Review: My Wonderful Disgrace by Kate & Angourie Rice

My Wonderful Disgrace is the second novel by mother and daughter team Kate & Angourie Rice. A laugh-out-loud, bold and highly entertaining tale of how even the best laid plans can go terribly wrong.

The story is narrated through Amy Middleton's journal entries, statements made to police, the school newsletter and group chat rooms. 

Amy Middleton is the year 12 cohort rep. The school ball is her big event and she has it all planned. The dress, the speech, the presentation are all organised and when Leo suggests he and Amy go to the ball together, she is on top of the world.

Angourie and Kate Rice have delivered an hilarious and believable tale that involves a comedy of errors that gain momentum until the entire night ends in mayhem.

Seventeen-year-olds do silly things. They don't always think with their brains and the word consequences doesn't seem to be in their vocabulary. Rice delivers the "unfortunate series of events" with just the right amount of sensationalism, and the responses from other students felt true to life.

The book starts with a mystery feel. Police interviews are being recorded however the reader has no idea what happened. As the story evolves it gets more and more bizarre. I loved it!

This isn't a preachy story however there is a lesson about inappropriate photo sharing and if you are the victim of this heinous crime hold your head high because it's the sharers who have done something shameful and embarrassing, not you.

My Wonderful Disgrace is a brilliant story of resilience and mettle.

Having put six children through high school I could honestly believe all the silly, ridiculous and outrageous things that happened in this book.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended age 14+

Publisher: Walker Books Australia

Publication date: 1st May 2026

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$21.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#mywonderfuldisgrace #youngadult #australianauthor #newrelease 

Winner of a copy of At cafe 64 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 copy of At Cafe 64 by Shaeden Berry.  The giveaway closed on the 14th May 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!

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.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE: https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2026/05/winner-of-copy-of-at-cafe-64-announced.html

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!

Book Giveaway: When the Party's Over + The Maskeys

 For my April 2026 giveaway I have two fabulous books! It costs me the same to send one book or two. So why not give away two.

Both books were five star reads for me and although vastly different, both centred on family and drugs. When the Party's Over is a domestic centred drama with a few mysteries throughout and The Maskey's is also family centric but champions dark humour and revenge in a small country town.

Click on the titles below to read my reviews.

When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins

Blurb

Natalie knows her life looks perfect from the Three young children, a loving husband, the tastefully renovated Eastern Suburbs cottage. So why does she feel so suffocated?

On her 36th birthday, all Natalie wants is to gather her two best friends and leave their responsibilities behind just for one night. But when the party's over, she finds eighteen-month-old Toby clutching an unmistakable colourful tablet - with a quarter missing.

What kind of mother could let this happen?

But even as Toby recovers and returns home safely, the fallout is only just beginning. Each of these three women has their own truth about that night - and when it all comes to light, will any of their friendships survive?

The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson

Blurb

Locals see George Maskey as a hollow braggard who is at least partly responsible for the crime and drug related death Naples has seen over the years. His wife blames him for the death of their teenage twins. His gay stepson regards him as a racist homophobe. And Serenade Theadora – the town’s famed mystic – sees him in equal parts as good and bad. But George, the family patriarch, is not the star of this story.

When Rodney, the loyal Maskey right-hand man, is kidnapped by service-station proprietor Gayle Reynolds – in a bungled revenge against his boss – events are set in train that will see the Maskey family changed forever.

Love-starved reader of romance novels, physical runt, dreamer; Rodney has lived in a forest on the Knuckle, tending the Maskey’s marijuana plantation since the death of his mother. Gayle regards his capture as an opportunity to learn the whereabouts of her missing son, Rodney’s childhood best friend. For Rodney, captivity turns his life upside down. He meets Leanne. She is the girl who brings him his meals. And in her the unattractive young man, who has despaired of ever finding love, sees a person he could risk everything for.

GIVEAWAY

Enter here to win paperback copies of When the Party's Over and The Maskeys. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AST on 12th April 2026.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER WAS ANNOUNCED HERE:

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2026/04/winner-of-when-partys-over-maskeys.html

Review: When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins

Their lives will never be the same .... 

When the Party's Over by Katie Hoskins had me glued to the pages right from the compelling prologue to the very last page.

When the Party's Over definitely has Liane Moriarty vibes and if you are already a fan of Liane Moriarty or Sally Hepworth, you will love this book.

Mother of three Natalie, is feeling suffocated by her hectic life. What happened to the fun party girl of her 20's!? All she wants for her 36th birthday is to let her hair down and have some fun with her two best friends by her side.

But what happens at the party doesn't stay at the party when the next day 18 month old Toby is found with part of a familiar looking blue tablet in his mouth.

When the Party's Over was one hell of a ride; Hospital emergency wards, police interviews, child protection visits, guilt, blame and a whole lot of secrets being kept about THAT night.

Everyone had some guilty secret about themselves or someone else concerning the night of the party. Friendships start to falter and accusations are thrown around.

Katie Hoskins characters are real; flawed people who make bad decisions and then must face the consequences.

I am very much against recreational drugs and alcohol, both destroying lives and families. So I was very invested in what the characters would learn from this whole experience and how they would come out of it.

There are a few mysteries at play throughout the novel and some well-placed red-herrings which had me guessing back and forward what the final outcome would be.

Many female centric themes are explored throughout the story - mother guilt, burnout, infertility, infidelity, unexpected pregnancy and the value of friendship and forgiveness.

When the Party's Over is an outstanding debut! This is one book you will not want to miss this year. I'm excited to see what Katie Hoskins comes up with next. She has set the bar high! 👏👏

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 31st March 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 368

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#whenthepartysover #katiehoskins #contemporaryfiction #aussieauthor #readaustralian #friendship #debut

Review: The Hobart Hotel by Mary-Lou Stephens

 The Hobart Hotel is an intriguing historical fiction narrated through dual timelines. A fictitious story involving the true events of the opening of the Wrest Point Riviera Hotel in 1939 and the Wrest Point Casino in 1973.

In 1939 the story follows socialite Sabine Winters, a headstrong woman who turns heads and enjoys the finer things in life. Her special set of skills catches the eye of the Secret Service Bureau and she is plunged into a life or death situation.

In 1973 Jenny Davies attends the opening of Tasmania's Wrest Point Casino and much to her mother's dismay applies for a job as a croupier. She soon becomes what is known as a Ladybird and a whole new life is opened up to her.

Mary-Lou Stephens has researched her topic well and it shows through in a believable storyline. The plot involving the beginning of WWII is rich in political intrigue as the reader is taken from the relative safety of Tasmania to South America's political unrest.

Stephens sets the scene in both eras with mentions of fashion, news events, music, celebrities and architecture of the time.

I was much more invested in the 70's plot. I suppose there was an element of nostalgia there which gave me that added connection. 

I do love stories set during the war however I felt the political intrigue and propaganda far outweighed the moments of danger and that side of the plot fell a bit flat for me.

From the changing face of Hobart, Tasmania in the 70's to Montevideo, Uruguay The Hobart Hotel is a sweeping tale of political intrigue, spies and glamour.

I loved how the two time-lines came together in a way I wasn't expecting. I just think it was all wrapped up a little too nicely at the end.

The Hobart Hotel was an exceptional story and well worth a read, just not my favourite by Mary-Lou Stephens.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 31st March 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 464

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

#thehobarthotel #maryloustephens #historicalfiction #bookssetintasmania #wwii #aussieauthor #ausbookbloggers

Review: Lost and Found by Liz Byrski

Lost and Found is a story about letting go of the past and finding unexpected friendships.

Rose ventured to England to find and perhaps rekindle a lost love but she found something much more; friendship and closure.

This story was hard going for me because I could never understand why Rose, now 51, would want to travel overseas to find her first love thirty years after she was dumped. Her continual asking herself and everyone who knew Tom if he loved her was annoying. Let it go!

That aside, Lost and Found isn't so much about lost love as it is about found friendship.

I enjoyed reading about Rose and Dora's friendship as it slowly grew with Rose wanting to redefine her youth and Dora in her 80's eager for companionship.

Rose and Dora were both headstrong intelligent women who had spent time in parliament.

Lost and Found is told through multiple narrators, journal entries and letters.

Liz Byrski touches on some thought provoking topics such as men making important decisions in women's lives, doing what 'they think' would be best for the woman.

As Rose and Dora connect via friendship, secrets are revealed and past regrets let go.

"Shame is so significant in women's lives.....  We are cast as angels or whores, good mothers or tramps. When we are shamed it stays with us always. Some women are destroyed by it, others are driven."

 While I did find the book slow going I was invested in Dora's life story, present and past. She was a strong woman and was a classic case of strength coming from adversity.

Lost and Found is a heartfelt story that champions the restorative power of female friendships.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Content: death of a baby

Publisher: Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 28th October 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson

 This story needs to be on the screen!!

The Maskeys is an outrageously entertaining story of an outlaw family. The ferals of a small country town and family of the local drug lord. 

Set in the fictitious town of Naples which, I think, could be in the Northern Rivers hinterland. The story doesn't specifically state its location.

Naples is a town on the verge of collapse, gripped by drugs and feuding neighbours. A town where everyone is on drugs, trying to get off drugs or growing drugs, or selling drugs. George Maskey is the town's drug lord. He controls the sellers and his grower, Rodney, an orphan, who attends the marijuana crop growing in the hills. Rodney has learnt to survive on his own and never loses sight of his dream for a better future.

Stuart Everly-Wilson has drawn a very real town with real people, maybe not people I'd want to associate with but very real all the same. We get to meet the framework of the Maskey family and their neighbour, service station owner, Gayle Reynolds. There is an ongoing feud between the two as Gayle thinks the Maskeys have something to do with her son's disappearance.

Stuart Everly-Wilson has included an eclectic array of characters that I'm sure were plucked off the streets of a real Australian country town. These people are the low-lifes of society, addicts and dealers, no-hopers, but I came to care about them, interested to know what would happen to them.

The Maskeys is brilliant bush noir as the story slowly unravels a tangled web of deceit, lies and mistrust is revealed. This is a family saga of epic proportions told through present day and flashbacks. Stuart Everly-Wilson's reveals are subtle but jaw-dropping, it's easy to miss them and at times I picked up on the meaning later in the book with a sudden exclamation of understanding (that's the oh my gosh everyone could hear).

The Maskeys is politically incorrect, coarse and outrageously funny. This is one book not to be missed.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content: death by drugs

               coarse language

               

              

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st October 2025

Genre: Crime / Noir

Pages: 320

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

Review: Softly Calls the Devil by Chris Blake

 In Softly Calls the Devil Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Blake writes what he knows and it comes across as authentic, gripping and menacing.

Softly Calls the Devil is set in a small town on New Zealand's wild West Coast. Matt Buchanan is back in uniform and enjoying the small town atmosphere. When retired policeman Gus asks Matt to look into a case from the 70's he wasn't prepared for what he would find.

When a murder and a suicide rock the whole town Matt is suddenly thrust back into CIB mode.

Softly Calls the Devil is a brilliant piece of noir crime; dark and intense with a side of New Zealand humour thrown in. I wasn't prepared for how dark this story became nor how realistic the plot is. Once you start reading there is no turning back. Softly Calls the Devil is compelling and fast paced with a few twists to keep your attention.

Blake keeps the prose spare which enables the story to progress at a fast pace.

Softly Calls the Devil is gritty and dark; not for the squeamish.

My only small problem with this novel was the occasional colloquial New Zealand language caused me to sometimes have no idea what was  going on.

It made me realise how Americans must feel reading Australian books. 😄

My rating 4.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Content: Torture

               ritualistic killing

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 4th November 2025

Genre: Crime / Thriller

Pages: 352 

RRP: $34.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Winner of a copy of The Napoleon of Africa 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 copy of The Napoleon of Africa by Phil Smart.  The giveaway closed on the 12th March 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!

Review: The Portrait by Danielle Steel

 Danielle Steel knows how to write drama and The Portrait has it in spades. Devon and Charlie are both successful but broken and have built up walls to protect themselves.

Devon Darcy is a sought after portrait artist able to really capture the essence of her subjects in her paintings. Devon has suffered many losses in her life and keeps her personal life closed off. A chance meeting with entrepreneur Charles Taylor saw the chemistry between them sizzle and Devon wondering, after all this time, should she risk a second try at love? When he approaches her to paint his portrait she is intrigued to know more about him.

It always takes me a few chapters to get into a Danielle Steel novel. I think it's a combination of the 1st person narration and her "tell" style of writing. However, once I get into the story and the characters I'm always fully immersed in their struggles and relationships.

Life is never easy and Devon and Charles both have previous traumas to work through. I really warmed to Devon but Charlie was a chauvinist, selfish and over dramatic about everything. I did not like him at all and was wishing something bad would happen to him. 😂

I was invested in this story for Devon only and wanted to see her grow and find peace.

The Portrait is a great story to get your emotions rolling and your blood boiling. It evoked a lot of different feelings.

I really do enjoy the drama of a Danielle Steel novel. They are easy reads and sometimes that's just what I need.

My rating 3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 30th September 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 336

RRP: $32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher