≡ PDF Land Of Dreams Harlequin Historical Cheryl St John 9780373288656 Books

Land Of Dreams Harlequin Historical Cheryl St John 9780373288656 Books

Download As PDF : Land Of Dreams Harlequin Historical Cheryl St John 9780373288656 Books

Land Of Dreams Harlequin Historical Cheryl St John 9780373288656 Books

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!


Tags : Land Of Dreams (Harlequin Historical) [Cheryl St. John] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Ex-Major Booker Hayes had seen how much love this sun-kissed farmer's daughter had to give. And he wanted her in his life. As a mother to his orphaned niece,Cheryl St. John,Land Of Dreams (Harlequin Historical),Harlequin,0373288654,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction Romance General,Non-Classifiable,Romance - General,Romance: Regency

Land Of Dreams Harlequin Historical Cheryl St John 9780373288656 Books Reviews

This book was set in the 1870's and there's something about that time period that I find fascinating. Over the years I have read many books that were set back then and nearly all make it into my "keeper" shelves. (For some reason they make me think of the song from the old Archie Bunker TV show "I remember when... girls were girls and men were men")

I also enjoy books about the "orphan trains" of the 1800's and this book presents a realistic snapshot of the orphans who were shipped by train from New York City to points west to find parents and some of these orphans learned that their prospective parents were farmers who were just looking for strong teenage boys who could work as free farmhands.

Thea was totally believable as a young woman whose step mother and step sisters had criticized her to the point that she was lacking in self-esteem and even though she wanted to marry and have children, she thought she was so ugly that she was destined to be an old maid because no man would have her. Therefore, because of her unmarried status she thought that perhaps the only way she would ever be able to have a child was if she could adopt one off the orphan train. Her world was turned upside down when she learned that the little girl she wanted as her own had an uncle who came to claim the child because she was his beloved sister's only child.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I enjoy all of the books by Cheryl St. John. A common complaint of mine after I finish a book like this is "why wasn't it longer?".
I grew up in Washington state, with grandparents who moved west from Nebraska by wagon train, and it wasn't until I moved to St Louis that I heard of the orphan trains. Land of Dreams introduced me to the reality of post Civil War society where there were too many orphans in East Coast cities and women went out west with groups of children hoping to find homes for them. In Nebraska, Thea, a tall, competent woman meets a very young mute, lame girl, and wants to keep her even though she is not married. Her plans for a daughter run afoul of the girl's uncle who arrives looking for his niece, his only remaining relative. The conflict between the two and the growing love both have for the little orphan girl lead to a complex, rich and fulfilling love story that shows how strangers can become lovers and family when two adults work together to make the best of their world. This is a great historical novel and a wonderful love story.
This is my first Cheryl St. John book -- it came with a strong recommendation from someone who I simply adore and opinion I respect. Land of Dreams did not disappoint. In fact, I am in love with this book and cannot wait to read more of Cheryl's books.

I loved Land of Dreams because it was pure and simple love story about a hidden beauty and the man who truly sees her for the woman she was. I loved Thea and Booker's story because both were characters who saw good in others and thought nothing about going above and beyond to help whenever a need arose.

The story was easy to follow and moved pretty quickly. I found myself wanting more of it, which is a sign of a really fabulous book.

Like I said, I can't wait to read more Cheryl St. John, if they rest of her books are as wonderful as Land of Dreams, then I am in for a real treat!!!
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 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!