Book Review: Perchance to Dream

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by Lisa Prysock

Readers will love Perchance to Dream by JoAnn Durgin!  I read this full length novel Contemporary Romance in just one week in the evenings.  The main characters, Ellie and Ryan, grabbed my heart right away; especially Ellie and her love for high heels!  Instantly, I could relate to her.  I also can relate to Ellie’s heart for giving.  She’s kind of like a modern day philanthropist.  Readers are going to love when they discover what Ellie is up to!

Another thing I loved about the book is that it takes place in Ohio where I spent most of my later childhood years.  I liked that the author talked about an ordinary neighborhood in a normal subdivision and things that might have happened on my own street growing up.  I recognized the names of places JoAnn writes about in the book.  This also made the book easy for me to relate to.  It had the feeling of an ‘All-American anybody’s neighborhood.’  Even if you aren’t from Ohio, JoAnn’s research is well done.  Readers will enjoy that this story could have taken place in your own back yard.

JoAnn does an excellent job writing this novel in first person.  Readers will love that they can understand what the main character, Ellie, is thinking and feeling all the way through this story with a first person perspective.  I particularly loved when Ellie gets on the phone and is talking to Ryan, her beloved.

There are a number of characters in the story I was drawn to.  I experienced empathy for what Ellie’s mother is going through in the novel and really enjoyed the visits Ellie made to a neighbor, who also happened to attend Ellie’s church.  This neighbor had made an impact on Ellie and Ryan’s life.  I also liked the way JoAnn wrote about Ellie’s father.   It was interesting to see how these characters and the events surrounding these characters had impacted the main charactersPerchan.  It made me think about people God has placed in my own life and how they have impacted me.  I really enjoyed this aspect of the story.

Perchance to DreamThe novel also keeps you on the edge of your seat as it unfolds.  You have this feeling that something is about to happen, but you aren’t quite sure what.  All I’m going to share about this is that Ryan is in the military and stationed in a potentially volatile situation.  Between this fact and a number of other events going on in the story, there is a natural amount of suspense building up in the story.

It’s also a great winter read.  You can curl up with a cup of hot tea, coffee, or cocoa and really enjoy this book as there are a number of wintery snow scenes as you read further into the story.  I don’t know about you, but I like that in a story this time of year.

Being a Christian Historical Romance writer, it’s hard for me to find a contemporary romance that will engage me.  This one definitely does that for me.  JoAnn writes about our hopes, our dreams, the things that make us who we are, and the joy of discovering Christ in such a beautiful way!  Be sure to download a copy or purchase a print version of this wonderful, clean, poignant, charming, romantic story!

Lisa M. Prysock

About the Author:

Lisa PrysockWhen she was thirteen she knew what she wanted to be: a mother and a writer! Lisa says she went on a detour a number of times but the Lord generously allowed both of her dreams to happen.

Lisa M. Prysock is the author of “To Find a Duchess,” a Regency Inspirational Romance and two more Historical Christian Romance books with Kentucky settings in the Victorian Era, “Hannah’s Garden: a Turn of the Century Love Story,” and “Abigail’s Melody,” Volume 1 and 2 in a series titled “The Victorian Christian Heritage Series.”

“I don’t know how it happens but most of my books end up in beautiful England at some point and two start out in gorgeous, rolling Kentucky…”

Kentucky inspires her writing and is home. She is happily married to her husband of seventeen years and homeschools two of their five children. She has a son in college and two stepdaughters, grown. Lisa grew up in the Ohio Valley and also spent her early childhood years in Minnesota on a farm. “Yes, there were chickens, a cow named Daisy and even horses one summer, a huge vegetable garden, fishing and snowmobiles!”

Lisa remembers writing her very first book in kindergarten in Wisconsin, with help from the teacher and a stapler. “It was a book about ‘Curious George.’ I couldn’t spell yet but the teacher wrote words beneath my illustrations for what I wanted to say on each page.” She has been writing ever since. She won a prize for a short story in 8th grade and remembers buying a manual typewriter with her first ever babysitting earnings.

Lisa is a huge fan of the “Little House on the Prairie” series, the “Anne of Green Gables” collection, the Jane Austen collection, C.S. Lewis books, “Heidi,” “Christy,” “Jane Eyre,” and “Little Women.” She loves writing family oriented, classic style literature: a little less conversation and a lot more detail and background. She also loves sharing her faith in Christ with her readers. She believes people just need to know how wonderful He is and attributes her dream of writing coming true entirely to Him.

She gives a portion of the proceeds of her books each month to missionaries and evangelists to further the gospel. She is currently writing her eighth book, and she recently completed “The Lydia Collection.” For more information about Lisa and to find out when her next book will launch, she can be found at: www.LisaPrysock.com

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1 Comment

  1. Thank you so much for the beautiful thoughts on Ellie and Ryan’s story in Perchance to Dream, Lisa! I wrote the story, and I have to say, it makes me want to go back and read it again! 🙂 Blessings to you!

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