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Book Review: Cockatoo Cove by Maya Linnell
I’ve talked here plenty of times about how much I enjoy Maya Linnell‘s writing – her rural romance novels are the perfect blend of sweet and serious, and come with such a feeling of familiarity and nostalgia that make them a perfect comfort read for me. So it probably comes as no surprise at all that I’ve been looking forward to her newest novel – Cockatoo Cove – hitting shelves today. The lovely team at Allen and Unwin kindly sent me an early copy, which I devoured in just a few sittings over the weekend, and I’m excited to share some of my thoughts. I’ve popped the blurb for Cockatoo Cove…
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New books to look out for… The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter
You might know that I adore A.G. Slatter’s writing, so it will come as no surprise that one of my most anticipated books for 2025 is her next gothic fantasy novel The Crimson Road, which comes out from Titan Books (New South Books here in Australia) in February. I touched a tiny bit on how excited I am about this one in my post about my favourite 2024 reads (Slatter’s new novel release last year, The Briar Book of the Dead made the list, natch). Here’s the synopsis from the publisher’s website: Violet Zennor has had a peculiar upbringing. Training as a fighter in underground arenas, honing her skills against…
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Review: The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up by Kate Solly
I love crafting and I love books about women and their friendships, and I’m quite partial to a cosy mystery too, so picking up Kate Solly’s brand new novel, The Paradise Heights Craft Strore Stitch-Up was kind of a no brainer. This one was on my list this week of new books that I think will make perfect summer reads, and after whizzing through this one over a few of the lazy days between Christmas and New Year I stand by that! Check out the blurb from the publisher then scroll down for my thoughts below. What is Kate Solly’s The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch-Up about? Meet Fleck Parker:…
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Review: Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Benjamin Stevenson’s mystery novels about amateur sleuth and lover of Golden Age murder mysteries Ernest Cunningham have been super popular but I just hadn’t managed to pick one up yet. When I spotted Benjamin on the schedule for the ANU’s ‘Meet the Author’ event series – in conversation with lovely local author Jack Heath no less (if you ever get the chance to see Jack speak at an event please go – he’s wonderful and funny and engaging in front of adults and kids alike) – it was the perfect excuse to finally read one. The subject of the discussion was the newest release in the series, Everyone this Christmas…
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Review: The Last Illusion of Paige White by Vanessa McCausland
One of my favourite things about attending book festivals and events is the opportunity to be exposed to a whole bunch of writers and books that I might not necessarily have picked up otherwise, for no other reason than the fact that there are just so many new books coming out all the time. Every time I attend an event I invariably end up with entire backlists of work by new-to-me authors added to my to be read list. This was the case a little while ago when saw Vanessa McCausland on a panel at the Northern Beaches Readers Festival – the discussion was so fun and interesting that when…
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Review: Mary Christmas by Mary-Anne O’Connor
I do love historical fiction focussed on women and by Aussie authors, so Mary-Anne O’Connor’s Mary Christmas caught my eye right away when I spotted it in a publicity catalogue a little while ago (also how could it not with that cover!). Check out the blurb from the publishers website and then my thoughts on the book below. What is Mary-Anne O’Connor’s Mary Christmas about? It’s 1909 and Mary Richards has worked hard to gain an education and become a teacher in her close-knit, picturesque village in the Cotswolds, but not everyone approves of her modern ways. When her sister Emily becomes engaged to David Christmas, it seems fate will intervene in…
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Review: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland
Holly Ringland’s novels have been on my tbr pretty much since they were first published and – as is often the case – they just hadn’t quite made it to the top yet. I decided The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, with its Australia/Denmark connection would be perfect reading for our trip earlier in the year. Obviously that is a review for another post but suffice to say I was absolutely blown away and picked up The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart almost immediately when we arrived home. Have a quick look at the blurb for the book, then check out my review below. What is Holly Ringland’s The Lost…
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Review: Love from Scratch by Amy Hutton
If you’ve been here before you probably know I love an Aussie romcom novel, and I enjoyed Amy Hutton’s Sit, Stay, Love so much that there was no question I was going to pick up her latest novel Love from Scratch as soon as I could get my hands on it! Here’s the blurb from the publisher’s website – check out my review below! What is Amy Hutton’s Love from Scratch about? Ethan James has a problem: he’s about to start shooting a movie and he needs someone to mind his anxious dog, Harry. This film could make or break Ethan’s career, and he knows he has to give it…
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Book Review: Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell
The arrival of a brand new novel from Maya Linnell is always an exciting event, and this year it was exactly what I needed to cheer me up the week we returned from our overseas holiday. I devoured this sweet slice of rural romance so quickly, and it hit the mark perfectly on all the things I love about Maya’s novels. As always, the publisher’s blurb is below and you can find my thoughts underneath that. What is Maya Linnell’s Wallaby Lane about? From interviewing local flower growers to receiving blue ribbons for her show baking, Lauren Bickford’s genuine love for her hometown is almost as strong as her ambition to become…
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Review: Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath
If you’ve been around for a while you might know that I love to read local and we are so lucky in Canberra to have loads of fantastic authors to support. I wrote a little while ago about how three of my faves had new novels coming out soon and today I’m excited to share my review of Jack Heath’s new adult novel Kill Your Husbands. Find out what Kill Your Husbands is about by reading the synopsis, then checkout my review below. Synopsis of Kill Your Husbands Three couples, friends since high school, rent a luxurious house in the mountains for an unplugged weekend of drinking and bushwalking. No…
