The story is set amid the real events of the final voyage of the ill-fated SS Central America. Determined to not cause a scene he goes along with the ruse. Della then introduces herself as Kent Bradford’s wife to an important investor, shocking Kent. Historical RomanceDella flees San Francisco aboard a ship after being accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Then, only days out from New York, their ship encounters a hurricane that threatens not only their budding love, but their very lives. But moments turn into weeks and growing attraction becomes something more. Stuffy New York businessman Kent Bradford is shocked when a lovely redhead he’s never met suddenly introduces herself as his wife to an important business contact. Surely her quick wits-and tongue-can convince someone to help her until her pursuers are far behind. Falsely accused of murder by a rival snake-oil salesman, she is forced to flee the lawless city’s vigilantes aboard an outbound steamer.

On her own in wild, wicked, post-Gold Rush San Francisco, Della Gilliland has become a bit of a con artist, though a harmless one. Relive the experiences of her passengers, as told through the eyes of a fictitious couple who find love and danger on the high seas aboard this first “Ship of Dreams.”

Many were saved, many were lost, and lives were changed forever.

In 1857, laden with gold and adventurers fresh from the California Gold Rush, the luxury sidewheel steamer SS Central America went down in a hurricane off the Carolina coast. Half a century before Titanic, another famous shipwreck captured the hearts and imagination of the world. “A rousing adventure and a grand romance.” ~Susan Wiggs

Ship of Dreams by Brenda Hiatt