A Dream Not Imagined | Book Review

I read A Dream Not Imagined a few months ago...but it is one of those sweet reads that I highly recommend and, as I had an empty "book review" slot, decided that it's a great option to fill in for today.

About the Book

A Maid, a Prince, and a Duke. A Gardener, a Stepmother, and a secret... 

Ellie Abbington, a beautiful yet unassuming young woman, quietly longs for her life to change. Too privileged to associate with the servants—too underprivileged to associate with her own family; she dreams a dream of a prince and a happily ever after. 

But it could be that her own stepsisters, conniving Dezmarie and easily-influenced Adelaide, are dreaming the same dream...of the same prince. 

In the end, are dreams even all they're made out to be? Especially with deep and long-hidden secrets about to be unearthed? 

A Dream Not Imagined is a non-magical fairytale novella based loosely on the classic tale of Cinderella.

My Review

I thought this was such a sweet, innocent story. For a Cinderella retelling, there were a couple of surprising plot twists which I thoroughly enjoyed. In a way, it kept me guessing, but at the same time, I could still figure out what would LIKELY happen. There was a sense of mystery with Lady Abbington's actions--and I did figure out what that mystery was a little bit before it was spilled. ;)

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't overly romantic. In fact, I don't even think they kissed--"the man" (which you'll have to read to discover who HE is ;)), just kissed her forehead, from what I remembered.

I greatly appreciated the concept portrayed in this book--which this quote does so well in summing up:
“There comes a time,” Lottie went on gently, “when we need to stop and let God write our love stories. In that moment, something will happen; you’ll stop ruining your life.” She chuckled softly, then went on with steady eyes, “And a dream will come true. A dream you’ve not imagined.”

Buy the Book

Find the book on Amazon

About the Author

Shantelle Mary Hannu was born in the mountainous west, spending her golden childhood years there. Since then, she has relocated time and again with her parents and seven siblings, making cherished memories in both the South and Central United States.

A Christian homeschool graduate, Shantelle has a passion for writing and all things books. From a young age she’s been penning tales with a hope of sharing with the world adventurous and soul-stirring stories that bring glory to God.

A Dream Not Imagined, a fairytale novella, is her first published book. She’s currently preparing a full-length fantasy novel for publication as well, and working on its sequel.

Shantelle blogs at A Writer’s Heart:  http://shantellemaryh.blogspot.com/ about her stories, favorite books and movies (with reviews), healthy wheat-free recipes, and hosts fellow authors, among other things. One of her joys is connecting with fellow writers and readers! You can also find her on:

Facebook: Shantelle Mary Hannu, Author (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shante...)
Twitter: @shantellemary (https://twitter.com/shantellemary)
Goodreads: Shantelle Mary Hannu (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...)
Google+: Shantelle H. (https://plus.google.com/1017721315637...)
Pinterest: Shantelle H. (https://www.pinterest.com/h0160/)