Beautiful Dreamer [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Elizabeth Lowell (Author), Laural Merlington (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2001

Nevada is home to Hope Gardener, its rugged, majestic beauty a balm for the aches of her heart and spirit. But the cattle ranch she owns and loves is dying, thanks to the worst drought the area has ever seen. Hope needs a miracle or she will lose the land that has been in her family for generations. And then, the miracle appears on horseback. Rio is the stranger who rides into the Valley of the Sun. A loner, a gentler of horses, a cowboy out of time, an anachronism in the modern-day West, he brings with him a tantalizing promise of salvation: a reputation for finding water in any desert. As a woman alone in a harsh and unforgiving place, Hope knows the dangers of trusting such a free spirit. But now she has no choice. A man who makes dreams real, who is as wild and unpredictable as the wind that propels him across the vast and open western landscape, Rio has never had a dream of his own to follow. Yet he finds something in this extraordinary lady whose passion tempts him to defy his own rules and stay. Suddenly two independent souls must confront the perils and the truths that reside in the deepest, most closely guarded corners of their hearts . . .as in the midst of adversity they search for a beautiful dream big enough to hold them both.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This Elizabeth Lowell novel is an expanded edition of her 1983 classic. Though the romance genre has shifted significantly since this was written, Beautiful Dreamer is a timeless treasure that relies on rock-solid character development and exquisitely descriptive language.

Hope Gardener's Nevada ranch is dying from an extended drought and a sinking water table. Rio is an intriguing stranger who offers his skills to help discover a hidden well that could save her ranch. As their symbolic search for a well progresses, so does their struggle to find hope in their developing relationship. Rio is a "brother to the wind" whose natural state is to travel and breathe life into other people's dreams. Hope, of course, is a ranch girl, whose own dreams tie her to her land.

Though plot devices come knocking on the door with the subtlety of the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes crew, it somehow doesn't seem that annoying. Hope is strong and optimistic without being an airhead, and Rio is just the right amount of tall, dark, handsome, and troubled without being emotionally stunted. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"I'll buy any book with Elizabeth Lowell's name on it." -- Jayne Ann Krentz --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Paperback Nova Audio Books; Abridged edition (November 28, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587883392
• ISBN-13: 978-1587883392
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 3.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,825,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's by Elizabeth Lowell., January 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Beautiful Dreamer (Paperback)

but beware, it is a reissue of "Valley of the Sun". While I am elated to see Ms. Lowell's older books being reissued, as I still do not have many of them, it should be noted that they are being reissued under different titles, causing all manner of confusion and purchasing of books I already have!!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In classic Lowell style, January 11, 2001

By 

"carmenoji" (El Paso, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Dreamer (Paperback)

This is a book worth the cover price. If you loved the 'Only' series then this book is for you, it has a love for the land and the loyal appreciation to heritage. This is a contemporary love story that has a mature young woman, Hope, not afraid to meet love and physical attration with the right man. When she meets Rio and understand that she loves him, there is no turning back for her, she would give her all for the 'fighting chance' to live this 'dream' of her ranch and her new found love for Rio while it is still a possibility. Rio is a more complicated person, Hope is clear and definite, Rio doubts his potential and has no dreams, in the past he has always been detached of his own life, fulfilling dreams for others instead. He is trapped by his self-imposed limits, and thinks that the road has been chosen for him. Read this story where the moral is: use the 'fighing chance' all the way to its last recourse with integrity and hope where love and 'belonging' endures, willing to trade what you cannot keep to have what you cannot earn.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read, again., March 21, 2001

By 

Sharon Galligar Chance (Wichita Falls, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Dreamer (Hardcover)

"Beautiful Dreamer" is a novel of quests and discoveries. As the hero and heroine search for the solutions to the drought-induced dilemma, they find themselves discovering emotions that had been long dead and buried deep. The result is well worth the journey to discovery. Elizabeth Lowell is well known for her versatility in writing. She can whip out a spine-tingling mysterious suspense novel, and then turn around and amaze her readers with a far-out science fiction epic. But it is her sensual and passionate romantic tales that have endeared her to so many fans. With "Beautiful Dreamer," Lowell counts on her fans to continue their loyalty when they discover this novel was actually released in 1985 under the name of "Valley of The Sun." Lowell has expanded the story to flesh out the plot line and add details, and for those who have read the previous version it will be interesting to discover those additions. For those who haven't read the former edition, "Beautiful Dreamer" will prove to be an intriguing novel.