BROKEN DREAMS
by Nancy Pennick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Two friends...
Blood sisters till the end...
Until they're not.
One cold night in a boarding school dorm, two fourteen-year-old girls make a blood sister pact. Friends forever. As young schoolgirls, they're determined to find true love, learning the hits and misses along the way. As graduation nears, the girls have different outlooks for the future. Lucinda longs for adventure. Anna chooses city life and marriage. Finding their way back together, the girls head west for an experience of a lifetime until a handsome cowboy bursts into their lives, changing the course of their friendship forever.
Read an excerpt:
They strolled around The Pond for over an hour, catching up with their lives. Anna grew more comfortable every time she saw him. She didn’t consider him a boyfriend last year. Maybe that would change now. He felt like a safe harbor, someone she could confide in, trust. “My father may get a promotion. He’s been working hard. If he does, we’ll move to Chicago.”
“Then I’ll cross my fingers, Anna. If you move closer, I could see you in the summer.”
“It may be awhile. It all depends on how the year goes. Mother would love to move up north again. She misses the city.”
“I know someone else who’d love for you to move.” James slipped his arm around Anna’s waist and pulled her closer. He kissed the side of her head. “Lucinda.”
“Wouldn’t that be keen? We could all meet in the city for lunch.”
“Yes, it would.” James spun Anna out and away, never letting go of her hand. He pulled her in closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. “I’d like to officially make you my girl, Anna.” He began to dance with her around the pond, on the grass and through the trees. He came very close to the water, dipping her backward over it. She laughed until her sides hurt.
“I love your laugh.” He quickly kissed her as he tipped her back again. “And you.”
Oh. Anna hadn’t expected that. She’d turn fifteen in October and sometimes still felt like a little girl. Panic spread through her. Should I say it back? I’m not sure if I love him.
**My thoughts**
When I read the blurb, I wasn't expecting this to be an historical fiction story. Then again, perhaps others already knew this because they read the other books in the series. That different genre actually ended up working for me, because it was a nice change of pace from all of the contemporary romance books I have been reading lately.
The story is told mainly from the point-of-view of Anna. She is the quieter of the two best friends, and comes across as more insecure, but is actually the stronger and more stable of the two. Lucinda puts on airs of being confident, but is impulsive and a serious mess on the inside. They meet at a boarding school and quickly become best friends, facing many challenges during their school years.
As can often happen between two good friends, boys and men inadvertently come between the two of them. It isn't intentional, at all, but causes a serious rift between the two of them. The question then becomes, how much of your own happiness do you give up for your best friend? Can you ever repair serious damage? You want friendships to last forever, but what about true love and potential soulmates?
Lucinda's immaturity and short fuse frustrated me. I just wanted to shake her many times throughout the book, and to yell at her to really look at what was going on. I didn't like any of their parents. And some of Anna's decisions actually disappointed me.
I know that this is a series, and hope the story will continue in the future, though it is indicated to be a standalone. But, I felt like I didn't get enough resolution. It just ended, with no real indication as to what was really going to happen among the different relationships. It wasn't a cliffhanger ending, just not a satisfying one to me. I want more! And I am also now curious about the other stories in the series. This was definitely a fast read, and again a great change of pace for me. I give it 3.5 stars.
Check out the rest of the series!
Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Nancy currently resides in Mentor, Ohio with her husband and son, plus a delightfully entertaining lovebird. Her writing is influenced by all the years of working with young people as a teacher and raising her own son. When not writing, Nancy loves to travel with her husband and enjoys a good cup of tea. Broken Dreams is a stand alone companion piece to her young adult Waiting for Dusk series.
Publisher- Fire and Ice
http://www.fireandiceya.com/authors/nancypennick/brokendreams.html
Links to me:
Twitter- https://twitter.com/npennick @npennick
Facebook Fan page - https://www.facebook.com/nancypennickauthor
Wordpress blog- http://nancypennick.wordpress.com/
Amazon Author Page- http://www.amazon.com/Nancy-Pennick/e/B00AKX0MZ0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6734986.Nancy_Pennick
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me, Andi, and for posting the wonderful review. As I read, I kept saying to myself, "Wow, she got it." You were right on about the characters and, yes, this is a stand alone which I hope tempts the reader to continue on!
ReplyDeleteReaders, Lucinda wants to go on an Adventure of a Lifetime. Where would you go on yours?