Review: Rebel Spirits by Paula J. Beavan

Rebel Spirits is such an immersive read. I immediately liked the main character Ellen and felt empathy for her circumstances. I have read, and loved, Paula J. Beavan's Among the Grey Gums and Rebel Spirits did not disappoint.

Set in the NSW Hunter River area in the 1860's, Ellen Maguire is left to manage the family Inn and look after her recalcitrant father and wayward brother after her mother's death.

I love Beavan's female leads. They are strong, stubborn and feisty but also fiercely loyal to their family. Ellen has a big heart and we see this time and again as she saves an injured Jack Bell from perishing in the bush, takes in two orphaned children and repeatedly forgives her brother for his wild adventures.

Whilst we follow Ellen's predicament trying to keep the Inn afloat and her growing attraction to newcomer to town, Jack Bell, we are also plunged into a light mystery as Jack tries to find his runaway niece.

Even though Rebel Spirits has plenty of depth it is an easy read and Beavan's two main characters are extremely likable. The story flows well and there is always something happening to keep the reader invested.

I loved the inclusion of Ellen's pet llama Simon which added some humour to the story. Beavan also introduces the concept of herbal medicine and tinctures made especially for women. Which I believe were very common during this period in Australia. The inclusion of an Illegal still and fighting matches added suspense.

Rebel Spirits is an all round feel-good historical fiction story with a feisty female lead and a kind and compassionate male lead.

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 27th May 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 350

Price: AU$7.99 (in the Kindle store)

Source: eCopy from author

#rebelspirits #historicalfiction #australianauthor #paulajbeavan #ausbookbloggers #booksreleasedin2026 #bookssetinaustralia

Review: Simply Beside Herself by Judith Katherine

 Simply Beside Herself is the fabulous contemporary debut by Australian author Judith Katherine.

Elizabeth Daley lives in a care home. Everything is done for her. She doesn't need to think about a single thing.

Adrift since her husband died almost two years ago Elizabeth reaches a turning point when she sees her own lifeless body sitting on a park bench. With the help of a friend she leaves the home with one small bag.

For me, this story started off a bit depressing however with great character development by Judith Katherine we see Elizabeth blossom as she comes to see she has always been an extension of her husband. She strives to reclaim her independence.

Simply Beside Herself is a mature-age coming of age as Elizabeth, with the help of a life-long friend, rediscovers herself and a love for life itself.

We are introduced to Elizabeth's daughter Ellen after she is informed that her mother is missing. Ellen is drowning in self doubt, socially awkward and she is desperately trying to fit in with the other parents at her children's school. Ellen is trying to balance working, homelife and her two children. While her life is in total disarray she must now find her missing mother.

I loved that this story is about all the characters. We get the thoughts and dreams of many of the side characters as well as Elizabeth and Ellen.

Judith Katherine's prose has a beautiful depth and sensory richness however the story was a bit over described for my liking.

Heartwarming and encouraging Simply Beside Herself is a story of friendships old and new, setting your own limits and responsibility, and reclaiming your independence.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Affirm Press

Publication date: 28th April 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 384

RRP: AU$34.99 (Trade paperback)

Source: ARC from the publisher

#simplybesideherself #judithkatherineauthor #contemporaryfiction #australianauthor

#debutnovel #2026release 

Book Giveaway: The Windmill in the Silver Gums by Leonie Kelsall

My July 2026 Giveaway is extra special because three days ago my blog reached 1 Million pageviews!!! I am so excited for this milestone.

This month's giveaway is for a paperback copy of The Windmill in the Silver Gums by Leonie Kelsall. Leonie's books are all set in the rural town of Settlers Bridge however they all standalone so there is no need to have read the previous nine books.  

You can click on the title below to read my review.

The Windmill in the Silver Gums by Leonie Kelsall

About the book:

In the wake of a tragic accident, Indi Jaensch shoulders the weight of generations, determined to keep the family property near Settlers Bridge viable. But drought, debt and ruthless competition from an agribusiness tycoon are taking their toll.

Local farm worker Blake Robertson is a welcome ally in her battle to save not just her property but the district itself. Yet will Blake prove to be her Atlas or her Achilles heel?

Over a century earlier, as war sweeps the world, impulsive nineteen-year-old Rose Lehmann dreams of serving as a nurse in Egypt. Instead, she falls for the charms of a farmer of German heritage, Kurt Jaensch, who longs to enlist but is branded - with all his kind - as the enemy on home soil. Instead of the adventure she yearns for, Rose finds herself pregnant and alone, holding together a farm and a family in a hostile nation.

When Indi discovers Rose's journals, her great-great-grandmother's voice echoes across the years, bolstering Indi's resolve to fight for the land both women have learned to love. But with betrayal close to home and the bank circling, Indi needs more than courage and loyalty to save her farm. She needs a plan.

GIVEAWAY

Enter via the form below to win a paperback copy of The Windmill in the Silver Gums. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEST on 15th July 2026. 

Review: The Windmill in the Silver Gums by Leonie Kelsall

I was so excited to read The Windmill in the Silver Gums I have loved the Settler's Bridge series and it was great to be back with so many familiar characters. It was like visiting old friends.

1915 - Rose is eager to escape the small town she lives in. When she meets the handsome Kurt Jaensch she is impatient for marriage and to move to the grand home of the Jaensch family. She is not interested in farming, there will be workhands for that. However, the war changes everything.

Present day - After Indi's father is involved in a farming accident, Indi finds herself working the farm on her own. Finances are tight but she is determined not to lose the family farm that has been handed down through the generations.

In The Windmill in the Silver Gums Leonie Kelsall highlights the hardships of working on the land for a living. Readers living in farming communities will resonate with her characters' circumstances whilst city dwellers will feel empathy and possibly obtain a clearer understanding of the plight of farmers as they are at the mercy of the weather, shortage of funds and life-altering farming accidents.

I loved how characters from previous books pop in and out of the narrative. It gives that added level of connection whilst also leaving the book able to be read as a stand alone.

The dual timeline gives the reader a feel for how farms are more than just a livelihood as they are handed down from generation to generation. The farm is in their very being.

Leonie Kelsall has ventured more into the farming side of rural life in The Windmill in the Silver Gums than her previous novels which were more community focused.

Even though the story held my interest right from the start I would have liked a bit more romance between Indi and Blake. However, they got there in the end.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 30th June 2026

Genre: Rural Fiction / Romance

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Pages: 368

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

Other books by Leonie Kelsall

THE FARM AT PEPPERTREE CROSSING

THE WATTLE SEED INN 

THE BLUE GUM CAMP

THE WILLOW TREE WHARF

THE RIVER GUM COTTAGE 

THE HOMESTEAD IN THE EUCALYPTS

THE WINGS ABOVE THE MALEE

THE PATH THROUGH THE COOJONG TREES

THE IRONBARK PROMISE

#thewindmillinthesilvergums #leoniekelsall #australianauthor #settlersbridgeseries

#ruralromance #ruralfiction #ausbookbloggers

Review: The Diamonds of Tilly Devine by Jackie French

The Diamonds of Tilly Devine is a darkly compelling tale set in Sydney during the 1930's, a time of deep hardship and poverty, especially for women. 

I have seen Tilly Devine and her brothels and criminal activity pop up in many historical fiction novels set in Sydney. However, Jackie French gives her readers a new spin on Tilly Devine's many ventures. She arranges marriages of convenience, for a price.

The Diamonds of Tilly Devine is a riveting read. The story follows Connie as she agrees to an arranged marriage in exchange for a life of luxury.

I enjoyed the character of Connie she was a little naive but soon grew into a  fiery, outspoken women whilst retaining her kind heart.

I really didn't know what to expect with this story as the plot diverged off on different tangents. However, I have to say it was never boring or predictable. I was totally immersed wondering what would happen next. French has delivered a story that is a combination of historical fiction, murder, mystery and romance.

I loved how Tilly was always quietly in the background protecting her girls. Her reach was far and wide.

Everyone of Jackie French's characters is beautifully fleshed out, whether they are the main characters or supporting characters they all made their mark on the story.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content: sexual abuse

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 30th June 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Uncorrected proof from the publisher

Review: Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

I have quite enjoyed Natalie Conyer's previous books and Finding the Bones was no exception. 

Inspired by the unresolved case of missing heiress Juanita Nielson, in Finding the Bones, Conyer imagines a scenario where the bones of a missing person are found decades after their disappearance.

In 1987 we meet Belle Fitzgerald, a conservation activist living in Kings Cross.

Current day - workmen on a dig uncover an open grave. Acting Inspector Jackie Rose is called in to lead the investigation. It appears to be the bones of missing heiress Belle Fitzgerald.

We first met Jackie Rose in Shadow City where she works on a case with police officer Schalk Lourens, before he returned to South Africa.

Jackie's father is retired detective Stanton Rose, revered hero of the 80's and Jackie feels she is forever working in her father's shadow.

Finding the Bones is an immersive police procedural. As we get Jackie's investigation unfolding we also get real events in a separate timeline decades earlier. This gives the reader insight into information and events that Jackie isn't aware of yet.

Natalie Conyer gives her protagonist a personal moral dilemma that she must work through. A professional conflict of interest.

Finding the Bones is a compelling story that kept me turning the pages. We also get to know Jackie on a more personal level and find this case has life changing consequences for her. Jackie and her work partner Kinsella are both extremely likeable characters and it was good to learn more about both of them as well as getting a gritty police investigation.

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd March 2026

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 309

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

Other books by Natalie Conyer

Shadow City

Present Tense

The Bookclub and other stories

#findingthebones #crimefiction #ausbookbloggers #natalieconyer #australianauthor

Winner of a copy of Finding the Bones 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 Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer.  The giveaway closed on the 14th June 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 Season for Flying Saucers by Brendan Colley

A father who has been abducted by aliens; a mother who sees the spirits of dead people; a sister who communicates with angry dogs; and 29-year-old Noah Grey, whose life has gone off the rails.

When I read the back cover blurb for The Season for Flying Saucers I wasn't sure this book was for me. I'm not a big Science Fiction fan. However, this is more a contemporary story about family and how we perceive our place in the family unit. I would probably call it a Contemporary SciFi.

Tasmania was absolutely the perfect setting for The Season for Flying Saucers. We all know there have been notable sightings of UFO's in Tasmania and a possible abduction; see my review of The Vanishing.

When Noah Grey's father was taken by aliens 12 years ago, the remaining family splintered. However due to unavoidable events and economic pressures the family of three, Noah, his mother and sister, are all living under the same roof again.

It is the beginning of summer and the season for flying saucers. The whole community is sky gazing, watching each night for the lights to appear. They are also keeping a close eye on the Grey family because they believe this family will be targeted for alien abduction.

The Season for Flying Saucers is amazing; wry, funny and heart-wrenching. It is strange and whimsical. As the family hunker down for the summer away from media and prying eyes they are forced to communicate with each other, open up and express their hopes and fading dreams.

The Season for Flying Saucers  is a memorable story of community, luck and coincidence, fate and destiny. This is a story about what it is to be family.

A fabulous twist had me wanting to read the whole book again. Brendan Colley shines a light on the complexity of family. An insightful exploration of love, grief and forgiveness.

Colley's haunting poetry is disquieting and moving.

The Season for Flying Saucers is a highly recommended read. It gets all the stars and some eerie midnight lights. 

My rating 5 / 5 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸

Publisher: Transit Lounge Publishing

Publication date: 1st April 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Science Fiction

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Quikmark Media

The book can be purchased here: https://transitlounge.com.au/shop/3815/

#theseasonforflyingsaucers #brendancolley #australianauthor #bookssetintasmania #ausbookbloggers #aliens #flyingsaucers #sciencefiction

Book Giveaway: Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

 My June 2026 giveaway is for a paperback copy of Finding the Bones by Natalie Conyer

I haven't reviewed this one yet but I can assure you it was a five star read.

My giveaways are getting a boost. Some little extras to thank my blog readers.

FINDING THE BONES BY Natalie Conyer

BLURB:

Sydney, 1980: Belle Fitzgerald, young, rich and spirited, lives in Kings Cross, the city’s bohemian heart. When she learns of plans to demolish her street and evict its residents, she commits to fighting the development, even though this brings her up against the Cross’s crime lords and their servants, the notoriously corrupt local cops. Recklessly, dangerously, against her better judgment, she embarks on a passionate affair with one of those cops, Sergeant Stanton Rose.
Then Belle goes missing. Her disappearance becomes one of the nation’s great mysteries.

Sydney, today: Stanton Rose, retired, is an Australian icon, celebrated for his undercover work in the Cross. Jackie Rose, his daughter, has followed in his footsteps. She’s a homicide detective, uncompromising and ambitious.

When Belle Fitzgerald’s bones are discovered, Jackie is given the very cold and very public case. This will be her moment to shine. But what she uncovers threatens to turn her life – and the lives of those closest to her – upside down.

As her investigation deepens, Jackie has to decide how far she will go to navigate the fine line between love and betrayal, loyalty and corruption.

GIVEAWAY

Enter via the form below to win a paperback copy of Finding the Bones. The giveaway is open to Australian addresses only and entries close at 6pm AEST on 14th June 2026.

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

https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2026/06/winner-of-copy-of-finding-bones.html

Review: The Last Resort by Amanda Hewitt

The Last Resort, the debut novel of Australian author Amanda Hewitt, is a heart-warming and emotional story about grasping that second chance at love. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and loved that the main characters were both in their early 40s. Reading a mature-age romance with no huge age gap was refreshing as the characters had real emotional baggage and also had commitments to juggle.

Abbey was looking forward to the big trip planned, to a romantic island resort, to reconnect with her distant husband when six months prior he dropped the bombshell, he was leaving her.

Abbey decides to go anyway to drown her sorrows and wallow in self-pity. On her first night there, Nick sees her in the water and thinking she is actually drowning he rushes in to rescue her. A friendship starts aided by their allotted valet, Oliver. The chemistry is instant but both know this is just a holiday romance.

The Last Resort was simply the best story for holiday reading. The perfect beach read. Abbey and Nick were both broken-hearted. For both the holiday at the resort was meant to be cathartic. Neither were ready to commit to a relationship.

Nick guarded his heart fiercely. His back-story was heart-breaking.

The Last Resort is rich in wonderful support characters with Abbey's fiery sister Kate and her wise and cheeky grandmother Iris, plus Nick's brother and sister all playing an important role in the main characters' lives.

The Last Resort is filled with humour and I loved Abbey's openness finding her voice where love was concerned. She was a little awkward and very real.

Lots of surprising twists and reveals kept the story interesting although I did find the romance dragged out a bit.

It's a long bumpy road to that much welcomed HEA.

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd February 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

Pages: 304

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#thelastresort #amandahewitt #australianauthor #contemporaryromance #ausbookbloggers #beachread #newrelease #bookreview #debutnovel

Review: Lavender Hill by Alissa Callen

 Lavender Hill is the first book in a new series set in the fictional town of Windamere in rural Tasmania. I absolutely loved Alissa Callen's Snowy Mountains series and whilst it is sad to leave those much loved characters behind I'm excited to get into a new series, set in a new location, with new characters.

After nine years in France, horticulturist Rylea Laurent is back in rural Tasmania, due to her father's ailing health, to help on the family's lavender farm.

She left the country after her brother's death on a camping trip with his best friend. She is now ready to face her loss and find out what really happened on that fateful night.

Kane Ashford is also freshly returned to Windamere. Kane is there to repair his family's old farmhouse. He is also determined to unravel the mystery of his brother's death on the same camping trip as Rylea's brother.

Rylea and Kane had a connection before he took his surviving brother and mother and fled the town. Now the two must put aside their feelings and work together to uncover the mystery of that deadly camping trip.

I loved getting both Rylea and Kane's thoughts via the dual narrative. The tension and unspoken feelings between them pulsed from the page.

Although there is a compelling mystery running through the story, Rylea and Kane's denied attraction to each other is equally captivating. The tension between the two is so well portrayed.

The banter between Kane and his brother Denevan is light, fun and typical male talk. Rylea and her sister Darcy also have a close and endearing relationship. Alissa Callen knows how to get to the heart of real people.

I already love all these new characters. Windamere's older residents are filled with love and gossip, they are well meaning and quite funny. And what is a small rural town without a group of matchmakers; enter Viola Gilbert and The Windamere Gardening Girls. Try as the boys might to avoid them, they know your every move and will get you in the end.

The addition of working dogs and even a pet lamb who thinks he's a dog, the devastation of storms and introduced plants brought the country atmosphere right into my home.

In Lavender Hill, Alissa Callen combines mystery, country life and romance to deliver a heartwarming story about healing your past and allowing yourself a second chance at love.

I've noted a whole list of characters who need their chance at love. I'm looking forward to returning to Windamere and seeing who is next to find their HEA. I'm already pairing up characters for future books. 😂

Lavender Hill is a captivating story brimming with heart and a dash of mystery and drama. Another compelling novel from the queen of small-town fiction!

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 28th January 2026

Series: A Windamere Novel #1

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural Romance

Pages: 368

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#lavenderhill #alissacallen #australianauthor #bookssetintasmania #ruralromance #smalltownfiction #ausbookbloggers #newrelease #publishedin2026

Other books I've read by Alissa Callen

SNOWY MOUNTAINS DAUGHTER

SNOWY MOUNTAINS CATTLEMAN

SNOWY MOUNTAINS PROMISE

SNOWY MOUNTAINS DAWN

THE BOUNDARY FENCE

A COUNTRY VET CHRISTMAS

Review: The Duke's Secret by Sue Williams

 The Duke's Secret is a fictional tale inspired by Sue William's own family mystery that they are related to the Duke of Wellington. An ancestor is said to be the illegitimate child born from a passionate affair between The Duke and a maid.

The Duke's Secret is narrated through the dual timelines of the maid Mary Ann in 1793 and Ava in 2025.

Ava has recently connected with an absent father and he mentions a family mystery that they are descendants of The Duke of Wellington. Ava decides to take up the investigation and find some proof.

Mary Ann is indentured at 13 to work in the stately home of a dashing British Army officer. Mary Ann is intelligent and outspoken and as the years pass she forms a bond with The Duke.

I found the story quite slow and it bogged down about a third through. Ava's research and trips to battle scenes could have been evocative however they came across as reading straight from history books. I never felt like I was with Ava trying to unravel the mystery.

Mary Ann's story was interesting however I felt it was unbelievable taking into account her standing.

There is also a side story of Ava's gas-lighting and controlling boyfriend Darren, and this really had my blood boiling. I was eager to see if Ava would eventually see that he was undermining her confidence. The addition of Ava's journalistic investigation into housing and development seemed out of place and only resulted in another avenue for Darren to undermine her.

The Duke's Secret is food for thought on family stories handed down through generations. We all have them!

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd February 2026

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 433

RRP: AU$34.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

spoiler ahead

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The inconclusive ending left me feeling a little let down.

Review: The Devil's Daughter by Danielle Steel

I always have the same problem when reading a Danielle Steel novel. It takes me a few chapters to fall into her "telling" style of narration.

The Devil's Daughter is a story about two sisters with very different personalities and the narrator - the older boring sister - will mention this fact over and over again.

Billie whined about her life throughout the entire book and this really got my goat. The younger sister Mickie, an actress and model, was the cause, in Billie's mind, of all her problems.

However when Billie can't find a job after graduation Mickie offers to have Billie stay with her and also gets her a job in a cafe. But still Billie complains.

Mickie is dating a high-profile plastic surgeon when a major scandal threatens to blow her world apart. Will the sisters reconnect over this catastrophe?

Billie was totally annoying and the second point-of-view from the plastic surgeon Dr Addison was equally annoying.

What I loved; Mickie!! She knew what she wanted in life and was determined to get it. When things went sour she threw everyone under the proverbial bus. I loved it!

I was a bit conflicted with The Devil's Daughter whilst I couldn't wait to see what was in store for Mickie, I felt the ending was quite unrealistic and all wrapped up too conveniently.

Whilst Steel may be after a younger audience with the added sex scenes I think she may be pushing away her tried and true older long-time readers.

My rating 2.5 / 5 ⭐⭐½

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 13th January 2026

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 320

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

#thedevilsdaughter #daniellesteel #contemporaryfiction #ausbookbloggers 

Review: The Adventuress of Albany by Darry Fraser

I always devour Darry Fraser's historical fiction novels and The Adventuress of Albany was no exception. The colonial Australian setting is always evocative and I love learning more about life in the early days of settlement.

The beauty of the land, strong female characters and swoon-worthy men make her novels a must read for me.

The Adventuress of Albany opens in 1881 and Molly Bentley is eager to start her life of adventure. Her father sends her and her chaperone Mrs Caldicott to Albany in Western Australia. It doesn't start well when Molly is knocked down on the street and rescued by the enigmatic Leo McRae.

The action and danger didn't let up from the very start of the book. I was totally immersed in Molly's story and there was reveal after startling reveal. Some of which took me totally by surprise.

Molly and Leo's story is never without complications. In a world where reputation matters and sinister sources are out for the take, Molly and Leo come face to face with criminals, murderers and blackmail.

I loved that Molly was such a strong woman. She lived an affluent life in England but she wasn't adverse to roughing it and even shooting a gun if it was necessary.

This riveting story was wrapped around the true events of Princes Albert and George's visit to Australia and extracts from the princes' journal add a level of authenticity to the otherwise fictional tale. Life in the 1880's isn't romanticised in The Adventuress of Albany and I liked that Fraser added the filth and hardship.

My rating 5/ 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Publisher: HQ Fiction

Publication date: 25th November 2025

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 429

RRP: AU$32.99

Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher

#theadventuressofalbany #australianauthor #historicalfiction #ausbookbloggers #darryfraser #hqfiction #newrelease 

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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