Review: Where There's Smoke by Karly Lane

 Where There's Smoke by Karly Lane is everything I expected it to be; heartwarming, moving and intelligent.

We first meet Kenzie Knight in Once Burnt Twice Shy. She is the daughter of the main character Samantha Murphy, and in that book we find out Kenzie is pregnant. Five years on and Kenzie has four-year-old Poppy and is running a highly successful event management company.

Kenzie is planning the high profile wedding of socialite Sasha Delsanto. On meeting Sasha's fiancé Ewan she realises they have history and what she has to tell him will change both their lives forever.

I loved that the chemistry was still there between Kenzie and Ewan and with the dual narrative of both characters I was never left to how each of them felt.

Karly Lane always writes rich and vibrant farming scenes that reveal the beauty as well as the harshness of the land. The reader is made aware there can be hard times but there is also an element of humour involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed the slow-burn romance and the anticipated road-bump was huge and believable.

Ewan Campbell was a great character, easy to like, he was straightforward and upfront, especially about how he felt.

Where There's Smoke is a heartwarming story of two people who deserve a second chance. A story of long held secrets and new beginnings with memorable characters and a fun plot. It definitely left me wanting more of Kenzie, Ewan and Poppy.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 28th April 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

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Book Giveaway: At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

My May 2026 giveaway is for a paperback copy of At Cafe 64.

Click on the link below to read my review. 

At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

BLURB:

Without any warning, Justin Kowalski drives his vehicle across a line of traffic and through the front wall of Cafe 64, killing himself and three other people—and taking the reasons for this shocking act to the grave. Unable to locate any evidence of criminal behaviour or mental illness in Justin's past, and with no one left to prosecute, the police have no choice but to label it "an isolated incident."

Almost two years later, three women walk into a meeting being held by the "Victims of the Cafe 64 Tragedy" support group.

A fiancée left behind. Maddie, consumed with an all-encompassing rage, on a desperate hunt for the truth.

A sister hiding in the shadows. Emily, wracked by guilt, being eaten from the inside out by the secrets she keeps.

A bystander who refuses to look back. Flo, with her mask of optimism firmly in place, who insists to anyone who will listen that she is fine.

When these three come together, the fallout will rock the foundations of their shaky, precarious lives, forcing them to confront the truths, lies and questions that surround that deadly day at Cafe 64. Can any horrific event truly exist in isolation? How do we cope when the nature of our loss is not so cut and dried? In the aftermath of a tragic event, how do we define a victim—who do we allow to grieve, what are we allowed to grieve, and where do we place blame?

GIVEAWAY

Enter here to win a paperback copy of At Cafe 64. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEDT on 14th May 2026.

Review: Crimson Velvet Heart by Carmel Bird

I don't usually read a lot of historical fiction set during the 16th and 17th centuries, however I'm starting to come around to it; first with The War Within Me by Tracy Ryan, which was a fascinating read, and now Crimson Velvet Heart equally fascinating and intriguing in equal measures. 

Crimson Velvet Heart follows the life of Princess Marie Adelaide of Savoy. The daughter of the Duke of Savoy and mother to the future King Louis XV.

The story is told through the journal of the fictitious Sr Clare, a close childhood friend and later lady-in-waiting to Adelaide.

Extensively researched, Carmel Bird uses real historical figures and some fictitious characters plus some real events and imagined dialogue to spin a tale that is rich in political intrigue. The opulence of the French royals and the rampant illness and disease rings true to the era.

This was a time when marriages were made to advance political standing and wealth, and land was fought over in endless wars. Religious persecution was rife.

Bird captures Adelaide's wild rebellious side and puts into question the relationship between Adelaide and King Louis XIV. Adelaide is flirtatious, manipulative and observant. A young girl trained for her role.

I wondered as I read if in a few hundred years time someone will write a story about Diana, the mother of the future king of England, who also had an untimely death.

Carmel Bird's visceral prose paints a vivid picture of life for the royals during the late 1600's.

The title comes into the story as velvet heart-shaped pin cushions that were made by the nuns to sell to support the convent.

My only grievance I have with the story is that it isn't written in chronological order, but through Clare's memories that jump back and forward in time, which was very confusing for me. 

Crimson Velvet Heart is sure to be a hit with historical fiction readers.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Transit Lounge

Publication date: 1st November 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

#crimsonvelvetheart #carmelbird #historicalfiction #aussieauthor

Review: At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry

In At Cafe 64 Shaeden Berry explores the definition of victim and the different ways people define who the victims of a tragedy are. 

This will be my giveaway book for May so stay posted!

Without any warning, Justin Kowalski drives his vehicle into the front of Cafe 64, killing himself and three other people.

At cafe 64 is narrated through the experiences of three women. 

Maddie's fiancee was killed in the 'tragedy' and two years on she is still consumed by rage, determined to make someone responsible for her loss.

Emily is still trying to understand the whole incident and questions everything about her own life.

Flo says she is fine. She was outside the cafe and insists she didn't see anything. Then, why is her life falling apart?

"It's sort of ... weird, you know, existing on the edge of this big event. Like, you're a part of it but not." 

"I'm a victim as well, as much as anyone else ...... You think victimhood ends with the people who died?"

At Cafe 64 is a real page-turner, sombre and compelling, with cliff-hanger chapter endings that keep the story moving along at a fast pace. It is a thought-provoking look at victims, grief and the need for revenge.

Shaeden Berry explores how different people grieve differently and who is to say what is right and wrong. How is a victim defined? If you weren't on the scene can you still be a victim of a tragedy of this extent? The need to account blame; who led the perpetrator to perform this act and why are we not safe on the streets. Maddie, driven by truth and justice, wants revenge and relentlessly looks at all avenues to lay blame.

Berry writes with pathos and even though there are some jaw-dropping reveals the story is never sensationalised.

At Cafe 64 is an intriguing story that had me thinking about the whole concept of victims, survivors and impostor syndrome.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 336

RRP: $34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#atcafe64 #shaedenberry #aussieauthor #ausbookbloggers #contemporaryfiction

Review: Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie

 I loved Sarah Barrie's Lexi Winter series, five star reads for me. (Links to those reviews below.) Barrie takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary situations and pushes them to their limits.

Dark Sanctuary starts with what seems to be three completely separate plots and it did take me a few chapters to get a feel for all the different characters and story lines. 

Beth Thompson is working through problems with her ex husband. She loves her job working at a nursing home caring for the residents.

Detective Sergeant Hex Rexford is staring down retirement. He is passionate about the case of a serial killer named the Witch Doctor whose victims have never been found.

Eve Harrington is a podcaster, her current investigative story is about mental healthcare and she is particularly interested in a local institute, Coast Sanctuary, and its practices.

Barrie's characters are passionate about what they do which makes them likeable. She pushes them all to their limits.

Dark Sanctuary is one dark, creepy story. As the three main characters' lives began to merge and the death count rose I was totally gripped by the story.

Dark Sanctuary is not only a gritty police procedural it also highlights domestic abuse, stalking and mental health care. Barrie raises pertinent questions such as, are serial killers born or raised and when is a mental health patient deemed fit enough to re-enter society.

Dark Sanctuary is filled with suspense and jaw-dropping twists. If you like your crime dark, verging on horror, Dark Sanctuary is a must read.

My four star rating reflects the fact that this was just a little too gory, freaky, scary for me. 😨

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th April 2026

Genre: Crime

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Other books I've read by Sarah Barrie

Unforgiven

Retribution

Vendetta

Devils Lair

Endgame

#darksanctuary #sarahbarrie #hqinsiders #aussieauthor #ausbookbloggers #crimefiction #aussiecrime

Review: Murder at the Highland Games by Dee MacDonald

Murder at the Highland Games is book 4 in the Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald.

It is not necessary to read the series in order as there is ample backstory to keep new readers up to date and each murder/ mystery is solved by the end of the book.

The town is abuzz as the local highland games begin and competitors have come from far and wide. Amateur sleuth Ally McKinley is thrust into the thick of it again when the top competitor, who also happens to be one of her guests, is murdered. There are plenty of suspects and some of them are men from her own little village.

I've really enjoyed this light, murder mystery series so far. It's always fun to revisit the small country town and the close-knit community who reside there. The stories are just as much about the community as they are about the murders.

Dee MacDonald has hit on a winning formula and doesn't stray far with each new book. The books are easy reads, with likeable local characters and the odd twist thrown in, making them perfect reads for a quiet weekend in.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication date: 16th April 2026

Series: Ally McKinley Mystery #4

Genre: Cosy Crime

Pages: 252

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

Other books in the series:

Murder in the Scottish Highland

Murder at the Loch 

A Very Bookish Murder

Follow along on the book tour below

#murderatthehighlandgames #deemacdonald #bookouture #cosymystery #scottishmurdermystery

Winner of When the Party's Over & The Maskeys announced!!

 I will be posting new giveaways in the first week of every month.

Bookmark my page and check back often so you don't miss a giveaway. 

A huge thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a paperback copies of When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins & The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson.  The giveaway closed on the 12th April 2026 and the winner was randomly selected (using Wheelofnames) from all correct entries.

Congratulations to........ 

The winner has been notified and has seven days to provide a mailing address.

 

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways!