Katie Clarren is no stranger to vanishing dreams. For the past five years, it’s been about survival, dashing any hopes of living life differently or for herself. It’s a lonely life, but it’s safer for everyone involved if she keeps herself at a distance because she’ll never let anyone close enough to know the real her. All they’ll ever see is the façade of the good girl; no one can know her secrets or see the severely tarnished woman beneath the mask because the risk is too great and the disapproval is too much for her to handle with everything else going on in her life. But at a moment of weakness and a need to have something for herself, she begins a relationship with Dalton Calhoun, country music star, and regardless of how hard she tries to fight her feelings for Dalton, his persistence and her heart wear her down. But love isn’t easy when you can’t be completely open and honest with the man you love, so Katie makes the only choice she thinks she has to protect both him and herself, and she sets him free, sending both her life and Dalton’s spiraling downward with no way to get out of the darkness.
Dalton’s life has unfolded much differently than Katie’s, and while he’s had to give up some of his dreams, he found new ones and worked hard to achieve them. He’s at the top of his game in the music industry, and he sees Katie as the perfect woman to help him realize his other dreams – ones he never really had until Katie entered his life. He knows she’s holding back and keeping him at arm’s length, but that doesn’t deter him from pursuing her and claiming her as his. Dalton finally feels like everything is coming together for him – he’s found a new family in Devil’s Bend, a passion besides music, and a woman who makes him feel alive and renewed, but when Katie up and decides that their relationship is over with not so much as an explanation and then soon after, he learns part of Katie’s secret, he walks away, feeling he’s better off without her and her lies and doing exactly what Katie feared he’d do if she allowed him in, shunning her without even an asking for an explanation.
For both Katie and Dalton, the dream of being a couple vanished quickly and neither fought to keep it alive despite how much they felt for each other. But even though dreams end, new ones can be formed and realized as long as those involved are willing to put their hearts on the line and fight for what they want. Sometimes people need to stop watching their dreams fade away and grab a hold of them, but it’s up to Katie and Dalton if they’ll have the strength to do so, or if they’ll let their dream of being together fade away without looking back.
I absolutely loved Vanishing Dreams. Katie is a fantastic heroine, and Nicole Edwards clearly develops her character so readers understand why she makes the choices she does throughout the story. Her life hasn’t been easy, but she does what she has to do to endure, protect, and survive. Her burdens are ones that weigh heavily on her, and she refuses to put them on anyone else, which shows the type of person she is despite the secrets she keeps. There were times that I just wanted Katie to be honest with Dalton and tell him the truth, but I also understood why she didn’t and why she cut ties with Dalton. She definitely wasn’t being vindictive, and she didn’t make the decision on a whim; she felt it was the best solution for all those involved, and it nearly destroyed her in the process. I also can’t fault Dalton for reacting the way he did. Getting information secondhand makes the news even harder to take, especially Katie’s secret. I love that Nicole Edwards didn’t make it easy on Katie and Dalton in getting back together. With everything that occurred, it couldn’t be instantaneous, and if they weren’t willing to fight then the love they had didn’t mean what they thought it did. Several months transpire in the book, and there’s a lot to work through, both separately and together, before even the possibility of being a couple can occur. I appreciate the fact that nothing felt rushed in Katie and Dalton’s story, and while I wanted everything to work out quickly, realistically, it couldn’t, and Edwards hold true to that concept throughout the entire text.
I’m a huge Nicole Edwards’ fan and one reason for that is because she’s such a versatile writer. She can tackle any type of topic/storyline and give readers a text that has both depth and meaning. She’s truly a gifted writer and I’m so glad she shares that gift with her readers.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
5 poison apples
Katie Clarren was walking on a cloud, the big, puffy white kind that dotted a brilliant blue sky on a beautiful summer day. Or at least that’s what it felt like as she floated across the rustic, hardwood floors in what had become her favorite bar, taking drink orders and chatting it up with the customers. They were unusually busy tonight, but she knew who to thank for that.
Unlike her mood, the weather outside was dreary, the sky a dull gray, and the dark, heavy clouds were threatening to open up at any time. But that hadn’t stopped anyone from coming out to The Rusty Nail, even on a Monday night. They were here to see him and she certainly couldn’t blame them.
Up on stage, Dalton Calhoun was gearing up to play for the small gathering, laughing with a group crowded by the edge of the stage while he set up, his wondrous smile making him even that much more attractive. And that was saying something. The way he moved reflected his excitement and stirred the energy in the room, and yes, even Katie was infused with it. Yeah, the guy certainly loved to entertain a crowd which was a good thing considering he was so freaking good at it.
Dalton was exactly as he appeared on television and in magazines, his picture probably hanging on the walls of teenage girl’s rooms everywhere. Having gotten to know him on another level, Katie had learned early on that there wasn’t anything fake about him. He was a country music phenom, one who had garnered the attention of women of every age. From his sexy dark hair usually hidden by his signature, black Stetson, to his drool-worthy ass, there was no question as to why everyone loved him. Including her.
However, Katie’s love was a little deeper than theirs was. Or at least she liked to think so.
Not only was she drawn to all six foot two inches of him, and his intense, dark brown eyes, Katie had managed to establish a friendship with the man known for his quick smile and charming drawl. Aside from a few make out sessions, it hadn’t gone much farther than that. Yet.
And each night that she watched him up on that stage was a little different from the last time Katie had watched him play. He was more at ease with every performance, befriending the locals and becoming an integrated part of the town. However, she still recalled the first night she saw him walk into The Rusty Nail. Not to sound like a bad cliché, but that night had been the night that had changed her life.
New York Times bestselling author Nicole Edwards launched her professional writing career in July of 2012. Having been an avid reader all of her life and a huge fan of creative writing, it seemed the likely path for her to take. Since then, she has released fifteen books and has no plans to stop. As her full-time career/hobby, Nicole writes steamy contemporary and erotic romances.
Although she has a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, she prefers to be hiding out in her writing cave, talking to the fictional characters that have built up in her head over the years.
When she isn’t writing or plotting her next book (sometimes translated to “playing on Facebook”), Nicole loves to read and spend time with her family and her dogs.
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