Thursday 25 April 2019

Book Review: Christmas with the Boss by Annie Seaton

Christmas with the Boss
by 
Annie Seaton


Well here I am with my last Christmas read that was due in 2018. I did actually read this over the Easter break (only just reviewing it now) so I will count this toward achieving my goal of finishing my outstanding Christmas reads before Easter.


Publisher: Self published
Publication date: 7th October 2015
Pages: 130
Format Read: eBook
Source: Kindle freebie.


Jilly Henderson was looking forward to a week of bliss at the beach: alone, no work and no one to bother her.
The last thing she expected was to find her hunky boss holidaying in the beach shack next door.He looked mighty different to the uptight executive she was used to. He'd shed the suit and turned into a surf god.

Dominic is horrified that Jilly is living in the old shack. Rumour has it that it's haunted. He wants her to move but she digs in.

Can she ignore his charms...and who is the secret visitor who won't leave her in peace?
  






When Jilly unexpectedly runs into her boss during the Christmas holiday break, she finds he’s not the ice-man they all think he is back in the office.


Dominic has met his match with fiery Jilly. This is definitely not the same quiet woman he works with.

All the descriptions of the trip from Sydney to the mid North Coast town of Sandy Heads were so familiar and when it is set in an area you know and love it makes the story so much more connected.

Christmas with the Boss was an absorbing Christmas novella with a cheeky paranormal element. Seaton writes humour, suspense and passion with equal fervour.

My rating 10/10

*this review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge
and book #11 in the Australian Women Writers challenge




Photo credit: Goodreads
 Annie Seaton lives near the beach on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. She is fulfilling her lifelong dream of writing and has been delighted to discover that readers love reading her stories as much as she loves writing them. Her career and studies spanned the education sector for most of her working life until she took up a full-time writing career. She is now published internationally in e-books across the romance genre, and in 2014 was voted Australian Author of the Year by romance readers in the AusRomToday.com Readers' Choice Awards. In 2015 she was voted Best Established Author.Her first traditionally published print book, Kakadu Sunset, was shortlisted from Romantic Book of the Year in 2016. Each winter, Annie and her husband leave the beach to roam the remote areas of Australia for story ideas and research.






Tuesday 23 April 2019

Book Review: In a Great Southern Land (Historical Fiction)

In a Great Southern Land
by 
Mary-Anne O'Connor

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia 
Imprint: HQ Fiction
Publication Date: 18th March 2019
Pages: 416
RRP: $32.99
Format Read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

From the emerald hills of Ireland to a wild colonial land comes an epic story of love, brotherhood and the fight for liberty....
1851: After the death of her father, young Eve Richards is destitute. Her struggle to survive sees her deported in chains to the colony of New South Wales, penniless and alone. But here in this strange new world fortune smiles on the spirited, clever Eve in the shape of a respectable job offer that will lead to a quiet, secure life. Then the fiery and charismatic Irishman Kieran Clancy crosses her path...

For Kieran Clancy, the kindest man on earth, and his brother Liam, the promise of free passage and land in this brave new world is a chance to leave the grief and starvation of County Clare behind. But while Liam works to farm their land, Kieran has the fire of gold-fever upon him and is drawn to the goldfields of Ballarat. As tensions grow on the goldfields, and with the blood of an Irish rebel still beating through his heart, Kieran finds himself caught up in the cataclysmic events at the Eureka Stockade and faces the decision of a lifetime: whether or not, when it comes to love, blood will remain thicker than water...

 

O’Connor has excelled with this emotional and heart-wrenching saga of a family striving for a new beginning in a foreign untamed land.

I love reading books on early Australian setters, both convicts and free settlers. I quite often find reading about the early days of Australia raw and confronting. In a Great Southern Land is no exception, although not as harsh as some I’ve read that delve into the atrocities against convicts and the aboriginals. O’Connor steers more towards the difficulties of living in a harsh, barren and isolated area and the budding romance between Kieran and Eve.

Irishman Kieran Clancy and his extended family have been granted free passage to New South Wales and a parcel of land on arrival. Kieran had a burning desire for vengeance against oppression. Their leaving doesn’t happen without much controversy and heartache.

Eve Richards finds herself without a job and back on the streets of Vauxhall, Liverpool. A misadventure with police ends with her in prison and sentenced to a life of servitude in Australia.

Kieran was a cocky Irishman very sure of himself but also sure of what was right and what was wrong. He would always put someone else’s safety and rights before his own. He lived his life passionately and impetuously. Always doing what was right.

The story follows Kieran working at the shipyard, in 1800’s Sydney, where he teams up with Dave spending their spare time drinking and fighting then moves on to the goldfields where, like so many others, they hoped to make their fortune.

Kieran’s brother Liam, sister Eileen her husband and three children settle on their property in Orange waiting for Kieran to join them.

A chance encounter with Kieran ends with Eve working as a servant and companion to the mistress of an isolated country property.

In a Great Southern Land encompasses what it means to be free incorporating the free settlers, convicts, the gold rush, Eureka Stockade, prejudice and the general hardships of a harsh landscape.

In a Great Southern Land is an incredibly moving tale and the author’s notes at the end are equally as moving. Set aside some time, this is one book you won’t be able to put down.

My rating  5 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐



*this review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge
and book #10 in the Australian Women Writers challenge
Letter 'I' in the 2019 A-Z challenge







Photo credit: Goodreads





Mary-Anne O'Connor has a combined arts education degree with specialties in environment, music and literature. She works in marketing and co-wrote/edited A Brush with Light and Secrets of the Brush with Kevin Best.                                                                          Mary-Anne lives in a house overlooking her beloved bushland in Northern Sydney with her husband Anthony, their two sons Jimmy and Jack, and their very spoilt dog Saxon. This is her fourth major novel. Her previous novels, Galipoli Street (2015), Worth Fighting For (2016) and War Flower (2017), have all been bestsellers.
 

 

Monday 22 April 2019

Mailbox Monday - April 22nd



Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog. Head over and check out other books received during the last week. 

 

Received via Beauty & Lace Bookclub

Without a Doubt by Fleur McDonald

Detective Dave Burrows had never even heard of Nundrew in Queensland before. He'd certainly never have guessed that this was where he'd be risking his life.

In Barrabine, as Dave's workload skyrockets, Melinda, Dave's wife, is unhappy about being left alone so much to raise their eighteen-month-old daughter. It's not how Dave wants it either, but crimes still have to be investigated - it's what he joined the force for - and he's the only one able to do it.

Melinda's interfering father isn't helping. He's never thought that Dave is right for his daughter and he's not shy about telling Dave what he's doing wrong. When things come to a head at home, Dave's policing mate, Spencer, comes up with a plan.

In the most dangerous mission of his life, Dave knows what he's risking. If he's found out, he'll never see Melinda or Bec again. Of that he's sure.

eBooks received via Netgalley

 Seraphina Does Everything by Melissa Gratias

  Seraphina wants to do it all. From soccer to ballet to French club, her schedule is jam-packed. However, Seraphina finds she feels blue. With some help from her dad, Seraphina discovers that in trying to do everything, she's missing out on some of her favorite things.
Hide and Seek Little Chameleon by Anita Bijsterbosch

  Little Chameleon loves to play hide-and-seek. He knows a few special hiding tricks. Will you help look for Little Chameleon?
A cheerful seek-and-find book filled with colors, numbers, and animal friends. For toddlers ages 30 months and up, with a focus on the child's language development. 








What Books did your postman deliver this week?

Post a link to your Mailbox Monday or simply list your books in the comments below.
   


 

Saturday 20 April 2019

Winner of Under the Midnight Sky by Anna Romer announced

A big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway for a paperback copy of Under the Midnight Sky . I had a huge amount of entries which  goes to show how popular Anna Romer is. The giveaway closed on 19th April and the winner was randomly selected from all correct entries. 
Congratulations to..


 Kylie H


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. I will have a new international giveaway starting shortly.



 

Friday 19 April 2019

Book Review: What Happens at Christmas (Romantic Suspense)

What Happens at Christmas
by 
Evonne Wareham

 
Another Christmas themed book can be crossed off my list and my plan to finish them before Easter (the end of the Easter weekend) is still on track. I have one more book on my list. 

Publisher: Choc Lit
Publication date: 5th December 2017
Pages: 255
Format Read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

Best-selling author Andrew Vitruvius knows that any publicity is good publicity. His agent tells him that often, so it must be true. In the run-up to Christmas, she excels herself - talking him into the craziest scheme yet: getting himself kidnapped, live on TV.

But when the plan goes ahead and Drew is unceremoniously thrown in the back of a van before being dragged to a hut in middle of the Brecon Beacons, it all starts to feel a little bit too real.
Meanwhile, not far away, Lori France and her four-year-old niece Misty are settling in to spend the holidays away after unexpected events leave them without a place to stay. Little do they know they’re about to make a shocking discovery and experience a Christmas they’re not likely to forget …

 

Successful author Andrew (Drew) Vitruvius reluctantly agrees to a fake kidnapping on live TV as a publicity stunt. However the kidnapping feels all too real when he is left beaten and chained in an abandoned house with no means of escape.

Lori France, an aspiring writer, is looking forward to a few days off to finish writing her first novel. When her four-year-old niece is unceremoniously dumped on her for the holiday break Lori puts aside her plans and takes her to stay at a friend’s cabin in the Brecon Beacons, determined to give Misty a happy Christmas.

I quite enjoyed this Christmasy romantic suspense with likeable characters and a few twists to keep the reader engrossed. It was a light, easy read and had a compelling mystery behind the slow-burn romance between Lori and Drew.
Drew had a heart-breaking past that he needed to work through before he could give his heart to Lori. Both characters worked through problems that arose with patience and maturity. The inclusion of 4-year-old Misty and Lori’s cat, Griff added a sense of fun and humour to the story.

I am adverse to internal monologue and there is an abundance of that throughout the story but the anguish (which is another of my pet peeves) is kept to a minimum.

What Happens at Christmas is the perfect story for a quick holiday read.

My rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐

 



 

Photo Credit: Goodreads
Evonne Wareham was born in South Wales and spent her childhood there. After University she migrated to London, where she worked in local Government, scribbled novels in her spare time and went to the theatre a lot. Now she is back in Wales, living by the sea, writing and studying for a PhD in history. She still loves the theatre, likes staying in hotels and enjoys the company of other authors through her membership of both the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Crime Writers' Association.