A Dream Unfolding by Karen Baney

About the Book:
Hannah Anderson had the life she always wanted, married to the man of her dreams. When her husband’s brother gets in trouble with the law, the town turns against them, shattering her perfect life. Now they are left with only one choice—to head west to the Arizona Territory in the hopes of creating a new life. Will the journey be worth the cost?

Will Colter, after burying his father, is forced to leave the ranch he has called home for nearly thirty years. The journey is dangerous, challenging him and his men. Will he find the new life he was hoping for?

Or, is there a new dream quietly unfolding before their eyes?

My Review:
4 STARS

What a thought out story! This a story about a couple heading out west to start a new life away from the problems they were dealing with in Ohio. Dr. Drew Anderson and his wife Hannah had nice home and lots of friends until the day that Drew's brother caused trouble and got put in jail.  The town then reacted poorly to Drew and his wife, so they decided to pack up and head out to Arizona to start a new clinic.

Then there was the story of Will. His parents both passed away and that left him, his older brother Rueben, and his younger sister Julia alone.  When the will was presented Will found that he was no longer welcome on his father's property but was still given half the cattle and horses and some money to start a new life.  He decided it was time to pursue his dream of having his own ranch so he headed out to the Arizona territory also.

When I first started reading the story I got really involved in the characters and the love between Drew and Hannah was very surreal and passionate.  Once they started heading out west things took a different angle and the story was very descriptive of what it would have been like to travel during that time. Somewhere in the middle of the story, I have to admit I did lose interest, but that was mostly because there was a lot of facts in there and a lot of history involved and I was more interested in the relationship aspect of what was going on.  Things changed greatly when everyone was settled in Arizona and the story got back to the relationships! That's when I really was drawn in. 

Although I felt like the history was a bit too much for me, I respected that the author held true to making sure she was accurately portraying the history.  Karen Baney did a lot of research, as noted in the author's note of the book, and her passion for that era and Arizona was visibly displayed throughout the entire book. 

I felt very connected to the characters in this story, especially Hannah.  You always know it's a great story when you feel your heart breaking along with the character. There were a lot of inspirational messages throughout the story within all the characters and their relationships with God and learning how to move forward after tragedy and hurt.  A Dream Unfolding reminded me that when you feel like God has forsaken you or left you, you realize he never had or never will. God is always there to pick up the pieces and help you to continue your dream even if it changes along the way. 

If you are a fan of Christian historical fictions or just enjoy reading about the westward journey you will really enjoy this inspirational story. I can't wait to hear about Julia, Will's sister, in the sequel to a Dream Unfolding.

I received a copy of this book to read and review from the author. My review is not biased by the fact that I was given this book. I HONESTLY read and review any book whether bought or given to me. If I did not like the book I would definitely not give a rave review or recommend it.

About the Author:

Karen Baney, in addition to writing Christian historical fiction and chick lit novels, works as a Software Engineer.  Spending over twenty years as an avid fan of both genres, Karen debuts her talents with A Dream Unfolding, the first in a four book series set in territorial Arizona.

Her faith plays an important role both in her life and in her writing.  She is active in the women’s ministry at her church, facilitating numerous bible studies throughout the year.  Karen and her husband make their home in Gilbert, Arizona, with their two dogs.  She also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

Her website:  http://www.karenbaney.com/

You can buy her book online at many places including Amazon!