The characters feel wonderfully real, and the emotional journey lands perfectly. A warm, hopeful story that leaves you smiling long after you turn the last page.

A warm, heartfelt romance with charming characters. An emotional journey that’s easy to sink into, with just enough tension to keep you turning pages. A lovely, uplifting read.

Ship of Dreams is an engrossing, emotionally rich reimagining of the Titanic story that focuses less on the mechanics of the disaster and more on the women whose lives are forever altered by that “unsinkable” voyage. Donna Jones Alward centers best friends Hannah Martin and Louisa Phillips, both boarding in first class but carrying very different burdens—Hannah desperate to mend a marriage hollowed out by grief and hiding a secret that could upend everything, Louisa fleeing a loveless match and risking the bond she treasures most as she reaches for a future on her own terms. The novel shines in its intimate character work and meticulous period detail: from the opulent decks and dining rooms to the suffrage-era tensions and quiet acts of defiance, you feel the glamour and the constraints closing in at the same time, with the iceberg we all know is coming adding a low thrum of dread beneath every scene. It’s not quite a five-star read for me only because some of the emotional beats around secrets and forgiveness follow familiar historical-fiction patterns, but overall it’s a heartfelt, beautifully researched tale of friendship, love, and survival that brings fresh poignancy to one of history’s most told tragedies.

I think I have read everything connected with the Titanic, fiction and non-fiction. I have visited every Titanic site. I am especially drawn to Halifax and the cemetery where many victims are buried. So, this book fits very well into my Titanic obsession.

This is the story narrated by 2 friends, Louisa and Hannah, passengers on the infamous voyage. Their stories are compelling and interesting. The author has placed the women amid many of the real people on the voyage. Devotees like me recognize characters like Margaret Brown, the Fortune family and the Astors. The background of the ship is meticulously woven into the story. Additionally, the social norms of the period help shape the lives of Lou and Hannah.

Their story is one of love, marriage and pregnancy. All of these events take place within the few days that the Titanic sailed.

The story takes the women, with other survivors, to NYC and ultimately to Halifax where so many were buried. I found this a beautiful story enfolded in the horror of the ill—fated voyage.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review another tale of those o the Titanic.

A heartbreaking story of the Titanic. It touches on so many lives and their stories after the sinking. A wonderful story of friendship. A must read.

An absolutely beautiful novel of strong and true friendship that survives love, heartache, tragedy, death, life, and distance.

Hannah and Louise are lifelong friends who embark on the Titanic with two different missions. Hannah, the dutiful and loyal wife, is desperate to repair her marriage that has fallen into a stalemate after a tragedy - and she believes the romantic setting of their first class trip is just the place to do it. Louise, the rebellious and risk-taking single woman, is desperate to escape England and the arranged marriage awaiting her.

Both Hannah and Louise experience many hiccups in their plans while on the Titanic’s maiden voyage - and find their lives upended after the tragic sinking.

It was a beautiful novel that shows the resilience of women, through love and triumph, and shows the bond between two friends is never easily broken.

In this complex new historical fiction novel set on the Titanic, readers follow Hannah Martin, struggling with her marriage and keeping a big secret from her husband, and Louisa Phillips, a determined young woman unwilling to accept a passionless marriage and the risks that come with this decision. When the Titanic hits that fateful iceberg, everyone’s lives change, and Hannah and Lou must choose what dreams are worth saving and the costs that they are willing to pay in their post-Titanic lives. The two characters are well-written and packed with detail, and their various struggles and backstories are emblematic of the period. The differences between their storylines set them apart, and readers will really empathize with their respective challenges. The Titanic setting creates some great proximity and an element of risk in the narrative, and the emphasis on how their lives change after the shipwreck adds some excitement and mystery to the book that readers will enjoy. The background characters and Hannah and Lou’s various relationships add depth to the novel and to their personal stories in ways which will pull readers into the book. Well-written and packed with fascinating historical details, readers will love this complex, entertaining, and emotional new historical fiction novel set on the Titanic.

Wow, I enjoyed this one way more than I thought. It’s interesting reading a historical fiction book like this one where you know how it will end for some of the characters. I thought it would make the book less interesting but as I fell in love with the characters and their complex relationships, it made it all the more tragic and beautiful. Characters were great and emotions were high.

This is a beautifully written story about the Titanic, featuring two women who have become dear friends. Hannah Martin is sailing with her husband Charles and is hoping to strengthen their marriage during the time on board together while also revealing a secret that she has been keeping. Her friend Louisa is a slightly wilder single woman who encourages Hannah in her life, and also has some secrets of her own.

The women are greatly enjoying their time on the ship, exploring their exquisite surroundings and meeting people of high social status. Ultimately, disaster strikes, and the women are among the first ushered to lifeboats. Deep emotions are felt as life changes forever. This is a story of friendship and love and tenacity.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Ship of Dreams is a story of friendship. It's a great read and I recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction or just great stories in general.

I truly enjoyed this book from the very beginning. It is easy to read and immediately draws you in, making it hard to put down. The story unfolds smoothly and includes an unexpected twist in the middle that adds depth and keeps the reader engaged.

The only reason I am giving this novel four stars instead of five is the ending. I found it disappointing, as the author introduces yet another tragedy. While I understand this may have been intended to emphasize that life is often filled with hardship and loss, the additional tragic element felt unnecessary to me. Rather than strengthening the message, it overshadowed the core idea of the story and diminished the emotional impact of everything that came before it.

Despite this, I would still recommend it to readers who appreciate thoughtful historical fiction with emotional complexity.

While I found the pace of this book a little slow, I think it worked. It was an escape into a different world. If you like historical fiction and friendship books, pick this one up. Lots of emotional scenes.

Despite knowing how this one would most likely end, I found myself really invested in the characters and their future happiness. The research into the Titanic made the setting incredibly interesting. A really fun Titanic story.