The Villa of Dreams

By: Lucy Coleman

Narrated by: Lucy Scott

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Seren Maddison left behind a rainy Britain to follow her dreams and live and work in Lisbon.

The vibrancy, the beautiful scenery and the sunshine, made her fall in love and she knew, instantly, that it would be her forever home.

International artist Reid Henderson has homes in Lisbon and London. Following his painful divorce, his dream is to turn his luxurious home into an art school and gallery.

When Seren and Reid first meet, there is an instant attraction, but they are both people who have been hurt and each has dreams that are so far apart, they aren’t even on the same page.

Can they enjoy one summer of happiness together, as life bestows a gift of memories to cherish for the rest of their lives? Or is their destiny to chart a path into the future, in a home where dreams can come true?

Seren and Reid may be about to discover that love is as much about what you are prepared to give up as what you are prepared to keep hold of.

Let Lucy Coleman transport you away to sun-drenched Portugal where true love really can conquer all and home is where the heart is. Perfect for all fans of Trisha Ashley, Holly Martin and Sue Moorcroft.

©2020 Lucy Coleman (P)2020 Boldwood Books

Critic reviews

"Beautifully written, comforting and utterly uplifting, Lucy Coleman’s stories are the perfect tonic when life is a little grey." (Holly Martin)

Beautifully written but a little lacking

I really liked the storyline and the author sets a beautiful scene but would have liked more interaction between the romantic leads. It led to a strong character who was left to constantly second guess herself instead of fighting for the relationship. I enjoyed the narrator who did very well differentiating among characters.

good book

a warm story about the different paths that love takes place around the world

Good

I appreciate that Ms Coleman does not use cussing to get her points across.
Her descriptions of Portugal have made me put it on my bucket list. I really enjoyed her characters and wanted to know more about them.
I found certain segue ways a bit confusing. On minute they were at a cafe and the next they are in bed cuddling…. I think it was chapter 6…. It happened a few more times.
I’m thinking if I read the book I would see a paragraph change but the audio book didn’t seem to transition these changes well in my opinion.
Otherwise it was enjoyable and I don’t regret spending my credit

Delightful

I enjoy having a story that is truly entertaining. This is a story that draws one in more and more with each chapter. Beautifully romantic without torrid love scenes.

Love this story

So heart warming and relaxing. Such a beautiful story and awesome ending. A must read.

Descriptions of Portugal were awesome. Story was..

boring. It was very slow and meandering. Not really that exciting. The descriptions were awesome though.

Good, but…

Great visuals. So much drama for no reason. Her repeated bad assumptions and avoiding honest conversations was exhausting.

Beautiful Portugal Setting for a Love Story

I want to visit Portugal after listening to this beautiful story. Look up the sites on Google as you’re listening. I definitely loved all the food descriptions and it makes me want to try them all. A sweet story of conquering difficult times to be with the person you love.

Excellent

I was hooked from the beginning until the end! This is romance without all the drama and gooey stuff!

Predictable

The descriptions of Lisbon and the surrounding area make me want to travel. Unfortunately, that is the only compelling thing about the story.
The narrator has a lovely voice and does a good job at accents, but the pace is a little slow even in the "upbeat" sections.
I got about half way through before giving up. I had other books by this author on my wishlist that I have removed.
I dislike giving up on a book - but it just did not capture me.