Secrets, danger and mystery, trust and faith learned. 1881 Texas Christian Historical

Catherine doesn't like doctors since the town doctor accelerated her mother's death. She is a school teacher with close family relationships in a town she grew up in.

Austin is a plastic surgeon hiding from a mafia boss in Philadelphia. He was born a rancher so that's what he decides to do when he and his daughter move to Texas. She’s an introverted six year old to the point that the adults are quite concerned about her - until Catherine brings her out of her shell. She’s good at keeping secrets, but she’s only a child.

A fast paced excellent read that keeps you engaged from the start, with characters you'll come to know and love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author and Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A good read but not exceptional. Amanda Cabot is a good writer and I would read more books from her.

The overarching theme of A Borrowed Dream is forgiveness. Catherine needed to forgive the doctor who used archaic treatments on her mother, resulting in her death. She was so disgusted with the methods that he used, she purchased her own medical books and supplies so she could treat her students and prevent them by any means possible from having to see him.

Austin was such a noble man. He stood up for what was right, even when it meant he needed to flee his home to protect his daughter. I enjoyed the way he pretended that he had no medical knowledge and yet managed to take over when helping Catherine treat the broken arm of one of her students.

There were several conflicts in the story. Child abuse and rape were dealt with in the story, though no details were shared.

This second book of the Cimarron Creek Trilogy has characters from the first book, yet it is a complete story in itself.


This review was originally posted on Among the Reads


I would like to thank Netgalley, Revell for giving me this item. This gift did not influence my opinion or review.

Catherine is the schoolmarm in Cimarron Creek and is still in mourning for her mother who passed away less than a year ago. She has a great distrust for doctors as the town's doctor still practiced things such as bleeding and leeching. Catherine believes these practices killed her mother.
She meets Austin, the new rancher in town, when he brings his young daughter, Hannah, to her school. Hannah was very withdrawn, breaking Catherine's heart to see a child this way. With love and patience, Hannah eventually became as the other children and Catherine began to have feelings for her father, Austin. She did not know he was a doctor hiding from a gangster who wanted him and his daughter dead.
While the story was predictable in many areas, I still found it to be a good story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The overall story in A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot is sweet and delightful; however, the plot holds so much more than romance and courtship in the Texas Hill Country. Similar to the first in this Cimarron Creek Trilogy (A Stolen Heart), romance abounds; however, this second book touches on several other interesting topics: family, faith, forgiveness, secrets, betrayal, small-town gossip and mayhem, and ethics, all of which make for an entrancing story filled with well-developed characters, including a few bad guys that will get you riled up at their evil behavior and wretched personalities. Well done, Amanda Cabot!

What makes this story stand out (for me, at least) is the use of plastic surgery. The author provides an interesting note at the end, detailing the history of the term and the medical practice that seems so modern but most definitely is not. I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspect of this type of medical procedure in this story, as well as the reminder that some medical practices of yore were often quite barbaric and often misguided.

While each book in this trilogy is a standalone, I encourage you to pick up the first, A Stolen Heart, so that you can benefit from the backstory of several characters. It's not necessary, of course, but it's worthwhile because A Stolen Heart is just as sweet and lovely as A Borrowed Dream. I must admit that after reading both books, I had a ferocious craving for some fudge, and maybe you will too.

Another interesting aspect is the concept of dreams. Reading the story will give you more insight, but I will say that dreams (the kind we have when we're asleep and awake) do not always occur in a vacuum. Our lives, including our dreams, touch others in so many ways. Catherine Whitfield in A Borrowed Dream finds that out when she meets a young widower, who at first is not the man she wants but who quickly proves he really is the man of her dreams and that family and truth are what matter the most and often bring the most joy. When Catherine opens her heart, she finds peace, forgiveness, joy in helping others, and an unexpected answer to her dreams for both travel and family.

Amanda Cabot's A Borrowed Dream is a departure from what I typically read and I like that. This inspirational small town historical fiction with romantic elements hits all the right spots when you want to take a break from the regency or contemporary books that dominate the marketplace today. It's the second book in the series but the first I've ever read by this author, yet I did not feel lost in not having read A Stolen Heart first.
This book introduced a lot of characters (the children - Hanna and Seth - are my favorites), but Ms. Cabot was able to center her story around Catherine and Austin. I really liked that they're fully formed characters with strengths and weaknesses, so well-developed that you can picture them in your head. By the time you get through reading the book, you'll feel like these people actually lived in 1881, in the Hill Country of Texas.
There's a lot to this book--romance, friendship, some suspense and mystery, medical history, small-town intrigues--but amidst it all there's always the messages of forgiveness and faith. Although it's an easy read, some themes Ms. Cabot touched on were quite heavy. Child abuse, rape, adoption, and murder were treated with sensitivity. Cruelty to children is something I cannot abide that's why I really felt for Seth.
A Borrowed Dream is a well-written book by a talented author. I especially liked the Author's Letter at the end with its surprising information about plastic surgery. I do love books that educate and inform as well as they entertain. I'll now have to go back and pick up A Stolen Heart while waiting for A Tender Hope.

There is something about this little Texas town called Cimarron Creek. It is a quaint western town with citizens that mostly help and support one another. I think life was a bit simpler back then too.

This installment focuses on the schoolmarm, Catherine. We met her in A Stolen Heart (book 1) and while I thought I might know who was going to be her love match in that first book, I couldn't have been more wrong.

While this is an enjoyable story with plots twists and turns, it is also educational. When I first read that Austin was a plastic surgeon I thought this could not be possible. However, the author's notes at the end of the story gave me the history of this profession and that there were doctors going back to Egyptian times that performed procedures similar to microdermabrasion.

The story is also full of conflict - from past wrongs to one father beating his son just because he likes to draw. And of course the conflict between Austin and Sherman, the mafia boss type. However, the story does have a happy ending but leaves lots of openings for future stories about this little town called Cimarron Creek.

I slightly stepped out of my comfort zone when I decided to read this one, and while not the best way to go about choosing books to read and review, I was instantly charmed by this cover as well as the synopsis and had to know more! Now, having completed it, I can honestly say that I absolutely enjoyed every minute of my time in Cimarron Creek and I can't wait to start reading the author's other series as well!

Although this is the second installment in the trilogy, each book stands on its own and was so well written with intriguing and fully developed characters that I never felt as though anything was lacking. While there are quite a few characters to keep track of to include their individual paths throughout the course of the novel, in Cabot's deft hand, none of that becomes overwhelming or confusing. She is able to effortlessly weave the plot and subplots together so that everything becomes integral to the story. Smooth transitions and steady pacing helped build these many interwoven relationships into a rich and multilayered story that kept me turning the pages! Don't let the romance genre fool you! Cabot has crafted a believable love story that is filled with elements of suspense, mystery, and history with a gentle sprinkling of Christian messages to guide us along the way. It is always so refreshing to read about characters living beyond themselves and trying to make a difference in the community and world around them. Catherine and Austin truly embodied that spirit, and through them, Cabot took this light romance to an inspiring level.

Additionally, two children, Seth and Hannah, are prominently featured, and I was greatly impressed by Cabot's ability to give each of them a voice within this story. They too face hardships and struggles that need addressing, and their characterization is just as well done as any of the adults if not better.

Overall, this was an incredibly heartwarming story that I do hope you will read! I'm looking forward to returning to Cimarron Creek in the next book, but for now, you can find me behind the pages of the first book, A Stolen Heart.

A Borrowed Dream is the second book in the Cimmaron Creek Trilogy and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first book in the series.
I love Historical fiction and Ms. Cabot has recently become one of my favorite authors in this genre. Catherine and Austin are characters that appealed to me and it was easy to get caught up in their storyline. They are both adamant about protecting the ones they care for and go to great lengths to do so.
There is suspense, surprises and a few twists that made this one a pleasure to read.
I received a copy from the publisher and have given my honest opinion.

This was a wonderful story. I loved the secret that Austin Goddard has. I was fascinated that there was plastic surgery that was being done in the 1880’s. Catherine was a great character also. I can’t wait for the next book in this series. This is a greT western historical romance with that bit of suspense. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor's excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek's dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.

Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He's managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.

With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.

I enjoyed reading this book. I didn't realize that plastic surgery had been around that long. We take our modern medicine for granted not realizing what was acceptable 100 years ago could kill you.

Catherine did have a legitimate reason for distrusting doctors. So I can see why Austin would hesitate to tell her he was a doctor. Let alone that if it got out him and his daughter would be killed.

I enjoyed reading this book. It wasn't an edge of your seat book. But still had mystery to it. I would recommend this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.

The next book in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy by Amanda Cabot is A Borrowed Dream. I was so excited to read this next story in this wonderful series, because the first book, A Stolen Heart, was so good. Both of these books take the reader back to another world, but interestingly, this world mimics so much of what we know and understand in today’s society. I suppose it is true—history can and does repeat itself. There are still individuals who are good, bad, honorable, trustworthy, and evil; therefore, just as these characters in this book had to learn to recognize the difference, so we must do the same today. That is one of the wonderful aspects about reading. Stories can teach us so much about ourselves, our world, and how to live a proper life, which is exactly what these books by Cabot accomplish. I highly recommend checking out these books.

This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

A Borrowed Dream by Amanda Cabot is the second novel in Cimarron Creek Trilogy. Catherine Whitfield is the schoolteacher in Cimarron Creek and lives alone since her mother passed away. Catherine has a strong dislike of physician’s courtesy of the local doctors archaic practice of bleeding, purging and blistering which hastened her mother’s demise. Catherine has a chance to marry, but she does not want to be a person’s second choice. Austin Goodard is the new widower in town with a young daughter, Hannah. He has traveled across the country to hide from Sherman Enright. Sherman is a dangerous criminal who wants Austin to use his surgical skills in a way that goes against Austin’s values. Unfortunately, Sherman is not one to take no for an answer. Austin has bought a ranch and is keeping his medical background under wraps. Catherine and Austin are brought together in their desire to help Hannah, who has become withdrawn and quiet, and assist Seth Dalton. Seth has an abusive, slave driver for a father and natural artistic skill. Austin is falling for the schoolteacher, but she is unaware of his secret. In order for Austin to have the future he envisions with Catherine, he will have to deal with Sherman Enright.

A Borrowed Dream is well-written, has a steady pace and delightful characters. The characters are well-developed and, most of them, are warm caring people that you would want as friends. Sherman Enright and his minions along with Seth’s father provide a counterpoint to Austin and Catherine. There are smooth transitions as the story goes from one scene to the next. Amanda Cabot has a fluid writing style that gives readers an engaging novel. It is a multi-layered story (which I loved) filled with suspense, mystery, history and romance. I had no idea there were plastic surgeons that far back in history. The author included some research information at the end of the book that propelled me into finding out more about the profession (it is fascinating). The Christian element is present and is gently woven into the story (forgiveness, prayer, having faith, trust, helping others and letting God show you the way). It is done with a light touch. A Borrowed Dream can be read alone. The characters from A Stolen Heart are in A Borrowed Dream, and it is nice to catch up with them. Grace Sims is a character introduced in the story (Catherine takes her in), and I hope we get to find out more about Grace in the next book in the trilogy. A Borrowed Dream is a heartwarming and charming story that will delight those who read it.

Amanda Cabot has written another awesome read! A Borrowed Dream has love, hope, dreams, conflict, three-dimensional characters, and more.

The premise is outstanding: Catherine Whitfield would love nothing more than to marry, but has no intention of being a man's second choice. So, when she meets Austin Goddard, a widow, she immediately writes him off as she doesn't want to be a man's second love. On the other hand, Austin's six-year-old daughter, Hannah, has no interest in a new mother. And the last thing Austin wants to do is mess up Hannah's life any more than he already has.

Austin and Catherine have strong romantic feelings for each other, but continue to hold those feelings far away for as long as possible. I also enjoyed the complexity of Austin's daughter as she used to be cheery, but now barely speaks and is clearly unhappy. This was a fun storyline to unpeel.

Another winner by Amanda Cabot, grab your copy of A Borrowed Dream today!

Amanda Cabot is one of my favorite historical romance fiction authors and her latest novel is another excellent read! "A Borrowed Dream" is book #2 in her Cimarron Creek Trilogy. Catherine's mother died as a result of the doctor's method of treatment and therefore Catherine cannot trust a medical profession again. Catherine is resigned to the fact that she is living life alone and lives each day fulfilling her responsibility as the town schoolteacher. However, when a newcomer arrives in town, things begin to change. Austin has arrived in town with his daughter and he is captivated by Catherine. He is not whom he seems to be and as the relationship between the two develops he is not sure he can continue to hide under his charade.
Amanda has done an incredible job with tying together historical details with characters whom are relatable and whom the reader cannot help but love and root for. The story just flows so well from start to finish as the reader is introduced to various characters and learning their stories while at the same time seeing the interactions among characters and their lives intersecting and the storyline developing. This is such a great series and I am anxiously awaiting book #3!

Another masterpiece by Amanda Cabot...She is an amazing author and storyteller. Reading her novels are truly a gift to yourself. Pick this one up and savor ever page. You'll be glad that you did.

A Borrowed Dream is a book about trust, opening of ones self up too another, forgiveness and care-giving. You have one that doesn't trust one group of people because of their profession because of what one cruel idiotic person .did to a loved one and they have closed themselves off because of it. You have another closing themselves off to protect their family (daughter) and themselves from irreparable harm. You have another who is being harmed left and right and the first two are trying to help and whilst doing so starting to fall for each other while one holds a secret that could be detrimental to the relationship. So where does their help come from? Who do they turn to trust and lean on? That's right - you all have it!

A delightful, fill your heart, kind of story.

Second in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy, (you can EASILY read this as a standalone. There are references to the previous book, but they're explained well enough) I was thrilled to see this become available on Netgalley (thank you to Netgalley and Revell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review)

In this installment, school teacher, Catherine Whitfield, still in mourning over her mother's death at what she feels was malpractice of the town doctor. The new family in town, widower Austin Goddard and his daughter Hannah have come to Cimarron from Philadelphia, where Austin was a plastic surgeon. He's run to Texas to hide from a criminal whom he refused to alter the face of.

For those that like a wholesome romance, with a touch of suspense and intrigue, you will LOVE this book. The author, Amanda Cabot is absolutely wonderful at weaving a tale that takes you back in time and keeps you there.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2352861895

A Borrowed Dream is the sequel to A Stolen Heart; both take place in the small Texas town of Cimarron Creek. A Borrowed Dream follows the town's teacher, Catherine, and Austin Goddard, a man on the run. The two struggle to keep their friendship casual as they both discover more about each other, the town, and themselves.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Though I anticipated how well-written it indeed was, I did not expect it to be so entirely fresh and yet still tied so perfectly to the first. I often feel like sequels are either too like the first or not related enough to the first, but this was neither. It tied in perfectly to the first without redoing the same plot or hyper-focusing on the same cast. It was beautifully written and extremely original.
My one qualm is that there is quite a bit of darkness for a Christian romance. There are several violent deaths which, though not described in detail, are a bit jarring to both the plot and the reader. Also, like the first, there is a woman heinously mistreated by a central character. While I understand the need for some of this for the plot, it seemed a bit overwhelming to have so much tragedy in such a small town. Plus, as a Christian novel, I think there were a great many places where hope and Light could've been inserted simply and without too much ceremony while still pointing the reader to a greater plan.
Overall, it was a good read. The plot was well-worked without being overdone, and the characters were original and enjoyable to read. So glad I got a chance to continue on in Cimarron Creek, and will definitely keep an eye out for the next one!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Revell for providing me a copy of A Borrowed Dream or my review! As always, my opinions are strictly and uniquely my own.

*I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Revell at Baker Publishing Group via NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts below are my own.

A Borrowed Dream, book two in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy is a book that rather surprised me.  It is the first book I've read by author, Amanda Cabot. The story begins when Austin Goddard and his young daughter move to Cimarron Creek, harboring secrets that mean life or death.  As Austin ushers his young daughter to school, he meets the young and beautiful school teacher, Catherine, who he quickly begins falling for while he battles his need to keep his true identity secret and keep his daughter safe.  Catherine finds herself wrapped up in her own secrets and trials as she walks through life with a mistrust for the town's current doctor, meets and takes in a stranger, and cares for her schoolchildren.  The story is one of new love, secrets, forgiveness, tragedy and even mild suspense.  

In beginning this book, I immediately saw the connection to the first book in the series, which I have not yet read.  At times, I did feel like I had missed something, especially when it came to understanding some of the characters and their history, but this book does focus on a story that is completely separate from book one. Without giving too much away, the love story is sweet as we see a relationship form out of friendship and respect.  There are fairly exciting twists and turns that keep readers interested and turning the pages to find out what happens next. There's even an evil villain... The story moves quickly, is sweet, touching, predictable, clean and has the perfect happy ending, just as you'd expect. 

A Borrowed Dream has similarities to Janette Oke's "Love Comes" series so if you're a fan of hers, you will really enjoy Amanda Cabot as well.  Because the story does touch on subjects like murder and rape, I would ask parents of young adult readers (ages 11-13) to consider the reader's maturity level but I do feel the book was well suited for teenage girls 14+.  My reason for this rating is simply a matter of personal opinion.  The book was good and I liked it. You may like it much more than I did.  I desired a deeper storyline, while this one merely skimmed the surface. Several tragedies happen and I felt the author only lightly touched on what would have been a deep impact for such a small, close knit community.  The predictability was another factor that I wrestled with, unfortunately knowing exactly how the book would end. The outcome of too many events felt so convenient and obvious for the storyline. However, amidst my desires for something deeper, I still found myself turning the pages as the story moved along, held my interest and had various climactic elements. When all was said and done, I found myself wanting to read more by this author in this series and I think you will too!  Again, if you're looking for a cozy, historical fiction read with engaging elements, this is the book for you!