Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson

Book Description

Cassie Kendrick is on the run. Her abusive father arranged her marriage to a despicable man, but she's discovered an escape. Disguised as a man, Cassie enlists in the Union army, taking the name Thomas Turner. On the battlefields of the Civil War, keeping her identity a secret is only the beginning of her problems, especially after she meets Gabriel Avery, a handsome young photographer.

Anxious to make his mark on the world and to erase the darkness and guilt lurking from his past, Gabriel works with renowned photographer Matthew Brady to capture images from the front lines of the war. As Gabriel forges friendships with many of the men he encounters, he wonders what the courageous, unpredictable Thomas Turner is hiding.

Battling betrayal, their own personal demons, and a country torn apart by war, can Cassie and Gabriel learn to forgive themselves and trust their futures to the God who births hope and healing in the darkest places?

My thoughts:

Tara Johnson has written one the best Civil War novels that I have read and I have read several because historical fiction is one of my favorite genres.  Ms. Johnson is a new to me author but after reading Where Dandelions Bloom, I can easily see her becoming one of my must read authors.

With limited choices on how to escape her abusive father who has arranged her marriage to an equally wretched man, Cassie Kendrick enlists in the Union Army disguised as a man. Thomas Turner is the name she has taken and let's just say that Thomas goes through a lot to keep her identity a secret on the battlefield.  Gabriel Avery is the handsome photographer who is sent to capture images on the front lines of the war.  He is carrying baggage from his past but desperately wants to escape his demons, too.  I liked how Cassie and Gabriel both took action to remove themselves from situations they didn't welcome in their lives. Though their home lives were vastly different from each other, they still were determined to have better futures.

The secondary characters left a lasting impression on me as much as Cassie and Gabe did.  Cassie's grandmother was one of my absolute favorites, she is so kind and caring which left me wanting to meet her.  Kudos to the author for creating characters who seemed so real to me.  Where Dandelions Bloom is a beautifully crafted and memorable novel and one of my favorites of 2019. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Johnson's work.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and was under no obligation to write a review.  All opinions are my own.