Reviews – Dreamweaver Trail & Heartsong Cottage by Emily March

Posted November 20, 2020 by Carole in Audiobook, Book Reviews / 5 Comments

Dreamweaver Trail by Emily March
Narrated by Amy Landon

Series: Eternity Springs #8
Publisher: Ballantine Books/Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: May 27, 2014/September 5, 2017
Date Read: November 10, 2020
Length: 336 pages/10 hours and 22 minutes
Source: NetGalley/Purchased
★★★★☆

Love and forgiveness
spin their magic as a woman discovers that home is where her heart
belongs in Emily March’s moving new Eternity Springs novel.

 
After another lonely Valentine’s Day, Gabi Romano trades mountain
snowfall for sunshine and sand at a luxurious Caribbean getaway. There
she discovers a hidden talent for creating fine art glass. She also
meets Flynn Brogan, the sexy caretaker next door who brings her
fantasies to life. But when violence interrupts their romantic
interlude, she learns that Flynn is living a lie. Heartsick, she decides
to concentrate on her craft. Playing with fire is safer than loving a
man like Flynn.
 
Flynn is determined to make things right with
Gabi—until his enemies interfere. Now damaged and driven by a need he
cannot define, he seeks out Gabi’s Colorado community, hoping for
reconciliation and some peace. But he never imagined a place like
Eternity Springs, where lives are changed, second chances are given, and
the possibility exists for two wounded souls to find their way home . .
. to each other.

My Review

I did enjoy this book.  I have had a review copy of this book for years and finally decided to give it a try recently.  I did read another book in the series a little more than a year before and had mixed results so I was a little hesitant with this one.  Thankfully, I had much better luck with this book, and am glad that I gave this series a second try.  

Gabi is looking for a change and takes a job taking care of a puppy in a tropical paradise.  Flynn is trying to get away from everything as well and his escape happens to be next door to Gabi.  I really liked these two together.  I thought that they had wonderful chemistry and thought that they were just perfect for each other. I thought it was pretty obvious that they really cared for each other. They do have a lot of obstacles that they need to overcome during this story.  There was a lot more excitement in the story than I expected going in.  Both Flynn and Gabi go through a lot during this story and my heart really went out to both of them.  
I thought that the narration of this story was very well done.  I feel like Amy Landon did a great job adding a lot of emotion to the story and some excitement when necessary.  I had no problem listening to her narration for hours at a time and believe that her narration added to my enjoyment of the story.
I would recommend this story to others.  I thought that was a very well done and exciting story filled with some wonderful characters.  I would read more of this author’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books
via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook.

Heartsong Cottage by Emily March
Narrated by Amy Landon

Series: Eternity Springs #10
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press/Blackstone Audio
Publication Date: November 3, 2015
Date Read: January 22, 2019
Length: 320 pages/8 hours and 41 minutes
Source: NetGalley/Library
★★★☆☆

Daniel Garrett is no
stranger to heartache or tragedy. Once a successful detective, his world
fell apart with his son’s murder and his wife’s suicide. Leaving the
police force, Daniel devotes his life to finding missing children, but
when a case goes sour on the anniversary of his personal tragedy, he
returns to Eternity Springs hoping for some of the town’s fabled
healing.

Shannon O’Toole isn’t looking for romance. After her
fiancé’s death, she closed off her heart. But she can’t deny the spark
between her and a sexy stranger at a friend’s wedding. Shannon has her
own secrets and has no place in her life for a private detective, even
one who moves her as much as Daniel. But when the pair are thrown
together on a case, the magic of Eternity Springs just might give them a
second chance.

My Review

I will be honest.  This book was really not for me.  I added it to my review pile without a lot of thought and overlooked it for longer than I would like to admit.  I did eventually get around to it and had rather mixed results.  I felt like there were some things that I did like, and some that I didn’t care for at all.  

The book did start out strong and I really felt for the Hero, Daniel.  How could you not?  As the book progressed and focused more on both Daniel and Shannon, I couldn’t completely get on board with their romance.  There were way too many secrets and overreactions.  They also seemed really quick to forgive each other, so much so, it didn’t always feel authentic.  
I will say that there is one scene that really ruined this book for me.  I think that my 3-star rating is quite generous considering how much I hated this one scene.  I finished this book over a year ago and this scene has stayed with me.  When Shannon gives Daniel some news that he does not want to hear, he crosses a line that completely changed how I looked at his character.  I am all for flawed characters making mistakes and coming back from them but his behavior was unforgivable.  I wanted Shannon to forget about him and find someone that would treat her better.  He didn’t deserve a second chance after the things he says in this book.
I thought that Amy Landon did a good job with the narration.   I did think that some of her voices were not distinctive enough and I sometimes had a hard time determining who was talking but that was only an issue when there was a larger group of characters.  I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to more of her work.
I can’t recommend this book.  I thought that the book started strong but ended quite poorly.  I would give the author another try in the future though.
I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.

About the Author

Emily March is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the heartwarming Eternity Springs series. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Emily is an avid fan of Aggie sports and her recipe for jalapeño relish has made her a tailgating legend.


Author Links: Website | Goodreads

5 responses to “Reviews – Dreamweaver Trail & Heartsong Cottage by Emily March

  1. I like the whole island escape thing in Dreamweaver Trail, and it's great that this experience was better than your previous one with the series.

  2. I enjoy Amy Landon. I'm glad you were able to enjoy one of them. Some books just don't work for a person. It's hard to write reviews for them. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Anne – Books of My Heart

  3. I have Heartsong Cottage on my Review Shelf but somehow never got to it. I think maybe because I read the book on either side and wasn't super excited to see that particularly story play out. I enjoy Emily March's books for the most part but sometimes she can be a bit too much and it sounds like Heartsong Cottage is one of those.