Joanna Chandler always dreamed of becoming an attorney. But when she left law school to help care for her dying mother, stepping away from her single-minded pursuit gave her space to reconsider. The only question is, if not law, what should she do with her life?To keep her mind off an uncertain future, Joanna helps her older sister, Phylicia, throw an amazing outdoor wedding on the charming … charming Missouri property the three Chandler sisters own together. That’s when she realizes wedding planning could be a thriving business of its own. And Lukas Blaine, the handsome wedding DJ, opens her mind to the possibility of love on the horizon.
But there’s more to Luke than meets the eye. The young boy he’s been mentoring has lost his mother and become Luke’s ward. Mateo is sullen and angry and needs constant attention. How can Luke possibly find the time to start a new relationship or saddle someone else with a wounded child? He may have to let go of the woman of his dreams–and crush her dreams at the same time.
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I really enjoyed Luke and Jo’s story, though I have to confess not understanding Jo very much. Her reluctance to accept Mateo, Luke’s ward, was just an attitude so foreign to me, I couldn’t relate. The author did a great job of portraying why she struggled – it wasn’t that. It is just me.
Luke was something wonderful, though. The way he so willingly accepted Mateo, his “Little” (this is what the call the “little” brother or sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization) into his life when Mateo’s mom died made him a hero in my eyes. There are not many people who would allow their lives to be upended in this way. Yet Luke never questioned whether it was the right thing to do – his struggles were around his disappointment that Jo couldn’t see how important this was to him.
I did enjoy seeing Joanna learn to listen to the Lord – to truly spend time in prayer and then in silence to hear His voice. And I especially loved seeing her heart change.
Using a mix of serious situations including grief, and humor appropriately, Chasing Dreams is an enjoyable romance.
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
I truly enjoyed this book about the second Chandler Sister. After reading the first book in the series when I picked this one up it was like visiting family. Admittedly there were times I wanted to shake some sense into Jo, and help her realize how selfish she was being and wished she could have more compassion but she did learn the hard way to seek God about His will for her life. There are some lessons to be learned from this book, one is about realizing the world doesn’t revolve around you. I really love these sisters and their relationship with one another and I am so looking forward to Britt’s story next. I won both these first two books in a drawing with no requirement for a review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Great book
What if your long-time dreams were not what God had in store for you? Would your hopes and dreams crumble or would you change your perspective? This is what Joanna Chandler deals with in Chasing Dreams.
Phee, Jo and Britt Chandler have purchased land with cabins on it with the dream to turn them into an Airbnb. Jo has ended a relationship and is focused on her job in a law firm and the joint venture with her sisters. She meets Lucas Blaine as the DJ for her sister’s wedding. She is interested in him but takes a step back when she realizes that he has custody of a twelve year old boy. Are all her dreams about to shatter?
I like the way Ms. Raney portrays family. They have their ups and downs but faith and love are what holds them together. She deals frankly with feelings and obstacles when her characters are confronted with grief and sticky relationship situations. It was nice to see the growth in both Jo and Luke as they navigate getting to know one another. You can tell Ms. Raney draws on her own family relationships in the interaction of the sisters. According to her Facebook page Ms. Raney finds treasures in local shops and garage sales. This is mirrored by the sisters as they shop to furnish the cabins. The scene of deciding what games to play is relatable and brings back memories of our own family gatherings.
Ms. Raney shows us what is really crucial in relationships. The foundation of faith is all important. Prayer is essential and forgiveness should be forthcoming.
I enjoyed this book for its realism and the lessons it taught.
*I won this book from the author in an Easter Multi Author giveaway. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*
This is the first Raney book that I haven’t loved. It was a nice, sweet romance, but the main character couldn’t get over her friend had taken in an orphaned teenager. I didn’t like her. Maybe she reminded me too much of my self-centered, immature self.
I enjoyed this second book in the Chandler Sisters series. Having read book one, A Reason to Breathe, I really enjoyed catching up with Phee and Quinn, the main characters from that novel. If you haven’t read book one, you can probably follow along fine in this story, however, book one sets the stage nicely for understanding what these three sisters have gone through with the death of their mother and the renovating of cabins that they are using for rental income.
In Chasing Dreams, Luke was a wonderful character, full of compassion, love, and was clearly a good match for Joanna. Joanna, however, took a while to grow in her compassion for Luke’s charge, Mateo. She was reluctant to embrace a future unlike what she envisioned. I believe this was probably a result of many broken dreams over the past few years and the feeling that things just never seemed to work out the way Joanna wanted them to. But Joanna was definitely on a journey of emotional and spiritual growth in this story, one definitely worth reading about.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is the second book in the Chandler Sisters series, Joanna’s story. I did not read the first sister’s book but his one is about Joanna. She thinks she wants to be an attorney and has always dream of this and sure she will become one. But…..it seems that God is leading in a different direction. Besides this new direction, she is torn between an old flame who more or less jilted her when her mother was dying with cancer and a new handsome guy who seems to return her interest. Joanna must travel a road she’s uncomfortable traveling to make this decision. As she struggles with the greatest decision of her life, she learns to trust God and let Him teach her……I was gifted this book from the publisher and NetGalley, My review is strictly my own.
‘You sometimes have a tendency to expect the worst of people, and when you do that, they’re sure to give you the worst.’
I am a Deborah Raney fan. I still have my original copy of her very first book. Deborah Raney writes about real life issues. From her heart. The reader feels this. Her books are not fluffy ‘happily ever after’ books, although we do get a happy ever after ending. But we get heartache and struggle and finding your way back in between.
This is the second in her Chandler Sisters series, Joanna’s story. Joanna, who has dreamed all her life about how she wanted her life to be when she grew up. And now she’s discovering that maybe God has a different dream for her life. I’m so glad He’s planned the best for us! Joanna must travel a road she’s uncomfortable traveling to get to that life, though.
I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the third sister’s story! I highly recommend this book and this author.
*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion here is entirely my own.