It was interesting reading this book at the end of a year marked with racial tensions in our country. Because of that, I think this book may find mixed reviews. We always want change to come quickly. But it takes a long time for long held beliefs to truly change. This book shows that happening in Cordelia, Phineas, and even Luther. Cordelia and Phineas live in the south and their families own slaves. At this time, owners were not allowed to free slaves. They felt they were doing enough by being relatively kind masters. They come to realize some of their own wrong thinking and prejudices. It's a good step.

I enjoyed Cordelia's romantic nature. She spins stories of adventure and rescue and love. When Phineas is missing, Cordelia's stories "made the impossible seem worthy of hope" (location 4053). Phin's father points out how the world needs happy stories during hard times and how they can be useful in reminding us what we're fighting for.

I would recommend this book. While it may not take things far enough for some, I think it's realistic in showing the beginnings of a heart change. In words Cordelia might use, there was a "dastardly villain" and a few beautiful souls who'd make great "knights in shining armor."

Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Once you turn the cover you will be quickly drawn in, and warning, this story just keeps getting better and better!

The time is the beginnings of the Civil War, and we are in the deep South. We are mainly with the Dunn and Owens families, and their in love offspring, Phin and Cordelia, and life that tries to tear them apart!

Warning, you are about to begin a journey that spans Continents, near death, loss and found, and you will be quickly page turning for answers, and hoping for their survival!

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

*** COMPELLING HISTORICAL, CLEARLY A LABOR OF LOVE ***
I suspect this book may be seen as controversial/difficult for some readers. It takes place during 1861 Civil War, with a heavy emphasis on slaves & slave owners. While that was a dark time in our history, it nonetheless did happen & should not be forgotten or ignored. The author shares that she literally spent years on this book, coming back to it, reworking & researching it. There are rich details & many struggles shared. I especially liked the relationship that developed between Luther, a free black man & Phin, newly signed up in the Confederate Navy (“Sarcasm doesn’t become you Luth.” “Nonsense. It & I are the dearest of friends.”) & how God used each of them to help the other with their problems & gain better understanding of the other’s race (“Father in Heaven,” he prayed softly, but loud enough that it might slice through the cloud of Phineas’s mind, “place your hand on young Phineas. Heal him, Lord, by the power of the blood of Christ Jesus, who has died so that we might live. Let this young man stand again, walk again. Go home again to the family he misses so much.”). I loved how both Phin & Delia grew in their compassion towards slaves, even to the point of helping them escape. Delia is consumed with writing fictional stories & the joy she gets in sharing them was fun to experience. There are several secondary stories adding to the book’s complexity. E.g., Salina is half black & half white. We see through her eyes the struggle that meant for her. Overall, this was a rich story that made me consider much, but still enjoy the journey of it.
I was gifted a book from the author & publisher for my honest opinions, which are all my own without compensation or further expectation.
Bethany House Publishing, Stand-alone-novel 392 Pages (c) 01-05-2020
((4.5 Stars=I Really Liked It))
#DreamsOfSavannah
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To preface my review, I'll admit that I was born and raised in New York and have spent less than three weeks of my entire life south of the Mason-Dixon line and in anything related to the Civil War have a strong Northern bias. I've also been making concerted efforts in the past year to become more aware of and involved in issues of social justice, so I'm probably extra sensitive currently to anything race-related. I'm also a character-driven reader, so if you don't give me characters I can love, I'm probably not going to like your book. So, with that background, I might not be the author's ideal audience for a book where the main characters are slave owners during the Civil War, but having quite enjoyed all of Roseanna M. White's previous books, I was eagerly awaiting the chance to read Dreams of Savannah. Unfortunately, I didn't like it at all.

Not only did I not love ANY of the characters, but I struggled to even find someone I LIKED. At the outset of the book, when I didn't really like either Cordelia or Phin, I hoped that they'd enough growth throughout the book that I'd come to like them. They DID grow somewhat (not enough, in my opinion), but it also came really slowly (particularly for Cordelia). While the slow growth and awareness of enslaved people actually BEING human beings. with hopes and dreams and talents beyond forced servitude might be realistic, it was torturous to read.
There honestly were times that I felt sick to my stomach as Phin expressed thoughts such as slavery nothing being "a situation his family particularly liked but there was nothing they could do about it" or Cordelia's treatment of Salina (whom she's supposed to care for so much--but whose true well-being she doesn't really consider very often) and things such as (even at the end of the book, when she has supposedly had some growth), asking Luther, a black minister, who has just been reunited with his wife, who had been illegally kidnapped and enslaved, to pray for her father--the same father who forced Salina's mother to be his mistress and is adamantly pro-slavery. Cordelia's first thought, even at the end of the book, is always for HERSELF and her family, not for the people who have been enslaved and oppressed.

And Phin, even though he has experienced some growth as well, at the end of the book still remains more concerned about his sense of honor and defends his cause by telling Luther not to "make the mistake of thinking he Yankees are any fairer toward your people than Southerners are. They might oppose slavery, but they don't consider you equals." Um, I will readily admit that Northerners had a LONG way to go toward treating blacks equally, but to equate Northern treatment with Southern slavery is wrong, and if your way of life includes enslaving others, you need to change it--and it's really difficult to like characters who can't see that.

Secondary characters weren't any better; Cordelia's parents and sister Lacy were awful. Even Salina, who serves as Cordelia's "maid" seems to exist just to support Cordelia--she cares more about Cordelia staying "innocent" and not realizing that they share a father and helping her than about her own well-being. (It was a little easier to read Salina's POV, considering she'd been oppressed her whole life, than Cordelia's ignorance, which came from her being a spoiled little princess, but it was still hard to her sacrificing herself instead of fighting for herself).

So, I reiterate that I didn't like this book at all. Maybe the author's intent was to share a message that she wrote in the author's note at the end: "There were heroes--and villains--on both sides of the conflict. Most of all, there were people. People, as Cordelia discovered, with stories to tell" However, given that many of the people involved in the conflict--and even their descendants today--weren't allowed to share their stories, I found it to be insensitive to racial and social issues in our day. A story about a couple of Southerner white people who sorta-kinda start to see that slavery might be wrong isn't the sort of book that I think the world needs now or that I can recommend to anyone.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Whenever I read a Civil War romance, I can't help but hear characters from Gone With the Wind in my mind, often because the characters seem to be somewhat one dimensional. This book was a refreshing surprise for me. When I received a net galley copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, I was amazed at how much I really enjoyed it. The characters both Black and White were intelligently written, thoughtful, and well rounded. The story was very compelling and had me staying up late into the night to read "just one more chapter."

This story of the struggle of the Civil War was enhanced by the strong cast of characters and the interesting plot. There was the free Black man from England who was well educated searching for his wife mistakenly sold into slavery, the Southern gentleman fighting for states' rights yet fighting his own views of slavery and the war, the evil rogue who disrespects all women, the obtuse father who loves his daughters including one from his relationship with a slave, the Southern wife who overlooks her husband's flaws, the idealistic daughter who can't wait for her soldier to return and lives to write fantasy novels all the while becoming increasingly aware of the brutal reality surrounding her, the daughter who is half Black half White but doesn't fit neatly in either world, the slave who pretends he is less intelligent than he is yet willing to risk his life for others, and those who are just trying to find ways to survive as the war comes ever closer to Savannah.

Filled with romance, suspense, betrayal, and the ever soul-wrenching conflict of the Civil War, this book tells the struggles of several couples both Black and White in epic proportions. It is a must read for all those who enjoy historical religious fiction. The religious aspects of the story are nicely woven in throughout the story and are a natural part of the characters' lives. Highly recommend this book and hope that a sequel is in store because I can't wait to see what happens to these characters.

Roseanna White is an author I normally associate with exceptional novels based in England. However, she deviates from her usual activity in her latest, Dreams of Savannah, a story set in the early days of the Civil War. Here, tension mounts as races, ideals, and dreams collide when circumstances challenge deeply held beliefs. I adored the interplay between characters, but it was only deepened by the racial issues White cleverly brought into play.
Yes, there was a wonderful element of romance within the pages but the story was so much more than that. Rich in history, rich in meaning, and rich in truth, this story will mesmerize any reader. Fans of White will not want to miss this newest release!
I received this book from the author. All opinions are my own.

What a wonderful and complex story. I love historical fiction and Roseanna M. White does it so well. Her stories set in England are fabulous, and I had no idea what to expect from her American civil war story. I loved that I could not tell where it was going for the longest time. This story has it all; the difficult topics of the civil war, betrayal, suspense, history, action, family drama, secrets, obstacles, heroes, villains, and faith.

Phinneas Dunn leaves for naval service for the Confederate States with an understanding with his sweetheart Delia Owens.

Delia is a storyteller and entertains family and friends with her stories. Phin has Delia's father's permission to write to her from war.

"Well, as much as it might disappoint Delia if he wrote the naked truth to her, it wasn't a pretty story. It was just day after day, month after month of doing what had to be done."

Phinneas is injured and ends up being cared for (out of the country) by a pastor and a free black man from England. This time of healing makes an impact on Phin and challenges how he thinks. I love the friendship that develops between Phin and Luther, and the developing faith Phin experiences.
"Do you realize that in a single sentence you called me your friend, quoted scripture, and, in so doing, reminded me to have faith?"

"Mankind can have black hearts, it is true, no matter the color of their skin. "
"Though mankind did have a remarkable ability to be blind to what they didn't want to see."

"It's not that she (Delia) doesn't see the tragedy, she just chooses which stories to tell. " "We need happy stories in the midst of trials. They keep us going. Remind us of what we're struggling for."

"And since then, others had been seeking her out. They all had stories. Stories she was humbled and blessed to be entrusted with the telling of. Stories of heartbreak and injustice, sometimes. Stories of love and family, always. Stories of redemption and sacrifice, more often than not. Stories of.... humanity. stories that had changed her as she heard them, as she wrote them. Stories that made her wonder if that's what stories were meant to do."

I was thoroughly engaged and came to love Delia, Phin, Salina, River, and Luther, and did not want "Dreams of Savannah" to end!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and net galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own. I highly recommend Dreams of Savannah!

Dreams of Savannah by Rosanna M. White is a stand alone novel, very much different than her previous Code Breaker series.

The Civil War era was a time of conflict. It was a time when society placed high expectations of marriage. Delia waiting for Phin to return from war. All the while her father pushing her to another more suited man. Meanwhile Phin is wounded and cared for by a British black man, Luther Bromley. Their story is very much at the heart of this novel.

As with her other novels, it is well researched by Rosanna M.White. I found the storyline to be a little heavy. Although it moved slow in some areas, the plot moved it along. A good historical novel.

I received a complimentary ebook copy from the publisher, through Net Galley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Dreams of Savannah by Roseanna M White grips you with a heart-pounding opening and doesn’t let go until the last satisfying word. I love her skill in pulling the reader in with believable, likable characters, interesting locations, and a message to keep you thinking about the book for days. Highly recommended.
Cordelia had a vivid imagination that entertained her family. Her family owns slaves and her thought process as she works through this was well written.
Phin is the man she has been holding out for. He goes to war and comes back injured and changed. He also does not come back alone.
They story had action and a thought provoking message. I would highly recommend this book.
I have yet to read a book by Roseanna that I haven’t fell in love with.

I received this book from Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review.
You can see my full review at More Than a Review dot com where I rate the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use in books.

Cordelia Owens can weave a hopeful dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him. Matters of black and white don't seem so simple anymore to Phin, and despite her best efforts, Delia's smiles can't erase all the complications in his life. And when Fort Pulaski falls and the future wavers, they both must decide where the dreams of a new America will take them, and if they will go together.

Wow! This book what not what I have come to expect from Roseanna M. White as she takes a departure from her usual stories set in England, but I was not disappointed.

Dreams of Savannah carefully depicts life in Georgia during the time of the civil war and describes the plight of the African American slave as well as the struggles some masters undoubtedly felt about the injustice of being a slave owner and the inability to give the slave freedom due to the laws governing the land.
Cordelia has a vivid imagination and a love for writing stories which is both a blessing and a curse after she is separated from her love, Phin, when he leaves to serve in the war. The characters are called to re-evaluate and to consider if the way things are is the way things should still be. If it is time for change not only in society but in themselves.

If you enjoy dramas set in the old South complete with hoop skirts and southern belles, then I think you would enjoy this book.

Thank you Bethany House and Net Galley for the free copy of Dreams of Savannah. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Civil War fiction is something that I love but rarely find novels that I agree with and since I don't go into politics (or anything of the like) on my reviews I'm not going further into that...

Anyway, I liked this!

Except for the fact that once again an author brought in something that I think is way too used and made to be way too light of a subject.

So, yes, I like this book but no, I don't really recommend it for younger readers due to the content.

18+

For an interesting story, likable characters, and an incredible cover I give 4 stars, it would have been 5 but I don't agree with how somethings were handled and the abuse that was attempted.

I voluntarily received and reviewed a complimentary e/copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Roseanna White's books always find their way to the top of my TBR and this should be no exception. I found this book to be very different from her other books, yet still at the high standard, if not higher, that her readers expect. To me a sign of a great author is that they can shift to different historical settings or genres with ease. This stirring tale is a satisfying blend of a fast-moving plot filled with danger and a developing romance that will satisfy every romantic heart.

Under White's skillful pen, it is the individual spiritual journeys that the hero and heroine undertake that is centerstage, as they face a moral dilemmas that questions their way of life. As the foundation of their world is crumbling, they each learn to rely on God's will, guiding them to make a difference in the lives of others.

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

"Dreams of Savannah" is a romance set in 1861 in Georgia (and briefly in Cuba). Phineas' family owns a plantation with slaves, though his grandfather had intended to free the slaves at his death. A new law prevented the freeing of slaves. Still, Phineas went off to join the Confederate Navy to defend his home and way of life and in hopes of winning the approval of Cordelia's father. Phineas loved that Cordelia's a storyteller and how she cared for the people around her. When he's wounded, washed overboard, and presumed dead, Cordelia's pressured by her father to marry someone that doesn't respect her and only wants her fortune. Even though Cordelia's world is shattering around her, she bravely stands against the pressure to conform and for what is right.

The main characters were complex, engaging, and reacted realistically to events. I cared about what happened to them. They grew as people as they faced hardship and relationship struggles. I liked how Phineas and Cordelia admired and loved the uniqueness of each other. Events refined that love and showed that they had chosen things more desirable in a marriage partner than power and wealth. The historical details were woven into the story and brought the time period alive in my imagination. There was a lot of suspense from the danger from the war and from those tempted to mistreat Cordelia and the slaves. Blacks (both free and slaves) were major characters with fully developed backgrounds. One major character was a Christian preacher who helped to further shape Phineas' views about slavery. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this interesting, suspenseful novel.

Roseanna M White includes everything in her books--underdogs, bad guys in sheep's clothing, conflict, the girl who knows her own mind, dreams, fairy tales, historical components, and sometimes the kitchen sink. That is what makes her books so compelling and intriguing.

The Underdog--Phineas "Phin" Dunn
The Bad Guy--Julius James
The Conflict--the War Between the States, or the uncivil Civil War
The Girl--Cordelia Owens
The Dream--for Phin it's to marry Cordelia, and for Cordelia it's to marry Phin; but there are other dreams involved with other characters: Luther, Eva, Salina, River, and Rock
The Fairy Tale--Rescuing the damsel in distress
The Historical Components--Savannah during the Civil War is accurately portrayed with research into the times and area being spot on.

Cordelia's father wants a match for her who will enrich the family coffers, and Phin is not that man in his eyes. When her mother's cousin, Julius, comes to town, he seems to fit the bill. But, Cordelia sees beyond the smooth exterior to his truly dark nature. She tries her hardest to tell her father what Julius is truly like, but until he sees it for himself, he won't believe anything bad about Julius.

Roseanna is such a good writer, I love reading her books. This is a five star book with two thumbs up and your favorite superhero--Underdog!

Bethany House Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's impossible to rate and and review a book in a vacuum, apart from things like previous knowledge of the author and her works, apart from personal experience and other books read.
It's impossible not to compare and contrast or to feel culminating weight, and I'm feeling this tension especially strongly with this review.

Dreams of Savannah is very honest and well researched, and I liked that it felt less biased, less black and white about what was a very complicated war than some Civil War novels are. This book more than most showed subtle nuances in perspectives, and I give it props for that. It had a lot of ingredients that I look for and love in a story: honest history, solid theology, and a happy ending. But this time, for me, the right ingredients did not a loved book make.

One of my struggles with this book was a weariness with Civil War novelists in general feeling the need to be gritty, which I believe is a direct reaction against the romanticization of the Old South. But to put it plainly, I'm tired of Civil War books being about rape and attempted rape. So much of this book was about the fear of rape, the evil man with the leering gleam in his eye ever present and the selfish father pushing his daughter into that man's suit, making the reader so tense for so much of the book until the attempted rape did happen, that it made the book a journey that I did not enjoy, a volume that I do not close the cover and think, "Now THAT is a story I must have on my shelves and revisit from time to time."
No. Once was too much.
Secondly, I can push through painful books when I truly enjoy the characters' company, but I was not hooked at the beginning and came to like the characters far too late in the story for it to redeem the stress of the rape foreshadowing and selfish, controlling parents (I hate books with selfish, controlling parents). Roseanna White has written some of my very favorite fictional characters of all time. Few can compare with the charm and lovability of Brooke, Brice, Rosemary, Lukas, Peter, Barclay, and Philip. Had characters of that level been in Dreams of Savannah, I might have been more willing to plow through the difficult storyline. But since they weren't, I found myself flipping pages to get it over with, not because I couldn't put it down, and that's just not a position that I as a reader want to be put in. I very much regret having to say that by the time the happy ending came, I was skimming and did not care anymore. I wish this wasn't true of such a beloved author.
I had a strong sense for most of this book of the fact that it is editorial and the author spent more effort on her message than anything else. It was perhaps too obvious. And I wish I wasn't saying it about a message I agree with.
There were some good lines about writing and story that I appreciated. I give the book four stars because I cannot review it in a vacuum and I know how subjective my opinion is. It did have the right ingredients, but unfortunately most of the Dreams of Savannah I am left with from this book are unsavory ones.

An incredible, heart-wrenching story of humanity and life from Roseanna M. White! Some extremely difficult topics are present in Dreams of Savannah, especially considering the current political climate, but White does a fantastic job of exhibiting growth in thought and action in her characters, and brings attention to the people behind the broad American Civil War era.

I cheered, I cried, I swooned, I reflected—I simply felt. White’s story forces the reader to take into perspective the way they are living their own life, and how they can grow and truly listen to what others are saying. It will open your eyes to privilege and the sides of history we’d like to ignore, but are still all too real and painful. It’s by no means an easy read, as terrible things happened and continue to happen in this country, but it is an utterly necessary story.

Every character is incredibly written. Some are completely and utterly horrific, some are completely and utterly remarkable. No matter which end of the spectrum they fall at, each character will make a distinct impression on the reader. I personally related most to Cordelia, with her tendency to romanticize and dream, but also to her growing desire to create great change and cultivate her own awareness. The intertwining stories and relationships often brought tears to my eyes. White’s incorporation of multiple points of view, both black and white characters, adds a depth to the story that is heartbreaking and illuminating.

Dreams of Savannah is a story I needed. It is impossible to ignore what is going on in the world right now, and I appreciate this story in this moment more than I can say. It is incredible as a story, but it will hopefully start a journey of individual self reflection that will lead to absorbing more points of view on this topic. From the characters to the history to the narrative, White has truly created something phenomenal. 5/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Very intense emotional story set during the Civil War. Told in different perspectives, this historical account is eye opening. Such a hard time in our nation's history. My favorite character was Luther. This who enjoy this historical time period will be impressed with this book. Not light reading.

This was a different sort of novel after coming off of the codebreakers series. I think this story was very authentic to history, even though at times that made it hard to read. The storyline was pretty intense and serious. I think it would be hard to read this book and not be sympathetic for so many of the characters and their difficult situations, which unfortunately are historically accurate. I don’t think I was expecting how heavy this book felt.
The different points of view in this book allow the reader to experience the thoughts and feelings from several perspectives which offered a lot of depth to this story. My favorite characters were Luther and Phil. Their unlikely friendship was the heart of this story for me. I think readers who like a more serious and emotional story will really be impacted by this novel.

DREAMS OF SAVANNAN by ROSEANNA M. WHITE is a historical romance novel which takes place in Savannah during the American Civil War.
Cordelia Owens is a beautiful young lady with a vivid imagination, who loves reading and writes the most fantastic stories in which she is often the heroine who is saved by the dashing hero, in the form of Phineas Dunn. He finds this enchanting, but when hard times come will their tenuous relationship be strong enough? She has dreams which her beloved slave, Selena, also has, which either frighten her or give her hope, and lead her to pray even harder for Phin when he is away at war.
When Delia takes an interest in her parents' slaves and their stories, she is ashamed that people can be owned by someone else and seen as inferior beings because of their skin colour, even though the slaves in their household have always been treated relatively well.
When Phin finally comes home from the war, injured and somehow different, with a huge mute black man called Monty, Delia sees a big change in him.
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
There is a really good Christian message of redemption and God's protection and the importance of knowing and following the Scriptures. It is a really lovely book and well worth reading.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. the opinions in this review are completely my own.