Dreaming Out Loud: Secrets abound in this gripping post-war saga

by Benita Brown

What secrets must Kay uncover to find her own dreams?A young woman discovers her independence... and a whole host of troubling secrets, in Benita Brown's compelling saga, Dreaming Out Loud . Perfect for fans of Pam Evans and Cathy Sharp.When Kay Lockwood is left a small inheritance by her mother's old friend, actress Lana Fontaine, she travels to London, leaving behind her Northern hometown and the boyfriend she doesn't quite trust. She falls in love with Lana's ramshackle house, and the excitement of post-war London, but soon discovers a deeper mystery - who was Lana, and why was Kay so important to her? As she unravels the past, her handsome new neighbour Tom seems to offer her a bright future, but when his own dark secret is revealed, Kay feels hurt and betrayed. Can she ever forgive him?What readers are saying about Dreaming Out Loud :'It is a good, well written story with believable, well rounded, very human characters ...The story moves at a very good pace , it is interesting to read and keeps you guessing as to how everything is all going to tie up at the end, which when it does happen, is extremely satisfying ''A well written story by an author whose characters are believable , as are the situations they are put in. She captures the early 1950s perfectly ... The book is a good read and one you won't want to put down ''Benita writes so clearly you can imagine the places and people, which takes you away into another era '

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 23, 2013

About the author

aka Clare Benedict

Benita Brown was born and brought up in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England where she now continues living. Her mother, was an English, who was the youngest of thirteen children, and her father, a Indian, who on 1930's came to Newcastle to study medicine and fell in love with the place, the people, and her mother. She went to drama school in London where she met her husband who, also from Newcastle, was working for the BBC. After marrying and having four children she became a full time writer; writing for radio, and then girls' and teenage story papers such as Mandy, Judy, Jackie and Blue Jeans.

When her first romance, written under the pseudonym Clare Benedict, was published in 1991, she joined the Romantic Novelists' Association. After six more romances she changed genre and now writes sagas under her own name, Benita Brown. First novels under this name are set in Victorian/Edwardian Tyneside. One of these, Fortune’s Daughter, was long-listed for the Romantic Novel of the Year Award. In her more recent books she has moved forward to the mid-twentieth century and although not all the action is set in Tyneside the area still has a strong influence. She died at 77 on 15 April 2014 in Newcastle's Royal Victoria Hospital.

Reviews

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really nice, easy to read story spanning from the late 1920s to the early 1950s,about Kay Lockwood who, upon receiving an inheritance from her godmother, famous actress Lana Fontaine, goes to London to sort out her affairs and start a new life. When she does so, she uncovers a secret that has been hidden for a long time and which has the power to turn her life upside down. I have to say I did suss out what that secret was before it was revealed in the book, but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the read. The secret is revealed fairly early on anyway and the story deals with the events that led up to the "secret" in flashback and the ramifications for Kay and her future. We also meet the friends she makes in London who help her adjust to her new life, which includes an exciting new career and an intriguing new man in her life. We follow their daily lives, hopes and heartbreaks and are let in on all of their secrets, some of which are quite shocking.

It is a good, well written story with believable, well rounded, very human characters who are neither totally good nor totally evil. Whilst the very complex relationship she has with her mother is explained, I especially enjoyed how her relationship with Julie, her sister, matured through the book. They go from not really having much in common with each other at the start of the book, to forging a real friendship by the end.

The story moves at a very good pace, it is interesting to read and keeps you guessing as to how everything is all going to tie up at the end, which when it does happen, is extremely satisfying.

I really enjoyed reading this book which has no raunchy scenes or bad language, yet doesn't come across as sickly sweet.

[Lindsey Bluff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was so easy to read and I completed it in a couple of days. I did guess the storyline fairly early on but that didn't matter, it was still a good read. The only thing I would have changed was the ending, but only because I wanted to know what happened next!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read but a little slow to start with