Book Review: Dreaming About Daran (Whitsborough Bay Book #3) by Jessica Redland

After  Searching for Steven and Getting over Gary, this is final instalment of the Whitsborough Bay series. Whitsborough Bay is the quaint fictional English seaside community where the majority of love and friendship drama of three friends, Sarah, Elise and Clare takes place. I didn’t read book one, which centres on Sarah. Odd? Yes, I know, but I was introduced to the book two by the publishers, So Vain Books after I reviewed another one of their publications. Now that I have read books two and three, I will be getting book one.

I enjoy light funny chick lit books, and  this series was thoroughly entertaining and easy to read. Nevertheless, whilst the majority of the story in Getting Over Gary was funny and very lighthearted especially how Elise reacted to everything, Clare’s story was far more serious.

Clare O’Connell is a tough talking PR executive, who lives by certain strict rules, although nicknamed Irish because of Irish heritage, Clare has vowed to never return to country of her birth. She goes as far as to never talk about Ireland, or her family, to any of her close friends.  However, when her boss insists she travels to Ireland to repair a damaged relationship with a key client, Clare finds herself drawn back to the small village of Ballykielty where she comes face to face to her family and all her secrets that she hid for over 17 years.

I loved getting to know Clare. I must say that the drama certainly increased from Getting Over Gary. Funny, sad, heart-warming and fast, I enjoyed learning about Clare’s past and seeing her work through all emotional trauma and letting go of the pain and opening up.

Mixing humour, trauma and the sensitive subjects of violence against women and child abuse was something that I appreciated.

I also liked the changing dynamics of friendship among the women, there were no petty spats or cattiness. There were disagreements and some moments of distrust and hurt which felt genuine. Redland did a fantastic job of portraying the ups and downs of friendships.

Dreaming of Daran is a lovely way to end the Whitsborough Bay series, but I am honestly not ready to let go of Sarah, Elise and Clare.