"The Brightest of Dreams" By Susan Mason is the third book in the Canadian Crossings series. This series is an historical fiction series. It takes place in Derbyshire , England in Spring of 1919. The setting goes between the wealthy estate of Lord Brentwood's estate in Derbyshire, England and Nova Scotia , Canada. One of the themes is rich vs poor. Quinn the main character has a heart for doing what is right. He has good character. He wants to do what is right no matter what the cost is for him. I like his character since He values what is lasting instead of just material worth. During this time in history there are many children who become orphans. Some of the children that have become orphans are sent to Canada and it is hard to reconnect with the children after they are placed in an orphanage. The orphanage has rules that regulate their system. The parents either die or can not care for their children due to illness or other circumstances. The book was very well written. I like the way the author weaves Christian principles in the book. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book. I will post my book on netgalley, Goodreads, facebook, my blog, and with Church staff.

With her stellar writing voice and depth of research, Susan Anne Mason brings us another story highlighting a little known event in history called the British Home Children. Children who were supposed orphans sent over to Canada, oftentimes without the parents knowledge, to become indentured servants. Most of them to farm work and subjected to cruel conditions meted out by the farmers. Quinten Aspinall learns his three younger siblings were sent to Canada after their mom could no longer care for them and goes in a desperate search to reunite them. With the promise from his employer for his own tenement farm upon his successful return of Mr. Holloway's niece Julia, he sets off on a journey that proves to be challenging.

Mason brings this story to life in more ways than one for me. She is one of my top favorite historical writers because of the amount of research she puts into her books and creating characters that come alive. I can relate to the plight of Quinten and his strong desire to have his family safe under one roof and his motivation for a place to call his own; thus providing for the needs of those he loves. What sets out as an almost selfish reason becomes much more as things change for him. One of those reasons being Julia Holloway, his employers’ niece. He comes to care very much for her and wants to protect her upon learning a secret she has been carrying for far too long. He envisions a happy home with her by his side as his loving wife. Without spoiling it for other readers, Julia's life changes in an instant and her desire for a family of her own shatters with unexpected news. She faces it head on and with her faith intact, but at the same time, holds herself back from Quinten's affection thinking she does not deserve the gift of his love. I really love how the author uses other people in their lives to help guide them through tough times and gives them Godly wisdom. This story has so much depth to it, emotionally and plot wise. I found myself tuning out the world around me to plunge myself into the world of Quinten & Julia.

I always get so excited when I see a new book coming out from Susan Anne Mason because her writers’ voice draws the reader in completely! For me, she's one of those authors that I will automatically pick up a book to read just because it was written by her. This is for fans of historical fiction, who enjoy well researched novels based on real events but enough literary license to bring those people or events to life in a new way. Like living history through the pages of a book! She also weaves strong scriptural truths in her stories, which I appreciate. I can't say enough good about “The Brightest of Dreams” or Mason as a writer! Her books are always a must reads for me.

Be sure to read her authors note at the end where she talks more about the British Home Children, I found it added an extra layer to the story!

*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House on the authors behalf but was not obligated to leave a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own. *

I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. The Brightest of Dreams is the third book in the Canadian Crossings series. I was blessed to read the other two, so I already knew I was going to love this one. That being said, each book can totally be read as a stand alone novel as well. The series follows a group of friends who met while traveling to Canada, so they each have their own separate reasons for their journey. This story follows Quinten as he searches for his siblings who were mistakenly sent to an orphanage in Canada. Quinten and the heroine Julia were easy to love, although both were far from perfect. Julia has a secret and it tends to shape everything around her. Little does she know, if she just let Quinten in he might be just the man to help her. Quinten has plenty of his own problems concerning his siblings and the contracts that bound them. It was so interesting to imagine what something like that would have been like. Mason made it really hard to stop reading, I needed to know what Quinten and Julia were going to do. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Fiction. I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is an absolutely incredible historical romance!

We had been introduced to Quinn in the first book of this series. I loved finding out what had brought him to Canada. This is a stand-alone story. Yet at the same time Mrs. C and Reverend Burke are strong supportive characters in each book and their friendship carries over through all of them.

Julia Holloway is a very deep character. She has a lot of hurt that has shaped her and directs many of her decisions throughout the book. Her story points out how deeply someone can be wounded by something said out of anger.

I had never heard of the practice of sending children from England to Canada until I started hearing about the book in the author’s newsletters. The details that are given about the British Home Children and how they were treated were definitely eye opening. It reminded me a lot of the Orphan Trains that were used in America to send orphans west.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All of the opinions expressed are my own.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV


I just recently have heard of the British Home children but wasn't aware some of them had been sent to Canada as indentured laborers, mostly to work on farms.
British home children were said to be orphans but many in reality were not but came from homes where through sickness or death of one of the parents, had fallen on hard times.
From 1860 up until about 1948 over one hundred thousand children were sent from the United Kingdom to Canada. These same children rarely if ever spoke of this when they grew up.
I am grateful for the intense research the author has put into this book as she so accurately portrays
what the children went through and the struggle it was to try to retrieve some of these children home.
Quinten Aspinall makes a promise to his father to always take care of his mother and younger siblings and keep them together. He'll do everything in his power to keep this deathbed promise.
Upon returning from war he finds his siblings split up and had been sent to Canada as indentured workers.
Before he leaves to cross the ocean to find his siblings his employer offers him a deal to can not pass up, a tenant farm of his own for his ailing mother and siblings to be reunited on. There is a slight catch to this offer though his employer wants him to bring his wayward niece back home who ran off with a Canadian soldier.
In Canada, Quintin finds Julia but she's just received devastating news and doesn't feel like going home to her uncle is the right thing to do.
With Julia's help will Quinten be able to find his siblings and what about the feelings developing between the two of them as they closely work together?
Inspirational messages of God's unconditional love and forgiveness are what the author adds to her stories.
This is by far my favorite book of the Canadian Crossing series!

Published February 4th 2020 by Bethany House Publishers
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you
All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed this story. So many twists and turn.
Just when I thought I handle on who Julia was the author threw in something new. When that news settles we get something else to throw the reader off.
Quinn’s adventure to find his siblings will keep you interested as well. Nothing goes quit as he has planned, but it is highly engaging.
We have the added secondary character of Harriet and her desire to help the orphans being abused.
Overall, a very well done story with much to keep the reader engaged.

A copy of this book was given to me through the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This is the conclusión to the Canadian Crossings Series and it couldn’t have been a better story than this one to end a heartwrenching yet beautiful series that touched me deeply. There are three characters, Grace, Emma and Quinn, that embark on this epic journey to cross the ocean from England to Canada, all in search of family members. Grace is looking for her sister, Emma her recently discovered father, and Quinn, the hero of this story, makes this journey to find his siblings and maybe a runaway noble lady along the way… So I can’t praise enough this series! It was a compelling, deep and touching journey with each character in which they get to experience and learn many things: family bonds, forgiveness, second chances, unconditional love. It was truly inspiring, each story, and I’m still not sure, but maybe Quinn’s story is my favorite of all.
Quinten Aspinall comes back from war to an ailing mother and learns that she sent her children (his three siblings) to an orphan home because she was ill and couldn’t take care of them. These children were sent, without the mother’s permission, on a voyage to Canada, to become indentured servants to a farming family. When Quinn learns the fate of his younger siblings (Agnes, Cecil and Harry), he’s aghast and determines to travel to Canada, find them and bring them back to their mother and reunite the family. And maybe, just mybe, this could help his mother heal and fight for life again...
But this task is more than an arduous a challenge, especially when the Earl who employs him as his valet asks him to search for his niece who has runaway with a canadian soldier to Toronto. In return, if he finds her, he’ll let him have one of his tenants homes in his land, which will make it possible for him to give a stable home to his family, if he recovers them.
Julia never expected her life to be like it is now, in a foreign country, alone, and working non-stop at the Hospital as part of the cleaning staff. She can’t even make ends meet, she owes her landlord the rent, and he’s demanding undecent work from her if she doesn’t pay... But her uncle warned her to never come back if she left, so she’ll have to survive... Until Quinten comes to her rescue and saves her from her leecherous landlord, pays her debt and takes her to a safe place. Julia knows she owes Quinn so much, so when he asks her to help him find his siblings, she can’t say no... But there are secrets that will be revealed that will jeopardize this newfound friendship that is slowly growing into something more. And Quinn will find himself at odds when it seems he can’t have both: his family and a chance at true love? Will he be able to reunite his family? Will he and Julia overcome so many obstacles that stand between them?
This was a beautiful and heartwrenching story. I loved it all the more because it was based on real history. It’s so sad but true, that thousands of orphans were shipped from England to Canada, supposedly to find them a better life and future, but found themselves almost as slaves tied to their employees until they reached the majority of age, and never finding a loving family to take care of them. And some mother’s didn’t know they would be shipped across the ocean when they placed them in the British home because as widows they could no longer support them! It broke my heart to know that Quinn’s siblings plight was something real, even if this is a fictional story.
The story was beautifully crafted, intertwining Quinn’s and Julia’s difficult circumstances and making it an epic journey. The need to cling to hope and not give up, the beauty of finding friends and kind souls along the way, the need to deepen in their faith and believe that everything happens for a greater good, if you let God direct your path... There’s so much to learn in this story, about God’s unconditional love, about the force of family ties, the beauty of forgiveness and a sacrificial love, among other insights. This is a book that can be commented on a book club.
The characters felt real and relatable. I especially fell in love with Quinn, his quiet determination, his kind heart and selflessness. Julia grows throughout the story, being a girl who had everything to end losing everything, especially the loss of a person she loved and wanted to help. She becomes mature and hardworking and will eventually work through her pride and resentment. She has a lot to forgive and it won’t be easy, but her journey to love and freedom was beautiful to watch.
And finally Quinn and Julia’s love story was so sweet, unexpected to both of them. What they’ll have to go through in order to fight for each other you will have to see for yourself. I can only say that this story is so much worth it and it will leave you inspired and wanting to be a better person and to let God into your life and burdens so He can help you take care of them in the best -and often unexpected- of ways.
The historical part is rich in detail and seems well researched and accurate. I felt as if I traveled through time!
I definitely recommend this book to historical romance lovers. I wouldn’t call it a romance, because it’s so much more! This book can be easily read as a standalone, but I surely recommend the other two, even if they’re not read in order.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher vía NetGalley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ah, such a sweet conclusion to The Canadian Crossings series. Susan Anne Mason writes another fluidly moving story filled with hope, love, romance, and faith. This is book 3 in the series but can be read as a stand-alone; the three books are not sequential but simultaneous in timeline.

I really enjoyed getting to know Julia and Quinn. Julia is a strong but broken woman, trying her best to survive even when her circumstances are terrible. Quinn is a determined, loyal, and tender man who crosses the ocean to Canada to find his siblings who were sent over from England as indentured servants during WWI. The mistreatment and abuse of those children sent to Canada are real and heart-breaking, the love of Quinn for his younger siblings powerful and heart-warming. Some gentle twists and turns in the plot heighten the emotion in the second half of the book.

If you like historical romance, you will love this book and the entire series. I received a copy of the book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man's niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings.

Julia Holloway's decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle's employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn's kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything.

Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?

There were parts that really took my interest and I had to finish reading that section before doing anything else. There were other parts that was slow moving. It was interesting to learn about the orphanages in England and how they shipped children off to Canada for a supposed better life. Sometimes without the consent of their parents.

I like to go back and reread books. This is not one that I will be rereading. That being said, it's not a bad book. I just prefer mystery/suspense over this type of book.

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

I had never heard of children being sent to Canada from England to work as indentured servants. It was fascinating and horrifying to learn even a little bit about it through this story. I can't even imagine what the parents went through when they found out their children were sent halfway around the world.

This is book three in a series, but I haven't read the first two and didn't feel lost at all, so this does well add a stand-alone story. I do want to go read the first two now to see what they're about though.

This was a slow moving story for me, but I still enjoyed it. I liked the characters and the development that Quinten and Julia went through as the story progressed. I wasn't sure how each of them would be able to work out their happily ever after, but I was pleased with the way it happened. I would recommend this story.

This is the final book in a trilogy series but it can also work as a stand-alone. It's a historical romance that explores the social injustice done to thousands of British children who were shipped off to Canada to work as indentured servants. For such a heavy topic, the author does a good job of making this an informative and but sweet and enjoyable read.

A shining voice in Christian fiction brings a heartwarming tale of faith, hope, family, and redemption.

I love sweet Christian romance. Much of my teen years were spent reading books by authors like Gilbert Morris and Melody Carlson, so reading books in this genre is always like coming home for me. That’s why I like Susan Anne Mason. I loved her debut Irish Meadows and have enjoyed other books by her. The Brightest of Dreams, while not my favorite offering, was a good read. I loved Julia and Quinn. They make a wonderful couple and I’m pretty sure Quinn is one of the kindest, most loyal hearted heroes I’ve read about in recent memory. There were parts of the story that were hard for me to read (too sad!) and so I skipped over those, but I loved reading about Julia and Quinn and was happy with the ending.

This, of course, is wrapped in Mason’s skilled prose that I just love. Her style in so charming and it just makes me feel so good when I read it. And I love how her messages of faith are gently threaded throughout her novels. Not overbearing, but still very much present.

Avid readers of Christian fiction will love this endearing couple and the thoughtful style their story is told in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I always get excited to get my hands on a new release by Susan Anne Mason. Her third installment from her Canadian Crossings series, The Brightest of Dreams, is no different. I loved every single page of this book. Of the three books from the series, this one is probably my favorite. I loved the historical details that were so vivid, I felt like I was right there with Quinten and Julia.
I am giving The Brightest of Dreams a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy clean historical fiction.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

If you are looking for a great story about love, then Susan Anne Mason’s The Brightest of Dreams should be at the top of your list. Why? Because it has love all the way through the story. I don’t mean just romantic love, although there is that too, but love for others. First there is the love of Quinn for his family. He loves his family so much that he is willing to travel across an ocean to bring them all back together again. Second, there is the love of Julia for those she cares about. She is a very caring person who shows love even in not so great circumstances. Lastly, there is the love that Quinn and Julia find together. It was a very interesting book that dealt with seldom heard about historical events such as the children British orphanages shipped to Canada. It is the third book in the Canadian Crossings series but I don’t think you have to read the series in order to understand what is happening in this book. I would recommend this for those who enjoy historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

The years of this book are post WWI, and the many hardships that widows faced trying to feed, house and hold their families together. Susan has done her due diligence in researching the situations and conditions of that era. The orphanages mentioned actually existed, and the harsh treatment of the children was somewhat based on fact. The problems were the placing agencies never had enough staff to go back to check on the children they placed to be sure they were being treated decently and fed and clothed properly. When a young man returned from the war he found his mother near death in the Workhouse infirmary and his siblings shipped off to Canada. He vows to find his family and reunite them with his mother before she dies. His journey to find them makes for a very interesting book as the conditions he finds them in is horrible. He has to steal them away. He faces much opposition but is faithful and upright in his character and quest. There is love, faith , understanding and forgiveness found within these pages. Mason has another winner in this one…… My thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Having read Carrie Turansky's, No Ocean Too Wide, which also dealt with the British Home Children, I knew I was going to love Mason's series on this same subject. Book 3 finally brings the series to completion as Quinten Aspinall heads to Canada to try and find his 2 brothers and his sister, Cecil, Harry, and Becky along with his employer's (Lord Bentwood) niece. Nothing goes easy finding the children or locating Julia. Beset by one problem after another, Quinten's faith is the only thing that sustains him.

Quinten is an absolute swoonworthy hero as the cover's picture definitely depicts. Strong, faith-filled, courageous, and loyal, he is determined to do what's best for his siblings as he promised his father he would keep the family together as well as assist Julia. I loved how he supported Julia throughout the problems she faced and in helping her make the best decisions for her and her future life. Julia definitely ran into some true hardships, and it was nice to see her lean on God as she tried to find her way through them. Both she and Quinten had to learn to forgive themselves for the mistakes they made, so they could move on with their lives. This series definitely brings to life the plight of the British Home Children, how they were often mistreated and abused, and how they were taken from their parents without permission after being placed in orphanages due to a single parent's illness or inability to care for them short term.

I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy well researched historical fiction.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

The cover drew me in, then the title, and I smiled when I saw this was written by Susan Anne Mason. I had enjoyed books by this author, so I was thrilled to read her newest novel. I read the first page in the prologue, stopped and looked at the cover of the book again. Yes, I was reading the correct book. I stopped because I had read No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky last year and it had a similar beginning, I was a little confused (things were cleared up in the Author notes to readers at the end). When the prologue ended the similarities did too.

Quinten said his farewells to his family and was off to war. Now he was home to discover his family had been scattered about. Quinten told his employer he was off to Canada to gather his family together. His employer the Earl (who he worked for years prior to the war) had a proposition for him. The Earl would gladly hold his position, give him some spending money, if he would also search for Miss Julia Holloway, his niece. He does the only thing he can do, he says,”..You have my word, sir. I’ll do everything in my power to bring your niece back to you.”

This is in author notes to readers, “When the subject of the British Home Children in Canada was suggested to me as a possible topic for a book, I confess I’d never heard of them. Not in all the time growing up in Ontario – where a large majority of these children were sent – and never in any of the educational studies…. So, to find out about these children and the role they played in our country’s history was indeed surprising.”

This was a remarkable, fun, fascinating hard journey Quintin and his family took. The characters are endearing, this story had the reader think about loyalty, trust, love, honor, compassion, family and forgiveness. It’s a wholesome romance story sprinkled with faith. Even though this was book three in the series I didn’t feel lost in this gripping, heart-felt novel I couldn’t put down that was full of twists and turns I didn’t see coming.

I highly recommend this novel for a book club pick. There is much to discuss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Quinn and Julia’s story is interesting and well-written. Enough that I kept reading even when I could guess what would happen. But even though some parts were predictable, Mason still managed to surprise me in places.

The romance at times felt a little dry, but I did like Quinn and Julia’s relationship, especially since they knew each other before the novel. I also appreciated that the class distinctions were addressed. And I loved seeing how hard Quinn tried to do right by his siblings and Julia. Mason did a great job of making me root for Quinn, and I must admit I liked him better than Julia. But I liked her enough to want her to have a happily ending.

Mason did a great job exploring the stories of Quinn’s siblings. I had no idea that some British orphans were sent to Canada as indentured servants. The reader gets the chance to see not only the downsides of this system, but a few positives. Becca especially serves as a reminder that God can use all things for good. And the different experiences of Quinn’s siblings created a bit of tension as the reader wonders if Quinn will get them together again.

While this is the last in a series, The Brightest of Dreams serves as a standalone. I haven’t read the other two books in the series, but I was able to follow everything. I wouldn’t mind reading the other two novels. Seeing the characters’ brief appearances piqued my curiosity. I’ll have to add them to my TBR list.

In this last book of the Canadian Crossings Series, Susan Anne Mason has tied up the series with a bow. Quinten Aspinall is hired by his employer to go find his niece while he hunts for his siblings in Canada. The hunt is not as easy as it seems and he has to resort to a bit of underhandedness to find the information he wants.

The first person he finds is Julia, his employer's niece. He finds her in a less-than-safe situation and takes steps to get her into more suitable housing.

Quinten's siblings had been put into an orphanage while his mother went to the workhouse, hoping to earn enough money to get them out. The problem is that she will never earn enough money to get them out and they are shuffled to Canada before she knows what has happened to them.

Quint finds his younger brother and sees the conditions he's living in. His room is in the stable and his bed is straw. When Quint finds the youngest brother, the boy has been badly beaten and in poor health himself. Quint forcibly takes him away from the farmer and puts him up in the same boarding house as Julia.

The years of this book are post WWI, the problems are that the placing agencies never go back to check on the children they have placed to be sure they are safe, well-fed, and treated equitably. Susan has done her due diligence in researching the situations and conditions of the era. The orphanages mentioned actually existed, and the harsh treatment of the children was somewhat based in fact.

This is a five-star book with two thumbs up and a found relative.

My thanks go to NetGalley.com and Bethany House Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is the second book I have read from this author and I enjoyed it the most!
This book tackled some hard topics and sad realities in 1919, I had no idea that childhood indentures continued for so long! I was shocked!
I enjoyed the history and the unique setting of Canada!
The pacing of this book was perfect, always the right amount of tension or drama to keep me fully caught up in the story.
There were a couple things that seemed wrapped up a bit easy, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the story.
I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a historical drama set in the turn of the century.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgally, all opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions.