BOOKS REVIEWED ON THIS LIST:
Rosalee Station ~ Mandy Magro
The Best of Me ~ Nicholas Sparks
North Star ~ Karly Lane
Heart of Gold ~ Fiona Palmer
Safe Haven ~ Nicholas Sparks
What Kate Did Next by Lisa Heidke
Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman
The Family Farm ~ Fiona Palmer
Red Dust ~ Fleur McDonald
●♥●
‘Rosalee Station‘ by Mandy Magro.
Sarah Clarke’s dream is to experience life in the real outback. When her boyfriend Brad offers her a job with him on Rosalee Station, she can’t believe her luck. But within days of arriving, her relationship is in tatters, and the dream is fast losing its lustre.
Sarah stays on to prove herself in the unforgiving land, earning the admiration of Matt, the station owners’ son. Beneath the wide outback skies, the pair are irresistibly drawn to each other, until a stolen kiss leads to disaster. Sarah leaves Rosalee, convinced she’ll never see Matt again – but fate has a way of intervening . . .
Mandy’s debut book ‘Rosalee Station’ had the potential to be a good read, but unfortunately it didn’t come close. I believe the publisher and editor of this book have a great deal to answer for. Apart from the various errors and writing problems, Mandy knows the outback well and paints a beautiful setting. I look forward to reading her next book, and watching her grow as a writer.
Mandy Magro lives on the family fruit farm in Dimbulah, Tropical North Queensland, with her husband Drew, and her young daughter, Chloe Rose. She loves writing about the Australian outback and all the wonderful characters who live there, and her own many adventures on the land have made her the passionate country woman she is today.
●♥●
‘The Best of Me‘ by Nicholas Sparks.
Dawson and Amanda were teenage sweethearts from the opposite side of the tracks – with a passion that would change their lives for ever. But life would force them apart. Years later, they are called back to their hometown for the funeral of their mentor, Tuck, who once gave them shelter when they needed it most. Faced with each other again, they are forced to confront the paths they chose. Can true love ever rewrite the past?
This is yet another book that had me shaking my head. The proofreading was under par, and off putting. The storyline was good, although predictable. Some scenes weren’t plausible. And, there were too many character thoughts.
Nicholas Sparks is New York Times #1 bestselling author. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and five children.
●♥●
‘North Star‘ by Karly Lane.
Since her divorce a year ago, Kate Thurston feels like she’s lurched from one disaster to another. Her teenage daughter, Georgia, seems to have morphed into a monster overnight, and her son Liam breaks her heart with his sad brown eyes. When Kate receives news that her grandfather has bequeathed her North Star, the vast property which has been in her family for generations, it feels like the perfect opportunity to flee the hectic pace of city life for a calmer rural existence. As soon as she arrives at North Star, though, Kate realises she’s going to need every ounce of determination she has to restore the rundown homestead and huge property to its former glory. Just as Kate starts to feel she’s making headway and a new man comes into her life, her ex-husband arrives in town and triggers a series of events that will change her life forever…
I read this beautifully crafted novel in one day. Its large print and Karly’s lovely ‘voice’ made it a reading pleasure. I was transported to North Star and Kate’s quest became my quest. The characters were very real and I loved the element of mystery and suspense.
Karly Lane lives on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW, Australia. She’s a wife, mother of four children, and works part time as a pathology collector by day. She manages to squeeze in her writing whenever and however she can. She writes women’s fiction and everything from romantic suspense to family sagas, and life in rural Australia. She has romantic suspense titles published under the name Karlene Blakemore-Mowle.
●♥●
‘Heart of Gold‘ by Fiona Palmer.
CJ Wishart is a hardworking country girl with a heart of gold but a life that can be tough. Her job as a wool classer is back-breaking, her family life is a disaster and, after a string of dating debacles, she’s put men in the too-hard basket. When strong, handsome Lindsay arrives on the scene as their new shearer, CJ can’t help but take notice. They have an undeniable spark, but can she handle the complications and potential heart-break of falling in love? With help from her best friend and an endearing old farmer, CJ learns that when you stay true to yourself and open your heart, anything is possible.
I thoroughly enjoyed this second novel by Fiona. She brings the setting and characters to life in this lively Australian Outback saga. The well rounded plot concluded nicely, and I confess there were a few tears.
Fiona Palmer lives in the tiny rural town of Pingaring in Western Australia; three and a half hours south-east of Perth. She works and has extensive farming experience. Fiona is married and writes in between looking after their two children.
●♥●
‘Safe Haven‘ by Nicholas Sparks.
Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again you must learn to trust again. When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small American town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet unassuming, Katie is determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts her… Eventually, though, Katie realizes that a choice must be made between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards… and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.
This is the second novel Nicholas Sparks has written with a dark side; a thriller element. And, although he is my most favourite author, it was my least favourite book to date. I found the plot too predictable! While I was reading, ‘Sleeping with the Enemy’ kept flashing at me. There were many mistakes throughout the novel, including actions where I thought, he wouldn’t do this or that, and a line/scene from the movie ‘Pretty Woman’ had me shaking my head.
Nicholas Sparks is New York Times #1 bestselling author. He lives in North Carolina with his wife and five children.
●♥●
‘What Kate Did Next‘ by Lisa Heike.
An often hilarious but also a wry account of the life of Kate Cavendish – housewife and mother of two – as she dips her toes back into the workforce while trying to juggle kids, a work-obsessed husband, lust for her son’s soccer coach, and much, much more . . .
I thoroughly enjoyed this second novel by Lisa. She has a young, fresh, unique voice. It was easy to identify with her heroine Kate, as she deals with real life problems, between family relationships and work colleagues; while trying to follow some of her own dreams.
Lisa Heidke studied journalism at Queensland University, fled Brisbane and settled in Sydney where she landed a job as an Acquisitions Editor in book publishing (HBJ). After a while, she headed to ACP where she worked as a feature writer on several national magazines, including Practical Parenting and Bride to Be. Lisa lives in Sydney’s inner west, with her husband and three children.
●♥●
‘Wildflower Hill‘ by Kimberley Freeman.
Glasgow 1929 ~ Sixteen year old, Beattie Blaxland finds herself pregnant to her married lover Henry MacConnell. Abandoned by her family, Beattie and Henry set sail for a new life in Australia.
London 2009 ~ After a bad fall, prima ballerina Emma Blaxland-Hunter returns home to Australia to recuperate. She soon discovers her recently deceased grandmother Beattie Blaxland has left Emma her Tasmanian property.
This story is told through the eyes of a young Beattie Blaxland and Emma Blaxland-Hunter. Linking the generations is the old house, Wildflower Hill, in Tasmania. It is a compelling, emotionally charged and poignant family saga. I fell in love with the characters in this unforgettable story of passion, love, secrets and loss. I enjoyed Kim’s easy and magnetic writing style, so much that I couldn’t put this book down.
Kim Wilkins was born in London and her family moved back to Aust when she was three years old. She grew up in Queensland, where she currently lives with her husband and two children. Her women’s fiction novels are published under the pseudonym Kimberley Freeman. Kim has an Honours degree, a Masters degree and a PhD from University of Queensland where she is also a lecturer.
●♥●
‘The Family Farm‘ by Fiona Palmer.
Isabelle Simpson longs to take over the family farm, but her ailing father is locked in a tragedy of the past and won’t give her the chance she deserves. The stand-off between them threatens to tear the family apart. Izzy decides to break free and make a new start for herself – even though that means leaving the handsome Will Timmins and all her mixed emotions about him behind.
But when hardship falls on the farm again, Izzy returns with an even greater determination to resolve the family feud. As she gathers with her friends in the close community under the shade of the gum-tree tavern, confessions are made, long-held secrets are revealed and hearts are set free.
Set under the blazing blue skies and in the golden wheatfields of Western Australia, this is a colourful story of family life on the land, and a heartwarming romance about finding true love.
The Family Farm has been a huge success since its release in July, 2009. Looking back, I remember being so moved with the fact Fiona was interested in meeting me, during the RWA ‘Romancing the West’ conference in May last year. It was wonderful to talk to the hugely successful and inspirational young woman, who wrote this fabulous debut novel. Fiona has a fresh, new voice and I felt so much of herself was captured within her heroine, Izzy.
Fiona Palmer lives in the tiny rural town of Pingaring in Western Australia; three and a half hours south-east of Perth. She has attended romance writers’ groups and received an Australian Society of Authors mentorship for this novel. She works and has extensive farming experience. Fiona is married and writes in between looking after their two children.
●♥●
‘Red Dust’ by Fleur McDonald.
After the tragic death of her husband in a light-plane accident, Gemma Sinclair is left with the daunting task of managing the vast outback station he’s bequeathed her. But she remains haunted by Adam’s dying words, not to mention persistent whispers that Adam’s death was not an accident.
Red Dust has been a huge success since its release in May, 2009. I enjoyed reading this debut novel. Fleur has developed a strong heroine, along with some memorable characters. The outback setting that she is so familiar with, paints a wonderful canvas.
Fleur McDonald grew up in Orrorroo, South Australia but completed her secondary education in Adelaide. After school she spent a couple of years jillarooing in South Australia and Western Australia. Fleur lives with her husband and two children on a station near Esperance in Western Australia. Fleur is very involved in the daily management of their 8000 acres.
