Dreams Rekindled

Dreams Rekindled #2 By Amanda Cabot / Revell

Dreams Rekindled is Book #2 in the Mesquite Springs series. I had read Book #1 and enjoyed it. A reader can easily jump into book two and not miss a beat in the story’s flow. My dilemma with this book is that I found the beginning slow. I anticipate fast action beginnings in Amanda Cabot’s books but this description doesn’t fit Dreams Rekindled. I would say the author intended to introduce Laura to us, but all the swooning and talk of marriage was frustrating. The simmering warm up in Dreams Rekindled surprised me. By mid-stream, the plot quickened and was multi-layered with mystery. The protagonists, Dorothy Clark and Brandon Holloway, are well developed and their family histories and future goals are interesting. I found this aspect of the novel extremely satisfying. Dorothy dreams of becoming a writer and finds great success on her chosen career path. The close look at her mom’s mental health during a period of loss was full of empathy and good sense. Brandon clearly is one of the good guys; hard-working, personable, smart, and open-minded. His sense of duty to responsible journalism and supplying a respectable newspaper to members of Texas Hill Country communities of the 1850’s is admirable. The villains in the story are believable and the fast pace action at the end gives the story a strong finish. I appreciated the wisdom and grace Pastor Coleman and his wife displayed under pressure. Cabot has successfully woven into her story some essential tenets of the Christian faith such as forgiveness and transformation. I think on balance, the exceptional ingredients of the book outweigh the sluggish start. I received a print book from the publisher Revell in exchange for my honest review.