Review: Sweet romance read
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2013
This novella was truly an enjoyable read, murr! Purrs and tail waves of Givens for a job well done.One thing that always worries me when it comes to novellas is whether or not the author is able to spin a well told story in a short number of pages. In the case of In Her Dreams, not only is the plot structured well, but the characters themselves are well-developed. Plus there’s enough romance, mystery, and even some humor to keep readers turning the pages in order to find out how everything is resolved.In the case of the plot, and without giving away any spoilers, Givens does an excellent job blending Evangeline’s reality and dreams together to the point where the reader starts to wonder just when does the dream become reality or is reality the dream? Even Evangeline herself questions her sanity regarding this at one point. At the same time, Givens use to historical details help to keep the plot realistic. A young woman of 20+ years bordering on being a spinster, an engagement build on the grounds of societal advancement and convenience rather than love, even parental scheming are all elements that help drive events within the novella and pull readers into the story. The one problem that I had with the plot, but loved at the same time due to its paranormal feel, was that I really wanted an explanation for Evangeline’s & Alexander’s dream connection. How was such a thing possible? I was more than happy with all of the answers to the various other questions I had within the text, but this one was left rather ambiguous. Still, the air of mystery it created certainly keep me interested, murr!What truly stood out for me in this novella though were the characters. I loved Evangeline. She knows exactly what she wants out of life, isn’t afraid to make her displeasure of things known, and is definitely a force to be reckoned with. In other words, she’s strong-willed. And while society, in the time the novella takes place, would think her actions as scandalous, I can’t help but smile and cheer her on. Meanwhile her sister, Angela, got under my fur at times. I do have to applaud her for playing the dutiful daughter and acquiescing to societal demands, but it wasn’t until the very end when she actually took control of her life and went after her heart’s desire that I really started to like her. Alexander was a dream, both figuratively and literally. I instantly liked him and enjoyed every scene that he was in. Those dream sequences…meow! Manchester on the other paw…okay, I have to agree with Evangeline’s opinion of him being an annoyance rather than a grand catch. And as far as Evangeline and Angela’s mother is concerned, all I will say about her is talk about a headache creator. Wow, she really is a piece of work…and yet rather common for that time period.To briefly touch upon the romance between Alexander and Evangeline, let me simply say that it is HOT! The scenes where they are together certainly will make you want to make muffins with your paws, murr! And as I mentioned earlier, the mystery behind their connection is intriguing. I’d loved it if Givens ever considered expanding on this story, but at the same time must admit that it is wonderful in its current form.I highly recommend fans of Historical Romance give this novel a try. And even those just looking for a fun, quick read, this novella is well worth adding to your TBR pile. =^.^=