Michelle's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 03:04:54 -0700 60 Michelle's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Cold Hearted (Villains #8) 55812889 This was supposed to be her happily ever after...

It’s a familiar tale: A kind and beautiful young girl, reeling from loss. A doting father, frantic to bring a mother’s love back into his daughter’s life. And the selfish, cruel woman who insinuates herself into that family―a woman so unfeeling, so cold hearted, that when her new husband dies, she makes the girl a servant in her own home.

But who is that evil stepmother, that icy lady of the house? How did she become so closed off that, in the face of a child’s grief, she thought only to seek wealth and power for herself and her abhorrent daughters? Before that fateful ball, before the glass slipper and the prince, there was another story―a story of love and grief, of hope and of dreams dashed. It is the story of Lady Tremaine.

Even the coldest of villains are sometimes wives and mothers, women who loved and lost and hoped for something grander for their lives . . . once upon a dream.

The latest novel in Serena Valentino’s deliciously devious Villains series introduces the most famed and hated wicked stepmother of them all―but turns everything you know about her on its head.]]> 304 Serena Valentino Michelle 4 apr25, library 4.02 2021 Cold Hearted (Villains #8)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: apr25, library
review:

]]> Ashley Bell (Ashley Bell, #1) 25241477
Unprecedented in scope, infinite in heart, Ashley Bell is a magnificent achievement that will capture lovers of dark psychological suspense, literary thrillers, and modern classics of mystery and adventure. Beautifully written, at once lyrical and as fast as a bullet, here is the most irresistible novel of the decade.]]> 560 Dean Koontz 0345545966 Michelle 4 3.51 2015 Ashley Bell (Ashley Bell, #1)
author: Dean Koontz
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Eric Linnaeus - Scorned Heirs 200118054 More of Eric’s dark past is revealed, and long-buried secrets begin to surface. It would seem that not all monsters are so easily distinguished, and as it becomes apparent that some are worse than others, bonds of loyalty are tested.
Book two in the dark fantasy horror series Eric Linnaeus.]]> 432 Kikito Lynn Michelle 4 kindle, jan-24
The world building remained strong and I enjoyed the story, some of these characters really grew on me in this one and I became invested in what will become of them.

I found the story-telling a little more confusing this time round, and it came to light why that would be, but it didn't help to follow the story as it played out. I found myself wondering who was narrating quite often and had to flick back to the beginning of the chapter to check, which pulled me out of the story.

The relationship between Eric and Nathaniel is complicated to say the very least and in Scorned Heirs Lynn delves into that so that we have a much deeper understanding of the complexities. Theirs is not the only interesting and complicated relationship and this book helps us to understand a range of them better.

I will continue to follow the series because the characters intrigue me and I enjoy the story, I want to see where it goes; but I do hope for a little more polish. All in all an enjoyable read with complicated and interesting characters.
]]> 4.67 Eric Linnaeus - Scorned Heirs
author: Kikito Lynn
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: kindle, jan-24
review:
Eric Linnaeus - Scorned Heirs is the second book in the Eric Linnaeus series and it picks up where The Witch's Curse left off.

The world building remained strong and I enjoyed the story, some of these characters really grew on me in this one and I became invested in what will become of them.

I found the story-telling a little more confusing this time round, and it came to light why that would be, but it didn't help to follow the story as it played out. I found myself wondering who was narrating quite often and had to flick back to the beginning of the chapter to check, which pulled me out of the story.

The relationship between Eric and Nathaniel is complicated to say the very least and in Scorned Heirs Lynn delves into that so that we have a much deeper understanding of the complexities. Theirs is not the only interesting and complicated relationship and this book helps us to understand a range of them better.

I will continue to follow the series because the characters intrigue me and I enjoy the story, I want to see where it goes; but I do hope for a little more polish. All in all an enjoyable read with complicated and interesting characters.

]]> Scout's Legacy (Charon MC #7) 43245017
It might have taken Charlie “Scout� Dalton, the president of the Charon MC, over twenty years to see what was right in front of him, but once he did, he didn’t waste a moment tying her to him. Now happily married to the love of his life, Marie, they were expecting a baby and had adopted little Ariel. His life was coming up roses.
Once ready to give up on Scout, Marie was now living her dream. Married to the man she’s loved forever and carrying his baby in her belly.
But nothing in life ever goes to plan, and the birth of their baby is no exception. An unknown enemy comes to Bridgewater and chaos ensues. In the aftermath, Scout finds his loyalty to everything he holds dear tested. Will he be able to find a way to both save his club and be there for his family?]]> 175 Khloe Wren 0648308561 Michelle 4 4.51 Scout's Legacy (Charon MC #7)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Raising the Horseman 60021303 From the New York Times best-selling author of Disney’s Villains series comes a ghostly new stand-alone novel that reimagines The Legend of Sleepy Hollow through the eyes of a modern teen.

The two-hundredth anniversary of the Headless Horseman's legendary haunting of Sleepy Hollow is approaching, but Kat van Tassel wants nothing to do with the town's superstitious celebrations. As a descendant of the original Katrina van Tassel, Kat knows she’s expected to fulfill her ancestor’s legacy by someday marrying her longtime boyfriend and running the prestigious family estate. But Kat dreams of a life outside Sleepy Hollow.

Then Kat meets Isadora, a new girl in town who challenges Kat to reexamine those expectations, opens her eyes to the possibility that ghosts are real, and makes her question who she truly wants to be . . . and be with.

When Kat is given the original Katrina’s diary, a new legend begins to take shape, one that weaves together the past and the present in eerie ways. Can Kat uncover a two-hundred-year-old secret, and trace its shocking reverberations in her own life, in time to protect what she truly loves?

Fans of Serena Valentino will delight in this supernatural coming-of-age tale that finally gives the women of Sleepy Hollow a chance to tell their side of the story.]]> 304 Serena Valentino 1368054617 Michelle 4 apr25, library 3.44 2022 Raising the Horseman
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.44
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: apr25, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Poor Unfortunate Soul (Villains #3)]]> 27416133 And yet this is only half the story. So what of Ariel’s nemesis, Ursula, the sea witch? What led to her becoming so twisted, scorned, and filled with hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account of what might have shaped the sea witch into a detestable and poor unfortunate soul.]]> 224 Serena Valentino 1484724054 Michelle 4 apr25, library 3.58 2016 Poor Unfortunate Soul (Villains #3)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: apr25, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From the Corner of His Eye merge]]> 369611
This sudden ascent from a decade of darkness into the glory of light was not brought about by a holy healer. No celestial trumpets announced the restoration of his vision, just as none had announced his birth.

A rollercoaster had something to do with his recovery, as did a seagull. And you can't discount Barty's profound desire to make his mother proud of him before she died.

The first time she died was the day Barty was born. January 6, 1965.]]> 832 Dean Koontz 0747266808 Michelle 0 3.71 2000 From the Corner of His Eye merge
author: Dean Koontz
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince (Disney Villains #2)]]> 71373747 0 Serena Valentino 1760660663 Michelle 4 apr25, library 3.42 2014 The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince (Disney Villains #2)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/14
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: apr25, library
review:

]]> Tripping Nitro (Charon MC #6) 40770573 Sometimes The One That Got Away Comes Back� Bringing Trouble With Her.It’s really her. Former Navy SEAL and member of Charon MC, Nitro can’t believe his eyes when he finds his high school girlfriend in a bar nineteen years after she disappeared, taking his heart with her.Alone and running from a stalker since she was 16 years old, Cindy has avoided all contact with the opposite sex in order to keep her mysterious stalker appeased. Now, with Nitro by her side, he vows to keep both her body and heart protected, but can she risk believing him?With the help of his Charon MC brothers, Nitro keeps Cindy guarded while he attempts to woo her back into his arms. But just when he manages to break through her walls, she vanishes again. Will Nitro be able to put together all the pieces of the puzzle in time to save his first and only true love?Tripping Nitro is a military motorcycle romance. If you like Elle Boon, Joanna Wylde and Christine Feehan, then you’ll enjoy this fast paced second chance romance.*** Tripping Nitro is book 6 of the Charon MC series, but can be read as a stand alone ***]]> 186 Khloe Wren 0648308510 Michelle 4 4.48 Tripping Nitro (Charon MC #6)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Saving Scout (Charon MC #5) 39683491 Nothing worthwhile in life ever comes fast or easy.Twenty five years after first meeting the Charon MC’s president, Scout, Marie is still waiting for him to realize they’re meant to be together. But instead, he comes to her asking she hire his ex. Frustrated with his continued rejection, she leaves town for the weekend to clear her head and maybe find a man who’ll help her forget her infatuation.When Scout first met Marie, she was way too young, and he hadn’t been looking to settle down. Over the years, he’d never bothered to rethink his stance. When he learns Marie has fled town, he panics and realizes he needs to step up and claim what has always been his. Tracking her down, he approaches her at her hotel and he finally lets the sparks fly.But before they can ride off into the sunset, trouble brews and Scout is taken by an enemy from their past that neither of them knew had been waiting for them. Can they overcome this latest hurdle to finally find their happily ever after? Or are they doomed to always be apart?*** Saving Scout is book 5 in the Charon MC series, but can be read as a stand alone ***]]> 184 Khloe Wren 0987627597 Michelle 4 4.39 Saving Scout (Charon MC #5)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Chasing Taz (Charon MC #3) 36275201 He lived his life one conquest at a time. She calculated her every move� until she met him.Former Marine Donovan ‘Taz� Lee might appear to be a carefree Aussie bloke living it up as a member of the Texan motorcycle club, Charon MC, but the truth is so much more complicated. With blood and tears haunting his past and threatening to destroy his future, Taz is completely unprepared for the woman of his dreams, when she comes in and knocks him on his ass. Literally.Felicity “Flick� Vaughn joined the FBI to get answers behind her brother’s dishonorable discharge and abandonment of his family. Knowing Taz was a part of her brother's final mission, she agrees to partner with him to go after a bigger club, The Satan’s Cowboys MC. However, nothing in life is ever simple and Flick is totally unprepared to have genuine feelings for the sexy Aussie.When secrets are revealed and their worlds are busted wide open, will they be strong enough to still be standing when the dust settles?*** Chasing Taz is book 3 in the Charon MC series, but can be read as a stand alone ***]]> 253 Khloe Wren 0987627538 Michelle 4 4.28 Chasing Taz (Charon MC #3)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:

]]> Claiming Tiny (Charon MC #4) 38105584 Some rules were meant to be broken.After being raised in foster care, Ryan ‘Tiny� Nelson has no plans to settle down. But that idea goes right out the window when Missy shows up at the clubhouse. One taste of the Charon MC’s newest club whore and he’s hooked.Love is the last thing on Mercedes ‘Missy� Soto’s mind when she runs to the Charon MC for protection. But the first time Tiny wraps his arms around her, he captures her heart in the process. When things start unravelling, Missy panics and runs. Will Tiny find her in time to give her a Christmas to remember, or will he lose her forever once her past catches up with her?*** Claiming Tiny is book 4 in the Charon MC series, but can be read as a stand alone ***]]> 75 Khloe Wren 0987627570 Michelle 4 4.08 2018 Claiming Tiny (Charon MC #4)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chasing Taz: MC Contemporary Romance (Charon MC)]]> 36855624 314 Khloe Wren 0987627562 Michelle 4 4.00 Chasing Taz: MC Contemporary Romance (Charon MC)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Fighting Mac (Charon MC #2) 37880268 For the past three years Claire ‘Zara� Flynn has been at the mercy of narcolepsy and cataplexy attacks. But after she witnesses a shooting by the ruthless Iron Hammers MC, her problems get a whole lot worse. She's now a marked woman, on the run for her life.
Former Marine Jacob ‘Mac� Miller has a good life with the Charon MC. He works in the club gym and teaches self-defense classes--in hopes of saving other women from the violent death his sister suffered. When the pretty new waitress at a local café catches his attention, he wants her in his bed. But there’s a problem. She’s clearly scared of all bikers. Wanting to help her, he talks her into coming to his class. Mac soon realizes he wants to keep her close in more ways than one. But can he, when his club's worst enemies come after her?
When Zara disappears, Mac and his brothers must go to war to get her back. Because this time, she wakes up in a terrible place� surrounded by other desperate women, and guarded by the Iron Hammers MC. Can her leather-clad prince ride to the rescue in time to save her from hell?]]> 258 Khloe Wren 098762752X Michelle 4 4.22 2017 Fighting Mac (Charon MC #2)
author: Khloe Wren
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: apr25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Fairest of All (Villains #1) 6124802
Now, for the first time, we’ll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here’s a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage—and he just might have something to do with the Queen’s wicked ways!]]> 256 Serena Valentino 1423106296 Michelle 0 to-read 3.82 2009 Fairest of All (Villains #1)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mother Knows Best (Villains #5)]]> 36244423
And yet this is only half the story. So what of the old witch, Mother Gothel? Where does she come from? And how does she come across the magical golden flower? Here is one account that recounts a version of the story that has remained untold for centuries . . . until now. It is a tale of mothers and daughters, of youth and dark magic. It is a tale of the old witch.]]> 400 Serena Valentino 1368009026 Michelle 0 to-read 3.98 2018 Mother Knows Best (Villains #5)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Evil Thing (Villains #7) 48717621
Cruella De Vil is the perfect villain: stylish, witty, relentless...and possibly cursed.

From her lonely childhood, to her iconic fashion choices, to that fateful car crash (you know the one), Cruella tells all in this marvelous memoir of a woman doomed. Even the cruelest villains have best friends, true loves, and daring dreams. Now it's Cruella's turn to share hers.

This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular and darkly fascinating Villains series brings readers a tale told by the Evil Thing herself-a tale of the complicated bonds of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, and of burning, destructive desire.

After all, nothing is as simple as black and white.]]> 352 Serena Valentino 1368009034 Michelle 0 to-read 3.99 2020 Evil Thing (Villains #7)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Never, Never (Villains #9) 59538780
Before Peter Pan and Wendy. Before the Lost Boys. There was just a boy named James who wanted to get back to Neverland.

As a baby, James Bartholomew fell out of his pram and was taken to Neverland. James is claimed by his parents just shy of seven days―after which he would have officially become a Lost Boy. Once he returns to London, he never stops thinking about Neverland. As he grows up, he hates his life in London, and everything to do with growing up and eventually becoming a gentleman. So he seeks a position on the ship of the infamous pirate, Blackbeard.

On Blackbeard’s ship he learns to be a cutthroat pirate, and eventually becomes captain of his own ship, which James is determined to sail to Neverland. With the help of the Odd Sisters and a bit of magic, he just might get his wish. But returning to Neverland comes at a price―and now that he’s grown up, the whole world seems to be rooting for his demise…]]> 256 Serena Valentino Michelle 0 to-read 4.01 2022 Never, Never (Villains #9)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fire & Fate (Villains #10) 62959488
The myth has been told for Brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades waged a years-long war against their father Cronus and his tyrannical Titans. Upon their mighty victory, Zeus split the world into three. For himself, he claimed the Sky and what fell below it. To his brother Poseidon, he assigned dominion over the Sea. And his oldest brother, Hades, would rule the Underworld.

While Hades tries to make the best of a lonely situation, eternity proves a long time to be forced live in a role—a domain—he never wanted. And the part of the story no one tells is that when your family treats you like a villain, it is far too easy to become one.

Years of being ignored and shamed by his family reach a fiery head, when three perfectly alive witches find their way into the land of the dead. Bored and lonely, Hades befriends these mysterious Odd Sisters and makes a bargain that will change the course of fate. But when you’re a god, making a deal has the potential to rewrite more stories than just your own . . .]]> 208 Serena Valentino 1368076572 Michelle 0 to-read 3.84 2023 Fire & Fate (Villains #10)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Heartbroken (Villains #12) 219850949 The twelfth book in the New York Times best-selling Villains series goes down the rabbit hole to explore how Disney’s maddest villain—the Queen of Hearts—lost her head.

The Queen of Hearts has always ruled Wonderland. “A place for everything, and everything in its place� was her motto. All was right and proper in her kingdom, until that wretched god Hades and those Odd Sisters broke the worlds. Now new and strange creatures crowd Wonderland and none of them understand that everything must be done her way. Even her precious roses are no longer red.

But Wonderland is still her kingdom to rule. She holds all the cards. The Queen of Hearts will put everything back in its proper place. The only way to do so is to send a message. Heads. Will. Roll.

She decides to throw a party to bring this about. Croquet, card games, executions. Everyone in Wonderland receives an invitation. But there is one guest the queen does not expect. A girl named Alice.]]> 336 Serena Valentino 1368076742 Michelle 0 to-read 4.00 2025 Heartbroken (Villains #12)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kill the Beast (Villains #11)]]> 199392390
You may think this tale as old as time has been told before. You may know about the beauty, and the beast, and the curse they broke together. But some stories have more than one ending. Some stories have more than one villain.

Such is the story of Gaston. Growing up, young Gaston lived in the shadow of his friend, the prince. He agreed with the prince’s ideas, went along with the prince's schemes, and hid his own talents so that his best friend could shine.

But the prince paid a price for his wicked ways. As he grew more beastly and the world began to forget him, Gaston was no longer forced to pretend. He was determined, never again, to be second-best to anyone. No one says no to Gaston.

The mysterious Odd Sisters know an opportunity to meddle when they see it. And once they do, it just might lead to the downfall of everyone’s favorite guy.

New York Times best-selling author Serena Valentino brings readers back to the tale of that beauty, her beast, and the man who was truly forgotten all along.]]> 432 Serena Valentino 1368076599 Michelle 3 library, apr25 3.92 2024 Kill the Beast (Villains #11)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: library, apr25
review:

]]> Cockatoo Cove 223412047 A pitch-perfect new rural romance from the bestselling author of Wallaby Lane.

Maggie West has worked her entire adult life to prove herself, establishing a successful cattle stud instead of following her father into the crayfishing industry, though it's never enough to stop local speculation about her family's holdings. And with her teenage daughter close to veering off the rails, she knows all too well that money doesn't provide immunity against heartache or hardship.

Since landing in South Australia's picturesque Limestone Coast, Scottish winemaker Fergus Abernathy has gone from strength to strength. But it isn't just the awards or his stint as an unlikely social media superstar that's keeping him in the district; if he can put down roots, perhaps he can persuade his family to join him Down Under.

Missing his family back in Scotland, Fergus looks a little enviously at the close-knit West family, until a shocking phone call changes everything.

Misunderstandings, scams and long-withheld secrets create roadblocks for Maggie and Fergus, and with a community fundraiser hanging in the balance, it seems they're never destined to be in the right place at the right time.

Set in stunning wine country and featuring border collies, beaches and baking, Cockatoo Cove is an exceptional rural romance showcasing the richness of rural life and its generous community spirit with fun, humour and love.

Praise for Maya

'The perfect recipe for a feel-good rural read. Fun, heartfelt and wise, Wallaby Lane is an absolute treat.' � Alissa Callen on Wallaby Lane

'Filled with love, laughter, tears and genuine country characters' � Western District Farmers News on Kookaburra Cottage

'Whenever I pick up a Linnell novel, I know a purely blissful read lies ahead.' � Better Reading on Paperbark Hill

'A rural romance to tug on the heartstrings.' � New Idea

'Linnell brings a good deal of authenticity and humour to her story ... an enjoyable tale about romance, family and dealing with change.' � Canberra Weekly Magazine

'When a new Maya Linnell novel lands in the office, we pretty much draw the curtains and shut up shop until it's read.' � Australian Country]]> Maya Linnell 1761506315 Michelle 5 kindle, mar25, netgalley 5.00 2025 Cockatoo Cove
author: Maya Linnell
name: Michelle
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: kindle, mar25, netgalley
review:

]]> Gemini Falls 61446880
At the family farm in Gemini, Morris meets relations who are strangers � an aunt, an uncle, and a cousin obsessed with detective novels � and is drawn into a community reeling from a murder and a financial crash. Without a clear suspect for the killing, suspicions have turned to the downtrodden, huddled in camps outside the town. But Morris is sure there is more to this case. With the help of new friends, he turns his attention instead to the people around him, confronting his fears and searching for a killer in a town full of mysteries � a search that will bring secrets old and new to the surface, and leave someone else fighting for their life.]]> 320 Sean Wilson 1922806390 Michelle 4 kindle, mar25, netgalley 3.89 2022 Gemini Falls
author: Sean Wilson
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: kindle, mar25, netgalley
review:

]]> Secrets of Riverside 201605909
After losing her family in a tragic fire when she was a child, Amelia Price has battled to put the shattered pieces of her life back together. Even so, she's never felt like she belongs anywhere, and she longs for stability and love. When a mysterious letter turns up at her apartment with hints that she'll uncover the truth behind what happened all those years ago if she goes to the sleepy, picturesque town of Riverside, she sets off on a journey to tropical Far North Queensland.

Jarrah King owns and runs the Riverside Roadhouse. He loves the simpleness of country living, and the fact it gives him complete anonymity. Over the years he's made a life for himself under a new name, however his past has never stopped haunting him.

When a sassy blonde takes up the new cook position, he can't help but be drawn to her vivacious personality. But he can tell there's also pain hiding underneath her bubbly facade and he longs to erase those shadows. However, lowering his defences to let her in may risk his new identity, as well as everything he holds dear.

Can Amelia show him that love is worth the risk? Or will the secrets of their entwined past tear them apart forever?]]> Mandy Magro 1867264641 Michelle 4 kindle, mar25 4.14 Secrets of Riverside
author: Mandy Magro
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: kindle, mar25
review:

]]> A Country Farm Christmas 219856776 Lily Malone 1038909627 Michelle 4 4.15 A Country Farm Christmas
author: Lily Malone
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: feb25, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> One Dark Night 220160216 When a body is found the day after Halloween, a small British community must reckon with its past and the dangers lurking in its present in this spine-tingling novel from “not to be missed� (Hayley Scrivener, author of Dirt Creek) author Hannah Richell.

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

Told from multiple perspectives and with Hannah Richell’s distinct “atmospheric and ever-twisting� (Emylia Hall, author of the Shell House Detective Mysteries) prose, One Dark Night is a white-knuckled and suspenseful thriller about urban legends, privilege, and how the past continues to haunt us.]]> 384 Hannah Richell 1668081334 Michelle 5 feb25, library 3.99 One Dark Night
author: Hannah Richell
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.99
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: feb25, library
review:

]]> Where The Murray River Runs 36525583
Bendigo 1890

Ard O’Rourke is Linley Seymour’s perfect man. They’ve known each other since they were children and she has never wanted anyone else. But when she discovers Ard has fathered a child with another woman, her dreams turn to dust.

Then fate takes a hand. Linley and her Aunt Cee Cee run a women’s refuge and Linley finds herself unexpectedly and painfully the guardian of Ard’s baby: a child that needs her protection from the greed-filled schemes of a violent man.

Ard knows he has no hope with Linley and decides to follow his own path: one that brings him close to redemption. But when he learns Linley and the child are in danger, his own child at that, he cannot stop himself speeding to their aid.

Will he prevail? Can Linley find it in her heart to forgive him? Or will their love come to nothing at the hands of a violent man?

A compulsively readable historical adventure, set on the banks of the mighty Murray River.]]> 393 Darry Fraser 1489248862 Michelle 5 4.04 2017 Where The Murray River Runs
author: Darry Fraser
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, mar25
review:

]]> Twisted (Never After, #4) 61798376 She's his diamond in the rough. He's her worst nightmare.

Yasmin Karam, daughter to one of the richest men in the world, has never known strife. So, when her beloved father falls ill, she's determined to make his final days his happiest. His last wish? To see her married to a man of his choosing. Except Yasmin's heart already belongs to someone else. A servant. A street rat. A man her father would never consider worthy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Yasmin strikes a desperate deal with her father's right-hand man, Julian, not realizing he has his own twisted agenda.

Julian Faraci has one goal: become the most powerful man in the world. He's built a future from broken bones and faded bruises, never caring who he hurt along the way. But when his mentor falls ill, he finds himself on the verge of losing everything, and he'll stop at nothing to inherit what is rightfully his. Even if it means forcing a woman he can't stand into marriage.

Yasmin is a brat who speaks out of turn, and he's the villain of her story. But he decides she'll be his--no matter what it takes to convince her.]]> 400 Emily McIntire 1728275849 Michelle 4 feb25, library 3.98 2023 Twisted (Never After, #4)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: feb25, library
review:

]]> Wretched (Never After, #3) 60211591 Once Upon A Time,
there was a wicked girl.
She lost everything that mattered,
causing darkness to unfurl.
Impulsive and intelligent,
she helped her family name grow strong.
But then one day a man without a heart came along.
An undercover agent, meant to spy and bring back tips.
Following down her hidden path of faded yellow bricks.
She hated him, he wanted her;
she was too good to be true.
But a woman can be great...
and terrible too.

Wretched is a dark contemporary romance and the third complete standalone in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains. It is not fantasy and it is not a retelling. Reader discretion is advised. ]]> 349 Emily McIntire Michelle 3 3.99 2022 Wretched (Never After, #3)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Scarred (Never After, #2) 59512586 She doesn't belong to him...she belongs to the crown.

Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan's tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother's reign. But when Michael's new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what's more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.

Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He's dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she's been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.

Scarred is a DARK Royal Romance and a complete standalone within The Never After Series (A series of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains). It is not a retelling or fantasy. It contains subject matter which may be triggering for some. Reader discretion is advised. ]]> 447 Emily McIntire Michelle 3 feb25, library 3.87 2022 Scarred (Never After, #2)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: feb25, library
review:

]]> The Madness 199292215 Beware what waits in the shadows�

With one unexpected email from her estranged best friend, Lucy, Mina Murray’s carefully curated life is turned upside down. Leaving behind her psychiatric practice in London, along with her routine and the calm it brings, she returns to the windswept shores of Wales. Faced with everything she’s left behind, she soon discovers that Lucy’s symptoms mirror those of her mysterious patient with amnesia hundreds of miles away.

With nothing but an untreatable sickness connecting the two women, and with Lucy’s life on the line, Mina finds herself asking questions and being drawn ever-deeper into a web of secrets, missing girls, and the powerful, nameless force at its center—one that has been haunting her for years.

As terrible, ancient truths begin to reveal themselves, Mina prepares to confront her own darkest secrets, and with them, an evil beyond comprehension. Together with a group of smart, savvy women, Mina seizes one last, desperate chance to stop the cycle that began so long ago. But there are dangers to inviting the attentions of what might not be a man, but a monster…]]> 288 Dawn Kurtagich 1525809814 Michelle 5 3.72 2024 The Madness
author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:

]]> The Last of the Apple Blossom 56999630
Young schoolteacher Catherine Turner rushes to the Huon Valley to find her family's apple orchard destroyed, her childhood home in ruins and her brother dead. Despite her father's declaration that a woman will never run the orchard, Catherine resolves to rebuild the family business.

After five sons, Catherine's friend and neighbour, Annie Pearson, is overjoyed by the birth of a much longed for daughter. As Annie and her husband Dave work to repair the damage to their orchard, Dave's friend Mark pitches in, despite the fact that Annie wants him gone. Mark has moved his family to the valley to escape his life in Melbourne, but his wife has disappeared leaving chaos in her wake and their young son Charlie in Mark's care.

Catherine becomes fond of Charlie, whose strange upbringing has left him shy and withdrawn. However, the growing friendship between Mark and Catherine not only scandalises the small community but threatens a secret Annie is desperate to keep hidden. Through natural disasters, personal calamities and the devastating collapse of the apple industry, Catherine, Annie and those they love battle to save their livelihoods, their families and their secrets.

PRAISE FOR THE LAST OF THE APPLE

'An outstanding historical novel about women and the secrets and burdens they carry' - The Australian

'What a cracker of a debut! A beautiful story of family and orchards, of secrets and love and forgiveness' - Victoria Purman, author of The Nurses' War

'The crisp prose sparkles and the characters stay with you long after the story ends' - Lauren Chater, author of Gulliver's Wife

'Australian historical fiction at its finest ... It will linger in your mind and heart long after the last page.' - Karen Brooks, author of The Good Wife of Bath]]> 464 Mary-Lou Stephens 1867226448 Michelle 4 library, feb25 4.18 The Last of the Apple Blossom
author: Mary-Lou Stephens
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: library, feb25
review:

]]> The Wedding Party 216315816 Three families united by a terrible event must survive a deadly wedding in this latest gripping thriller from INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Rebecca Heath, author of The Summer Party and The Dinner Party!

A group of old friends. A grieving mother. A lying bride.

Adele and Jason are childhood sweethearts. Their wedding day on the sunny Australian coast is a chance to reunite and celebrate with friends and family.

But Adele isn't telling the truth about her relationship. And some of the wedding party � still reeling from a tragic death in the group a decade before � hold secrets of their own.

What happened on the jetty all those years ago was an accident, everyone agrees.

 Or do they?

'I loved The Wedding Party from the first page. Tension and tragedy twist and turn to an explosive finish' RACHEL WOLF, author of Five Nights

 'This is my favourite Rebecca Heath yet' RACHAEL JOHNS

'The Wedding Party will thrill readers of Shelley Burr, Dervla McTiernan and Christian White' BOOKS + PUBLISHING

Praise for Rebecca Heath

'Unputdownable from start to finish' THE AUSTRALIAN
'The perfect beach read' THE HERALD SUN
'Escapism at its best' WE EKEND AUSTRALIAN
'Tense, compelling... a gripping mystery' BETTER READING ]]> 373 Rebecca Heath 1035913135 Michelle 5 library 3.42 The Wedding Party
author: Rebecca Heath
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.42
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: library
review:

]]> The Talented Mrs Greenway 146310643 1814 Sydney When Mary Greenway, freshly arrived from the old country, steps into the maelstrom of Sydney Town with three children at her skirts, she has high hopes of a new beginning, despite having little money and a husband in irons. After all, the sudden death of her sadistic first husband has meant freedom from her gilded cage and Francis Greenway is an architect of some promise, under the protection of Admiral Phillip himself. Mary herself is a woman of great resources and an even greater creative passion, a passion that will surely burn through anything that the filthy, burgeoning, vitality of colonial Sydney can throw at her. Soon ensconced in a tiny cottage in George Street, Mary sets about moulding a life for her family from the unpromising clay of this new colony, with a determination fired in equal parts by guilt for her disastrous past action that nearly brought ruin to them all and desire to see her true calling realised. When she is befriended by Elizabeth Macquarie it seems that fate is smiling on them with the promise of a better life in her grasp. But fate is a difficult mistress and with past secrets to keep, and current betrayals on the brink of discovery, the stakes are higher than ever. With Mary's grip on this new life slipping, will her past lies come back to haunt her?]]> 375 Tea Cooper 1867239213 Michelle 5 kindle, netgalley 3.89 The Talented Mrs Greenway
author: Tea Cooper
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: kindle, netgalley
review:

]]> The Jam Maker 217123663 Jam is sweet but it can also burn.


Tasmania, 1874. Growing up in the impoverished tenements along the Hobart Rivulet, Harriet Brown is used to doing whatever it takes to survive. Including, at just twelve years old, shearing off her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure a job as label-paster at the George Peacock and Sons jam factory.

Four years later, the deceit becomes too much to bear and Harriet risks everything on the chance at a future with her ambitious friend and workmate Henry Jones. But this decision forces her into a new deception: play the role of expert jam maker, or else be cast out onto the streets.

As the secrets and lies grow, Harriet is driven to more and more desperate choices. Choices that will end with a dangerous secret which, if discovered, could destroy not only her life but the lives of those she loves and protects.

Intertwined with the fascinating history of the Tasmanian jam industry and the striking historical figure Henry Jones, The Jam Maker is a tale of danger, deceit and the desperate measures one woman will take to succeed in love and life.]]> 429 Mary-Lou Stephens 1867255685 Michelle 5 netgalley, kindle 4.49 2025 The Jam Maker
author: Mary-Lou Stephens
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: netgalley, kindle
review:

]]> Where the Heart Is 217240715 Hearts are on the line when a marriage of convenience goes awry... Pitch-perfect rural romance for readers of Karly Lane and Mandy Magro.


Home is where the heart is and for one country girl, she'll do whatever it takes to save it...

Mila Hayes will do anything to keep her family's farm, including marrying the wrong man. But when the groom backs out at the last minute, and Sawyer Mann, her teen crush and her brother's best friend, witnesses her humiliation, Mila's hopes plummet.

She doesn't believe Sawyer when he says he can help. She's done with short-term solutions. So how will Mila cope when she falls for Sawyer all over again and is forced into making a follow her head or her heart?

Sawyer, now a high-powered land broker who fled Ashe Ridge years ago to escape painful memories, is back temporarily and finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Mila. He kept secrets from her in the past and it pushed them apart. Can he convince Mila this time will be different?

Meanwhile, Adelaide Hayes, who left her grumpy husband Jack fourteen years ago to follow her dreams, is unsettled by memories resurrected at Mila's wedding. She's wary of a man tied to this town, but what if he can prove they can build a new future together?

PRAISE FOR NICOLA

'The Promise of Home is a heart-warming read from a writer who knows how to deliver a great story.' - Better Reading]]> 320 Nicola Marsh 1867286408 Michelle 5 netgalley 4.08 Where the Heart Is
author: Nicola Marsh
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: netgalley
review:

]]> Teeth in the Mist 35115574 Three generations of women uncover an ancient evil in this epic genre-bending horror-fantasy -- a "fearless" Faustian tale perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Ransom Riggs" - Cat Winters

Before the birth of time, a monk uncovers the Devil's Tongue and dares to speak it. The repercussions will be felt for generations . . .

Sixteen-year-old photography enthusiast Zoey has been fascinated by the haunted, burnt-out ruins of Medwyn Mill House for as long as she can remember -- so she and her best friend, Poulton, run away from home to explore them. But are they really alone in the house? And who will know if something goes wrong?

In 1851, seventeen-year-old Roan arrives at the Mill House as a ward -- one of three, all with something to hide from their new guardian. When Roan learns that she is connected to an ancient secret, she must escape the house before she is trapped forever.

1583. Hermione, a new young bride, accompanies her husband to the wilds of North Wales where he plans to build the largest water mill and mansion in the area. But rumors of unholy rituals lead to a tragic occurrence and she will need all her strength to defeat it.

Three women, centuries apart, drawn together by one Unholy Pact. A pact made by a man who, more than a thousand years later, may still be watching . . .

"This haunting, captivating, and "delightfully disturbing" mystery redefines horror and fantasy" - Kirkus]]> 447 Dawn Kurtagich 0316478474 Michelle 4 3.64 2019 Teeth in the Mist
author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves:
review:

]]> Hooked (Never After, #1) 58545703 From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of Peter Pan.

He wants revenge, but he wants her more�

James has always had one agenda: destroy his enemy, Peter Michaels. When Peter’s twenty-year-old daughter Wendy shows up in James’s bar, he sees his way in. Seduce the girl and use her for his revenge. It’s the perfect plan, until things in James’s organization begin to crumble. Suddenly, he has to find the traitor in his midst, and his plan for revenge gets murkier as James starts to see Wendy as more than just a pawn in his game.

Wendy has been cloistered away most of her life by her wealthy cold father, but a spontaneous night out with friends turns into an intense and addictive love affair with the dark and brooding James. As much as she knows James is dangerous, Wendy can’t seem to shake her desire for him. But as their relationship grows more heated and she learns more about the world he moves in, she finds herself unsure if she’s falling for the man known as James or the monster known as Hook.

Hooked is a dark contemporary romance and the first complete standalone in the Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales where the villains get the happy ever after. It is not a literal retelling and not fantasy. Hooked features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all audiences. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings, check the author's website. ]]> 312 Emily McIntire 173750832X Michelle 5 library 3.78 2021 Hooked (Never After, #1)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: library
review:

]]> The Bad Bridesmaid 211145843 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love.

On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom’s hot muso son Leo is just as set against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with ‘Operation Break-Up� to prevent their parents from making what they believe will be a catastrophic mistake.

But as Fred and Leo get to know each other better, their unexpected feelings for each other create further complications, and Fred is forced to rethink her own rigid rules about romance and family. Maybe not every relationship has to play by the book, and could Fred become the star in a romcom of her own?

A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings � and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.]]> 382 Rachael Johns 1761341758 Michelle 5 netgalley, jan25 4.00 2025 The Bad Bridesmaid
author: Rachael Johns
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: netgalley, jan25
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Michelle 0 to-read 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Whitefern (Audrina, #2) 27276179 My Sweet Audrina, one of V.C. Andrews’s strangest, most beloved books—and now a Lifetime movie! Whitefern swallowed Audrina’s childhood—and now the sprawling Victorian mansion threatens her adult life too�

Audrina remembers a better time, when her husband, Arden, was a young man with a heart filled with devotion for her. He didn’t used to be this ambitious, expansive…this cruel. But then, the death of Audina’s father changed a great many things.

When the reading of her father’s will reveals that Audrina herself will control fifty-one percent of the family brokerage—the halls of Whitefern again don’t feel safe. Arden’s protestations become frantic, nearly violent. And while Audrina didn’t anticipate running the family business, she’s curious to do so. And she can’t help but wonder what had made her father change his will at the last minute? What did he know about Arden that she didn’t?

Trapped in the middle of it all: her fragile, simple sister—the beautiful, trusting Sylvia. Audrina promised her father she’d watch over the young woman. But after years of relative quiet, the dark days of Whitefern may have returned…]]> 344 V.C. Andrews 1501139436 Michelle 2 jan25, library
But this..... this was one that tempted me to DNF a multitude of times but once I was committed I felt I had to see it through.

It seemed to contradict the original on a few things, there were some definite continuity errors and it was just not a good book. The writing wasn't good. The story wasn't good, the characters seemed nothing like they had been in the first. It was predictable and I could tell most of what would happen. ]]> 3.29 2016 Whitefern (Audrina, #2)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: jan25, library
review:
Audrina wasn't how I remembered it, because I read it over 30 years ago. I loved it then and it just didn't really do it for me this time, mainly I think because it wasn't how I remembered it.

But this..... this was one that tempted me to DNF a multitude of times but once I was committed I felt I had to see it through.

It seemed to contradict the original on a few things, there were some definite continuity errors and it was just not a good book. The writing wasn't good. The story wasn't good, the characters seemed nothing like they had been in the first. It was predictable and I could tell most of what would happen.
]]> <![CDATA[My Sweet Audrina (Audrina, #1)]]> 805023 Audrina Adare wanted so to be as good as her sister. She knew her father could not love her as he loved her sister. Her sister was so special, so perfect -- and dead.
Now she will come face to face with the dangerous, terrifying secret that everyone knows. Everyone except...
My Sweet Audrina
--back cover]]> 403 V.C. Andrews Michelle 4 It's dak and twisted.
I loved it as a teen but I don't remember the bulk of it. So much darkness.... well written with well drawn characters. ]]> 3.89 1982 My Sweet Audrina (Audrina, #1)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1982
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, jan25, library
review:
Not at all like what i remember from when I first read it as a teen.
It's dak and twisted.
I loved it as a teen but I don't remember the bulk of it. So much darkness.... well written with well drawn characters.
]]> Web of Dreams (Casteel, #5) 755299 But the pure devotion of Luke Casteel promised her hope and respect. Only Luke knew her deepest of secrets...only Luke would love and protect her. Bravely she bore the suspicions of the Willies' hillfolk, as she tried to grasp the happiness that had so long eluded her. Leigh prayed with all her heart that her bright, shining dreams would save her from tragedy at last...

]]> 432 V.C. Andrews 0671729497 Michelle 3 3.93 1990 Web of Dreams (Casteel, #5)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.93
book published: 1990
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> Accidentally Working Class 61227527 The Appletons are a household name, their eponymous biscuit empire having been in the family for over one hundred and fifty years, making them one of the country’s richest families. They are no strangers to controversy either, constantly gracing the covers of gossip magazines, caught in compromising positions at outrageous parties.
But CEO and matriarch Lady Elizabeth Appleton has had enough. Tired of her children and grandchildren not pulling their weight and dragging the once respectable Appleton name through the mud, she decides to cut them all off financially.
With her life in ruins, Quinn is just one Jimmy Choo heel away from living in a cardboard box when Gran gives her an ultimatum: take a job at the company for six months and her trust fund will be reinstated. The catch? She must do it under a false identity and work her way up—no one can know she’s an Appleton.
Surely it can’t be that hard to hold down a lousy job? After all, millions of other people seem to do it. But Quinn is about to learn just how different the world is when you find yourself suddenly working class.]]> 346 Karly Lane Michelle 5 4.40 Accidentally Working Class
author: Karly Lane
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/05
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: june-22, kindle, tbr-for-review
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gates of Paradise (Casteel, #4)]]> 578307 V.C. Andrews 0006178219 Michelle 4 3.66 1989 Gates of Paradise (Casteel, #4)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1989
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, december-24
review:

]]> Fallen Hearts (Casteel, #3) 578311 384 V.C. Andrews Michelle 4 3.89 1988 Fallen Hearts (Casteel, #3)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, december-24
review:

]]> Dark Angel (Casteel, #2) 578309 AT LAST, HEAVEN WOULD FIND THE HAPPINESS SHE LONGED FOR…FREE FROM THE SCORN AND CONTEMPT OF HER PAST

In her wealthy grandmother’s house, Heaven dreamed of a wonderful new life � of new friends, the best schools, beautiful clothes and, most important, love. Soon she would make her family-name respectable, find her brothers and sisters, and have a family once again.

But even in the world of the rich there were strange forebodings, secrets best forgotten. And as Heaven reached out for love, she was caught up in a sinister web of cruel deceits and hidden passions…]]> 443 V.C. Andrews Michelle 4 3.84 1986 Dark Angel (Casteel, #2)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1986
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, december-24
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heaven (Casteel Family Saga #1)]]> 18003161
Heaven's mother Angel had died in childbirth, and from that moment her father turned against her. Her only allies, it seemed, were her four half-brothers and sisters.

When their father, poor and desperate, sold them to strangers, Heaven was left alone and friendless. Her only hope was to reunite her family. But how?

So begins the heartbreaking magical story of the Casteel family, continued in Dark Angel, Fallen Hearts, Gates of Paradise and Web of Dreams.]]> 410 V.C. Andrews Michelle 4 4.16 1985 Heaven (Casteel Family Saga #1)
author: V.C. Andrews
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1985
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, december-24
review:
a reread 20 ... actually make that 30 years later. and i still love it. it's heartbreaking and sad but i love it.
]]> The Odd Sisters (Villains #6) 42250086
This latest novel by the author of the wildly popular Villains series goes deeper into the lives of the twisted, diabolical Odd Sisters, finally revealing the dark truth about who they are and where they're from. The Odd Sisters will appeal to fans who can't get enough of the mischievous sisters, as well as draw new readers to Serena Valentino's darkly fascinating take on the Disney Villains.]]> 288 Serena Valentino 136801318X Michelle 4 december-24, library 4.01 2019 The Odd Sisters (Villains #6)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: december-24, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistress of All Evil (Villains #4)]]> 34220302
And yet this is only half the story. So what of the dark fairy, Maleficent? Why does she curse the innocent princess? What led to her becoming so filled with malice, anger, and hatred? Many tales have tried to explain her motives. Here is one account, pulled down from the many passed down through the ages. It is a tale of love and betrayal, of magic and reveries. It is a tale of the Mistress of All Evil.]]> 320 Serena Valentino 1368009018 Michelle 4 library, december-24 3.99 2017 Mistress of All Evil (Villains #4)
author: Serena Valentino
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: library, december-24
review:

]]> High Country Hero 39891983
Veterinary specialist Lennie O'Donnell and her beloved dog, Pesh, are taking a break from big-city life to help Lennie's grandfather sell his old-fashioned rural clinic. Lennie has dedicated her career to healing those unable to tell her what's wrong, but Mitch is a puzzle even she struggles to solve - or completely let go.

Meanwhile, back in Lennie's old home town, another man of mixed messages, her high school crush Benji Cooper, is all grown up and looking at Lennie the way she always dreamed he would.

Can Mitch find the courage to let Lennie into his life? And with gorgeous, sunny, funny Benji waiting in the wings, is it a threshold Lennie wants to cross?

There's also the matter of her grandparents' unexpectedly fractured marriage to mend, and Lennie's growing suspicion there might be more to the sale of her grandfather's clinic than meets the eye.]]> 336 Holly Ford 1760296120 Michelle 4 3.20 High Country Hero
author: Holly Ford
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/04
date added: 2024/12/04
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, november24
review:

]]> The Golden Thread 212438789 The Talented Mrs Greenway.


Maitland, 1889

When eighteen-year-old Constance Montague wakes one Wednesday she expects the day to unfold like any other. Breakfast with her grandmother Nell and her mother Faith, a meeting in Maitland with the ladies of the Benevolent Society, perhaps a gentle stroll along the banks of the Hunter River. But this Wednesday is different. Nell has vanished.

Concerned, Connie determines to track Nell down and follows a lead to Old Government House in Parramatta, now a boarding house. There, to her astonishment she finds her grandmother holding court.

When Nell introduces her (under a false name!) to a varied cast of colourful guests, including a frail but observant old lady, a travelling salesmen, a bearded lothario, a clever articled clerk, a lively seamstress and an enigmatic housekeeper who is connected with Nell's past, Connie begins to realise that her grandmother is not who she seems. Nell is looking for something and following a thread stitched long ago, a thread that leads from some missing gold, to a golden dress and the attic of Government House and as the story unravels so do the secrets of the past, secrets that surface into the present to threaten not just Nell, but Connie too.]]> 347 Tea Cooper 1038906555 Michelle 5 kindle, netgalley, november24 3.72 The Golden Thread
author: Tea Cooper
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.72
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves: kindle, netgalley, november24
review:

]]> The Cedar Cutter 29962844 307 Tea Cooper 1489211578 Michelle 0 to-read 3.97 The Cedar Cutter
author: Tea Cooper
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Horse Thief 26889199 312 Tea Cooper Michelle 0 to-read 3.84 2015 The Horse Thief
author: Tea Cooper
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Girl in the Painting 54287745 384 Tea Cooper 0785240330 Michelle 0 to-read 3.87 2020 The Girl in the Painting
author: Tea Cooper
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Wings Above the Mallee 217453916
Widower Heath Brennan has learned to channel his grief into anger and self-recrimination. Haunted by the tragic accident that claimed his wife, he is a recluse, grappling with guilt and a heart full of unresolved anguish. His nineteen-year-old daughter, Charlee, battles her own demons. Once the perfect child, she's now a troubled university student in the clutches of drug addiction. Her rage towards Heath for her mother's death forms an impenetrable barrier between them.

As Amelia and Heath navigate the treacherous waters of grief and guilt, they learn to confront their pasts, their pain ... and consider the possibility of healing. In the midst of brokenness, they might just discover that the act of reaching out could be the key to finding solace and perhaps, a way forward.

Wings Above the Mallee is a poignant tale of loss, love, and the reluctant journey towards redemption, where every character learns that mending a broken heart begins with a single, courageous step.]]> 348 Leonie Kelsall 1761505408 Michelle 5 kindle, netgalley, november24 4.19 Wings Above the Mallee
author: Leonie Kelsall
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: kindle, netgalley, november24
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Night on the Darling River]]> 214367041 Amid the rising flood waters and shearers' strike violence, can one brave woman reclaim her future? From an Australian bestselling author comes a riveting historical adventure about one woman's journey from a life of isolation to one of love and acceptance.


1894, Echuca, Victoria

Tess Hawthorn is a woman on the run from her abusive husband. All she has to do is get on the riverboat Victor and she will be free.

But with tensions at an all-time high between unionist shearers and Scabs, Tess isn't the only person trying to board a boat under the cover of night. When a brawl erupts between the union and non-union men, Tess is mistaken for a fellow Scab and in the chaos pulled aboard the PS Rodney - the same boat heading up the Darling River that her husband was bound for.

The last person Bram Kempster expects to see on board is Tess Hawthorn, the girl he's loved from afar since they were young. But he can't afford to get distracted, not when he's on an urgent trip to Renmark. Tess didn't want him back then and, if her haughty behaviour is anything to go by, she certainly doesn't want him now.

But childhood hurts are the least of their problems. The continent is a tinderbox of violence and bloodshed waiting to ignite, and at home the Murray River is rising fast. Can they overcome their past in time to work together and survive?]]> 424 Darry Fraser 1867283816 Michelle 4 kindle, netgalley, november24 4.27 The Night on the Darling River
author: Darry Fraser
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves: kindle, netgalley, november24
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Secret Ones (Dream of Asarlai, #1)]]> 8538918 400 Nicole Murphy 0732291615 Michelle 0 to-read 3.64 2010 Secret Ones (Dream of Asarlai, #1)
author: Nicole Murphy
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Novella Collection: a series of short stories for the Pushing the Limits series, the Thunder Road Series and Only a Breath Apart]]> 53024768
The Proposal: a Pushing the Limits novella for Echo and Noah.

The First Loves Collection includes shorts for Isaiah, Rachel, Beth, and her uncle Scott from the Pushing the Limits series as well as a short featuring Eli and Meg from the Thunder Road series.

The And They All Lived Happily Ever After Collection includes a Thunder Road novella that features Addison, Pigpen, and Eli. It also includes a Pushing the Limits novella that features Noah, Echo, Beth, Isaiah, and West.

Returning Home features two novellas: Returning Home and A Moment Together. In Returning Home, Oz and Emily from the Thunder Road series and Isaiah and Rachel from the Pushing the Limits series return to see their Reign of Terror MC family. A Moment Together is a prequel novella featuring Scarlett and Jesse of Only a Breath Apart.]]> 278 Katie McGarry 9798632397 Michelle 5
Reading them again, all at once, one after the other, brought these characters home to me and they all hit hard. I can't remember if they hit as hard when I read them first, one at a time, but they sure hit hard today. They all pack an emotional punch that left me reeling.

Checking back in on characters long after their stories finished, or in between stories was lovely. A nostalgic catch up with old friends.
Loved every page]]> 4.45 2020 The Novella Collection: a series of short stories for the Pushing the Limits series, the Thunder Road Series and Only a Breath Apart
author: Katie McGarry
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves: november24, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:
I have previously read all of these novellas at the time of their original release, and I loved them then.

Reading them again, all at once, one after the other, brought these characters home to me and they all hit hard. I can't remember if they hit as hard when I read them first, one at a time, but they sure hit hard today. They all pack an emotional punch that left me reeling.

Checking back in on characters long after their stories finished, or in between stories was lovely. A nostalgic catch up with old friends.
Loved every page
]]> White Gum Creek 36669471
Nick Langtree has lived reclusively on his farm, Winters Hill, ever since the tragic death of his wife. On the occasional trip into nearby White Gum Creek he keeps to himself and that's the way he likes it. And though over the last six years the townsfolk have tried to reach out to Nick, he's pushed them all away.

Whenever Nick comes into the Gumnut Bakery, Natasha Duroz tries to engage him in conversation when she serves him. There's something about him that intrigues Tash, but she's not sure if it's because she feels sorry for him or there's something more.

At last encouraged by the warmth of a few old and new friends, Nick gradually begins to re-engage with the outside world. Then, suddenly some minor vandalism on his farm escalates and odd things begin to happen on Winters Hill. Is someone out to hurt Nick or have his years of solitude been playing tricks on his mind?

This entrancing novel is about overcoming heartache and loss through the power of friendship and love.]]> 312 Nicole Hurley-Moore Michelle 4 4.03 White Gum Creek
author: Nicole Hurley-Moore
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves: november24, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> McKellan's Run 25067411 Can Violet find lasting happiness with the brother of the man who broke her heart so many years ago?

Years ago, Violet Beckett made the mistake of falling for the wrong MacKellan brother and both she and her younger sister, Lily, paid the price. Now eight years later, fate has brought Violet and her daughter, Holly, back to the house Violet grew up in.

As soon as Violet runs into James 'Mac' MacKellan, she wonders if she should run all the way back to the city. But something about the look in his eyes makes her want to linger. Can she trust him, can she trust herself or will she be burned again?

James MacKellan has had a soft spot for Violet Beckett for longer than he can remember. It almost killed him to watch his brother woo her, use her and finally lose her. From their very first encounter he's hooked. But how can he convince her that not all MacKellans are the same?

McKellan's Run is an entertaining love story that takes us into the hearts of two very special people who deserve a second chance.]]> 320 Nicole Hurley-Moore 1760113840 Michelle 4 october24, library 3.99 2015 McKellan's Run
author: Nicole Hurley-Moore
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: october24, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Risking it All: Pushing the Limits Next Generation]]> 218361104 From Award Winning, Critically Acclaimed Author Katie McGarry comes the Next Generation of Pushing the Limits characters.

Her life has been shattered. His life was never whole. Can one summer change everything?

After a violent carjacking left her bleeding in the street, Macie Hutchins fears she’ll never be the same. She’s not the girl she once was—even if she puts up a good front.

Head down, she tries to survive the sweltering summer—and group therapy sessions—with secrets intact and scars hidden. Both those on the outside and inside.

But Relic Aslanov has always been trouble. Complicated trouble. Dangerous trouble. And his presence in therapy is making Macie’s plan to lie low and cope on her own trickier than her life has already become.

She can’t seem to hide from him, though. And he can’t seem to stay away from her—even when the long-standing rivalry between their families should keep them apart.

But as the summer simmers on, so do the looks, the touches—and the kisses that were never supposed to happen.

As things heat up between Macie and Relic, her white-picket-fence world collides with his wrong-side-of-the-tracks hell, and the truth about the carjacking bubbles to the surface.

When the dust settles and the truth is revealed, will the risk they took be worth it? Or have their pasts already doomed their future?

Page-turning and emotional, Risking It All is perfect for readers looking

Contemporary teen romance booksSteamy kissesFriends who become familyA thrilling journeyPushing the Limits and Nowhere But Here fansFans of the characters Echo Emerson and Noah Hutchins from Pushing the Limits]]> 271 Katie McGarry 1737020084 Michelle 5
Macie Hutchins is a good girl, she has always done all the right things. Until everything changed when she was violently carjacked, and her world ceased to make any sense.
Relic is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, but he doesn't want to be. He got caught up in a life that he didn't choose and has fought tooth and nail to get out of.

There are a lot of parallels which I actually quite like and I just hope this is the beginning of a whole new series. ]]> 4.37 2024 Risking it All: Pushing the Limits Next Generation
author: Katie McGarry
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, october24
review:
I wish I had gone back and reread all of the Pushing The Limits series so that I could get my head back into the world of the characters....but I didn't. And that really didn't matter. This stands well on its own.

Macie Hutchins is a good girl, she has always done all the right things. Until everything changed when she was violently carjacked, and her world ceased to make any sense.
Relic is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks, but he doesn't want to be. He got caught up in a life that he didn't choose and has fought tooth and nail to get out of.

There are a lot of parallels which I actually quite like and I just hope this is the beginning of a whole new series.
]]> <![CDATA[Where the River Runs (Detective Dave Burrows)]]> 40814003
Nine years ago, thirty-year-old Chelsea Taylor left the small country town of Barker and her family's property to rise to the top as a concert pianist. With talent, ambition, and a determination to show them all at home, Chelsea thought she had it made.

Yet here she was, in Barker, with her four-year-old daughter, Aria, readying herself to face her father, Tom. The father who'd shouted down the phone nine years ago never to come home again.

With an uneasy truce developing, Chelsea and Aria settle into the rhythm of life on the land with Tom and Cal, the farmhand, who seems already to have judged Chelsea badly. Until a shocking discovery is made on the riverbed and Detective Dave Burrows, the local copper, has to tear back generations of family stories to reveal the secrets of the past.

Chelsea just wants a relationship with her dad but will he ever want that too? Or will his memory lapses mean they'll never get that opportunity?]]> 334 Fleur McDonald 1760637807 Michelle 5 Her hometown doesn't feel very homey, the small town has a long memory and doesn't look kindly on the woman who didn't return for her mother's funeral - if only anyone would ask why; and that's not the only important event she missed and needs to explain.

More intriguing is the uncovering of old bones on the family property and working out who they belong to. It's not something the police will spend much time on if they're old because what's the point if it can't be prosecuted.

The Taylor's have had more than their fair share of heartbreak and it looks like perhaps that goes back a few generations.

Beautifully tied together tales of family and friendship with some pretty topical themes.
A well penned story that I wish I had found the time for on it's release.]]> 4.12 Where the River Runs (Detective Dave Burrows)
author: Fleur McDonald
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/25
date added: 2024/10/25
shelves: october24, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:
Chelsea Taylor is coming home, a retired concert pianist feeling like she's failed. She stayed away too long and has some pretty big rifts to heal.
Her hometown doesn't feel very homey, the small town has a long memory and doesn't look kindly on the woman who didn't return for her mother's funeral - if only anyone would ask why; and that's not the only important event she missed and needs to explain.

More intriguing is the uncovering of old bones on the family property and working out who they belong to. It's not something the police will spend much time on if they're old because what's the point if it can't be prosecuted.

The Taylor's have had more than their fair share of heartbreak and it looks like perhaps that goes back a few generations.

Beautifully tied together tales of family and friendship with some pretty topical themes.
A well penned story that I wish I had found the time for on it's release.
]]> The Summerfield Saddler 214407647 Mackenzie Henry is happy enough with her life in the small town of Summerfield. She loves her work as a saddler, the bushland surrounding her home, and the feeling of safety her beloved grandfather brings her. She doesn't want anything-or anybody-else.

So when her grandfather asks her to lead the fight to rehabilitate land destroyed by an open-cut mine, and work in front of the camera with a Norwegian documentary-making team, Mackenzie fears her life will be tipped on its axis. And she's right. The documentary not only reignites old resentments but unearths secrets that threaten her family's reputation and her own safety. To make matters worse, the enigmatic scientist, filmmaker and adventurer Kit Thorsen is a threat to the heart Mackenzie has kept safe.

Handsome, arrogant and infuriating ( Viking), Kit is in equal parts as fascinated and frustrated by Mackenzie's mix of independence and vulnerability as she is by his. Given the demons in both of their pasts, they should run a mile. Will the compulsion that brings them together unite them or tear them apart?

'A rural story that has it all ... simmering romance [...], a complex heroine and a swoon-worthy hero. What's not to love?' Karly Lane, bestselling Australian author]]> 441 Penelope Janu 1867270951 Michelle 5 kindle, netgalley, october24 4.23 The Summerfield Saddler
author: Penelope Janu
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/08
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: kindle, netgalley, october24
review:

]]> Head for the Hills 210624335

Margot and her sister Roslyn have lived side by side in a little town in the Adelaide Hills most of their lives, supporting each other through thick and thin.

Then their neighbour Gunter dies. Surprisingly, his will asks that his house and vineyard be sold and that Roslyn donate the money to a charity of her choice. When a developer wants to buy the land and create a hotel just over Margot's fence, Margot is outraged and decides to stand for Mayor and fight the development. But Roslyn feels differently. Her awareness of family violence and homelessness is sparked by the arrival in town of a young pregnant woman, who is escaping abuse and sleeping in her car. Determined to do some good, Roslyn supports the sale - she has found her charitable cause and the money will go to the homeless.

Suddenly the sisters are on opposite sides of the fence, literally and figuratively. As the row heats up, their local community is divided between those pro-development and those against, and battle lines are drawn, neighbours eyeing each other angrily either side. As vandalism erupts, bitter words are hurled, and pots are stirred. Will the town - and the sisters - ever recover their community spirit? Will anything ever be the same again?

Gentle humour, practical wisdom and trademark warmth underpin this clever novel from a bestselling Australian author.]]> 455 Tricia Stringer 1867247755 Michelle 4 kindle, netgalley, october24 4.03 Head for the Hills
author: Tricia Stringer
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.03
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/06
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves: kindle, netgalley, october24
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Outback Reunion (A Bunyip Bay Novel, #6)]]> 212703256

They spent one magical night together, but when he woke up she was gone ...

Eight years later, Gabriela Jimenez is hoping a couple of weeks in Bunyip Bay with the Grand Jimenez Family Circus will give her and Luna, her daughter, the chance to reconnect after the tragic death of Luna's father. The last thing Gabi expects is to run into the man she once knew. Mark Morgan is still as sweet and sexy as she remembers, but Gabi is harbouring guilt and dealing with the grief of her in-laws. She can't afford to let him get under her skin again.

After his successful career in AFL was cut short due to a crushing injury, Mark is struggling to readjust to small-town life and working the family farm. As if this isn't bad enough, his wife's betrayal means he may never be able to risk his heart to love again. Mark couldn't be less interested in the circus that has arrived in town ... until he discovers that the woman who vanished from his bed all those years ago without saying goodbye is part of it.

Will a chance meeting lead to something more?]]> 352 Rachael Johns 186722030X Michelle 5 october24, kindle, netgalley 4.35 Outback Reunion (A Bunyip Bay Novel, #6)
author: Rachael Johns
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/03
date added: 2024/10/03
shelves: october24, kindle, netgalley
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Outback Sisters (Bunyip Bay, #4)]]> 28152083 A Bunyip Bay novel

Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends. Could a new man in town drive a wedge between them for the first time ever?

Cafe owner Frankie has been unlucky in love all her life. It's hard in a small town like Bunyip Bay to meet prospective partners. Her sister, Simone, lost the love of her live years before and is now devoted to raising their two teenage girls, leaving little time for romance. When Frankie is kissed by a handsome stranger who calls her Simone, it's a case of mistaken identity � but who is this man and how does he know Simone?

Logan Knight is in town to meet up with a woman he has met online. Although raised on a farm with his brother Angus, he has travelled the world as a journalist and is now looking forward to meeting a girl and settling down. The girl in the cafe was an amazing kisser � but not the one he thought he was meeting!

Reclusive farmer Angus wants nothing to do with Logan's plans for improving the property's finances and finding a partner � until he meets the sisters at a wedding. Who is attracted to whom? More importantly, can Frankie and Simone sort out their feelings for the two brothers without destroying their very close bond.]]> 400 Rachael Johns 1760374202 Michelle 5 aww2016, tbr-for-review
The latest book in the Bunyip Bay series releases later this month, I couldn’t wait for release date so requested a copy from NetGalley as soon as it went up and slipped it into my schedule.

Bunyip Bay is a town I have grown to love, with characters who are like old friends, so any chance I have to head over and see how they’re all going is going to be jumped at.

Originally this series was slated for three books but a major fan outpouring of support saw Rachael head back to the Bay for another book, here’s hoping she will do it again.

Outback Sisters is different from the other Bunyip Bay books in that we have two leading ladies, and two leading men. Two sisters, and two brothers. I have to say I was a little sceptical about how this would all come together but I think Johns has pulled it off beautifully. Yes, there were some pretty predictable plotlines but there were also some super surprises.

Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends, they’ve always had each others back and been through more than their share of heartbreak together.

Simone lost the love of her life early, leaving her a single mother of two young girls � now teens. She has been on her own almost a decade and is a little apprehensive of putting herself out the again, she’s only ever been with one man and that was a long time ago.

Frankie thinks it’s safer to stay away from men after the heartbreak she’s already suffered and her habit of falling for Mr Wrong. She has her cafe, her sister and two gorgeous nieces.

A case of mistaken identity starts a rollercoaster of events that catches that might just tear two families apart�

There were so many important aspects of this book that it’s hard to know what to focus on.

Logan shares the family farm with his brother and sister though big brother Angus is the one living and working their full-time and he will not even entertain the idea of a wind farm on their land, which is something Logan is considering. Wind Farms are quite topical at the moment, even I have heard talk about them and I usually avoid the news. Johns integrates quite a bit of detail about wind farms in the book which I found to be interesting reading and give a new perspective. I had only thought of them in terms of an energy source, I hadn’t thought of the income source for farmers.

Harriet, she’s a prickly teen but she’s a well drawn character and I loved that everyone could see she’s a basically good kid underneath the terrible teen (much worse than the terrible twos). The interaction that stands out the most for me is an argument she has with Simone, one of many, where it’s all Simone’s fault she split up with her boyfriend. This may seem like a ridiculous argument, and completely illogical, but I remember having almost that exact same argument as a 16yr old so it made me giggle a little.

Our leads, all four of them, have suffered more than their fair share of tragedy and they are all still relatively young. It has shaped a lot of their attitudes and goes a long way to explaining why they are all still single. They have different reasons but they can all be traced back to the trauma they’ve already faced. These characters have lost a lot in their lives and how many times can you risk more heartbreak before you decide that’s enough.

Grace has an interesting storyline and it is very well written, and a great reminder. The well adjusted child who is no trouble at all is sometimes not as well adjusted as they seem. It can be easy to miss warning signs and then be taken completely by surprise because there seems to have been no warning, until you start to reflect and look back because once you have all the info you sometimes look back and notice things you didn’t register before.

Outback Sisters was an interesting read and a compelling premise. I loved watching it unfold though there were moments that I was left wondering how Johns was going to get us through this one.

I have recently returned from a holiday in my original hometown with my family so am still feeling a little homesick, and I am going to blame that for the choked up moments I had. There were times that the sibling relationships in this story brought me to the brink of waterworks because of the close bonds they share. I was also left wondering if that ever so close bond was really as close as they thought and if it would survive the bitterness brewing.

Rachael Johns has done it again, she’s presented a compelling story that takes us back to Bunyip Bay, a town full of friends that I was more than happy to visit with. I love being able to peek back into their lives and see where everyone is at. Now to convince her to write another.

Yes, this is a Bunyip Bay book but I think there is enough info in there that you could read it on its own.

Outback Sisters is book #7 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge.

Rachael Johns can be found on Twitter, Facebook and her Website.
Outback Sisters is available through Harlequin and from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.


Merged review:

Review originally appeared at:

The latest book in the Bunyip Bay series releases later this month, I couldn’t wait for release date so requested a copy from NetGalley as soon as it went up and slipped it into my schedule.

Bunyip Bay is a town I have grown to love, with characters who are like old friends, so any chance I have to head over and see how they’re all going is going to be jumped at.

Originally this series was slated for three books but a major fan outpouring of support saw Rachael head back to the Bay for another book, here’s hoping she will do it again.

Outback Sisters is different from the other Bunyip Bay books in that we have two leading ladies, and two leading men. Two sisters, and two brothers. I have to say I was a little sceptical about how this would all come together but I think Johns has pulled it off beautifully. Yes, there were some pretty predictable plotlines but there were also some super surprises.

Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends, they’ve always had each others back and been through more than their share of heartbreak together.

Simone lost the love of her life early, leaving her a single mother of two young girls � now teens. She has been on her own almost a decade and is a little apprehensive of putting herself out the again, she’s only ever been with one man and that was a long time ago.

Frankie thinks it’s safer to stay away from men after the heartbreak she’s already suffered and her habit of falling for Mr Wrong. She has her cafe, her sister and two gorgeous nieces.

A case of mistaken identity starts a rollercoaster of events that catches that might just tear two families apart�

There were so many important aspects of this book that it’s hard to know what to focus on.

Logan shares the family farm with his brother and sister though big brother Angus is the one living and working their full-time and he will not even entertain the idea of a wind farm on their land, which is something Logan is considering. Wind Farms are quite topical at the moment, even I have heard talk about them and I usually avoid the news. Johns integrates quite a bit of detail about wind farms in the book which I found to be interesting reading and give a new perspective. I had only thought of them in terms of an energy source, I hadn’t thought of the income source for farmers.

Harriet, she’s a prickly teen but she’s a well drawn character and I loved that everyone could see she’s a basically good kid underneath the terrible teen (much worse than the terrible twos). The interaction that stands out the most for me is an argument she has with Simone, one of many, where it’s all Simone’s fault she split up with her boyfriend. This may seem like a ridiculous argument, and completely illogical, but I remember having almost that exact same argument as a 16yr old so it made me giggle a little.

Our leads, all four of them, have suffered more than their fair share of tragedy and they are all still relatively young. It has shaped a lot of their attitudes and goes a long way to explaining why they are all still single. They have different reasons but they can all be traced back to the trauma they’ve already faced. These characters have lost a lot in their lives and how many times can you risk more heartbreak before you decide that’s enough.

Grace has an interesting storyline and it is very well written, and a great reminder. The well adjusted child who is no trouble at all is sometimes not as well adjusted as they seem. It can be easy to miss warning signs and then be taken completely by surprise because there seems to have been no warning, until you start to reflect and look back because once you have all the info you sometimes look back and notice things you didn’t register before.

Outback Sisters was an interesting read and a compelling premise. I loved watching it unfold though there were moments that I was left wondering how Johns was going to get us through this one.

I have recently returned from a holiday in my original hometown with my family so am still feeling a little homesick, and I am going to blame that for the choked up moments I had. There were times that the sibling relationships in this story brought me to the brink of waterworks because of the close bonds they share. I was also left wondering if that ever so close bond was really as close as they thought and if it would survive the bitterness brewing.

Rachael Johns has done it again, she’s presented a compelling story that takes us back to Bunyip Bay, a town full of friends that I was more than happy to visit with. I love being able to peek back into their lives and see where everyone is at. Now to convince her to write another.

Yes, this is a Bunyip Bay book but I think there is enough info in there that you could read it on its own.

Outback Sisters is book #7 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge.

Rachael Johns can be found on Twitter, Facebook and her Website.
Outback Sisters is available through Harlequin and from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.]]> 4.24 Outback Sisters (Bunyip Bay, #4)
author: Rachael Johns
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2016/02/19
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: aww2016, tbr-for-review
review:
Review originally appeared at:

The latest book in the Bunyip Bay series releases later this month, I couldn’t wait for release date so requested a copy from NetGalley as soon as it went up and slipped it into my schedule.

Bunyip Bay is a town I have grown to love, with characters who are like old friends, so any chance I have to head over and see how they’re all going is going to be jumped at.

Originally this series was slated for three books but a major fan outpouring of support saw Rachael head back to the Bay for another book, here’s hoping she will do it again.

Outback Sisters is different from the other Bunyip Bay books in that we have two leading ladies, and two leading men. Two sisters, and two brothers. I have to say I was a little sceptical about how this would all come together but I think Johns has pulled it off beautifully. Yes, there were some pretty predictable plotlines but there were also some super surprises.

Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends, they’ve always had each others back and been through more than their share of heartbreak together.

Simone lost the love of her life early, leaving her a single mother of two young girls � now teens. She has been on her own almost a decade and is a little apprehensive of putting herself out the again, she’s only ever been with one man and that was a long time ago.

Frankie thinks it’s safer to stay away from men after the heartbreak she’s already suffered and her habit of falling for Mr Wrong. She has her cafe, her sister and two gorgeous nieces.

A case of mistaken identity starts a rollercoaster of events that catches that might just tear two families apart�

There were so many important aspects of this book that it’s hard to know what to focus on.

Logan shares the family farm with his brother and sister though big brother Angus is the one living and working their full-time and he will not even entertain the idea of a wind farm on their land, which is something Logan is considering. Wind Farms are quite topical at the moment, even I have heard talk about them and I usually avoid the news. Johns integrates quite a bit of detail about wind farms in the book which I found to be interesting reading and give a new perspective. I had only thought of them in terms of an energy source, I hadn’t thought of the income source for farmers.

Harriet, she’s a prickly teen but she’s a well drawn character and I loved that everyone could see she’s a basically good kid underneath the terrible teen (much worse than the terrible twos). The interaction that stands out the most for me is an argument she has with Simone, one of many, where it’s all Simone’s fault she split up with her boyfriend. This may seem like a ridiculous argument, and completely illogical, but I remember having almost that exact same argument as a 16yr old so it made me giggle a little.

Our leads, all four of them, have suffered more than their fair share of tragedy and they are all still relatively young. It has shaped a lot of their attitudes and goes a long way to explaining why they are all still single. They have different reasons but they can all be traced back to the trauma they’ve already faced. These characters have lost a lot in their lives and how many times can you risk more heartbreak before you decide that’s enough.

Grace has an interesting storyline and it is very well written, and a great reminder. The well adjusted child who is no trouble at all is sometimes not as well adjusted as they seem. It can be easy to miss warning signs and then be taken completely by surprise because there seems to have been no warning, until you start to reflect and look back because once you have all the info you sometimes look back and notice things you didn’t register before.

Outback Sisters was an interesting read and a compelling premise. I loved watching it unfold though there were moments that I was left wondering how Johns was going to get us through this one.

I have recently returned from a holiday in my original hometown with my family so am still feeling a little homesick, and I am going to blame that for the choked up moments I had. There were times that the sibling relationships in this story brought me to the brink of waterworks because of the close bonds they share. I was also left wondering if that ever so close bond was really as close as they thought and if it would survive the bitterness brewing.

Rachael Johns has done it again, she’s presented a compelling story that takes us back to Bunyip Bay, a town full of friends that I was more than happy to visit with. I love being able to peek back into their lives and see where everyone is at. Now to convince her to write another.

Yes, this is a Bunyip Bay book but I think there is enough info in there that you could read it on its own.

Outback Sisters is book #7 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge.

Rachael Johns can be found on Twitter, Facebook and her Website.
Outback Sisters is available through Harlequin and from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.


Merged review:

Review originally appeared at:

The latest book in the Bunyip Bay series releases later this month, I couldn’t wait for release date so requested a copy from NetGalley as soon as it went up and slipped it into my schedule.

Bunyip Bay is a town I have grown to love, with characters who are like old friends, so any chance I have to head over and see how they’re all going is going to be jumped at.

Originally this series was slated for three books but a major fan outpouring of support saw Rachael head back to the Bay for another book, here’s hoping she will do it again.

Outback Sisters is different from the other Bunyip Bay books in that we have two leading ladies, and two leading men. Two sisters, and two brothers. I have to say I was a little sceptical about how this would all come together but I think Johns has pulled it off beautifully. Yes, there were some pretty predictable plotlines but there were also some super surprises.

Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends, they’ve always had each others back and been through more than their share of heartbreak together.

Simone lost the love of her life early, leaving her a single mother of two young girls � now teens. She has been on her own almost a decade and is a little apprehensive of putting herself out the again, she’s only ever been with one man and that was a long time ago.

Frankie thinks it’s safer to stay away from men after the heartbreak she’s already suffered and her habit of falling for Mr Wrong. She has her cafe, her sister and two gorgeous nieces.

A case of mistaken identity starts a rollercoaster of events that catches that might just tear two families apart�

There were so many important aspects of this book that it’s hard to know what to focus on.

Logan shares the family farm with his brother and sister though big brother Angus is the one living and working their full-time and he will not even entertain the idea of a wind farm on their land, which is something Logan is considering. Wind Farms are quite topical at the moment, even I have heard talk about them and I usually avoid the news. Johns integrates quite a bit of detail about wind farms in the book which I found to be interesting reading and give a new perspective. I had only thought of them in terms of an energy source, I hadn’t thought of the income source for farmers.

Harriet, she’s a prickly teen but she’s a well drawn character and I loved that everyone could see she’s a basically good kid underneath the terrible teen (much worse than the terrible twos). The interaction that stands out the most for me is an argument she has with Simone, one of many, where it’s all Simone’s fault she split up with her boyfriend. This may seem like a ridiculous argument, and completely illogical, but I remember having almost that exact same argument as a 16yr old so it made me giggle a little.

Our leads, all four of them, have suffered more than their fair share of tragedy and they are all still relatively young. It has shaped a lot of their attitudes and goes a long way to explaining why they are all still single. They have different reasons but they can all be traced back to the trauma they’ve already faced. These characters have lost a lot in their lives and how many times can you risk more heartbreak before you decide that’s enough.

Grace has an interesting storyline and it is very well written, and a great reminder. The well adjusted child who is no trouble at all is sometimes not as well adjusted as they seem. It can be easy to miss warning signs and then be taken completely by surprise because there seems to have been no warning, until you start to reflect and look back because once you have all the info you sometimes look back and notice things you didn’t register before.

Outback Sisters was an interesting read and a compelling premise. I loved watching it unfold though there were moments that I was left wondering how Johns was going to get us through this one.

I have recently returned from a holiday in my original hometown with my family so am still feeling a little homesick, and I am going to blame that for the choked up moments I had. There were times that the sibling relationships in this story brought me to the brink of waterworks because of the close bonds they share. I was also left wondering if that ever so close bond was really as close as they thought and if it would survive the bitterness brewing.

Rachael Johns has done it again, she’s presented a compelling story that takes us back to Bunyip Bay, a town full of friends that I was more than happy to visit with. I love being able to peek back into their lives and see where everyone is at. Now to convince her to write another.

Yes, this is a Bunyip Bay book but I think there is enough info in there that you could read it on its own.

Outback Sisters is book #7 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge.

Rachael Johns can be found on Twitter, Facebook and her Website.
Outback Sisters is available through Harlequin and from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
]]> Out in Nowhere 214248627 A powerful and poignant tale of rural suspense told by the acclaimed Fleur McDonald, bestselling author of Voices in the Dark and Shock Waves.

Left alone on the vast cattle station with her baby while her husband, Alex, works the farm, Hallie Donaldson is having trouble adjusting to the flies, dust, snakes and isolation in the Flinders Ranges.

At least today, Hallie knows that she and their daughter Ruby can watch Alex on the security camera erected at the windmill where he'll be working. But something goes horribly wrong and he suddenly disappears from view.

Alex is found later, dead at the bottom of the windmill.

After Alex's death, Hallie discovers an alarming series of phone messages sent to a still-shared link on Alex's phone. A short time later, one of Alex's close friends from agricultural college, Danny Betts, loses his life in another tragic rural accident.

When Hallie reveals the horrifying information she's been keeping secret to Detective Dave Burrows and his partner, Constable Mia Worth, they quickly realise that all is not what it seems.]]> 336 Fleur McDonald 1761505165 Michelle 5 kindle, netgalley, october24 4.27 Out in Nowhere
author: Fleur McDonald
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: kindle, netgalley, october24
review:

]]> Twist of Fate 219374700 A delightfully entertaining new rural romance from Karly Lane, the bestselling author with over 600,000 books sold.

At twenty-nine years old, single, living in a very small country town, and working in the same job she'd had since she left school, some would say Bel Buckley's life was mediocre at best. But life had sort of panned out that way. She'd always planned to leave - she just hadn't gotten around to it.

Thankfully she had her romance novels to escape to whenever she got too lonely. No matter how desperate a situation got, or how hopeless it seemed, there was always a hero to swoop in and save the day with a happy-ever-after at the end. Despite her best friend trying to set her up with every eligible man in town, no man would ever be able to hold a light to her perfect Jax Lexington.

Bel bought every book in the outrageously romantic series and devoured the pages, like the hopeless romantic-addict she was. Despite her friend's concern that it wasn't a healthy obsession, Bel knew it was just fantasy…until the day Jax Lexington landed in town.

Suddenly her fictional hero is real - and he's best man in her cousin's bridal party.]]> 352 Karly Lane 1761069330 Michelle 5 4.21 Twist of Fate
author: Karly Lane
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.21
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/29
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves:
review:

]]> The Ghost of Briar Rose 216868270 A haunted garden. A lost love. And a crime that will trap her forever.

Rose has haunted the beautiful old mountainside garden for a century, keeping the outside world at bay to protect her dark secrets. For ghost hunter Cleary Branchwood, getting rid of her is just another easy payday. But Rose is no helpless spirit � she's determined to unravel the mystery of her own death and clear her name.

As they join forces to unearth Rose's tragic past and set her free, they must also confront their growing feelings for each other. Could Cleary and his young daughter be the family Rose has always yearned for?

But with each step closer to the truth, Rose fears that the monster lying dormant inside her will destroy not only her chance at love, but also the lives of those she cares for most.]]> 389 Anna Romer 1923019090 Michelle 5 There are definitely elements that are predictable, there are things that you could see coming from a distance but there were also some surprises.

I loved every page, and every chapter. The characters spoke to me in ways I didn't necessarily expect, and it was certainly a rolling mess of emotions throughout.
There is a little something for most readers in these pages regardless of what you love, it transcends genre labels and captures the sentiment of timeless love. ]]> 5.00 The Ghost of Briar Rose
author: Anna Romer
name: Michelle
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: september-2024, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:
The ghost of Briar Rose is a little bit fairy tale, a little bit supernatural, a little bit romance and a big bit family.
There are definitely elements that are predictable, there are things that you could see coming from a distance but there were also some surprises.

I loved every page, and every chapter. The characters spoke to me in ways I didn't necessarily expect, and it was certainly a rolling mess of emotions throughout.
There is a little something for most readers in these pages regardless of what you love, it transcends genre labels and captures the sentiment of timeless love.
]]> If You Were Here 36321311
Brianna is three years old and very much loved by her mother, Josie, and her father, Russell. What seems like an ordinary work day on the farm becomes a nightmare when Josie vanishes without a trace. Do the travellers found camping on their property have something to do with her disappearance or is it something more sinister?

This original SHORT STORY by Fleur McDonald includes a sneak peek of her forthcoming novel Suddenly One Summer.]]> 29 Fleur McDonald 1760633836 Michelle 4 aww2017, november-2017 3.75 If You Were Here
author: Fleur McDonald
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/11/11
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: aww2017, november-2017
review:

]]> Finding Elizabeth 18042581
But things aren’t as simple as she hoped. There’s a blizzard outside, a daredevil girlfriend in her house, and a persistent, sexy Australian called Jack Riley who needs to be kept at arm’s length.

And something sinister has stalked her to her snowy hideaway…]]> 246 Louise Forster 0857990233 Michelle 3 3.52 2012 Finding Elizabeth
author: Louise Forster
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2013/02/18
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Happy People Read and Drink Coffee]]> 30323642
One year on, Diane shocks her loved ones by leaving Paris to move to a small town on the Irish coast to rebuild her life alone. There she meets Edward, a brooding, handsome photographer who lives next door. Initially Edward resents Diane’s intrusion into his solitary life, but before long they find themselves drawn to each other . . .

At once heartbreaking and uplifting, Happy People Read and Drink Coffee is the inspirational story of a woman finding new meaning-and love-in the wake of devastating loss. The bestselling French phenomenon is now also being made into a Hollywood movie.]]> 272 Agnès Martin-Lugand 1925268659 Michelle 5
Happy People Read and Drink Coffee� anyone that knows me knows that this book had me at the title.

When I was offered the book as a book club title I agreed without even checking out the blurb. Reading and coffee both in the title, sold. Start the blurb to discover there’s a literary cafe, double sold. That would be my ultimate dream. I would LOVE to open a literary cafe, if only I had the capital.

This book is a French phenomenon being made into a major Hollywood film, and I had never heard of it. It was a little funny though, I was thinking about it today and I’m taking part in the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge and trying to read 50 books by Australian women� my last three books have been by an American (about Australia), English and French.

Anyway, I digress. Happy People Read & Drink Coffee, a title that spoke to my soul. I picked it up this morning knowing that there was something else I should read first, but it wasn’t here yet so I was going to start it anyway� and the other one turned up. So I thought about it a little and in the end I was just grabbed by this one and finished it.

Diane’s wonderful life is left if tatters after the tragic accident that leaves her alone, mourning the loss of her husband and young daughter. Over a year later she is still struggling; she hasn’t been back to work, she hasn’t been to the cemetery, she hasn’t packed anything up and her best friend Felix is starting to get really concerned.

With such a heartbreaking beginning I wasn’t sure what to expect. Diane’s heartbreak was palpable and I couldn’t help but feel for her. I couldn’t imagine such a loss but I could understand the way in which she grieved. Time passed and those close to her wanted to see her start to live again, and that’s understandable too, but she needed the time to decide she was ready.

Flamboyant best friend Felix decides it’s time to get back into the world and wants to take Diane on a holiday, and he’s determined. The fear of the holiday Felix will plan is enough to make Diane take drastic measures, she decides to take control and find somewhere for herself to go. A tiny beachside town in Ireland is the destination and everyone is against the idea.

Diane says she’s leaving to try and start looking to the future, to start living again, but she’s really only saying what she thinks everyone needs to hear. Her plan is to find somewhere quiet and far away to hide with her memories and her grief.

Her desire to get away to somewhere quiet and isolated is thwarted when the small Irish town is very friendly and close knit making it a little difficult for her to keep to herself. The only person who isn’t friendly is her neighbour, and they are at constant loggerheads.

Happy People Read & Drink Coffee is Diane’s slow emergence from her cocoon of grief. Her return from the abyss and first steps back into her life.

One thing that really jumped out at me and had me wondering how long ago the book was originally published was the smoking. I was a smoker for a very long time so I certainly have nothing against it but the current trend is to try and get everyone away from smoking so the amount of smoking in this book surprised me, it could be a cultural thing too I guess but it certainly struck me. Lots of smoking inside and constant smoking, and not only from Diane which could have been understood in her frame of mind. It struck me as something more 80s than current. Not to forget the drunken driving home from the pub.

Diane starts to come back to the world and I started to wonder where the story was going to go, was this going to become a romance or a rebound or a drought breaker but it was none of these things. It was a poignant return to life, a reminder that the world is still out there and no matter how hard you tried your days aren’t up; a tale of strength and resilience.

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee is the story or a sheltered young woman thrown under the wheels of the bus of life and slowly edging her way back from the brink to walk again. A young woman who had to learn to stand on her own, which she had never had to do before, and now she had to do it as she put together the pieces of her shattered heart and her crushed life.

I think this is going to make a beautiful movie and I would actually be interested in checking it out, and I don’t watch a lot of movies.

The characters are interesting and well developed, and all are facing their demons.

I really quite enjoyed this one and it certainly went quicker than I anticipated. It is translated from French and the translation is pretty seamless. The story still has a beautiful flow, it’s not stilted and it will appeal to many but it is one to read with caution depending on how closely you have felt this kind of loss.]]> 2.89 2013 Happy People Read and Drink Coffee
author: Agnès Martin-Lugand
name: Michelle
average rating: 2.89
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2016/05/16
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, tbr-for-review
review:
Review featured at

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee� anyone that knows me knows that this book had me at the title.

When I was offered the book as a book club title I agreed without even checking out the blurb. Reading and coffee both in the title, sold. Start the blurb to discover there’s a literary cafe, double sold. That would be my ultimate dream. I would LOVE to open a literary cafe, if only I had the capital.

This book is a French phenomenon being made into a major Hollywood film, and I had never heard of it. It was a little funny though, I was thinking about it today and I’m taking part in the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge and trying to read 50 books by Australian women� my last three books have been by an American (about Australia), English and French.

Anyway, I digress. Happy People Read & Drink Coffee, a title that spoke to my soul. I picked it up this morning knowing that there was something else I should read first, but it wasn’t here yet so I was going to start it anyway� and the other one turned up. So I thought about it a little and in the end I was just grabbed by this one and finished it.

Diane’s wonderful life is left if tatters after the tragic accident that leaves her alone, mourning the loss of her husband and young daughter. Over a year later she is still struggling; she hasn’t been back to work, she hasn’t been to the cemetery, she hasn’t packed anything up and her best friend Felix is starting to get really concerned.

With such a heartbreaking beginning I wasn’t sure what to expect. Diane’s heartbreak was palpable and I couldn’t help but feel for her. I couldn’t imagine such a loss but I could understand the way in which she grieved. Time passed and those close to her wanted to see her start to live again, and that’s understandable too, but she needed the time to decide she was ready.

Flamboyant best friend Felix decides it’s time to get back into the world and wants to take Diane on a holiday, and he’s determined. The fear of the holiday Felix will plan is enough to make Diane take drastic measures, she decides to take control and find somewhere for herself to go. A tiny beachside town in Ireland is the destination and everyone is against the idea.

Diane says she’s leaving to try and start looking to the future, to start living again, but she’s really only saying what she thinks everyone needs to hear. Her plan is to find somewhere quiet and far away to hide with her memories and her grief.

Her desire to get away to somewhere quiet and isolated is thwarted when the small Irish town is very friendly and close knit making it a little difficult for her to keep to herself. The only person who isn’t friendly is her neighbour, and they are at constant loggerheads.

Happy People Read & Drink Coffee is Diane’s slow emergence from her cocoon of grief. Her return from the abyss and first steps back into her life.

One thing that really jumped out at me and had me wondering how long ago the book was originally published was the smoking. I was a smoker for a very long time so I certainly have nothing against it but the current trend is to try and get everyone away from smoking so the amount of smoking in this book surprised me, it could be a cultural thing too I guess but it certainly struck me. Lots of smoking inside and constant smoking, and not only from Diane which could have been understood in her frame of mind. It struck me as something more 80s than current. Not to forget the drunken driving home from the pub.

Diane starts to come back to the world and I started to wonder where the story was going to go, was this going to become a romance or a rebound or a drought breaker but it was none of these things. It was a poignant return to life, a reminder that the world is still out there and no matter how hard you tried your days aren’t up; a tale of strength and resilience.

Happy People Read and Drink Coffee is the story or a sheltered young woman thrown under the wheels of the bus of life and slowly edging her way back from the brink to walk again. A young woman who had to learn to stand on her own, which she had never had to do before, and now she had to do it as she put together the pieces of her shattered heart and her crushed life.

I think this is going to make a beautiful movie and I would actually be interested in checking it out, and I don’t watch a lot of movies.

The characters are interesting and well developed, and all are facing their demons.

I really quite enjoyed this one and it certainly went quicker than I anticipated. It is translated from French and the translation is pretty seamless. The story still has a beautiful flow, it’s not stilted and it will appeal to many but it is one to read with caution depending on how closely you have felt this kind of loss.
]]> A Good American 18885379 “A beautifully written novel, laced with history and music.� —Emily St. John Mandel, author ofStation ElevenA LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEARA BOOKPAGE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAREverything he’d seen had been unimaginably different from the dry, dour streets of home, and to his surprise he was not sorry in the slightest. He was smitten by the beguiling otherness of it all.

And so began my grandfather’s rapturous love affair with America—an affair that would continue until the day he died.



This is the story of the Meisenheimer family, told by James, a third-generation American living in Beatrice, Missouri.It’s where his German grandparents—Frederick and Jette—found themselves after journeying across the turbulent Atlantic, fording the flood-swollen Mississippi, and being brought to a sudden halt by the broken water of the pregnant Jette.



A Good American tells of Jette’s dogged determination to feed a town sauerkraut and soul food; the loves and losses of her children, Joseph and Rosa; and the precocious voices of James and his brothers, sometimes raised in discord…sometimes in perfect harmony.



But above all, A Good American is about the music in Frederick’s heart, a song that began as an aria, was jazzed by ragtime, and became an anthem of love for his adopted country that the family still hears to this day.]]> 392 Alex George 1101559896 Michelle 0 to-read 4.02 2012 A Good American
author: Alex George
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Sister's Boyfriend 214366880 Oh my god� Literally had me lost for words!� Absolutely fantastic, full of gripping twists� Will definitely have you on the edge of your seat." Jessica’s Book Biz, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

Brooke’s face lights up and the corners of her eyes crinkle as she smiles brightly at her new boyfriend. He gently pulls her in, nestling her cheek on his chest. But when he turns his head towards me, my blood runs cold. I know my sister’s life is in danger�

I would recognize that face anywhere. Handsome and chiseled. The perfect mask. I prayed I would never see Noel Harwood again, but here he is, sneering at me over Brooke’s shoulder.

I want to protect her, but I remember the last time I saw her. Voice dripping with venom, she said she would never forgive my betrayal. I want to scream at her to run and tell her that Noel has done terrible things, but the words die in my throat. I’ve lied too often for her to believe me over her knight-in-shining-armor.

I need to be smart if I want to save my sister. Noel might think he’s one step ahead, but he has no idea what I’m capable of. He could never imagine the darkness that lurks in our family. Or the truth about what happened on the jagged clifftop, all those years ago.

I nearly lost Brooke once, and I’ll never let that happen again. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her�

An addictive, page-turning psychological thriller from USA Today bestseller Nicola Marsh. Fans of The Housemaid, Lisa Jewell and Mark Edwards will feel their hearts race as they find twist after twist!

What readers are saying about My Sister’s Boyfriend:

�Oh� My� Gosh!� Page-turner!� Plot twists galore� I could not put this book down!� I was hooked from the very beginning� Had me gasping audibly.� ŷ Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

�Wow! I was truly on the edge of my seat� Had me gripped! I read this in one sitting!� Amazing.� ŷ Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

“A rollercoaster� Even the twists had twists� I loved every minute it took me to devour this� Even more tasty than a plate full of my favorite dessert. 5 stars.� B For Bookreview, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

�Oh my god this book� Literally has me lost for words!� Absolutely fantastic, full of gripping twists and suspense. It will definitely have you on the edge of your seat.� Jessica’s Book Biz, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

�Wow! Just Wow! 5 stars� Had me hooked from the first page.� ŷ Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

�OMG!� Once I started reading it was impossible to stop� Breathlessly surprising� My heart was pounding.]]> 308 Nicola Marsh 1836182279 Michelle 4 kindle, september-2024 It is a sequel and I think I would have benefitted from rereading the previous book just before this one to freshen the background stories in my mind.

Still an enjoying read with a few big shocks but some of it was easy to see coming.]]> 3.91 My Sister's Boyfriend
author: Nicola Marsh
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.91
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: kindle, september-2024
review:
An intriguing story that definitely captured me but at times it got too twisty and I struggled to keep everything straight.
It is a sequel and I think I would have benefitted from rereading the previous book just before this one to freshen the background stories in my mind.

Still an enjoying read with a few big shocks but some of it was easy to see coming.
]]> <![CDATA[The Purple Hills (Woodlea, #3)]]> 40079964
Sibylla Elliott's return to small-town Woodlea will only be temporary. The audiologist will reassure herself that her father is doing well after his stroke and then be gone before her stepmother can wedge herself any further between them.

Single-dad Hugh Mason's entire world is his freckle-faced, space-obsessed son, Riley. When Hugh suffers a head injury, he has no Plan B, until Riley and his miniature pony come to his rescue, fetching their neighbour Sibylla. Glad to escape the tension in her family home, she moves to the next-door farm to help out the local horse chiropractor.

But when close quarters magnify the attraction between Sibylla and Hughand refreshes past heartbreak, there is a price to pay. Will the wish of a motherless five-year-old as he stares at the night sky be enough to make Sibylla's plans permanent?]]> 77 Alissa Callen 1489269738 Michelle 4 4.04 2018 The Purple Hills (Woodlea, #3)
author: Alissa Callen
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/17
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: to-read, december-2022, december-22
review:

]]> What Love Sounds Like 17230584 Praise for WHAT LOVE SOUNDS '... a very sweet and charming story...' � Contemporary Romance Reviews]]> 158 Alissa Callen 0857990128 Michelle 4 3.90 2013 What Love Sounds Like
author: Alissa Callen
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/18
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Country Music Christmas: A small-town Chalk Hill celebrity romance novella from an award-winning Australian author.]]> 212384590


This book was originally published in the A Country Vet Christmas anthology. If you loved this book, you might also like ...

Snowy Mountains Mistletoe by Alissa Callen

The Countdown to Christmas by Penelope Janu

A Cattle Dog for Christmas by Stella Quinn

A Christmas to Remember by Pamela Cook]]> 127 Lily Malone 1038918464 Michelle 4 kindle, september-2024 4.05 A Country Music Christmas: A small-town Chalk Hill celebrity romance novella from an award-winning Australian author.
author: Lily Malone
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: kindle, september-2024
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Countdown to Christmas: An opposites attract small-town holiday novella from an award-winning Australian author.]]> 210622980 160 Penelope Janu 1038918448 Michelle 4 4.06 The Countdown to Christmas: An opposites attract small-town holiday novella from an award-winning Australian author.
author: Penelope Janu
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.06
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves:
review:

]]> The Patterson Girls 25193726
When the Patterson daughters return home to Meadow Brook to be with their father after their mother’s death, they bring with them a world of complication and trouble.

The eldest sister, obstetrician Madeleine, would rather be anywhere but her hometown, violinist Abigail has fled from her stellar career, while teacher Lucinda is struggling to have the children she and her husband so desperately want. The black sheep of the family, Charlie, feels her life as a barista and exercise instructor doesn’t measure up to that of her gifted and successful sisters.

Dealing with their bereft father who is determined to sell the family motel, their loves old and new and a series of troublesome decisions doesn’t make life any easier, but when they go through their mother’s possessions and uncover the shocking secret of an old family curse, they begin to question everything they thought they knew.

A warm and wise novel about secrets revealed, finding your soulmate and the unique bond between sisters.]]> 496 Rachael Johns 0857994336 Michelle 5 3.93 2015 The Patterson Girls
author: Rachael Johns
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/08/22
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: aww2015, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase, tbr-for-review
review:

]]> Chosen (Slayer, #2) 49994269 Nina continues to learn how to use her slayer powers against enemies old and new in this second novel in the New York Times bestselling series from Kiersten White, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Now that Nina has turned the Watcher’s Castle into a utopia for hurt and lonely demons, she’s still waiting for the utopia part to kick in. With her sister Artemis gone and only a few people remaining at the castle—including her still-distant mother—Nina has her hands full. Plus, though she gained back her Slayer powers from Leo, they’re not feeling quite right after being held by the seriously evil succubus Eve, a.k.a. fake Watcher’s Council member and Leo’s mom.

And while Nina is dealing with the darkness inside, there’s also a new threat on the outside, portended by an odd triangle symbol that seems to be popping up everywhere, in connection with Sean’s demon drug ring as well as someone a bit closer to home. Because one near-apocalypse just isn’t enough, right?

The darkness always finds you. And once again, it’s coming for the Slayer.]]> 366 Kiersten White 1534405003 Michelle 0 to-read 3.93 2020 Chosen (Slayer, #2)
author: Kiersten White
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snowy Mountains Mistletoe (Bundilla Novels, #4.5)]]> 211852438


This book was originally published in the A Country Vet Christmas anthology. If you loved this book, you might also like ...

The Countdown to Christmas by Penelope Janu

A Cattle Dog for Christmas by Stella Quinn

A Country Music Christmas by Lily Malone

A Christmas to Remember by Pamela Cook]]> 134 Alissa Callen 103891843X Michelle 4 kindle, september-2024 4.28 Snowy Mountains Mistletoe (Bundilla Novels, #4.5)
author: Alissa Callen
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: kindle, september-2024
review:

]]> House of Wishes 48554391 Dandelion House, 1974
Two teenage girls—strangers—make a pact to keep a secret.
Calingarry Crossing, 2014
For forty years, Beth and her mum have been everything to each other, but Beth is blind-sided when her mother dies, and her last wish is to have her ashes spread in a small-town cemetery.

On the outskirts of Calingarry Crossing, when Beth comes across a place called Dandelion House Retreat, her first thought is how appealing the name sounds. With her stage career waning, and struggling to see a future without her mum, her marriage, and her child, she hopes it’s a place where she can begin to heal.

After meeting Tom, a local cattleman, Beth is intrigued by his stories of the cursed, century-old river house and its reclusive owner, Gypsy. The more Beth learns, however, the more she questions her mother’s wishes.

When meeting Beth leads Tom to uncover a disturbing connection to the old house, he must decide if the truth will help a grieving daughter or hurt her more.

Should Dandelion House keep its last, long-held secret?


From the author of HOUSE FOR ALL SEASONS . . .
"A painful exploration of estrangement, loss, truth, redemption and the power of wishes." The West Australian
Get it as an ebook now Also avail in print at ]]> 324 Jenn J. McLeod 0648570819 Michelle 5 4.59 House of Wishes
author: Jenn J. McLeod
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2019/11/22
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves: aww2019, november-19, physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> The Horseman's Promise 35743248 300 Cathryn Hein 0648000540 Michelle 4 library, september-2024 3.91 2011 The Horseman's Promise
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: library, september-2024
review:

]]> The Falls 40594655 394 Cathryn Hein 0648000591 Michelle 4 library, september-2024 3.79 2015 The Falls
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/09
date added: 2024/09/09
shelves: library, september-2024
review:

]]> Heartland 33258061 308 Cathryn Hein 0648000508 Michelle 4 library, september-2024 3.73 2013 Heartland
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves: library, september-2024
review:

]]> The French Prize 22458516
Australian-born Dr. Olivia Walker is an Oxford academic with a reputation as one of the world’s leading Crusade historians and she’s risked everything on finding one of the most famous swords in history � Durendal. Shrouded in myth and mystery, the sword is fabled to have belonged to the warrior Roland, a champion of Charlemagne’s court, and Olivia is determined to prove to her detractors that the legend is real. Her dream is almost within reach when she discovers the long-lost key to its location in Provence, but her benefactor � Raimund Blancard � has other ideas.

For more than a millennium, the Blancard family have protected the sword. When his brother is tortured and killed by a man who believes he is Roland’s rightful heir, Raimund vows to end the bloodshed forever. He will find Durendal and destroy it, but to do that he needs Olivia's help.

Now Olivia is torn between finding the treasure for which she has hunted all her life and helping the man she has fallen in love with destroy her dream. And all the while, Raimund's murderous nemesis is on their trail, and he will stop at nothing to claim his birthright.]]> 352 Cathryn Hein Michelle 4 library, september-2024 3.74 2014 The French Prize
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/07
date added: 2024/09/07
shelves: library, september-2024
review:

]]> The Haters 201627012 The bestselling author ofThe Partyand The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted.]]> 342 Robyn Harding 1538766108 Michelle 5 aug-24, library 3.56 2024 The Haters
author: Robyn Harding
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: aug-24, library
review:

]]> Scarlett and the Model Man 50706993 He might be the perfect model, but is he the right man for Scarlett?

When up-and-coming artist Scarlett Ash discovers the perfect model in small-town Levenham, she can’t believe her luck. Her creativity abandoned her months ago and with her move to London to take up a prestigious residency fast approaching, she’s desperate for a muse to bring it back.

Surfing dairy farmer Sam Greenwood is delivering milk when a gorgeous girl accosts him. Charmed by her invitation to model for a painting, Sam wants to say no. While Scarlett might be stunning, she’s arty-farty weird, and he’s flat out with his growing dairy business. Somehow, though, he can’t resist.

As Scarlett struggles to find her way with her new work, Sam becomes determined to help. Scarlett is smart, talented and sympathetic to the unremitting toil of dairy farming, and they’re both healing from failed relationships. Soon burgeoning friendship blossoms into so much more.

Knowing that London beckons and her time in Levenham is short, Scarlett resists the lure of love. She has no plans to return to Levenham, and big-hearted Sam deserves more than a brief fling followed by a quick goodbye. Except as their affair deepens, how can she leave the man who’s not only given her back her passion but her heart?

]]> 180 Cathryn Hein 0648582019 Michelle 5 aug-24, library 4.40 Scarlett and the Model Man
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/10
date added: 2024/08/10
shelves: aug-24, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eddie and the Show Queen (Levenham Love Story, #5)]]> 49853326
When horticulturalist Alice Lindner goads her ex-boyfriend Eddie Argyle into a fundraising contest, she doesn’t expect him to take it seriously. Winning small-town Levenham’s inaugural Wine Show crown will take dedication and hard work, and all Eddie cares about is chasing skirt. Besides, a win will be Alice’s tribute to her late mum. No way is Eddie getting his hands on the crown.
Big-hearted farmer Eddie never understood why love-of-his-life Alice dumped him. Yeah, it’d been a difficult time with her mum’s illness, but he’d loved her the best he could and losing her left him adrift. Now he has the opportunity to prove himself by winning not only the crown but maybe Alice’s heart in the process.
Will Eddie’s enthusiasm ruin Alice’s tribute and with it all hope of a second chance? Or will Alice realise that the real prize isn’t in the past but with the man who wants to be her future?]]> 268 Cathryn Hein 0648000583 Michelle 5 aug-24, library 4.25 Eddie and the Show Queen (Levenham Love Story, #5)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/08
date added: 2024/08/08
shelves: aug-24, library
review:

]]> Parisian Dreams 34816837 When Australian Lily Johansson earns the opportunity to dance for the prestigious Bohème Ballet in Paris, she fulfils a lifelong dream and continues a family legacy � but it comes at a cost.

While Lily falls in love with the City of Light and her professional life catapults her into fame, her personal life suffers as the relationship with her fiancé deteriorates. On a stormy night, an argument sends Lily racing across the road and a speeding car tragically changes her life forever. Lily’s heart, once full of love and hope, is smashed to pieces and her career crumbles into a hopeless mess. Stumbling into a solitary future she’d never planned, Lily must learn to live with the grief of losing the man she loved and find her way in an unfamiliar world.

]]> 49 Alli Sinclair 1489247009 Michelle 4 aww2017, july-17 3.97 Parisian Dreams
author: Alli Sinclair
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2017/07/10
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: aww2017, july-17
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy (Levenham Love Story, #4)]]> 35608044
Chrissy sure has his attention now, but she’s older, smarter and focused on settling into her new dream job as wine marketer. No matter how sexy he’s grown, or how keen his interest, Nick will need to do a lot more than see off a drunk if he wants to win her over.

But Chrissy doesn’t count on the determination of a Burroughs boy in love. Nick will do anything to recapture Chrissy’s heart, even if it means acting the romantic fool and embarrassing himself in the process.

Will Nick’s efforts to make amends for the past backfire or will Chrissy’s career thwart everything? Grab this this cute small-town romance and find out!

For readers who enjoyed Romantic Book of the Year finalist Santa and the Saddler by Cathryn Hein.]]> 176 Cathryn Hein 0648000559 Michelle 5 aug-24, library 4.29 Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy (Levenham Love Story, #4)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/06
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: aug-24, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Santa and the Saddler (Levenham Love Story, #3)]]> 32604782 167 Cathryn Hein 099446746X Michelle 5 aug-24, library 4.25 Santa and the Saddler (Levenham Love Story, #3)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/05
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves: aug-24, library
review:

]]> Devoted 48729549 From Dean Koontz, the international bestselling master of suspense, comes an epic thriller about a terrifying killer and the singular compassion it will take to defeat him.

Woody Bookman hasn’t spoken a word in his eleven years of life. Not when his father died in a freak accident. Not when his mother, Megan, tells him she loves him. For Megan, keeping her boy safe and happy is what matters. But Woody believes a monstrous evil was behind his father’s death and now threatens him and his mother. And he’s not alone in his thoughts. An ally unknown to him is listening.

A uniquely gifted dog with a heart as golden as his breed, Kipp is devoted beyond reason to people. When he hears the boy who communicates like he does, without speaking, Kipp knows he needs to find him before it’s too late.

Woody’s fearful suspicions are taking shape. A man driven by a malicious evil has set a depraved plan into motion. And he’s coming after Woody and his mother. The reasons are primal. His powers are growing. And he’s not alone. Only a force greater than evil can stop what’s coming next.]]> 384 Dean Koontz 1460756592 Michelle 4 3.85 2020 Devoted
author: Dean Koontz
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/02
date added: 2024/08/02
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Serenity's Song (Outback Brides Return to Wirralong, #3)]]> 53352131 He’s got a history of bad decisions—is he finally about to make the right one?

Jesse Hargreaves can’t outrun his notorious bad boy reputation. Betrayed by a woman he trusted, he retreats to his hometown, Wirralong, to serve as his brother’s best man and rebuild his life. But change isn’t easy, and it’s even harder when Jesse has to fight his fierce attraction to the maid of honour—a woman well aware of the darkness in his past.

Beautician Serenity Strachan’s flippant one-liners and vibrant hair colours are armour to protect her fragile heart. She’s always crushed on Jesse, but she’s determined to keep him and his sordid past at an arm’s length. That’s easier said than done when Jesse asks Serenity to help renovate an old property. And when they’re trapped underground in a tunnel cave-in, their emotional barriers fall faster than the tunnel walls.

When rescue arrives, they question their new emotional intimacy. Can Serenity trust this new Jesse with her heart? And can Jesse trust that Serenity will ignore the lure of a fortune to keep his secrets safe?]]> 195 Cathryn Hein 1952560314 Michelle 5 july-24, library 4.38 Serenity's Song (Outback Brides Return to Wirralong, #3)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: july-24, library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Summer and the Groomsman (Levenham Love Story, #2)]]> 27245071
After yet again nearly colliding with an escaped horse while driving home to the family farm, Harry Argyle comes face-to-face with its pretty owner, and doesn't hold back his disapproval.

Confronted by a bad-tempered giant on a dark country road, beautician and new arrival in town Summer Taylor doesn't know who to be more afraid for: herself or her darling horse Binky. It's not her fault Binky keeps escaping. The alcoholic owner of the paddock she rents won't fix the fence and Binky can be sneaky when it comes to filling his stomach. But no matter how big and muscled the bully, she refuses to be intimidated.

When Harry's wedding party book a session at the day spa where Summer works, both she and Harry are horrified to be paired together. Grudgingly, they agree to make the most of it - only for the session to spiral into disaster. Realising he's made a dill of himself in front of sweet Summer yet again, Harry vows to set things right.

Summer isn't about to easily forgive the man who called her horse stupid, no matter how brave and kind, but with everyone on Harry's side, even fate, resistance is hard. Can these two find love or will Summer's wayward horse put his hoof in it again?

A sweet rural romance novella from Cathryn Hein, best-selling author of The Falls, Rocking Horse Hill, Heartland, Heart of the Valley, and Promises.]]> 106 Cathryn Hein 0994467400 Michelle 5 july-24, library 3.84 Summer and the Groomsman (Levenham Love Story, #2)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/19
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves: july-24, library
review:

]]> Just One Wish 46164001 Three women, three secrets, one life-changing journey. Alice has always been a trailblazer as a scientist, activist, and mother. She knew her choices would involve sacrifices, but now, on the eve of her eightieth birthday, she's beginning to wonder if she's sacrificed too much.


Alice's daughter Sappho rebelled against her unconventional upbringing, choosing to marry young and embrace life as a homemaker, but her status as a domestic goddess has recently taken a surprising turn.

Ged has always been the peacemaker between her grandmother and mother. A tenacious journalist she knows what she wants in life and love, yet when everything in her world starts falling apart, she begins to question whether she really knows anyone at all.

At a crossroads in each of their lives, Alice, Sappho and Ged embark on a celebratory trip together, but instead of bringing them closer, the holiday sparks life-changing consequences and lifts the lid on a fifty-year secret.

Can Ged rescue her family if their story is built on a betrayal?

From bestselling, ABIA award-winning author Rachael Johns comes an engrossing and wise novel about ambition, choices and what it means to be a woman.]]> 405 Rachael Johns 1489261621 Michelle 5 aww2019, october-2019
My full review can be found here:


Merged review:

All of the feels, a few pretty nice twists and another beautifully told story.

My full review can be found here:
]]> 4.14 2019 Just One Wish
author: Rachael Johns
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/10/11
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: aww2019, october-2019
review:
All of the feels, a few pretty nice twists and another beautifully told story.

My full review can be found here:


Merged review:

All of the feels, a few pretty nice twists and another beautifully told story.

My full review can be found here:

]]> The Host (The Host #1) 2415887
Wanderer, the invading 'soul' who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too-vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves - Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.]]> 617 Stephenie Meyer Michelle 0 3.90 2008 The Host (The Host #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Michelle
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: physically-on-michelle-s-bookcase
review:

]]> Wayward Heart 32056483
Jasmine Thomas should feel safe in her cosy cottage at Admella Beach after finally putting an end to an ill-advised romance. But her perfect sanctuary is shattered with the arrival of hand-delivered threatening notes. Someone has discovered her secret.

When the notes escalate to vandalism, Jasmine's anxiety rises. But in such a small place, telling the police would mean the whole town finding out.

Digby Wallace-Jones is stumbling through the motions of life, wrapped in a fog of grief since his fiancee Felicity died. Withdrawn from his family, Digby doesn't care about anything beyond his loss. But in a chance meeting with Jasmine, his sister's best friend who he's known forever, even he can see the tension she carries. Worried and feeling protective, he continues to drop by, but it's more than that. Jasmine soothes him; and, unlike the rest of his family, he can talk to her about his pain without fear of judgement. But as much as he likes Jasmine, Digby's enduring love for Felicity means he has nothing left to give and he pushes Jasmine away.

Jasmine knew they were supposed to stay friends 'with excellent benefits' but she can't help her wayward heart from falling for this tortured, kind and sexy man. How can she ever loosen the grip Felicity's memory has on Digby's soul and remind him he still has a life ahead of him?]]> 352 Cathryn Hein 1489214461 Michelle 5 june24 4.09 2016 Wayward Heart
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/18
date added: 2024/06/17
shelves: june24
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Elsa's Stand (Outback Brides #3)]]> 40055165
From the moment Jack strides into her salon and helps himself to her clippers, Elsa is in lust. He might be a poster boy for the strong silent type, but she senses there’s a good man behind that stoic facade. With her business taking off, Elsa is finally ready for a relationship and Jack is just her kind of man. Not to mention, she’s never said no to a challenge.

Worried their association will harm Elsa’s business, Jack tries to avoid her, but Elsa is irresistible. Soon, she has him believing and hoping for a future with her in Wirralong, but another family tragedy shatters Jack’s fragile dream. Jack knows he must leave Elsa to protect her, no matter the cost to himself.]]> 260 Cathryn Hein 1949068110 Michelle 5 4.27 Elsa's Stand (Outback Brides #3)
author: Cathryn Hein
name: Michelle
average rating: 4.27
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves:
review:

]]>