The Barn of Buried Dreams

by Chrissie Bradshaw

Erin and Heather Douglas are struggling. Their mother’s death has left a void in their family and everyday life has side-lined their dreams. Erin has buried herself away in the family home and left her stage career. By hiding away, she is avoiding the pain of returning to London and the acting world where her ex-fiancé is enjoying success and a new relationship. When she meets charismatic Texan Jackson McGee, she wrestles with her feelings for him. Should she trust another man? Heather is juggling babies, work, a rocky marriage and running on wine. An overheard conversation makes her ask, would Mark cheat on her? Can the sisters help one another to face their fears, dust off and revive those dreams and find joy in life? Verified purchase "I knew, as soon as I started talking to the characters, I was hooked. The story was great with twists and turns. It made me laugh, it definitely made me have a tear or two. Bring on the next one, Chrissie. a great read." Verified purchase "A great holiday read. This is my second book by this new author and it didn't disappoint. Like the first book ( A Jarful of Moondreams ) the characters are believable and have you involved in their lives from the start. The author deals with some very challenging subjects with such good insight and empathy... Be warned though, I got nothing done all day as it's such a compulsive read." Another 5 star review " Great read! Loved getting to know the Douglas sisters and sharing their journeys of life, love and loss through this emotively written story."

391 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Chrissie, the 2016 winner of the Romantic Novelists' Elizabeth Goudge writing trophy, has published four novels and a novella.
Her latest is a compelling family saga, ROSE’S EVER AFTER. This is the second book in ‘The Colliery Rows’ series and follows on from ROSE’S CHOICE.
There is a spin off novella , THE UNWELCOME ANGEL that tells the story of the winter of 1944 in more detail.
A JARFUL of MOONDREAMS is a contemporary story about family relationships, secrets and how dreams can come true, and THE BARN OF BURIED DREAMS is her second contemporary story about two sisters who are struggling after the death of their mother. Both are available as ebooks and paperbacks on Amazon.
Chrissie has always loved match-making a book to a reader. Writing the kind of book she loves to read takes this a step further. When she is not writing or reading, you will find Chrissie walking Oscar, her Welsh Terrier, on the beach, trying to avoid the gym and spending time with her family and friends.

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ A Warm and Touching Read, i couldn't put Down!

The Barn of Buried Dreams is a touching story between family siblings, dealing with grief, emotions, breakups, and finding love.

Firstly I want to mention I absolutely adore this gorgeous cover! I was drawn to the colourful light hearted cover and of course the adorable fur Baby!
But don't be fooled by the cover as the story is so much more than the cover portrays.

Erin moved in with her mother to care for her, putting her acting career on hold.
But in doing so she also isolates her current boyfriend/ Fiancé Damien who appears to have decided a long distance between them is just not working.

Erin is desperate to go and see him, you see she's just found out shes pregnant and fears she is losing Damien.
But her sister Heather and her brother Fraser have no interest in helping as they too have commitments.

Heather is a Mum, and she has a baby on the way. She is Struggling, tired and grouchy, which makes her come across as insensitive and selfish.

Erin is very close to her mum so when she passes away, it really hits Erin hard.
It bought back all the memories of when me and my mum nursed my nan, and I was with her when she took her last breath. I still have never gotten over my grief I don't think you ever do.

So I could completely relate to how Erin was feeling. Heather doesn't help matters, and she isn't particularly likeable, but as I found out more about her I warmed to her alot.

There are some sensitive subjects such as depression and grief within the story but Chrissie handles them realistically with the right amount of sensitivity to still make an impact.

The characters are strong, believable, definitely relatable, they are beautifully written and you can't help routing for them to suceed

Chrissie has a lovely writing style that's full of warmth and charm. Her description was seamless and instantly drew me in.
The storyline flowed perfectly, it was tender and engaging, which made for a compelling and addictive read.
This is a cosy romance with alot of heart, a few intriguing twists, sibling drama, grief, and emotion. But it was a wonderfully warm and endearing read I couldn't put down.

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.


My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...

There is also a giveaway on my Blog to win a copy & some other goodies too.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a wonderfull story. I was captivated from the start and I wanted to keep on reading and reading.

The author knows how to fill this book to the brim with emotions. It really pulled my heartstrings and a few times I wanted to yell : Noooooooo!

Last night I want to go to bed but at that moment I started a certain chapter. I could not put the book away until I knew what the outcome was. People who have read the story will know what I am talking about. I hope I made the others curious enough to dive into the book as well.

The story is about grieve, love lost and found (again), family, friends, about dealing with your problems and not letting other people walk all over you.

I loved Erin, I could have kicked her brother and sister sometimes and you simply had to let Jackson into your heart as well.

In my opinion this was a very fluently written work of art. If you are looking for a book you can loose yourself in, this one I would certainly recommand.

Thank you, Chrissie Bradshaw and RachelsRandomResources.

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

I really enjoyed this story and I love that cover!

The story was well written and it had a great flow to it making it a very easy one to read, it does cover a few tougher subjects such as loss but it is done well and in keeping with the story. I read the book in an afternoon and really enjoyed getting to know the characters – I warmed to from the start.

The book was a tad predictable as I guessed the plotline fairly early on but that didn’t detract from it being a lovely story to read and there were a few twists to try and thrown me off but I have to say I loved the ending and it was just what I had been hoping for.

4.5 stars from me rounded up to 5 stars for Amazon and Goodreads – I really enjoyed it – highly recommended!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a lovely book, a story of family and dealing with the blows that life throws at them, and then trying to regain the happiness that they once had. The story is full of emotion and in places tear jerking as it delves into the lives of Erin and her family as they come to grips with the death of their mother, along with grief it covers other challenges of life.

I really enjoyed reading this, from the very first page it drew me into the story and I found it hard to put down until the end was reached.

[Vicki Bowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to follow on Blog Tour

[Bena Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Barn of Buried Dreams
by Chrissie Bradshaw

The Good
Wow. What a story about family and love coming together with sisterhood.

The Bad
This wasn't fluffy, but at the same time was my favourite kind of family drama and woman's drama in a fluffy way. A great read especially for sisters, anyone going through loss, love and anyone that needs re-building.

The Ugly
A great read.

4.5 Stars

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Barn is a family home, but this family is challenged in so many ways. Erin and Heather Douglas as well as their brother Fraser have been left bereft by a death, but this does not account for all their problems. This is a sensitively written novel of loss, but also of rebuilding lives shaped by betrayal, motherhood and so much else. The contemporary feel of the references to activities undertaken by the women anchor this novel firmly in the present day, yet some of the themes have and will affect the lives of women through many decades in the past and to come. I was pleased to be asked to read this book as part of a blog tour.
Erin is a young woman who makes a startling discovery right at the start of the novel. Her new dilemma soon finds a tragic solution however, as she experiences the largely unexpected loss of her mother. Her decision to retreat to the north of England has had an impact on her career and romance; the lack of support by her siblings brings extra trauma at a time when she is sleepwalking through caring for the family dog Bracken and maintaining her mother’s Pilates classes. When a new chance of love enters her life, her recent experience makes her overly suspicious and means that she must make some tough decisions about what she truly wants from her life and the fulfilment of her mother’s dreams.
Heather is also finding life a struggle. Her outwardly successful life of children, work and husband is being threatened by her own demons, guilt and alcohol dependence. Her treatment of those nearest to her and the resulting guilt is impacting on her life in so many ways that she is losing focus, and even a retreat to the Barn is not providing answers, but putting additional pressure on an already shaky relationship. More than even Erin, she finds that she needs to stop and reassess what she is doing with her life, before she loses everything dear to her and her true ambitions in life.
Bradshaw has undoubtedly a confident way of putting the central points of life into a densely written novel in a positive way. Her cheeky references to television programmes and contemporary life show that she is a keen observer and able communicator of the things that matter; her research into medical, legal and similar matters is well integrated into the narrative. I appreciated the local references to the Newcastle area, which shows someone who looks beyond the usual in setting for a book largely aimed at women. The relative speed with which events succeed one another demonstrate well the complexity of modern life, and this is a book which maintains the reader’s involvement with the plot as well as the competently drawn characters. A mark of the quality of the writing is the fact that even the minor characters are convincing. An engaging read, this is far more than a lightweight romance as the experiences of the characters have a certain well honed reality. A novel which is well worth tracking down for its carefully balanced blend of romance, reality and hope, in which a beautifully described Barn is another character in a well populated book.

[Juliet Bookliterati · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed Chrissie Bradshaw’s first book A Jarful of Moondreams a couple of years ago so was very excited to receive a copy of her new book to read and review. The Barn of Buried Dreams stays in the beautiful Northumbrian countryside but this time the plot centres around the Douglas sister’s as they cope with life after the death of their mother. In this book Chrissie tackles some very serious issues with great empathy and understanding; grief, post natal depression, miscarriage and alcoholism. These issues fit seamlessly in to the story of sisters Erin and Heather and their family. It was nice was to see Chrissie included a couple of the characters from the first book, seeing where they are now in their lives.

As characters and sisters Erin and Heather are at very different places in their lives, Heather has a toddler and gave birth to a new baby after her mother died. She has gone back to work as a journalist when the baby is only two months and has started drinking to cope with her grief and disappointment with her life. Erin is an actress in London but came home to Magpie’s Rest to look after her mother. After her mum dies she finds herself at a loss of what to do. The end of a relationship sees her with a house full of her mum’s things plus the furniture her ex has sent to her. She can’t see a way out and is drowning in her grief, and feels alone as her sister and brother are not much help due to their busy lives. The upside to this book is the gorgeous Texan Jackson McGee who walks into Erin’s life just when she needs it, but ‘the course of true lover never did run smooth’.

The Barn of Buried Dreams refers to the Douglas family home of Magpie’s Rest, a place of happy memories for Heather, Erin and Fraser, a place they can feel close to their mum. Magpie’s Rest gives both sisters a place to think, to take a look at their lives and work out where they want to be and what they want to do. It is a place where we see the best and worst moments, the highs and the lows of the sisters lives as they tackle their daemons head on and come out the other side stronger.

The Barn of Buried Dreams is a wonderful, life affirming read. It may tackle some difficult subjects but there is love, romance and humour that make this a pleasure to read. The characters are engaging and relatable and the setting of my local Northumbrian countryside is the best setting there could be. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the dog Bracken; I know Chrissie, and like me she is a huge dog lover. This really is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it to those who likes women’s and romantic fiction. I can’t wait for Chrisse’s next book.

[Stephanie Dagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a delightful book. There is so much happening – a mother dying early, a miscarriage, alcoholism, postnatal depression, an extra-marital relationship. But don’t panic! If that makes this book sound heavy and pretentious, it absolutely isn’t. These various problems are there but handled gently and subtly woven into the plot, rather than shoved in the reader’s face. It adds so much richness to what’s already a beautifully written and touching story.
It’s a book largely about the excuses we make for ourselves and our loved ones when we know that either we or they are not behaving the way they should. ‘My sister’s the one with all the free time since she’s unemployed so she can look after Mum on her own.’ ‘I don’t have time.’ ‘I know I shouldn’t but I deserve another drink.’ ‘Where’s the harm in flirting with another woman – my wife’s so busy with the new baby.’ ‘I can’t face doing that today because I’m tired.’ And so on. We’ve all convinced ourselves we’re doing the right thing when we know we’re not, and the characters in the novel are no different.
It’s also about family relationships, those all-pervasive bonds that support yet can also shackle us. Erin and Heather spar and argue, like so many sisters, but they love each other deeply. Their brother Fraser is well-meaning and kind, but now much help. Families have their ups and downs, and we some storms being weathered in the novel until a balance is found.
Our heroine, Erin, is sweet and sympathetic, but not a pushover by any means. She shows strength and resolve, and we see her blossom in the novel. The hero, Jackson, is exactly the sort of man we want him to be, a foil to the unpleasant Damien who’s presence is felt throughout.
So much to enjoy and relish in this touching story.

[Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a Womens Fiction and Romance, this was far from a simple story, and I adored it for that!

This is a story that is both lighthearted and serious to varying degrees, and at many points throughout this story, things did not go the way I was expecting! It certainly made this an engaging and interesting read throughout, and ai was turning pages eagerly, excited to find out what would happen next.

There isn’t the one traditional Romantic thread, rather there are multiple elements to the plotline, and the variety in Characters made for a fun mixture of personalities. Each was a very distinct person, without the usual predictable Characters we may see in more simple Romantic stories.

I loved that the story did not develop in a usual way, it was engaging from the first page but not always in ways I could see coming. I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey throughout!

There are elements within Romantic stories that, as much as I love the Genre and find it the perfect relaxing, wind-down read, I often find myself rolling my eyes at. There are so many over used stoylines for a romantic tale, that It was wonderful to find a story both relaxing and exciting.

This is a beautifully told story full of wonderful imagery and descriptions, with a range of people and a storyline that has just enough of a difference to make it gorgeously surprising.

If you enjoy Romantic stories, or a warming read with more serious undertones, this is the perfect book for you!

[Stacy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with the Douglas clan. It was a dream to follow their adventures in a setting so near to my hometown that I could picture them with such vivid clarity it made the reading that little bit extra special. The writing is so open and inviting, pulling you into the story and holding your attention until the end. Each character played their part extremely well creating a perfect array of stories to fill the book that was heartfelt and emotional. Having just lost my Mam I related to Erin, Heather and Fraser's pain and shared their grieving process and the difficult journey of clearing out special belongings once a loved one has passed.


Erin's story is about survival and strength, her bravery in the face of adversity is to be admired and I was cheering her on every step of the way. Her relationship with Jackson didn't sizzle off the page but gently simmered throughout the book creating a need to read on to see if they would get their happy ever after. Heather's story was difficult to read at times due to her struggles and the demons that she faced. Everyone deals with grief in different ways and this story shines a light on this perfectly.


I enjoyed every minute of this book and felt it portrayed life and love in a true and honest way. I highly recommend spending time with the Douglas clan, it is a superb read and one you will not regret.

[M.W. Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, this is a romance, women's fiction, etc, but it's not your normal piece of fluff. This is a book with a number of serious threads running through it that make the whole so much more than the sum of it's parts.

Centring around the death of a family's much loved mother, we are introduced to Erin who left a career as an actress to look after her when she fell ill. Siblings Fraser and Heather aren't of much use to her though unknown to all, including herself until she admits it, Heather is suffering from her own problems post the birth of her second baby, and so don't help Erin from nearly going off the deep end whilst dealing with grief over their mother and her own personal tragedies.

This is a very well written story and the characters are so well rounded that you really feel for them and hope that everything will turn out right for them all.

If you want to know more of the story, that's not the point of this review. If you want to read a more personal story, then you'll be hard pushed to find one. I can't recommend this book enough!

[Joan]

Stopped reading at 21% some weeks ago so I'm not rating this book. From my updates:

= I'm 21% done with The Barn of Buried Dreams: We are now into the Konmari way of clearing. I simply don’t understand where all this stuff has come from. It takes years and years to get as cluttered as this. And how the hell did she get large freezers upstairs? Did she live in a mansion in London? =

Parts of this story made no sense at all, and I ended up frustrated with the proof-reading.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Siblings, Erin, Heather and Fraser have not only their mother's death to deal with but also a whole lot of personal dilemmas. I found the characters well rounded and believable which made me root for them. The thing is that their problems were ordinary and there but for the grace of God go any of us. I think that was part of the book's charm. We all have a dream and it shouldn't be buried.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written with good stories for all the characters however I didn't feel any angst! With all that was going on between Heather & Mark, I should have felt something, unfortunately.... nothing!! Apart from Damien everyone was just too nice.

[Pat Langhelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant had a job to put it down 😀

[Julie Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the blurb, I was really eager to get in to this new book by the delightful Chrissie Bradshaw to see if she is as friendly and approachable on the page as she is in real life. I am fascinated by the dynamics within families, particularly between sisters as I have three myself, so I was sure this book would be right up my street.

Now I have finished the book, I can confirm that I was not at all disappointed following my high expectations. This is a very readable, warm and enticing novel which was engrossing and satisfying to the end.

The characters of Erin and Heather were well-drawn and their relationship recognisable to me as an accurate dynamic between female siblings. I felt particularly for Erin. The book starts showing the close and loving relationship between Erin and her mother and I felt her loss and despair keenly when her mother passes, particularly as she is already reeling from rejection by her boyfriend and further personal trauma. No wonder she finds it almost impossible to cope and move on.

Heather was harder to like, as she comes across as very selfish and self-centred at the beginning, but the author does a wonderful job of gradually revealing what is driving her behaviour and by the end I was much more sympathetic towards her and happy with the way everything is finally resolved at the end of the book.

I particularly loved the setting of the book in the border country between Scotland and Northumberland, an area I know very well from many childhood holidays and a beautiful part of the country which is filled with warm and friendly people, and I feel like Chrissie brought this to life perfectly and got it across in her writing, so that I really believed in the setting and the characters in the book and became invested in their stories.

Chrissie has quite a formal writing style which is unusual in a book of this type in current times, but I actually really liked it and found it gave her a very distinctive voice. Her writing and the story flows very smoothly and is very easy to read and I am sure that anyone wise enough to pick up this lovely book will be carried along with it and close the last cover with the satisfaction that follows a pleasing read. Highly recommended.