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Daybreak
Daybreak finds Jensen in Denmark, living out her long-awaited dream of being a mother. But when Anders has to leave, his son, Bjorn, unexpectedly moves home, and Jensen’s family faces a crisis in Minnesota, everything starts to unravel. Will dawn’s bright new beginning turn to heartbreak, or will the morning star find a way to pierce the darkness? Continue the tale of NIGHT & DAY as Jensen and Anders search for hygge in the colorful legacy of family, gardens, and quilts that make up their heritage. DAYBREAK – what happens after happily-ever-after…
292 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2018
2 people want to read
About the author
Sherrie Hansen
25 books48 followersSherrie Hansen just retired from her life calling - operating a Victorian Bed & Breakfast and Tea House, The Blue Belle Inn. She enjoys writing novels, quilting, playing the piano, renovating old houses and traveling. Sherrie and her husband live in Northern Iowa.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 14, 2019
Romance isn’t my usual forte’ – too typical of a story arc. Yet, this romance took me on a different path, one of unfolding drama with an inside view of the communication tests and bonding complexities between this couple. While their struggles are different than mine, I couldn’t help but to relate and get some “ah hah” moments along with some “oh no!” moments. I’m not one to give spoilers in reviews, so just know that for those who want a truly realistic romance- with plenty of ups and downs to keep you reading, this is the must-read. It is well-written, and understandably so with Ms.Hansen’s well-received history and experience in writing. I recommend Daybreak to any reader who wants to fall in love alongside the characters.
March 4, 2019
Family relationships encompass the past, present and future, and Sherrie Hansen’s Daybreak takes readers from the joys of discovering distant relatives to the sorrow of losing present and future ones. The search for roots becomes a search for self, in a tale that’s ripped from the headlines of travel safety and immigration, yet steeped in a past where safety meant not traveling while ill with a foreign virus. Alternating viewpoints of a conservative Dane and his American wife offer some fascinating dialog and food for thought, while kitchens yield food for the stomach, and quilts, beautifully described, delight the eye.
Daybreak is a tale of blended families, childbirth and separation. It’s a quilted tale with tangled threads where past and present, like the different continents of the protagonists, might combine into images of beauty or heartsick pain. No Disney endings (though a mermaid theme threads beautifully through a truly delightful birth scene)—just the raw honesty of a new (but not young) mom, sucked dry by caring for her child, struggling with rejection and isolation, and longing for the dream she once believed; while a new dad tries to restore what’s falling apart.
Some beautiful analogies inform the ending of this tale, with gardening and quilt-making each playing their part. Perfectionism or casual compliance, hope or surrender, listening or speaking… it’s all built on the relationships of families, generations past and present, and love that might or might not conquer all.
“There is always a choice… to look on the bright side and find hygge no matter what your circumstances, or to wallow in the negative and be miserable.” But choices between imperfect futures can be hard to make, especially when perfection is your goal. A lovely book, filled with believable characters, achingly sad and happy situations, touches of terror and despair, and the promise of daybreak after the dark, this Daybreak is highly recommended. There are even delightful hints (never intrusive) of other books by the author—a patchwork world behind the patchwork lives that must somehow fit together for love to survive.
Disclosure: I’ve enjoyed the author’s other books, but this might be my favorite, so I’m really glad I was given an ecopy, and I offer my honest review.
Daybreak is a tale of blended families, childbirth and separation. It’s a quilted tale with tangled threads where past and present, like the different continents of the protagonists, might combine into images of beauty or heartsick pain. No Disney endings (though a mermaid theme threads beautifully through a truly delightful birth scene)—just the raw honesty of a new (but not young) mom, sucked dry by caring for her child, struggling with rejection and isolation, and longing for the dream she once believed; while a new dad tries to restore what’s falling apart.
Some beautiful analogies inform the ending of this tale, with gardening and quilt-making each playing their part. Perfectionism or casual compliance, hope or surrender, listening or speaking… it’s all built on the relationships of families, generations past and present, and love that might or might not conquer all.
“There is always a choice… to look on the bright side and find hygge no matter what your circumstances, or to wallow in the negative and be miserable.” But choices between imperfect futures can be hard to make, especially when perfection is your goal. A lovely book, filled with believable characters, achingly sad and happy situations, touches of terror and despair, and the promise of daybreak after the dark, this Daybreak is highly recommended. There are even delightful hints (never intrusive) of other books by the author—a patchwork world behind the patchwork lives that must somehow fit together for love to survive.
Disclosure: I’ve enjoyed the author’s other books, but this might be my favorite, so I’m really glad I was given an ecopy, and I offer my honest review.
October 19, 2018
Sherrie Hansen is a storyteller and understands the vagaries of life in all its messiness. She doesn’t write perfect characters which ironically is what makes her characters perfect. They are right and wrong in their thoughts, their relationships, their selfishness and their desires. They struggle with the difficulties they encounter, get side-tracked by them so badly sometimes that lose sight of the big picture. Like every single one of us!
It’s almost impossible to review this book and do justice to it at the same time. It had me on an emotional roller-coaster from page one because the interplay and conflict between the characters is so identifiable. This extended to the relationship between Jensen and her parents, Jensen and Anders, Jensen and Bjorn (her stepson), Anders and his son, Anders and his boss and so on.
It subtly showed that life is not perfect and that sometimes everything spins out of control in a way that takes you away from what you believed were your dreams, your beliefs, your priorities. In their desire not to hurt one another, Jensen and Anders do exactly that. Their story left me fuming and crying and frustrated. But also made me reflect on my own behaviour towards the ones I love and what truly is important in life.
Finally, this book, like Night and Day, was beautifully written and exceptionally edited, two critical components of a five-star book. I shall be reading a lot more of Sherrie Hansen.
It’s almost impossible to review this book and do justice to it at the same time. It had me on an emotional roller-coaster from page one because the interplay and conflict between the characters is so identifiable. This extended to the relationship between Jensen and her parents, Jensen and Anders, Jensen and Bjorn (her stepson), Anders and his son, Anders and his boss and so on.
It subtly showed that life is not perfect and that sometimes everything spins out of control in a way that takes you away from what you believed were your dreams, your beliefs, your priorities. In their desire not to hurt one another, Jensen and Anders do exactly that. Their story left me fuming and crying and frustrated. But also made me reflect on my own behaviour towards the ones I love and what truly is important in life.
Finally, this book, like Night and Day, was beautifully written and exceptionally edited, two critical components of a five-star book. I shall be reading a lot more of Sherrie Hansen.
January 1, 2019
Having read other books by this author, I am fast becoming a fan. Her storytelling is engaging and clever, authentic. Compassion and levity enter into this love story that doesn’t shy from problems and complications, present in all relationships. I was glad to see that the story had enough conflict/tension to hold my interest as the characters, Anders & Jensen, navigate through pages of find their dream turning nightmare. And then what? No spoilers here. With so many odds against them, geography, tradition, culture, a new baby and separation, in this day and age when so much divides us this is a good platform to tackle. And the author does it well. If only the rest of the world would read her words and take note, metaphorically or not, it is what we all need: more love and less division.
May 14, 2019
I so enjoyed this book. I loved the first one, so was really excited to read the second, though it took me a while to get round to it. We meet the same characters again, but now they are well into the relationship, with a child on the way. As someone who lives in a different country to where I was born, and am kept here by my children, but away from my family and everything that feels like 'home' to the soul, I *felt* so many of the issues that arise for this couple so terribly deeply. I also really understood the feeling of never quite fitting in, and of the problems that come from the person you moved for being the person you can't seem to make it worth with. Oh, the feels. I just wanted to hug both of them and thought Anders' big show of love was so terribly romantic - the risks he took and the outcomes... it was perfect. Such a great book, a wonderful story, and very well told.
January 20, 2019
A wonderful story
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The story picks up with Jensen being pregnant and Anders being forces to over a flight sight on a neighboring island. The drama starts rolling as Anders keeps it a secret that his new boss is demanding that he starts his new post immediately. Sprinkle some of Anders' son living with Jensen and the newborn and a fuse is lit. Anders gets accused of terrorism, which seals the deal and paves the way for more turmoil between the two lovers. Needless to say, communication isn't anyone's strong point and as always, secrets will test everyone's relationships. Definitely worth checking out this one! I highly recommend this one!
I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The story picks up with Jensen being pregnant and Anders being forces to over a flight sight on a neighboring island. The drama starts rolling as Anders keeps it a secret that his new boss is demanding that he starts his new post immediately. Sprinkle some of Anders' son living with Jensen and the newborn and a fuse is lit. Anders gets accused of terrorism, which seals the deal and paves the way for more turmoil between the two lovers. Needless to say, communication isn't anyone's strong point and as always, secrets will test everyone's relationships. Definitely worth checking out this one! I highly recommend this one!
May 5, 2021
This is a good follow up to Night and Day. The storyline and characters move forward instead of doing a left turn, which a lot of second books do. Some of the problems faced, like being a step-mother, are realistic. One sign of a good book is if it affects your emotions and this one made me tear up in one place and also got me angry in others. I wanted to take one of the characters and give him a good shake. There are a few places where you think one thing is going to happen, but something else does instead, which I like. It’s not predictable.
September 22, 2018
At the beginning of the book, it took me a few chapters to get into it but when I did, I enjoyed reading the story of a mixed marriage. The trials they went through were realistic and when I got to the end, I wanted to read more. It left you hanging on what was next in the main characters decisions.
February 5, 2019
Touching love story
This was a very touching love story in which the couple came across many barriers in their life together. It was a reminder that family is everything and true love is always worth fighting for. The writing was filled with enough descriptors to enable the reader to experience each and every emotion as well as setting.
This was a very touching love story in which the couple came across many barriers in their life together. It was a reminder that family is everything and true love is always worth fighting for. The writing was filled with enough descriptors to enable the reader to experience each and every emotion as well as setting.
April 9, 2019
I love reading things with different locales. The plot was excellent. Blending a family can lead to complications beyond belief. The story held my interest and I enjoyed it to no end. Well done, a great read.
May 29, 2021
If you read Night and Day, you must read Daybreak. Love across the ocean complicated by her stepson and her dying father. Quilts. Relationships. A surprise in genealogy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews