Finding Fleur is book #10 of the Stargazing Series, a 12 book series of standalones.
Fleur Jansen dreams of travelling the world. Even as a child, she rolled around in her grandparents’ flower fields and watched the clouds enviously as they travelled all the places she wanted to go—free and without restraint.
Now a successful solicitor and with another promotion on the horizon, life is full of barriers stopping Fleur from fulfilling her dreams.
Fleur finally sees she’s been living a nightmare and sets out on an adventure, with her travel journal and itinerary in hand.
That is, until her dreams fade to black. Until disaster strikes. Until all Fleur knows is broken. Will she continue to chase down her dreams? Will love and friendship prosper or will Fleur accept that dreams are just that, and reality can never live up to them?
D J Cook, or Danny, lives in Cheshire with his annoying yet lovable partner, and even more annoying siblings. He has a Special Guardianship Order for his sister since his mum lost her fight with cancer in 2013. Danny uses books as an escape from reality, because who wouldn't want to be in House Tyrell, sipping wine and watching The Hunger Games unfold before their very eyes? When he isn't consumed by a world full of books, he binge watches TV series and plays Xbox. If he disappears, you'll either find him at IKEA or in the bath.
I had the pleasure of meeting D. J. Cook at the Authors at the Armouries book signing this year. This book was not my usual read, but I was tempted to try it when I heard the plot. I’m so glad I did because it was a beautiful story. The writing was magical, I was glued to every page and found the book really hard to put down, pretty much reading it in a day. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
Fleur, ambitions, driven, independent but her job is slowly sucking the life out of her. She likes to connect with her client and is considered 'too emotionally invested' but that is what she likes about herself.
Its good to watch as she travels and finds out her strengths and realising the things other people admire about her. Its a beautiful journey about her, and remembering who she was before her life was overtaken by her career. Enjoyable read, and a sweet relationship that comes out of it.
This was such a lovely book, I devoured it in one evening - I just didn't want to put it down!
It's the perfect book when you're in a life slump - a reminder that there is more out there; that you can and SHOULD put yourself first; that sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is exactly what you need.
The writing was beautiful, with excellent descriptions that made me feel as though Fleur had taken me along for the journey. I loved the connections that were made when she opened herself up, and the ending got me all in my feels.
My only critique is that I really wish it had been longer in that second half - I felt there could have been a deeper exploration of certain aspects (which I won't mention cause spoilers)
Well worth a read though, would definitely recommend!
Finding Fluer is a fabulous read. It's had me glued to each page from the start. The author does a fantastic job of pulling you in and reaching for those deep emotions. Empathy, sadness to starters, then a main course of happiness only to end with a dessert of joy. This book has you guessing who it is throughout but I can tell you this, it's not who you think😂.
Fluer took me on her travelling journey and ended up finding the person she really is and the things that mean the most to her. In doing so found a second chance at a life she didn't see coming.
Fluer knows what she wants and has spent her whole life working towards it. Now her dream gets shattered before her adventure begins. She has to go it alone. One phone call is all it takes to set your whole of the rest of your life in motion.
I have rated finding fluer 5stars because it gave me everything I could wish for in a book like this. A rollercoaster of emotions, Twists and turns, you name it you got it.
You would be a fool to pass up this read. I really did enjoy it. AI imagine this to be a perfect beach or by the pool read.
Finding Fleur was an incredibly unique reading experience. I was enthralled by Fleur and her life experiences in bringing her travel journal to life. Her strength and resilience to continue on when life didn't go the way she planned resonated with me. The secondary characters added depth to her story and really made her story come to life. This was a really well-written novel that I highly recommend. It is full of emotion and detailed descriptions that make it easy for the reader to lose themselves into the world created within the pages.
Fleur dreams of travelling, she has saved her money so one day she can fulfil her dream. Then along comes Connor. He makes her happy. But then things change. Can she go travelling on her own. Will she survive. Can she come out stronger? Danny is an amazing author. I would recommend reading any of his books xx
I loved Fleurs story, especially following her travels. The author has done a brilliant job of building the world around the story, and the mystery of the flowers built up the suspense throughout. (Warning: do not read if you are prone to wanderlust, because it will make you want to travel the world along with Fleur!)
I really liked Fleur. When life lets her down I loved that she still follows her dreams and brings her travel journal to life. Some great characters and was really rooting for Fleur all the way through! Have enjoyed everything I have read by DC Cook.
Absolutely fantastic a beautiful story of finding yourself, adventure, love, heartbreak, travel and written so beautifully I loved it and would highly recommend 💕
I loved going along with Fleur on this journey of self discovery. She has always had dreams of travelling since she was a little girl but something has always held her back from doing it. Be that a relationship, work, family, but something in her life changes and she finally decides to do something for herself. She makes herself number #1, takes her journal and finds out who she really is and what she wants from life. A brilliant book in the Stargazing series. I really enjoyed reading Fleur's adventures and what she got up to!
I enjoyed Fleur's journey round the world. I think many people will relate to the dream of sacking off the day job and taking off into the sunset.
Her supporting characters are easy to understand, each one catering to an audience; I love that. The tale moves along swiftly, much like the lives of the travellers.
Cook's style is soft and steady, like a gentle stream flowing effortlessly through a meadow. I liked the simplicity of the storytelling. I didn't once feel like I'd missed something or had to scan back to check something.
Shout out to my favourite lines (I am a sucker for a good line)
"A lot of the men wore suits that looked like their tailors followed them around everywhere, altering their suits to fit them perfectly with each inhale and exhale."
"He was trying to be nice but God, it hurt - like holding onto a single rose with a stem full of thorns."
"I was in no positon to accept my happily ever after."
A very pleasant read x
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is beautifully written in such a way that makes you feel as though you are there with Fleur through all of her travelling, and the detail is incredible! Such a heartwarming read. I absolutely loved the reveals, as well! *no spoilers, don't worry!*
I have to say, I think this is my favourite of DJ Cook's books so far and once you pick it up and read it, you'll know why. As I've said, it's beautifully written, and Fleur is so relatable - as is the case with all of his stories and characters! He has such a way of making you care for his characters and really invest in their happiness.
First off i gotta say how lovely is this cover for this book? I love DJ Cook and his writing so was happy to get round to reading this one, even if im late to the party sorry 🙈 Fleur has dreamed of travelling after moving to the UK with her family when she was young. She has it all planned out from place to place but when she falls in love she puts her plans on hold. When the travel bug can be held back no more we get a beautiful story of self discovery and of Fleur finding herself again and what she really wants in life. Loved seeing her become friends with her new circle of people, even though they werent in her comfort zone at first. Look forward to seeing whats next for this author.