*This is the middle novel in a trilogy.*
The focus turns to Wyatt Clark’s younger sister, Dorothy.
While she’s been helping at Polly’s Place while Evelyn is away, her dream is to
write something that will challenge people to think like Harriet Beecher
Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” But her hometown of Mesquite Springs, Texas, does
not have a newspaperman … until the arrival of Brandon Holloway in the latter
part of 1856. He knows the disastrous effects challenging others can have, as
he experienced such while in Xavier and so does not plan to write anything to
cause dissension. No controversy. He is weighed down by guilt that he’s
designed for himself, but Dorothy is a bright spot. It isn’t only her pleasant
personality greeting him at Polly’s Place or her obvious knack for writing, but
that she has grown to mean so much that he’d “be nothing but an empty shell”
without her. Brandon is a man in love. And Dorothy is a woman in love, but her
aversion to marriage is based on a fear that runs deep. The two might be able
to make it to a place where romance blooms as treasured and beautiful as rare
white bluebonnets, but first they must investigate who’s working to divide the
town. Someone is clearly trying to drive away their longtime Pastor Coleman and
newly settled Brandon.
While there
aren’t any surprises with the plot, the story does move steadily forward in
this story of guilt overcome, love accepted and faith found. There is more than
one charlatan, though only the one is in Mesquite Springs for an extended time,
and both are expectedly despicable. After reading the first story in this
trilogy, I almost didn’t give this one a chance, because of all the lines like,
“He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her lips.” Although I vacillate
between Brandon’s known interest in Dorothy being sweet and irksome, I was glad
that there weren’t all of those similar lines as in the first story. And I’m
glad that I gave this story a chance and will look toward the final installment.
Whether this story jives with a reader or not, I did find it to be a pleasant
story, subtly uplifting.
Book One:
Out of the Embers
* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received
this book free from Revell Books. I was not required to write a positive
review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
In Cabot's 'Author's Letter,' she mentions that she had a friend tell her about a dog she had that could open doors, which the dogs in Cabot's life growing up did not do. Reading of Nutmeg the Dog reminded me of one of our family dogs, Lexi. She went onto glory five years ago (I wrote a post about her. Type Lexi in the search field if interested.), but had a knack for opening doors in which the latch pushed downward. She let herself into barns and even my grandparents' former house, which is currently home to one of my brothers and his family.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the story of another door-opening dog, and thanks so much for taking the time to read and review Dreams Rekindled. I appreciate it.
Delete