This is a charming romantic comedy just crying out to be made into a light-hearted, feel-good rom-com. It has everything – gorgeous English country coThis is a charming romantic comedy just crying out to be made into a light-hearted, feel-good rom-com. It has everything – gorgeous English country cottages, a grieving widower finding new love, a young couple negotiating the difficulties of balancing work and family, and a beautiful real estate agent so busy fixing up everyone else’s lives that she has no time to worry about her own.
It’s the perfect read for anyone who’s a little tired or down-hearted, and wants a few hours of comfort and escape. The various romances are described with a light, deft hand, the pace is swift but smooth, and all the characters are given sufficient space to grow and win our sympathy.
Sometimes I think I should be employed as a story scout for film companies! Because this one would be a hit for sure....more
A warm-hearted contemporary tale set in Australia and Italy, Three Gold Coins is the first book written by Josephine Moon that I have read but it won’A warm-hearted contemporary tale set in Australia and Italy, Three Gold Coins is the first book written by Josephine Moon that I have read but it won’t be the last. I just loved the skilful twisting together of romance and suspense, chick-lit and family drama. This is a novel which celebrates family ties, food and the importance of kindness, all things which I passionately believe in.
The story begins when Australian tourist Lara Foxleigh tosses three gold coins into the Trevi Fountain in the age-old superstition: one coin for love, one coin for marriage, one coin to return to Rome. As she watches the crowd passing by, she notices a stooped old man struggling along, helped by a young woman in tight flashy gym gear. Then the old man is alone. His carer has robbed him and abandoned him, and he has no way of getting home. Lara is moved to help him, and ends up offering to drive the old man home. She does not realise Samuel lives in Tuscany, a long way from Rome, and so finds herself embarked on a much bigger adventure than she had imagined.
Before long, Lara finds herself cooking and caring for Samuel, and drawn into his family feuds. The only person to talk to him is his nephew Matteo, a handsome young man with a debilitating stutter. My heart was won at that moment. As someone who has struggled all my life with a stutter, I could not help but warm to the world’s first stuttering romantic hero!
Lara learns to milk the goats and make pasta and ricotta cheese, while slowly falling in love with Matteo.
Yet there is darkness in both Lara and Samuel’s pasts that threatens her new-found happiness. Back in Australia, Lara’s mother, Eliza, her sister Sunny and Sunny’s young twins, Daisy and Hudson, are facing a threat that Lara has tried to run from. And in Italy, Samuel’s loneliness and isolation are a problem she must try to solve.
The story moves back and forth between the voices of Lara and Sunny, and between the past and the present, slowly revealing the secrets that are overshadowing Lara’s life. Josephone Moon sensitively explores themes of depression and mental illness, psychological abuse and violence, which give her story extra gravitas and depth to balance the warmth and charm. ...more
‘Down a cobbled street in Paris, a long-forgotten apartment is found. Thick with dust and secrets, it is full of priceless artworks that have been hid‘Down a cobbled street in Paris, a long-forgotten apartment is found. Thick with dust and secrets, it is full of priceless artworks that have been hidden away for decades.’
It was these words – the opening sentence of the blurb on the back of the book – that sold me on this book. It’s just such a fascinating premise. I would love to find such an apartment myself – just imagine the forgotten stories hidden within.
The Paris Secret is probably best described as a contemporary romance, and so it’s full of descriptions of gorgeous designer clothes and handbags, and has a brooding French bad-boy millionaire as the romantic interest. It’s not my usual kind of book at all, but it was perfect for a plane trip of a few hours (I bought it in the airport bookshop). I ripped through it in a few hours, and enjoyed it immensely. I loved the inside view of the international art world, and the scenes set in Paris, one of my favourite cities in the world. I enjoyed the romance too, which was deftly done. All in all, it was a great light read, perfect for a beach holiday. ...more
A funny, romantic story with lots of heart, set in the Margaret River wine region and featuring engaging characters anSUMMER HARVEST – Georgina Penney
A funny, romantic story with lots of heart, set in the Margaret River wine region and featuring engaging characters and light-hearted encounters. Beth Poole is a Yorkshire lass who has had a rough time. Her Aussie-soap-loving grandmother gives her a ticket to Australia as a birthday present. Beth is terrified of snakes and spiders and sharks, and in fact, nearly everything. And her heart has been badly bruised in the past. However, the warm-hearted Hardy clan, who own the vineyard on which Beth stays, soon have her embroiled in all sorts of complications. My only reservation about this engaging book is that about halfway through I began to realise that it was a follow-on from an earlier book by Georgina Penny called Fly In, Fly Out. I usually like to read books in order, and so I’d have liked to have done so here. However, the books clearly stand alone, and I look forward to picking up Fly In, Fly Out now that I’ve been charmed by the Hardy clan. ...more
I enjoyed this contemporary romance suspense novel set in the north coast of New South Wales. The heroine Ellie is a photo-journalist still strugglingI enjoyed this contemporary romance suspense novel set in the north coast of New South Wales. The heroine Ellie is a photo-journalist still struggling with grief over the death of her sister Nina in Afghanistan two years earlier, while the hero is an undercover government agent and ex-military officer who feels responsible for Nina’s death. They are on opposite sides of a small town’s struggle with corruption and drugs, yet neither can deny that sparks fly whenever they meet. ...more
I love historical romance but rarely read contemporary romance, for reasons unknown. I met Ally Blake at the Australian Society of Authors’ National CI love historical romance but rarely read contemporary romance, for reasons unknown. I met Ally Blake at the Australian Society of Authors’ National Congress, where we were both speakers. She writes ‘fun, fresh, flirty romance’ for Harlequin Mills and Boon and has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide which is most impressive. She was kind enough to give me a copy of one of her books (they are so slim she easily carry them around in my handbag while I’d dislocate my shoulder if I tried to heave copies of my books around with me). I read it in the bath that night and enjoyed it immensely. ‘Faking It to Making It’ is a sexy and funny contemporary romance set in Melbourne and would make a great rom com – I hope Hollywood comes knocking on Ally’s door!...more
I have never read any of Marian Keyes’ books before and bought one on the very strong recommendation of a friend. She said that they were the sort of I have never read any of Marian Keyes’ books before and bought one on the very strong recommendation of a friend. She said that they were the sort of books that make you laugh and make you cry, and really, what more could you want from any book? ‘Anybody Out There’ is certainly an engaging mixture of humour and pathos and gave me a lump in the throat more than once. It tells the story of Anna Walsh, who has been in some kind of terrible accident, and is recuperating on her parents’ couch in Dublin. But Anna is desperate to speak to a man named Aiden and so returns to New York to find him. There’s a vast cast of eccentric characters, some odd and some funny moments, and a dark and serious streak I was not expecting. Marian Keyes is not afraid to grapple with themes of grief, depression, loneliness, and pain, even as she mocks the shallowness of the beauty industry and throws in some slapstick humour. The warmth and wit of her heroine, Anna, keeps the story from jangling too wildly. This is chick-lit with heart and an acute social conscience....more
Yippee! As far as I’m concerned, Juliet Marillier could bring out a new book every week and I’d be happy. I (like many, many other people) particularlYippee! As far as I’m concerned, Juliet Marillier could bring out a new book every week and I’d be happy. I (like many, many other people) particularly love her books set at Sevenwaters. This new novel is number six. Each can be read alone, but they are definitely best read in order. The heroine of this book is Maeve, who in an earlier book was badly burned while trying to rescue her dog from a fire. She was crippled as a result, her hands twisted into stiff and useless claws. For me, this gave the story echoes of the terrible fairy tale ‘Maiden with no Hands’. Like the poor handless maiden in that tale, Maeve must try and get through life without the use of her hands. In the tradition of Juliet’s heroines, however, she is brave, philosophical, and determined not to let her life be ruined. She gains comfort and consolation from the animals in her life, particularly a highly-strung stallion named Swift who can only be calmed by Maeve’s soft voice and gentle manner.
Maeve returns to Sevenwaters after many years, to find her home under threat from Mac Dara, the cruel king of the Underworld who was the villain of one or two earlier Sevenwaters tales. A group of travellers through the forest have disappeared, their bodies appearing in cruel and unusual ways. The ripple effect of these murders has Sevenwaters facing the very real possibility of war. Maeve befriends and tames two stray dogs, and her love for them and for her young brother Finbar sets off a chain of events that sees Maeve travelling by herself – crippled and very much afraid – into the Otherworld.
As always, Juliet Marillier’s new book is a beautiful story of love, courage, faith and kind-heartedness … and I want another one right NOW!!! ...more
I was a little disappointed in this romance novel. It has a great title, but basically the hero wasn’t a rake, he was almost cloyingly good, and the hI was a little disappointed in this romance novel. It has a great title, but basically the hero wasn’t a rake, he was almost cloyingly good, and the heroine didn’t ‘break all the rules’ as the tagline said, but was a fairly run-of-the-mill Regency romance heroine except for having lost her foot in an accident, which did add a dash of interest – it’s not a spoiler to say this because I’d guessed her ‘secret’ by the end of chapter one. That said, I still enjoyed the book, primarily because of some of the minor characters and some light and amusing scenes....more
An engaging and suspenseful romance novel set during the Napoleonic Wars, with a particularly charming heroine, The Spymaster’s Lady is one of the besAn engaging and suspenseful romance novel set during the Napoleonic Wars, with a particularly charming heroine, The Spymaster’s Lady is one of the best romance novels I’ve read in a while. Joanne Bourne is particularly good at dialogue, which I think is the skill that always lifts one romance above another. ...more
A compelling and poignant family saga that parallels the story of Beattie Blaxland, a Scottish girl who emigrates to Australia in 1929, with the storyA compelling and poignant family saga that parallels the story of Beattie Blaxland, a Scottish girl who emigrates to Australia in 1929, with the story of her granddaughter, Emma Blaxland-Hunter. Linking the generations is the old house, Wildflower Hill, in Tasmania. A love story, and a story about making the best of what life throws at you, this is a book where the pages just seem to turn themselves. I’d really recommend this to anyone who loves a heart-warming tale....more
'Little Paradise' is the story of Mirabel, an Australian Chinese girl in her seventeenth year in Melbourne during the Second World War. She falls in l'Little Paradise' is the story of Mirabel, an Australian Chinese girl in her seventeenth year in Melbourne during the Second World War. She falls in love with a Chinese soldier and eventually travels to Shanghai to try and find him, even though she has been warned about the dangers of the civil war erupting there. Based on the true story of her own mother and charmingly illustrated with a few of her mother's gorgeous sketches, this is an absolutely wonderful book that I devoured in a single afternoon. ...more
An old favourite of mine and one I like to re-read every few years. A beautiful, subtle love story set partly in Italy and partly in England, with a gAn old favourite of mine and one I like to re-read every few years. A beautiful, subtle love story set partly in Italy and partly in England, with a gentle satire on English manners and mores – a wonderful book....more
Wuthering Heights is the only novel ever written by Emily Bronte. She died of tuberculosis in 1848, the same year her book was published. She was onlyWuthering Heights is the only novel ever written by Emily Bronte. She died of tuberculosis in 1848, the same year her book was published. She was only thirty years old. Since then the book has had countless new editions, and been made into many plays and movies. It is one of those books that everyone is meant to read (and if you haven’t, I’d encourage you to pick it up – it really is an extraordinary book.)
I first read Wuthering Heights when I was a teenager, after being inspired by Kate Bush singing on a moor in a flowing red dress. I absolutely loved the book, and was particularly struck by the scene in the opening pages where the ghost appears. I thought it wildly romantic and eerie.
I have read the book again at least four times, and have had widely differing responses to it since. I remember being horrified by the cruelty in it, and disliking Heathcliff immensely, when I re-read it in my twenties. In my thirties, I was struck by the beauty of the language and the vividness of the characters, but still disliked the cruelty.
Reading it now, I was surprised by how suspenseful the novel was – the pages seemed to turn themselves (I admit I skipped some of the servant Joseph’s monologues in Yorkshire dialect.) I also loved the romance of Cathy and Hareton in the second half of the book, which I had never paid much attention to in earlier readings. I also loved the symmetry of the book, which I had never much noticed before. And the cruelty did not bother me so much this time – perhaps I have hardened over the years (I still hate the scene where Hareton is hanging the puppies).
I wonder how I will like it when I read it again next decade? ...more
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