Book Review & Giveaway: Once Burnt, Twice Shy by Karly Lane

 Once Burnt, Twice Shy

by

Karly Lane

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

 

Publication date: 30th November 2021

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Rural Romance

 

Pages: 348

 

RRP: $29.99

 

Format read: Paperback 

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Recently divorced mother-of-two Samantha Murphy agrees to house-sit for her parents for a few weeks-but when the house involves several hundred acres of farming and livestock, it's a little more involved than the usual job. Sam left the family farm years ago for a more exciting, glamorous life on the Sunshine Coast, but now that her kids have grown up and moved out, she's at a crossroads.

Jack Cameron was in love with Sam when they were teenagers, and she broke his heart when she left town at eighteen. Their lives moved along similar paths-both marrying, having families and getting divorced-but in very different locations. Now that Sam is back, they begin to realise that there are unresolved feelings between them.

As catastrophic fires roar destructively through the local farming community, Sam has no choice but to evacuate her parents' farm. But worse is still to come: Jack is reported missing and Sam is forced to prepare for the worst news.

 

My review

 

Karly Lane once again brings her characters into our homes and into our hearts.

 

In Once Burnt, Twice Shy we get a front line look at the devastating fires that scorched Australia in the summer of 2019 - 2020. A tribute to our unsung heroes, the Rural Fire Service and it's hundreds of volunteer fire fighters who put their lives in danger to save the lives and livelihoods of people everywhere.

 

 I liked that Karly stayed away from the politics of it all and concentrated on the characters and the community. Set on the mid-north coast of NSW the fires are described as if we are there amidst the action and I could feel the anxiety as Sam readied the farm to leave as the fire approached. Lane passionately communicates the devastation of losing a family home that has been passed down through the generations and the insurmountable amount of work to rebuild; new fencing, sheds, livestock and all this came after a long drough that ahd already caused financial stress.

 

Most farmers were also volunteer fire fighters working the farm as well as fighting fires. A lot of the farmers find it hard to ask for help. They are hard working and self sufficient, getting on with the job and holding their emotions in.

Karly Lane adds humour which I feel is needed in these stories of hardship. It doesn't take away from the drama it just lightens the book up a bit.

 

Once Burnt, Twice Shy is however a romance so the main characters and their budding relationship is a large focus in the story. Sam is back home in Burrumba, it doesn't matter how long you've been gone, where you grew up is always home. She is there to attend the family farm while her parents take a much anticipated holiday.

Sam reunites with neighbour and high school boyfriend Jack. It's been 30 years but the spark is still there. Lane raises realistic circumstances as road blocks in Jack and Sam's ongoing relationship. The two main characters in this story are middle-aged with teenaged children which gives for a whole set of drama in a new relationship.

 

Once Burnt, Twice Shy is an engaging second chance romance rich in issues relevant to rural communities.

 

Karly's books are my go to! I eagerly await every new release and I feel Karly puts a little of herself in every book which makes it all the more engaging.

 

5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

   

About the author

Karly Lane lives on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. Proud mum to four children and wife of one 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.

 

https://www.instagram.com/karly_lane_author/ 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

 

Giveaway

 

 Thanks to Allen & Unwin I have one paperback copy of Once Burnt, Twice Shy to giveaway to one lucky entrant. Australian addresses only. Entry via the form below.

Entries close at Midnight AEST  8th December 2021

 

This giveaway is now closed and the winner Sharon was announced HERE

Mailbox Monday - November 29th

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week (or month). I post my new books on the last Monday of the month. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday Blog

 

 

 

 Happy Monday

 

We are having a wet and cool Spring this year in Sydney but I am still managing to get out for my daily walks and also snuggling up inside reading lots of books. It's hard to believe the Australian Summer starts on Wednesday and we are still getting around in long pants and jumpers!

 

What is a month in The Burgeoning Bookshelf's household without a birthday or two. Over the last month we celebrated my Daughter-in-laws birthday and my third son's birthday.

 

 

The Jacarandas are blooming everywhere. This beautiful carpet of flowers is on my front lawn. A neighbour has a Jacaranda and an Illawarra Flame tree in their front yard and it looks so amazing we are contemplating planting an Illawarra Flame tree. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My eldest daughter is getting married in a few weeks and hopefully I will have some photos in the next mailbox post.

 

 Books I've received and purchased over the last month 

 

Do any of the above peak your interest? What has arrived in your mailbox lately?

Book Review: Dr Bennett's Babies by Fiona McArthur

 Dr Bennett's Babies

by

Fiona McArthur

 

Publisher: Self Published

Publication date: 30th September 2021 

 

Series: Healing hands - Doctors by Specialty #2 

 

Genre: Romance

 

Pages: 195

 

Price: $5.99AUD (Amazon Kindle) 

 

Format read: eBook

 

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

Meet Marcus and Tilly in the battle of the birth suites. Can the past that haunts Marcus, the hospital's new obstetrician, be healed by everyone's favourite, midwife Tilly?

 

My review

 

Midwife Tilly has sworn off men after two failed romances, she needs a break. Even when her neighbour's good looking nephew comes to stay she tells herself she is definitely not interested. She's happy with a friendship status with Marcus.

When she learns Marcus is the new head obstetrician at the hospital and she doesn't agree with his new birthing policies their friendship status is sorely tested as they clash time and time again.

 

Dr Bennett's Babies is book #2 in Fiona McArthur's specialists series.  I've enjoyed all of Fiona's medical romance stories that I have read and this is no exception.

McArthur's females are always feisty and passionate about their work and her male characters are strong yet willing to listen and learn. They know what they want and are not afraid to wear their heart on their sleeve. Quite often they are just that tiny bit broken, as Marcus is in this story, and all they need is the support of a strong woman to help them move on from the past. 

 

There is lots of conflict between midwives and doctors and I can believe this would actually be true in any birthing hospital.

Fiona explores the theme of safe home births and water births with hospital support and backup.

As with all Fiona's midwife books there are a couple of birthing scenes and not all go smoothly. This may be a trigger for some readers. 

 

I loved the initial conflict between Tilly and Marcus with a light underlying sexual tension. Dr Bennett's Babies is an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in a few hours.

 

It seems I have read book #2 first but each book is a standalone story.

 

My rating 4 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

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.

 

https://www.instagram.com/fiona_mcarthur_author/ 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

 

Book Review: Home Truths in Tumble Creek by Louise Forster

 Home Truths in Tumble Creek

by

Louise Forster

Publisher: Self Published

 

Publication date: 21st may 2019

 

Series: Tumble Creek #1

 

Genre: Rural Romance 

 

Pages: 298

 

Format read: eBook

 

Source: courtesy of the author

 

About the book

 

London-based chef, Jennifer Dove, loves her exciting, fast-paced life and she has every intention of returning to it ASAP. This trip to the small country town of Tumble Creek is to visit her sister and niece and farewell her beloved uncle. But barely hours into her stay, she disturbs an intruder in her uncle's house and is questioned by police. Things are not all they seem in Tumble Creek, and as much as she tries not to, Jennifer is sucked into the mystery surrounding her uncle. What are the locals hiding?      

And why can she not get sexy local Calum McGregor out of her mind?

 

My review

 

Home Truths in Tumble Creek is light and fun, an easy read. 

 

Jennifer flies from London to the small town of Tumble Creek in country Australia. Jen may be a top London chef but she is no stranger to this country town. It was the home town of her Uncle Bob who Jen and her sister Sofie visited often when they were growing up. They are there to attend his funeral and organise his affairs. The last thing Jen expects to do is fall for a sexy farmer.

 

Louise Forster has delivered a romance read that is filled with mystery, humour and secrets. There are a couple of steamy scenes for fans of sexy romance reads but the majority of the story is sweet.

Tumble Creek is portrayed as a welcoming, small country town and I enjoyed getting to know the residents there.

 

City girl Jen got into plenty of scrapes where hot farmer Callum came to the rescue and in one instance the local fire brigade was summoned and a rescue through an upstairs window was quite comical.

 

A sexy farmer, Russian spies watching their every move and loan sharks determined to get their money by any means give for moments of light-hearted fun and moments of suspense. 

 

My only quibble with this novel is there was too much dialogue for my liking and it slowed the story.

 

My rating  3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

Louise Forster grew up in a Victorian country town. She ran barefoot along dirt roads and loved looking through the leaves of tall eucalypts at the azure summer skies. Eventually, she grew up, and the country town became a suburb of Melbourne. Running barefoot to catch her train to work would have caused more than a few raised eyebrows so she opted for stilettos, of course. At eighteen, Louise travelled through Europe, parts of Africa and the Pacific Islands. These days Louise lives on the far north coast of New South Wales on a small property that includes her extended family, three dogs, three cats and all manner of wildlife. 

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

Book Review: Birds of a Feather by Tricia Stringer

 Birds of a Feather

by

Tricia Stringer

 

As one door closes another one opens

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

 

Imprint: HQ Fiction

 

Publication date: 29th September 2021

 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

 

Pages: 352

 

RRP: $ 32.99AUD 

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

About the book

Eve has been a partner in a Wallaby Bay fishing fleet as long as she can remember. Now they want her to sell - but what would her life be without work? She lives alone, her role on the town committee has been spiked by malicious gossip and she is incapacitated after surgery. For the first time in her life she feels weak, vulnerable - old.

When her troubled god-daughter Julia arrives at Wallaby Bay, she seems to offer Eve a reprieve from her own concerns. But there is no such thing as plain sailing. Eve has another house guest, the abrasive Lucy, who is helping her recuperate and does not look kindly on Julia's desire for Eve's attention.

But Lucy, too, has demons to battle and as each woman struggles to overcome their loss of place in the world, they start to realise that there may be more that holds them together, than keeps them apart.

 

My review

 

Tricia Stringer once again manages to deliver a heartfelt story with characters that readers will resonate with. Their problems and concerns are highly relatable and dealt with in a manner that is believable as the navigate the areas of friendship, family, ageing and companionship.

Julia who has retained a close friendship with her mother's best friend Eve, after her mother has passed away returns home to Wallaby Bay when her life falls into a rut and she feels she needs a bit of a break. She naturally turns to Eve as she is like a second mother.

Eve is recovering from shoulder surgery and has employed ex-nurse Lucy to oversee her recuperation. Here the three women are brought together and as they work through a rocky start an unlikely friendship evolves.

Stringer explores themes of women in male dominated industries, forced retirement and its mental effects, mother guilt, small town gossip, coping as a single parent with a FIFO partner and on a smaller scale how the evolving Covid pandemic affected different people.

The three women were all abrupt and disgruntled, at a crossroads in their life, at the start of the book and I liked the dynamics of the characters and how they were being frostily polite to each other.  I enjoyed their growth as they embraced a new optimism and purpose. Each supporting and encouraging the other.

Tricia Stringer reinvents the meaning of family as Eve, Julia and Lucy navigate the ups and downs of life.

My rating 5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

 

Tricia Stringer is a bestselling and award-winning author. Among others, her books include commercial fiction titles Table For Eight, The Model Wife and The Family Inheritance, the rural romances A Chance of Stormy Weather and Come Rain or Shine and historical sagas Heart of the Country, Dust on the Horizon and Jewel in the North. Tricia grew up on a farm in country South Australia and has spent most of her life in rural communities. She now lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region, often exploring Australia's diverse communities and landscapes, and shares this passion for the country and its people through her stories.

 

 

Challenges Entered: Australian Women Writers Challenge AWW2021

 

                                   Aussie Author Challenge #Aussieauthor21

 

 

Winners in my latest paperback Giveaways announced!!

 

 Once again I would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaways for a copies of Deception Creek and The Curlew's Eye. The giveaways closed on the 12th November and 14th November respectively and the winners were randomly selected (using Random org) from all correct entries. 

Congratulations to ...........  Richard Harrison who won a copy of Deception Creek.

 

 Congratulations to ...........  Leanne   who won a copy of The Curlew's Eye.

 The winners have been notified and have seven days to provide a mailing address.

 Please look under the giveaway tab for more chances to win great books.

I have more giveaways coming.

 

 

 

 

 

Tasmania's International Crime and Mystery Literary Festival - Sat 27 & Sun 28 Nov 2021, Online

 

Tasmania's International Crime and Mystery Literary Festival

 

TAF2021 - CSI: TASMANIA

 

Terror Australis Readers and Writers Festival is excited to announce Tasmania's first  international crime and mystery literary festival.

The awe-inspiring line-up of more than 35 writers of crime and mystery includes:

·      David Heska Wanbli Weiden, TAF2021 International Guest of Honour,

·      Ann Cleeves, TAF2021 Mistress of Mystery,

·      Val McDermid, TAF2021 Queen of Crime,

·      Liz Nugent, TAF2021 Prime Suspect,

·      Garry Disher, TAF2021 Australian Guest of Honour,

·      Naomi Hirahara,

·      Abir Mukherjee,

·      Vanda Symon,

                      ·      J.P. Pomare, 

                ·      Anita Heiss.

                             
                             Candice Fox

 

 

"We’re still pinching ourselves in disbelief at the incredible line-up of local, Australian and international best-selling authors who’ve joined us this year," the Festival’s Director, Dr L.J.M. Owen said

With lively panel discussions, author interviews, intimate book clubs and writing masterclasses, TAF2021's 'CSI: TASMANIA' offers something for everyone.

"It's not just for readers of crime and mystery," Dr Owen said. "Anyone with an interest in books, reading, writing or the publishing industry will find something to suit them."


The two day program, which runs across the last weekend of November, offers in-depth interviews with authors like Ann Cleeves, Garry Disher and Val McDermid, and panel discussions with authors such as Anita Heiss, R.W.R. McDonald, and Sulari Gentill.

"During our online digital weekend we'll share the love of Tasmanian, Australian and international crime and mystery fiction with an audience tuning in from around the world," Dr Owen said.

The panel sessions will explore questions including why the Tasmanian landscape inspires so much brilliant crime and mystery fiction.

"We're also offering 20 Book Clubs and Writing Masterclasses with some of Australia's most loved writers, for instance Candice Fox, Debra Oswald and Meg Keneally," Dr Owen said.

Originally, a second weekend of live panel discussions in Huonville was also planned for November.

"Unfortunately, the recent snap lockdown meant we had to suspend having a live audience in early November. It's an unfortunate loss, as we were on course to make a solid contribution to local economic recovery from two devastating bushfire seasons followed by the pandemic. While sad for everyone involved, the good news is that we've shifted a number of the panels across to feature at the digital weekend at no extra cost to ticket buyers," Dr Owen said.

Pivoting to hold the panel sessions online instead of live was made possible by the festival's existing work to digitally transform.

"Earlier this year, the festival won a 3 year, $120,000 grant, from the Regional Arts Fund to undertake digital transformation of its events," Dr Owen said.

In a state where just 50% of the adult population is functionally literate, the project aims to support the ongoing development of the local literary sector, facilitate external professional development opportunities, and support continuing community engagement in literature.

"The work we'd already undertaken as part of the project meant we could make the shift from in-person to online in a matter of days," Dr Owen said.

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE

Earlybird Digital Weekend Passes to CSI: TASMANIA are now on sale. Priced at $90, each pass includes 15 author interviews and discussion panels, as well as two free Book Clubs or Writing Mini Masterclasses (subject to availability).

"It's fantastic value and highly accessible. With the expanded program, this means the 15 sessions are costing just $6 each, and will be available on demand until 2022. So if you love crime or mystery fiction, we hope to share this amazing weekend with you.”

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