Finding Dreams

Secrets and Love #2

by Lauren Westwood

A must-read for summer - a heartwarming story of love and second chances. Perfect for the fans of Jane Costello and Milly Johnson.

Lizzie Greene is about to lose everything when her husband suddenly dies and his debts come to light.

To make ends meet she opens up her quirky old house to be used as a set for a film based on a bestselling romance novel. Her life and household are turned upside down when a whole cast of colourful characters enters her family's lives: from an enigmatic author, a handsome location scout, a brooding director, to a heart-throb leading man, never mind her now ex-mother-in-law camped out in her drive.

As Lizzie delves deeper into the film's book, all is not as it seems.

Will her desire to save her house and unravel the secrets of the past lead to new love, or to mortal danger?

Genres: Contemporary

590 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2018

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

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling, poignant, and uplifting!

Finding Dreams is an entertaining, heartwarming read about letting go of the past, accepting the things you can't change, forgiving, surviving, taking chances, and moving on!

The writing style is engaging and creative. The characters are reluctant, troubled, and lovable, including the quirky, old Tanglewild, which is a character itself with its landscape, history, and multitude of secrets. And the plot, using a story within a story, is an intriguing, mysterious tale about life, loss, heartache, infidelity, friendship, family, romance, and the crazy world of movie making.

Finding Dreams, overall,  is a delightfully charming tale that is heartfelt and genuine and reminds us that good things can happen if you believe in yourself, stay open minded, and be excited for whatever comes next.

Thank you to Lauren Westwood and Aria Fiction for providing me with a copy in an exchange for an honest review.

All my reviews can be found on my blog at https://whatsbetterthanbooks.com

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lizzie loses her husband she discovers that the life she thought she had is all an illusion and she is in danger of losing everything. When she receives a letter through the door, maybe her life is about to change for the better.

She decides to allow a film company to use her beautiful house for their latest film and then her life is a whirl of meeting the writer, directors and actors and the promise of a romance is in the air.

The house itself was in need of some tender loving care and I loved the fact that she was keen for her house to be given a blank canvas- so that she then had the chance to make a fresh start for her family.

I loved all the characters- especially her mother-in-law who turns up in a huge silver caravan with her second husband and actually becomes a huge support to Lizzie. She's a bit of a free spirit with a heart of gold.

The history of the house is linked with the people connected with the film and little threads of the past reveal themselves and you wonder what else will become part of the story.

I fell in love with the house- although the idea of letting my home out to a film crew (as if that would ever happen!) doesn't appeal at al!

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Oh my flipping goodness - what an opening!! As soon as I started to read the first chapter, I had no idea what was going to be in store for me as the story progressed. Lizzie had just been hit by one of the biggest curveballs in her life (and unfortunately, not the last either!). How is she going to move on with her life with two young children; a life which has been based on more lies than an episode of Jeremy Kyle? You would be made of ice if you didn't at least show some empathy towards Lizzie and her situation!

I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of 'Finding Dreams', with some pages warming my heart a lot more than others. Lizzie's two children are unbelievably cute. I just wanted to pick up the youngest and give him a big cuddle, so when Lizzie's ex mother in law came back on the scene and started, in my opinion, sticking her nose in, my hackles went up and I found myself becoming extremely irate at what was coming out of her mouth in regards to that little boy. Maybe I was being over sensitive, or maybe it was because I had had similar comments made to me when my little girl was the same age. I don't know. Either way, it got to me. I also thought she patronised Lizzie a lot too and, even though Lizzie seemed to be rather accommodating towards the end, I did feel like she was letting her ex MIL walk all over her without standing up for herself. I mean, Lizzie was perfectly capable to tell someone else that she wasn't happy with something, why not tell the monster in law as well?

What I loved most about this book was how it had a little story within the fictional story itself. Confused? Don't be! I spent a lot of timing wishing that Lauren Westwood would publish the novel within the novel, as her next book - I was rather hooked! It was so different and so engaging, I couldn't help but be transfixed by what I was reading.

Having read Lauren Westwood's previous novels (and loved them, obviously), I have to say that even though the author had set the bar incredibly high for herself, she blew the bar out of the water where this book was concerned. In my eyes, 'Finding Dreams' is Lauren Westwood's book yet. Everything about the storyline was magnetic, majestic, and utterly moreish. Okay, the romance section was a little predictable, BUT, because the rest of the storyline was very strong and full of guts, thankfully it didn't lower my opinion of the overall book.

I loved how the author chose a unique route with her book, how she didn't get confused by the endless flow of characters, I do not know - how impressive!

'Finding Dreams' is full to the brim of everything anyone could ever want from a contemporary fiction novel, and more. A cleverly crafted storyline, rock solid characters, and enough drama to rival the biggest soap opera on T.V just now - seriously, what more could you want?

This book may be called 'Finding Dreams', but it is safe to say that I had found my dream book in this. Absolutely brilliant! Now, how is Ms.Westwood going to top this with her next novel? To be honest, I have a lot of faith that she will blow the bar out of the water once again.

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been completely surprised and blown away by this story, it drew me in right from the very beginning and kept me truly captivated throughout, right to the very shocking outcome as the story concluded.

I loved the setting of the story, Tanglewild sounds truly alluring and beautiful. It was all so very well written, and the characters were all such a delight, getting to know them. I truly felt for Lizzie and all that she had to combat, go through and the challenges that kept coming her way. I adored the characters Jammie and little Jack.

I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Sandy Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read with some terrific romantic heroes. Which will she choose???

[Katherine Hayward Pérez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanglewild is not just any house. It's a very old, very big house full of secrets and atmosphere. What would you do if your husband passed away suddenly and you had to try and move on with debts and two young children? That's the situation Lizzie Greene finds herself in.
Despite everything, she cannot bear to part with the huge rambling house which she and her husband David bought as a home years ago.

When the house is spotted by a film crew, her hopes soar- could this be the answer to her being able to keep her beloved Tanglewild? We meet some pretty interesting characters in this book as well as Lizzie's ex-mother-in-law who has parked her large silver caravan in Tanglewild's driveway for the forseeable future.....

We get a glimpse into how Lizzie and her children learn to deal with the sudden loss of a husband and father, and are witness to frustration, fear hurt and pain. As the film crew moves in, we see hope and promise. Will the book Lizzie is reading and Tanglewild's secrets help Lizzie and her children move on?

This book was written in an original style, and the story-within-a-story letting us get an insight into how Lizzie attempts to deal with her grief, and provides an element of mystery to the plot.

Thanks to Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus, for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Dreams is by Lauren Westwood. This book is amazing. It seems to be very simple as you read it and then you begin to realize you have really overlooked some of the deeper meanings. As those meanings unfold, so does the life of Lizzy Greene. She changes and begins her life anew.
Lizzy Greene was at the store before picking up her children, Kate and Jack, from school. She received a phone call from her husband and eagerly answered it. It wasn’t Dave; but his assistant. She was calling to tell Lizzy that she had found Dave hunched over his desk after having a fatal heart attack. Lizzy was overwhelmed and remembered little from then until Dave’s funeral. She was strong for her children; but that was external not internal. After the funeral, she was asked to attend a meeting with Jack’s lawyer. It was here that her life took an immediate downturn. She found out the truth about her husband. He had left her with nothing but a house with a mortgage, a small amount of money, and two children to raise on her own. This man was definitely not the man she knew and had married.
She and the children returned home to Tanglewild, their home. Lizzy knew that no matter what, she needed to keep the house. She went back to work at the law firm she had once worked at. Luckily, they only needed her three days a week. That still gave her time with the kids. Her mother-in-law, Connie, and her new husband, Simon, showed up in a caravan to visit and help her out for a while. Luckily, she and Connie had gotten along and they were a big help for Lizzy. She had finally decided she would have to sell the house when she opened an envelope from a lawyer which had been on the mantel for weeks, unopened. In it was a request from a film company to check out her home in hopes to use it to film a movie. Lizzy was excited as that would keep them in the house at least for a while. Although it turns out the house wasn’t their first choice of location, the company decided to use her house in the film. This meant their coming in and painting and fixing up the house to use in the film. That would save Lizzy from having to do that when they left.
As the filming began, Lizzy began reading the book it was based on and realized that the house in the novel was actually Tanglewild. Did Phillipa King, the author, visit or live in the house as she describes it so well. The more Lizzy delves into the history of the house, she becomes more convinced the story is about people in this house. As the filming begins, it definitely doesn’t go smoothly. The derelict dovecote was broken into, the cellar flooded, a skeleton from 200 years ago reappears, filming is started and stopped for various reasons, and many other things go wrong. Will the film ever be finished? Will the lives of those involved ever be untangled?
Lauren writes her novel so well that you simply get to a point where you cannot put it down. You have to finish the book. It makes you want to actually read the book the film was supposed to be made from if it did exist. Many light moments come into play and I especially liked the ones which included the main actor in the film, Dominic. He is such a character. Another favorite character is Connie, Lizzy’s mother-in-law. She is so mysterious and so much fun too.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for www.buriedunderromance.com
FINDING DREAMS by Lauren Westwood is an intriguing story-within-a-story. The author artfully weaves a true-life mystery together with the mystery in a book, and the results is a compelling page turner suitable for all audiences.
Lizzie Green thought she had it all: a loving husband, two children and a beautiful old house on a lake just outside London. When her husband suddenly dies, however, she learns that he wasn’t the man she thought he was. Saddled with an immense amount of debt and the real possibility of losing her home, she goes back to work and also agrees to allow a film crew to use her home as the location for the movie version of “The Lady’s Secret”, a book by best-selling author Phillipa King.
As filming begins, Lizzie begins to realize that not all is as it seems. It appears that the selection of her home (Tanglewild) was tied to a long-ago mystery, and that a couple of the key players in the movie had a connection to her home that lead them back. As the secrets begin to unfold, Lizzie realizes that there is danger that comes with the intrigue and glamour of movie stars and movie making, and there is also the real risk that she may be falling in love again.
The characters in FINDING DREAMS are strong and well-written, especially the lead character Lizzie. Faced with numerous set-backs and disappointments, she is fierce in her determination to do what it takes to provide for her family and save her home. She is supported by her in-laws, quirky free-spirits who at first seem adversarial but soon prove to be supportive. Her young children are realistic and loveable.
Phillipa King, the author in the book, is a larger than life character. Lizzie is a fan and is excited, at first, to have her in her home. It is unclear at first, however, which of the many interesting male characters will become her potential love interest: an arrogant, self-involved actor; a friendly, helpful production assistant; the stubborn, dictatorial director; or her new boss who definitely has more than just a professional interest in Lizzie. The romance develops rather slowly so don’t expect a lot of fireworks, but the pace seems appropriate for the story.
As the movie making progresses and the real-life mysteries unfold, the reader is also treated to excerpts from the movie book,
“The Lady’s Secret” and the mysteries unfolding there. The stories soon become entwined, leading to the compelling conclusion. All in all, a well-written story, well worth the time.
I voluntarily read an Advance Reader’s Copy of this book.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Dreams by Lauren Westwood is a beautiful story about having a second chance at love and is a story I’ve enjoyed immensely.
Just over a year ago Lizzie Green lost her husband Dave suddenly after his weak heart gave up. Dealing with the aftermath of his death has left Lizzie raw and buried away while life continues around her, as not only did she discover that Dave had been cheating on her but that he’d left them with huge debts which mean their beloved home Tanglewild was left with an uncertain future. Then one day Lizzie finds a letting from a film company asking if they can use her home for their latest film The Lady’s Secret. This gives Lizzie the jump-start she needs to get her life back on track and save her home.
When the filming starts Lizzie discovers its not just some much needed cash the film brings into her home, but also three handsome men which awaken something in Lizzie that’s being gone along time. As Lizzie starts to read the novel that the film is based on she begins to feel that the story, its author and her house all have a connection.
This is one of those books that you can’t help but adore, it so much more than what you expect and so well written that you barely notice how huge it is while reading. I love that Lauren Westwood has used the idea of a novel within a novel and in this book, I think she has nailed this concept perfectly, I just loved how Lizzie’s story intertwined with Victoria’s throughout the book, just brilliant!
I loved many of the characters in this book too. Lizzie’s had such a rough year it’s a wonder she’s able to carry-on, but she does, and she manages looking after her children, working in London and running around after the film crew and dealing with her eccentric ex mother-in-law, left me in awe of her. Speaking of Connie, the mother in law, boy is she a force to be reckoned with, she has a very brisk nature which sometimes rubs Lizzie up the wrong way, but I really like her. I think she had Lizzie’s best interests at heart, I mean how many mothers would bad mouth their dead sons? The rest of the many characters all add something to this great novel and all have their unique voice, which is also testament to how good a writer Lauren Westwood is.
This was a fantastic novel which I adored, I’d recommend it to anyone. I’m so glad I was sent a copy of this to review from Aria as it’s added a new author to my guilty pleasures shelf, so thank you.

[Bookgyrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lizzie loses her husband, leaving her with two young children, she is understandably upset when she finds he had a secret life. He mortgaged their beautiful home to the hilt, so she is faced with bankruptcy. When she is offered a chance to rent the house for the making of a movie, she hopes it will save the house for her family.

I really enjoyed this story. After such a blow to her self esteem and being faced with obstacles, I could understand why Lizzie would shut everyone out. Just being angry at everyone. The book has a very British feeling to it, but the author is American I believe. The setting is England though and the author's love for old houses shines through. I liked the secondary characters, like Lizzie's mother-in-law Connie, who arrives in a caravan with her second husband and is a life saver and urges Lizzie to move on with her life. While her house is being taken over by a film crew, Lizzie finds herself at odds with handsome director Luke.

The book is about the filming of a bestseller 'The Lady's Secret' and you can read parts of it. I skipped those parts as I did not like the interruption but it did not interfere with my understanding of the mystery. I enjoyed the romance and the choc lit feeling.

*** I requested and received an ARC via Netgalley and this is my voluntary and honest review. ***

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has such a fun premise--a single mother trying to make do after her husband's death rents out her historic home to a movie studio filming a period piece. This book's tone is a bit all over the map. This begins as a solid lit fic with themes of grief and survival with a bit of humor and camp. Later the book evolves into a mystery and a sort-of romance. I say sort-of since I genuinely did not know who the romantic lead was intended to be for most of the book. Perhaps some readers might find that a selling point, that it's not obvious who the lead falls for, but for me I found it perplexing, almost shocking as it unfolded. Not exactly a relationship I was rooting for. The book is not primarily a romance since her personal journey is the main focus. However, I did find it annoying the lead has several negative opinions of romance books--which would be fine as a character device, only she never seems to evolve from that opinion despite her own budding romance and the fact a romance movie is being filmed at her house, based on a romance book in which the romance author also is present in her home. I'm probably assigning my own expectations that I wanted to see her opinion evolve.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lizzie's life changes overnight from normal to tragic when her husband dies suddenly, leaving her and the children grief-stricken when fate deals her another blow. Her husband had a secret life tainting her memories of their life together and facing debts that threaten their family home.
Lizzie is a great character, and facing more than her share of life's woes, you have to empathise. Her one asset the family home is historical and striking and is scouted for a film, which brings an eclectic cast of characters, humour and poignant scenes worthy of any Hollywood film. The vivid setting and believable plot make this imaginable and readable, although the romance's course is predictably choppy, it is lighthearted and hopeful. An easy to read writing style keeps you turning the pages with just enough conflict and surprises right to the end, it an enjoyable read. I received a copy of this book from Aria Fiction via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in awe of anyone who takes on an old house and who believes in the magic of stories before. This house had held stories and they are to be confronted quickly when the author of the book comes to help with screen writing the movie being filmed at the old home.
All woven with characters living, long dead, and fictional this book completely takes our female character out of her grief and despair, having had recently been widowed and left nearly destitute, except for the house she wants to keep. She's strong and resourceful. She's a character I like to read.

This book has a bit of romance but you'll applaud the woman herself before you'll think of the romance because she'll come through on her strength not just a man...and she will do just fine, the second time around.

ARC Netgalley. I love a good Brittish story...and a handful of winegums.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This is a delightful book that will be an ideal summer read!

As soon as I read the blurb for the book and saw the cover I knew it was a book that I would love to read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is longer than a lot of the books I have been reading lately but I am glad that the story starts off straight away and there is no unnecessary scene setting or waffle which sadly some books do have.

Lizzie is a fantastic character and she has been through so much, I didn't know how I would cope if I was in the same position. She makes a shocking discover at the start of the book and I was cheering her on from then.

This is definitely a feel good book that is very easy to read with a great story to it - 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads from me - very highly recommended!

[Janette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read any of Lauren Westwood's previous books and was surprised just how much I enjoyed this book. It was well written with fantastic characters who I could easily identify with - I really felt for Lizzie and loved Connie her fabulous mother-in-law, along with a great cast of supporting characters. I loved the location of the story set in an old house, Tanglewild, which sounds beautiful and the idea of the film crew using the house as a location. I really loved the book within the story too. The book has a refreshingly different original storyline.

A heartwarming story of new beginnings, inner strength, family and finding happiness. I thoroughly recommend this great book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Paula Pugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Dreams is such a fun novel to read even though there is sadness in some of the scenes but it is over shadowed by all the events and situations also happening. Plus, there’s a dangerous element at work that could blow everything sky high!
Lizzie Greene needs money to survive in her manor/house with her two children after her philandering husband dies and leaves her up to her eyeballs in debt. She goes back to work as a part-time lawyer. Along comes the request form a film company to use her home for a movie set. Little does she know that if her home is accepted, disruptions, calamity, love and thrills will come along with the opportunity.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publishers for this review copy, given in exchange of an honest review.  Also thank you to Melanie from Aria for organising the Blog Tour!

Lizzie Greene’s life is suddenly turned upside down when one day she receives a phone call from her husband’s PA telling her that he has died.  Not just having to contend with the grief of losing her husband and facing bringing her two young children up on her own, she then discovers that her husband was not the man she though he was, and he has left her on the verge of bankruptcy with huge debts and unpaid insurance policies.  She has no idea how she is going to survive financially and contemplates putting her old ‘quirky’ house up for sale. Lizzie resigns herself to the fact that she is going to lose her home until she has interest from a property scout to use her house in a film based on a bestselling romance novel.  Will this be the answer to her problems, or will it bring more problems in its wake?

My first book by this author and I started this book with the opinion that it was going to be a really sad book.  It does begin sad with the death of Lizzie’s husband, which she finds out about whilst in the queue at Tesco’s.  It then gets sadder when she finds out he’s a cheat and a liar and has left her and their children financially destitute.  My heart broke for Lizzie to read of her being in such an awful situation.  The story then begins to lose its sadness a little when Lizzie begins to realise that to survive this she needs to rent out her house to a film company who are filming an adaptation from a bestselling romance novel.

The story is interspersed with chapters from the book that the film is based on – “The Lady’s Secret”.  I have to admit I skipped over these chapters.  I understand that they were in the book to give the back story of the house but I didn’t feel that they were really necessary.  All the characters were interesting and likeable, although some lesser than others!  I loved Lizzie’s mother in law, Connie.  She bought a comedic element into the book and when she first arrived, caravan in tow, I thought she was going to cause so much trouble for Lizzie!

A heart-warming story with so many different morals – don’t always trust the ones you love, you’re stronger than you think and you can find happiness again to name but a few!  It held my attention throughout the whole book and it was a much more light-hearted book than I initially though it would be.  I would definitely recommend this book and will certainly be looking out for more by this author.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a new theme- a woman who discovers too late that her husband was, well, cheating AND in debt- but Westwood has done a nice job with Lizzie. Finding herself in financial straits, she rents out their house to a film company. I liked that parts of the romance novel that is the basis for the film are scattered throughout the main story. There's a good cast of characters, not only for the film, but also the novel. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a fast, entertaining, and hopeful read.

[Sally Coles · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Lizzie 's husband dies she finds out that as well as being a liar and a cheat he has left her up to her ears in debt, desperate to keep her head above water she decides to let her quirky old house to a film company as the set for their new film. Soon she is overrun with directors, authors, film stars and crew...... has she done the right thing and will she find someone to move on with?

Another lovely book by this author, as always great characters, storyline and setting which draws you in from the start

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the two intertwined stories with the main storyline and the book/movie plot. But there were a few parts that dragged and some character development that disappointed me. It wasn't quite as "light romantic comedy" as I was expecting either. Several bedroom scene and some bad language too.

[Tammy T · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that it's not your typical romance or mystery, it's a blend of both. I found the characters flawed but very much human. I thought I would find it difficult to keep track with a story within a story but the author did a fabulous job with tieing it all together. I definitely want to read more of Lauren Westwood!

[Charline Romine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Diary

A very old house is filled with the past and stories of age old mystery and mayhem. This double story is not quite so ancient.
One is modern and the other is centuries before. The setting is the house for both. You will find the story will wrap you with emotion and a finality of things finally turning right. Note: foul language and sexual scenes.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To get 4 starts from me, the book has to be not just enjoyable and well written, it has to have something extra. In this case, there were two extras: a mystery within a mystery, and a glimpse into the world of film making.

[Rebecca Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, at first it took me a while to get into it. It was really well written with overlapping plots lines. I liked the aspects of the filmmaking process included. It felt very busy but that’s what made me not put it down!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I expected from the beginning. I wouldn’t have read if I realized I had read another of hers and given it one star. Luckily, it was 99 cents on amazon!

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too long and drawn out for me. Most of the book was predictable to me but it is still worth the read.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it

This is a story that grips you, in a good way. I found it very hard to put down, I found myself crying in parts and laughing in others totally immersed in each chapter. ☺

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summer read :) I have dreams of someday buying a fixer upper house and opening a bed and breakfast, so any book set in the UK where the lead character does just that is a good book for me

[Kathy Shepherd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Couldn’t put this book down. Very captivating you felt like you were right there with the characters in the book.

[Angela Kitchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

in the end I couldn't put it down, but had a slow burn in the middle