(4.5 stars) - Reunited and it feels so good!

[This is Book 3 in the author's Canadian Crossing series. The previous books will provide additional insights & depth to the characters, but it can readily standalone without difficulty as well]

Quinn comes back from the war only to discover that his mother is sick and his younger siblings have been shipped off to Canada to be indentured servants. Quinn promised his father that he'd keep the family together, so he asks his employer for leave to find them & bring them back. His employer agrees but asks that Quinn also help find his niece in return.

Thus he finds himself in Canada at the beginning of a long journey full of unexpected twists & turns. The topic of the abuse of these children, similar to the Orphan Train, is not an easy one to read, but the author keeps it positive and hopeful. There are uplifting themes of compassion, forgiveness & reconciliation, but also important ones such as defending the defenseless. And of course the overarching theme of the gift of family.

This was a very well done story that kept me riveted right up to the end

*Clean romance level: sweet kisses, nothing graphic, though there is a situation involving a lascivious landlord with implied sexual menace

*Religion: an inspirational Christian story

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason gets five stars from me. This new-to-me author has delivered a great story on so many levels. Her book centers on Quinten Aspinall, a former valet who has returned from serving in World War One. He discovers his mother dying in the workhouse and his younger siblings sent to Canada as orphans.

Asking his employer to allow him time to go and find the children, Quinten sets off with the second task of bringing the Lord’s niece back with him.

Julia Holloway left England to assist a wounded soldier as he returned to his homeland. When her patient dies, estranged from her uncle, she’s left destitute and cleaning floors to scrape by. As she learns to trust Quentin, it looks like her problems may be over, until a shocking discovery changes everything.

Quinten battles to locate his brothers and sister and eventually discovers some horrific abuse. Thankfully he is able to save one brother from a cruel farmer and makes contact with the other Aspinall refugees.

Set in the backdrop of World War One, and shining light on a little known and utterly heartbreaking post war situation, The Brightest of Dreams showcases the human capacity to love beyond reason and fight when hope seems lost.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the British Home Children and was kept guessing as to the outcome of all the story threads until the very end. If love stories, difficult odds, and a glimpse at another time and place appeal to you as a reader, this is a book I’d highly recommend.

Read an excerpt or buy the book here…

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This is the third book in this series that I have read and enjoyed, saying that I do feel that you could read this one by its self, but the others as equally good!
This story is fiction, as the author’s notes states, but it is based on fact, and it happened to so many families. This time the author focusses on a family with three sons and one daughter, while the older son is fighting in the great war, the family falls on hard times and put into an orphanage in England, only to completely lose the children to Canada.
We are given a desperate young man searching for his sister and two younger brothers, but also looking for his employer’s niece! What a journey we embark on and all the while you wonder if he will find his family in time. What of the niece, well that is another story, one that could almost be another book.
A beautiful job the author does of wrapping up this series, and give closure to all the characters we are or have been caring about!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Bethany House, and was not required to give a positive review.

Thank you to Bethany House for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed coming back to this series and getting to see how this new character's story went and also visiting some characters that are consistent throughout the entire series as well. I also liked how the author chose to focus on children's home history in this book. I learned a lot and was shocked by the treatment of some of the children described in this book. I think the author did a great job shining light on this part of history, that I have never heard about. 

I loved the character of Julia. I thought she was written well and seemed like a genuine person that I would want to befriend. Though she has many troubles throughout the book, she is always so humble and gracious to those around her. I did not love the main character, Quinn, however. I think he needed some more development, especially towards the end of the book. This character has a lot of complex issues and emotions that the reader does not get to see him work through them realistically. I feel like his story ending was tidied up too neatly without showing the inner turmoil and resolutions.

EXCEPTIONAL ENDING TO THE TRILOGY
Following WWI, three strangers boarded the SS Olympic and became friends with similar quests. This final story follows Quinten Aspinall as he searches for his three missing siblings who were shipped from Derbyshire, England to Canada, without his mother’s consent, on an orphan ship to become indentured servants.
“The war was over. He’d survived. A major accomplishment to say the least. Yet that blessing paled when he thought about the fate that had befallen his family. Becky, Cecil, and little Harry. Lord, keep them safe – wherever they are.”
After informing his employer of his plans, he is tasked with also bringing back the Earl’s niece, Julia Holloway, who left with a wounded soldier to be his caregiver and make her own way in the world.
Arriving in Toronto, Quinn makes his way to the charming Mrs. Chamberlain’s boarding house from the previous books. Julia and Quinn are drawn together in unexpected ways that go far beyond him retrieving her from Canada; some dangerous, some tense, some sweet. *“I found a charming eatery on the next street. I doubt they have true English tea, but I’m willing to brave it if you are.” She gave a light laugh that went straight to his chest. “I’ve yet to find a truly good cup of tea,” she said, “though Mrs. Chamberlain’s came very close.”
**“Everything about Julia – her beauty both inside and out – drew him to her like a bee to nectar.”
***“He, Grace, and Emma had come to Canada, each with their own hopes and dreams for the future. And after enduring hardship and loss, they had all found their path. Surely the hand of God had been on their lives every step of the way.”
The relationship between Mrs. C and the Reverend was very sweet. The difficulties of the young siblings, particularly Harry were sad to read, but not unlike the situations of the orphan train children here in America.
The COVER is fantastic featuring Quinten in period clothing, with gentle street lamps behind him.
I enjoyed reading the author’s endnotes about Dr. Barnardo’s homes and the thousands of children sent to Canada from England, particularly how little had been written about them.
I recommend this story if you enjoy drama and romance in a historical setting.

Thank you to the publisher / author who sent me a review copy. My honest opinion is my own without expectation or compensation.

Canadian Crossings Series
1 The Best of Intentions – Grace Abernathy’s story 07/2018
2 The Highest of Hopes – Emmaline Moore’s story 03/05/2019
3 The Brightest of Dreams - Quinten Aspinall’s story 02/04/2020

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The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason is the third book in the Canadian Crossings series and quite possibly my favourite book in this series. With returning characters from the first two books, and a closer look at the wonderful Mrs. "C" I am yearning for this series to continue as I don't want to let the characters go.

This story is very moving as Quinten Aspinall sets out to find his brothers and sister. All three were placed in the infamous Dr. Barnardo Homes that brought thousands of children from England to Canada to be adopted. Instead, many of them suffered horrible abuses at the hands of their new "families" who treated them no better than slaves. In The Brightest of Dreams, Quinten has to go through the complicated process of finding his siblings and bringing them home. Not an easy thing to do when those in charge keep telling him, he has no legal right to know about them.

Quinten was also charged with bringing back his employer's niece, Julia. Her story, and how Quinten rushes in to save her, provided a sweet romance.

I did have one problem while I was reading this book. Keeping my stories straight! I kept getting the characters mixed up with the ones in No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky. Her story of siblings being sent to the Barnardo Homes after a parent fell ill, was eerily similar to Quinten's siblings. Probably because in real life, it happened all too often. In both cases, the mother had not relinquished her children for adoption, but unknowingly signed papers that said they did. And I found myself wondering at the end of the book why it felt like I had read about these children before. Of course, I hadn't, and the names were different, but the experiences of the children were similar.

Despite my brain glitch, I loved this story! Susan Anne Mason did an excellent job on her research of the Barnardo Homes. While the topic was a sad one, the faith of Quinten and Julia as they work together to help each other, left me wanting to read more. I will miss these characters.

I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of Bethany House Publishers, through NetGalley for my honest review.

Susan Anne Mason's The Brightest of Dreams is an incredible story. With incredible odds, one young determined man, Quentin Aspinall undertakes to reunite his two brothers and sister. His goal was to restore them to his mother, who, in poor health and dire straits, gave their care temporarily over to Dr. Bernardo's Homes. Little did she know that they would be put on a boat for Canada.

I can't imagine how difficult this situation would be. Although this is a work of fiction, the children in this story could have been a handful of over one hundred thousand children shipped off from Dr. Thomas Bernardo Homes. The British Home Children were sent to Canada and worked under contract on farms, as housemaids or other jobs as indentured servants. Many, as in the case of Quinn's brothers Cecil and Harry, who were sent to separate farms, were ill treated and especially, like little Harry, malnourished.

The plight of the young, who don't have the resources to stand up for themselves in poor conditions is an unfair fight. Not only children, but also young women, like Julia Holloway, who was preyed upon unethically, had little voice when people in authority could determine their future at will.

Julia's faith helped her endure the difficult circumstances she found herself in with grace and dignity. Quinn, who became a constant in her life also possessed a strong faith. He trusted God as he forged ahead with his plans that at times were so difficult. Yet, he was stalwart, patient and loved his family fiercely for one so young. I liked this book. The elements of faith woven throughout made this poignant story all the richer. The characters were well developed, coming alive as the story unfolded.

If you enjoy historical fiction, I recommend The Brightest of Dreams for your reading list. The children who became the British Home Children, along with the children in America who were sent on Orphan Trains became a part of the history of North American. For when they grew up and out of their situations, they emerged, after all, as the men and women who helped settled North America.

I was pleased to receive an advance copy of this book for review. Although I have enjoyed other books by this author, my opinions are mine.

The book is very similar to another book written about the British Home Children but with a twist. It's hard to imagine British children being shipped off to Canada without their parent's consent. Stories such as this are heartbreaking when realized they are based on facts. Recommended!

I have enjoyed this series thus far and found this book to be well written. This was a sweet easy to read romance but I had difficulty believing how easily things just worked out for Quinn and Julia throughout the saga. I liked that the characters from the previous books were joined together at the end briefly.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

When I received this book for review I did not realize that it was the third book in a series. Initially I did not have any trouble following the story, however in the last couple of chapters, there were interactions between characters that I did not understand that were clearly referring to back-story of which I was unaware. Therefore, I would recommend you read the previous novels in the series.

That said, I enjoyed the book despite these brief moments of confusion. Perhaps enjoyed is too strong of a word. Intrigued might be more accurate of a description. Some of the subject matter was quite heavy, including abuse of several varieties. I don’t enjoy reading about such things. Yet, the book offered hope and a future for its characters, with a suitable happily ever after ending.

Before reading this novel I was unaware of the number of British children who were sent to Canada as indentured servants. I appreciate the author’s research and the way that she has uncovered this rather dark segment of history and made it come alive in novel form.

I received a free digital galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Brightest of Dreams
by Susan Anne Mason
Bethany House
Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book before publication! I Loved this book. Our library has many books by this author and publisher. This is by far one of my favorite books Mason has written. I will make sure we order it and I recommend it to our readers.

I've long been a fan of Susan Anne Mason's work, right from the when I read Irish Meadows and all the books following in that series! I think after thinking about all of them I've read so far, this is my favorite. Quinten, bless him, has such good intentions and such a noble heart, while struggling with a promise he made to his father and his desire to keep it. Deeply rooted in Canadian history, this story brings these events to life and helps us understand what the children shipped over from Britain as indentured workers endured.

Seeing cameo appearances from characters from the first and second books in the Canadian Crossings series brings it all to a satisfying conclusion.




Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book. My opinion is my own.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really loved this book! Its book 3 of the series but can be read as a stand-alone. The story is about people after war. They’re trying to put their lives back together, and unforeseen circumstances have separated them. Children were shipped off to Canada and can’t be found.
The Quinten was honorable and godly and the Julia was brave and determined. I loved their story.
The writing was very good. And the side characters added a pleasant layer to the story.
The romance was wonderful, which is always super important to me. And I enjoyed reading about the history of the orphanage. I had no idea!
I highly recommend this book and I hope you enjoy it has much as I did.

This was a NETGALLEY gift and all opinions are my own.

I’ve always been interested in the orphan trains and found this book about Britain’s Home Children in Canada fascinating as well. It is similar to Carrie Turansky’s “No Ocean Too Wide.” It’s crazy that over 100,000 kids were sent to become indentured laborers, many times without family permission or knowledge. I can imagine how horrifying that would be to Quentin and others in this situation.
I enjoyed that this book overlapped with the other two in the series. I like coming across familiar characters. Quentin is a good man. He feels the weightiness of being the head of the family and goes to great lengths to keep his promise to his father. Yet he finds that his siblings aren’t as appreciative or accepting of his plans as he thought they’d be.
This book is a little heavier in tone than some others by Mason but it was very enjoyable. I’d recommend it. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

After mustering out of the Great War and returning to his post as personal valet to a member of Britain's aristocracy, Quinton Aspinall learns his mother is in the workhouse and his three siblings have been shipped to Canada to work there as indentured servants. He is determined to find them and bring them home so their family can be whole again. His employer agrees to Quinton going as long as he searches for and brings him his own wayward niece who has run off with a Canadian soldier, promising Quinton a free and clear tenant farm.

Julia Holloway's dreams have been shattered after going to Canada with a soldier. Now she is working as a maid and her life is about to turn upside down again. She meets, quite by chance, Quinton, and agrees to help him find his siblings. As they start on the journey to reunite his family, they discover shocking truths about how these so called orphans have been treated.

Susan Anne Mason has given her readers a good lesson in history with a fact-based story of the many children shipped to Canada for a better life. Combined with her ability to tell a good story, this is a book to settle in with and enjoy.

*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason is the third book in the Canadian Crossings series, but it can be read independently, I didn’t read the previous books and had no problems (it did mention the main characters of the other novels, and I think it would be nice to see how they all faired if I’d read the previous books). I’m now very curious after the other books and I have made reservations at the library, as there is a waiting list for all Susan’s books!

In this novel we follow Quinn and Julia with the occasional POV of Mrs. C., a wonderful boarding house lady. It’s 1919, and Quinn has returned from the war only to find that his family was torn apart. His mother is in the working house, and his 3 siblings went to an orphanage and ended up in Canada, where they became contracted laborers. Quinn made a promiss to his dying father he would keep the family together and feels like he has totally failed his promise, and sets off to Canada to bring them all home. But first he visits his former employer to ask if he can get his job as valet back after he finds his siblings. The earl sees an opportunity as his niece is in Canada as well, and he’d like her to return. If she indeed returns, he will reward Quinn with what he truly wants: a farm of his own. With this incentive Quinn really can’t say no and sets off to Canada.

This book literally kept me up at night. There were so many twists and turns and the plot thickens so much! There were quite a few side stories which I really loved, but of course the main plot of whether the siblings would be found was very intruiging. And haunting, too. To imagine that so many children (100,000 as the author explains in the end) were shipped off to a new country, often with relatives still in England, and forced to work under often dire circumstances with no protection and no way to escape the contract, it broke my heart. I had never heard of this, and it was appalling. I applaud the author for tackling such a heavy subject that should not be overlooked. Because you can see what happens to the siblings, and how powerless even a brother is, it really hits home. Thank goodness there was a lot of kindness too! I love how fiercely protective Quinn is of his family, and is literally 24/7 busy creating a right future for everyone and making sure everyone is safe. He can be a bit overprotective at times, because often the reality is different than he imagined in his head, and to adjust to reality is a bit hard for him. But he always does the honorable thing and is a true gentleman.

Julia has left her privileged life to care for wounded soldiers, and then went back to Canada with a soldier who needed her help. However, bad things have happened and she is forced to take a job that barely pays and live in a hovel with a leering landlord, and is down to her last penny. I kept yelling in my head for Quinn to arrive and help her out of this terrible situation, and thankfully he did. Shouldn’t have been a day later. Quinn already made some new friends who can help, and Julia ends up in a boarding house with Mrs. C. who is a true gem. She has her own story to tell, and how she practices faith is really inspiring. I really loved the subtle themes of forgiveness, mercy and justice and I also really admired how Julia, with her privileged background, really trusted in God and that He would care for her day by day. That was very inspiring, especially as she teached Quinn this lesson by example. There is talk of faith in this book, but it’s not preachy and not in your face, which I personally really like.

I really loved all the characters (except one lol, but he made an excellent villain and his arc was really good), they were all fleshed out and had their own motives. The romance was top notch and exciting and the writing style impressed me, I just couldn’t stop reading. And those twists and turns were amazing! I absolutely loved this book and I could go on and on with this review, which already turned out a bit too long. This is a story everyone will love, with a lot of depth and richness and you simply can’t stop reading because you need to know what happens next.

I received a free e-copy from Bethany House through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize this was book 3 in the series when I requested it. It's a standalone and I didn't have any problems following the story.

Quinn comes back from the war and finds his mother in the workhouse and his younger siblings taken to Canada. Before his father died, he made Quinn promise he'd keep the family together, which Quinn feels strongly about. He asks his employer for leave and in turn the employer asks for Quinn's help bringing home his estranged niece.

At first, Julia doesn't trust Quinn but when he saves her from a bad situation, they form a friendship that slowly develops an attraction between the two.

After finding his siblings in different towns and conditions, Quinn discovers that bringing them home is not as simple as he thought.

I liked the way the relationship between Quinn and Julia developed, and how protective of her he was. There's a strong sense of family and of righting the wrongs that were made.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I really enjoy how Bethany House actually put the hero on the cover of Susan Anne Mason's latest novel, The Brightest of Dreams. So many books in the Christian fiction market always has the heroine on the novel. It was nice to see a different perspective for the cover. I have read the first two books in Mason's Canadian Crossing series, and I couldn't wait to read Quinn's story. It does have a ring of familiarity to it, but I felt engrossed in the plot, and I couldn't wait to see if Quinn actually kept his promise to his father, so I stayed glued to the story. The romance was sweet and organic. I enjoyed seeing hints of the main characters in another book in this series. loved how the story ended. It made me smile. Overall, The Brightest of Dreams is a delightful read filled with heartfelt characters who captured my imagination. I can't wait to see what Mason comes up with next.


I received a complimentary copy of The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

This was my first experience with a novel by Susan Anne Mason, and I can guarantee it will not be my last. The Brightest of Dreams is a beautifully moving story that showcases the importance of faith no matter what the circumstances are, and how there's always light shining a way in the darkness.

One of my personal favorite things about reading historical fiction is learning about important parts of history that I wasn't really aware of prior. Being Canadian myself, I was intrigued by the synopsis of this one, and how it touches on a lesser known part of our country's history, the thousands and thousands of children that were brought over from the United Kingdom to be used as indentured laborers throughout the Canadian workforce. Reading Susan's story about the horrific conditions these children faced more often than not was eye opening and heart breaking, and I'm thankful that efforts are being made to bring out more of the truth about these darker times in Canadian history.

While the theme of her story is concerned with darker times, I loved the way it's showcased that even in those times God is still in control, and that there's always hope even when it seems hopeless. Quinn, Julia, Geoffrey and Harriet all have their own personal troubles, but each showcase an extreme amount of selflessness in the way they go about helping those suffering around them

Quinn is one of my favorite book hero's to date, as I loved his selfless nature, his compassionate heart, and the way he's determined to do whatever it takes to keep his ailing family together. Julia's bravery and determination made her stand out over the average book heroine, and I really enjoyed how her and Quinn's romance first starts out as a beautiful friendship. I also appreciated the fact that even though she'd been raised in upper society, she refused to think of herself as better than anyone else, and continued to believe that we are all equal in His eyes.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, then I highly suggest picking this one up. The story is well paced, the writing keeps the reader engaged, and the faith element is always at the forefront.

I really enjoyed this one, and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Final Rating: 4/5

Thanks so much to Bethany House and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Bethany House) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review.

A family reunited

I loved this book. It tells a story of the Home Children sent from England to Canada from an orphanage. When Quinn came back from serving in the Army he found that his mother was living in a workhouse and very ill and his sister and two brothers had been placed in an orphanage because his mother could no longer care for them. When he asks his boss for the time off and an advance in wages to search for his siblings he is granted that request with a stipulation that he search for and return with his boss's niece Julia that has run off with a wounded Canadian Soldier she was caring for.

Quinn takes on the challenge and this is the story of his quest. He arrives in Canada with no knowledge of where to look to find his siblings or the missing niece Julia. As the story unfolds within the pages of the books life will change for Quinn and Julia and he will realize what it is to be a real family. The book is well written in clean Christian writing. There is love, faith , understanding and forgiveness found within these pages.

I loved the story, the characters and how well the book is written covering a subject matter which has been mostly lost in history. I would recommend this book.

Thanks to Susan Ann Mason, Bethany House Publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advance copy of the book.