Wednesday 31 July 2024

Winners of my Winter 2024 Giveaway Announced!!

 


 

 A huge thank you to everyone who entered my latest giveaway.  The giveaway closed on the 31st July 2024 and all names were entered into a randomized generator, using wheelofnames.com, and the winners are:

Pack 1

 
 
Pack 2
 

 

The winners have been notified and have seven days to provide a mailing address. I hope you enjoy your books.
 
 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways!

 

Friday 26 July 2024

Book Review: Oblivion by Patrick Holland

 Oblivion 

by

Patrick Holland

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing
Publication date: 1st July 2024
Genre: Literary Fiction
Pages: 256
RRP: AU$32.99 (hardback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media 
 

Review: Oblivion

 Patrick Holland's writing is poetic, poignant and visceral.
Holland's delivery of short, sharp sentences paint a beautiful picture of the setting whilst at the same time rendering an acute portrayal of the unnamed narrator's dismal life.
 
Our multi-lingual narrator works for a trade council however spends his days doing dodgy real estate deals and his nights with expensive whiskey and call girls.
He moves between airports and chance liaisons. each one much like the last. Each deal brings him closer to his dream of a penthouse in Saigon where he will spend his days with elite call girls, whiskey, opium and oblivion. Our narrator is a broken man, despondent and cynical, making money by insider deals, yet quotes from the bible.
I found him complex and nuanced, one action and thought quite often contradicting a previous one, yet he had a certain charisma about him.
 
Oblivion is a story of the transformative power of love.
 
This is a novel where the narrator's journey becomes the story. The only reason I'm holding back that fifth star is because sometimes I needed a little more explanation to understand what the author wanted me to see. 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author
 
Patrick Holland is a novelist and short story writer. He is the author of seven books, most notably The Mary Smokes Boys (2010), which was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and is currently being made into a feature film.
 
 

Thursday 25 July 2024

Book Giveaway: Winter 2024 Giveaway

 I have two fabulous book packs to giveaway to celebrate my blog receiving over a 1/4 million page views.

The books are listed below. Enter for the pack that interests you or both packs if you wish.
 
Entry is via the form below. 
 
Pack 1

Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell
From interviewing local flower growers to receiving blue ribbons for her show baking, Lauren Bickford's genuine love for her hometown is almost as strong as her ambition to become a radio presenter. But is it enough to outweigh the series of on-air stuff-ups that have plagued her career?

No stranger to this small winegrowing region in South Australia's Limestone Coast, Jack Crossley is the new cop in town. He's traded his city beat for a slower pace, and as a former local, knows only too well that mischief can lurk around every quiet corner.

For Jack and Lauren, the course of true love is not running smoothly. Can he restore order in the town before the neighbourhood watch vigilantes take justice into their own hands? Or are Jack's biggest worries much closer to home? Can Lauren's reporting remain impartial as her attraction to Jack grows? Or will her family's advice lead her completely astray?
 
Among the Grey Gums by Paula J. Beavan
1842, Hunter Lucy Stewart's life turns chaotic when she finds herself caught up in a murder investigation in order to save her brother-in-law, Joe, from the hangman's noose. Constable Sam Donovan believes the accusations levelled at Joe Stewart are suspicious at best and feels compelled to work with Lucy to find the real killer. Getting to know this fiercely independent woman in the process is a bonus.

Their pursuit brings them to the attention of the notorious Smokey Gang, and when Lucy is ambushed on a deserted bush track and threatened, they realise they must be getting close to finding out what is really going on in the Valley.

Life has taught Lucy the hard way not to rely on anyone, but Lucy needs Sam's sleuthing skills. However, she has secrets in her past, the kind that once revealed change everything, and the only way she can find out if she can place her confidence in him, is to trust him. And that's the hard part...
 
Spring Clean for the Peach Queen by Sasha Wasley
Twelve years had passed since the last Harvest Ball.

I was just eighteen when my hometown crowned me their Peach Queen with a blossom coronet. And I was eighteen when I left.

One tanked career, one badly timed glamour shoot and one dead boyfriend later, thirty-year-old Lottie Bentz is finally going home.

Back in the orchard town of Bonnievale, Lottie embarks on a radical declutter of her life, Marie Kondo-style. She casts out everything that got her into trouble: her phone, socials, make-up and a tendency to tell little white lies – to herself and others. But home has its own issues, not least Lottie’s staunchly feminist mother, who is furious with her.

When Lottie lands herself a place to stay in exchange for helping kindly Mrs Brooker try out the Kondo method, it seems like the perfect farm escape. That’s until Angus, Lottie’s former Peach King and heir to the Brooker orchards, makes it clear she’s not welcome – especially when Lottie’s declutter begins to stir up long buried memories and half-truths.

As Lottie finds her way back to herself, can she use her talents to coax Bonnievale and the Brookers out of the past? After all, everyone deserves to feel love, hope and the occasional spark of joy.
 
Love & Rome by Jenna Lo Bianco
With a one-way ticket home, artist Stella is running out of time and money. She is desperate to find stable work in the art world to keep afloat, or she will have to leave her beloved Eternal City behind. The last thing she needs right now is distractions . . .

The arrival of the full moon brings both the sweet owner of the new local bar and a handsome new flatmate. The promise of a new job and new love suddenly beckon Stella, but she quickly finds herself repeating patterns she once vowed not to.

In a journey stretching to enchanting Florence and across the ancient cobblestones of Rome, Stella must free herself from the mess she's in. But is it too late? Will it be arrivederci to 'Rome Sweet Home'?

 
 
Pack 2 
Liars by James O'Loghlin
 Everyone is guilty of something.

Handywoman Barb Young has lived in the sleepy coastal town of Bullford Point for over fifty years - and frankly, in that time, not much has happened, unless you count that business where a bush turkey managed to board the ferry a couple of years ago.

When Joe Griffiths returns from Sydney after six years of drug addiction, jail and, eventually, rehab, Barb offers him a job, hoping to help him turn his life around. However, when another new resident of Bullford Point is murdered, Joe becomes the prime suspect.

Barb thinks the police have got it wrong, but the more she tries to find the truth and clear Joe's name, the more confusing things become. Is the murder connected to the developers circling the waterfront home Joe inherited from his parents? Or to the true crime podcast he has been making about the death of his ex-girlfriend, seven years previously? And what was the information the murdered woman had been trying to horse-trade with police?

As her off-the-books investigation continues, Barb discovers that drowsy Bullford Point is actually a town full of secrets - and that even though she's known everyone in the close-knit community for years ... everybody lies.
 
Mystery Book
Recently released crime thriller that has thousands of 5 star reviews

 

 
 
 




Outrider by Mark Wales
A violent civil war. An unstoppable enemy. One road to freedom.

In the wake of a global conflict, foreign forces occupy part of Australia, quashing all but a few pockets of local resistance. The tense stalemate ends in 2034, when Jack Dunne reignites the war.

Dunne is an Outrider, one of the last elite special operations soldiers in the Resistance. As the enemy prepare to eliminate the freedom fighters once and for all, he is tasked with his final mission.

If Dunne and his eleven-year-old son achieve the impossible, and survive, they'll secure their future across the border in Free Australia.

But the road to victory will be bloody.

A cinematic action-thriller from bestselling author and veteran Mark Wales. Explosive and exhilarating, Outrider is a heartfelt father-and-son story of survival, resistance and hope.
 
Mawson in Antarctica by Joanna Grochowicz
Antarctica. Winter 1912.

Hunkering down in the windiest place on earth, eighteen young Australians eagerly await a chance to prove themselves as polar explorers and scientists. The spring sledging season will bring adventure, danger, and the discovery of new lands under the command of Douglas Mawson. But tragedy also lies in wait.

Douglas Mawson's tale is legendary, an epic struggle between one man's self-belief and the worst conditions the hostile polar environment can throw at him. His journey represents not only a feat of physical endurance but also a triumph of the human spirit's ability to conjure hope when luck has all but run out.
 
 This giveaway is now closed and the winners were announced here: 

Wednesday 10 July 2024

Book Review: Outrider by Mark Wales

 Outrider

by

Mark Wales

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Publication date: 25th June 2024
Genre: Thriller / Military / Dystopian
Pages: 368
RRP: $34.99AU (paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

Review: Outrider

Australia has a new hero! Jack Dunne - Soldier, Father, Survivor.
 
I will start this review with a little insight into the author, Mark Wales. Mark is a former troop commander with the SAS and 2 x survivor contestant and 1 x winner of Survivor Australia. Great credentials to be writing a book that entails warfare and the fight to survive.

Outrider is a highly imaginative and gripping story featuring a dystopian Australia. It's 2034, Victoria and parts of SA, NT & WA have been invaded by the Chinese Communist Party. Jack Dunne is an Outrider, one of three highly trained operatives, and the Resistance's only hope of curtailing the Chinese invasion of the Hill. The Hill is an outposting in Victoria with Resistance fighters warding off the CCP's further invasion into Australia.

I found Outrider to be a powerful and haunting tale of a future Australia where a civil war has broken out between the resistance and those supporting the CCP.

The fighting scenes are quite graphic, so not for the squeamish. Wales' writing is very technical,  he knows his weapons, and there are lots of initials, acronyms and armory details which may be a bit confusing if you haven't read military thrillers before.

Wales pulls on his experience as a former troop commander with the SAS to deliver a tense and atmospheric thriller rich in strategic military scenarios and weapons beyond my comprehension.

I raced through the last third of the book - that's what I want - fast paced and tense - edge of your seat stuff.
I would have liked more on what the Chinese were doing in Australia and how they breached our defenses.

An underlying theme of a loving father / son relationship was a nice sideline to the blood and gore.
After reading Mark's fictional debut 'Outrider' I am keen to read his memoir 'Survivor: life in the SAS published in 2021.

Recommended for readers of Tom Clancy.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
 

Tuesday 9 July 2024

Book Review: A Love Letter to Paris by Rebecca Raisin



A Love Letter to Paris

by

Rebecca Raisin

Publisher: Boldwood Books
Publication date: 8th July 2024
Genre: Romance / RomCom
Pages: 266
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources.
 

Review: A Love Letter to Paris

Lilou Babineaux is a lover of letters and the written word. She collects old love letters and diaries that are unearthed in estate sales and sells them at her market stall.
 
Worried that the art of hand written letters of love are becoming obsolete now that we use email Lilou starts a dating site, Paris Cupid, that states that the matched couples must first get to know each other by exchanging letters.
 
A Love Letter to Paris is such a fun read. I'm new to Rebecca Raisin's writing and after just one book she is firmly on my must read list.
 
I loved this light, funny and sweet slow burn romance. A sweet female lead who has had a few bad dating experiences and a moody male lead. A Love Letter to Paris has grumpy meets sunshine vibes. A couple of other love interests are thrown into the mix which makes for some fun exchanges.
 
Lilou's friend Genevieve stole the show. How can you not love an older female character who is sexy, fun and confident in her own skin.

A Love Letter to Paris is perfect if you are after something light, fun and positive. It's a real feel-good read. The perfect armchair travel story. I loved travelling around Paris with Lilou.
 
I enjoyed the the inclusion of excerpts from old letters and diaries.  

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
 




Sunday 7 July 2024

Book Review: Spring Clean for the Peach Queen by Sasha Wasley

 Spring Clean for the Peach Queen

by

Sasha Wasley

Publisher: Pantera Press
Publication date: 30th March 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction 
Pages: 471
Source: Own purchase
 

Review: Spring Clean for the Peach Queen

I read this as part of the Dymocks Reading Challenge 2024 and I'm so pleased the challenge made me pick this book up and read it.
 
It's been twelve years since Lottie Bentz, the last reigning Peach Queen, has been to her home town of Bonnievale. Bonnievale is known for its wonderful peach orchards.
 
After a major scandal, a tanked career and a dead boyfriend, Lottie returns home. She is ready to give it all away; the thousands of followers, the acting dream, the make-up and the lies. She is spring cleaning her life, Marie Kondo style.
 
I loved this moving story! Lottie is easy to like as we never see the old selfish, superficial Charlize (Lottie's professional name). She is trying her best to turn over a new leaf.
It's very surprising to see who in the town supports her, happy to leave her past in the past, and those who don't.
 
Love interest Angus is gruff and distant. He had been through some hard times of his own and was currently working the orchard and caring for his mum who was slipping into dementia.
It was fun watching the bright and sunny Lottie get under his skin.
 
If you like heartfelt contemporary fiction about love, redemption and community with a sweet touch of romance Spring Clean for the Peach Queen will not disappoint. 
 
Spring Clean for the Peach Queen is a story about community, country towns, working together and finding your true self. A wonderful read filled with heart and humour.
 
My rating 4.5 / 5 🍑🍑🍑🍑½ 
 
STAY TUNED I HAVE A GIVEAWAY COMING SOON!!!!!

 


Friday 5 July 2024

Book Review: Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell

 Wallaby Lane

by

Maya Linnell

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia
Publication date: 4th June 2024
Genre: Rural Romance
Pages: 400
RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 

Review: Wallaby Lane

Wallaby Lane is Maya Linnell's sixth novel, however it is the first one I have read. And yes, the others are all sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.
 
Lauren Bickford is working at the local radio station, bullied at work and belittled by her mother, she is losing confidence in the work she loves.
 
Jack Crossley has returned to Penwarra to keep an eye on his sister and niece. He has taken a post at the local police station.
 
Maya Linnell calls on her knowledge and experience of local country communities and the spirit that keeps these communities alive to pen a story that is wholesome, heartwarming and engaging.
 
In Wallaby Lane, Maya includes her love of animals and the humour they can invoke with Gary the Galah and the local goats. I also enjoyed the inclusion of the animal rescue centre and the important work they do caring for and rehoming injured animals. Maya also includes many areas centric to small communities, such as bored youths acting up and the damage caused by local gossip. 
 
The fledgling romance between Jack and Lauren is wonderfully balanced with lots of baking, a community cookbook and the Penwarra 100th anniversary show.
 
Just one tiny complaint, for me, there were probably too many roadblocks to Lauren and Jack's relationship. They both had old demons to come to terms with and at times instead of supporting each other they opened a wider rift. I loved that I still got the HEA and the warm fuzzies that romance reads deliver.
 
My rating 4 / 5 🩷🩷🩷🩷