Mailbox Monday - April 26th

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.

 

Happy Monday!

 

Some happy snaps.  

 The weather has still been sunny enough to enjoy some water play

 

I've been doing a few secret bookfairy drops

 

Knitting a new afghan throw - only 29 squares to go 😀

Spotted this beautiful ANZAC day chalk drawing on a driveway 

 

 Books I've received and purchased over the last two weeks.

 

 The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock

 

How To Mend a Broken Heart by Rachael Johns

 

The Secret Path by Karen Swan 

 

Left You Dead by Peter James 

 

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs 

 

Debesa by Cindy Solonec 

 

Dinosaur Snap & Dinosaur Flap  

I would love to hear what books you've received in the mail recently! 

 

Book Review: Those Hamilton Sisters by Averil Kenny

 Those Hamilton Sisters

by

Averil Kenny

Will their mother's scandalous past decide their futures?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 30th March 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Pages: 464

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

 
Beautiful Esther Hamilton had a reputation in the town of Noah Vale. That was, until she ran away, twenty years ago, under a cloud of shame. 

 

It's now 1955 and following their mother's death, the Hamilton sisters have returned to Noah Vale to live near their aunt and uncle.

The eldest, Sonnet, has inherited both her mother's fiery hair and her independent streak. The middle child, Fable, at twelve-years-old, is a gifted artist and a dreamer. And three year old Plum, is anxious to please and notices everything.

As the years pass, the three sisters settle into small-town life, but suspicion and judgment seem to follow them wherever they go. And when Fable falls in love with Noah Vale's golden boy, is history destined to repeat itself.

My review

I think 2021 will go down as the year of the debut. The ones I have read lately have all been amazing and diverse in content and writing style. I love that there is so much talent yet to be discovered! Those Hamilton Sisters is no exception.

Averil Kenny's writing is lyrical and poetic. The setting of Far Northern Queensland is ethereal and haunting. Kenny has captured the wonder and seclusion of the area with perfection. She also highlights the danger of the wild storms, cyclones and floods and the relentless heat and humidity of a northern summer. I loved how the characters welcomed these dramatic changes in weather. It was a part of their life to celebrated not endured.

It's 1955, a time of conservative social values. Sonnet, Fable and Novella-Plum arrive in Noah Vale, recently orphaned, they will be living in a small cottage previously owned by their mother. Their Aunt Olive had inherited the family home after their mother was disowned and cast out of the town.

Sonnet, fiercely independent, capable and outspoken is the surrogate mother to Fable and Plum. Fable is wistful and dreamy, a budding artist, she is rejected by the other girls her age and spends her time in the rainforest sketching  and running wild with the boys. Aunt Olive wants nothing more than to smother the girls with love but first she must break through Sonnet's defenses. 

The story has its villains and heroes with each character richly drawn and integral to the overall story.

Averil Kenny has given her readers a coming of age story that incorporates small-town minds, a mother's legacy, misogyny, first love and above all, family.

The novel, spanning ten years, is written in three parts each headed by a quote from Jane Austen's Persuasion. It is then broken down into short chapters that reflect on important events in the girls' lives.

Those Hamilton Sisters is a sobering story of love, legacies and the strive for acceptance. This is one debut novel not to be missed!

 

5 / 5      ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author

Photo credit Goodreads

Averil Kenny grew up on a dairy farm and began work in the tourism industry at a young age. She studied Education at James Cook University, before completing a bachelor of Journalism at the University of Queensland. She currently lives in Far North Queensland with her husband and four children. When not dreaming up stories, she can be found nestled in her favourite yellow wingback chair reading and sipping tea, in her library overlooking the rainforest. Those Hamilton Sisters is her first novel.

 

 

 

 

 

Challenges entered:  Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2021

                                 Aussie Author Challenge #AussieAuthor21

 

 

Blog Tour Guest Post: Author Michael R French

 Today's guest on The Burgeoning Bookshelf is author 

Michael R. French.

 

 

Michael will be speaking on; Why Politics Excites Some People and Turns Off Others.

 

 

I  have friends who  think most politicians  are naive, unethical, lazy, liars, or egomaniacs, and they refuse to vote for anyone in any election. Some believe  there is too much government in their lives…others are  frustrated that government isn’t doing enough for them. Still others are too busy with their lives to worry about politics or volunteer to help at a nonprofit.

A  democracy is inherently fragile  because there are so many moving parts.  It is on life-support much of the time. Those who participate in change by voting are heroes, in my mind, always looking for new opportunities to make their voices heard.  This is not an option for them.  It’s mandatory.

The divide  between exercising one’s  legal right not to vote, and the moral obligation to nurture our democracy, is a visceral, historical split, going back to the birth of our country. To dislike politics connotes a  level of  distrust and suspicion, amplified by social media.  To  be excited by politics, with or without social media,  is to understand that lasting change is a generational or multi-generational effort. It’s not unlike rooting for your favorite sports team, even when you know they haven’t won in a long time and prospects for a future title are dim.  You have to hang in with patience.  You have to believe in hope.

Cliffhanger: jump before you get pushed looks at our country ten years from now.  Politics, from Washington D.C. to high schools throughout the country,  are experiencing radical changes as America tries to dig itself out of unforeseen seismic holes.  Who are the heroes and who are the villains in 2030?  The only constant is surprise.

 

 Thank you Michael for taking the time to write this post. 

 

*(Voting is compulsory in Australia)

Michael's  latest book Cliffhanger was published on 1st December 2020.

Publisher: Moot point Productions

Genre: political Thriller

Pages: 276

About the book

 

In 2030, viruses, spy drones, terrorism, joblessness have eroded American optimism. People want something to believe in. As demonstrated in a Midwest high school election, politics have taken on the inflexibility and dogma of a new religion. Only true believers will survive and prosper. Or so they think.

 

About the author

Michael R. French is a National best-selling author and graduate of Stanford University and Northwestern University. He is a businessman and author who divides his time between Santa Barbara, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is an avid high-altitude mountain trekker, world traveler to developing countries, and is a collector of first editions of twentieth-century fiction.

He has published twenty-two books, including fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, and art criticism. His novel, Abingdon's, was a bestseller and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. His young adult novel, Pursuit, was awarded the California Young Reader Medal.

You can discover more about Michael’s work on his website:

http://www.michaelrfrench.com

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRFrenchAuthor/?fref=nf

https://www.instagram.com/mrfrenchbooks/

 

Follow the blog tour: 

 

 

Book Review: The Mistake by Katie McMahon

 The Mistake

by

Katie McMahon

 

Can one decision change everything?

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 2nd March 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: $29.99AUD

Format read: Paperback

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

About the book

 

Kate and Bec are sisters, but they could not be less alike.

Bec lives the perfect life: perfect house, perfect husband, perfect children. That is, until she meets Ryan - ten years her junior, wild and exciting, his arrival makes her question everything she thought she wanted.

Her sister Kate's life is anything but perfect. Her career as a model ended dramatically over a decade ago; now she lives alone miles from her family, and has been lonely for a long time. That is, until she meets kind, funny Adam. But something doesn't quite add up, and as he avoids Kate's questions, she begins to wonder if he is too good to be true.

Bec thinks Adam is only after her sister's money, and Kate can't see why Bec would throw her life away for Ryan.

But as tensions mount and secrets are revealed, which sister is about to make a mistake?

 

My review

 

The Mistake is an outstanding and impressive debut by Australian author Katie McMahon.

 

Kate was a successful model working around the world when her career ended suddenly. She now pursues an academic career. Her younger sister Bec, a doctor's wife, lives the perfect life; a handsome husband, a beautiful house and three gorgeous children. Everything Kate aspires to.

 

There is something between the sisters, simmering menacingly, something that's never been discussed but changed the course of both their lives irrevocably.

The dual narrative gives the reader a greater sense of the sisters' relationship and how each of them feels. With Kate's in first person I found her character more open and vulnerable, than the third person narrative of Bec. 

 

As Katie's life finally starts to be looking up in the romance department Bec's life and marriage are falling apart. When Bec starts to get attention from the much younger Ryan she can't resist the urge to break free. Kate and Bec will always be there for each other and tell each other everything. Or do they? Katie McMahon explores the bond between sisters, beauty, sexuality and fidelity.

 

I had a small idea of what was going on but I had no idea where McMahon was taking this and found this shrewdly plotted novel both believable and well executed. 

McMahon gives the reader a deep insight into the sisters innermost thoughts, fears and the events that bind them together and tear them apart. Delivered in two intertwining plot lines The Mistake held my interest from start to finish.

 

In this genre defying novel McMahon mixes family drama with romance, suspense, humour and satire. Her writing is sharp, succinct and delivered with a wry wit.

 

The Mistake is honest, heartfelt and engaging. I'm looking forward to more from Katie McMahon. 

 

4.5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

 

About the author

 

Katie McMahon wrote The Mistake while attending a masterclass run by the internationally bestselling author Fiona McIntosh. Previous writers discovered at the masterclasses include Tania Blanchard, author of the runaway bestseller The Girl from Munich (50k+ copies sold in ANZ). Katie has lived in London and Melbourne and is now based with her family in Hobart, Tasmania. She is a trained doctor, works as a GP and teaches communication skills to medical students. The Mistake is her first novel.

 

 

Challenges entered:  Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2021

                                 Aussie Author Challenge #AussieAuthor21

 

 

 

Book Review: The Jam Queens by Josephine Moon

 The Jam Queens

by

Josephine Moon

 

Publisher: Penguin Books Australia

Imprint: Michael Joseph

Publication date: 13th April 2021

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 400

RRP: $32.99AUD

Format read: Uncorrected proof copy

Source: courtesy of the publisher 

 

About the book

 

Award-winning jam maker Aggie is determined to take her Barossa Valley cafe to new heights. She has put the pain of unsuccessful IVF treatments and a broken relationship behind her, and is focused on the many wonderful possibilities life still holds in store.

When an invitation to travel across Australia on the Ghan for her mother’s seventieth birthday comes her way, she is at first apprehensive. But the trip offers a precious opportunity to spend some quality time with both her disgruntled mother, Valeria, and her distant daughter, Holly, as well as her meddling great-aunt, Myrtle. The four generations of the family, all single women, will be reunited at last.

As the iconic train chugs its way beneath majestic desert skies, Aggie’s difficult past resurfaces, her business comes under threat, and long-held family rifts reignite. To complicate things further, she’s distracted by the attentions of a handsome younger man on his own search for meaning in some of the country’s most remote and magical places.

 

My review

 

Five women spanning four generations take a trip together on the Ghan hoping to smooth over old hurts and reconnect.

I really enjoyed the armchair travel on the Ghan and all the touristy day outings the characters embarked on.

Josephine Moon has included many topical issues spread between the women and many of these start out as little mysteries. I won't go into the themes as it will spoil the suspense for readers.

Aggie has the most on her plate; A rift to try and repair with her mother, a business that has an untimely problem, a daughter that has become closed off and a moral dilemma that can’t be put off any longer. However all Aggie’s good intentions are waylaid when she meets the handsome, and much younger, Harry, and spends the trip sightseeing with him.The story is told through three narratives giving the reader a good insight into these characters’ inner thoughts and feelings about themselves and each other. Through backstory we get to know more about the formation of the characters’ current relationships.

The train journey ends up being more of a soul searching trip than a bonding session.

I personally felt there were too many topical themes introduced and most of them weren’t fully explored which made their inclusion come across as somewhat contrived. For me, the exploration of the family’s disconnect and the IVF theme would have been enough to hold my interest.

The Jam Queens is sure to be popular amongst contemporary fiction readers with messages of resilience, family and love, plus an assured happy ending.

 3.5 /5    ⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Photo credit Goodreads

Josephine Moon was born and raised in Brisbane, had a false start in environmental science before completing a Bachelor of Arts in communication and then a postgraduate degree in education. Twelve years and ten manuscripts later, her first novel, The Tea Chest, was picked up for publication and then shortlisted for an ABIA award. Her bestselling contemporary fiction is published internationally.

In 2018, Josephine organised the 'Authors for Farmers' appeal, raising money to assist drought-affected farming communities. She is passionate about literacy, and is a proud sponsor of Story Dogs and The Smith Family. She now lives in the beautiful Noosa hinterland.

Challenges entered:  Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2021

                                 Aussie Author Challenge #AussieAuthor21

 
 

Winners in my Mega Friday Freebie Giveaway Announced

 A big thank you to everyone who entered my Mega Friday Freebie Giveaway. I had an amazing number of entries.  The giveaway closed on 15th April and the winners were randomly selected (using Random org) from all entries. 

 

 Congratulations to.....

 

Janelle, Liz H, Gloria A, Pam S, Kylie H, Suzanne, Donna Rae & Jodie K

 

 

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

 There will be more giveaways coming soon!

 

 

Book Review: Bring Him Home by Nicole Trope

 Bring Him Home

by

Nicole Trope

 

 A totally gripping and emotional page turner

 

 

Publisher: Bookouture 

Publication date: 30th March 2021

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 250

Format read: eBook

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

 

About the book

 

‘Your son is missing,’ they say, and life as I know it is over. ‘Where would he go?’ the police ask. ‘Where would he be?’ my daughter begs.

My heart races as images flash in my mind. The cabin we rent every autumn, surrounded by fiery red maple trees. Voices raised. Tears falling. A marriage falling apart. And worst of all my husband telling our child, Theo, to run.

The rest is a blank in my memory. If I close my eyes I can almost see it. A betrayal that has left me alone, in tatters, grieving for what we had.

It wasn’t meant to be like that. It should have been precious time as a family, with boardgames, walks in the mountain and pancakes for breakfast.

Instead my little one has vanished. ‘They are looking for him,’ the nurse told me, ‘but the storm is slowing down the search.’

The police think Theo has the answers, that he knows what tore our family apart. But I have no idea where he is. No clue if he is safe. And that’s the most terrifying thing of all…

My review

 

Nicole Trope has depicted, with stark reality, a family on the edge of collapse in this intriguing and moving story.

 

Told through the eyes of multiple characters with a compelling mystery running through the heart of the story Trope explores the complexity of PTSD when Cecilia is found leaning over her injured husband with a knife in her hand. She is unable to speak and can't remember what happened.

 

Set in the holiday cabins in the heart of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. The area is deluged by rain and communications have been cut which adds to the tense atmosphere.

The couples autistic son, Theo, is missing. Through Theo Trope explores the mind of an autistic child. Although I know nothing about autism it came across as believable. 

Eighty-four year old Rose who has lived in one of the cabins all her life gives us a view of autism in the 50's & 60's as she looks back at the prejudices and problems she faced with her autistic brother and the lack of support and understanding then.

I have to admit Theo and Rose really stole the show in this story. Rose's story is heartbreaking. She is a strong determined woman and she had wonderful support from her nephew.

Teenaged Kaycee highlights the affect having a sibling with a disability has on siblings.

The story is filled with villains and heroes and a few twists and turns that will have you reeling. However ultimately it is a story of family, of supporting each other in times of crisis and an undying connection that goes beyond the grave.

This is an easy read I was totally immersed and stayed up late to finish the story.

 

4.5 / 5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

About the author

Photo credit: Goodreads 

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.
She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.
She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children

 

 

Challenges entered:  Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2021

                                 Aussie Author Challenge #AussieAuthor21