Leah B. (leahhhh12) reviewed on 3/18/2013 + 20 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

Forsaken Dreams is an amazing adventure full of trials, love, friendships, and storms. I was swept right into the story when we find the ship, New Hope, in the middle of a storm. We soon learn that this ship is full of Southerners who are on their way to Brazil to begin a new life after the Civil War ended. All of these Southerners are dreaming of a better life and hope to escape the pain of their pasts.
Blake was an officer for the South. He lost everything after the war so he put together a group of people to begin a new colony in Brazil where he hopes to build a new life.
Eliza is a war widow. She worked as a nurse during the war and she is trying to escape her past. Elizas deceased husband was a general for the North and she is rejected by both the North and the South, causing her to keep her past a secret from the rest of the passengers.
Most of the passengers are excited to embark on their journey and begin anew. However, they encounter many trials and hardships on the way, causing them to question whether this is what they really want to do. Different enemies try to keep them from their destination, whether those enemies be storms, Yankees, thieves or other kinds of weather.
With different secrets swirling around the ship, its hard to keep things hidden. When different passengers find their lives connected through the past, its even harder to keep the past in the past. Bitterness will rise as people become prejudiced against each other, and especially Eliza. If their colony is going to thrive, everyone must learn to overcome their bitterness and learn how to forgive.

I have read several of MaryLu Tyndalls books and have greatly enjoyed each one. Forsaken Dreams was no exception. Each chapter left you with questions that you wanted answers to, so you kept reading, unwilling to put the book down! Just when you think you know what is going to happen or you think everything is going to be resolved, another twist enters the story, sending you on a new surprising path. I really enjoyed the historical part of the book and learning about Confederate soldiers who relocated to Brazil. I never knew about that until I heard about this book and it definitely makes for an interesting story! I thought MaryLu did a great job at capturing the bitterness of the South. I was shocked at how bitter and angry the Southerners could be in this book, but we can see that their lives have been turned upside-down and they are very upset about it. Overall, I thought this was a fantastic book. I was sad when it ended but I am happy to know that it is a part of a series and I have the next book to look forward to. I thought the book ended satisfying enough as it leads us into the next book but doesnt leave us with a huge cliffhanger. As I said before, I loved this book very much and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for an adventuresome romance that will sweep them away!

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