Blog tour Book Review: The Inn at Tansy Falls by Cate Woods

The Inn at Tansy Falls

by

Cate Woods

 

If you love feel-good love stories by ReaAnne Thayne, Debbie Macomber and Robyn Carr, you’ll adore this gorgeous, heart-warming novel about starting over.

 

 

Publisher: Bookouture  

Publication date: 12th May 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 268

Format read: eBook

Source: Netgalley

 

About the book

 

 Dearest Nell, if you’re reading this letter, I’m already gone…

You’re my best friend in the world, and as my last request I’m asking you to lay me to rest hundreds of miles away, in my crazy gorgeous, totally one-of-a-kind hometown of Tansy Falls. I know you’re a born-and-bred city girl, but hear me out. After first losing Adrian, and then me… I know your heart is hurting, Nell. I think you’ll find that you need Tansy Falls as much as I do.

So, I’ve got it all planned out. For two weeks, you’ll be staying at the sweet, local inn and every day you’ll be trying something new. And if you follow my instructions to the letter, you may discover there’s more to my story than you think. A surprise something… or someone at the end of it? Only you can find out!

Some last advice before you set off, Nell. Don’t forget your sturdy boots and make sure to give Boomer, the inn’s resident dog, a belly rub from me. Stay well away from former quarterback Brody Knott (boy, do I have some stories about him!). And finally, let the future bring what it brings. While Tansy Falls may look small, I know better than anyone that new beginnings can be found in all kinds of places. That little Vermont town you’d never heard of? Well, it might suddenly begin to feel just like coming home…

 

My review

 

The Inn at Tansy Falls is the type of story I turn to when life becomes overwhelming. A feel good romance, and an easy read is, at times, just what I need to escape the everyday.

 

Nell's dear friend Megan had recently died and Nell was on a mission to scatter her ashes in Megan's beloved town of Tansy Falls. Megan had devised a quest for Nell something to get her friend out of her comfort zone and hopefully enjoying life again. Only first Nell had to fly from England to Vermont, USA to fulfill Megan's two week holiday quest. To nervous Nell that was a quest on its own!

 

Cate Woods has based this story on a best friend's dying wishes. With so many people touched by cancer be it a friend, sibling or parent, many will relate to Nell's feelings and loss.

 

Each mission for Nell is stated through a letter written by Megan before she died. Megan hoopes through this lovely little town, where she spent much of her childhood and teenage years, Nell will come to find peace and courage. Nell was always the quiet, cautious one whilst Megan was the livewire.

 

I loved following the mission with Nell as she came out of her shell and got to know some of the people of Tansy Falls. People who had known and loved Megan. The story is filled with vivid descriptions of the area, small town gossip, long held feuds and two very handsome men. While at times Nell is insecure and unsure of herself I enjoyed her character growth. It was slow to evolve which made it all the more believable. 

Cate Woods highlights how small tourist towns are being taken over by large conglomerate hotels.

 

Each mission Nell embarks on took the reader on another beautifully described adventure into this winter wonderland.

The Inn at Tansy Falls is a feel good, clean romance with a host of truly likeable characters.

 

A story of new beginnings, taking chances and finding courage. 

 

4.5 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

About the author

 

Cate Woods made the most of her degree in Anglo-Saxon Literature by embarking on a career making tea on programmes including The Big Breakfast, Who Wants to be a Millionaire and French & Saunders. After narrowly missing out on the chance to become a Channel 5 weather girl she moved into the world of magazine journalism then ghostwriting and now writes novels under her own name. She has written two best selling romantic comedies - Just Haven't Met You Yet and More Than a Feeling - and a festive novel The Christmas Guest under the name of Daisy Bell. Cate lives in London with her husband and two children.

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Rattlesnake Road by Amanda McKinney

 Rattlesnake Road

by

Amanda McKinney

 

A Small Town Mystery Romance

 

Everyone hits rock bottom, only the brave escape.

 

Publisher:  HH Tisevich

Publication date: 4th May 2021

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Pages: 419

Kindle price : $7.69AUD 

Format read: eBook

Source: Netgalley

 

About the book

 

Welcome to 1314 Rattlesnake Road.

A quaint two-bedroom log cabin nestled deep in the woods of the small, southern town of Berry Springs—the perfect hideaway to escape your past.

Tucked inside thick, mahogany walls lay mysterious letters, forgotten and untouched for decades. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame breathtaking views of jagged cliffs, deep valleys, and endless lies. Mature oak trees, tall enough to touch the clouds, carry the whispers of the haunted, of stories untold

Inside sits Grey Dalton, emotionally battered and bruised, her only wish to pick up the broken pieces of her life. But outside, await two men, one a tattooed cowboy, the other a dashing businessman.

One will steal her heart, the other, her soul.  

 

My review

 

A story of having to hit rock bottom before you can climb your way back.

 

Grey's life has spiraled out of control. After suffering a miscarriage and getting fired after a drunken outburst at work Grey starts to re-evaluate her life and her first step is to leave her cheating husband and her luxury life behind. She buys a rundown log cabin nestled deep in the woods in the small southern town of Berry Springs.

 

Rattlesnake Road is my first read by Amanda McKinney and I love her biting prose. Grey Dalton's character is fantastic; sarcastic and funny, I was drawn into her life and wanted her to succeed, anxious over her set backs

 

With two love interests introduced, one promising her the life she had left behind but the one she was used to and attracted to whilst the other offered her a new beginning where she would have to come to terms with her inner turmoil.  

 

Amanda McKinney has not only written a great angsty romance the story is filled with topical issues such as; domestic abuse, self harm, alcoholism and mental illness. It did at times become quite dark and disturbing.

Through a ghost with unfinished business Grey becomes inadvertently involved in a 30 year old murder mystery.

 

Rattlesnake Road had me glued to the pages, there was plenty of fun banter between the characters, a bit of harmless snark that kept me laughing, a great twist that had my heart racing and one swoon worthy male that melted my heart.

 

If you love new beginnings Rattlesnake Road is worth a read. 

 

4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Photo credit Goodreads

Amanda McKinney is the #1 bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than fifteen small-town romantic suspense and mystery novels. She wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY in 2017, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Her books include the bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series, BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES, and many more to come.

Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy romance. She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Close to Home by Janet Gover

Close to Home

by

Janet Gover

 

A story of community and family. Of the love that brings them together...and the fears that would tear them apart.

 

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia 

Imprint: Mira - AU

Publication date: 3rd February 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 368

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Aunt Alice Dwyer loves her small Australian town. She's rarely left its comforting embrace. She knows everyone in it; in fact, she's related to most of them. All she wants is to keep her family safe and the town running exactly the way it always has. Her way. But when an exotic French artist comes to town, her hold begins to weaken...

Lucienne Chevalier, once the toast of Europe, has come to Nyringa after a tragic loss to hang up her sequins and create a place for her circus family to rest between tours. With her is Simon, her grandson, recovering from an injury so damaging he can no longer perform. Lucienne fears he'll never embrace a new future. That is, until she notices the chemistry between him and the new schoolteacher... All they need is a push.

Both grande dames think they know what's best, but with equal amounts of stubbornness on both sides, peace looks unlikely. Then a relationship between Alice's rebellious great-niece and a teenage acrobat sets the two communities on a collision course. But when the bakery starts making patisseries over lamingtons, the battle lines are truly drawn... 

 

My review

 

Ever since reading The Wild One I have been a big fan of Janet Gover's novels. She has proven over the years to have quite diverse writing skills, touching on themes that concern small town communities and are also relatable in a broader sense. 

 

Close to Home starts with a short prologue featuring a teenage Alice and it was good to get an insight into this young, fun Alice before she grew to be the proud and proper 80 year old we see in the following story.

 

Close to Home centres on two strong women, both matriarchs of their large families. Heartbreak features strongly in both their lives. Whilst Alice's is an old wound that she can't seem to let go of and it still shapes her decisions and attitudes, Lucienne's is fresh and soul destroying however she knows to move forward she must heal. I did feel one was more superficial than the other but to these two women the hurt was equal.

 

When the circus comes to stay in Nyringa the wariness of newcomers is raised and judging people before getting to know them which can often happen in small towns where change is feared. I loved all the circus details, how circuses had changed over the years and the love and commitment the performers have for what they do. I think this will have many readers on a nostalgic trip back to their childhood.

Gover redefines family with Alice and her large hoard of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and Lucienne declaring that every performer in her circus is part of her family. Family is more than your own immediate flesh and blood.

Two sweet and subtle romances weave through this story of acceptance and moving forward. Young love is instant and all consuming, as it often is, and has a Romeo and Juliet-ish feel. The other couples feeling are slower to develop and more wary to open up to each other. I thought both romances were realistic and well executed.

I could go on and on but no one wants a long wordy review so I will suffice to say that Close to Home is a story about family, relationships, community, new friendships, new beginnings, love lost and love found. And a great read!!

5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Janet Gover grew up in outback Australia, surrounded by wide open spaces, horses...and many, many books.

She is a self-confessed 'bit of a geek girl'. When not writing novels she works in IT - in really dull places like Pinewood Movie Studios, Puerto Rico and Iraq

When her cat actually lets her sit in her chair, she writes stories of strong women, rural communities and falling in love. Her novel Little Girl Lost won the Epic Romantic Novel of the Year Award presented by the Romantic Novelist's Association in the UK, and she has won or been shortlisted for awards in Australia and the USA.

As Juliet Bell, in collaboration with Alison May, she rewrites misunderstood classic fiction, with an emphasis on heroes who are not so heroic.

Her favourite food is tomato. She spends too much time playing silly computer games, and is an enthusiastic, if not always successful, cook.

 

Challenges entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge

                                 Aussie Author Challenge  

 

 

Book Review: Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen

Snowy Mountains Daughter

by

Alissa Callen 

 

The road home isn't for the faint-hearted... 

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Australia 

Imprint: Mira

Publication date: 3rd February 2021 

Genre: Small town fiction / Rural romance

Pages: 352

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Peony flower farmer Clancy Parker was born and bred in the Australian high country. Small-town Bundilla is the only place she will ever truly belong, even if staying means remaining alone. The man she'd loved is long gone and single men are as rare as a summer snowfall.

As soon as he could, street artist Heath MacBride escaped his complicated family and traded mountain peaks for city concrete. Now a commission to paint a mural on Bundilla's water tower brings him home. It doesn't matter how long he's been away, the animosity of his cattleman father hasn't waned. As soon as the water tower is painted, he will be gone.

But between steadfast Clancy, who'd once been his muse, a free-spirited kelpie who becomes his shadow and a corrosive family secret, his best laid plans disintegrate. When life again backs him into a corner, will he have no choice but to leave or will he and Clancy have the second chance they'd each thought would forever remain out of reach?  

My review

Alissa Callen has delivered again with her latest novel featuring the resilience of bush communities, the volatility of Mother Nature and the healing power of animals.

Bundy, companion, matchmaker and social media sensation, is the town's resident kelpie. Loved by everyone but owned by no-one. Like The Littlest Hobo on the much loved T.V. series Bundy has a sixth sense for who needs his company most and roams from person to person.

Clancy Parker was born and raised in the country town of Bundilla in The Brindabellas. This was her life and unlike many young people, who couldn't wait to leave, she loved everything about the town.

Heath McBride left the town as soon as he could and has made a name for himself as a mural painter. Now back in town to paint the town's water tower he must also face Clancy, the love of his life.

Wow! Alissa Callen has packed so much into this story. There's good friends Clancy and Heath who secretly have a crush on each other but both are reluctant to take the plunge and open up and risk destroying their friendship. We see, through Clancy, that farming isn’t all about cattle and sheep. She has a flower farm which is definitely a time consuming occupation also entirely at the mercy of Mather Nature. One bad storm at the wrong time and it's all destroyed.

Heath is home to paint a mural on the town's water tower which is a fascinating story on its own. Tie into that his estrangement from his father and it makes Heath an interesting and complex character to explore.

If you haven't seen the wonderful murals going up on water towers and silos all over Australia have a look at the website that captures them in all their glory.

Australian Silo Art Trail

https://www.australiansiloarttrail.com/

Callen doesn't just give a brief obligatory mention of the Aussie countryside, fauna and flora she makes them a part of the overall story giving you the feel and sense of actually being there amongst it all.

A wonderful community of characters were included and I wanted to hear all their stories. Ned, Cynthia and her daughters dropping off sweet offerings, twins Millicent & Beatrice, Mabel the journalist, Clancy's best friend Brenna, Taite, Trent the Vet and Rebecca the florist were all important threads in the story. I'm hoping we will visit them again in future books.

Snowy Mountains Daughter is vividly described from the snow capped mountains to the gum trees and wooden bridges the setting comes alive on the page. A free-roaming kelpie, a second chance at love and a dying mans confession make Snowy Mountains Daughter a story that will have your emotions reeling.

5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo credit Goodreads

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 really does believe 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. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She also is partial to historic homesteads and country gardens and has been known to drive hours to see an open-garden. She currently lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western New South Wales. 

 

 

Challenges entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge 

                                 Aussie Author Challenge

If you enjoyed this review you might also like: 

 

 

Book Review: Misty by Fiona McArthur

Misty

by

Fiona McArthur 

 

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 30th November 2020

Series: Lyrebird Lake #2

Genre: Romance

Pages: 208

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

Misty saved the life of Dr Ben Moore but that brief wonderful connection was just a memory. Misty the midwife shuts out her daydreams and sets off for a new life in Lyrebird Lake, where she meets the new locum…and looks into Ben’s sea blue eyes!

Ben moved to Lyrebird Lake for a chance to start again. But he wasn’t doing well in the single parent role. Can Misty and Ben find the connection that saved his life once? Is Misty is the perfect person to make Ben’s family complete?

 

My review

 

As much as I loved Montana's story in Lyrebird Lake #1 I found Misty's story even more heart-warming.

 

Misty had always had premonitions and it was one of her premonitions that led her to save the life of Ben Moore. There was an instant and unexplainable connection between them but  Misty had no time for romance, she was moving the next day to Lyrebird Lake to work with best friend Montana.

Montana (from book1) is now married to Misty's brother Andy and they have set up the new birthing centre at Lyrebird Lake. 

 

Misty is another wonderful, realistic romance read from Fiona McArthur. The main themes of natural birth, postnatal depression, postnatal  psychosis and related suicide are sensitively explored giving reference to the mental and lasting strain on the attending doctor. 

McArthur explores these themes within a close-knit small-town environment where everyone pitches in and helps out when needed. Minor characters from book 1 also feature in book 2 and we get snippets of information on these characters' lives that I can see making a return in future books.

 

As much as I loved Misty's cautiousness when it came to a new relationship I also loved how Ben never gave up when Misty tried to push him away.

 

Misty is a feel-good romance with the expected happy ending. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Lyrebird Lake Series.

 

5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Credit: Goodreads

Fiona McArthur has worked as a midwife for thirty years. She is the clinical midwifery educator inner rural maternity unit and teaches emergency obstetric strategies while working with midwives and doctors from remote and isolated areas.

Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales. 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge #AussieAuthor21

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge  #AWW2021

 Read my review of Montana:

 

                                       

Book Club Book Review: Something Like This by Karly Lane

Something Like This

by

Karly Lane

 

 
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 1st December 2020

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 340

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via  Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

About the book 

 

Jason Weaver just wants to be left alone. It was a tough transition from his army days to civilian life, and he's looking forward to settling into a solitary life.

Tilly Hollis is working two jobs to save for her dream career: running an equine therapy program. Tilly loves her horses more than anything, and after losing her husband and business partner just a few years earlier, she's determined to make it work on her own.

When Jason walks into the cafe where Tilly works, they're immediately drawn to one another. But can they overcome their pasts to find a future together?

 

My review

 

Best selling Australian author Karly Lane’s latest offering in the Rural Romance genre, Something Like This, combines Karly’s love of romance with her love of horses to give her readers yet another unmissable rural romance story.

Anyone who has read a Karly Lane novel will know her two biggest loves are horses and romance and Something Like This combines both loves. Even if your not a horsey person (which I’m not) you will love Tilly and Jason’s story. It is more than just horses it is a story of pain, loss, suffering and the power of love.

Through Healing Hooves Horse Therapy, Tilly brings together a group of troubled teens, on their last chance, and a few wild brumbies saved from culling. The teens are taught to work with the horses and I’m not sure who was taming who but both boys and horses are offered a new chance at life. It was moving to watch these reluctant teens open up and Tilly’s life long dream come to fruition.

Jason Weaver was planning a quiet life fixing up the old house he had purchased. His time fighting in Afghanistan had left physical and emotional scars and Ben Tirran seemed the perfect place to send time alone. That is until he drops into the local cafe and meets Tilly. Now he can’t keep her out of his mind.

Jason is such a likeable character, even when he was being grumpy and disagreeable. I immediately warmed to him and Lane has a remarkable way of invoking empathy in her readers for even the most moody and socially disagreeable of characters.

Tilly is awesome. She has had tragedy after tragedy thrown at her and yet she was vibrant, determined and strong. What an inspiration! Her story will break your heart.

Jason and Tilly were complete opposites neither really into what the other liked but their personalities complemented each other and they were both willing to compromise which I thought was a realistic founding for a relationship.

Horses form a large part of the story in Something Like This and even as a non horse lover I was fascinated by the idea of capturing and taming wild brumbies rather than culling. Lane’s Knowledge and love for these wild horses is evident.

In Something Like This Karly Lane explores the healing power of animals. I have heard of pet therapy where dogs are taken to hospitals, nursing homes and schools but introducing horses as therapy was new to me. Other areas explored were small town gossip, genetic diseases, mental health of people with a disability, communities helping each other and working towards a dream.

Karly Lane is firmly on my must read list.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ plus that extra ⭐ for a character named Veronica 💖 (even if she was a mean girl).

Meet the author

Photo: Goodreads

Karly Lane lives on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Proud mum to four children and wife to one very patient mechanic, she is lucky enough to spend her day doing the two things she loves most - being a mum and writing stories set in beautiful rural Australia.

 

This review first appeared on the Beauty and Lace website.

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

Other books I've read by Karly Lane

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Montana by Fiona McArthur

Montana

by

Fiona McArthur 

 

Publisher: Self published

Publication day: 30th October 2020

Series: Lyrebird Lake #1

Genre: Romance

Pages: 213

Format read: eBook

Source: courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

For midwife Montana, finding out she was pregnant was the best moment of her life. But days later she was widowed.
Nine months have passed, her daughter is born, and Montana knows she needs a fresh start.
Dr Andy Buchanan is building services at Lyrebird Lake Hospital and he wants Montana for the new maternity unit. He can’t get the beautiful new mum out of his mind.

Lyrebird Lake is the perfect place for Montana to build a new life – with Andy?
And then there’s the magical myth of the lyrebirds…

 

My review

 

Fiona McArthur has given her readers a wonderful start to the Lyrebird Lake series, featuring midwife Montana Browne and doctor Andy Buchanan.

 

The story opens on New Years Day and it is the first year Montana will start without her husband Duncan, who had died unexpectedly nine months ago.

Montana is a midwife so it's only natural that pregnancy and birth feature largely in the Lyrebird Series. Fiona McArthur's birth scenes are calm, magical and beautiful.

 

Montana meets Dr Andy Buchanan and finds herself instantly attracted. However she feels deep guilt over this attraction and the fact that Andy makes her laugh. Isn't it too early in her bereavement to be having any happy thoughts?

 

McArthur includes many themes that encapsulate hospitals and childbirth, such as, lack of hospital staff in small country areas, teenage pregnancy, genetic diseases and adequate birthing units in hospitals. There are also emotional themes explored throughout the book such as, feelings of guilt when a partner has died, moving on in life and looking to the future.

 

Montana is a beautiful, gentle read. A feel-good story with depth. Just what I needed this week! Andy and Montana's slowly evolving relationship came across as very real and I love that the story wasn't all about the romance and Montana's angst.

 

Lyrebird Lake is full of lovely welcoming residents and I am eager to read the next book in the series and hopefully revisit a few of these wonderful characters.

 

4.5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

Meet the author 

 

Photo Goodreads

Fiona McArthur has worked as a midwife for thirty years. She is the clinical midwifery educator inner rural maternity unit and teaches emergency obstetric strategies while working with midwives and doctors from remote and isolated areas.

Fiona has written more than thirty romances, which have sold over two million copies in twelve languages. She has been a midwifery expert for Mother and Baby magazine and is the author of Aussie Midwives. She has also written the novels Red Sand Sunrise, The Homestead Girls and Heart of the Sky. She lives on a farm in northern New South Wales. 

 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

 

Book Club Book Review: The Farm at Peppertree Crossing by Léonie Kelsall

The Farm at Peppertree Crossing

by

Léonie Kelsall 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unnwin 

Publication date: 2nd July 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural

Pages: 432

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace Book Club

 

About the book

 

An unexpected inheritance, a traumatic past and a family whose secrets are kept by the town.

After a fractured childhood spent in foster homes, city-girl Roni has convinced herself that she has no need of anyone - other than her not-as-tough-as-he-looks rescued street cat, Scritches, and her unborn baby.

Despite facing a bleak future, Roni distrusts the news of a bequest from an unknown aunt, Marian Nelson. But, out of options, she and Scritches leave Sydney behind, bound for the 800-acre property on the edge of the wheat belt of South Australia.

However, this is no simple inheritance. With everything at stake, Roni must learn to believe in the truth of Marian's most important lesson: everyone deserves love.

 

My Review

 

When city-girl Roni inherits a farm from an aunt she has never known she decides she will take a look and then sell as quick as she can. However Aunt Marian hasn't made the process of the inheritance that easy. She wants Roni to have the chance to fall in love with the farm.

 

I was immediately pulled into the story - with the threat of danger hanging in the air.

 

Roni is instantly likeable. She cares for stray cats and runs errands for her elderly neighbour. Her life spent in foster homes has been let down after let down and she has past traumas that are still affecting her life. How can you not like, and feel empathy for this girl! 

 

I loved how Aunt Marian's character was introduced through letters to Roni and even though she had passed we got to know her and she was an integral character in the story.

 

I could totally relate to the city-girl stuck in the country and wondering how she was going to manage and feeling isolated and scared.

"There was far too much country out here for her liking."

The Farm at Peppertree Crossing subtly covers some heavy topics but there is plenty of humour, cute farm animals and a cute farm hand to lighten the mood.

It was a delight to watch Roni grow and start to trust people and also learn to say no when needed. She slowly came to realise not everyone was out to hurt her or rip her off and maybe, Matt was helping out on the farm because he was genuinely a nice guy. 

I loved all the cooking and cakes, both disasters and successes, and the CWA meetings and their small town gossip. Lots of humour here!

Léonie Kelsall knows how to create an ever changing atmosphere as it moves from foreboding, funny, breath-holding, sad and sweet. I loved the way  Léonie Kelsall unwrapped the secrets slowly throughout the story - little teasers that kept me glued to the pages.

The Farm at Peppertree Crossing is a story of belonging, moving forward, guilt, secrets and learning to trust.

I was keen to read this book as soon as I heard about it and I was not disappointed!

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plus an extra ⭐ because the main character's name was Veronica 💖

About the author

Photo: Goodreads

 Though fortunate to grow up in the South Australian country – initially on the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula in a tiny town where the school had a total enrolment of only eleven students, and later on a sheep and wheat farm in the Murraylands - in typical teen fashion, Léonie couldn't wait to hit the bright lights of the big city when she graduated.
However, a couple of years working in various government departments, including the State History Trust and the Education Department, saw her longing to make her way back to the country.
Through a circuitous route (isn't that life?) she now finds herself splitting her time between her home and professional counselling practice in the beautiful Adelaide Hills and her childhood farm. She definitely has the best of both worlds! 

 

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20

                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020

 

 

 

 

 

Book Club Book Review: Mr Right Now by Karly Lane

Mr Right Now

By

Karly Lane

Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 1st may 2019
Series: The Callahans of Stringybark Creek #2
Pages:  312
Format read: paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace book club

Griffin Callahan and Olivia Dawson were inseparable. Everyone in town knew it. But when Griff went off to Ag College, Liv told him it was over and fled her family's farm to study law. Griff had never understood her reasons but eventually accepted that first loves don't last. Until now.

Currently back on the farm to help her twin brother with the harvest, Liv is the same gorgeous, laughing, hazel-eyed girl he'd always loved. Yet Griff can sense a difference, an uncertainty playing beneath the surface that wasn't there before.

Amidst crossed wires, drunken declarations, and families on a mission, will Griff and Liv finally have a second chance? Or will the old saying - If you love someone set them free - become their reality?

Mr Right Now is another delightful, easy read from one of my favourite authors, Karly Lane. When I say easy I don’t mean superficial. Lane’s stories have depth and explore many themes that are relevant to relationships in all forms, siblings, parent/adult child, friends and lovers.

Olivia Dawson, city girl and high flying lawyer, returns home to her family’s property to help out after her father has a near fatal accident. She sees this as a temporary thing; the country life isn’t for her. But when she sees ex-boyfriend and neighbour Griffin Callahan the old spark is still there and they soon slip back into a relationship. A relationship fraught with anxiety, misunderstandings and heartbreak.

I love the Callahans! On the surface they are the perfect family. There is mum and dad, community stalwarts, plus two sons and two daughters, all seemingly supporting each other, but under the surface they have problems, some major drama, just like all ordinary families.

Lane explores father/son relationships and the old-ways versus the new-ways, farming accidents, diversity on the land, droughts, storms, community support, family and friendships.

The banter between the characters was fun and authentic, whether it was between friends or siblings it came across as realistic.

A shocking secret will be revealed and the Callahan family’s foundations will take a substantial knock.

I simply can’t wait for book 3. I don’t think Lavinia Callahan can sweep this under the mat as easily as the Linc – Griffin incident “accident”.

This review first appeared on the Beauty & Lace book club.

 

This is book #2 in the series. You can read my review of book #1  The Wrong Callahan here

 

 

 

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My rating  5/5     

*this review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

and book #23 in the Australian Women Writers challenge

 

 

 

Karly Lane lives on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia. A certified small town girl, she is most happy in a little town where everyone knows who your grand parents were. She writes women’s fiction – everything from romantic suspense to family sagas and life in rural Australia. She has romantic suspense titles published under Karlene Blakemore-Mowle and her latest release, Third Time Lucky is available now.