A ★★★ Book Review of A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot - A Historical Fiction Romance
*I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Revell at Baker Publishing Group via NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links which means I will receive a commission based on sales generated via these links.
A sweet, historical fiction read for any age!
Cozy up with this easy read as you step into Cimarron Creek, TX and lose yourself in a story of secrets, faith, love, forgiveness and suspense.
There is no such thing as an impossible dream . . .
Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the local doctor's treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek's dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life where dreams rarely come true.
Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He's managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.
With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality. - Synopsis from A Borrowed Dream
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★★★ Book Number 7/50 | A Borrowed Dream, book two in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy is a book that rather surprised me. It is the first book I've read by author, Amanda Cabot. The story begins when Austin Goddard and his young daughter move to Cimarron Creek, harboring secrets that mean life or death. As Austin ushers his young daughter to school, he meets the young and beautiful school teacher, Catherine, who he quickly begins falling for while he battles his need to keep his true identity secret and keep his daughter safe. Catherine finds herself wrapped up in her own secrets and trials as she walks through life with a mistrust for the town's current doctor, meets and takes in a stranger, and cares for her schoolchildren. The story is one of new love, secrets, forgiveness, tragedy and even mild suspense.
In beginning this book, I immediately saw the connection to the first book in the series, which I have not yet read. At times, I did feel like I had missed something, especially when it came to understanding some of the characters and their history, but this book does focus on a story that is completely separate from book one. Without giving too much away, the love story is sweet as we see a relationship form out of friendship and respect. There are fairly exciting twists and turns that keep readers interested and turning the pages to find out what happens next. There's even an evil villain... The story moves quickly, is sweet, touching, predictable, clean and has the perfect happy ending, just as you'd expect.
A Borrowed Dream has similarities to Janette Oke's "Love Comes" series so if you're a fan of hers, you will really enjoy Amanda Cabot as well. Because the story does touch on subjects like murder and rape, I would ask parents of young adult readers (ages 11-13) to consider the reader's maturity level but I do feel the book was well suited for teenage girls 14+. My reason for this rating is simply a matter of personal opinion. The book was good and I liked it. You may like it much more than I did. I desired a deeper storyline, while this one merely skimmed the surface. Several tragedies happen and I felt the author only lightly touched on what would have been a deep impact for such a small, close knit community. The predictability was another factor that I wrestled with, unfortunately knowing exactly how the book would end. The outcome of too many events felt so convenient and obvious for the storyline. However, amidst my desires for something deeper, I still found myself turning the pages as the story moved along, held my interest and had various climactic elements. When all was said and done, I found myself wanting to read more by this author in this series and I think you will too! Again, if you're looking for a cozy, historical fiction read with engaging elements, this is the book for you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of A Stolen Heart, as well as the Texas Crossroads series, the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at www.amandacabot.com. You can also follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
Lastly, pick up your own copy of A Borrowed Dream or borrow it from your local library. You can also find the other books by Amanda Cabot available here.
Then, I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on the book in the comments below!