Book Review: Kaikoura Rendezvous by Stephen Johnson

 Kaikoura Rendezvous

by

Stephen Johnson

Publisher: Clan Destine Press

Publication date: 1st October 2023

Series: A Melbourne Spotlight Mystery

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 240

RRP: $36.95AU (paperback) $11.95AU (ebook) 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Kaikoura Rendezvous

In Kaikoura Rendezvous Stephen Johnson takes his reader on a roller coaster ride through New Zealand.

He has included a plethora of interesting characters who all play an important role in the development of the story.

 

Surveillance professional Heath Michel is under orders to watch fisherman and ex-con Gordie Tulloch and report on his movements.

Gordie, recently released from prison, has been offered the deal of a lifetime. Simply pick up a package dropped off-shore and exchange it for a generous sum of money.

Kim Prescott, TV reporter for Melbourne's Spotlight current affairs show, is suffering severe PTSD after being attacked on the job. She is given an ultimatum, go on a holiday with co-worker Jo Trescowthick or go into therapy.

Cyclone Gita is also brewing and intensifying, her course is not destined for New Zealand, so no-one is taking her too seriously.

 

The story starts with three separate story lines and multiple points of view. I found each of the story lines interesting and each were given equal voice throughout the book.

 

Kim and Jo's tour through New Zealand in a motorhome was well portrayed and brought back memories of a trip I had done many years ago.

Ex-Con Gordie was an interesting character, greedy and unscrupulous, but I kinda liked him.

 

I was intrigued to see how the different plots would come together; the reporters on holiday, Gordie's contraband pick-up, Heath's surveillance operation plus cyclone Gita twisting, turning and changing course. And when they did it was a fast-paced crescendo of heart-racing action on all fronts.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Snowy Mountains Dawn by Alissa Callen

 Snowy Mountains Dawn

by

Alissa Callen

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 31st January 2024

Series: Bundilla #4

Genre: Contemporary / Rural Romance

Pages: 368  

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Gift from author

 

Review: Snowy Mountains Dawn

Firstly I would like to thank Alissa Callen for sending me a copy of Snowy Mountains Dawn. She is not only a fabulous author, she is also a kind and generous person.

 

I loved being back in Bundilla and was so excited for Brenna's story! Brenna and Taite are twins and we know from previous books that they both held old hurts from their past but each kept them closed not wanting to upset the other.

 

Now that Taite is with Hettie it's Brenna's turn to open up and find love but it's not an easy road. City boy Wyatt is definitely not her type, he doesn't tick any of her boxes, and Wyatt has demons of his own to work through.

 

There is lots of angst between our main characters in this story but lucky they have Bundy, the matchmaking kelpie, the town's own quilting society, who know exactly who should be with who, and even Taite giving them both the push to sort through their problems and realise they are perfect for each other.

 

It's not all angsty romance, Snowy Mountains Dawn has captivating rural scenes via treks through the mountains, communities working together to re-home injured horses plus the discovery of hidden letters opens up a centuries old mystery. Alissa has also included some deeper themes but to mention them would be a spoiler. There is also lots of fun with the quilting ladies delivering baked goods, heart shaped cookies and even baby booties to Wyatt.

 

I loved the mentions of characters from previous Bundilla novels. Characters I have grown to love over the whole series and I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to say goodbye to Bundilla.

 

Snowy Mountains Dawn is a heartwarming story of facing your fears and opening your heart to love.

 

My rating 5/ 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

 

Previous books in the series:

Snowy Mountains Daughter 

Snowy Mountains Cattleman

Snowy Mountains Promise 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Someone Else's Bucket List by Amy T. Matthews

 Someone Else's Bucket List

by

Amy T. Matthews

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publication date: 31st January 2024

Genre: Contemporary / Romance

Pages: 390

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: Someone Else's Bucket List

It's no secret I love a heart-wrenching read and Someone Else's Bucket List ticks all the boxes.

However, Amy T. Matthews doesn't simply break her reader's heart she has added lots of humour, adventure, arm-chair travel and even a touch of romance.

 

Jodie Boyd is shy and anxious, she has never been one to follow her dreams. Her sister Bree is an adventurous, globe-trotting, hugely successful Instagram influencer.  Jodie loves and admires her sister but she could never put herself out there like Bree does. Bree's untimely death leaves the family not only devastated but facing financial ruin with huge medical bills to pay.

Then a prescheduled post pops up on Bree's Instagram challenging Jodie to finish the last six items on Bree's bucket list. If she finishes them a sponsor will pay off the family's debts, with one condition, it all needs to posted to Instagram.

 

I loved how Matthews conveyed Jodie's terror at not only having to preform these very public acts but also having it all broadcast across Bree's Instagram, watched by over a million followers.

Every character in this story was so well portrayed, each playing an important role in Jodie's growth.

 

It was so much fun to follow Jodie as she checked items off the list, mostly freaking out about everything but pushing through and discovering a more assertive side of herself. Her character growth was slow to evolve which made it all the more believable.

I loved following all the # teams for who Jodie may have as a love interest - so much fun! 

 

Someone Else's Bucket List is a beautiful, heart-wrenching and fun read about grief, hope, love and courage. It's about believing in yourself and going after your dreams. 

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

If you like this review you may also like:

The Inn at Tansy Falls

Twenty-Six Letters 

The Way From Here

Book Review: The Roadmap of Loss by Liam Murphy

 The Roadmap of Loss

by

Liam Murphy

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd January 2024

Genre: Literary Fiction  

Pages: 368

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

 

Review: The Roadmap of Loss

The Roadmap of Loss is an affecting story about loss and grieving. Liam Murphy's writing is lyrical and evokes a sense of melancholy.

 

Mark Ward has always struggled with his sense of self carrying the burden of guilt over his father leaving him and his mother when he was five years old.

 

After his mother's sudden death, Mark finds a bundle of letters from his father to his mother. Letters filled with love set against the landscape of his travels across the United States. Mark decides to take his father's letters, pack up his life in Melbourne and retrace his father's journey, 20 years on, hoping to find closure.

 

I loved that The Roadmap of Loss was set in the 1990's, no mobile phones and no GPS made road travel exciting, dangerous and often spontaneous.

Mark is a young man with an enormous chip on his shoulder; angry, abusive and sullen. Perfect characterization made me neither like or dislike him. He brought problems onto himself so there was no sympathy, which was something he didn't want anyway.

 

Mark reads each of his father's letters as he arrives at the next destination and in a unique writing style the chapters start again from number one after each letter.

The Roadmap of Loss is a sombre read however there are also unexpected snippets of humour that actually had me laughing.

 

Liam Murphy's plethora of memorable characters that come in and out of Mark's life make for entertaining reading as he travels ten thousand hard and lonely miles across America.

I never knew how the story would evolve as Mark had a low regard for his own life and often danced with the idea of ending it.

 

The Roadmap of Loss is an insightful exploration of grief and the restorative power of forgiveness. A great read for those that enjoy lyrical prose and literary fiction.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Her Time to Shine by Fiona McCallum

 Her Time to Shine

by

Fiona McCallum

It's never too late to find your true self.

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 30th March 2022

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/ *Up Lit 

Pages: 432

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

*Up Lit: stories filled with kindness, optimism and heart

 

Review: Her Time to Shine

Her Time to Shine follows straight on from Trick of the Light. The story opens with Erica now living in the small country town of Melrose. She is about to start a new job in a funeral home. Erica is still somewhat amazed at the turn of events in her life as she approaches fifty.

 

Trick of the Light was my favourite Fiona McCallum book to date and Her Time to Shine is a fabulous follow up novel.

McCallum includes enough backstory to bring new readers up to date. I was already endeared to Erica from the previous book and within a few pages I felt the same about Walter, owner of the funeral home.

 

With the main setting being a funeral home there is a theme of death and loss, and McCallum delivers this with compassion.

 

I raced through this book! All the characters were likeable, interesting people. There is also a bit of a mystery running through the story with Erica having flashbacks of repressed memories.

 

Her Time to Shine is a heartwarming story about new friendships, facing your fears, taking new opportunities in life and never giving up on your dreams.

 

I highly recommend this uplifting read for anyone who likes characters that will make you smile and a story that is all wrapped up nicely at the end. Although not entirely necessary, I would suggest reading Trick of the Light first. You will love it too!

 

My rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

my review of Trick of the Light

Book Review: The Blue Gum Camp by Leonie Kelsall

The Blue Gum Camp

by

Leonie Kelsall 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Publication date: 3rd January 2024 

Genre: Rural Romance

Pages: 419

RRP: $32.99AU (trade paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Blue Gum Camp

The Blue Gum Camp is Leonie Kelsall's fifth book featuring characters from Settler's Bridge and surrounds.

 

Charity Farrugia is persuaded to attend a B & S ball by her sisters, Faith and Hope. They feel the always serious and always responsible Charity needs to relax and have some fun.

 

Lachlan is only going to the B & S ball to keep an eye on his mischievous younger brother Hamish. Lachlan has been working the family farm whilst his father has become a curmudgeonly recluse since his mother's untimely death twelve months ago.

When Lachlan and Charity meet sparks fly but Charity isn't ready to let her guard down.

 

I enjoyed the different ways of thinking between Hope and her friends in their early twenties and that of mid thirties Charity. Having characters from different age groups adds diversity to the story. I loved all the sibling banter and light ribbing both with the Farrugia sisters and Lachlan and Hamish. It felt very natural and was filled with humour. The siblings' similarities and differences were perfectly portrayed.

If you have read the previous books you will see many well-known and much loved characters get a mention which adds a further level of connection with the whole community that surrounds the books.

 

Kelsall explores themes of running a farm, aging parents, early onset dementia, feeling responsible for siblings, cognitive disorders, loss and grieving.  

The Blue Gum Camp has slightly darker themes and more drama than most rural romance novels however the main theme is still one of rural life and the lack of potential partners in small country towns.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book Review: Dreaming by Starlight by Siobhan Curham

Dreaming by Starlight

by

Siobhan Curham

Friends make dreams come true.

 

Publisher: Walker Books

Publication date: 3rd August 2022

Series: The Moonlight Dreamers #3

Genre: Young Adult

Pages: 272

RRP: $16.99AU (paperback)

Source: Own purchase

 

Review: Dreaming by Starlight

Dreaming by Starlight is book #3 in The Moonlight Dreamers series. However reads well as a standalone as it centres on a different group of girls.

 

When Jazz's father gets a new job the family pack up and move across the globe to the UK, leaving behind everything that Jazz loves. Jazz soon starts at a snooty private school where no-one will talk to her. She doesn't fit in. She's not a rich girl. She's just a girl from the Gold Coast of Australia and she's missing her friends.

 

Jazz is miserable, but before her cousin Amber (from book 1 & 2) moves to Paris she shares with Jazz her unique way of connecting with people and making new friends.

Dreaming by Starlight is the most endearing story about the might of friendship and the power of dreams

Siobhan Curham has written a beautiful, uplifting and positive story about four teenage girls who felt trapped and unsettled with their current lives and needed each other to help bring out their true selves. A friend to listen to their dreams and fears.

As the chapters alternate between the four girls, Jazz, Allegra, Portia and Hope, we get to know more about their lives. There is also a little mystery and adventure thrown in.

Dreaming by Starlight is a story that will resonate with its intended audience.

Publisher recommended age 12+

my rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐