Well now, this was a very satisfying novella! I have to say this was great. Very good characterisation and lots of angsty action and drama in a well-p...moreWell now, this was a very satisfying novella! I have to say this was great. Very good characterisation and lots of angsty action and drama in a well-paced story. I did feel a little gipped at the end - I think this could have been written into a full-blown novel with the arrival back in Australia of our hero and heroine and the trials and travails of settling into colonial Australia being used as a setting against which their love/relationship could be further tested (and also excellent opportunities for humour!).
Very well done Lena Dowling and Escape Publishing - really producing some good quality local romance.(less)
This was a very good romance and ticked pretty much all the right boxes. I've worked out I don't really like extended sex scenes in my romance, which...moreThis was a very good romance and ticked pretty much all the right boxes. I've worked out I don't really like extended sex scenes in my romance, which is half of the reason this book is three stars for me instead of four. If I could give three and a half I would. The other reason I gave three stars is the appearance at the end of the main character's nemesis. I thought this was handled clumsily and was unnecessary...the book would have sailed on fine if the protag had just revealed her inner strength by overcoming her demons metaphorically (and through taking out an AVO on the ex). I was also a little put off by the whole concept of the outrageously talented, good-looking and rich tribe that is the Sullivan's. Heck, I know it's a well-worn trope to provide a rich (no pun intended) backbone for a series, but it was just a little too OTT for my liking.
Nonetheless, this is very solid romance and deserves to be widely read - especially by those who enjoy extended sex scenes!(less)
This was a wonderful rural romance! Set in outback NSW, at a station suffering from one of the worst droughts in living memory, Paige is just barely h...moreThis was a wonderful rural romance! Set in outback NSW, at a station suffering from one of the worst droughts in living memory, Paige is just barely holding things together. Her delightful and occasionally devious father worries for her future and arranges for city slicker Tait Cavanagh to come and stay for two weeks. Sparks fly and what unfolds is a compelling and entirely pleasurable story of love, honesty and Aussie resilience.
I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read more by Alissa Callen.
I did feel the Random House Romance cover design lets this book down. It's a great read - better than many series releases I've read lately. The cover doesn't give you an insight into the quality that lies within. I think this book is good enough to warrant a bespoke cover design.(less)
I received an ARC from NetGalley and was filled with some trepidation before I read this story - some of the other NetGalley 'romance category' offing...moreI received an ARC from NetGalley and was filled with some trepidation before I read this story - some of the other NetGalley 'romance category' offings I've read have not been very good.
I am so pleased to say I really enjoyed this story! Well done Kaye Dacus in bringing together fascinating characters from across the Atlantic. The inner and outer conflict rings true through the entire novel as we follow Kate Dearing's tortured path to love.
This is the kind of romance novel I enjoy reading - and aspire to write.
Recommended for lovers of Little Women, Seven Little Australians and Downton Abbey.(less)
Rayessa and the Space Pirates is a fun, action-packed romp through space, with plenty of fantasy, sci-fi and a little romance thrown in for good measu...moreRayessa and the Space Pirates is a fun, action-packed romp through space, with plenty of fantasy, sci-fi and a little romance thrown in for good measure. The story never takes itself too seriously and leaves you wanting a whole lot more. Suitable for teens and lovers of light-hearted and entertaining SF. (less)
This is a great romance! Elizabeth Dunk has created two genuinely likeable and just messed-up enough characters to delight and entertain. There's unde...moreThis is a great romance! Elizabeth Dunk has created two genuinely likeable and just messed-up enough characters to delight and entertain. There's undeniable chemistry between the two of them and quite a bit of spice too. I loved the Australian and Indian settings and the challenges inter-cultural relationships bring to lovers trying to satisfy their culture/parents and navigate and negotiate the minefield that is 21st century romance.
Well now, I didn't expect that did I? This book made me smile, made me tear up (in more than one place) and made me want to give LT Cruz a firm shove...moreWell now, I didn't expect that did I? This book made me smile, made me tear up (in more than one place) and made me want to give LT Cruz a firm shove in the back toward her handsome doctor.
Maybe I'm going soft and mooshy in my old age, but I really enjoyed this romance and thought it was an excellent example of its genre. I might even go back for another peek into the world of the residents of Cold Creek.(less)
I'm not quite sure what to make of this book. It was two stories interwoven: the story of a dying woman and her secrets intermeshed with the story of...moreI'm not quite sure what to make of this book. It was two stories interwoven: the story of a dying woman and her secrets intermeshed with the story of her youngest son, both tragics in love.
What I liked: The settings - Bruny Island is one of my favourite places in the world - for the uninitiated, it's south of Hobart, the capital of Australia's island state, Tasmania. Mary's story is set on Bruny and the descriptions of that wind-swept, idyllic and wild place made me long to be there. Tom's story alternates between Hobart (the most gorgeous place) and Antarctica. The passages describing the other-world of the south are beautiful.
The understated acknowledgment of the strain distance places on imperfect relationships (and they all are, in their own way, don't you think?). Both Mary and Tom have tragic love stories in their past. One is owned by hers, the other liberated.
Tom's story. It was strong, sad, hopeful and ultimately uplifting.
What I didn't like: The use of third person narrative for Mary, while Tom's story was first person. I found the switch between chapters distracting at first and annoying as I progressed through the book.
The lack of tension in Mary's story. It was, sadly predictable and possibly a little too enigmatic. I found quite a few parallels with Colm Toibin's "Brooklyn", in that the woman became locked into an unsuitable relationship due to the societal mores in play. I feel for the heroine, but can't relate, as life for women in the 21st Century is so different. This wasn't a problem for me in stories like Pride & Prejudice, so I have to put it down to the quality of the story (tension, conflict, pacing, voice, spark, etc.) rather than the situation of the day.
The predictability of Mary's story reduced the impact of Tom's.
Overall: I think this should have been written as a Tom's story alone. His mother's story could have been backstory to Tom's rather than being a competing parallel narrative. However, if you love Tasmania and have a hankering to disappear into the white wilderness of Antarctica, you might like to consider dipping into The Lightkeeper's Wife for some harmless holiday reading.(less)
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