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.