She’s come to build a future. He’s running from his past.Patrick O’Connor has seen far too much of the cruel and unforgiving world. Life has beaten him down relentlessly. Out of hope and out of options, he makes the terrifying and desperate decision to return home to the family he has lied to for years, the family he knows will never forgive him.Widowed and nearly unable to care for her tiny … nearly unable to care for her tiny daughter under the weight of extreme poverty, Eliza Porter jumps at the opportunity to leave behind the slums of New York City for the promise of a new life and a new beginning in the frontier town of Hope Springs.
Fate tosses the two of them together more and more often, while the burden of his tightly-held secrets and the ache of her abandoned dreams pull them further and further apart. Clinging to the whispered possibility of something more than the pain life has offered them thus far will require every bit of hope they can find in this peaceful but precarious valley of dreams.
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Though he’s been thought dead for the past decade, son and brother Patrick O’Connor isn’t dead and we finally get to hear his story. It’s a story of trying to keep a deceased loved one’s memory untarnished, learning to let go of burdens that have been carried around for far too long, and learning that you deserve to be loved.
Patrick O’Connor has kept himself away from his family for over a decade. One night in Winnipeg, Canada after selling his beloved fiddle to buy whiskey and receiving an unexpected letter from his mother, telling him they’ve just found out he’s alive and asking him to come home to Hope Springs, Patrick does just that. It’s on the journey to Hope Springs that he meets Eliza Porter, and her young daughter Lydia. Eliza’s talkative and optimistic–the opposite of Patrick. Ever the gentleman, Patrick carries Eliza’s trunk to the home where the friend who invited her to Hope Springs lives. Imagine his shock and surprise when Maura O’Connor opens the door and almost the entire O’Connor clan is gathered inside.
Patrick’s story was sometimes heartbreaking. He was torn between wanting to preserve his family’s memories of Grady and letting them know the truth which would relieve the load he’d been carrying for so long. I love how Eliza helps him see that he needs to tell his family the truth, although he doesn’t have to tell it all at once and he doesn’t have to tell them all at the same time. I hurt so much for Patrick when he and Ian were struggling with their relationship. I understood why the family members were upset, but Patrick had been without family for so long and had been so lonely it broke my heart. So when Eliza found out about his drinking and distanced herself from him I thought I’d surely cry. I was so upset with her.
As always, Sarah M. Eden weaves a story of family, love, struggles, and forgiveness with characters so rich we feel we know them. I loved how even though a lot of the family weren’t exactly friendly to Patrick he still helped whenever, wherever and however he could. His relationship with Finbarr was very touching. I loved how Eliza had bigger dreams than staying a housekeeper for the Archer family and she was able to realize that dream with everyone’s help. She and Patrick both learned that Hope Springs was a place of healing.
I received a complimentary copy to review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in my review are my own.
Valley of Dreams was such a beautiful story of the prodigal son Patrick O’Connor coming home to his family in Hope Springs! Patrick has carried some pretty heavy burdens over the past decade and isn’t sure if he will every be free or if he’s even worth saving. Finding an unexpected friend in the ever optimistic Eliza, the two help each other dream, hope, and find family again. I was deeply touched by the masterfully written characters in this novel and how human and realistic the story was. A wonderfully touching and uplifting novel, this book is a sweet read that brings life and love to its readers through its beautiful tale of hope and second chances!
I just finished an advanced reader copy of Valley of Dreams! It was absolutely wonderful and completely satisfying.. The anticipation of a Sarah Eden book.. particularly one set in Hope Springs is always huge for me and I have never, ever been disappointed. If you are new to her as an author you are in for a treat.
Valley of Dreams is the 6th installment of the Longing for Home series by Sarah Eden. I absolutely adore all of Sarah’s books but the Longing for Home series definitely holds a special place in my heart.I cannot get enough of the O’Conner family. There are several characters in this series who have had developing storylines I have been following for a while now and I am simultaneously in love with the layers of complexity that are being created and dying to know how their story will turn out! It is achingly wonderful!
The members of the O’Conner family are completely charming. They have a witty outlook on what is often a very harsh frontier life. You will instantly feel like you are one of the family as you laugh and cry with them.
Looking for a better life, this large Irish family left the factories of New York to try their hand at farming the harsh Wyoming frontier. I would highly recommend you start at the beginning of this series and take this journey with them, however each of the books in this series could easily be read as a stand alone.
Valley of Dreams introduces us to the long lost Patrick O’Conner. Presumed dead after the war, Patrick has wandered aimlessly around the wilds of Canada. At his lowest, he is given the chance to return home to his family. Fearing for his life if he continues on alone, he musters up the courage he has and makes his way to his family in Hope Springs Wyoming. Along his way, he is thrown together with Eliza Porter and her darling infant daughter Lydia. Eliza is desperate for a new life, far from the slums of New York and the possibility of a fresh start in Wyoming is too enticing to pass up. She has a wonderfully uplifting personality and brings joy and humor to those around her, however, inside she is battling the turmoil of the fears and insecurities that are created by extreme poverty. Valley of Dreams is the story of two very vulnerable people, tossed together at a moment of new beginnings. It is a tender story with sprinkled with refreshingly Irish humor. You will be hard pressed to put this one down.
This is the 6th installment of the Hope Spring series where you can’t help but be swept away by the dear people who live in this tiny Wyoming settlement of Hope Springs. Valley of Dreams follows the estranged brother Patrick who disappeared after the Civil War, wandered from place to place for ten years, then finally moves closer to his family. Tension and unease fill Patrick as he battles wanting to embrace his family but needing them kept at a distance. He finds friendship in Eliza, a young widow who is also newly settling in Hope Springs, having just escaped the slums of New York City. She becomes a light in his life, despite being dealt more than her fare share of bad hands. This captivating story takes you through the ups and downs of Patrick and his family’s struggles. You feel their love and also their strife, making this Sarah M. Eden’s most honest and raw story of the human condition. I’d definitely recommend this read.
Sarah creates an epic masterpiece in Valley of Dreams. I was captivated from beginning to end. I couldn’t wait to see how Patrick healed from ten years of self-judgement and fear. I loved the emotions between Patrick and Ian as they struggled to find common ground. One brother hurt by years of mourning, one hurt by his fear of revealing the truth of those ten years he was ‘assumed’ dead.
All my favorite characters from the Hope Springs Series made appearances in this sixth book of the series. I loved revisiting all of them and seeing how they and their families had grown.
I loved the humor in the book and felt my heart tug at the unhappy moments. I felt a kinship with Patrick through my own military service. I also related to Ian when there was a distinct chasm between him and his best friend. Eliza drew me in with her history of being looked down on and through the trials of her first marriage.
Overall, I loved this book as I have ever one of Sarah’s books. I highly recommend reading this book but keep a box of tissue’s nearby because I guarantee you will cry. It’s inevitable (I know because I don’t usually cry.)
Tender, heartfelt, and emotionally riveting. Take a journey into the Midwest in the 1870’s and fall in love with the characters and town of Hope Springs, Wyoming!
Read A Book & Enjoy An Adventure!
Note: The views and opinions in this review are my own and not a reflection of the author or the publisher in any way.
This is a novel in a series but easily can be read as a stand alone book. I’m convinced that once you have been introduced to the O’Connor family you will want to read the entire series.
The story is about an Irish family that immigrates to America in search of greater opportunities. I believe that many of us have a similar story in our history.
This author is one of my very favorites. I have read all the book that she has published so far and anxiously await her new ones.
Her writing is engaging. He characters are interesting. Her stories are thought provoking, captivating with just enough humorous moments and witty dialogue to lighten the more serious scenes.
I highly recommend this book as well as the entire series. If your tastes lean toward the Regency Era, check out her other novels. You won’t be disappointed.
Patrick O’Connor’s story is here!!
In the sixth installment of the Hope Springs series, we finally get to hear Patrick’s story, the brother whom everyone believed was killed during the battle of Gettysburg. Patrick has been haunted for over a decade by the death of his brother, Grady. He is not only dealing with loneliness and guilt, he also has other demons he is fighting. During a particularly dark moment, he decides to finally reunite with his family, who had moved to Hope Springs, WY, over a decade ago.
Also heading west for a new start is Eliza Porter, a young widow with a toddler-aged daughter. After working in a factory in New York City, she is looking for a new life and has a few dreams of her own that she would like to pursue.
Eliza and Patrick’s story is not full of fluff and butterflies. They have a great connection right from the start. And while their conversations and witty banter are fun, their journey is heavy and raw. How does a broken person take a step toward becoming whole again? Moving to a town where “hope springs eternal” is a good place to start.
This is a clean romance that has more substance than just a love story. Each character has a difficult journey, but this is where the growth happens. And maybe—just maybe—going through those dark moments are what make the bright spots seem brighter. Having hope for what lies in store after the trials is just the beginning.
Hope humbly then; with trembling pinions soar;
Wait the great teacher Death, and God adore!
What future bliss, he gives not thee to know.
But gives that Hope to be thy blessing now.
Hope springs eternal in the human breast:
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confm’d from home.
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.
~Alexander Pope, “The Essay on Man”.
I received an ARC provided by the author. All opinions are my own.
Through a number of books in this series we have grown closer to the O’Connor family. We feel their joys, and we feel their sorrows. This story will bring you through a journey of emotions. We grieve with them, laugh with them, and we rejoice when they find where they truly belong.
“Life hadn’t been all flowers and sunshine for the O’Connors.”
This family has suffered so much but stay together and support each other. Patrick O’Connor is not like the rest of his family. He feels that they are better off without him, and he let them believe he was dead for years. He used to be outgoing and funny but is now broken down and only wants to be left alone. Patrick is battling with his demons, but he returns to his family so they can fix him. He is gruff but tender, and he is so sweet with Lydia.
“He was a kindhearted soul, and such a thing was something that ought not be hidden.”
Eliza Porter is an extrovert who loves to laugh and is caring and strong. She has dreams that she worries are too big. She has also been going through hard times but wants to stay positive for herself and her daughter Lydia. Eliza sees Patrick as a mystery that she wants to solve.
“Happiness can be found even in the most difficult of situations.”
Finbarr and Emma’s story also continues in this book. I can’t wait for their own book and for more about the beloved O’Connors!
“Hope had brought them to this town. Love had built a life for them here. Beautiful, powerful, miraculous love.”