Fantasyland by D.J. Starling

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Synopsis

"Believe in magic. Put a song in your heart. Know the power of love." FANTASYLAND "Won't you come on in? Meet all the lonely people. Be there when they discover that dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." "Sandi.".. Shattered by a devastating loss, she's struggling to move beyond her grief as she embarks on a new life. But when a charming stranger elicits a magnetic attraction, unyielding heartache overrides her desires and undermines her chance for happiness.

"Rick.".. Teen idol at fourteen, well-polished Hollywood playboy by seventeen, he enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle into his twenties. Yet he's plagued by gnawing self-doubts and the fears they feed when his world is rocked by the sudden reappearance of a woman he had vowed to forget.

"Steve." . . Driven by staunch principles, he's satisfied with the simple, quiet life he leads. He never could have imagined the twists and turns in the path ahead that will change him forever and force him to battle guilt and betrayal in his quest for his heart's desire.

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5 Lyrical Lingo stars*****

Once again I am simply amazed by the talents of these two gals who write under the name of D.J. Starling. Their first book Deja Vu is one of my favorites and I've been itching to read their second book ever since. Even though this one was very different it was still one that brought my emotions to full attention.
Now the best part of this book was the way the authors tied musical lyrics into the story. This was such a fun addition and always brought a smile to my face when I actually recognized the song it came from. The families in this story made up a game called Lyrical Lingo and I was impressed with the way it worked so well with the storyline.
The first half of the book is definitely a trip to Fantasyland! We follow the lives of two couples starting from college all the way to middle age. On the one side we have Sandi and Rick. They have the perfect fairytale love story. And, on the other we have Steve and Leigh (most of the story revolves around Steve but Leigh plays an important role)... a not so fairytale love story but also one that touches our emotions. I will admit that by the time I got to the 50% mark I was thinking that the perfect fairy tale love story was getting a little boring BUT THEN... wham!! Events happen... lives merge... Kleenex arrives and I spent the good portion of the last half of this book with big puppy dog tears and blood shot eyes. These ladies did the same thing to me in their first book and I couldn't believe they got me again! And, I love them for it... I dare you ladies to accomplish this a third time... bring on book three!
Both Fantasyland and Deja Vu can be read as stand alones and I highly, highly recommend both of them. Brilliant writing for debut novels. 

Scroll down if you would like to check out the playlist of the songs that were use for inspiration for this book.  And, if you have time to give them a listen it does make the book more fun to read! 
I would like to end by saying that Fantasyland does require a bit of reader patience... there is a lot of build up to the part of the story that pulls all of these lives together. But, it is worth the wait!

 

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FANTASYLAND SOUNDTRACK

PLAYLIST

1	ALL I DO IS DREAM OF YOU	DEAN MARTIN
2	BABY DON’T GET HOOKED ON ME	MAC DAVIS
3	BABY, I’M YOURS	BARBARA LEWIS
4	OUR LOVE IS HERE TO STAY	ELLA FITZGERALD
5	MY SPECIAL ANGEL	THE VOGUES
6	BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME	GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS
7	MY FUNNY VALENTINE	EYDIE GORME
8	WOULD I LOVE YOU	SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES
9	BABY FACE	BOBBY DARIN
10	MY LOVE	PAUL MCCARTNEY
11	PRETTY BABY	DEAN MARTIN
12	I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN	FRANK SINATRA
13	ROCK-A-BYE YOUR BABY	JUDY GARLAND
14	I’M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE	BARBRA STREISAND
15	THROUGH THE YEARS	STEVE & EYDIE
16	MY DAD	PAUL PETERSEN
17	SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME	NANCY WILSON
18	HERE, THERE, & EVERYWHERE	BEATLES
19	THE WONDER OF YOU	ELVIS PRESLEY
20	UNFORGETTABLE	NAT & NATALIE COLE
21	WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD	LOUIS ARMSTRONG
22	CELEBRATION	KOOL & THE GANG
23	MAMA, A RAINBOW	STEVE LAWRENCE
24	ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU	MARIAH CAREY

Click HERE if you would like to read my review of DEJA VU and to find links to all of the author's fan links and web sites. 

Happy Reading!

K~