Book Review: Forsaken Dreams by MaryLu Tyndall

The views and opinions in this review are ALL mine!
Book Description (from Amazon):

Embark on a seafaring adventure in a brand-new series from bestselling author MaryLu Tyndall....They left everything behind to build a new Southern utopia. . ..After witnessing the death and destruction caused by the Civil War, Colonel Blake Wallace is eager to leave his once precious Southern homeland for the pristine shores of Brazil and the prospect of a new utopian community. Widow Eliza Crawford seeks passage on Wallace’s ship harboring a dirty secret—and a blossoming hope for a fresh start. But once the voyage begins, troubles abound. Dangers at sea and enemies from within threaten to keep Blake and Eliza from the new life—and love—they long for.

Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise #1) takes place in 1866, right after the Civil War. The characters in this book are SOUTHERN and have the southern mentality that was prevelant at that time in history. They blame the north for the war ("The War of Northern Agression") and for all the tragedy and destruction, not realizing (or wanting to admit) the south committed atrocities also. You have to keep this in mind when reading the book.

Colonel Blake Wallace, the head of the expedition, has seen way too much war and death. Though it wasn't know then, he suffers from PTSD. All he wants is to start over and forget about the war, though he does hate Northerners for personal reasons.

Eliza Crawford is a Civil War widow with a secret, and all she wants to do is go where no one knows her or her family. Starting over is all she wants, and she doesn't plan on having feelings for Colonel Wallace. Eliza is now the ship's nurse and boy is she in for the ride of her life.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, so I won't say much more about it. We get to meet a whole ship full of interesting characters, some of whom play an important role in this book. Since this is the first book in the Escape to Paradise series, I'm betting some of the characters we will see again in a lot more detail (and a few I can't wait to read more about) in future books.

Forsaken Dreams is a historical Christian book. Remember that the beliefs of some of the characters, though they profess to be Christian, are not neccessarily consistent with the beliefs of today. The treatment of former slaves is one example. There are times I want to yell at a character for their treatment of the now free black family, but that was how the freemen were treated in 1866. I'm not saying it was right, but it is part of our history. Christian men and women did own slaves prior to the Civil War.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Forsaken Dreams gave me a glimpse in to 1866 and how the Civil War both effected and affected the Southerners. I would love to follow their path and sail from the US to Brazil ( I could never afford it), even though I felt I was on the ship with them (without the resulting sea sickness). I am now anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and am hoping I get to 'see' more of Brazil.

At the very end of the book, MaryLu Tyndall talks about how many American citizens defected to Brazil after the Civil War. It's amazing how many went, trying to recreate the 'Old South' down there. It's part of our history that I've never really heard about before but would enjoy learning more about.



Today you can get Forsaken Dreams free for your Kindle (or Android reader) on Amazon. Go to: http://alturl.com/aa9to I hope you enjoy the book.