Book Review: The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan

 

Title: The Christmas Postcards

 

Author: Karen Swan

 

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia 

 

Publication date: 27th October 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Romance

 

Pages: 480

 

RRP: $34.99AUD (Paperback) 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

My review of The Christmas Postcards

 

Every year I look forward to Karen Swan's Christmas story. I can always be assured of a riveting tale and a happy ending set in an exotic location with plenty of snow. 

 

In the weeks leading up to Christmas Natasha's  young daughter loses her treasured toy cow, Moola, accidentally leaving her behind in a B & B in Vienna. 

Duffy is staying one night in Vienna, hoping to catch up with a friend before his next flight to Nepal, when he happens across a toy cow exactly like the one his sister had. He takes this as a sign and now Moodle will be his good luck mascot as he treks the Himalayas.

 

A social media post to help find Moola goes viral eventually reaching Duffy although he is already too far to return the toy he promises to send photos whenever he has internet.

I loved the idea of a social media post to find Moola going viral and flying around the world. So many wonderful people wanting to help. 

 

There is so much to this story! It has mystery, suspense, armchair travel, edge of your seat suspense and romance all rolled into one.

 

Nat is very unsettled in her marriage, she has everything she could want and she can't seem to pinpoint why she is unhappy. Swan deftly depicts Nat's unsettledness without making her unlikable or appear selfish.

 

The two plot lines are so different in content and theme. Nat's is all about a husband who is rarely home and trying to handle a distraught toddler alone and her feelings of disconnect now she is no longer in the workforce. Duffy's story is more melancholy, showcasing the atmospheric Himalayas and the dangers faced by mountain climbers in extreme conditions. The two plots are pulled together by the emails and photos between Natasha and Duffy.

 

The Christmas Postcards is an immersive story about love, loss, second chances and the fate that sometimes controls our life.

 

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author of twenty-two books and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year - one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and, for winter, The Christmas Secret, Together by Christmas and Midnight in the Snow. 
 

Book Review: Keeping Up Appearances by Tricia Stringer

 In a small country town, better bury your secrets deep....

Title: Keeping Up Appearances

Author: Tricia Stringer

Publisher: Harlequin Australia 

Publication date: 5th October 2022

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 464

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Keeping Up Appearances 

 

Single mother of three, Paige, is hiding from extended family and is hoping to fly under the radar in the small town of Badara.

 

Marion has been busy trying to build community spirit with exercise classes and a Celebrate Badara festival but the planned opening of a time capsule could destroy everything when long buried secrets work their way to the top.

Briony Hensley's grown children all have their lives together and Briony is smug with her perfect family. There would be no gossip around town about the Hensleys! Small towns do tend to gossip and for many keeping up appearances is imperative.

I do love Tricia Stringer's writing style however I felt the subject explored in Keeping Up Appearances was a little outdated. I wondered if people really do think like that in this day and age!

I loved the town of Badara, wonderfully drawn and filled with caring people who looked out for each other. The little spats between the townsfolk came across as real. There are lots of fun moments in Keeping Up Appearances such as the exercise class Marion is trying to promote, the family picnic for the sports club, the Op shop ball organised for the Celebrate Badara Festival and I can't forget the opening of the time capsule which was really quite funny but devastating for poor Marion.

Keeping Up Appearances has strong themes of kindness, forgiveness and acceptance. It is a story that will leave you contented and is garnering a multitude of five star reviews.

Even though I thought all the problems were wrapped up a bit too quickly and nicely at the end it is a feel good story and Tricia Stringer did deliver the feels.

My rating 3 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Tricia Stringer is a bestselling Australian author of contemporary fiction and rural romance.

Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities, as owner of a post office and a book shop, as a teacher and librarian, and now as a full-time writer. She lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region with her husband, Daryl. From there she travels and explores Australia's diverse communities and landscapes, and shares this passion for the country and its people through stories.

 

Book Review: The Vet's Country Holiday by Lily Malone

 Even though The Vet's Country Holiday is book 4 in the Chalk Hill series it reads perfectly as a stand alone. I've been reading the books out of order and have no problem with knowing what's going on. Some characters pop in and out of other books and there may be small spoilers but nothing major.

 

One by-the-numbers accountant plus one irrepressible city girl equals one tricky equation

 

Title: The Vet's Country Holiday

Author: Lily Malone

Series: Chalk Hill #4

Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Publication date: 30th March 2022

Genre: Contemporary / Rural Romance

Pages: 373

RRP: $29.99AU

Format: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of The Vet's Country Holiday

Lily Malone's The Vet's Country Holiday was just the book I needed to get me out of a reading slump.

I raced through the story and loved everything about it. The small town of Chalk Hill in country Western Australia is instantly appealing with its beautifully described scenery and friendly townsfolk. 

Isabella Passmore is house sitting, and dog sitting, for Taylor and Abe while the have a much deserved holiday.

Isabella (Izzy) would have to be my most favourite character ever. She's a bit awkward and is always getting herself into sticky situations which was quite humorous, but mostly I loved her kind outspokenness. She gently forces people to open up and she's not afraid to speak her feelings.

Accountant Elliot Fields is back in Chalk Hill to help his parents with the financial side of their new cafe and water ski business. A years old tragedy has caused Elliot to close himself off from everyone, including his family but Izzy is not going to let him get away from expressing his most feared thoughts.

Izzy and Elliot were perfect together! Their relationship started out as fun as they were both only in Chalk Hill for a short time and knew they had a life and job to go back to.

The Vet's Country Holiday is a story about openness, forgiveness and moving on. It is full of fun and laugh out loud moments but it also brought a tear to my eye on occasions.

Lily's ability to take a real life event and expand on it with the 'what ifs', to show how different life may have been, highlights her exceptional story telling ability.

The Vet's Country Holiday is funny, engaging and heartwarming. A story bursting with country charm.

If you are after a story to captivate and delight, you can't go past The Vet's Country Holiday.

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Lily Malone is a journalist and freelance writer who discovered after years of writing facts for a living, writing romance was much more fun.

Lily juggles writing with the needs of a young family, and when she isn’t writing, she likes gardening, walking, wine, and walking in gardens (sometimes with wine).

 
 

Book Review & Giveaway: The Accident by Katie McMahon

 The Accident 

by

Katie McMahon

 

Can we really let go of the past?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th August 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 360

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPRMedia

 

My review of The Accident

 

I loved Katie McMahon's debut novel The Mistake so I was eager to read her next offering and I wasn't disappointed. Katie's second book is even better than her first.

 

The book opens with an unidentified accident not far from the local high school. This mystery immediately hooked me in as the story then goes back to the nine months leading up to the accident and the question of what happened was always in the back of my mind.

 

Grace is the mother of teenaged Emma who is struggling with an eating disorder and is also being bullied by the girls in her class at school.

Zoe is a teacher at the local high school.

Imogen is an intern in the local hospital's A & E department. 

The three women are linked by friends, family and lovers. I found the connection to Zoe and Imogen stronger with their first person narration rather than the third person narrative of Grace.

 

There is a very strong theme of rejection as each of the women feel they have lost their soulmate to someone else and deal with this lose in different ways.

There are a few emotive themes running through the novel, such as; overworked emergency doctors, eating disorders, stalking, infidelity, mental illness, bullying, infertility and moral dilemmas. McMahon explores how life experiences shape us and have far reaching affects on those around us.

 

I enjoyed the mixed media style with coronial inquest notes and emails adding to the story and building the suspense.

 

Katie McMahon's writing is rich in suspense, mystery and humour. Her characters are funny, flawed and real. I loved them all!

 

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Katie McMahon is a medical doctor and writer. Her first novel, The Mistake, was written after attending a masterclass run by the internationally bestselling author Fiona McIntosh and was published internationally in 2021. Katie has also written articles for The Age and The Quarry. She has lived in London and Melbourne and is now based with her family in Hobart, Tasmania. She works as a doctor and teaches communication skills to medical students. The Accident is her second novel. 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

 

With thanks to Echo Publishing and DMCPRMedia I have one paperback copy of The Accident to give away.

 Enter via the form below. (Open to Australian addresses only). Entries close at 6pm (AEST) on Tuesday 13th September 2022.

 

 This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE

Book Review: Snowy Mountains Cattleman by Alissa Callen

 Snowy Mountains Cattleman

by

Alissa Callen

 

Is love the greatest risk of all?

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Imprint: Mira

 

Publication date: 2nd February 2022

 

Series: A Bundilla Novel #2

 

Genre: Contemporary / Rural Romance

 

Pages: 334

 

RRP: $29.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Snowy Mountains Cattleman

 

It was so good to be back in Bundilla catching up on the lives of some familiar characters!

 

Rowan has returned from the UK and is scheduled to work on the restoration of the old Russell mansion, Crookwell Park.

 

Grace has a busy interior design business in Sydney and arrives in Bundilla to oversee the restoration of Crookwell Park. Her mother had always loved the old building and this was something she could do to remember both parents now they had passed away.

 

I just love a tentative romance story! Both Grace and Rowan have trauma they need to work through. Rowan, a broken relationship and Grace, the death of her parents. And they both know Grace is only there for the summer.

Alissa Callen has delivered again in Snowy Mountains Cattleman! We get to see Bundilla's beautiful sense of community and kinship and the gorgeous snowy mountains region in all its glory through a summer season. There are characters we have grown to love popping in and out of the story and a new character to love in Grace, who slowly opens up to the residents of Bundilla and calls them friends. Who could resist befriending Clancy, the flower farmer from Snowy Mountains Daughter.

Bundy, the town's resident kelpie is back in another starring role as companion, matchmaker and social media sensation and he adopts Grace as soon as she arrives in town.

Alissa Callen gives her readers an old mansion with long held secrets, country life, mysteries, suspense and romance all packed together in a heart-warming story of recovery.

Snowy Mountains Cattleman gets all the stars!!!! Alissa Callen's writing is consistently entertaining.

My rating 5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

When USA Today bestselling author Alissa Callen isn't writing, she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who believes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. After a childhood spent chasing sheep on the family farm, Alissa has always been drawn to remote areas and small towns, even when residing overseas. She is partial to autumn colours, snowy peaks and historic homesteads and will drive hours to see an open garden. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She draws inspiration from the countryside around her, whether it be the brown snake at her back door or the resilience of bush communities in times of drought or flood. Her books are characteristically heartwarming, authentic and character driven. Alissa lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western NSW.

 

 

 
 

Book Review & Giveaway: The Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast by Christine Sykes

The Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast

by

Christine Sykes

 

A moving, heartwarming story of secrets, love and friendship

 

Publisher: Ventura Press

Publication date: 3rd August 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 300

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via DMCPRMedia 

 

My review of The Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast

 

Inspired by her own experience of taking up tap dancing on retirement, Christine Sykes has written a heartwarming story of friendship and ageing.

 

The story follows two women, friends since primary school, who join the seniors tap dancing group, but when the group decides to enter the Senior Superstars State Competition and the other member from their schoolyard trio arrives back in Australia after 35 years in New York, secrets are revealed and cracks begin to appear in the friendship.

 

I loved this story set on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland. Christine Sykes explores life-long friendships and throws in a few hurdles to see how the women will cope. There is a mind-blowing secret revealed, infidelity and a metoo moment.

There is also another very emotive theme running through the novel but that's a spoiler, so no mentions here!

 

Sofia is quiet, the peacemaker who loves to cook and cares for everyone - by far my favourite character.

Carol is driven, very bossy and wants to win. She has trouble seeing other people's point of view.

Bonnie is outspoken and a bit rude. She has had a lot of heartbreak in life.

Even though these women were so close growing up, they each have trauma they are keeping from the others.

 

I've made this sound a bit overwhelming but it's  actually a fun story and I loved the tap dancing! I challenge you not to get up and give it a try whilst reading this book. I did!! 😂 

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author 

 

Christine Sykes is a community worker and senior public servant, now retired, who lives on the NSW South Coast. She published her acclaimed memoir Gough and Me: My journey from Cabramatta to China and beyond in 2021 and her award-winning novel The Changing Room in 2019.

As well as writing and tap dancing, Christine loves to walk and have coffee with friends, when she’s not visiting family on the Sunshine Coast, Central Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. The Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast is her third book, inspired by her and her aunt’s experiences taking up tap dancing later in life.

 

 

 

Giveaway

With thanks to Ventura Press and DMCPRMedia I have one paperback copy of Tap Cats of the Sunshine Coast to give away.

 Enter via the form below. (Open to Australian addresses only). Entries close at 6pm (AEST) on Friday 19th August 2022.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE

Book Review & Giveaway: A Recipe for Family by Tori Haschka

 A Recipe for Family

by

Tori Haschka

 

Things are about to get messy..... 

 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia

 

Publication date:  3rd August 2022

 Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 400

 

RRP: $29.99AUD

 

Format read: Uncorrected paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of DMCPRMedia

 

My review of A Recipe for Family

 

Tori Haschka asks, in A Recipe for Family, what makes a family? Can you bring in a total stranger and make them a family member? 

This is a story about working mother's and the pressure of working two jobs, that of mother and employee, and trying to do it all under the burden of guilt and judgement.

Tori Haschka includes situations and circumstances we may have found ourselves in at times and gives them a humorous twist.

Life is messy and brimming with disasters and Stella and her friends are full of advice for each other. Everyone keeps telling Stella an au pair will solve all her problems. 

A Recipe for Family is a modern story, for our time, where both parents need to work to survive financially. The story follows a group of mums living on Sydney's Northern Beaches but I think mothers everywhere will relate to the theme, and the characters, in some way or another.

I liked the addition of the social media posts in a local Facebook group asking for advice under an anonymous guise, although others new exactly who the posters were. This was funny in its truth. 

I loved all the mentions of food as it brought people together and was used to remember a loved one. I was delightfully surprised, after reading about all those wonderful dishes, that the recipes are all there in the back of the book.

I enjoyed Stella's final reflection that she needed to open up more and I felt her and her peers finally became friends rather than competitors by the end of the novel.

The story is told through the eyes of Stella, Elise, her mother-in-law and Ava, The 18yo au pair. I feel each of these characters will be viewed differently depending on the readers age and circumstances.

A Recipe for Family is an observant novel. A satirical look at family and mothering.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

(c) Snippets Photography

Tori Haschka is a Sydney based author, food writer and mum of two. Her articles have featured in Grazia, The Times, the Guardian, Mammamia and the Sydney Morning Herald and her blog eatori.com was ranked by Saveur as one of the five best food and travel blogs in the world. Grace Under Pressure is her first novel.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 Giveaway

With thanks to Simon & Schuster and DMCPRMedia I have one paperback copy of A Recipe for Family to give away.

 Enter via the form below. (Open to Australian addresses only). Entries close at 6pm (AEST) on Friday 12th August 2022.

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was announced HERE

Book Review: Lily Harford's Last Request by Joanna Buckley

Lily Harford's Last Request

by

Joanna Buckley 

 

She's always made her own decisions.... why stop now? 

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Imprint: HQ Fiction 

 

Publication date: 2nd February 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $29.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Lily Harford's Last Request

 

Lily Harford's Last Request is a poignant story on ageing, dementia and euthanasia.

Told through the eyes of Lily, in her mid 80's, Pauline, her daughter, and Donna, an aged care worker, the reader receives a well rounded view of how ageing affects all concerned with the person's care.

Joanna Buckley raises the dilemma of an ageing parent and explores this through Lily's slow fall into dementia. Lily is at a stage where she knows her memory is failing and she is terrified of the inevitable outcome. She would rather be dead!

Pauline is trying to help her mother, keep up with her job and see her grandchildren. Multi-tasking as daughter/wife/mother/grandmother. Something has to give!

Donna an aged care worker has a troubled past. She loves her job however is belittled by family members who think her work is demeaning.

Lily Harford's Last Request is an emotional read. The highly emotive topic of euthanasia will open up some heated discussions.

I feel Joanna Buckley approached the subject in a sensitive way although I think some situations may have been over dramatised. 

The flashbacks on Lily's life gave the reader a perfect insight into the woman that she was. It was hard to think that this frail old lady was once strong, determined, capable and confident.

A few wonderful and unexpected twists made this exceptional debut a story to remember.

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Joanna Buckley is an author based in Melbourne. She has a background in creating short stories, poetry, social media content and educational materials, she has also worked as a copywriter and editor. Joanna is a mother of three and part-time careers counsellor, and Lily Harford's Last Request is her first novel.

 

 

Book Review: The Bellbird River Country Choir by Sophie Green

 The Bellbird River Country Choir

by

Sophie Green

 

Publisher: Hachette Australia

 

Publication date: 27th July 2022 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 432

 

RRP: $32.99AUD

 

Format read: Uncorrected Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Better Reading Preview

 

 

My review of The Bellbird River Country Choir

 

Set over the twelve months of 1998 Sophie Green’s latest novel, The Bellbird River Country Choir is a totally immersive read about the importance of female friendships.
 

Five women from different backgrounds and age groups become unlikely friends when each of them, for different reasons, join the local country choir.

 

At first the women are quiet and even a little judgy however they soon start supporting each other to face their challenges allowing them to grow in self-confidence. 

 

Single mother Alex, who has moved to the country from the bustle of the city to spend more time with her young daughter, joins the choir to make friends.

Janene has lived in the town all her life. She works in her parents bakery and the choir is her social outlet.

Debbie, who is a house-keeper and nanny on a local farm, is encouraged to join the choir to foster some self-confidence.

Famous opera singer Gabrielle is back in Bellbird River staying at cousin Victoria’s family home. She needs to rebuild her confidence after surgery affected her singing voice.

Victoria, a stalwart in the local community, joins the choir, not due to loneliness since her husband left her but to support her cousin Gabrielle.

Each of the women are at a cross-roads in their life and find that confiding and trusting in one another gives them the confidence to move forward.

Sophie Green includes themes of single parenthood, life after prison, mental illness, bullying, gaslighting and regaining self-confidence. These themes flow around a centric topic of love; for children, in marriage, forbidden love, self love, love for family and friends.

 

The Bellbird River Country Choir is an easy read with likeable characters with relatable problems and realistic solutions. Well worth a read!

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 About the author

 

Credit: Goodreads

Sophie Green is an author and publisher who lives in Sydney. She has written several fiction and non-fiction books, some under other names. In her spare time she writes about country music on her website, Sunburnt Country Music. She has been practising yoga since 1993 and teaching since 2002. Sophie's debut novel, THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB, was a Top Ten bestseller and was shortlisted for the Australian Book Industry Awards for General Fiction Book of the Year 2018, and longlisted for both the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year 2018 and the Indie Book Award for Debut Fiction 2018.

 

 

 

Book Review: Someone Else's Child by Kylie Orr

 Someone Else's Child

by

Kylie Orr

If she were my child, 

I'd do anything to save her

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 1st June 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $29.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of Someone Else's Child

 

Kylie Orr has created a complex and charismatic character in Anna in this impressive debut novel.

Anna is the woman that everyone instantly loves and everyone wants to be friends with. She is gorgeous, sunny and outgoing. When she picks Ren, a community service worker, to be her best friend Ren feels forever grateful. She was never one of the popular girls.

Anna is raising money to take her young daughter overseas for cancer treatment and Ren throws herself into the fundraising.

 

Anna is a classic manipulator and Kylie Orr highlights this in Anna and Ren's one-sided relationship. It was hard to read at times how badly Anna treated Ren through a toxic friendship that Ren was blinded to. 

 

I have read a book with a slightly similar plot so I twigged to the outcome quite early however this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book as I was eager to see how the friendship would fair and when the tide would turn. What ensued was a gripping read filled with emotion, turmoil and shocking reveals.

A small side story of Courtney, a young single mother with a disabled child, highlights the need for respite care and how hard it is for carers to get some respite. The difference between young, shy Courtney begging for help and the bright, charismatic Anna getting attention from many sources tells us a lot about human nature.

 

The ending to this story is fast, furious and unexpected. Someone Else's Child is an intriguing tale about trust, friendship, manipulation, mental illness and the generosity of community. 

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Kylie Orr is a Melbourne-based writer who once kicked a winning goal in a charity football match and has never let her family hear the end of it. Over the past fifteen years, her feature articles have been published in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Life and across News Ltd. Kylie's novels explore the darker side of humanity and question what we understand about ourselves. Her debut novel Someone Else's Child was longlisted in the Richell Prize, the MsLexia International Novel Competition and awarded the Dymocks & Fiona McIntosh Commercial Fiction Masterclass scholarship. She has four children, just the one husband and a cat called Alfie who has surprised everyone by taking up space in her camera roll and on her reading chair.

 

Book Review: Summer at Kangaroo Ridge by Nicole Hurley-Moore

Summer at Kangaroo Ridge 

by

Nicole Hurley-Moore

 

Hiding secrets will always take its toll

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 1st March 2022

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural Romance

 

Pages: 272

 

RRP: $29.99AUD

 

Format read: Paperback

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

My review of Summer at Kangaroo Ridge

 

It's been a long time since I've read a Nicole Hurley-Moore novel and reading Summer at Kangaroo Ridge brought back all the reasons I love her stories.

 

For the last eight years, since the tragic death of their parents, Tamara, her twin Sebastian and their aunt Maddie have been working to save the family farm, keep the family together and looking after their three younger siblings.

 

Right from the opening chapter I was immediately intrigued, Tam was in a secret relationship that she was sure Seb wouldn't approve of and although the two were twins a past trauma was causing unresolved conflict between them.  

 

Summer at Kangaroo Ridge has all the country feels; beautiful descriptive scenery, a small town location where people look after each other, a close knit family at the core of the story and a sweet romance.

 

Told through a dual timeline it was compelling reading and I enjoyed following the story as Tam and Seb, with the help of family and friends, tried to come to terms with their feelings of guilt.

 

I loved all the wedding preparation and decorating as Tam and Maddie converted the farm to a wedding reception venue.

Summer at Kangaroo Ridge is filled with charming, likeable characters. I enjoyed the relationship between Tam and younger brother Lix, he was her confidant and wise beyond his years. Tam's rocky romance had me eager to keep reading, following her highs and lows. 

 

Summer at Kangaroo Ridge is a heartwarming story brimming with country charm and a dash of mystery and drama.

Nicole Hurley-Moore doesn't disappoint with her latest novel about family, country life and forgiveness.

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

Nicole Hurley-Moore grew up in Melbourne and has travelled extensively, whilst living her life through the romance of books. Nicole is a full-time writer who lives in the Central Highlands of Victoria with her family, where they live in the peaceful surrounds of a semi-rural town. She is the author of the immensely popular novels McKellan's Run, Hartley's Grange, Country Roads, White Gum Creek, Lawson's Bend, The McCalister Legacy and Summer at Kangaroo Ridge.  

 

Spotlight on books I've read over the last few months

 I've become so far behind in my reviews that I'm going to do a quick post with some short reviews of books I have recently read. I hope you find something here that takes your fancy.

 

Doom Creek (Nick Chester #2)

by Alan Carter

Published by Fremantle Press 

 

My review

 

I have previously enjoyed Alan Carter’s writing in his Cato Kwong series and Doom Creek, the second book in the Nick Chester series, didn’t let me down.

I was pulled into the story from the first few pages. The action never stops in this gritty crime novel and just when you think Carter has thrown everything at his main character he throws in another murder and a couple of personal tragedies for Nick to cope with.

Doom Creek is a must read for crime fans. Real characters, dark humour and the beautiful scenery of Havelock in the Marlborough district of New Zealand make this an entertaining read. 

 

With thanks to Beauty & Lace and the publisher for my copy to read.

This review first appeared on Beauty & lace website

 

The Weekend

by Charlotte Wood

 

Published by Allen & Unwin

 

My review

 

The Weekend has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. I don’t know why it seemed to get pushed to the bottom of the pile, it is an extraordinary read.
 

Four older women with a lifelong friendship. Each of them very different from each other but something drew them together all those years ago. But when one of the group dies the remaining three are left to face their failing bodies and their own mortality. Sylvie was the one to hold the group together. Can they survive without her?
 

The Weekend is a sharply observed look at friendship and ageing. Charlotte Wood’s nuanced characters and lyrical prose combine to deliver a heart-felt story that explores the changing dynamics of a decades long friendship group when one of the group passes away.
 

As the story develops the women’s thoughts were mainly on each other, their likes and dislikes but it soon changes to musings on their own lives, lost opportunities, lost loves and regrets.
 

The Weekend is a thought provoking read, confronting and clever, primarily highlighting the bond of friendship.  

 

Thank you to the publisher for my copy to read

Till Daph Do Us Part (Daphne Jones Mysteries #1)

By Phillipa Nefri Clark

Published by Self Published  

My review

Till Daph Do Us Part is the first book in a series starring Daphne Jones, a travelling celebrant who likes to do a bit of sleuthing on the side.

When someone is found dead at a wedding Daphne is officiating at she can't help but become involved in the investigation.

Daphne reminded me of Miss Marple, she has an eye for things out of place and people tend to open up to her.

This was a fun cosy mystery and I enjoyed Daphne's investigative process. The story had a couple of good twists that I didn't see coming.

If you enjoy light, fun, Miss Marple type reads, Till Daph Do Us Part will appeal.

 

With thanks to the author for my copy to read.

 

The Understudy

by Julie Bennett

 

Published by Simon & Schuster

 

My review

I found I was drawn into this story right from the beginning. Two opera singers; one at the top of her game the other, young and ambitious.

It’s 1973 and Margaret is the lead in Madama Butterfly to open at the newly built Sydney Opera House. Sophie is her understudy. She has her eye on the top and she has a plan and is prepared to do anything to succeed!
 

Told in a dual narrative by Margaret and Sophie, with both women having an air of mystery about them.
 

Living in Sydney myself I enjoyed all the mentions of the city landmarks and the headlines of the time. I can vividly remember the opening of the Opera House, the controversy over the design and going to see a performance with my school.
 

Julie Bennett has brought 1970’s Sydney to life through her meticulous attention to detail. 

The story travels back to 1953 and Margaret’s early years in a bohemian Wooloomooloo which was both poignant and fascinating.

 

There is an intriguing mystery at the centre of the story and it’s final reveal took me completely by surprise.

 

Lies, deception, jealousy and vengeance….. The Understudy is an intriguing read!

 

 

With thanks to Beauty & Lace and the publisher for my copy to read.

This review first appeared on Beauty & Lace website