Finding the Dream

Finding the Dream ends the Templeton trilogy. Just to recap: In Daring to Dream flamboyant Margot Sullivan found love. In Holding the Dream Serious Kate Powell found love. In Finding the Dream finally, it is practical Laura Templeton's turn in the spotlight. Would she find love again after all she had been through? Here is my favorite part of the entire series: throughout the pages of Daring to Dream and Holding the Dream, Laura's bad marriage and equally awful divorce had been playing out. It's the one story line that successfully weaved its way through the entire trilogy (aside from the cheesy Seraphina treasure hunt). Peter Ridgeway, a Templeton employee, seduced Laura when she was a teenager. He only wanted to marry her so that he show more had a permanent "in" with the family hotel business. But after cheating on Laura and stealing their two daughter's inheritance he flew the coop, marrying a Templeton rival. (Another story line that ran through all three books but was unsuccessful.) Now, it is time for Laura to climb out of the ashes of a failed marriage and find a true love for herself. Just as Margot and Kate had climbed out of the wreckage of their own personal traumas. And just like Margot and Kate, Laura finds a love interest who is wrong for her in every way. True to the Nora Roberts formula, refined Laura and rough-around-the-edges Michael Fury clash at every turn. How will they ever fall in love? show less

Finally! It's been awhile since I've once again read a Nora Roberts novel I can appreciate. After Margo and Josh's relationship left a bad taste in my mouth, and Kate's and Byron's disappointed in several ways, I had hoped Laura's story would not follow the same route and it thankfully wasn't bad at all.

This last installment in the Dreams trilogy focuses on Laura Templeton and Michael Fury. Laura is still trying to put her life back together after a bad divorce from Peter Ridgeway, who cheated on her and stole money from her and their two daughters Allison and Kayla. Michael returns to the Monterey area after a long hiatus in order to began a business training and selling horses. Romance ensues.

This follows pretty much the same show more structure that you would expect from any NR novel in terms of the highs and lows of the relationship, where everything is awesome until at least one party starts to question why the other is possibly interested in them. So no deviation here, however now there are a couple of cute kids thrown in the mix and it was fun to read Michael's sweet interactions with them in addition to his relationship with Laura.

I think NR tried to make these two characters seem interested in at least learning about some aspects of each other's lives outside of the Templeton house where most scenes took place and interests, however this part of their relationship was lacking and it makes me wonder how they'll deal with that in the future (e.g. Michael going to the country club, Laura meeting Michael and his old friends at a bar, even the two of them going anywhere on a date, etc.). But overall, their relationship and chemistry seemed pretty believable to me.

I also enjoyed Laura's character for the most part. Yes, just like Margo and Kate, she had her own weaknesses and periods of self-doubt, but I felt that she was the strongest of the three and her actions made her tough and believable. She was great, all the way through to the ending.

Certain parts still annoyed me, like how there was no epilogue or that certain characters like Peter Ridgeway didn't necessarily receive their comeuppance. I really thought that would've been tied up neatly somehow. Like maybe a fight scene or something that incorporated the legal system. Also it appeared that Michael received a bad reputation when he was a kid that carried over throughout his life but the way some of the characters obsessively handled their feelings about him was a bit too over dramatic.

Anyway, this third novel redeemed this series for me and I'm glad I read it. show less

Good girl falls for bad boy. Lots of drama and hot sex. Everyone lives happily ever after. THE END.

OK, perhaps a bit simplistic but not really. This is the final book in a trilogy and in my opinion is the best of the bunch. This is vintage Nora Roberts- great characters and believable scenarios make for a wonderful escape from real life for a few hours. Given the genre, the happy ending is inevitable but which no way lessens the enjoyment. Highly recommended beach or blizzard read. 4 stars because it is a great example of the genre.

This series was really charming, and as usual for La Nora, uplifting. I was left with a sweet sense of "Awwww," when I finished the last book. Although I usually prefer my romance with monsters, Nora is always the exception.If I could give it 3 1/2 stars, I would. It's better than average, and one of my keepers, but still not a favorite.

Liked the series but did get tired of strong women who become weak and unable to make decisions just because of a guy.

This was a long-time favorite of mine . . . still is actually, even after all these years since I first read it. It was one of the first romance novels to truly resonate with me, mostly due to the exceptional main character, Laura Templeton. It's a lovely story, the best part of this particular series. Anyone who likes Nora Roberts should definitely read this.

I really enjoyed this series. Kate and Laura's stories were very sweet, just like their respective foils. I didn't care for Margo as much because I couldn't relate to her. But, alas, you can't win them all. Nora Roberts is my favorite author. Her books are so refreshing and make me happy whenever I finish a book.