Welcome historical romance readers! If this is a genre you already know and love well, you’re in the right place. If you’re looking for wholesome fiction with the same feel as Little House On the Prairie, featuring strong female characters like Little Women. Well, you’re in fantastic company! Because today we’re talking all about Amanda Cabot’s second book in her Mesquite Springs series: Dreams Rekindled.

My love for Out of the Embers, book one in Cabot’s new series, made certain I was prepared to love the sequel just as much. I honestly cannot say enough about Cabot’s writing. Her gift for creating memorable characters and settings, while managing to address issues we continue to face today is as powerful as ever. Keep reading to hear my full thoughts on Dreams Rekindled, and stay tuned for the big giveaway! But first, what’s this book about? 

DREAMS REKINDLED

Mesquite Springs: Book 2

by AMANDA CABOT

Christian Historical Fiction / Romance / Stand-Alone
Publisher: Revell
Date of Publication: March 2, 2021

Pages: 352

Scroll down for Giveaway!

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He’s bound and determined to find peace . . . but she’s about to stir things up.

Dorothy Clark dreams of writing something that will challenge people as much as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin seems to have. But in 1850s Mesquite Springs, there are few opportunities for writers–until newspaperman Brandon Holloway arrives, that is.

Brandon Holloway has seen firsthand the disastrous effects of challenging others. He has no intention of repeating that mistake. Instead of following his dreams, he’s committed to making a new–and completely uncontroversial–start in the Hill Country.

As Dorothy’s involvement in the fledgling newspaper grows from convenient to essential, the same change seems to be happening in Brandon’s heart. But before romance can bloom, Dorothy and Brandon must work together to discover who’s determined to divide the town and destroy Brandon’s livelihood.

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Baker Books (Revell) | Amazon | BN | Christianbook.com

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5 of 5 Stars

One of my favorite historical fiction tropes is the classic, “I don’t need a man, I got ambition!” In a time when women were afforded few career choices and fewer civil rights, the chance for freedom was too good to pass up for most. Sadly, in many cases, women were forced to choose either career or family. I’m always reminded of the sacrifices generations of women made before me when I read these stories. So, while part of me was already laughing at Dorothy Clark’s determination to avoid marriage, another simply rooted for her to fulfill her dreams. Dorothy was the “little sister” in the first installment of Cabot’s Mesquite Springs series. In Out of the Embers, we meet a Dorothy who is brimming with words and desperate to be anywhere but the family ranch. Polly’s arrival and friendship give Dorothy the chance to move to town and help run Polly’s Place. 

At the beginning of Dreams Rekindled, we find Dorothy exactly where we last left her: living above Polly’s Place, working the restaurant in her siblings’ absence, and still yearning to become a writer. Why are there so many books about writers? It’s a story similar to those I adored as a child. L.M. Montgomery sharing her passion for words and writing through Emily of New Moon, or Jane Austen giving her heroines a slightly happier-ever-after than she was afforded. It’s a story that resonates with me because I saw myself in those stories. I wanted to write because of those stories. That’s the gift Amanda Cabot gives us in Dreams Rekindled. It’s not necessarily the West as it truly was, but it is a beautifully romanticized past we want to inhabit. By slipping into Dorothy Clark’s shoes, we get to fall in love for the first time and fulfill both ambition and romance in spades. 

While I adored the addition of Brandon Holloway’s to the town of Mesquite Springs (who doesn’t love a man who’s not afraid to let his woman be strong?) the highlight of this novel remains the town itself. Again, Cabot proved her gift for writing memorable characters. My favorite relationship in this story was the friendship and contrast between Dorothy and her newly returned best friend, Laura. We don’t get enough best female friendships in romance novels when in life, friends are often the sandpaper and the glue. I loved Laura’s insistence on finding a husband paired with Dorothy’s insistence on becoming a writer. Both women have the best intentions at heart, and in Laura’s case, not the best execution. It made for some of my favorite moments in Dreams Rekindled, and I look forward to seeing where Cabot brings these characters in her next installment. Brimming with heart, hope, and all the warmth of your favorite pie, Dreams Rekindled brings new depth to beloved characters in our favorite town of Mesquite Springs. 

**I was provided with a copy of Dreams Rekindled by the publisher and this is my voluntary and honest review.**

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MEET AMANDA CABOT

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of Out of the Embers, as well as the Cimarron Creek Trilogy and the Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds series. Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.

║Website ║ Facebook ║ Blog║ BookBub ║ Twitter ║ Goodreads ║

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GRAND GIVEAWAY

ONE WINNER receives both books in the Mesquite Springs Series + Bluebonnet Ornament + $25 B&N Gift Card. US only. Ends midnight, CST, 3/12/2021.

A RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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