Ship of Dreams

A line-toeing New Yorker gets tricked into claiming a rule-breaking redhead as his wife, just as they board a ship from California to the East Coast. Trapped in their growing web of falsehoods, not to mention trapped in the same stateroom, Kent's and Della's relationship grows more intimate, culminating in a very hot love scene that never once made me roll my eyes. Social barriers and the danger of a very well-written shipwreck threaten to come between them, despite their love. Kent is endearingly pompous in the beginning, and Della is quirky and somewhat shady at first, but becomes a little too admirable and self-sacrificing by the end. I still liked her, however, and found her dilemmas moving and understandable. I would have liked a little more follow-through with the promising love-hate relationship between Kent and his brother. I think it had a bearing on his relationship with the opportunistic but valiant Della. All in all, though, Ship of Dreams is a great read. Take it with you into the bubble bath and take an entrancing trip.

Brenda Hiatt has penned another great historical. I thoroughly enjoyed her characters -- Kent who was the epitome of an upperclass, somewhat uptight hero and Della, the miner's daughter who not only had the spunk to intrude on Kent's life, but to also teach him how to enjoy life! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly.

"Ship Of Dreams", suspiciously rip-off title notwithstanding, is a marvelous and romantic voyage. It has a pair of star-crossed lovers who actually talk and are friends first before lovers. A strong courageous heroine meets her worthy match in a proper businessman who isn't as stuffy as everyone thinks.And there's also a grand shipwreck scene that only adds to the excitement. Simply wonderful.One star get deducted for the heroine's Joan of Arc act at the final few chapters though.

In 1857 San Francisco, Della Gilliland had made a living selling perfectly safe patented medicine. However, her situation changes when the husband of one of her patients accuses Della of selling him a poison that killed his wife. Not only do customers want their money back, but also an apothecary substantiates the claim that Della murdered a client. Realizing her business is ruined and she probably will face a charge of murder, Della flees the city through a ruse.Near a steamer with the police searching for her, Della introduces herself as the spouse of New York businessman Kent Bradford, a fellow passenger. Kent remains silent about her ploy because he is conducting a major deal with an investor and Della's claim furthers his chance for success. As the couple becomes acquainted on the long voyage, they fall in love, but neither knows what Mother Nature has in store for them on the ill-fated Central America journey.SHIP OF DREAMS is more than an Americana romance. The tale is an excellent work of historical fiction built around the actual nineteenth century sinking of a steamer due to a storm. From page one till the finish, the story line remains exciting. It provides insight into the era through real and make believe characters and makes that time period feel very real. The lead couple is an enchanting pair that will garner reader empathy. Brenda Hiatt provides a wonderful novel that deserves cross genre appeal by fans of romance and historical fiction.Harriet Klausner