DREAMS REKINDLED

Mesquite Spring, Book 2

By Amanda Cabot

Categories: Christian Historical Fiction/ Romance/ Stand-Alone

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: March 2, 2021

Pages: 352

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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.

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

Take a trip back to the Hill Country and Mesquite Springs.

This is the follow-up book to Out of the Embers with the focus on Dorothy Clark and her dreams of becoming a serious writer. She has been influenced by many authors and we saw a little of what she could do in the previous book. She doesn’t realize it, but her words inspired Brandon Holloway to set up a newspaper in Mesquite Springs after leaving Xavier. Brandon arrives in town with his own baggage from recent events in Xavier including the death of his father. It will take him time to comes to grips with the events that happened were not his fault.

Mesquite Springs is mostly a congenial town until a mysterious Mr. K decides that he wants to build a hotel and own land in this sleepy little town. For some reason, he doesn’t want a town with a newspaper or possibly even a church/minister. Possibly because it would be easier to manipulate people into doing what he wants instead of what is best for them or the town.  Mr. K sends a man to town, Phil Blakeslee, to create friction among the citizens. Mr. K is determined to upset the town and pull them in multiple directions to his benefit. Phil does a bang-up job of causing dissent but hopefully, the town will realize this and come together.

The relationship between Dorothy and Brandon is slow to mature, but I think this is a good thing because they have the opportunity to work together and learn more about each other. There are some miscommunications that hinder their relationship from growing at times. It is obvious to everyone but these two that they belong together, at least in the beginning.

The character that steals the show (in my opinion) is Nutmeg. Nutmeg is a pregnant mutt that is very clever until discovered by Dorothy. But this bond they have will save Dorothy in the end (you will have to read the book to find out how!)

“…if a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. Mesquite Springs isn’t a kingdom, but I’m afraid this division will destroy it.”

The issues we see in today’s world are not unique to our times. I appreciated how the author brought to light multiple issues that affected people even in the 1800s from slavery/racial issues to mental issues such as depression. It was amazing how fast a few false rumors could affect a person’s wellbeing and is no different than life today with the advent of social media and the internet.

The book does leave you hanging regarding Mr. K but the author addresses this in the Author’s Notes and what we can expect in the last book in this trilogy. I’m curious how this issue will be resolved and look forward to reading this installment.

My favorite line from the book is this one because it says so much:

“You can choose happiness or fear.” 

Overall, this is a fun read and while you don’t have to read the first book in order to enjoy this one, you might want to pick it up first to get a feel for the town and the residents.

We give this book 5 paws up.

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.

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Ends midnight, CST, 3/12/2021

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