A Borrowed Dream is Amanda Cabot’s second book in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy.  Reading the first book gives readers more background of the peripheral characters, but not having read it will not keep readers from following and appreciating the story,

Catherine Whitfield is a school teacher whose pain and grief still follow her.  Austin Goddard enters her life and unbeknownst to Catherine there is a deep connection.  As the story progresses, readers have an opportunity to join these two characters as they discover how to move forward in their lives.

Several situations in this book are heart-wrenching and emotional, but the author has managed to manipulate things in just the right way.  Readers get a heavy dose of reality sprinkled with miracles.  The story does resolve a couple of things that were begun in the previous book and so it is hopeful the third book, A Tender Hope will address these.

Romance and compassion abound.  Reading this reminds all that harboring bitterness and resentment will not allow progress in life.  This is a piece of religious historical writing so the characters pray and turn to God for assistance. 

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Revell

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Violence/Gore:   Several scenes in which characters shoot one another and the results are fatal; multiple references to bruises and injuries on a child that are believe to be cause by his father, one scene briefly describes blood and severe injury to the child; a man chokes with the intent of killing, but it is not fatal; a person falls and his injuries bleed and could be fatal; people are tied up to keep them from hurting others; report that a person deliberately jumped from a bridge and drowned.

Sex/Nudity:  Several references to babies born out of wedlock; a character refers to a married man touching her in ways that made her uncomfortable; a couple of mentions that a character was raped and became pregnant as a result; non-married characters kiss and embrace.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of family members, sexual assault, child abuse, suicide.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Several mentions of characters consuming whiskey in saloons; an adult character is depicted as drunk a few times.