The Villa of Dreams
- Downloads：9526
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-03-16 03:15:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lucy Coleman
- ISBN：B08H4G9JC6
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Reviews
Kay M
，
This is such a wonderful sunshine filled read that is perfect for some escapism from a grey and cold December day。 Seren Maddison has had enough of working for her controlling father and has made the decision to try something new。 Seren is heading to Lisbon to both work and live and is looking forward to her new adventure。 Lisbon is everything that Seren could have ever wanted and is so different to her life in England。 The city is so bright and colourful and full of possibilities for Seren whic This is such a wonderful sunshine filled read that is perfect for some escapism from a grey and cold December day。 Seren Maddison has had enough of working for her controlling father and has made the decision to try something new。 Seren is heading to Lisbon to both work and live and is looking forward to her new adventure。 Lisbon is everything that Seren could have ever wanted and is so different to her life in England。 The city is so bright and colourful and full of possibilities for Seren which she fully submerges herself into。 Seren is also beginning to make friends with her work colleagues at the gallery and is enjoying exploring Lisbon with them。It is through her job that she meets international artist Reid Henderson。 Reid Henderson has home both in Lisbon and London， he has recently come through a messy divorce and has made the decision to turn his home into a gallery and art school。There is an obvious spark of romance between the two of them from the first time they meet and its clear to see just how much they like each other but they both seem to want different things with their lives。 Can the two of them make it work or is Seren going to be unlucky in love again？What follows is the life of Seren as she has her first summer in Lisbon and spends more time with Reid。 This will be a summer neither of them will forget but will their attraction for each other be enough for them both so be together？This was such a wonderful book to read and I loved it from beginning to end。 The description of Lisbon sounds truly wonderful and you can almost feel the heat of the city coming off of the pages。 I really enjoyed the love story between Seren and Reid。 It is clear that they both have had difficulties in their lives and that they both find it difficult moving forwards but they are both trying their best。 I really enjoy the writing style of Lucy Coleman， she has a way of really drawing you into a story and keeping you there right up until the last page。 this is the perfect read for injecting some sunshine into your life。 。。。more
Susan Hutchinson
，
Lovely story really enjoyed it
Hilary。 Mccarthy
，
Easy readI enjoyed this book as a book to escape with 。It has interesting characters and the descriptions of Lisbon make me want to go there 。A good storyline 。
Susan in Perthshire
，
Sorry but this was disappointing。 Great start and then - it just didn’t proceed as I had expected。 Far too much emphasis on her job and other characters and the minutiae of her project than on the main characters’ development。 I really didn’t take much to Seren， and I thought the relationship between her and Reid was seriously underwritten。 We almost went from business chat to bed in the blink of an eye。 This took me by surprise because it was so unexpected and the development of such a relation Sorry but this was disappointing。 Great start and then - it just didn’t proceed as I had expected。 Far too much emphasis on her job and other characters and the minutiae of her project than on the main characters’ development。 I really didn’t take much to Seren， and I thought the relationship between her and Reid was seriously underwritten。 We almost went from business chat to bed in the blink of an eye。 This took me by surprise because it was so unexpected and the development of such a relationship had not been given the attention I would have expected。 I disliked the way she ultimately responded to Reid and found the ending incredibly abrupt and unsatisfying。 Seren was stuck in her self righteous， smug approach until almost the last page。 By this time， I had lost interest in her。 Reid should have found himself someone else。 Sorry， I seem to be running counter to all the 4/5 star reviews but this was barely a 3 star read for me and the stars I have allocated are primarily for the descriptive prose and the evocative location creation。 。。。more
Anna || BooksandBookends
，
This is a lovely book for some armchair escapism， especially given that it was snowing whilst I was reading this！ The glorious weather and detailed description of sunny Portugal were wonderful to read and thoroughly immersive。Having read Coleman's books previously， I had high hopes for this book and felt a tad disappointed honestly。 I usually feel absorbed into her books immediately and I didn't feel as though I could connect with the protagonist， Seren。 I'm not sure exactly what was missing com This is a lovely book for some armchair escapism， especially given that it was snowing whilst I was reading this！ The glorious weather and detailed description of sunny Portugal were wonderful to read and thoroughly immersive。Having read Coleman's books previously， I had high hopes for this book and felt a tad disappointed honestly。 I usually feel absorbed into her books immediately and I didn't feel as though I could connect with the protagonist， Seren。 I'm not sure exactly what was missing compared to her other books， but it just didn't feel as enthralling！ 。。。more
Ann
，
This story is set in Lisbon and has lots of lovely descriptions of the city， it made me want to visit Portugal。 However， the main character Seren moves to Lisbon to start a new high profile job in a gallery， organising a complex event drawing together a top artist， photographer and dress designer yet she cannot speak portuguese！ Sorry！ It would not happen， she would not have got the job！
Pippa
，
Rating 3。5 rounded up to 4 stars。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about Lisbon and its environs， I have been but it was a long time ago and very brief so it was lovely to hear about things I didn't have time to see。 I marked it down a bit as I felt there was too much minutiae regarding the show and I don't think I got to know Reid well enough。 Rating 3。5 rounded up to 4 stars。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading all about Lisbon and its environs， I have been but it was a long time ago and very brief so it was lovely to hear about things I didn't have time to see。 I marked it down a bit as I felt there was too much minutiae regarding the show and I don't think I got to know Reid well enough。 。。。more
Elizabeth Dorizas
，
LovelyA lovely book about a young woman determined to be her own person。 A who I read that left me happy！
Betty
，
Fed up with working for her overbearing father in London， Seren travels to Portugal to take on a similar job of Event's Manager in an art gallery in Lisbon。 There she finds the perfect outlet for her organizational talents as she puts together a fantastic show combining painting and home decor， while becomes emotionally involved with the main artist of the event。 The writing is good but somewhat matter of fact。 To my mind it doesn't flow like an novel， more like a newspaper article of the event。 Fed up with working for her overbearing father in London， Seren travels to Portugal to take on a similar job of Event's Manager in an art gallery in Lisbon。 There she finds the perfect outlet for her organizational talents as she puts together a fantastic show combining painting and home decor， while becomes emotionally involved with the main artist of the event。 The writing is good but somewhat matter of fact。 To my mind it doesn't flow like an novel， more like a newspaper article of the event。 Still the story is interesting and keeps you turning pages until the end。 I guess I 'liked' it but I didn't 'love' it。 。。。more
Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog。wordpress。com Robinson
，
I’ve never been to Portugal and having missed out on a holiday in the sun this year （like most people）， I became completely engrossed in my visit to Almada。 It didn’t matter that I had never been as Lucy completely took me there through her vivid and stunning descriptions。 I became completely immersed in the sights， sounds and smells of Almada through her wonderful illustrations with words。 The narrative gently leads the reader into the plot。 It isn’t rushed or fast paced but allows the reader t I’ve never been to Portugal and having missed out on a holiday in the sun this year （like most people）， I became completely engrossed in my visit to Almada。 It didn’t matter that I had never been as Lucy completely took me there through her vivid and stunning descriptions。 I became completely immersed in the sights， sounds and smells of Almada through her wonderful illustrations with words。 The narrative gently leads the reader into the plot。 It isn’t rushed or fast paced but allows the reader to unwrap and digest each new event of piece of information and slowly savour and digest every morsel of it。 I loved learning about Seren and her past – which explains her reasons for taking such a big step。 Starting afresh is a daunting thing but to so it in a different country and navigate cultural differences too is an immense experience and learning curve。 I loved joining Seren on this journey to fulfil her dreams。 The peek into the organisation of an art exhibition was fascinating and insightful。 I have zero artistic ability， so I found the physical organisation plus the descriptions of the artwork really interesting。 The romantic plot also added some spark and dram into the plot too but for me， this is about Seren’s journey to find herself and make her own mark on the world。A delightful contemporary story with a romantic aspect set in a wonderful location。 Perfect to get lost in and bring a little sunshine into your life。 。。。more
Allyson
，
Thank you to Netgalley， the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion。This was an okay book， not my favourite by this author by far。 I found it hard to get into and I never really connected with the main character， Seren。 I usually enjoy the descriptiveness of this author， but found it tedious and boring in this book。 I did enjoy the description of the area in Portugal but found most of the Thank you to Netgalley， the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion。This was an okay book， not my favourite by this author by far。 I found it hard to get into and I never really connected with the main character， Seren。 I usually enjoy the descriptiveness of this author， but found it tedious and boring in this book。 I did enjoy the description of the area in Portugal but found most of the book really wordy。 I also did not like the ending， I thought both Seren and Reid were being unrealistic。 I will definitely read more works by this author， maybe this is just a one-off， I really enjoyed her book "Summer in Provence"。 。。。more
Berit☀️✨
，
A lovely little escape！ Lucy Coleman swept me away to Lisbon Portugal with her vivid storytelling。 Seren is tired of working for her father and is in need of a change。 So she packs up and relocate to Portugal from England。 she begins working as a event planner for an art gallery in charge of an ambitious project involving three vastly different artists。 One of the artist Reid catches Seren’s I， but it’s complicated。 Lucy’s stories always have such an incredible sense of place。 her passion and re A lovely little escape！ Lucy Coleman swept me away to Lisbon Portugal with her vivid storytelling。 Seren is tired of working for her father and is in need of a change。 So she packs up and relocate to Portugal from England。 she begins working as a event planner for an art gallery in charge of an ambitious project involving three vastly different artists。 One of the artist Reid catches Seren’s I， but it’s complicated。 Lucy’s stories always have such an incredible sense of place。 her passion and research of Portugal really shown through on the pages of this book。 Seren completely embraced her new country and culture。 I truly felt that was the best part of this book。 Seren Foley immersing herself in this new culture and really trying to completely assimilate。 The art was also extremely interesting especially Seren’s own personal art。 I also always love reading books that include event planning， I never understand this because I’m not a big event planner？ But apparently I really love reading books about people planning things， go figure。 The romance was slow burning and very understated。 I really liked both Seren and Reid and wanted them to find their happily ever after， but for me it was not the driving force in the story。 A nice little getaway to Portugal from the comfort of my couch。this book in emojis 🇵🇹 🔧 👗 🖌 🥘*** Big thank you to Boldwood for my gifted copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 *** 。。。more
Jane Hunt
，
A little sunshine and warmth on a cold winter's day are always welcome。 This romantic tale of compromise， dreams and love， takes you on an emotional angst-ridden journey full of heartwarming romance that leaves you uplifted。Seren decides that striving for her father's approval is a fool's errand and finally leaves England to follow her dreams in Lisbon， Portugal。 She wants to develop her art and works towards the dream by organising and event that incorporates many aspects of the creative world。 A little sunshine and warmth on a cold winter's day are always welcome。 This romantic tale of compromise， dreams and love， takes you on an emotional angst-ridden journey full of heartwarming romance that leaves you uplifted。Seren decides that striving for her father's approval is a fool's errand and finally leaves England to follow her dreams in Lisbon， Portugal。 She wants to develop her art and works towards the dream by organising and event that incorporates many aspects of the creative world。 Love is not on her agenda， but fate has other ideas when she meets Reid， a recent divorcee and artist。 Both are emotionally damaged and driven by their career project， yet the chemistry is undeniable， but is a Summer love strong enough to withstand the Winter of reality？This is a story about dreams and how they can change and having the courage and insight to chase what makes you happy whatever the consequences。 I received a copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Gmr
，
Seren was an absolute doll。 She was stronger than she thought， more able than some might have guessed， and lived each day not only from her mind， but her heart。 She did not love easily， but when she did it was completely。 She put her passion for life into her work， both at the gallery and at home with her metalwork。 Speaking of metalwork， I love the fact that this unexpectedly medium was what held her creative heart。 As Reid pointed out， it's not something you would have guessed and yet， it didn Seren was an absolute doll。 She was stronger than she thought， more able than some might have guessed， and lived each day not only from her mind， but her heart。 She did not love easily， but when she did it was completely。 She put her passion for life into her work， both at the gallery and at home with her metalwork。 Speaking of metalwork， I love the fact that this unexpectedly medium was what held her creative heart。 As Reid pointed out， it's not something you would have guessed and yet， it didn't make it any less possible， or her work any less moving。 When planning the event for the gallery， she put her creative side to work， meshing things together that were not formerly thought of with much success。。。but that's not to say there weren't pitfalls along the way。 Some were regarding the project， while others involved her heart in unexpected ways。 Seeing her work her way through the culture， the shocking revelations， and the unexpected turn of events， was like watching a master painter at work。 She took time to understand who was ultimately constructing the work， accepted those things she could not change， and made adjustments when surprises made themselves known。。。making the ending THAT much sweeter。In the end， it was a definite jewel that deserves it's time in the sun， and while Provence still holds my heart， it was a pleasure to walk with this one， hand in hand， as we moved towards an unforeseeable future that was no less mesmerizing。 Recommended read for Women's Fiction fans as well as those that like a good Contemporary Romance， heavy on the story and inner soul searching。**ecopy received for review; opinions are my own 。。。more
Karen McGarry
，
The Villa of Dreams became exactly that！ I loved how Lucy described everything in detail - it felt as though I was seeing these things in reality。 It is a beautifully told story of love， life and dreams。
Judith Howe
，
This book turned out a good read in the end。 It took a while to get going but all was good in the end。 It is set in Portugal and had some lovely descriptions about Lisbon。 Very uplifting during this difficult time for our country。
K Hall
，
Never disappointedAlways a good， absorbing read。 Lucy whisks you off to another life and place that most of us can only dream of。 You can picture the surroundings， taste the food and absorb the atmosphere， such is her descriptive writing。
Katherine Hayward Pérez
，
I have reviewed a lot of Lucy Coleman's books and thoroughly enjoyed them。 The Villa of Dreams is set in Portugal which is a new setting as the others were in France and Italy， even England。 Lucy Coleman excells in descriptions of scenery， setting， food drink and customs and I imagined I was in Lisbon with Seren。 I enjoyed the dialogue and felt there could have been more romance but liked the fresh nature of a book set in Portugal， as many in this genre are set in France， Italy and Greece。 Villa I have reviewed a lot of Lucy Coleman's books and thoroughly enjoyed them。 The Villa of Dreams is set in Portugal which is a new setting as the others were in France and Italy， even England。 Lucy Coleman excells in descriptions of scenery， setting， food drink and customs and I imagined I was in Lisbon with Seren。 I enjoyed the dialogue and felt there could have been more romance but liked the fresh nature of a book set in Portugal， as many in this genre are set in France， Italy and Greece。 Villa of Dreams is perfect for these cold days and for a reprieve from how this year has been。 Pure escapism。 I would love to visit Portugal one day。 This is a lifelong wish but it's reinforced by this novel。 Thanks to Lucy Coleman， Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review。 5 stars。 。。。more
Sharon
，
Lucy Coleman is another one of my favorite authors who doesn't disappoint。 The Villa of Dreams is a superb example of Coleman's wonderful prose describing beautiful locations， endearing characters， and the discovery of untimely love in Lisbon， Portugal。I admire Seren's decision to leave home and start over in a different country。 She is fearless in her passion for art and the culture of her new home in Lisbon。 As an events coordinator for the Gallery of Souls， she is planning a brilliant event Lucy Coleman is another one of my favorite authors who doesn't disappoint。 The Villa of Dreams is a superb example of Coleman's wonderful prose describing beautiful locations， endearing characters， and the discovery of untimely love in Lisbon， Portugal。I admire Seren's decision to leave home and start over in a different country。 She is fearless in her passion for art and the culture of her new home in Lisbon。 As an events coordinator for the Gallery of Souls， she is planning a brilliant event to present renowned painter Reid Henderson's art on fabric during a fashion show located at Lisbon's beautiful Santuário Nacional do Cristo Rei （National Shrine of Christ the King）。 Trying to juggle her work life with her personal life turns out to be very difficult and Seren settles for an unexpected love affair that is destined to end。 But can the lovers finally find peace in their lives giving them the freedom to enjoy their dreams together？You will fall in love with Lisbon through Seren's eyes just as I did。 From the beautiful sights and sounds， the fantastic food， the unforgettable characters， and the incredible planning and creativity that goes into an extraordinary exhibition that I would be thrilled to see in person。 I can't recommend this delightfully heartwarming and inspiring story enough。Thank you to Ms。 Coleman for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review。 。。。more
L。S。
，
I always enjoy reading about characters who have packed up and moved away to another country where both the language and culture are so very different to what they are used to。 As an immigrant myself， I find myself smiling and nodding along as the character gets to grips with their new life。 The author paints such a beautiful picture of Lisbon， invoking memories of visiting there as a child and being overwhelmed by the hugeness of the Cristo Rei。 Admittedly， while I appreciated the attention to I always enjoy reading about characters who have packed up and moved away to another country where both the language and culture are so very different to what they are used to。 As an immigrant myself， I find myself smiling and nodding along as the character gets to grips with their new life。 The author paints such a beautiful picture of Lisbon， invoking memories of visiting there as a child and being overwhelmed by the hugeness of the Cristo Rei。 Admittedly， while I appreciated the attention to detail， it did have the effect of slowing the story down at the beginning。 That said， the scene where she has her first Pastéis de nata with her colleagues had me salivating！ :） The core theme of the novel is the exhibition Seren has proposed to her new bosses; ambitious it may be， but she is convinced she can pull it off - in spite of Rafael， one of the big draws to the event， who isn't as involved or as enthusiastic as she is。 Luckily， she has another one of the main artists， Reid， on her side。 He has his own family issues to contend with - divorce， his daughter， and an ex-wife who is still involved in his business。 he and Seren have very different goals， and their slow-burn of a romance sometimes looks as though it might never get off the ground despite the very obvious spark between them。 Seren's own artistic streak is enjoyably original， creating sculptures from metal。 It's demonstrative of her need to break free from the family business back in the UK， where her father had been over-domineering。 Both she and Reid have baggage to deal with， and hopes and dreams that don't align， but can they find a way through？ This is such a lovely story， combining travel， art and new starts with a gentle， easy to read style - what's not to love about it？ With thanks to Boldwood Books， NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Bridget
，
My first book by Lucy Coleman was warming， gratifying and highly entertaining， bringing absolutely no disappointments。When Seren Maddison leaves drizzly Britain to move to sunny Lisbon in Portugal， she knows she has made the right decision and she has found her perfect place to settle。 Following a work meeting with Reid Henderson， an artist， they click immediately but both are wary of becoming too involved because they have been hurt in previous relationships， and they have very different goals。 My first book by Lucy Coleman was warming， gratifying and highly entertaining， bringing absolutely no disappointments。When Seren Maddison leaves drizzly Britain to move to sunny Lisbon in Portugal， she knows she has made the right decision and she has found her perfect place to settle。 Following a work meeting with Reid Henderson， an artist， they click immediately but both are wary of becoming too involved because they have been hurt in previous relationships， and they have very different goals。 Seren and Reid discover whether their time together is a happy summer holiday romance or some lessons in love。With its realistic， brilliantly drawn characters this was such a lovely story and the perfect choice of novel as the weather has turned distinctly wintery already。 Lucy Coleman's tremendous writing and descriptions of Lisbon made me think I was there myself， in the pockets of Seren as she explored the heart of Almada。 This author really knew how to set the scene， from the views to delicious sounding foods， art， architecture， and traditions， making The Villa of Dreams so great。 I was totally swept along with the well- paced， delightful storyline。 Moving to a new country can be a daunting experience for many and this came across very well。 With a dominant theme of self-developmentand a will-they/won't-they trope， The Villa of Dreams was a riveting， heartwarming read that really raised my spirits。 Romance readers who like to be transported to another country for some escapism will enjoy this one。 Very highly recommended！Thank you to Lucy Coleman， Boldwood Books， NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request。 This review is my own unbiased opinion。 。。。more
Colin Bell
，
Seren moves to Lisbon， Portugal， to escape her domineering father to become events coordinator for an art gallery。 She brings up the idea of a fashion show based on the works of an artist， Reid， and starts forming a relationship。 The descriptions of Lisbon are amazing， it sounds really picturesque and I would love to visit one day although some of the streets sound a bit steep。 I'm not a follower of fashion， as my wife will attest， and my knowledge of art is limited so an interesting insight int Seren moves to Lisbon， Portugal， to escape her domineering father to become events coordinator for an art gallery。 She brings up the idea of a fashion show based on the works of an artist， Reid， and starts forming a relationship。 The descriptions of Lisbon are amazing， it sounds really picturesque and I would love to visit one day although some of the streets sound a bit steep。 I'm not a follower of fashion， as my wife will attest， and my knowledge of art is limited so an interesting insight into those worlds。 I did struggle more with the potential romance between Seren and Reid， although the friendship between Seren and her coworkers was heartwarming。 From the story it did appear that the Portuguese views upon workplace romances are different to ours in the UK。 Overall a book to help you to escape to sunnier， more open times。 I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley， however this did not influence my review of the book。 。。。more
mrsljgibbs
，
I would just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for very kindly forwarding me a copy of this book for my Kindle， in return for an honest review，When Seren plans her escape to Portugal and quickly falls in love with the place （as did I！！） she leaves England behind without a second thought。With the current travel restrictions being what they are， this was the perfect book to read for some ‘armchair’ travelling and it was pure escapism。It was wonderful to read and I was g I would just like to say a very big thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for very kindly forwarding me a copy of this book for my Kindle， in return for an honest review，When Seren plans her escape to Portugal and quickly falls in love with the place （as did I！！） she leaves England behind without a second thought。With the current travel restrictions being what they are， this was the perfect book to read for some ‘armchair’ travelling and it was pure escapism。It was wonderful to read and I was gripped from the start and just wanted to keep reading more and more。A feel good read that will leave you wanting to travel to somewhere nice and warm！！ 。。。more
Elaine
，
This is an emotive story of following your dreams， daring to make a fresh start and trusting your heart。Seren Maddison has worked for her bullying father for six years but has had enough。 She resigns and follows her dreams working as an event manager for an Art Gallery in Lisbon， Portugal where her first major event is to be a real inspirational showstopper， presenting and linking the talents of three very different artists。Reid Henderson is one of the three artists involved in the event but he' This is an emotive story of following your dreams， daring to make a fresh start and trusting your heart。Seren Maddison has worked for her bullying father for six years but has had enough。 She resigns and follows her dreams working as an event manager for an Art Gallery in Lisbon， Portugal where her first major event is to be a real inspirational showstopper， presenting and linking the talents of three very different artists。Reid Henderson is one of the three artists involved in the event but he's the only one who Seren is attracted to。 Unfortunately， although he's divorced， his ex-wife is still very involved in both his life and his business。 His dreams are totally different to those of Seren but he's also very attracted to her。 Can they discover a way forward to mutual goals and develop some new dreams together？Settling into a new job， in a new country where you don't speak the language， getting to know the different attitudes， foods and places are all brilliantly portrayed in this emotional rollercoaster read。 The expectations， family dramas， power struggles and so much more kept me turning the pages。 The evocative descriptions bring the whole story to life as if you're actually there - and I certainly would like to visit once this pandemic makes it safe to do so again！ In the meanwhile， whilst my journeys are virtual ones from the comfort of my armchair， this is a delightful way to bring some sunshine back into your life and a lovely story to escape into。Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed。 。。。more
Jo Shaw
，
Lucy Coleman is so good at whisking us away to an exciting destination， and The Villa of Dreams was no exception， spiriting me away to Lisbon in the blink of an eye。 I’ve never been to Portugal but the descriptions of the delicious Portuguese delicacies and the warmth of the sunshine shone from every page， and made me want to hop on a plane and head there right away。The vibrant descriptions of Lisbon had me googling photographs of the city， and as I expected， the photos completely matched the im Lucy Coleman is so good at whisking us away to an exciting destination， and The Villa of Dreams was no exception， spiriting me away to Lisbon in the blink of an eye。 I’ve never been to Portugal but the descriptions of the delicious Portuguese delicacies and the warmth of the sunshine shone from every page， and made me want to hop on a plane and head there right away。The vibrant descriptions of Lisbon had me googling photographs of the city， and as I expected， the photos completely matched the images that Lucy had created within this wonderful story。The main characters of Seren and Reid were so flawed， but with both of them seeking to make changes to their lives for the better， and for their own self-improvement， there were a few ups and downs along the way。 I loved the additional characters in the story， especially Carolina and Seren’s best friend from back home Judi。This was the perfect armchair travel romance， and the perfect antidote to the dark， damp winter days at home。 。。。more
Elena
，
Seren has followed her heart and moved to Lisbon， Portugal to work as an event manager for a group of artists。 After years of working for her bullying， difficult father she is excited to begin this new chapter in her life and quickly settles into a new and much more satisfying way of life。Reid Henderson is one of the artists she is working for and the attraction between them is immediate and difficult to resist。 His ex-wife Beatriz still has an incomprehensible hold over him and Seren is torn be Seren has followed her heart and moved to Lisbon， Portugal to work as an event manager for a group of artists。 After years of working for her bullying， difficult father she is excited to begin this new chapter in her life and quickly settles into a new and much more satisfying way of life。Reid Henderson is one of the artists she is working for and the attraction between them is immediate and difficult to resist。 His ex-wife Beatriz still has an incomprehensible hold over him and Seren is torn between following her head or her heart。 The depictions of Portugal are what made this book so enjoyable for me as the sights， food， wine and culture seeped through the pages and transported me away。 I loved reading about the huge change in Seren’s life as she navigates her new job and the people and country。 I was instantly drawn to the Portuguese characters and transported to the setting， cared about each character and thoroughly enjoyed the book。 Just the tonic for a cold and wet December！ 。。。more
Jéssica
，
If you don’t know me， let me tell you something first。 I was born and raised in the central coast of Portugal， in the Leiria District。 That been said， you may already understand why I would be excited for this book， if you read the synopsis。It's always quite exciting when I read a book， one written in English， and I find Portuguese words in the mix。 It's also quite funny to read "river Tagus" when it has always been "Tejo" for me。 It all makes my polyglot brain excited and happy。In the middle of If you don’t know me， let me tell you something first。 I was born and raised in the central coast of Portugal， in the Leiria District。 That been said， you may already understand why I would be excited for this book， if you read the synopsis。It's always quite exciting when I read a book， one written in English， and I find Portuguese words in the mix。 It's also quite funny to read "river Tagus" when it has always been "Tejo" for me。 It all makes my polyglot brain excited and happy。In the middle of all those words， we follow Seren Maddison and a group of artists - including Reid Henderson， the love interest in this romance。 The artistic side of the story adds this interesting element to the plot。 I loved that and I wished it was true and I could see all the artwork in real life。Honestly the multicultural elements in the book was what truly got me。 Portugal is a country of diversity， although people tend to forget about that。 And nowadays with the globalization， the migration flow， the big cities， like Lisboa， tend to have more culture represented in the streets。 It's in the art， architecture， in the voices， in the thoughts and tradition， and in the food and drinks。The book made me have multiple feelings， sometimes at the same time， others it was as the story went。 Usually， books that happened in other countries transport me to that place and it's like a trip without living my room。 And I'm sure many people felt that while reading this story because it was quite beautifully done， that I'm sure some readers googled all of the places mentioned and all the Portuguese things talked about， like the wine and Pastéis de Belém。Let's be honest， this is my country。 Although I haven't visit all of it， I have been to Lisboa plenty of times。 I was already at home， so it didn't transport me per say to Lisboa。 BUT！ It had another effect。 It made me feeling as if I was on a trip to Lisboa with my French family or with friends that have never been there。 It had that excitement because other were excited as well about the city， the people， the history and gastronomy。Reading a book set in my country by a non-Portuguese author， makes me wonder about the research the write has done and why Portugal。 Why Lucy Coleman picked my lovely， imperfect， sunny and rainy， country to set her story in。 Maybe every aspect of the book related to Portugal is the reason。 Why I think that？ Because the book had this hospitality quality to it。 Something I quite loved。 Something I hope any tourist experiences while visiting Portugal。Overall， It was a beautiful book。 We don't just fall in love with the characters， we fall in love with the entirety of the book。 From the art to the people behind it。 From the streets of busy Lisboa area to the interactions between the characters。 From the love， to family， to friends and to new adventures in a different country。The Villa of Dreams。 A Vila dos Sonhos。 And that truly was the perfect title for this book。 For me， sonhos is just the start。 "E agora eu finalmente sei o que significa felicidade。。。 para sempre。" To my English speaker friends， that have read the book， you may know what that sentence means， to those that haven't， it's a good opportunity to read it。[I want to thank Rachel， at Rachel’s Random Resources， and Lucy Coleman for the eCopy of this book， via Netgalley and for allowing me to join in the fun and being a part of the blog tour with my honest review of the book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。] 。。。more
Sally Coles
，
Seren feels that it is the time in her life to take a chance and so she moves to Portugal leaving behind her family and friends。 Running an art gallery she meets artist， Reid， and the sparks fly but they have both been badly burnt before and are not looking for love，。。。。 but does it find you when you least expect it or want it！Another lovely story by this author which draws you in from the start。 I loved the descriptions of Portugal， especially in the dismal time at home， and would have loved to Seren feels that it is the time in her life to take a chance and so she moves to Portugal leaving behind her family and friends。 Running an art gallery she meets artist， Reid， and the sparks fly but they have both been badly burnt before and are not looking for love，。。。。 but does it find you when you least expect it or want it！Another lovely story by this author which draws you in from the start。 I loved the descriptions of Portugal， especially in the dismal time at home， and would have loved to be transported there！ Also good characters and storyline。 。。。more
Amanda
，
I have read， loved and reviewed everything that Lucy has published to date。 Each time I finish her new book， the wait for her next book begins。 Well ladies and gents the wait is temporarily over because her new book called ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ has just been released and it is another stonker of a read from Lucy Coleman。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ but more about that in a bit。As with all of Lucy’s book， I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first I have read， loved and reviewed everything that Lucy has published to date。 Each time I finish her new book， the wait for her next book begins。 Well ladies and gents the wait is temporarily over because her new book called ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ has just been released and it is another stonker of a read from Lucy Coleman。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ but more about that in a bit。As with all of Lucy’s book， I was drawn into the story from the very first word on the very first page。 ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ seemed to develop a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn’t going to break。 I picked the book up on a cold and grey day in the North East and I soon forgot about the naff weather outside as I was taken away to sunnier climes。 I was swept along by the story and I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough。 It was as if I was an addict in frequent need of her next fix。 I would pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters but I became that wrapped up in the story that I would read more like half a dozen chapters and I lost track of time。‘The Villa Of Dreams’ is superbly written but then I think that to be true of all of Lucy’s books in general。 She grabs your attention and draws you into the story from the very start。 Lucy brings Portugal alive as she uses such vivid and realistic descriptions that if I closed my eyes， it would be easy for me to imagine that I was in Portugal with the sun beating down on my face。 I felt as though I was part of the story and that’s all thanks to Lucy’s very vivid and realistic storytelling。 For me， ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ was a delight to read and it kept my attention from start to finish。In short， I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Villa Of Dreams’ and I would definitely recommend the book to other readers。 I can’t wait to read more of Lucy’s work in the future。 The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*。 。。。more
Alexis
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Disappointing。 What a disappointing ending。
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Villa of Dreams
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Villa of Dreams&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Villa of Dreams&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0