A Life Once Dreamed
By Rachel Fordham
4 stars
The author once again creates a quaint town in 1800s America with a plethora of unforgettable characters. We follow Aggie on her way out West to teach. Running from her past and.... from her one true love. Only trying to protect him from her past and pain.

When he shows up to town as the new doctor she grapples with should she stay or keep running. This charming romance will capture your heart as James tries to recapture Aggie's.

And this story of faith touched me so much!
"Faith was the only way to make any sense of the pain. She clung to the unwavering belief that the good Lord had a plan so big and profound and beautiful that it could explain even the most exquisite pain. That his love could right any wrong."

I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

3.5*  Rachael Fordham has incorporated her unique experiences into this sweet story of love that knows no bounds.  Knowing her life circumstances as a mother of a large family, into which she has welcomed foster children, made this a more personal and touching story.  The narrative is a little rough, but full of heart.  The characters are all easily loved and I am hoping for follow-up stories that tie up loose ends for some of them.  I enjoyed this story overall.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rachel Fordham returns to the 1880s frontier in her latest novel, A Life Once Dreamed. This is a historical romance that plunges readers into a setting where disease can wipe out families, birth holds many dangers and morals dictate social standing. This is a story about belonging and acceptance and finding your true family.

Agnes Pratt left Boston six years ago. She left behind the love of her life, but she knew they could never had a future together. Now she is teacher in a small frontier town. When James Harris appears in town as the new doctor, it brings up all their past and Aggie’s hurt. But she refuses to share the secret of why she left him all those years ago. When two disasters chance the course of their lives, Aggie and James will need to decide if what they share is enough to overlook all the obstacles that stand between them.

The setting Fordham creates feels very realistic. Times are hard and facilities basic for the people of Penance. The arrival of a doctor is cause for celebration - for everyone that is, except Aggie. Seeing James again shows her that her feelings haven’t changed, a love that is built on years of friendship and shared adventure, which we readers learn about through reflections, flashbacks and letters. Aggie closely guards her secret, even from readers for a good part of the book. I didn’t guess the direction her secret would take the book until the first disaster. I won’t spoil anything here.

While the connection between Aggie and James is petty undeniable, there is another love interest Aggie considers in the book. I personally much preferred Sam. He is an honest, decent man, simple and without James’ flashy or arrogant judgment or behaviour, but his story is his own (hopefully something we see in a future book) and James goes through growth and learns a great deal.

A Life Once Dreamed has plenty of tense moments and emotions and action that keep the plot moving quickly. Fans of Fordham’s other books will enjoy this story about belonging, family and acceptance.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

This is a beautiful story of love and understanding. The main characters have the best of intentions, but they’re not perfect and don’t always make the right choices. But they learn and grow and try the best they can. This author is new to me, and I’m looking forward to more. This was a truly lovely story.

Sadly this was not the book for me. The plot and motivations behind actions didn’t make sense most of the time and there were a lot of things that just felt thrown in for the sake of it rather than actually contributing to anything. The characters were also not very likable and seemed to have a lot of discrepancies in their personalities.
I was hoping for so much more from this book but it missed the mark for me.

Agnes Pratt has loved James Harris all of her life, but when he proposes marriage to her she finds out a secret her parents had been holding since she was born. In an effort to do what she believes is right, she moves to a town called Penance in the Dakotas Territory to be their teacher. She finds contentment in her students and her friends in Penance.

When the new doctor shows up in Penance, Aggie is in for the shock of her life. The doctor is none other than her life-long love, James. She can't believe that of all the people who could have stepped off the train, James is the one who is now the town's doctor.

The mayor, being the meddling matchmaker that he is, sets Aggie and James together as often as possible. He tasks Aggie with introducing him to the people in the community and paving the way for him to help the people of Penance.

When scarlet fever begins to infect the town, James and Aggie work tirelessly to treat the people who succumb to the disease. Through their work, they find that some of the things that kept them apart don't mean as much now.

Rachel Fordham cannot have known that the COVID-19 would be such a problematic pandemic when she wrote this book, or that her book would fill the time people have in order to stay safe from the disease. A Life Once Dreamed is a five star book that is so hard to put down, with two thumbs up, and a secret revealed.

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Historical romance set in the American west. Good characters and an unusual and interesting story. No attempt is made to sugarcoat health and hygiene as it was.

Aggie is a teacher in Penance, Dakota Territory, 1880. . She is from Buffalo, New York and her life in the west could not be more different than it was in Buffalo. Aggie has found a place where she belongs and is respected and admired. But Aggie has some secrets. She left behind a suitor when she left New York, without ever telling him why she did so. Aggie feels that she was saving James from hurt by leaving, and she is floored when he shows up in Penance as the new town doctor. After a fire ravages a building in penance, Aggie makes a Choi e that leaves everyone thinking she making a big mistake. Will Aggie follow her heart or her head when dealing with James? Will James accept the choice Aggie has made? Most importantly, will James accept Aggie when he discovers what she has been hiding?

The story inside this book is just as beautiful as the cover. This is a well written book that once you start reading it you can't stop. I loved everything about it! The author brings the story to life with her words. Outstanding book!! If you like historical romance you will love this book. Thank you Revell via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The beauty of this book isn’t just the cover (isn’t it gorgeous?😍),it’s what it inside that’s most beautiful. It was my most anticipated book for this year and oh, it didn’t disappoint!! I’m trying to decide how to write a review for this book without fangirling about it the entire time... because I just loved it!

Rachel Fordham has a way with words that instantly draws me into the story. That isn’t something I can say with a lot of books. Her stories are simple— stories about real people with real problems yet they always touch me so profoundly. I become so attached to her characters and they become so real to me, so real that I believe that they are. I feel their pain and their joy and I’m cheering them on the whole way through. I am there in the world she creates. I’m apart of it. I’m apart of the simple, country life that speaks home to my heart and I fall in love with the small towns she writes about. I become so invested in it that it’s really hard to put the book down.

Aggie was a character that I really connected with in different ways. No, I haven’t went through anything like she did but parts of her I definitely did relate to. She was such an amazing character. Her selflessness for those she loves was inspiring and I admired her for it. I felt and sympathized with her so deeply and I just wanted everything to work out for her. Her life threw her a curve that wasn’t easy but she persevered anyways. She didn’t give up but she kept moving forward. I was really inspired and touched by her character.

James.... James was wonderful. Just plain wonderful. He’s loyal, he’s fun, he’s good-looking, he’s unselfish, he’s funny, he’s sweet. Like really, really sweet. ;) I just fell in love with him. It wasn’t just his loyalty to Aggie but also his unselfishness. He put others before himself. There were several times that I just sat back at how amazing he was, risking his own life and doing the hard things so other people could live. That being said, he is not perfect. That’s something I love about Rachel’s books. She doesn’t write characters that are perfect and have no flaws. She writes about people who are flawed and imperfect and have issues but they work against them, they work to be better people. That’s what makes them so relatable and feel so real! Real people do have flaws and issues. James had flaws and things he needed to work on but that makes him all the more lovable.

All of side characters captured my heart too— kindhearted Hannah, overbearing Minnie, adorable Freddie, and sweet Sam. Sam became one of my favorite characters. He’s so kind, unselfish, and understanding despite the hurt he went through. He could have been bitter but he didn’t. I really felt for him and wanted the best for him. I still hope he gets his happy ending. <3

The story itself is beautiful and has a beautiful message. There were so many things to think over. What I take from it is that it doesn’t matter where someone comes from, it matters where they are going. Also talking through things with those you love is much better than running from it. But in the end, I just found a message of hope. God has ours lives planned out with purpose, all we have to do is trust Him.

I loved this book. I loved and appreciated how clean it was! I loved the wholesome, faith she weaves throughout. Everything about it captured my heart from page one and it was an absolute joy reading it!
I smiled, I laughed, I got excited, I teared up, I felt all the feels.
I so highly recommend this book, especially for anyone who is looking for a beautiful and clean historical fiction set in a small town with an inspiring message.

A few favorite quotes (I ended up having 74 highlights from this book! So many beautiful lines!)
“I don’t know the story, and even if I did, I doubt I could give you an easy answer. Try to have a soft heart toward whatever’s ahead. That’s how I get through a hard day. I tell myself to pull out the weeds, scrub the laundry, and keep hoping. Because I don’t know what’s ahead and neither do you. But when we get there, to whatever it is that is next, we have to be ready to welcome it, not scrambling to catch up.”

“She wouldn’t lose faith—not now, not ever. Faith was the only way to make any sense of the pain. She clung to the unwavering belief that the good Lord had a plan so big and profound and beautiful that it could explain even the most exquisite pain. That his love could right any wrong.”

*I would like to thank Revell for sending me an ARC in exchange for a honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have always enjoyed Rachel Fordham books. I enjoyed this one a bit less than her others. The story was slow although it did have a bit of mystery to try to discover what the 'shocking secret' was but when it was revealed, honestly it just didn't seem so life changing. It was a bit anti-climatic for me.

This was my first book I've read by Rachel Fordham. I love historical romances and this was set in the Dakota Territory near the Blackhills (where my daughter lives and I recently visited so it holds a special place in my heart!) I fell in love with Aggie and James' love story and their community of Penance. I will definitely be reading more by Rachel!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. This was a heartwarming romance that will draw you right in.

What a beautiful story of sacrificial love, friendship, and promises kept. This story was well written with a diverse variety of characters that came to life on the pages. Each one added to the overall story, and showed the great value of community.

I loved watching Aggie and James as they overcame the hurts of their past, and found their way back to each other. Each of them grew in character as they faced the challenges of living in a frontier town.

Sam was one of my favorites, offering himself without expecting anything in return. I would love to see the author give him his own story.

I found this book to be a unique and exceptional example of writing a convincing historical romance that drew me in with the depth and feeling displayed in the characters. Well worth the read, I highly recommend this book.

I received an ARC from Baker Publishing Group through Interviews and Reviews and this is my honest opinion of this work.

A Life Once Dreamed is about Aggie Pratt running away from her life in Buffalo, New York to the small mining town of Penance, Dakota Territory. After she finds out about the truth about herself, she knows she can’t let James, her childhood friend, and former sweetheart ever know about it. She leaves without even telling him where she is going.

Imagine Aggie's surprise when she discovers that James is a doctor, and he has found her in Penance after six years. He tries without success to find out why Aggie left. She is insistent about not telling him anything, and he admits defeat because he wants to be near her, and so he concedes a setback in finding out her secrets in order to remain her friend. However, he doesn’t give up trying to find out what it is she is keeping from him.
A Life Once Dreamed is a sweet story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a wonderful story of persistence, faith, family, and a strong sense of community, and of course love.

My gratitude to Revell and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rachel Fordham once again delivers on intrigue and romance in her latest offering, A Life Once Dreamed.

Aggie Pratt has been gone from her hometown of Buffalo for six years. She settles in the town of Penance, which, as the story plays out, is an appropriate name for people who are running away from something. Her childhood friend and former fiance, James, tracks her down after six years for two reasons: finding out why she left and becoming the primary doctor to the people of Penance. And with that, the story is off and running, but a surprise waits just around the corner.

I love how the author weaves themes into her books without being overly preachy. In this case, I found several different themes running through the book. Unfortunately, if I tell you what they are, it will spoil the book for you. So, you'll have to read it! Suffice it to say that both Aggie and James grow and change for the better.

The only thing I found somewhat annoying was how long it took for Aggie to reveal her secret. It dragged on far too long for my tastes and left me frustrated and starting to dislike the character. But, the big reveal couldn't have come at any other time. I realized that the moment I read it. It was perfect.

One more thing, the character of Sam! I could just die right now. Please, Rachel, make your next book about him!

​If you love historical romances, you will definitely love A Life Once Dreamed—a fitting title to an excellent book.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revell Publishing, through NetGalley, for my honest opinion.

Very enjoyable story! Historical fiction readers will not want to miss this one. Set in a small town in Dakotas, readers will experience frontier life in the 1800s. This is an easy read with likeable characters and believable stories. Love Tommy with all his questions! Highly recommended!

A Life Once Dreamed is an inspirational historical romance that takes place in the 1880s Black Hills of Dakota Territory. Agnes and James were childhood sweethearts. James proposed to Aggie after she turned 18 and she accepted only to leave him behind with no explanation. Years later, James accepts a position as a doctor in the same town where Aggie is the school teacher. He intends to find out why she left and win her heart again.

I liked the story. It was easy to read and I enjoyed the characters even though I was frustrated with them at times. I'm always interested in books taking place in South Dakota/Dakota so I wish there would have been more description of the setting. Overall there was just enough drama to keep the story interesting and the ending was satisfying.

My thanks to Revell and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and give my unbiased opinion of it. I will recommend.

This is such a sweet and poignant love story but you better have tissues handy when you read it. A Life Once Dreamed is the story of Agnes Pratt, the school teacher in a small Dakota town named Penance. The story opens with James Harris and Agnes as young people in love about to get married until something happens and Agnes just up and leaves with no explanation. She ends up in Penance and becomes the beloved teacher and friend for six years. Then James shows up one day as the new doctor. The author leaves you wondering what secret could have come between two people who love each other so much. There are many instances of illness and accidents that bring them together in the story. I loved the colorful characters that build the story. It will make you laugh, cry, be frustrated and cheer. This is definitely a must-read.

I am sad to say that I will not finish reading "A Life Once Dreamed" as it came to my attention that I do not agree with the author's beliefs.

I was not wowed by this book. I have really enjoyed the last two books by this author, however this one missed the mark. My main issue was that I didn’t feel like the motivation for Aggie’s choices were strong enough or realistic. It was hard to root for her and that made me disconnect from the story. She was still in love with James, yet she treated him rudely and it was hard to understand her thought process. It was also a long and drawn out process of the characters finding their way back to a relationship, with not much else happening in the midst of that plot point. I wanted more character development, more maturity from the characters, and a bit more happening in the plot.