Book Bingo - Round 13 #BookBingo

Book Bingo is a reading challenge hosted by Theresa Smith Writes , Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse. Every second Saturday, book bingo participants reveal which bingo category they have read and what book they chose. 

This week I have chosen the category 'Novella no more than 150 pages'

Novella no more than 150 pages.

Christmas with the Boss by Annie Seaton 130 pages

There was a time when I wouldn't bother reading a novella thinking that it would be impossible to achieve any true character development or storyline in such a short book. Authors everywhere have since proved me wrong time and time again and I don't shy away from novellas anymore. I have come to enjoy them and search them out.

Christmas With the Boss is set on the New South Wales  Mid North Coast, I place I know well, which made the story even more engaging.

You can read my full review of Christmas With the Boss  here

#BookBingo2019

  

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.

  

Winner of Writing Gloves from Literary Book Gifts

A big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a pair of cashmere writing gloves . The giveaway closed on 17th June and the winner was randomly selected (using Random org) from all correct entries. 

Congratulations to..

  Claire Louisa

You will receive an email shortly and have 7 days to provide a mailing address. I hope you enjoy your prize.

Please see my Giveaway tab for more chances to win great books.

Spotlight & Giveaway - The Monster Catchers by George Brewington

The Monster Catchers

by 

George Brewington

The Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story

By George Brewington

A Father-Son Monster Hunter Duo Must Save California From An Evil Villain…

THE FRESH, DYNAMIC, NOT-TO-BE-MISSED MG FANTASY DEBUT

"A fast-paced, action-packed adventure with an interesting premise" ―Booklist on The Monster Catchers

"The monsters are appealing, the parallels between monster and human history are discussable, and the end is wildly unsubtle but still gratifying, allowing Bailey to look forward to a more tolerant and altruistic exploration of the world of monsters." ―The Bulletin on The Monster Catchers

            If there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Buckleby and Son!

When we think of monster catchers or even ghost busters, we don’t often think of a father-son duo saving California from goblins, seas monsters, fairies and trolls.

Behind a purple curtain in the back of a little store of eccentricities, trinkets and souvenirs lies a series of adventures. In this middle-grade fantasy debut, The Monster Catchers: A Bailey Buckleby Story by George Brewington [MacMillan, 2019], Bailey Buckleby and his dad Dougie can rid your home of whatever monster is troubling you—for the right price. Dougie offers Bailey a unique education in the lessons of monster catching and the importance of these creatures to their history. But when Bailey discovers that his dad has been lying—their pet troll Henry is actually a kidnapped baby sea giant—he begins to question the family business. Then, when a criminal mastermind puts everyone and everything Bailey loves in peril, it’s up to him to save his family and set things right.

            In The Monster Catchers, Brewington weaves in lessons of friendship and morality with fun and quirky storylines to keep readers on their toes with cliffhangers at the end of each fast-paced chapter. Although a story about a boy who fights monsters with a Frisbee, Brewington dives into Bailey’s journey discovering who and what he believes in to ultimately find his true identity.

“I want my readers to love the characters and find them funny, but also discover that every monster and human has their own perspective,” says Brewington. “Monsters - or humans - shouldn’t immediately be assumed to be evil because they are different than us.”

The Monster Catchers is the best kind of middle-grade faery tale — it encourages readers to enjoy the story, and yet think beyond its pages. Fans of Dianna Wynne Jones, Douglas Adams and Lemony Snicket will gravitate toward this series, and will be so glad that they discovered George Brewington, a debut author we’ll certainly be hearing more from. 

 

About the author

George Brewington writes fantasy stories for both children and adults four days a week. The other three days a week he is a respiratory therapist at a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. His short stories have been included in anthologies like Dark Magic: Witches, Hackers & Robots and Pick Your Poison. His first novel for young readers – The Monster Catchers - debuted on March 9th, 2019. The sequel – The Revenge of the Whiffles - arrives on July 14th, 2020. He is also working on a mysterious third novel, which is so secret and so strange and so scary, details cannot be revealed at this time. He lives in the marshes of Folly Beach, South Carolina with his family, surrounded on all sides by egrets, owls, alligators, and boo hags.

 

Giveaway:

I have one eCopy of The Monster Catchers to giveaway courtesy of Smith Publicity (open internationally)

This giveaway is now closed and the winner was - Renee