meezcarrie's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
What Dreams May Come is such a unique story, made even more special by the fact that the author based it on her real-life romance with her husband.
Part of what makes it so unique is that the hero and heroine have never met in person … and still don’t for the majority of the book. In fact, the book also begins in the middle of their relationship (though it appears to be the end). Additionally, Terry tells the story from both Scott and Susannah’s perspective, and part of it is told in a semi-flashback (Scott rereads the emails Susannah had sent him while they were first getting to know each other). While this took a bit of getting used to, I ultimately really liked the format for this specific story.
Susannah is really young but spiritually mature, and in her first few emails to Scott (who is older) you can see how sheltered she has been. (Not that this is a bad thing, just an observation) She unfortunately has to grow up quickly and take on the care of her sister Kitty who has cerebral palsy. (Kitty is a fabulous character, by the way! Such a great personality even without a spoken voice.) Her plans with Scott – whom she has still not met in person – are put on hold, and so are her dreams. And, by default, so are Scott’s dreams.
Their individual confusion is one I would guess many have experienced. That feeling of ‘did I totally misread God and His plans for my life?’ that can be common in your early twenties (or late adolescence). I absolutely could relate to their questions, their rethinking of what they thought they knew. I also really appreciated that their relationship was built on shared beliefs, shared goals, and falling in love with someone’s heart – not their physical looks.
Bottom Line: What Dreams May Come by Alana Terry is a sweet, light love story that explores what happens when we give our dreams to God and let Him dream His dreams for us. Grandma Lucy and Kitty stole the show for me, personally – their characters consistently made me smile and want to spend more time with them. You will root for Scott and Susannah to find a happily ever after, though it may take a different shape than you originally imagined, bringing you right alongside their story and how they feel, too.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
What Dreams May Come is such a unique story, made even more special by the fact that the author based it on her real-life romance with her husband.
Part of what makes it so unique is that the hero and heroine have never met in person … and still don’t for the majority of the book. In fact, the book also begins in the middle of their relationship (though it appears to be the end). Additionally, Terry tells the story from both Scott and Susannah’s perspective, and part of it is told in a semi-flashback (Scott rereads the emails Susannah had sent him while they were first getting to know each other). While this took a bit of getting used to, I ultimately really liked the format for this specific story.
Susannah is really young but spiritually mature, and in her first few emails to Scott (who is older) you can see how sheltered she has been. (Not that this is a bad thing, just an observation) She unfortunately has to grow up quickly and take on the care of her sister Kitty who has cerebral palsy. (Kitty is a fabulous character, by the way! Such a great personality even without a spoken voice.) Her plans with Scott – whom she has still not met in person – are put on hold, and so are her dreams. And, by default, so are Scott’s dreams.
Their individual confusion is one I would guess many have experienced. That feeling of ‘did I totally misread God and His plans for my life?’ that can be common in your early twenties (or late adolescence). I absolutely could relate to their questions, their rethinking of what they thought they knew. I also really appreciated that their relationship was built on shared beliefs, shared goals, and falling in love with someone’s heart – not their physical looks.
Bottom Line: What Dreams May Come by Alana Terry is a sweet, light love story that explores what happens when we give our dreams to God and let Him dream His dreams for us. Grandma Lucy and Kitty stole the show for me, personally – their characters consistently made me smile and want to spend more time with them. You will root for Scott and Susannah to find a happily ever after, though it may take a different shape than you originally imagined, bringing you right alongside their story and how they feel, too.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
dav1es's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not much into romance, and this wasn't chock full of it to my relief...and yet..I was on pins and needles just waiting for the romantic outcome I'd hoped for :)
longtimereader's review against another edition
5.0
I hadn't read this author before, even though I'd seen some of Alana Terry's books here and there. This is a clean romance that was also an interesting read. It has plenty of realism and gentleness. It has the feeling of real life being altered to become a solid work of fiction. It can be a bit slow at times, but I still didn't want to put it down. I love books with more than one point of view, which this book has. I tend to like how that adds depth to the story.
My only aggravation is that Susannah was depressed and it was touched on, and then it felt passed on over. I did like the premise. So often we do have goals, dreams, passions, things deeply rooted and dear to us, and it's often the case that everything seems to delay or fight to keep us from that very thing we seek to obtain. I had to have missed something because later I found out who's love story this is based on, and it made it all the richer for the reason. God is woven into the story in ways that are easy and real to me.
My copy came from Celebrate Lit. My review is my own, my thoughts and opinions are my own, and this review has been left of my own free will.
My only aggravation is that Susannah was depressed and it was touched on, and then it felt passed on over. I did like the premise. So often we do have goals, dreams, passions, things deeply rooted and dear to us, and it's often the case that everything seems to delay or fight to keep us from that very thing we seek to obtain. I had to have missed something because later I found out who's love story this is based on, and it made it all the richer for the reason. God is woven into the story in ways that are easy and real to me.
My copy came from Celebrate Lit. My review is my own, my thoughts and opinions are my own, and this review has been left of my own free will.
rlangemann's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this. So different from your typical Christian love romance. Sweet, honest, real. Grandma Lucy is awesome.
fiction_aficionado's review against another edition
4.0
Those who are familiar with Alana Terry’s Kennedy Stern suspense series will find this new contemporary romance series sets a different pace. In fact, this first book is a bit different to most other contemporary romances too, because the hero and heroine don’t meet until the end of the book! And yet, as odd as that might sound . . . it works. As well as being a sweet romance, it’s the story of two people who are struggling to (a) understand why the path they believed God had for them has suddenly been blocked; and (b) accept this new direction in spite of their hearts.
The book actually begins in the middle of Scott and Susannah’s story. At the opening, it has been four months since the event that set Susannah’s life on a new course—away from Scott and her dream of overseas missions—and the story looks both forwards and backwards from this point, showing Scott and Susannah trying to move on and surrender their hopes and dreams to God, but also filling in the story of how their relationship grew without them ever having met face to face and what happened to change everything. I thought this was a strange way to tell the story at first, but as it progressed, I became convinced it was also the most effective way to tell the story.
The plot develops at a gentle pace that suits the characters and the tone of the story. There were a few times I felt the story was moving a little too gently in the early stages, but in way, that added to the experience. I was restless—wanting things to move on, wanting answers—in exactly the same way as Scott and Susannah, and their disappointment and confusion was palpable. I couldn’t help but want to know the rest of their story.
I’m not going to say anything else about the plot, because I think it needs to unfold in its own way, but if you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance that’s a little outside the normal mould, this is for you.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
The book actually begins in the middle of Scott and Susannah’s story. At the opening, it has been four months since the event that set Susannah’s life on a new course—away from Scott and her dream of overseas missions—and the story looks both forwards and backwards from this point, showing Scott and Susannah trying to move on and surrender their hopes and dreams to God, but also filling in the story of how their relationship grew without them ever having met face to face and what happened to change everything. I thought this was a strange way to tell the story at first, but as it progressed, I became convinced it was also the most effective way to tell the story.
The plot develops at a gentle pace that suits the characters and the tone of the story. There were a few times I felt the story was moving a little too gently in the early stages, but in way, that added to the experience. I was restless—wanting things to move on, wanting answers—in exactly the same way as Scott and Susannah, and their disappointment and confusion was palpable. I couldn’t help but want to know the rest of their story.
I’m not going to say anything else about the plot, because I think it needs to unfold in its own way, but if you’re looking for a sweet contemporary romance that’s a little outside the normal mould, this is for you.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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