The House of Second Chances

Secrets and Love #1

by Lauren Westwood

A page-turning historical mystery, perfect for readers of Eve Chase, Lulu Taylor and Rachel Burton. If you save a crumbling mansion, will it mend a broken heart?

A month ago, Amy Wood had her perfect home, perfect boyfriend and perfect job in London. Now she’s broken-hearted, living in her parents’ tiny bungalow, and working in an estate agents in Bath.

But Amy gets a new lease on life when she undertakes to sell Rosemont Hall, a crumbling Georgian mansion riddled with woodworm, dry rot – and secrets.

Amy searches for the perfect owner to restore the house to its former glory, but time is running out for Rosemont Hall. As Amy clashes with unscrupulous property developers and the enigmatic heir to the house, she begins to uncover pieces of the past that some people would rather remain hidden.

Can Amy unlock the secret of Rosemont Hall and find the keys to her own happy ending?


Please This book was previously published as Finding Home

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical, Chick Lit, Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Lauren Westwood is my pen name for writing women's fiction. Thanks for taking the time to look me up and I hope you enjoy my books, which are a blend of romance, mystery, and romantic suspense.

Here are a couple of things that I'd like you to know about the real me, not the social media me:
I try very hard to write books that people will like and want to read, and I take a lot of pride in my work. It can take up to 1000 hours to write a book from beginning to end. I am unfortunately not able to make a living as an author, so I have a day job working as a lawyer. I also have three children.

Your honest ratings on goodreads are very important to me, and I try to take comments on board - both good and bad. I know that there are a lot of books out there, and that your reading time is precious. Thank you in advance if you choose to read my books.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The House of Second Chances, by Lauren Westwood, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Amy's perfect life has changed, she left London, and is living with her parents in Bath, no boyfriend, and working as an estate agent. I thought this was a nice read, nice characters and setting.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely dual time-line set in 1952 and present day. This fascinating story really drew me in immediately. But, I did find the main character a little silly and too trustworthy. Letting prospective buyers open a locked door with a credit card! My alarm bells were ringing at that point. But all in all it was a good story with a happy ending. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Rhode PVD · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50% when the heroine innocently drank too much and got in an unpleasant situation for the third time. I'm sorry, by your late 20s, you should not be startled when alcohol makes you feel squiffy. Not to mention being so utterly helpless about nearly everything in adult life from a career to a love life to finances.

This young woman seems to have no agency of her own in this story, she's tossed about by external forces.

She's in insta-love with a massive crumbling manor, because it's so 'romantic'. By "crumbling" I mean absolutely falling apart without working plumbing, safe electricity, solid dry walls...scary degraded. Her head in the clouds, she dreams of finding someone to sell it to who would have the millions and desire to fix it up. And she's deeply surprised to learn that might be impractical.

On a professional level, I'm startled that she's handed a paying job in real estate that appears to require little actual work and no licensing. She makes coffee, surfs the Internet, spends cash on Starbucks muffins and eating lunch out (who wastes money like that when they are broke?), is bummed by how sullen her coworkers are, and puts up with the boss staring at her cleavage. With workers and offices like that, it's no wonder the UK is not an economic superpower anymore.

Everything is depressing in this book. I love historic properties, but house sounds disgusting. I love men, but the men the heroine meets are creeps, from her cheating ex, to the golf-loving assessor, to her sexist boss, to her co-worker's husband who can't shut up about himself, etc.

It's already clear that only a Deux Ex Machina can save the day. The heroine surely could not manage to save anything, she'll just fumble her way through the end of the book. My bet is on the male American heir aided by perhaps something hidden in the house itself.

Whatever. I'm just not into heroines who need other people to rescue them. Helpless impracticality and whoopsie drunk-by-mistake are not cute.

[Steffi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a an honest review.

I am a big fan of books about old manors and family stories from the past. Therefor I was very excited to start "Finding Home".

I really liked the atmosphere in the book. It was captured really well in describing the old manor and its surroundings.
Unfortunately the story started to drag in the middle part and the suspense level was kind of low. There were way too many descriptions about Amy' life as a real estate manger.
The love story felt very much like minor matter. I wished it would have played a bigger role here, it felt too rushed and only started in the final third of the book.

Finding Home was a nice read but I think it had a lot more potential.

[Lisa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was billed a "brilliant feel good romance" and indeed it was! I adored the historic home aspect and the very sweet love story that it brought out. The storyline was predictable but that didn't take away the enjoyment factor. I would love to be in a position to save a crumbling mansion- it has made me want to visit a few!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Home is one of those books you just lose yourself in. Much like Cathy Bramley's book Wickham Hall, it's centered around a stately home, although Rosemont Hall is literally falling to pieces, with the East Wing literally hanging off, but Amy Wood is a woman on a mission, and when she lands a job at an estate agent's (that doesn't seem to require any formal qualifications?) and she's the one tasked to sell Rosemont Hall, she knows that the hall has GOT to be saved, and not by making it into a golf course.

I thoroughly enjoyed Finding Home. Considering I started reading it during one of my busiest weeks ever, and thought I would never get it finished at one point due to extreme tiredness, I actually managed and, not only that, I loved the book so much. It was genuinely a blast. I love books about saving stately homes, and Amy was a very, very passionate person. And the story behind Rosemont Hall was truly epic. Worthy of its own book, actually, I felt, I was entranced by all the goings-on way back when, and the little snippets of love letters we saw just made me all the more excited to find out the real story!

This was genuinely such a fun book. It even had me giggling a few times, I just managed to completely lose myself in the pages, which is one of the best feelings in the world. I loved Amy, I loved the setting, I loved Rosemont Hall (and wanted to move in - though only after they fixed the issues and got central heating, I have no desire to live in a freezing cold block of ice, thank you very much). Mrs Bradford was quite the eccentric character, too. Even the romance was sweet, if a little super quick, but there was no ridiculous breaking-up-and-making-up come the end of the book, which drives me insane, so that was a refreshing relief.

I would genuinely recommend you read this book. Finding Home is the perfect little read to while away a day or two, I loved getting to know the characters, the setting, the story behind Rosemont Hall, it had everything I love in a book and I really, really enjoyed it.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC in exchange for an honest review which I am more then happy to give.


Amy thought she had the perfect life.
A stable job and a boyfriend. She was on the hunt for a new home to complete her fairy tale... that is until her world comes crumbling down around her when at a house viewing she is shocked to find her boyfriend there with another women
. In a fit of rage Amy does something that see's her lose her job and back on the door step of her parents house.
After moping around for a bit Amy finds a job working at an Estate Agency which sees her life as she knew it change before her eyes.
Amy falls in love with Rosemount Hall a crumbling mansion and finds herself getting in too deep.
She sets about on a quest to uncover the secrets of the mansion and ends up finding more then she bargains for.....

Finding Home was such a heartwarming, charming and romantic read.
I was captivated by the plot and enjoyed following Amy on her journey to uncover the secrets of Rosemount Hall.
The book was descriptive and the characters were all believable.
I did however find that in places the plot seemed to drag but overall it was worth persevering for as the happy ending is always worth it!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow moving story and maybe a little too wordy at times. I’m a bit surprised that Amy could just start selling houses without a license.
She’s a bit too ditzy for me and annoyed me for most of the book.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this story about an old house, a community mystery and some new relationships (of all kinds) as well! I did predict a couple things so I’m giving it a 3.5!

[Cindy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Second Chances by Lauren Westwood was such a welcomed surprise! I had never read her books before so was not sure what to expect. But I was greatly impressed and could not stop reading once I started. I never dreamed it would captivate me to the point that time seemed to evaporate. I was hooked from the first page! The plot and characters intrigued me for so many reasons. Books that have old houses as characters always inspire me. As their four walls have seen so many things happen over time. Yes, if the walls could speak the tales they would tell! .Outside of this and the excellent writing style, I loved how some of my favourite classics, like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights were woven into the story’s fabric and perfectly utilised. How does the reading of these books and poems affect a person’s perception? Depends on how far fiction and fantasy can imbue and fuel hopes and dreams.

There is a wonderful cast of characters in The House of Second Chances. Amy Woods is someone I could relate to with her love of books, history, English Literature and stately old homes. Her view of the world was initially shaped by the classics she read. But how far does the romance and ideal outcomes of these favourite stories carry over into the real world? Can she be the heroine of her own tale and have a happy ending? Of course, but not without a rough journey, and obstacles to overcome (like in fiction). And does she have to lose everything she loves before she begins that road to fulfilment? Yes. First her life is turned up side when her long-time boyfriend betrays her. Then she loses her ideal job as an English Lit teacher due to a mishap. Now suddenly unemployed, she must leave her London dwelling. What can she do but head back home with a broken heart to live with her parents in Bath until she can heal and sort out a new path. It isn’t long before she is applying for another job but not one she would have imagined for herself. Yet a change might be just what she needs. How hard can working for a realtor be? Very. Here she must prove herself and deal with competition. But that does not stop her. She learns quickly the ins and outs of the profession with a bit of help from a kind colleague.

Amy believes ‘that there can be a strong connection between people and properties: a person can belong to a house just like a house belongs to a person.’ And when she encounters Rosemount Hall, she connects with it, feels it is special and wants to find a buyer who will restore it to its original glory. But there are many obstacles and false starts. And there is a developer who wants to build a golf course in its place. Amy has a fight on her hands and her journey is an intriguing one—especially as she digs into the history of the house and its former owners. There is a portrait in the hall that is quite a talking piece and as she begins to unravel its mystery, intriguing information comes to light. Plus letters, a gold lighter and an artist’s sketchbook help tell the house’s past inhabitants—and a forbidden romance.

This is a fascinating story with a strong heroine matched by an enigmatic heir. I loved these two characters, along with others (but I won’t describe them or their parts as you need to read the book!). The ending is brilliant, well executed and satisfyingly appropriate. If I could give this novel more than five stars I would as it deserves all the praise. I am dying to read more of this series and anything else by Lauren Westwood. An absolute must-read for lovers of history, old houses and literature. Great read for springing into the new year!

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Petra Quelch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Home is a first book I've read by Lauren Westwood and it definitely won't be my last. Lauren's writing styles made me so invested in this book and my eyes literary sailed through this story.

The opening chapter quickly introduced me to the leading lad, Amy Wood. Amy and her boyfriend are looking for the perfect place to start their next chapter in life. Amy imagines all sorts of ideal scenarios that will be held in the most charming flat she is so intended on buying but little does she know her boyfriend has a different plan.
After a shocking discovery, Amy has moved back with her parents and started a brand new job, working as a real estate agent and she is so determined to succeed and find the perfect home for everyone! Not unlike her colleagues!
I loved Amy! She is one of those heroines that you can quickly bond with; she is the girl next door, resourceful, determined and lovable.
From the beginning, it was so easy to see why she fell in love with Rosemont Hall, the resplendent mansion that is crumbling under the weight of secrets and years of neglect.
Amy takes it upon herself to do whatever it takes to save this gorgeous building; she is determined to find the perfect buyer who will love give it a lot of TLC!
But when the American heirs turn up they seem to be of a very different opinion. They don't want to safe Rosemont Hall they want to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Amy is on a mission and thankfully it seems that one of the heirs developed a soft spot for her so maybe not everything is lost yet.
I adored the scenes taken place in Rosemont Hall and with the authors detailed descriptions I could see all the crumbling mansions and its surrounding right in front of my eyes.

I was so curious to find out the mystery behind the letters Amy found and I had my suspicion surrounding the scary housekeeper and the heirs. The cleverly develop plot had me hooked on the story until the very end.

Finding Home is a fabulously created romantic comedy that captures the essence of a home and family secrets in a mysterious and attractive way and with plenty of humour to keep us readers thoroughly entertained.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't actually finished this book yet (luckily, I didn't pay for it). Here is the best line:

"I wonder if I'm an Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility. Even when she thinks she's been jilted by Bingley, she bears her sorrows with a stiff upper lip."

And, the character was a Ph.D in Literature, lol. Readers have given this book 4s and 5s, which is funny. Even before the Austen faux pas, it was nowhere above a 2.

I think I'll finish to see if the house is renovated to have an Aga. Oh, and to get another book for my year-end goal, obviously. (Should something this bad count? Sure, it should.)

An Aga *is* mentioned. haha

[Melissa Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a way of drawing you in.

When Amy sees her boyfriend with another woman at a house showing, she is devastated. But when she moves back home and begins a new job selling houses, she feels miserable.

But Rosemont Hall allows her to feel alive again. If only she could afford to buy it.

Amy finds herself a secret whim to find out about this Hall. But she doesn’t know what will happen to it either way.

This books allows you to imagine what the Hall looked like and how saving it and restoring it would mean to people who believe in houses being important.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in one word it would be: frustrating. I thought the main character was frustrating because she didn't really know what she wanted in life. I was glad to finish this book.

I decided one thing by reading this book. I like reading short stories on a tablet but not books so much because you can't tell where your at and how far you've got to go.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lovely story of moving on and second chances.
This story brought together the past and the present in a really nice way, using the house to bring everyone together.
The characters grow on you as the story progresses, as does the house and its history.
Maybe a little slow in places but all in all a nicely rounded story.
3.5 stars

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Home is by Lauren Westwood. This novel talks about betrayal and the restoration of an old English home. The characters are well done except that you really don’t get the connection with them as you do in her other books. None of them are ones you would be particularly sympathetic for, except for Amy at the first. The descriptions of the house draw more emotion than the characters.
Amy Woods is hunting for a flat she and her boyfriend of seven years, Simon, can renovate and put their own stamp on it. The flat she is going to look at today seems to have potential, at least from the street. She and the agent head up to the attic floor. He tells her there is another client looking at the flat as they head up. Amy doesn’t want to wait. She types out a text to Simon to have him meet her here to look at it as soon as possible. She waits to send it until they are inside. Immediately, she feels a connection to the flat and visualizes what she would do with it. The other couple is in the kitchen but can’t be seen. Amy sends the text to Simon. The phone in the kitchen rings that a text is coming in. The couple comes out of the kitchen. They are Simon and Ashley, a teacher who works with Amy! Amy is outraged! She leaves the flat at a run.
The next day, Amy loses her teaching job for having thrown her phone and hitting Ashley in the nose. Amy had bad aim as she was aiming for Simon, but it doesn’t matter, she is fired with no reference. She has lost her boyfriend and her home. She takes her belongings from Simon’s and is reduced to going back home with her parents. Life is at an all time low for Amy.
She gets a job with a real estate office as the receptionist; but with the promise of being able to show people homes. She falls into a conversation with Mr. Kendall who represents the owners of Rosewood Manor and lands the account. He wants her to be the liaison for the group. The manor is an old English house that is furnished at that time. Immediately upon entering, Amy envisions it redecorated and restored to its original beauty; but her boss sees a golf course on the lands. Can Amy find a buyer who can afford to restore the building or will she see Hexagon buy the property and turn the house into a golf Club?

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young woman and a historic home meet; is it a love story or a tragedy? Amy Wood has a smashing breakup, gets fired and has to move back home with her parents. A temporary job at a local estate agency provides her with a chance to get her life back in order. When she sees Rosemont Hall she falls head over heels, despite its crumbling facade, and imagines the mansion fully restored for a family. Racing against time and golf course developers Amy searches for the perfect family to repair and love Rosemont Hall. The American heirs just want to unload the property for the best price, regardless of their 200 year family history.
It's interesting to see Amy's journey and her investigation into the history of Rosemont Hall. As she pieces together the lives of the former inhabitants she solves some mysteries that might have gone unresolved. The purloined letter aspect was an interesting writing convention; used very well in this book. Fans of historic properties, family mysteries and romance will enjoy this book.

[elise buhn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite slow moving

I had high hopes for this book as its subject, saving old homes, is a great interest. I was disappointed! The saving of the house is never described. There are many characters but they don't come to life on the page. The heroine is persistent, sometimes obstinately so, but her motivation is puzzling. Her choice of workplace is bizarre, what with the hatred she encounters from all but one fellow employee as well as her total lack of training in selling real estate or managing an office. She predictably flails about, making seemingly random efforts to sell homes she doesn't believe suitable for the buyers she "helps". I have to wonder what she is living on as commisions are nonexistent due to having no success as a hiree. Finally, through a convoluted series of events, she randomly sort of succeeds in saving a dilapidated mansion from being used as a golf course clubhouse. Pretty uninteresting.

[Zee Monodee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Total DNF after the botched Austen analogy - Elinor Dashwood from Sense & Sensibility is paired with Bingley ... from Pride & Prejudice. No, can't let it go because
a) Author should've done her research! (who doesn't know that???)
b) Editor should've checked (or at least known about this! Ahem, wonder if this was even edited ...?)
c) Heroine is supposed to be a PhD in Literature - how did she even pass basic Austen 101 with a botched pairing like this???
Not even gonna get into how young, naïve, and utterly TSTL the heroine seems to be/comes across, but that Austen reference? Totally set the tone for me! Sorry, but no.

[Liz Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is chic lit and it is what it is . The story was totally predictable but quite charming in places related to the history of Rosemont Hall. I felt there was so much more that could have been done with the book to give it more suspense or even shock value . The love story was quite watered down and Amy seemed overly passionate in the text about the house than Jack and that made the story boring in parts and slowed it down. I didn't connect with the characters much and Amy' s parents were " beige " as Billy Connolly would say and the story needed them to be different or eccentric or at very least colourful but not special .

[Barbara Lowdermilk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was a historical romance with lots of interesting details. I love old houses (I live in one-1920). They have such character. Amy's life is falling apart. she goes to see her dream flat that she wants her fiancé to see. As she is touring the flat, she hears giggles and watches as her fiancé and a colleague canoodle in the kitchen. Her reaction is to throw her phone which accidentally hits the woman in the nose. As a result she is fired from her dream job.
Amy goes to live with her parents with no job. Her Mom finds her a job at a real estate office. And the adventure begins.

[Nana Kitteh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Present tense

I hate when authors write the entire book in the Present tense. Most books are written in the past tense and it's weird to use the present tense throughout the entire story. What little I did read of the main character seemed very self centered. Maybe it gets better later on but I'm not willing took continue on.

[Nessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book but under its newly published title of The House of Second Chances, which is why this hasn’t been included or added towards my 2025 reading challenge as the republished version has been added to it already.

To see my review for this book, then please visit the https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carolyn Maurice · Rating 4 out of 5]

makes you feel that dreams can come true

The house of second chances is a remarkable book that takes us back in history and architecture. Ms Westwood leads us through a fascinating history of the house and educates us into the life of the upper class in England. The love stories in the book are both sad and stimulating. A great read.

[C Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A historical mystery worth reading

In "The House of Second Chances," Lauren Westwood tells a touching story about starting over. The main character is relatable and likable as she deals with job loss and heartbreak. The relationships are well-developed, and the mystery is engaging and believable.

[Jo Bathurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book in a series by this author.
I really enjoyed it.
All about an historic house, like the ones in the classics, and it not going to rack and ruin!
About one woman’s desire to save it and solve the history of the house.
There is romance too and a happy ending.
Easy to read
Like the letter chapters as well

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book, all about Amy who's world fell apart when she found her boyfriend was cheating. She moves back home leaving her life and perfect job in London and lands herself a job in a small estate agents.
She's given a large Manor House, Rosemont Hall to sell, parts of it are crumbling and in disrepair and there's the matter of the old lady who lives there too who was the housekeeper and she needs shifting out too.
Here are many secrets to the hall that Amy finds little by little, American heirs and a love story but can she save it before it's turned into a golf course by the developers? Does Amy find her life's path?

[Deneisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! A truly wonderful story and such a great ending. I'm really glad I gave this story a chance. It was simple beautiful

[Kathy Munoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as a quick read. The main character needed some mature development and the men in this were over barring and difficult to read about. The idea of the plot was amusing to me but the in between fluff was not my cup of tea.

[Tamsin Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely read for my commute. Some silly errors made my the author with her knowledge of classic books, but I could overlook these with the fairytale meets real life theme, and the smile it brought to my face.