Book ~ "Ship of Dreams" (2025) Donna Jones Alward

From Goodreads ~ Aboard the Titanic, where opulence knows no bounds and the horizon seems limitless, two women fight for the futures they dream of, fraught with secrets that could change everything.

Hannah Martin is clinging to the hope that six days on this grand ship will heal the wounds in her marriage to Charles. Beneath her poised exterior lies a desperation to mend what was shattered and conceal a secret that could upend their lives forever.

Louisa Phillips, spirited and uncompromising, is escaping her family’s insistence on a passionless marriage. But this daring step could also sever the deepest bond in her life.

As the "unsinkable" ship strikes the iceberg, amidst the chaos and icy waters, lives are changed forever. In the face of impending doom, what dreams will Hannah and Lou decide are worth saving, and at what cost?

This is a historical novel set on the maiden voyage of the Titanic in 1912. The story follows two women traveling together. Hannah is hoping the trip will help fix her strained marriage to her husband, Charles, while she keeps a secret that could affect their future. Her friend, Louisa, joins the voyage to escape pressure from her family to marry someone she doesn’t love. Their friendship is tested as secrets and personal struggles come to the surface while they experience life aboard the ship. Near the end of the voyage, the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to sink. The disaster forces the friends to face the reality of the situation and make decisions about survival and the people they care about.

I thought this book was okay. I found the story interesting. The sinking of the Titanic is a sad tale and this is told from a personal perspective. It's amazing how times have changed. The expectations for women were so different then. Hannah's goal was to marry well, which she did, and have a family. Louisa didn't want marriage and was more interested in pushing for women's rights. Her father had found a man he wanted her to marry and if she didn't, he would cut her off financially. She didn't want to marry him, hence the trip across the Atlantic with Hannah and Charles. Hannah and Louisa were in first class and everyone was so mannerly and proper ... so different from today. It's written in first person perspective alternating between Hannah and Louisa (the chapters/sections are marked). I found the writing a bit long and draggy at times and could have been tighter.