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jan1234's review
4.0
A nice gentle story. Found it not very exciting. A bit predictable. If you're just looking for a gentle read then give it a go.
leah_faith7's review
5.0
4.5 stars…as always Lauraine Snelling writes incredibly honest historical fiction. I instantly was attached the main characters. Within the first three chapters…I cried twice, slammed the book down in shock three times, and dropped my jaw a lot. That makes it a pretty good book. Certain parts of the plot are really unpredictable as well. Absolutely amazing book!
icygrl7's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I have read one maybe two of this author's other books and enjoyed them. I will definitely be looking to read more by her. I will move onto the second book now. I would recommend it to those who enjoy historical Christian romance novels.
leah_faith7's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars…as always Lauraine Snelling writes incredibly honest historical fiction. I instantly was attached the main characters. Within the first three chapters…I cried twice, slammed the book down in shock three times, and dropped my jaw a lot. That makes it a pretty good book. Certain parts of the plot are really unpredictable as well. Absolutely amazing book!
rachel93's review against another edition
5.0
Dakota Dawn is the first book in the Dakota Plains series. It’s one of Lauraine Snelling’s earlier works. For me it was kinda a mixture of An Untamed Land the first book in her Red River of the North series and Love Comes Softly by Janette Oke. For a book that’s not even 200 pages a lot sure did seem to happen. Between life, death, and love there definitely wasn’t a dull moment. I loved that one of the characters shared the same names as Ingeborg who is one of the main characters from her Red River of the North series. Makes me wonder if that was a coincidence?
Dakota Dawn was a fantastic read and I look forward to continuing on with this series. Definitely a must read for Snelling fans.
Dakota Dawn was a fantastic read and I look forward to continuing on with this series. Definitely a must read for Snelling fans.
ellingtonfeint's review against another edition
4.0
As I was reading this book I was puzzled by a few things that didn't seem to be quite Ms snelling's style as I have observed it to be in the books of hers I have read. But it turns out, according to the endnote, that this was Lauraine snelling's first historical novel and, if I recall right, her second book published! So it is really interesting to see certain elements that are developed more in later books.
For example, this book follows the usual format of a romance in that it ends with the happy conclusion of the romance. Whereas in later books, Ms Snelling makes the romance less of the main plot and more just a natural, yet incidental part of the story, as it is in real life.
And while I like that much more, this book was not bad because of that focus shift, and in fact I'm still thinking about it now, wishing for more story.
I would definitely recommend this book, the romance is sweet and real. And Nora's love for the children is beautiful to watch grow.
Something that threw me a bit too is that the names of some of the characters in this book are reused in the red River series, it had me wondering for a while if this was another part of that series, but I'm pretty sure that it's just that the names must have been favourites that got carried over!
For example, this book follows the usual format of a romance in that it ends with the happy conclusion of the romance. Whereas in later books, Ms Snelling makes the romance less of the main plot and more just a natural, yet incidental part of the story, as it is in real life.
And while I like that much more, this book was not bad because of that focus shift, and in fact I'm still thinking about it now, wishing for more story.
I would definitely recommend this book, the romance is sweet and real. And Nora's love for the children is beautiful to watch grow.
Something that threw me a bit too is that the names of some of the characters in this book are reused in the red River series, it had me wondering for a while if this was another part of that series, but I'm pretty sure that it's just that the names must have been favourites that got carried over!
kbaney's review against another edition
2.0
Not the same quality as her other books. There's some annoying point of view switching multiple times to the same scene. Also, I felt the motivation for falling in love was very weak.
dollycas's review against another edition
4.0
Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was a nice escape from the mysteries I usually read.
Nora Johanson has had quite a journey, Norway to Soldahl, North Dakota. She is excited to start her new life in America with Hans Larson. She had pledged to marry him just before he left Norway 3 years ago when she was just 15. After a trip by ship and train, she arrives in Soldahl to find Hans had died just a few days earlier. Worried about where she will live or how she will get back home, Nora turns to God to light her path. The Reverend and Mrs. Moen take Nora into their home and an opportunity presents itself, but is it really what God wants her to do?
I have read other books by this author several years ago and knew I would enjoy this story before I even started reading. She is very talented at bringing this time in North Dakota to life. Her words created full-color images in mind. We get to know Nora and the Moen’s pretty well. It was heartbreaking to read about Carl Detschman’s grief, the death of a loved one can overtake anyone whether it be in 1910 or 2018. Lauraine Snelling captures his life and all he meets perfectly.
I am excited this is part of a series. I look forward to reading the next 3 books.
This was a nice escape from the mysteries I usually read.
Nora Johanson has had quite a journey, Norway to Soldahl, North Dakota. She is excited to start her new life in America with Hans Larson. She had pledged to marry him just before he left Norway 3 years ago when she was just 15. After a trip by ship and train, she arrives in Soldahl to find Hans had died just a few days earlier. Worried about where she will live or how she will get back home, Nora turns to God to light her path. The Reverend and Mrs. Moen take Nora into their home and an opportunity presents itself, but is it really what God wants her to do?
I have read other books by this author several years ago and knew I would enjoy this story before I even started reading. She is very talented at bringing this time in North Dakota to life. Her words created full-color images in mind. We get to know Nora and the Moen’s pretty well. It was heartbreaking to read about Carl Detschman’s grief, the death of a loved one can overtake anyone whether it be in 1910 or 2018. Lauraine Snelling captures his life and all he meets perfectly.
I am excited this is part of a series. I look forward to reading the next 3 books.
averagegal's review against another edition
2.0
I read Lauraine Snelling's later series before finding this book. After reading it, I feel like it is "Snelling Lite". It isn't bad, but the story isn't quite as developed as her more recent books. It makes sense, since it was written for a Harlequin-style imprint. It's a quick read, so if you have never read any of Snelling's books, this would be a good way to try out her style.
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