Ship of Dreams

I love reading anything and everything about Titanic and this was another well written storyline. Hannah and her best friend Louisa are on their way to New York. While Hannah's husband Charles has business he will attending the two will have plans on their own. Shopping up and down the avenue and just enjoying the sights and sounds of this land of dreams. Hannah is hoping that this trip will bring her and her husband back together again, a way for them to have a new start. Louisa has dreams of her own, and they are just an ocean away. Hannah asking her to accompany her on this trip was the perfect excuse to get away from her father trying to marry her off. She has plans once she gets to the US and knows that it will hurt Hannah, but she show more must do what she needs to do to be an independent woman. What is supposed to be the perfect trip of a life time for them all seems to only bring about frustration, secrets and broken friendships. When the ship hits an ice berg and their lives are all in danger, split second decisions are made that will change everything. After this terrible tragedy, those who survive struggle with the decisions that were made and realize what really matters in life after such an event. I loved the scenery of the Titanic woven into this story as well as how it all came together and that it didn't just end with the sinking of the ship. Another amazing Titanic story! This book will stay on my shelves with the other Titanic novels I have. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for the tour invite. show less

Excitement builds for the inaugural trip on the Titanic. Hannah and her husband, Charles, are traveling for business. Hannah is hoping this time away will close the gap that has occurred in her marriage. Louisa, Hannah’s best friend, has a different agenda. Looking for a little fun, trying to escape her rich father’s rule and how she can best support her cause. Both women are hiding secrets and are hoping this trip will bring clarity, answers.

I’ve always been fascinated with the Titanic. This was a very fast read, focusing little on the actual horrific events but more on the events before and after. The first half was drawn out, replaying the girls issues over and over again. Much time was given to the opulent First Class show more section (food, clothes, personalities). The sinking was well written and emotional. The last part of the book deals with the aftermath (facts I knew little of) and decisions each girl needs to make. The epilogue gives us a look into the later years and was a perfect way to end this book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter HC for this ARC. This is my honest opinion. show less

We all know what happened to the Titanic, but the hope and excitement of the travel also had Hannah and Louisa hoping other things.

Hannah is hoping her husband will be more attentive and Louisa hopes her parents will forget about trying to find her a husband and to marry someone she doesn't want to marry.

They both are keeping secrets.

We follow both women until that fateful evening.

Will their dreams come true or will they be one of the passengers whose dreams are shattered?

Miss Alward's descriptions of the women's feelings, the glamour of the ship, and the disaster will have historical fiction fans and women's fiction fans devouring and enjoying every word.

SHIP OF DREAMS is about enduring hardships, ​lasting friendships, and show more connections. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own. show less

A tale of two besties set against the backdrop of the Titanic, who could ask for better? This was such an engaging read, and the two mains, Hannah and Louisa, were so different and yet their love for one another was palpable. Each of them has their own stories that are intertwined with historical record that is very clearly deeply and thoughtfully researched. Truly a well done work of historical fiction.

Aboard the Titanic, where opulence knows no bounds and the horizon seems limitless, two women fight for the futures they dream of, fraught with secrets that could change everything.

This story follows Hannah and Louisa. They are the best friends and so completely different. I enjoyed both of these characters because of their differences. Louisa is a bit of a firecracker, especially during this time period. She is determined to defy her parents and stay unmarried. Then there is Hannah. She is just a sweet woman that just wants to heal her marriage. When tragedy strikes, these two ladies depend more on each other than ever before.

I enjoyed so much of this book, the setting and the characters are woven so well together. I loved reading show more about the opulence of the Titanic. This story also included what the survivors had to deal with when they arrived in America. And it was not exactly what you would expect.

This is a story of friendship, love, and tragedy! And you do not want to miss it! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion. show less

I've read other stories focused around the Titanic disaster, but this one takes a look at it from two fictional women interacting with people we've read about in other books. Hannah and Louisa are long time best friends taking the journey on the Titanic, but both are weighed down by secrets they are keeping from each other. As the women enjoy the opulence of the ship's food and cabins, they begin to figure out how to repair their relationship from the deceptions. I thought the best part of the story was how the women had to learn to cope and adjust after the disaster. Hannah and Lou stayed in NYC for a few weeks then made their way up to Halifax. That is where they need to make some difficult decisions as they decide on next steps for show more their lives. I also enjoyed the Epilogue as it shared letters the women wrote to each other for the next few decades. Even though you know the ship sinks, this book engages you with captivating characters, some romance, and Hannah and Louisa learning they are stronger than they ever thought they could be. I definitely recommend this to fans of historical fiction, redemption stories, and transatlantic journeys. I give it 4.5 stars.
#ShipofDreams #historicalfiction #NetGalley
Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own. show less

I must admit that this book was a disappointment to me in the end. I was surprised because I enjoyed Donna Jones Alward’s book, When the World Fell Silent, very much. Looking back as I read this one I would give the first half of the book one star, and the second half of the book 3 stars. So, averaging it out over reading the entire book, I’ve given it two stars. There are a number of reasons for my discontent with this book. One of thosoe reasons was that I just didn’t care for the characters that much. They seemed to me to be spoiled and clingy as well as out of touch with reality even for that time, which was April 1912. I started to form some sympathies for both of the women in the book after the Titanic went down which was show more well past the halfway point in the book). To see how these two women suffered and how they found solace with each other, made the book worthwhile for me in the end. But it just went on way too long with the buildup. I almost put the book down numerous times in the first 60%, but decided to continue. The characters to me were stereotypical and not that well drawn. The descriptions of the Titanic and the luxury and opulence were very well done. The description of the actual sinking was also very well done, but to me a book is not a book that I can enjoy unless I fall in love with the characters too, and that just didn’t happen here. I did enjoy the Canadian touch at the end with the activities that went on in Halifax after the disaster. I did not realize that many of the casualties are buried in the city of Halifax, Novs Scotia. show less