Series Review: Sandhill Dreams and Captive Dreams

Sandhill Dreams by Cara C. Putman
My rating: 💛💛💛

Rating 3.5

I enjoyed this story about fighting the war from the home front. There was a lot of importance about serving in the war and fighting the enemy overseas, but so much support and work was required at home to make the fight stronger.

I enjoyed the characters and how their relationship developed. It was sad to see how pet dogs was trained as military work dogs. I loved how the dogs did get honors discharge though and was treated just as important as their fellow human soldiers.

*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*

Captive Dreams by Cara C. Putman
My rating: 💛💛💛

I enjoyed this audiobook - the narrator was entertaining with Anna, though Sid came across a bit robotic.

The theme about letting go of what you can’t control, giving those concerns over to God and trust in Him was strong.

The romance was sweet and developed slowly over time.

*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*

 Review of book 1: Canteen Dreams

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About the books:

Sandhill Dreams

Lainie has no dreams left. Lainie Gardner dreamed of becoming a nurse. Of serving her country. Of doing something important in the war. But rheumatic fever changed all that, and instead of running home, Lainie is determined to find a job at Fort Robinson in Nebraska's sandhills. Tom Hamilton had dreams, too. Dreams of preparing the horses at Fort Robinson for duty on the warfront. Instead, he is assigned to train war dogs and their handlers, meaning that each day he must face the fear he's had of dogs since he was bitten as a child. Lainie and Tom wonder why God seems to have denied them their dreams. But is it possible new dreams will bring them more joy than they ever imagined?

Captive Dreams

A heartwarming WWII historical from award-winning author Cara Putman:

Anna Goodman’s mother is dead, her father has given up on life, and her brother is missing in action in World War II. Anna’s dreams for the future are held captive by the responsibilities the war and life have thrust upon her. She’s desperate to hold the farm together while working at a war factory in nearby Kearney. She can’t do it alone. She must interact daily with Specialist Sid Chance, the cocky know-it-all who oversees the German prisoners who work on her family farm—prisoners that are a constant reminder of her father’s harrowing experience in World War I.

As Sid gets to know the determined Anna, he must balance her mistrust against his desire to help farmers. With so many able-bodied men deployed around the world, the prisoners’ labor is essential to save local farms from ruin. He must also battle against prejudice from men like Anna’s father, who can’t stand their presence or the memories they force him to relive. Sid wants to protect Anna, if she’d only let him. Anna’s as skittish as a colt, but he’s determined to win her heart.

When the farm’s future is at risk, Anna must decide whether she can trust Sid with her heart…and her future.

About the author:

Cara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She lectures full time in law and ethics at Purdue University's Krannert School of Managment as well as practices law. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and legal romantic suspense to life.

An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.

Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 32nd book with more on the way. Please check out her website to learn more about her books and read first chapters.