Henry McAvoy leaned forward. “I have been looking for an artist just like you—a diamond in the rough, so to speak. And really, Miss Copley,” he said gently, “what do you have to lose?”
1911, Amherst Island, Canada: When a chance encounter takes Ellen Copley away from the beautiful island she has called home since she was orphaned as a child—she believes it is the new start she has been waiting for.
She settles into an exciting, creative new life in Glasgow, feeling like she’s finally finding her independence. And even though she left a part of her heart back on the island, she’s flattered by the attentions of her handsome, charming benefactor, Henry McAvoy.
But tragedy strikes their fledgling relationship, and soon after war looms over Europe. Emboldened by all she has loved and lost, Ellen leaves Scotland to become a nurse on the front line. And, as she finds herself having to choose between love and duty, desire and bravery, her courage is tested as never before.
The war rages on—and familiar faces appear on the front line, including her childhood sweetheart Jed Lyman and his brother Lucas. Coming face-to-face with her past, Ellen will learn what she is made of. But can she finally decide where her heart truly belongs?
Kate is the USA Today-bsetselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.
She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.
In DREAMS OF THE ISLAND, the second book of the Amherst Island series, orphan Ellen Copley is helping her friend and sometimes rival Louisa prepare for her upcoming marriage to Ellen’s childhood sweetheart Jed. Jed’s brother, Lukas, has feelings for Ellen, but Ellen has never seen him as more than a friend, and her heart is broken than Louisa and Jed are marrying, though of course in typical Ellen fashion, she does the right thing and stands by them both. Ellen has been given the opportunity to return to Scotland and study art by wealthy benefactor Henry MacAvoy, who seems to have more than just artistic interests in her. I loved reading the period details of this book just as much as the first. Kate Hewitt writes historical romance very well, in a heartwarming way that makes me want to savor each page and read a little bit each night. The Jed/Lukas love triangle had my heart broken a little for Ellen and both brothers, but honestly, I like each of them so much in their own way that I wouldn’t have cared so much who she ended up with. As the story heads into WW1, Ellen serves as a nurse in France, and worries over the fate of the islanders who are fighting in the trenches.
When, in 1911, Ellen Copley left her home on Canada’s Amherst Island and headed back to the country she was born in and left aged thirteen, her dreams of a new start with her drawings and sketching were strong. The School of Arts in Glasgow was Ellen’s new beginning and her lodgings with one of the teachers, Norah, a woman she was a little intimidated by, soon turned to friendship. Her benefactor, Henry McAvoy, who’d met her in Canada and been impressed with her sketchings, also showed her attention.
After a tragedy of monumental proportions, Ellen’s grief was taken over by the beginning of the war in Europe. She and Norah headed, as nurses, for an old, rundown abbey in France, which was to be turned into a hospital on the front line for wounded soldiers. Four years of horror, of death and devastation, of hope and unexpected face to face meetings with Jed and Lucas Lyman from Amherst Island found Ellen unsure of her future. Would she return to Glasgow when the war was over? Or would she return to her home on Amherst Island? So much change had taken place…
Dreams of the Island is the 2nd in the Amherst Island trilogy by Kate Hewitt and once again I loved it. I’m so pleased I’ve found this author’s writing – her work is a dream to read. Excellent characters with depth and meaning makes me feel I know them. Catching up with the characters from The Orphan's Island and seeing them grow in both age and integrity; I’m really looking forward to #3, Return to the Island. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed book 2 even more than book 1! A well researched story of what it was like to be a nurse in France during WWI and then coming home to a world that is forever changed afterward.
This is book number 2 in the series. Omg I love this series. I seriously inhaled the book. It is about loss , war, friendships, strength, survival, it is about finding out where you belong. . I need book 3. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review
Dreams of the Island is the second book in the Amherst Island series by Kate Hewitt. Ellen Copley is back where it all started..in Scotland after leaving her island home for a new opportunity. Ellen, now a young woman, is still trying to figure out life and find her place in this world after a heartbreak. In Glasgow, she slowly starts to find herself and makes some friends along her journey of self discovery. Here is where she finds a new potential love interest, but it is not long before Ellen is tested again when war breaks out and she finds herself on the frontlines putting her nursing skills to good use. But after the war is over, will Ellen finally be able to find where she truly belongs?
Kate Hewitt’s writing is simply amazing and I always find myself drawn into each of her stories and the Amherst Island series is turning into some of my favorite books from this author. Hewitt paints such a vivid picture whether it is in describing Amherst Island, Scotland and even the people themselves. She also makes you feel as if you are growing up with Ellen as she goes through life trying to find a place where she belongs. I can’t help rooting for Ellen as Hewitt has made her into such a compassionate and loveable character. The storyline just flows so effortlessly and I found myself reading it slowly so I could savor everything about the story. Let’s face it, I didn’t want the story to end and I know once I read the third book in the series, Return to the Island, I am going to be completely heartbroken when it is finished.
If you love a sweeping Historical Fiction story with a character you can’t help but love, then you definitely will want to start this wonderfully amazing series.
In this second book of the Amherst Island trilogy, Ellen Copley, now a 19 year old, returns to her home city of Glasgow to pursue her art diploma at the Glasgow School of Art, trying to find her footing and acceptance as an artist and in the society of Glasgow's elite. Then World War I begins and Ellen dons her nurse's uniform again to join with the Red Cross in France. Both in Glasgow and France, she makes new friends and acquaintances but deep down she still misses Amherst Island and continues to question where her heart truly belongs. The story flows smoothly from the first book into the second without any hitches. The characters, situations and settings are all well drawn and relatable. I think this series can be made into a TV mini-series; it has the story and feel to it that will look good visually. Now onto the third and final book to see how it all concludes.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture and the author Kate Hewitt for the e-Arc of the book. The book was published on 16th December 2020.
This book had me turning the pages so fast to see what would happen with Ellen and those that she loves so much. Ellen faces so many trials in her life but she just keeps going. I can not wait until I can read the next book to see how the author concludes Ellen's journey.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the copy of the book. The opinions are my own.
This rating of 5 stars is by my spouse who shares the near 500 books we have on the Amazon cloud. She loves these stories of life's hardships, loves lost and won with happy endings. We are now on book 4 just loving the series.
Dreams of the Island by Kate Hewitt is a great historical fiction novel that is the second book in the Amherst Island trilogy.
Here, we get to follow Ellen on her journey back to Scotland and then into the war torn areas of France during WWI in her quest to find herself, her purpose, and to find her place in life.
I honestly enjoyed this book even better then the first. Seeing Ellen growing up, experiencing a profound move in joining Art School in Glasgow all the while being able to visit her childhood roots again must be monumental.
I enjoyed reading about her decision to use her nursing experience to help out in France as well.
This installment was jam packed with experiences, travels, love, loss, awakenings, and changes. I loved seeing Ellen grow into a young woman and I seem to like her more and more as it goes on.
I can’t wait to see how it all ends with the last book. Truly enjoyable.
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Instagram, Amazon, and B&N accounts upon publication on 12/16/20.
From The Publisher:
Book Description:
Henry McAvoy leaned forward. “I have been looking for an artist just like you—a diamond in the rough, so to speak. And really, Miss Copley,” he said gently, “what do you have to lose?”
1911, Amherst Island, Canada: When a chance encounter takes Ellen Copley away from the beautiful island she has called home since she was orphaned as a child—she believes it is the new start she has been waiting for.
She settles into an exciting, creative new life in Glasgow, feeling like she’s finally finding her independence. And even though she left a part of her heart back on the island, she’s flattered by the attentions of her handsome, charming benefactor, Henry McAvoy.
But tragedy strikes their fledgling relationship, and soon after war looms over Europe. Emboldened by all she has loved and lost, Ellen leaves Scotland to become a nurse on the front line. And, as she finds herself having to choose between love and duty, desire and bravery, her courage is tested as never before.
The war rages on—and familiar faces appear on the front line, including her childhood sweetheart Jed Lyman and his brother Lucas. Coming face-to-face with her past, Ellen will learn what she is made of. But can she finally decide where her heart truly belongs?
This is the second book in the unmissable Amherst Island Trilogy that follows the life and love of Ellen Copley from the magic of Lake Ontario to the bloody battlefields of the First World War and beyond. Perfect for fans of The Oceans Between Us, The Orphan Sisters, and My Name is Eva.
Previously published as On Renfrew Street.
Author Bio:
Kate Hewitt is the author of many romance and women’s fiction novels. A former New Yorker and now an American ex-pat, she lives in a small town on the Welsh border with her husband, five children, and their overly affectionate Golden Retriever. Whatever the genre, she enjoys telling stories that tackle real issues and touch people’s lives.
This is book two in a trilogy following the life of Ellen Copley. Ellen goes off from the island to go back to Glasgow to enrol at Art School. After passing her certificate she is asked to stay on at the school as a teacher. Unfortunately the war breaks out and Ellen goes off to France to put her much needed nursing skills to good use. There’s a lot going on for Ellen during the four years of the war and I look forward to reading the third book to see how she gets on next.
So this is the 2nd book following Ellen Copley from a young 12yr old abandoned by her family. She then went into Amherst island and found a place to call home before landing back in Glasgow to study art such she loved, then after mending her broken heart she had to volunteer been a nurse as war broke out forc4years. These books are amazing how all the characters are brought to life along with the places. It takes a special writer to draw You in this way like yr really there with all of them through there journey. A brilliant set of book about growing up falling in love, losing people you love finding yourself nursing the wounded through war and much more. Can't wait to go into the next book now to see if Ellen finds her home back on the island and with her and lucas....
This is a book that's " unputdownable!" The characters are so realistic and the story is so compelling that the reader is drawn into the story as it develops. Our heroin is a globe trotting Florence Nightingale! This historical novel takes us from Canada to Vermont, Chicago on to New Mexico. Then from Glasgow, Scotland to the trenches in France for the bloody battles of the first World War. Historical novels have always been some of my favorite reading and I have been enjoying reading this novel centered in the era of WWI. Ms Hewitt is an excellent story teller.
Ellen moves back to Scotland to attend art school in Glasgow. She begins to enjoy life there until the man she loves dies in the Titanic. Just as she was beginning to recover from her grief, war broke out in Europe. She joins a group of medical staff to help the wounded soldiers. The War years were extremely difficult for everyone. When it was over, Ellen was at loose ends. Where does she belong? Should she return to Glasgow and take up teaching in the art school. Or should she return to Amherst Island in Canada?
This is the second book in the series and I will be going immediately into the next. I have enjoyed the two books so much. Kate Hewitt has a talent in making you feel like you are right there with the characters. And this book had the history of World War One nurses and the agony and misery they went through along with the terrible conditions and injures the men suffered. I am so looking forward to seeing where this next book takes Ellen on her journey through life!
And she is beset with personal heartbreak that she is determined to overcome--and does, then by personal setbacks that she meets head-on (with help from supportive friends). However, she is yet to face two great tragedies--and all before she turns 25: (1) the death of a man who loved her and wanted to marry her; and (2) the trials of the "Great War."
Ellen got accepted at the Art school in Glasgow so she moves there and makes a lot of friends, including a suitor. But when the Titanic sank, a lot of her dreams go with it. Then World War I starts and Ellen and her friends go to France to open a hospital for the wounded soldiers. This book is very good. The scenes of the battles and injured soldiers tug at your emotions. I'm just starting book #3 in this series.
Ellen felt she was getting he life back together, when world war broke out and took over her life for the next four years. Working in a make shift hospital Was a challenge. Ellen witnessed terrible things and yet there were happy times. Seeing blood and sweat, and also fear in the thousands of soldiers that passed through would stay with her forever. This was one of the best books I have read in a long time.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked how Ellen was able to leave the island and travel back to Scotland, where she was originally from and became a nurse to help French soldiers wounded in World War 1. I would recommend this book to any one, who enjoys historical romance books.
This is the second in this wonderful series, I am loving these books and have just downloaded Book 3 I am absolutely hooked and its a long time since I have read books so quickly, two days to read a book is something that has not happened for many years
I found myself at the abby with all the o trolled chaos of war..I generally dont read world war stories as they are so sad. But the author kept enough levity to keep me reading.
I was attracted to this story because the cover had a picture of a nurse. I Love to read books about nurses I wasn't disappointed, this was a Clean brisk tender story that I really enjoyed!!!!
I never expected Ellen to be at a hospital in France. So many twists and turns. Poor Henry on the Titanic. Who would have thought he would leave something for the love of his life she wasn't even a fiance.
A story about immigrants and dreams of bigger things, life on a Canadian Island and the hard years of nursing the Soldiers, and then trying to find your next life after World War One.
This is book #2 of this series. I feel Ellen is insecure in her feelings. She doubts herself all the time. Also, the story seems to be getting more depressing all the time. Nothing good happens.
I will continue to read the rest of the books, just to see if she ever gets married to Jed.
My heart went out to Ellen and the joys, heartbreaks, everything that she encountered. This series is a not what I expected. I can't wait for third book. I'd like to see the island, meet the characters.
Completely memorizing. A look at WW1 through the eyes of the hospital worker which I loved to read about. Ellen's perspective is so believable it feels like the reader has a front row seat. Kate Hewitt is an amazing writer.
So much joy and sorrow packed into one book! Hewitt manages to bring us into the past in a very personal way. You could almost think that she'd lived the experiences herself at times.
Ellen makes it to art school, she meets someone. I will not say who as it will spoil it. Great book. Ready for next one. I read first as well. The man she meets passes so she does not get married.