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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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Books to look out for… A Country Farm Christmas
Every year I look forward to seeing HQ Fiction’s collection of rural Christmas romance stories hit the shelves – it feels like the real start of the festive reading season. I wrote a little bit in this post a few years ago about how important it is to me to see our summer Christmas reflected in books, as well as why I think these collections of short stories and novellas are perfect for getting a bit of reading in during December. And as well as having new Christmassy stories to enjoy I know there’s a good chance I’ll discover a new favourite author with a great backlist to explore over…
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Review: The Drover’s Brother Comes for Christmas by Darry Fraser
What is Darry Fraser’s The Drover’s Brother Comes for Christmas about? It’s 1890. Lizzie Naylor’s life is working in her grumpy father’s store in Munyup, trying to bring up her six-year-old daughter, Alice, who’s hellbent on finding herself a father. Christmas is nearing, and tempers are fraught, especially when mysterious Mr Nicholas is back with his pesky sidekick, Alf. Or Elf, as Alice calls him. And Elf is just about to make another big mistake. Mack Miller has returned to the district to make peace with his brother, Shep. He’s weary of the life he’s led, the loss he’s experienced. He’s longed for home for a while, but the family…
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Mailbox Monday :: 2 October
I’m back for another round of mailbox Monday (thanks to the host over here – make sure you check them out) and since today marks exactly 12 weeks until Christmas I figured it’s the perfect opportunity to share this book that arrived in my post box last week. A Country Vet Christmas is a collection of short festive stories set in rural Australia and written by some of our fabulous local ruro authors. Harper Collins Publishers Australia (through their imprint HQ Fiction) release a compilation like this each year and I really look forward to spotting them at the shops – it’s really a sign that the festive season is…
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Review :: Christmas Charms by Terri Wilson
I really think there is no ‘wrong’ time of year to get cosy with a sweet Christmas romance story, but I do have to admit that I have become quite partial to a Christmas in July reading binge. This year I’m keen to catch up on some festive novels that have been on my TBR for far too long. I also want to really make an effort to share a review every few weeks, so that come November I’ll have lots of recommendations to draw from. I’m starting today with a book from Hallmark Publishing (because, honestly, what says cosy Christmas love better than Hallmark?!) – Terri Wilson‘s Christmas Charms.…
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Q&A with Aussie Indie Author Katie Montinaro
We all know I love a festive romance and this year I’ve been really keeping an eye out for Aussie Christmas stories. A few weeks ago I reviewed Katie Montinaro’s A Holly Jolly Christmas, and today I have the pleasure of welcoming Katie to my blog for a chat about writing and books and Christmas. I hope you enjoy reading our Q&A below! Hi Katie! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me today! I loved reading your festive romance book, A Holly Jolly Christmas. Can you tell us a little bit about the story and what inspired you to write it? Thank you! A Holly Jolly Christmas follows Ms…
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New Aussie Christmas Romance Books 2022
We all know I love a Christmas romance story and, while it’s fun to coy up with snowy story sometimes it’s nice to see our own summer Christmas in a book too. I always have my eyes peeled for new Aussie festive stories hitting our shelves and today I’m sharing three that have caught my attention this year. Beneath a Christmas Sky Under Christmas Stars by Alissa CallenSmall-town teacher Freya George is determined to make up for last year’s disastrous Christmas. This year she will stop at nothing to ensure that she and the Woodlea community have the best holiday season ever. But from the moment Freya meets cattleman Drew Macgregor,…
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Hallmark Christmas Movies Based on Books (and where to watch them in Australia)
I love cheesy Christmas romance movies. Something about the snow and the sparkling lights, and the over-the-top Christmas decorations. The city girl comes home, the grumpy grinch rediscovers the joy of the season, the small towns with businesses and festivals that need saving from big corporations, the closing scene where they finally kiss as snow starts to fall. It looks absolutely nothing like our summer Christmases in Australia but still feels so right. I feel like these movies have had a real bump in popularity over the past few years, and something that people might not realise is how many of them are adapted from books. Holiday movie watching season…
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Review :: A Holly Jolly Christmas by Katie Montinaro
I always love an Aussie Christmas romance, so I jumped on Katie Montinaro’s new book Holly Jolly Christmas as soon as I spotted it on social media. What is Katie Montinaro’s A Holly Jolly Christmas about? Holly has one thing and one thing only to prove to her family – that she is a capable and organised adult, who can host the perfect Christmas day. The only problem is, Holly is neither of those two things. Disaster seems to follow Holly wherever she goes and this time, it’s in the shape of The Christmas Ruiner; a smug stranger who appears at the worst of times, taking the last of everything…
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Christmas :: The Christmas Trip by Sandy Barker
I’ve always got my eyes peeled for Aussie Christmas book and Sandy Barker’s 2020 release – The Christmas Swap – is a firm favourite festive read of mine, so of course I was absolutely delighted to that a sequel was coming out this year! The Christmas Trip revisits the same couples we fell in love with in The Christmas Swap, one year on from the events of that book. What is Sandy Barker’s The Christmas Trip about? It’s a year on and our three May Ladies are all loved up but still living worlds apart. Chloe has had a whirlwind year amongst the glitz, glamour (and demanding work) of Hollywood.…
