Two “exes” come together to solve a mysterious death of an aspiring model in this amazing historical fiction novel!

This was a perfect historical romance and mystery novel to me! All the genres were blended together perfectly and made for such a great read. The book is set in the 1920s and I really enjoyed all the historical elements added in. I even googled some because I had no idea!

Kent and Delvina were amazing main characters. They were both strong and when they were together they were even stronger! Some novels tend to make the characters lack strength in presence of another, but this one didn’t.

The mystery was really well done too! I had no idea of the “who done it” and loved how it all played out!

This book is also categorized as Christian fiction. Religion isn’t a main focus of the book, but was placed in at the perfect times!

The book was very fast paced and kept me entertained. I don’t feel like there were any parts that felt sluggish!

While reading I did notice that a lot repetition. There were a lot of character names in this book and maybe the author did that to just remind us who was who. I personally didn’t need it.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a clean historical romance with a mystery touch added in!

The Dreams We Knew is a Christian romantic suspense historical fiction novel by Rachel Scott McDaniel set in the 1920s. Although it's challenging for a book to truly fall into four genres, I believe this book does it brilliantly. Although some of the characters are first seen in the author's previous books (Walking on Hidden Wings and The Mobster's Daughter), those books are not necessary to read before reading this, as this book plot is completely stand-alone.

Detective Delvina discovers that her ex-husband Kent, who is also a detective, is still her husband due to a divorce lawyer's scam. The couple must decide how to move forward, while balancing their ever-increasing case load of confusing murders and Kent's search for his biological family. As time goes by, the clues to their cases start in intertwine with their personal life, making this second-chance romance a mystery that takes both detectives working the case to solve.

The Christian elements are authentic, well-placed, and don't feel forced, yet they are fully present in the characters moral choices and their expressions. The romance is swoon worthy and not cringy, with lots of kisses but fully closed-door. The suspense is well-balanced with the romance so that both parts of the plot feel like they truly matter. The mystery kept my attention and kept me guessing until the end. The historical fiction aspects are interesting with true facts scattered throughout the whole book. Definitely read the author's note at the end to uncover the facts.

I loved this book and the writing was on-point. It felt like I was watching a 1920s detective movie. I also enjoyed the dual timeline with flashbacks from the beginning of Kent and Delvina's relationship. This book is written in dual POV. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes these genres!

Content: Kissing only with implied intimacy between a married couple but firmly closed-door, topics related to parental abandonment and adoption, no swearing.

Thank you to Kregel Publications and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book. My review is my own words is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

Fabulous!!

Rachel Scott McDaniel just keeps getting better and better! I loved Kent’s character in Walking on Hidden Wings sooo much, and knew that he needed his own story. But what I didn’t realize was that Delvina, Kate’s older sister from The Mobster’s Daughter was going to be his perfect match/estranged wife!! I’m so glad I read the author’s note because overwhelmed brain didn’t connect the dots at first. To me there is nothing better than bringing beloved characters back from favorite stories and fleshing out their own happily ever after. And Rachel does a fantastic job with Kenny and Vinny (wink, wink).

This roaring 20s novel was filled with danger, suspense, and mystery. Kent and Delvina had terrific chemistry and their backstory was complicated and interesting. Second chance romance is a favorite trope of mine, especially when it is between a married couple. HEAs are always worth the effort and hard work. And Kent and Delvina deserved all the happiness considering their respective pasts.

Rachel really outdid herself with this one. She is an automatic read for me and I’ve yet to be disappointed.

Thank you Rachel for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Once again Rachel Scott McDaniel has absolutely knocked it out of the park with a fantastic historical read that will transport us right to the Roaring Twenties. Walking on Hidden Wings was one of my very favorite historical reads last year, so I was definitely very excited to check this one out... and it absolutely did not disappoint. A second chance romance and a good mystery... all with a fantastic 1920s setting? What could be better than that? It was the perfect blend of all of these things and kept me absolutely captivated from start to finish. I also loved seeing the author's note and the actual history weaved into the story as well, making me appreciate the story all that much more. If you're a fan of Christian historical romance, this is absolutely one you'll want to add to your TBR.

**ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Ok. Oh my goodness. What. A. Rush. Honestly, I didn’t see that reveal toward the end coming. Following that up with not knowing how everything would turn out had me DISTRESSED.
I LOVED how we saw both points of view yet in different times. It was unique among the stories I’ve read and it was exceptionally well done. Every bit of intrigue, mystery, themes of trust and forgiveness, romance, and the atmospheric setting of 1920s New York City, blended together to make a compelling and at times heart wrenching story.

Delvina and Kent. Oh goodness they were precious. They were just two hurting souls looking for belonging. Watching as they waded through years of hurt to find their way to forgiveness and understanding was achingly beautiful. And as they really got to know one another? As they fell even harder? I can’t😭
Just precious.

💋Kisses. A fair bit of innuendo. I feel like there was a bit more than I usually read so it affected my rating. Implied intimacy between a married couple.

📝
“The sparkle in his eyes told me whatever rolled out of his smirking mouth next would likely crush my last nerve.”

“As a rule, I disliked charity, though the way she currently smiled at me, I'd gladly take anything she handed over, especially if it involved her heart.”

“Be my family.” (Ok just rip my heart out😭)

“His hands went to my face, a gentle clasp, as his eyes roamed over me in tender fascination.”

*Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC of The Dreams We Knew by Rachel Scott McDaniel. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Uplit Reads and the author for the ARC of The Dreams We Knew by Rachel Scott McDaniel. All opinions are my own.

After reading Walking on Hidden Wings by this author last year and enjoying it, I was excited for this new release. I, however, did not know that I would be obsessed with this book! It was so amazing, and it’s definitely a new favorite of mine.

This story is a mashup of genres in the best way possible. I loved the historical details, the intriguing mystery, and the romance with sizzling chemistry. I also appreciated the faith elements throughout.

The Dreams We Knew features some side characters from some of this author’s previous books, but it is considered a standalone novel since you don’t have to read those books first in order to enjoy this one.

Delvina and Kent were such amazing main characters, and I loved the chemistry between them. They each had very different personalities, but they complemented each other so well. I loved how charming Kent was and how he never stopped loving Delvina. The admiration Delvina had for Kent was so heartwarming, and I loved how she consistently boosted his self-worth. There were so many heartfelt scenes between them where they shared their feelings, and I loved all the sweet romantic moments they shared.

The mystery in this story was so interesting, and I loved how the author wove a lot of historical details into the story. I learned a lot about this time period, and I felt immersed in the story from the very beginning. The mystery kept me on my toes, and I didn’t want to put this book down at all.

While it wasn’t a huge portion of the story, I appreciated the Christian faith elements the author included. The characters were still learning to trust and were unsure of their faith a lot, and I felt that their faith was included in a natural way throughout the story.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone! Please note that there is some heavier topics in this book including abandonment, death of a parent, violence, and classism.