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Very satisfying read. ( )

It pains me to rate a Lauraine Snelling book only 3 stars. Unfortunately, this one was a little disappointing.

A Breath of Hope picks up right where A Promise of Dawn left off. I wasn't expecting Rune and Signe's family to be as much as part of this, but I am so glad they were. I love those characters so much . . . Nilda, also, was a fabulous character, and I liked her immediately.

The plot, in my opinion, was a little lacking. It feels like this book and A Promise of Dawn where two parts of the same book. And even in this one, the storyline doesn't really wrap up completely. Whatever happened to that creep who was after Nilda? I really wish there had been more closure in a lot of areas. Also, the storyline was rather anticlimactic. I kept waiting for that big "oh no!" moment in the middle, but . . . it never happened.

Snelling's writing style is as engaging as ever, and all the historical information I always find so fascinating. The theme of hope was so beautiful.

The best part of this book - and really, all of Snelling's books - is the characters. They are all so realistic and relatable. From page one, you are so invested in their story.

Overal, while lacking in some areas, I did still enjoy this story. Just a head's up: I don't recommend reading this without having read the first one. There's a lot of info missing if you do. ;)

Recommended for ages 15 for some mild mature themes. A man attempts to seduce the MC, and is mentioned as having previously attempted to do the same with other women. While not described, I don't recommend this for young readers for that reason. ( )

This is one of those book series that you wish the author could write faster; like maybe a book every few months! I read the Promise of Dawn and could not wait for this book to come out! You can read it as a standalone but you will want to read the first one so you won’t miss anything!
After a great many struggles, Rune and his family are still working for his cantankerous (and that’s putting it nicely) Uncle Einar, and finishing building their new home. With them moving soon, Uncle Eniar will need more help. He offers to pay Nilda, Rune’s sister, passage to America. She is beyond ecstatic! Her family insists her brother Ivar come with her, but he choose to earn money for his own trip. America the land of promise to so many immigrants! Just as with her brother and his family she has no clue of what she will be facing in the way of her uncle’s mean and hateful ways. He does not care for his family just his land and obsession of logging the vast trees.
Just as in the previous book the author has a talent for vividly painting not only the characters experiences and daily life, but also their thoughts and emotions. I felt as if I was right there seeing and being a part of everything, but also stepping inside of each character and perceiving the situations thorough their eyes.
Once again I was greatly inspired by the family’s deep faith in God and how they lived it. Uncle Einar reminds me of people that are so embittered and mean spirited that nothing seems break through their hard shell. God is the only one that can. Seeing the Carlson’s love, patience and forgiveness is overwhelming. You can’t help but wonder how they do it after being consistently mistreated. A lesson for all to learn. I was once more shocked at the extremely hard work and challenge simply to exist in this era. I am afraid I might have given up. Another amazing book in this series! I cannot wait to read the next one!
I received this book from Bethany Publishers in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have stated are my own. ( )

I believe this is the first book I’ve read by Lauraine Snelling. I enjoyed her writing style and delved into the story rather quickly. The pacing slowed quite a bit after the first third or half of the book, but the story still kept my interest.

I love the spiritual foundation of this story, and enjoyed the characters (most of them, anyway) but I wasn’t fully engrossed, like I’d hoped. Still, I liked for Nilda and cared how the story ended.

Although A Breath of Hope didn’t fully capture me, I still hope to read more in this series and more by this author.

Cover: Like
Title: Love
Pages: 336
Series: Under Northern Skies Book 2
Publisher: Bethany House
First Line: Nilda Carlson stared at the money in her hand.
I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House. ( )