Beyond My Dreams

by Olajumoke Adenowo

ALL PROCEEDS FROM SALES OF "BEYOND MY DREAMS" GO TO - AWESOME TREASURES FOUNDATION - a philanthropic institution founded in 1999 by Olajumoke Adenowo. Morola Bolade has her plans laid out - complete her one-year national service in Lagos and return to New York to run her thriving tech company. Then Kaniz Ishaya comes along. At first glance, Kaniz is sincere and kind but his opaque past alludes to a more sinister streak. In no time, he has charmed his way into the hearts of Morola's family and her best friend, Amaka. Kaniz is absolutely convinced about his love for Morola but senses he has his work cut out for him. His instincts tell him all is not as it seems with the beautiful Miss Bolade. Insurmountable complications loom, but he is willing to defy all odds to get his heart's desire. Is Morola's intuition about Kaniz accurate? Is he different from every other man she has known or is he too good to be true?

Genres: Christian

448 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2019

About the author

Olajumoke Adenowo is married to Olukorede. They are blessed with two sons. She is a practising Architect and has been the principal partner for AD Consulting limited since 1994 and founded and headed Advantage Energy. She is an alumnus of the University of Ife, the Lagos Business School (Chief Executive Program), IESE. University of Navarra. Barcelona. She serves on the board of several social and developmental initiatives and corporate bodies.
In 1999, she founded Awesome Treasures Foundation with the aim to raise transformational leaders that will birth a national renaissance. It has three outreaches, Awesome Treasures for Women; Awesome for Youth and Cutting Edge Seminars for business people. She is an itinerant speaker, author and lyricist who also hosts a radio program on leadership –“Voice of Change”
Olajumoke has won accolades and awards for her Architecture and work of the NGO.

Reviews

[Okonta Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started reading Beyond My Dreams, what hit me first was the visually stimulating descriptiveness of the writing. My senses tingled with sharp awareness of each description. It's wonderful writing, wonderful writing.

I continued reading and I was sucked into the world of such well rounded characters as they hurt, as they loved, as they sacrificed. The characters aren't perfect and through their imperfections and the experiences that they went through, I learned a lot! I learned what love truly means. I learned about the demands that true leadership places on a person.

Beyond My Dreams is a book that every one who loves love(😍) and is passionate about leadership, should read.

[Oluchi Ihekuna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond My Dreams is an extremely powerful story on faith, world history, culture, patriotism, politics and governance all steeped in romance.

Written in the most relatable manner, I was blown away by the sheer brilliance of this masterpiece. The intriguing storyline kept me turning the pages eagerly.

In the midst of the suspense, action and romance, there’s an unequivocal invitation to do relationships God’s way and step into the place of leadership & purpose.

This book is a must read!

[Jesutofunmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

BMYD is an Amazing Blessing from Mrs. Adenowo! This book intensely engages the mind, feelings, and one's aspirations, while taking you on a remarkable journey. It's a good read that gives resolute assurance in God; who holds tomorrow and dispels every fear. After reading my copy three nights ago, My Cousin shared "I feel much more gratitude to God for snatching foolishness from me on time" and I was extremely glad.
I literally should start a BMYD Library and buy more copies as the number of Family members and Friends waiting to read BMYD after each lending period is on the increase.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word to describe Beyond My Dreams: Phenomenal! Honestly still can't get over this book. Everything about this book was so real to me, the author really gave so much life to the characters. It actually felt like I was having a conversation with the author as I clearly heard her voice through the characters (especially Rola and Kaniz) on the right way to do love&marriage, leadership, purpose, parenting, financial management and practising God's presence.

It was truly beautiful seeing the power of unalloyed love Rola and Kaniz shared; I'm a strong believer that you can find your own person with whom you can take on the world and win big💪. Also, seeing how practical our relationship with the Holy Spirit should be (through the lives of Rola and Kaniz) just made me desire more of Him 🤗❤.

PS: I won't even pretend my vocabulary didn't grow while reading this book😅🤣...thank you Mrs A for giving me a reason to put my dictionary to good use.

[Bj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book cleverly knits together concepts and principles of good leadership with faith in God and dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is as much a thriller as it is romantic fiction skilfully written on the backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria, like you have never seen before.
It is a fast paced page-turner which manages to elicit peals of laughter and waves of emotion as you find yourself sucked into the characters' lives.
There is so much to take in, life-lessons to learn and challenges to take on (particularly with regard to your spiritual life), that you would want to read this book more than once.
I heartily recommend this book to you!

[Victoria Ochuba]

Reading beyond my dreams is such a tremendous experience and in fact a privilege. It starts with suspense and ends in absolute fascination for morola and Kaniz. It's difficult to pick a favorite character and hard to tell that it's fiction. I absolutely love love the book and read it from start to finish in 3 days because i was literally stuck with the book.

[Ayodele D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book: "Beyond My Dreams" is fully loaded in such a way that every reader will find it instructive and that, the reader will find it addressing a particular issue of one's life. I particularly found it fascinating, full of suspense, politically relevant and spiritual in the sense that it validates in indispensability of The Holy Spirit's help in a quest for triumphant life/living.
Secondly, the book also enunciates the beauty of deliberate/effective and godly parenting which really plays out in Morolawe's life. Mr. TK and Mrs. B are well cultured parents who never failed to inculcate both moral and godliness into their children. (Olaotan and Rola) which reflects in both Olaotan and Rola's behaviour.
Beyond My Dreams also exposes the deception that could turn to be true, except for the help of The Holy Spirit and strong Discernment.
Hm! God will never fail and He alone can give man victory in the journey of life, that is the story of Group Captain Ishaya (Kainis). Life afflictions really helped him to know God personally and that guided him in his choice of marrying Morola. Morola indeed is a good wife that the Bible talks about.
Marriage is more spiritual than physical judging from the book. The relationship both couple have with Christ really guided their conduct even to each other and that averted unnecessary hassles that would have otherwise threatens their marriage.
The place of forgiveness in our work with God cant be overemphasized as it helped Rola to have complete trust in her spouse and changes her belief about men.
Summarily, I blessed God for giving me the privilege to come across HOD (Arc.) Olajumoke O. Adenowo. More of God's unfailing grace upon your entirety Ma'am. Thank you Ma.

[Oyinmomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, Beyond My Dreams is not just a book about romance and love.

This book touches on leadership, friendship, bringing up a child, fulfilling purpose, tackling issues in marriage (finances, infidelity, in-laws etc.), forgiveness, spiritual warfare, politics and governance.

But most importantly it depicts how the Holy Spirit is involved in our lives - guiding us, directing us, helping us to make the right decision at every moment in time.

As I read the book, I was practically reading it in Mrs A’s voice.
Throughout this book, Mrs A taught me how to tackle various kinds of issues. I heard her voice through Morola, through Mrs B, through TK, through Kaniz.

This book touched my core o. I cried because I saw the mistakes I had made and missteps I had taken. I saw my foolishness in full display. I had to repent.

I rededicated my life to Christ again and this I time, with the intention of building intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

If you are looking to be mentored by Mrs A, this book is your first step. You will have a good idea about how she solves issues, her philosophy, the things she stands for.

This isn’t a book to read. It’s a book to be studied. Over and over, because there is something in there for every area of a person's life.

Get this book, read this book, not just to be entertained, but to learn, grow, and be aware. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

[Olubunmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Beyond My Dreams the evening of Valentine's day and just couldn't put it down. I finished it in two and a half days; the first book ever that I would finish this quickly. Truly a book gives you a glimpse into the author's mind, and I must say that Mrs A has such a brilliant and exquisite mind.
Although this book is a novel, I had a spiritual experience reading it. The love Kaniz had for Rola was so pure that God's love became, even more, real to me. Also, the simplicity at which both parties communicated with God made me realise that God had been speaking to me many times but I ignored because I was expecting the "spectacular".
This is not a fairytale novel, and it's not about a Mr and Mrs Perfect, but one that shows you the standard - God's undiluted love that covers a multitude of imperfections. I am so excited I got to read this book as a single because my expectations are clearer and I won't settle.
This is definitely a go-to book for insights into pure love, leadership, resourcefulness, mindsets and many more. I highly recommend it!

[Ibukunoluwa Adisa-Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a love story, which unlike many others, I feel safe to dwell on, ponder on and allow to drive my prayer points. It's a story about intimate relationships with God, which portrays living life, uncertain as it may be, at an advantage with the Holy Spirit. It's a story about relationships; all the ships of human interaction and their significance to our growth, learning and purpose journeys. It's a story of diligence and resilience. It's a story of nationalism spurred by knowledge, insight and understanding. It's a story about power and influence. It's a story about humaneness and humility. It's a story that says a man and a woman can be strong, independent, high flying achievers and not be a threat to each other in marriage. It's a story about God's will for marriage. It's a story of God's love. It's a story about values to live by. It's a love story that speaks to sacrifice and understanding with God at the centre.

It's a story that opened my eyes, brought so much light to my mind and lives in my head so much I think I can say I have fictional role models!

[Alero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for individuals that are ready to stand in light of their Identity.

What beautiful and balanced writing!

The characters were relatable on all levels. I could have said they were real people because of how good they stood out.

The themes around leadership, parental guidance, friendships and most deeply resounding to me, love is one reason I would read the book all over again.

Its so captivating that I kept turning the pages in anticipation for the next unfolding.

This book helped me understand the import of Trusting God as I could see Morola led on her path in the book.

It also taught me Forgiveness in a new light. The love that Rola and Kaniz shared has taught me on how to do it right in my relationships with friends and my significant other.

How about the vocabulary update I had just reading this book!

Grab your copy NOW!!!

Thank you Mrs Olajumoke Adenowo for this blessing of a book.

[Ebube · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond my dreams....I admire the lead female character. I loved the way she carried herself, she was alone but not lonely. She did not really care about the fact that she was single for sometime, she was satisfied with the way she was. She was outstanding in her field. Loved the way she loved God and the way she looked out for people. It's usually rare to see a stranger lifeless on the road in Nigeria and help, what people do is that they video the person and just post and forget about helping the person but the female lead character was able to help the stranger not knowing that she would later on meet his older brother.

This book kept me in suspense alot and I loved the grammatical construction of the book, it made me visit my english dictionary and learn alot🤩.

Thank you Ma Adenowo Jumoke

You inspire

[Ifeoluwani Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!! This book is a blessing! I started reading it and I am yet to finish at this time but I could not resist the urge to write a review. The author is so intelligent, the way she arranges the characters and even helps us readers on a pictorial journey is amazing. So many lessons and strong traits that each character possesses, I am going to stop so I do not ruin it but trust me, if I as a youth and someone who does not really read books can feel butterflies and experience paradigm shifts whilst reading this book, you will not regret it!. Thank you Mrs. Jumoke Adenowo for your YES to write this book!

[Tobi Onifade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond my dreams was my first read last year (January 2020) and I have to say it was a great way to start the year.
Too many lessons on friendship, relationships, marriage, leadership and most of all putting God and His will at the center of it all. It won’t always be easy (read the book to understand this) but it’s necessary. Destiny and more was at stake.
The main characters were role models, they were not perfect but there was something different about them.
There’s so much I can say about this book (I did in my journal) but all in all it’s a must read.
Gave my copy out since last year and I’m yet to get it back. Soon though as I can’t wait to read it again.

[Adeolu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read as it caters to a myriad of life issues. It goes beyond being a romantic fiction novel and deals with core issues that we face in life . The book had a really broad scope as it covered a range of topics from leadership, Politics, world history and of course more importantly talks about our relationship with the holy spirit and the key role it played in the life of the lead character. It is hard to put down as it is an engaging read. It leaves one with thought provoking ponderings about life just as it provides many answers.

[Victoria Iyakoregha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading beyond my dreams today and I enjoyed it! I had good laughs. And I like her writing style, I can recommend the book anywhere, anytime. I read more novels by European authors but I can easily say this is worthy of global recommendation. Then again the book was rich with lessons!! It was so easy too to deduce that Mrs Adenowo is a polymath, it was seen in how she wrote about different spheres to the details, And that in itself is so inspiring to me. It's a good book! I just wish the characters had Instagram pages I could stalk from time to time 🥲.

[Temitope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book every Christian Lady and Guy should read. I can’t put into writing all the ways this book touched me. It is real and very relatable. You’ll learn too much in such a short while and you’ll drop this book wanting seek more knowledge because it will show you how much you still don’t know!!! I had to jot down key words and events to begin research on. I’m still flipping through pages re-reading the scenes I loved too much. Just read this book. Put it at the top of your list! ♥️♥️♥️

[Oluwatosin Olabisi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An attractively and creatively written story of love, betrayal, marriage, family dynamics, culture, government and more. You are literarily taken into the world of the story characters and almost feel a real life connection with them.The story is pregnant with messages and leaves you with a need to read it a second and maybe third time to fully soak it in. It is an incredibly good read and i happily and strongly recommend it.

[Adetoun Abiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond My Dreams is a must read! The suspense from the very start to the end makes it a book you do not want to put down until you’re done. I have never seen a work of fiction about leadership with such spirituality! Then the romance, the passion with such purity...... so beautiful, it changed my relationship with my husband 😍. I’m about reading it again. I will definitely recommend this book! It’s a must read. Beautiful work of fiction, very relatable. Thank you Olajumoke Adenowo ❤️

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read beyond my dreams last year during the #ENDSARS protests and I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between the book and what was happening in the world. This book speaks to so many relatable themes that are so relevant today, from nation building and governance, to leadership, building Godly relationships, and truly walking with the Holy Spirit etc. This book is not merely a book but a powerful message that is much needed now! Loved it and absolutely recommend it!

[Amaka Lauretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author starts you on an interesting journey from one beautiful country to another. As I read through the battles and the victories of each character in this book, I could not help but feel drawn and actually see myself in some of these characters. Some characters will take you to your place of healing and eureka moments! This is definitely a must read!

[Busola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating & Invigorating Beyond My Dreams.
I love the way scripture verses were intertwined subtlety within the storyline. The characters were quite relatable so I was crying, laughing, smiling & had my pulse racing fast simultaneously from page to page. I must say the book was worth the sleepless nights. Well done Mrs A

[Olanike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my best books so far. Everything from the title to the colors appeal to me. I couldn’t drop it and stayed awake until early hours of the morning to finish it. The title made meaning to me only after I had finished reading it. The style of writing made it so easy to read. There are so many lessons I took from it. I strongly recommend for both single and married people.

[Juanita Ereba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond my Dreams is a life changing book is what properly expresses what I feel about the book. There is so much wisdom for different spheres of life and society. In order not give too much information away I would encourage everyone to go read Beyond my Dreams. Thank you Olajumoke for this wonderful gift to the world. It is such a timely gift.

[Ugochi Ilomuanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading BYMD had me glued. As soon as I opened the book, I rushed it like the man who is really sure.
It shows an amazing architecture of the political posture of Nigeria, blended with an intriguing love story.
It painted clear pictures of the current issues our country is facing in terms of leadership politics, quite precise, even prophetic.
The lessons are really solid.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lead character of the book Mrs. A is truly an awesome and inspiring character. A role model that mirrors the desires of every young woman in life, career and ministry.
This book bothers on Leadership, finding true love, having a strong personal identity, good parental upbringing and submitting to the leadership of the Holy spirit amongst other key lessons.

[Olayinka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond my dreams is indeed a book for life and love lessons. I haven’t completed it yet but already I am making notes for life and leadership philosophies. I love that it paints a true picture of the society we live in and very captivating in the ways situations are described. I would definitely recommend this book as it is a great read and would be worth your while.

[Sharon Sango · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put the book down. Absolutely a must read for those waiting for marriage, married or those who want to see what it is like to be guided by the Holy Spirit. I love how the book is not centered around going to church but having a relationship with God in our daily challenges and dealing with trauma.

[Abimbola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic yet Spiritual, serious issues like governance, leadership and purpose cleverly woven around the lives of the characters.
Beyond my dream strikes a chord in every person who desires more.
Captivating, enthralling, a must read!.

[Tomilola Lawal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so amazing.
I mean how does one infuse leadership, purpose, governance and romance plus more into one story.
This book is indeed transformational and everyone should read it, if you are however a youth, it is a MUST READ.