Daring to Dream (Dream Series) [Abridged, Audiobook, CD] [Audio CD]

Nora Roberts (Author), Sandra Burr (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2009 | Series: Dream Series (Book 1)

Margo Sullivan had everything a young woman could ask for. But while growing up along the rocky cliffs of Monterey, she couldn't help but dream of bigger things. The daughter of the Templeton's stern Irish housekeeper, Margo had been treated like a member of the family. Deep down, she knew that money could not but the one thing she craved most - her mother's acceptance. Maybe things would be different if she could be sweet like Laura - or had Kate's shrewd head for business. But all Margo knew how to do was be Margo, and that meant doing things her own way - no matter what the consequences . . .

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Set in Monterey, California, this first novel in the Dream trilogy features Margo Sullivan, the feisty and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family's housekeeper. She's been offered the same privileges as the Templeton children, but Margo resents handouts. She feels she has much to prove to herself, her surrogate family, and her mother. Margo dreams big--she wants wealth, fame, and success--but she doesn't want anyone else's help. Her plan is to go as far away from home as possible, so she starts with Hollywood and then moves on to Europe, where she finds fame as a supermodel. But when her world comes crashing down around her, Margo discovers that reaching out for help--especially to your family--can be just as challenging and rewarding as solving your problems on your own. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Roberts begins a smooth-talking trilogy about three friends who grew up together among the megawealthy Templeton family of hoteliers, on their beautiful estate in Big Sur: Laura Templeton, the sweet rich girl who is getting marrid as the story begins; Kate Powell, her down-to-earth orphaned cousin with a Harvard M.B.A.; and Margo Sullivan, the housekeeper's daughter and heroine of this first book. Margo (the Bella Donna Woman... "Beautiful, Confident. Dangerous.") returns to Big Sur after being swindled by her manager. She suffers a little, opens a boutique of her old designer clothes and tchotchkes, and marries gorgeous golden Josh, the Templeton scion who has always loved her and who plays a great game of tennis. Roberts who could seemingly write a formula romance in her sleep, adds brains, humor and sex, if not anything by way of plot innovations.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Value Priced; Abridged edition (July 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423379039
• ISBN-13: 978-1423379034
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,427,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, January 10, 2001

By 

Anne Cahill (Groton, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daring to Dream: The Dream Trilogy #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to start by saying that I'm a big fan of most of Nora Roberts' trilogies and other groupings of books about families. That said, some are definitely better than others, and for me, this one was one of the best.

"Daring to Dream" is the first of this trilogy about "sisters of the heart" -- three women who grew up together in the same household. Margo Sullivan is the heroine of this tale, and she has spent most of her life trying to shed the "housekeeper's daughter" mantle that she wears with no small chip on her shoulder. She has made a name for herself in modeling and has traveled the world, but when her career falls apart she knows there's only one place she can go, and that's "home".

Many readers who didn't care for this book seem to have felt that Margo was selfish and self-centered. While I agree on the latter, I wouldn't say that she was selfish at all. It was very clear that while she's very "me" oriented, she would have dropped anything at any time to help her friends if they needed her. She's an extremely realistic character, and that means that she is, of course, flawed. Those closest to her are always quick to point out her flaws -- in fact, she often refers to them herself. But her best trait, they agree, is her loyalty, and this makes her the kind of person most people would want as a friend.

I also really enjoyed the love story in this book. Josh Templeton, the "heir apparent" to a hotel fortune and her best friend's brother to boot, isn't at all the spoiled jet-setting playboy that some have said. In fact, he works ultra-hard during the course of the book to prove his own worth, to show that he deserves his success and is not just a trust-fund baby. He was the perfect match for Margo and it was sweeter (and all the more realistic) that he has loved her all his life.

A wonderful beginning to the "Dream" trilogy.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Moral: Don't Give Up On Your Dreams!, May 10, 2005

By 

Susie Morris "Book Junkie" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Daring to Dream: The Dream Trilogy #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

DARING TO DREAM is the first book in the Dream trilogy. An interesting tale about Margo Sullivan who had visions of grandeur but wouldn't let her dreams die. She grew up in Monterey, California in a mansion. She was treated like a family member, but was actually the daughter of the housekeeper. Her mother tried to keep Margo's feet on the ground, but it didn't work. She went on to have a successful modeling career until scandal ruined it and caused her to go bankrupt, but she continued to dream. She retreats to her hometown and back into the friendship with Kate and Laura, her two childhood friends who grew up in the same house with her.

Sound like a normal romance - it is up until the first few pages, then it has jumps and turns that are very unexpected. Margo ends up talking her buddies into a business venture that saves each of them from the ghosts that hound them.

One thing that is interesting is that the running of the business is not glamorized and is shown as very hard work, but still enjoyable. This runs more along the real lines of actual life than fantasy, but has a dose of "real life" now and then for good measure.

DARING TO DREAM is a very enjoyable book. The only trilogy that I liked better than this one was the Born In series!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Praised be!, December 28, 1999

By 

"alessa9" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daring to Dream: The Dream Trilogy #1 (Mass Market Paperback)

I love this book. From trilogy, this is my favorite. Ever since I bought it a couple of years ago, I've gone back to it again and again. I just can't get enough of it!

While it's true that Margo seems a bit too spoiled and selfish at the beginning, you also come to understand her motivation for using her body--which is her only asset--to create a world for herself. Margo is not all bad. She's caring about her friends, and in her own way, she does things for them. She gives them support, and is there when they need her.

I liked Josh from the beginning. He could easily have been a very snobbish, spoiled person, but he wasn't. He cared very much about his sister and nieces. The good relationship between him and his family was evident, and that clearly says something about him.

Although we don't see much interaction between Margo and Josh, the reader does believe that there is a caring, loving relationship developing between them. Although Josh is a bit too possessive, it's reasonable since he's had to do without Margo for a very long time. Personally, I like them and think that they would be great people to know.

If you like the DREAM series, you may also want to try the MacGregors, the BORN IN trilogy, the Stanislaskis, and the O'Hurleys.