to love her all over again. I'm sure, you're wondering with bated breath, "Where could this be heading?!?!" Eden, Ciana's friend is living with her and her mom. She decides to fly across the world to meet a guy she met on a trip to Italy and see if he loves her. That's realistic.
Big surprise, there is a lot of drama that the characters face. Like, LOTS of drama. Basically every way there could be drama, there is. I think when I was 12, I really loved crap like this, but as a woman in her late 20s, it's pretty freaking ridiculous.
Also, this book irritated one of my biggest pet peeves. The characters act WAY older and WAY more mature than their ages and experiences allow. I seriously hate that. It's dumb.
Twenty-one year old Ciana is trying to recover from the loss of her best friend and keep her family estate afloat. To make things even more stressful, her old beau shows up. She never thought she'd see Jon Mercer again, but her he is, ready and waiting to love her all over again. I'm sure, you're wondering with bated breath, "Where could this be heading?!?!" Eden, Ciana's friend is living with her and her mom. She decides to fly across the world to meet a guy she met on a trip to Italy and see if he loves her. That's realistic.
Big surprise, there is a lot of drama that the characters face. Like, LOTS of drama. Basically every way there could be drama, there is. I think when I was 12, I really loved crap like this, but as a woman in her late 20s, it's pretty freaking ridiculous.
Also, this book irritated one of my biggest pet peeves. The characters act WAY older and WAY more mature than their ages and experiences allow. I seriously hate that. It's dumb.
July 22, 2014
I really enjoyed The Year of Luminous Love. So I was eager to read The Year of Chasing Dreams and find out what happens to Ciana and Eden. And I wasn’t disappointed.
One of the things I love about this book is the development of Ciana and Eden—they both become women in their own right, struggling with love, tragedy, and tears. (After all, this is a Lurlene McDaniel book and I can’t through one without laughing and crying.)
The plot is engaging with some twists and turns. The writing is clean and the pacing spot-on.
An excellent summer beach read, or if it’s winter, read it curled up next to the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate. Highly recommended.
One of the things I love about this book is the development of Ciana and Eden—they both become women in their own right, struggling with love, tragedy, and tears. (After all, this is a Lurlene McDaniel book and I can’t through one without laughing and crying.)
The plot is engaging with some twists and turns. The writing is clean and the pacing spot-on.
An excellent summer beach read, or if it’s winter, read it curled up next to the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate. Highly recommended.
August 10, 2014
Great sequel! Shows the variety of love people have in their lives. And how letting go can be a true act of love!
May 31, 2015
love Lurlene's books. this was a good series.
Read
November 9, 2015This book was a decent read. Although it was not the best book that I have read, it provided an interesting plot and ending.
January 4, 2018
I have been a fan of Lurlene McDaniel for a very long time now, ever since I read "Six Months to Live" for the first time. This book, like so many of her others, did not disappoint. It'd been awhile since I had read the first one, but thanks to Lurlene McDaniel's ability to tell a story, I had no problems catching back up.
The story is one that hits close to home for me, a small rural town. A girl raised on her families farm. Everyone knows one another. It's hard anymore to find a book to relate to, but this was one that worked!
It has everything that you typically find in Lurlene McDaniel's work: drama, suspense, romance. She adds just enough of each to keep the story interesting, but not so much that it takes over the plot and goal of the story. The story takes place over the course of a year and the pacing helps to not drag out the events of the story.
I highly recommend this book for someone who is looking for something that has a homey feel. A story that can make you feel like a part of the family and make you wish for a cup of tea (even if you don't like it).
The story is one that hits close to home for me, a small rural town. A girl raised on her families farm. Everyone knows one another. It's hard anymore to find a book to relate to, but this was one that worked!
It has everything that you typically find in Lurlene McDaniel's work: drama, suspense, romance. She adds just enough of each to keep the story interesting, but not so much that it takes over the plot and goal of the story. The story takes place over the course of a year and the pacing helps to not drag out the events of the story.
I highly recommend this book for someone who is looking for something that has a homey feel. A story that can make you feel like a part of the family and make you wish for a cup of tea (even if you don't like it).
March 27, 2019
After loving part one, I am so happy with the conclusion to this saga. I've seen 2-volume stories stumble in the home stretch before (Footfree and Fancyloose, I am coughing in your general direction!), but this did not fail me. Except for the weird eleventh hour "oh noes we might be related" twist, which seemed pretty unnecessary given that I really feel like the tornado + brain injury was enough of a climax/obstacle for one book, this was just what I wanted it to be: more of the first book.
More wonderful time in this world -- loving Ciana and Eden's friendship, swooning about Jon Mercer again (now with more reciprocated romance -- omg, the engagement, and engagement ring!), having a blast embracing Hot Aussie Marcus into the fold (after spending some enjoyable time in Australia), getting more time with the horses, applauding as Ciana really threw her back into making her beloved farm turn a profit (with plenty of help and support), and otherwise making dreamy sighs about Bellemeade. Plus a bonus peek into historic diaries! Although I can't say those pay off real well.
(Seriously, why would you make their ultimate purpose to reveal that Jon and Ciana might be half cousins? That's not even the worst part, the worst part is how aggressively Ciana is painted as the bad guy for thinking that would be a deal-breaker. Um, YEAH I think it should probably squick her the hell out to marry a first cousin, even by half??
ALSO, I hope Ciana is ready for a good haunting, because if I were Olivia Beauchamp and had devoted my life to maintaining my family history, I would be pretty peeved if my granddaughter burned a lifetime of priceless historical record, a.k.a. all the diaries I had painstakingly kept over my lifetime, because she didn't like what was in some of them. That was even worse than the house being destroyed by the tornado, and I let out an audible cry when that happened.)
What I really like about this book is that there actually isn't a central Tragic Illness this time, but does McDaniel find plenty of excuses to bruise our poor characters both emotionally and physically, and maybe land them in hospitals anyway? You know it. That being my guilty pleasure -- if Jon's coma wasn't in the book, I'd be looking for that fanfic -- I was of course very happy to be indulged.
But the best news of all is that I only read these two books because it was too soon for the library to have The Girl with the Broken Heart, but I just learned that actually, these two books are the start of SEVERAL related novels (including that one) that are set in Windemere, and never have I ever been more overjoyed by an author's world-building. Romance novelists do this all the time, and I've never understood why since mass-market romance novel characters are usually just paper dolls to me, but now I get it. Gosh, even the name "Windemere" is super pretty and sounds like the kind of town name I'd make up.
More wonderful time in this world -- loving Ciana and Eden's friendship, swooning about Jon Mercer again (now with more reciprocated romance -- omg, the engagement, and engagement ring!), having a blast embracing Hot Aussie Marcus into the fold (after spending some enjoyable time in Australia), getting more time with the horses, applauding as Ciana really threw her back into making her beloved farm turn a profit (with plenty of help and support), and otherwise making dreamy sighs about Bellemeade. Plus a bonus peek into historic diaries! Although I can't say those pay off real well.
(Seriously, why would you make their ultimate purpose to reveal that Jon and Ciana might be half cousins? That's not even the worst part, the worst part is how aggressively Ciana is painted as the bad guy for thinking that would be a deal-breaker. Um, YEAH I think it should probably squick her the hell out to marry a first cousin, even by half??
ALSO, I hope Ciana is ready for a good haunting, because if I were Olivia Beauchamp and had devoted my life to maintaining my family history, I would be pretty peeved if my granddaughter burned a lifetime of priceless historical record, a.k.a. all the diaries I had painstakingly kept over my lifetime, because she didn't like what was in some of them. That was even worse than the house being destroyed by the tornado, and I let out an audible cry when that happened.)
What I really like about this book is that there actually isn't a central Tragic Illness this time, but does McDaniel find plenty of excuses to bruise our poor characters both emotionally and physically, and maybe land them in hospitals anyway? You know it. That being my guilty pleasure -- if Jon's coma wasn't in the book, I'd be looking for that fanfic -- I was of course very happy to be indulged.
But the best news of all is that I only read these two books because it was too soon for the library to have The Girl with the Broken Heart, but I just learned that actually, these two books are the start of SEVERAL related novels (including that one) that are set in Windemere, and never have I ever been more overjoyed by an author's world-building. Romance novelists do this all the time, and I've never understood why since mass-market romance novel characters are usually just paper dolls to me, but now I get it. Gosh, even the name "Windemere" is super pretty and sounds like the kind of town name I'd make up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2020
Steel overcoming the grief from their friend's death, Ciana and Eden begin to pursue their futures. I enjoyed reading about Eden's visit to Australia. It was nice to read about a setting away from the farm. The reader can't help but to feel for Ciana as destruction ruins all of the hard-work that she has in place for her future. This books shows that when push comes to shove, there are good people in our communities that will step up to help.
July 19, 2017
All of the outstanding reviews had me so wanting to love this book however I found it impossible to keep reading (perhaps because I have not read the book prior to this which explains some of the backstory). I would say I made it 3/4 of the way through the book before giving up which is rare for me.
February 19, 2021
This book was sadly disappointing, because I loved Lurlene McDaniel's books when I was a teenager. Most of them had teenage characters, though. This one was super boring until like three-quarters of the way through when a couple plot twists happened, but didn't really impact the story's outcome in any way. Also, there's some toxic masculinity in here.
January 31, 2024
Typically I really appreciate Lurlene's books but this one was a bit of a drag. The two main characters weren't exciting or memorable, the storyline was kind of blah and repeatative to every other romance book.
The "big twists" in the book were a bit of a letdown and didn't have any WOW factors for me.
The "big twists" in the book were a bit of a letdown and didn't have any WOW factors for me.
July 27, 2017
See my review for the first book.
June 24, 2019
A quick read. Definitely holds your attention. A little bit of everything in this book. ❤
July 2, 2023
Great job tying up the storylines from The Year of Illiminating Love
July 22, 2014
When I first read Lurlene McDaniel years and years ago, I fell in love with her utterly emotional stories dealing with love and loss. While I wasn't a big fan of The Year of Luminous Love, I thought I'd give the companion a chance to see if I could find that amazing writing again.
After losing their best friend, Eden and Ciana are forced to face reality again now that they're back from Italy. Being back, though, Ciana hasn't seen Jon Mercer in months and Eden has no idea what happened to Garrett, the Australian guy she left back in Italy. When vandals start threatening Ciana's farm, Jon shows up and moves into Ciana's house to keep watch and protect her land. With him so close, Ciana's feelings come rushing back and it's impossible to ignore their attraction. Eden, on the other hand, attempts to track down Garrett and let him know she never meant to leave him…
After not loving the first book, I was hoping I would like the characters and their stories a bit more in a second novel. Sadly, their story was just as unrealistic and rushed as the first book. In the first book, I had a problem with how these girls are supposed to be 17 or 18, yet they have some serious issues with their family and get to do things normal girls don't get to do. They jetted off to Italy for three months and fell madly in love without any real development in their relationships. In this companion novel, the same thing happened. Eden literally dropped everything and flied to Australia and stayed for three months. What teenager does that? Also, both Eden and Ciana reestablished their feelings for the guys they fell in love with in the first book, but it happened so fast and was barely developed. They met and, BAM, they were madly in love again. I wanted a lot more emotional development and realistic emotions from the characters.
I did, however, enjoy Ciana's life and dilemma with selling her farm. This element was very realistic in how someone was trying to buy up the farm land to build a more commercial area for the town. Of course there are going to be conflicting feelings over this, and the danger that it put Ciana in was very troubling. People vandalized her property and put her life in danger. Ciana is such a strong-willed character, though, that she'll do anything to keep her farm. Oh, and the whole mystery behind her grandmother's diaries was very interesting. I loved how she learned about her grandmother's life through those diaries and understood her mother more. Those elements made Ciana's story more realistic than her love life did.
Overall, this one was more of a miss for me. I needed a more realistic teenage life and not such an excess of drama. How many bad things can happen to two girls in one novel? If you're still interested in reading this one, definitely make sure you read The Year of Luminous Love first. I hadn't read it in a while, so I was completely lost as to what was going on until I went back and reread the summary of the first novel. While this series hasn't been for me, those who don't mind some unrealistic drama would enjoy the novels more.
After losing their best friend, Eden and Ciana are forced to face reality again now that they're back from Italy. Being back, though, Ciana hasn't seen Jon Mercer in months and Eden has no idea what happened to Garrett, the Australian guy she left back in Italy. When vandals start threatening Ciana's farm, Jon shows up and moves into Ciana's house to keep watch and protect her land. With him so close, Ciana's feelings come rushing back and it's impossible to ignore their attraction. Eden, on the other hand, attempts to track down Garrett and let him know she never meant to leave him…
After not loving the first book, I was hoping I would like the characters and their stories a bit more in a second novel. Sadly, their story was just as unrealistic and rushed as the first book. In the first book, I had a problem with how these girls are supposed to be 17 or 18, yet they have some serious issues with their family and get to do things normal girls don't get to do. They jetted off to Italy for three months and fell madly in love without any real development in their relationships. In this companion novel, the same thing happened. Eden literally dropped everything and flied to Australia and stayed for three months. What teenager does that? Also, both Eden and Ciana reestablished their feelings for the guys they fell in love with in the first book, but it happened so fast and was barely developed. They met and, BAM, they were madly in love again. I wanted a lot more emotional development and realistic emotions from the characters.
I did, however, enjoy Ciana's life and dilemma with selling her farm. This element was very realistic in how someone was trying to buy up the farm land to build a more commercial area for the town. Of course there are going to be conflicting feelings over this, and the danger that it put Ciana in was very troubling. People vandalized her property and put her life in danger. Ciana is such a strong-willed character, though, that she'll do anything to keep her farm. Oh, and the whole mystery behind her grandmother's diaries was very interesting. I loved how she learned about her grandmother's life through those diaries and understood her mother more. Those elements made Ciana's story more realistic than her love life did.
Overall, this one was more of a miss for me. I needed a more realistic teenage life and not such an excess of drama. How many bad things can happen to two girls in one novel? If you're still interested in reading this one, definitely make sure you read The Year of Luminous Love first. I hadn't read it in a while, so I was completely lost as to what was going on until I went back and reread the summary of the first novel. While this series hasn't been for me, those who don't mind some unrealistic drama would enjoy the novels more.
October 26, 2014
Ciana Beauchamp hasn't seen Jon Mercer in months. He shows up out the blue one day and waltzes onto her farm like nothing happened. However relieved Ciana is to see him she isn't quite ready to let her guard down just yet. She's still mourning the lose of her friend, Arie, uncovering long kept family secrets and on top of that she's desperately fighting to keep her farm and the land that surrounds it from being turned into a new housing development.
Eden can't stop thinking about Garrett and the time they spent together. She's tried to find a way to get in touch with him but has come up empty handed. That is until a letter from Arie, written before her death, gives her hope that she'll be able to find him and mend their relationship. But while searching for him Eden can't stop thinking about the secrets she's kept from him and how it will effect the way he thinks about her.
When disaster strikes, both girls will be put to the test, will it bring them closer to the ones they love or merely drive wedges between them?
Let me start off by saying I was completely out of the loop from page one. It only took me a couple pages to realize that I was smack in the middle of a series. I can honestly say I have never read a series out of order until this one. And I don't recommend it.
It didn't take long to catch up, although there were still some places where I found myself scratching my head trying to piece together the puzzle.
Usually when reading a Lurlene McDaniel book I carry around a box of tissues, anticipating the endless amount of tears that will be shed before the book is finished. However with this one, and I'm not sure if it's because it is part of a series or not, I didn't feel any real connection with the characters, thus my dry eyes at the end.
Don't get me wrong I really liked the story, I loved the fact that Ciana would stop at nothing to keep her farm and of course I instantly liked Jon but it was just an okay book. I expected it to be fantastic and I felt letdown at the ending.
I'm assuming that a third book will be coming and perhaps (hopefully) I'll like that one a little more.
Until next time,
Ginger
In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review.
My review is my honest opinion.
August 9, 2014
It’s been years since I’ve read a book of Lurlene McDaniel. I was first introduced to her books as a freshman in high school and through the four years of school, I was addicted to her collection of books. When the opportunity presented for a review, I immediately jumped in.
OUaT's Review
The Year of Chasing Dreams is about two friends, Ciana and Eden. Both of these young women are chasing their dreams, even if they are struggling with love and grief. Ciana wants to preserve her family farm and struggle to win the battle because the town is against it. See, a developer has come to their town and wants to buy the land. Ciana has pride and loves her family. The farm is her house and does everything to preserve it. While Eden is determine to find her Australian love interest. She travels not knowing whether her feeling is mutual, but she takes the leap of faith and is rewarded with love.
I enjoyed Ciana’s story the most. She is strong headed and firm to her believes. Her family tradition is important to her and she wanted nothing but to preserve it. She didn’t care if the town was against her and what she believes. And even though she was in danger, she protected her land. Not only was she struggling with this, but she also discovered a mystery while reading her grandmother’s diaries.
Lurlene specialty is to make one cry. I remember how passionate and addicted I was to her stories. So I was surprised I didn’t cry with The Year of Chasing Dreams. Then, I realize why. This book is part of a series, which now I have to read. Sometimes while I read The Year of Chasing Life, I felt out of the loop and didn’t know what happened to make the characters unsecured. I felt bad because the family faced a tragedy and I really didn’t know what exactly happened. Even though I felt out of the loop at times, I did enjoy this inspiring story. One should never give up on dreams.
OUaT's Review
The Year of Chasing Dreams is about two friends, Ciana and Eden. Both of these young women are chasing their dreams, even if they are struggling with love and grief. Ciana wants to preserve her family farm and struggle to win the battle because the town is against it. See, a developer has come to their town and wants to buy the land. Ciana has pride and loves her family. The farm is her house and does everything to preserve it. While Eden is determine to find her Australian love interest. She travels not knowing whether her feeling is mutual, but she takes the leap of faith and is rewarded with love.
I enjoyed Ciana’s story the most. She is strong headed and firm to her believes. Her family tradition is important to her and she wanted nothing but to preserve it. She didn’t care if the town was against her and what she believes. And even though she was in danger, she protected her land. Not only was she struggling with this, but she also discovered a mystery while reading her grandmother’s diaries.
Lurlene specialty is to make one cry. I remember how passionate and addicted I was to her stories. So I was surprised I didn’t cry with The Year of Chasing Dreams. Then, I realize why. This book is part of a series, which now I have to read. Sometimes while I read The Year of Chasing Life, I felt out of the loop and didn’t know what happened to make the characters unsecured. I felt bad because the family faced a tragedy and I really didn’t know what exactly happened. Even though I felt out of the loop at times, I did enjoy this inspiring story. One should never give up on dreams.
March 18, 2016
Jon is super creepy and doesn't accept Ciana's boundaries at all. He's a jerk compared to Garret, Ciana's friend's beau, but he absolutely suffers in comparison to Owen from the last R&R book I read Up to This Pointe. Owen was almost too perfect, but Jon is the kind of guy girls should be warned about, not encouraged to think he's dreamy.
Anyway, I was irritated by Jon and bored by the "romance" (lustful feelings in your pants are not love, Ciana!). The year-long timeline meant that sections were just litanies of events. McDaniel relied on telling instead of showing. I felt disinterested and not encouraged to use my brain to come to my own conclusions.
And then, right before the end, there's a twist: oh no! Ciana and Jon might be cousins!!
Seriously? Do you honestly expect me to believe that McDaniel is going to ruin her HEA with incest? No, this is just a tacky fake out to generate false tension. It's the point I lost all faith in the author and patience with the book.
Anyway, I was irritated by Jon and bored by the "romance" (lustful feelings in your pants are not love, Ciana!). The year-long timeline meant that sections were just litanies of events. McDaniel relied on telling instead of showing. I felt disinterested and not encouraged to use my brain to come to my own conclusions.
And then, right before the end, there's a twist: oh no! Ciana and Jon might be cousins!!
Seriously? Do you honestly expect me to believe that McDaniel is going to ruin her HEA with incest? No, this is just a tacky fake out to generate false tension. It's the point I lost all faith in the author and patience with the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2015
In the 2nd book of this series we find best friends and now roommates Ciana and Eden still living at Bellmeade Ranch. They are both recovering from the death of the Arie. Ciana is trying to keep her house and land from being sold for tract houses and who comes back after being absent but Jon Mercer, Ciana's friend and Arie's old boyfriend. Both Ciana and Eden want to keep the horse ranch. Jon volunteers to help with the ranch too. However problems that keep cropping up, Ciana is becoming suspicious of everyone's motives.
Lurlene McDaniel is known for her books that have young adults dealing with death. In this book, her characters are the ones left behind after their fried dies. She delves into their feelings and how they cope with what happens afterward. Well-written, realistic fiction. The only negative thing I can say is that I read this first. I wish I had read the first book before this one, as it would explain some of the relationship issues.
Lurlene McDaniel is known for her books that have young adults dealing with death. In this book, her characters are the ones left behind after their fried dies. She delves into their feelings and how they cope with what happens afterward. Well-written, realistic fiction. The only negative thing I can say is that I read this first. I wish I had read the first book before this one, as it would explain some of the relationship issues.
June 18, 2016
This is not a bad book and maybe it actually deserves a higher rating then what I have given it. I started the book having no idea what it was about and that is definately my fault. I just have loved Lurlene McDaniel's books since middle school but they were the ones themed upon children and teenagers who were sick or dealing with problems more serious than typical heartbreak. So I assumed this book would follow a similar pattern when instead it was just another love story/making life work. Also, I didn't know this was a second in a series so I never read the first. Honestly though I barely noticed and it probably did not matter much except for character investment.
September 16, 2014
I was so happy I finally read a Lurlene McDaniel book that didn't have me crying my eyes out. But she certainly did leave me on the edge of my seat and in shock multiple times. I found myself wanting to read to an end of a chapter before bed, but once I got to the end I needed to read on to know what was going to happen next. A very captivating story. I'll definitely be reading it again in the future.
The Year of Luminous Love and The Year of Chasing Dreams are definitely one of my favorites next to Lurlene McDaniel's Angel's Trilogy series.
The Year of Luminous Love and The Year of Chasing Dreams are definitely one of my favorites next to Lurlene McDaniel's Angel's Trilogy series.
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September 14, 2014Hyper-dramatic sequel! A shocking plot twist with every other chapter... which means at some point, the plot twists stop feeling so dramatic. Except for the one right after the MC's love interest gets sucked up by a tornado in front of her eyes... thaaaaat one was a shocker. That shocked me into peals of laughter.
December 10, 2020
I got this book as a valentines present from my boyfriend, I couldn't put it down it was so great! Lurlene puts so much detail and emotion into her books you just become absorbed in them. I love the relationship between Cianna and Jon... but Garret is my favorite character. This is a must read for any country/romance lover
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