"Valley of Dreams" Review

"Valley of Dreams"
by Lauraine Snelling

Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: Nov 1, 2011 
Source: sent by publisher

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary from goodreads.com:  

Addy Lockwood's mother died when she was little, so Addy traveled with her father's Wild West Show and became an amazingly skillful trick rider, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father died, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go.
Now Addy has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show's manager, has driven the show into debt, and he's absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Addy decides to try to find the hidden valley where here father had dreamed of putting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers raised in a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who's been with the show for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves both the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.

My Review:

I am a huge fan of this author, and when I found out she was writing about a Wild West show, I knew I had to read it! It wasn't as much about the show itself, but more about the core characters leaving the show to find the Valley of Dreams. But still, with the heroine and her sharpshooting skills, her gorgeous, attention getting pony, and even a buffalo too old to perform anymore, there were enough references to the show to satisfy me.

The only drawback to the book for me was that it didn't feel complete. It felt like the first book in a series, but not one that could really be read on its own. It was like act one and two of a play, and we were cut off right before there was any real conflict.

I loved the characters, and enjoy reading stories about journeys just as much as the destination, so I did really like the book. I just would have liked for there to be just a few more chapters devoted to an ending so I would feel like there was more closure.


Main Characters: 4/5
Supporting Characters: 4/5
Setting: 4/5
Romance: n/a
Uniqueness: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5


Bottom Line: The first book in a new series by a fantastic author, I just wanted the end to sum up a little more of the issues.