Review: Time After Time by Karly Lane

 

Title: Time After Time

Author: Karly Lane

Published: 2nd May 2023, Allen & Unwin

Status: Read May 2023 courtesy Allen & Unwin

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My Thoughts:

In Karly Lane’s latest rural romance novel, Alice Croydon is forced to choose between the love of her life and her life-long ambition in Time After Time.

When Alice is offered the opportunity to apprentice at a world renowned fashion label in London, her highschool sweetheart Finn issues her an ultimatum. Alice is torn, she loves Finn and her life in her small country hometown of Gunnindi, but, with the encouragement of her beloved Gran, chooses to go, planning to stay just a year, hoping that Finn will forgive her when she returns.

I can’t reveal what happens after Alice makes her choice without spoiling the story completely, but when Alice finally returns to Gunnindi she is not the same person she was when she left. I liked Alice and I enjoyed her journey, but to be honest the ‘second-chance romance’ reunion didn’t quite work for me personally.

Alice’s grandmother was probably my favourite character in Time After Time, I particularly admired the decision she made to be true to herself. I also liked Alice’s colleagues in London, and laughed at her interactions with the formidable seamstress, Marcella.

Though only about half the book is set in the fictional town of Gunnindi, Lane vividly evokes Australian rural communities, and gives due recognition to its challenges, especially for farmers. I really liked that Lane raises the issue of preserving and revitalising rural industry and it’s many benefits for regional areas.

Written with the warmth, humour and heart for which Lane’s rural romances are known, Time After Time is an engaging read

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Review: Family Baggage by Ilsa Evans

 

Title: Family Baggage

Author: Ilsa Evans

Published: 8th March 2023, HQ Fiction

Status: Read March 2023 courtesy Harlequin/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

Family Baggage by Ilsa Evans is a heartfelt story that explores family relationships, unfolding over a period of a week in early 2020.

Upon their mother’s sudden death, the task of disseminating and disposing of Enid’s belongings is left to her daughters, Kathryn, Georgette and Annie, whom she privately thought of as The Sorter, The Settler and The Sook. Gathering at their childhood home Kat, the eldest of the three, is prepared with an agenda and colour coded stickers, plus a sensible plan for the immediate care of their brother Harry, who is unable to live independently. The youngest, Annie, immediately resents her sister taking charge and seems overly concerned about getting her share, while George just wants to get through the week without breaking down completely.

There’s plenty of emotion in Family Baggage, fuelled largely by raw grief. Fond reminiscences give way to reignited resentments, Annie in particular seems determined to find fault with her sisters, annoying Kat, and bewildering George. Evans deftly captures the complicated relationship between the women, who may be in their fifties, but tend to interact with each other as if they are still children, a regression anyone with a sibling will likely relate to.

George’s discovery of her mother’s journal introduces an element of mystery to the novel. The entries eventually expose facets of Enid’s life that shocks her daughters, who react in different ways, triggering more conflict. Learning her mother’s secrets leads George in particular to reflect on her own life, and the choices she has made as a woman, a wife, and a mother. This prompted me to ponder the narrow view I have of my own mother, and that my children, now young adults, probably have of me.

Well timed humour is used to good effect, cutting through the tension that often permeates the novel. I also delighted in the oblique references to Evans’ Majic series (which was a favourite of mine).

A moving and thought-provoking novel, Family Baggage is an engaging read.

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Review: Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane

 

Title: Between Us

Author: Mhairi McFarlane

Published: 11th May 2023, HarperCollins UK

Status: Read May 2023, courtesy HarperCollins/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

I didn’t even take the time to read the synopsis for Between Us when I saw it, trusting that bestselling author Mhairi McFarlane would deliver on a heartfelt romance with an edge. Somewhat unexpectedly, and despite what the cover may suggest, she doesn’t, exactly. That doesn’t make Between Us a bad book at all, just not one I was anticipating.

Secondary teacher Roisin Waters is looking forward to a weekend away with her closest friends of almost a decade, her boyfriend Joe, Meredith, Gina, Matt, Dev, and Anita. ‘The Brian Club’ has plenty to celebrate, including an engagement, a birthday and a television premiere, and Roisin is hoping that the tension that has been building between she and Joe doesn’t spoil it. Things start to go sideways rather quickly though, even before Joe’s betrayal of Roisin is writ large on the eight-foot-wide HDTV for all to see.

Between Us then becomes more properly about the end of a relationship. Roisin is surprised when Joe seems to object to the break up, but she has doubts about the sincerity of his apology. Stuck on the idea that the ongoing script of Joe’s show reflects more truth than fiction, Roisin re-examines their nine year relationship, discovering an undercurrent of deceit and manipulation to which she has been oblivious. It’s a devastating realisation, and I really felt for Roisin, though she reacts with far less self-recrimination than I would manage in her place. I think McFarlane exposes the situation, and the issues it raises, with sensitivity.

The problem for me in Between Us is that I think Roisin’s experience with Joe doesn’t really provide a natural segue straight into a new romance. While I came to like Matt, and understood the basis for their connection, for me their burgeoning relationship didn’t have the sense of inevitability that is present between the couples in McFarlane’s previous novels, and the balance between the romance and angst wasn’t there.

McFarlane’s knack for portraying an authentic dynamic amongst longtime friends is here however. Though there are some obvious growing pains and stress points in the group, and between individuals, there is also genuine affection and the friendships, characterised by witty banter and warm support, offer relief from the novel’s darker elements.

While I didn’t get what I wanted from Between Us, McFarlane’s writing is strong enough it didn’t ever occur to me to put the book down. I was invested in Roisin being able to move on, but I missed the connection to the romance that I’ve usually found in McFarlane’s books.

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Review: Hold My Girl by Charlene Carr

 

Title: Hold My Girl

Author: Charlene Carr

Published: 1st March 2023, Welbeck Publishing

Status: Read April 2023 courtesy Welbeck Publishing

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My Thoughts:

Charlene Carr explores a heartbreaking dilemma in her emotive novel, Hold My Girl.

Born after seven years of fertility treatments, Rose, nearing one year old, is Katherine Matheson’s miracle baby. After so much heartbreaking failure, Katherine is determined to be the perfect mother, ignoring the nagging worry that Rose, with her pale skin, looks nothing like her.

Tess Sokolowski’s chance to have a child of her own ended on the day her daughter, conceived via IVF, was stillborn at 21 weeks, leading to an emergency hysterectomy. Alone and stuck in a dead end job, Tess numbs the pain of her losses with too much alcohol and indiscriminate sex.

When news breaks that a nurse at an IVF clinic has confessed to switching the eggs of two women, the lives of Katherine and Tess are thrown into turmoil.

Carr thoughtfully explores the moral and legal complexity the situation raises as Katherine and Tess both fight to claim Rose as their own. Katherine, and her husband Patrick, who is Rose’s biological father, argue that only they can provide Rose with a stable upbringing. She’ll have two loving parents, financial comfort, and a supportive extended family, though Katherine is worried that her race will count against them. Tess has biology, and her inability to have any more children, on her side, but divorced, estranged from her family, and with no savings, she can only hope it will be enough.

Both Katherine and Tess are well portrayed with nuance, and compassion for their individual circumstances. I could find empathy for both of them, even when they were not behaving particularly well. I’d like to think I would be more generous than Katherine seems to be to Tess for the benefit of Rose, but it’s such a heartbreaking situation for which there is no perfect solution.

Carr also touches on other sensitive issues including sexual assault, adultery, racism, and alcoholism, adding complexity to the debate.

Hold My Girl is a provocative and poignant novel, well written and compelling.

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Available from Murdoch Books

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Review: I’ll Leave You With This by Kylie Ladd

 

Title: I’ll Leave You With This

Author: Kylie Ladd

Published: 31st January 2023, Michael Joseph

Status: Read January 2023 courtesy Penguin Books

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My Thoughts:

I’ll Leave You Like This is a moving and thought provoking novel from Kylie Ladd exploring grief, family, and the complex bonds of sisterhood.

Over lunch on the third anniversary of Daniel O’Shea’s shocking and untimely death, Clare announces to her sisters that she plans to seek out the recipients of their brother’s donated organs. For Clare, for whom loss has become all too common, it’s a way to affirm Daniel’s life, and perhaps her own. Eldest sister Allison thinks Clare’s mission is morbid and is impatient with the whole idea, as she is with most things. Bridie is indifferent until, ‘in between’ film projects, she see’s its potential as an award winning documentary. Emma, the youngest of the siblings, is happy to offer Clare her support, but only Joel, Daniel’s former lover, is truly enthusiastic about the project.

A novel driven by character and theme rather than plot, I’ll Leave You Like This unfolds from the alternating perspectives of each of the four sisters.

I enjoyed getting to know the sisters, who are well rounded and relatable characters. Ladd has created distinct personalities for each woman, who have quite disparate temperaments and lifestyles. Each is affected differently by their grief not only related Daniel’s death, but also the loss of their parents in quick succession some years before. The sisters also struggle with their own issues, among them infertility, self harm, stress, and loss of confidence, and feel unable to turn to each other for support. Their dynamic feels authentic, and is rendered with insight into the sometimes complicated bonds of siblings.

As a registered donor myself, I personally strongly feel that organ donation is a wonderful legacy. Clare’s mission allows Ladd to explore some interesting questions not only about what it means to the recipients, but also to the relatives of the donor. I certainly empathise with Clare’s desire to connect with the people who carry a part of her brother, but I also understand why recipients may be uncomfortable with any contact.

Written with warmth, wit and compassion, I’ll Leave You With This is an emotive family drama.

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Review: The Little Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page

 

Title: The Little Board Game Cafe

Author: Jennifer Page

Published: 13th April 2023, Aria

Status: Read April 2023 courtesy Head of Zeus/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

I couldn’t resist this title when it appeared in my social media feed. As a fan of board games and food, I’d be an eager patron of a business that combined the two.

It’s not exactly what Emily had in mind though when, after losing her job and her fiancé, she takes a chance on fulfilling the lifelong dream she had once shared, and hoped to accomplish, with her late mother. In The Little Board Game Cafe Emily uses all her savings to purchases the lease on a cafe just outside of the village centre. It’s a little run down, having been closed for a few months, but the accounts suggest it was recently a thriving concern. After a small facelift, a new menu, and with a new name, Emily confidently launches The Lancashire Hotpot, offering all day breakfasts, lunches, cakes and pies (I had to google Chorley Cakes because I had never heard of them).

I love that Emily finds the courage to take such a big leap. It’s not the most sensible of decisions given she has no formal training or experience either in cooking for a cafe, or running a small business, but she is motivated and enthusiastic. I felt for her as, able to attract barely a handful of customers a day, she realises that failure is a real possibility, but refuses to give up. Emily’s idea to turn things around is inspired, though she only achieves it with a lot of help.

The Little Board Game Cafe has some appealing supporting characters including Emily’s best friend, Kate; regular customers Mr B and Marjory; and later Annie; who offer Emily much needed encouragement and support. The romance that develops between Emily and local GP and board game enthusiast, Ludek, has some really sweet moments, though I wish they had spent a little more time together.

A feel good story about following your dreams, friendship, community and love, The Little Board Game Cafe is an engaging read.

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Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

 

Title: Happy Place

Author: Emily Henry

Published: 27th April 2023, Viking

Status: Read April 2023 courtesy PenguinUK/NetgalleyUK

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My Thoughts:

Having adored Book Lovers, I’ve been looking forward to reading Emily Henry’s newest delightful release, Happy Place.

“Think of your happy place, the cool voice in my ear instructs….Sunlight, everywhere. Not just on my bare shoulders or the crown of my head, but inside me too, the irresistible warmth that comes only from being in the exact right place with the exact right people.”

Harriet is excited to be joining her best friends, Sabrina and Cleo in her ‘happy place’. Every year, since they met in college, the trio have gathered at a vacation home owned by Sabrina’s father in Maine, joined in time by their respective partners, Wyn, Parth and Kimmy. Now that the three friends all live in different cities the tradition is more important than ever to Harriet, but she’s been keeping a secret that she worries could ruin it all.

Six months ago, she and Wyn ended their ten year relationship but haven’t yet told anyone. Harriet plans to break the news when she arrives sans Wyn, who has agreed to make his excuses, but Sabrina has a surprise or two for Harriet of her own. Reluctant to spoil the occasion Harriet and Wyn agree to pretend they are still a couple, a tortuous proposition for Harriet who was crushed by their break-up, but she’s willing to do anything to stay in her happy place.

I really enjoyed Harriet and Wyn as a couple, there is plenty of chemistry between them in the present, despite the awkwardness of their reunion. A series of flashbacks reveal the history of their relationship, from their first meeting to the moment it ended. I was invested in understanding why they broke up, and felt for them both as those reasons, including insecurity, miscommunication, family expectations, and depression, became apparent. There are several recognisable romantic tropes at play such as second-chance romance, forced proximity, and fake dating but they are well executed.

The portrayal of the friendship group is a real delight, even as the week progresses and some strain begins to show. The dynamic of the relationship between Harriet, Sabrina and Cleo became as important to me as the feature romance. I particularly liked that Henry addressed how friendship changes over time, and how important it is to let it.

A joy to read, though both romantic and funny, Happy Place is also a heartfelt story exploring friendship, family, self-determination, and love.

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Review: The Matchmaker by Saman Shad

 

Title: The Matchmaker

Author: Saman Shad

Published: 31st January 2023, Viking

Status: Read February 2023 courtesy Penguin Books Australia

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My Thoughts:

The Matchmaker is an engaging contemporary romance from debut author Saman Shad.

In establishing a marriage matchmaking business catering to Sydney’s Desi community, Saima defies tradition. Not only is she in her mid-thirties and single but she ignores factors such as class and status, and focuses on matching her clients with their soulmate. Though she’s had plenty of success, Saima’s modern approach is an affront to some of the senior community members, and she’s struggling to stay solvent in the face of their disapproval. Saima is on the verge of giving up when she is offered a generous sum, and the promise of endorsement, by a wealthy couple who are eager for their son, Kal, to settle down. There’s only a small catch, Saima has to convince Kal to accept her services without revealing his parents involvement.

As it happens, Saima and Kal have already met, under somewhat unusual circumstances. The direction the plot takes from there is fairly obvious but entertaining. Kal’s not entirely averse to finding a wife but he’s definitely not interested in the kind of traditional arranged marriage favoured by his parents. Saima organises a number of introductions for him, but there is spark between the two of them that’s difficult to ignore.

Not being terribly familiar with the Desi culture, which generally refers to communities from the Indian subcontinent that have settled in other countries, I liked learning a little about it, and thought Shad represented the struggle of those torn between traditional expectations and the norms of modern society well.

Something that surprised me in the novel was the portrayal of the genuinely lovely friendship between Kal, Tom and Lachie. It’s not often male leads in romance have anything other than a single token ‘best mate’.

Though there are moments of humour in the story, I don’t think it quite rises to the level to define it as the romcom it’s marketed as, but The Matchmaker is an enjoyable romance with appealing characters and a satisfying happy ever after.

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Review: Only Love Can Hurt Like This by Paige Toon

 

Title: Only Love Can Hurt Like This

Author: Paige Toon

Published: 27th April 2023, Penguin UK

Status: Read March 2023 courtesy PenguinUK/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

Having adored Someone I Used To Know, I was delighted with the opportunity to read Only Love Can Hurt Like This, Paige Toon’s latest contemporary romance novel.

When Wren Elmont’s fiancé confesses he has developed feelings for his assistant and ends their relationship, she’s desperate to escape their small English village. She hopes a few weeks staying at her father’s farm in Southern Indiana will help mend her bruised heart, but when Wren unexpectedly falls in love with the boy next door, Anders, she fears her heart will be irrevocably broken.

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a romance that tugs at the heartstrings, stirring plenty of emotion as the likeable leads, Wren and Anders, develop a friendship with an obvious undercurrent of romantic interest that seems doomed to be unrequited.

Wren can’t control the way Anders makes her feel. She tries to distract herself with a project – refurbishing a dilapidated vintage Airstream she names Bambi, and involves herself in the running of the farm. She minimises her physical reactions to him and attempts to convince herself their friendship is enough, but it’s a futile task.

Anders tries to be clear with Wren that friendship is all he has to offer, but he is clearly torn. His reticence seems to stem from grief, and guilt, involving the loss of his wife, but it’s been more than four years and everyone believes it’s time he moved on, however it’s more complicated for Anders than expected.

There is plenty of angst, suppressed desire, and ‘almost’ moments between the couple that feeds into the romantic tension. Heartbreak wars with happiness as Wren and Anders navigate the obstacles in their path to love.

Lest you think this novel is all about their relationship, Toon touches on some serious issues, most notably depression, which plagues Anders older brother, Jonas. Anders’ concern for Jonas explains why he is spending so much time at the farm when he is employed elsewhere as a race car engineer. Addiction is raised when the brothers admit their father was an alcoholic during their youth, possibly as a result of his own unacknowledged depression. Toon also explores the complicated dynamics of families, particularly when divorce results in both physical and emotional distance between a parent and child.

Heartfelt and poignant, Only Love Can Hurt Like This is a touching romance novel. And I love an epilogue that confirms a happy ever after.

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

 

Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries {Emily Wilde #1}

Author: Heather Fawcett

Published: 19th January 2023, Orbit

Status: Read January 2023 courtesy Hachette Australia

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My Thoughts:

“Herein I intend to provide an honest account of my day-to-day activities in the field as I document an enigmatic species of faerie called “Hidden Ones.””

Offering a delightful blend of mystery, adventure, romance and magic, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an enchanting historical fantasy from Heather Fawcett.

Emily Wilde, a Cambridge Professor and dryadologist writing an encyclopaedia about the known species of Folk and their lore, arrives in the remote village of Hrafnsvik on an island off the Norwegian coast hoping to learn the secrets of its elusive indigenous fae. Related through Emily’s journal entries, Emily soon encounters her quarry, befriending a brownie she calls Poe, and meeting an unhappy changeling, but it’s after two young women vanish from the village that Emily must confront the regions rather terrifying courtly fae, and finds herself at the mercy of an imprisoned Faerie King.

Though she is uptight and has few people skills to speak of, Emily is an endearing character, who I thought intelligent, earnest and brave. Conditions are tough in Ljosland but content with just her faithful dog, Shadow, for company, Emily is looking forward to months of solitary field work, so she is not pleased by the unexpected arrival of fellow academic, Wendell Brambley.

Wendell is in many way Emily’s opposite. Cheerful and charismatic with uncommonly good sewing skills, he exasperates Emily in a manner no other does. Though Emily pretends otherwise, she recognises there is something special about Wendell. Wendell’s charm does prove to be a boon for Emily, especially in her dealings with the villagers, whom she inadvertently offends, and later in dealing with fae. I enjoyed the pair’s banter, and their friendship that hints at the development of something more.

Though the pacing may seem a little slow to begin, it does improve. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is not all light and whimsy, Fawcett’s world of Folk has its dark side. There are moments of drama, suspense and action that include faery trickery, abduction and sword fights.

I think Fawcett got the tone of the narrative right in that it reflects the formality of the period (the book is set in 1909), and Emily’s own scholarly propriety. The footnotes, which are not too extensive, also fit the style.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a captivating read, and I’m pleased to know that a second book is expected in early 2024.

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