An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey Review

 

An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey is the third book in the author's Adventurous Hearts series. 

This book focuses on Leonora who is in charge of a co-ed exploration club. In the day and age that the book takes place women were not allowed in the prestigious, all-male Explorer club, but she's been interested in archeology and exploring since she was a child due to her father's involvement. 

She longs for an adventure of her own, but doesn't think she has it in her to lead an expedition. Two different things happen and an opportunity opens up to her and the members of her club. But can they trust the archeologist who is offering them this chance?

Marcus, the other character who's point of view we follow, doesn't think they can trust this archeologist. There's just something about him that reminds Marcus of someone in his past. But he is determined to make sure Leonora is safe.

In this story we follow the members of the Exploration Society as they get ready for an expedition and eventually set out. We see their struggles. We see them strengthening their trust in God. We see Leonora and Marcus struggle with their relationship. A relationship that has been firmly in the "friend" department since they were youngsters. As we read the story from both of their points of view we know what their feelings are for each other, but we also see their doubts and lack of confidence, exacerbated by secrets they are keeping from each other.  Lots of confusion. Lots of me wanting to shake some sense into them at times. 

I enjoyed seeing Leonora and Marcus's relationship evolve. And seeing the characters learn to trust God. 

I will say, this book didn't quite grip me like the first two books in the series. It definitely took me longer to read this one. Towards the end there were some twists that gripped me more. But I was also sort of disappointed this book didn't quite go the direction I thought it was going to go. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - July 4, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm reading  Awakened by Roseanna M. White.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

Awakened by Roseanna M. White:

"Arden Bleu stepped onto the weathered wood of the house’s rooftop deck and scanned the horizon."

I wondered what she was looking for.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Awakened by Roseanna M. White:

 

"But sometimes Mama got that wistful look in her eyes when she painted. Sometimes she was so determined to remain unknown, to cling to her quiet island life, that Jade had to wonder. What was she hiding from? What had scared her into a world of monotony? What if it was something that could tear their family apart?"

Reviews:

Last week I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. I still have to finish those books. 

 

Friday Fun - June 27, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading  The Beauty in Their Scars which released this week.

I'm also reading An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey, which releases next week.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

The Beauty in Their Scars by Joanna Alonzo:

"A wild maiden and her tamed beast were desperate to claw their way out of her head."

A bit confusing actually. Wasn't exactly sure where the author was going with this. It sort of sounded like she was trying to write a story maybe.

An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey:

"Leonora Thornton closed the doors of the Milwaukee Public Library behind her, shutting out the cold winter air and sounds from the busy street."

Heading into a library. . . that's an awesome start to a story.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

The Beauty in Their Scars by Joanna Alonzo:

 

"'You made the right choice,' Deb said, 'Don't let anyone make you doubt that.'
'I don't doubt it,' Calysta replied. 'I just. . . didn't expect it to hurt this much.'
'The right choices sometimes do.' Deb squeezed her arm. 'Obedience isn't always comfortable. Sometimes it's downright painful. Know that we're not just gossiping about you--'"

An Uncharted Dream by Abbey Downey

"Raising one hand to his chest like a stage actor, Mr. Flemming spoke in a voice that boomed too loudly through the cozy room. 'Miss Thorton, members of the Milwaukee Exploration Society, I was honored to be your guest today. The crisp air invigorated me. The exertion revitalized me.' His tone lowered to a more intimate level as he glanced down at Leonora and rested his hand on her shoulder. 'And the company was unparalleded.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here is the link to my review:

The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo 

 

The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo Review

 

The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo was an awesome book, but very emotional. And just as a warning, the main character self harms, and there are some chapters where we see her cutting. Those chapters do have a warning at the beginning though.

This story is a prequel in the author's The Sacred and the Scarred series. Book one, The Beauty in Their Scars, released this week, and I can't wait to continue Calysta's story.  She has so much she struggles with as the half sister to popular twins Karina and Paige. She feels like a shadow compared to them, because of them and their friends'treatment of her. But suddenly their situation changes and they have to move and it looks like things just might get better for Calysta...or maybe not. 

This story takes place in the fictional countries of Ancoria and Qranth. At the beginning of the story, the Daniels family lives quite comfortably in Eirin City in Qranth. Due to certain circumstances they have to move to Chelidon, an isledom of Ancoria, where most of the story takes place, and the family isn't living near as comfortably, much to the dismay of the twins. We see the story from Calysta's point of view and see her struggles, quite intensely at times, and her trumphs. There are family, and friends, and enemies, and crushes. And we see her learning about God, Jesus and Christianity. 

I loved the relationships Calysta made and the way God starts working in her life. And how she learns about true beauty. The little boutique where she works sounds like a wonderful place and her boss sounds like a wonderful woman and friend. One strong in her faith. 

Then there is the introduction to Brendan who I can't wait to learn more about.  So far he seems like a bit of a creep, but we only see him briefly. 

Though there are some heart wrenching scenes, there is a good amount of humor and typical teen angst as well. 

It's a great book and I'm glad I realized I needed to read it before The Beauty in Their Scars.

Friday Fun - June 20, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm reading The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo. This is a prequel to The Beauty in Their Scars which releases next week.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo:

"Children shouldn't leave toy stores with scars, but Calysta Daniels walked out of Wonder Chest in tears, broken in both soul and skin."

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

The Making of a Beauty by Joanna Alonzo:

 

"What followed Amma’s announcement was the longest weekend of Calysta’s life. 

Time stretched unbearably, each second dragging into the next, like her family was trying to stall reality, slow the rewriting of their future so they could cling to their old life just a little longer."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. I did finish the book, I just haven't had a chance to write my review

However here is the link to the review of a book I shared on Friday Fun a while back:

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma 

 

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma Review

 

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma is one of six books in the A Day to Remember series. Historical fiction stories based around real life tragedies. I'm sure most people have heard of the Great Chicago Fire that took place in October of 1871. However, I had never heard of the fire that takes place in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. And that is the fire that is the focus of this book. Though we do get a bit of a look at the aftermath in Chicago as well as part of the story takes place there. As horrible as the Chicago fire was, the Peshtigo fire was just devastating. 

I loved getting to know Mariah, Jay, and the little girl Angelina. Mariah is actually engaged to Angelina's father, Hollis. However, from the get go I could tell he was no good. And then we also get to see part of the story from his point of view and that makes is 100% clear that he is a villain. I couldn't stand the way he treated not just Mariah, but Angelina as well. 

We get to know the characters prior to the fire. However, fire has been threatening for days. The hot, heavy, smoky air is something the characters have been living with as they go about their daily lives. I loved hearing about the paintings that Mariah created. And then there was the embezzelling that Jay was learning about as he worked on the books for the railroad company. 

The scene of the conflagration was heartrending. So emotional I found myself quite disturbed and in tears. Especially knowing this was an actual historical event that these fictional characters were living through. Seeing so many loved ones, friends, and acquaintances dying. And then the hardship that Mariah had to live with with her blindness. Add to that the suspense of the embezzeling storyline and the danger Jay was in, and there was so much that kept me invested in this story and these characters' lives. 

I needed to know how the author was going to resolve all the different situations. Definitely a powerful, faith-filled book. And one I highly recommend. 

Friday Fun - June 13, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I read Protected by Jerusha Agen. This is a novella prequel in her Security League series.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

Protected by Jerusha Agen:

"She knew the bullet was coming before she heard the shot."

Suspense right from the get go. Sure did draw me in. Wondered why someone was shooting at her.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Protected by Jerusha Agen:

 

"'Drive home?' She swallowed. He meant he wanted to drive her. Kept trying to get her alone with him.

She turned to leave anyway. God could protect her from Jock, wherever he was.

'Tamara, wait,' Jenkin's voice drew closer behind her, but he didn't touch her. 'Please?'

She paused, looked over her shoulder, clutching her purse strap with tense fingers."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here is the link to that review:

Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright.

Here is the review for another book that I shared about recently:

Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer