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Wattle Creek #2
Standing Strong
The sequel to the much–loved Wattle Creek.
Former city girl Jacqueline Havelock, Wattle Creek's newly arrived psychologist, has settled in to country life and is slowly coming to terms with the town's quirky ways. Farmer Damien McAllister's plans with his animal welfare venture are falling into place nicely and it finally feels like he has a future to look forward to.
But everything can change as quickly as the fickle weather – and it does. A fire challenges the community and soon Damien and Jacqueline find themselves in a situation neither had anticipated. But is their growing relationship also under threat?
Although the town comes out in support of their newest resident, is the Wattle Creek community strong enough to stand together and win this David and Goliath battle? And could happily–ever–after still be possible for Damien and Jacqueline?
Former city girl Jacqueline Havelock, Wattle Creek's newly arrived psychologist, has settled in to country life and is slowly coming to terms with the town's quirky ways. Farmer Damien McAllister's plans with his animal welfare venture are falling into place nicely and it finally feels like he has a future to look forward to.
But everything can change as quickly as the fickle weather – and it does. A fire challenges the community and soon Damien and Jacqueline find themselves in a situation neither had anticipated. But is their growing relationship also under threat?
Although the town comes out in support of their newest resident, is the Wattle Creek community strong enough to stand together and win this David and Goliath battle? And could happily–ever–after still be possible for Damien and Jacqueline?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2016
24 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Fiona McCallum
22 books274 followers** Please be aware Fiona is not active on this site. She can be best found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu... **
Fiona McCallum spent her childhood years on the family cereal and wool farm outside the small town of Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Fiona now lives in Adelaide and works full-time as a novelist. She writes "heart-warming journey of self-discovery stories" - often with a rural setting, sometimes with a romantic thread and sometimes without. Her tales tie together her love of animals and fascination with the journey people go on to find what really makes their heart sing and then follow their true passions to find happiness, even if it means taking risks and facing seemingly impossible obstacles. It's a storyline very close to Fiona's heart because it reflects her own life.
Fiona now has nine Australian bestsellers to her name: 'Paycheque', 'Nowhere Else', 'Wattle Creek', 'Saving Grace' (Book one of The Button Jar series), 'Time Will Tell' (Book two of The Button Jar series) and 'Meant To Be' (Book three (and at this stage final) in The Button Jar series), 'Leap of Faith', 'Standing Strong' (a sequel to Wattle Creek), and 'Finding Hannah'. Her tenth book, 'Making Peace' has just been released (late March 2018).
Fiona is proof dreams can come true...
Please note, Fiona isn't active here. She only signed up to try and get books by authors of the same name removed from her listing. (Note, this Fiona McCallum is not the clairvoyant and author of "Dear Fiona". Nor is she the Scottish academic who writes about Christianity in the Middle East.) She's too busy writing to be on multiple social media platforms and only does Facebook. She can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu...
Fiona McCallum spent her childhood years on the family cereal and wool farm outside the small town of Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
Fiona now lives in Adelaide and works full-time as a novelist. She writes "heart-warming journey of self-discovery stories" - often with a rural setting, sometimes with a romantic thread and sometimes without. Her tales tie together her love of animals and fascination with the journey people go on to find what really makes their heart sing and then follow their true passions to find happiness, even if it means taking risks and facing seemingly impossible obstacles. It's a storyline very close to Fiona's heart because it reflects her own life.
Fiona now has nine Australian bestsellers to her name: 'Paycheque', 'Nowhere Else', 'Wattle Creek', 'Saving Grace' (Book one of The Button Jar series), 'Time Will Tell' (Book two of The Button Jar series) and 'Meant To Be' (Book three (and at this stage final) in The Button Jar series), 'Leap of Faith', 'Standing Strong' (a sequel to Wattle Creek), and 'Finding Hannah'. Her tenth book, 'Making Peace' has just been released (late March 2018).
Fiona is proof dreams can come true...
Please note, Fiona isn't active here. She only signed up to try and get books by authors of the same name removed from her listing. (Note, this Fiona McCallum is not the clairvoyant and author of "Dear Fiona". Nor is she the Scottish academic who writes about Christianity in the Middle East.) She's too busy writing to be on multiple social media platforms and only does Facebook. She can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 24, 2017
Jacqueline Havelock was enjoying her new life in Wattle Creek – her position of psychologist was slowly becoming recognised and used by the various country folk who needed a little help, and though the recent terrible bushfires had destroyed her car and Damien McAllister’s farmhouse, things were gradually settling down and being rebuilt.
Damien had decided to devote his time to an animal rescue venture which was widely encouraged and supported – his borrowed caravan that was his current home was comfortable though tight fitting with the menagerie of animals he was acquiring. His beloved dog Squish was always by his side and he felt happier than he had in a long time.
But the happiness wasn’t to last for either Jacqueline or Damien. A situation had arisen which had the slow and tentative relationship between the two having to be put to one side. They wouldn’t be able to see one another for the foreseeable future. Would the support of the community help? Or was that impossible with bureaucracy the way it was? And what was up with Tina, Damien’s mother?
Standing Strong by Aussie author Fiona McCallum is the sequel to Wattle Creek which I enjoyed. It was nice to catch up with Jacqueline, Damien, Aunt Ethel (who’s a real character!) and Jacqueline’s parents as well. This novel shows the depth of small country communities; the loyalty of the country folk when people are in trouble, and the spirit of said communities especially the SES and firies when they’re needed. Set in country South Australia, Standing Strong is one I have no hesitation in recommending.
Damien had decided to devote his time to an animal rescue venture which was widely encouraged and supported – his borrowed caravan that was his current home was comfortable though tight fitting with the menagerie of animals he was acquiring. His beloved dog Squish was always by his side and he felt happier than he had in a long time.
But the happiness wasn’t to last for either Jacqueline or Damien. A situation had arisen which had the slow and tentative relationship between the two having to be put to one side. They wouldn’t be able to see one another for the foreseeable future. Would the support of the community help? Or was that impossible with bureaucracy the way it was? And what was up with Tina, Damien’s mother?
Standing Strong by Aussie author Fiona McCallum is the sequel to Wattle Creek which I enjoyed. It was nice to catch up with Jacqueline, Damien, Aunt Ethel (who’s a real character!) and Jacqueline’s parents as well. This novel shows the depth of small country communities; the loyalty of the country folk when people are in trouble, and the spirit of said communities especially the SES and firies when they’re needed. Set in country South Australia, Standing Strong is one I have no hesitation in recommending.
November 16, 2016
I recently read Fiona McCallum’s Wattle Creek, in preparation for reading her latest book and the much awaited sequel to Wattle Creek, titled Standing Strong. It was a great feeling to be given the opportunity to return to a fictional town I love, through the experience of reading Standing Strong.
The action in Standing Strong immediately picks up where it concluded in Wattle Creek. City come country psychologist and Wattle Creek’s newest resident, Jacqueline Havelock, finds herself in a pickle. She has fallen hard for one of her former patient’s, Damien McAllister. Damien also feels the same way about Jacqueline and it seems like love is blossoming, much to the delight of the townsfolk of Wattle Creek. Damien and Jacqueline’s happiness is short lived when Jacqueline discovers she has broken strict rules in her position. These binding rules prevent her from having a relationship with a former patient for a period of 24 months, after the termination of their last session. As much as Damien feels Jacqueline is the woman for him, he realises what an asset she is to the town of Wattle Creek. He makes the extremely hard decision to end their relationship, before it really hits the ground. Jacqueline is devastated but she acknowledges that Damien has saved her from throwing years of study away. While battling a broken heart, Jacqueline is dealt another blow, when an anonymous tip is sent to the Psychology of Board of Australia. An unknown source has informed them of Jacqueline’s relationship with Damien. Jacqueline must gather all the strength she can to fight her way back to credibility. In the meantime, Damien also faces his own personal battle in dealing with his new career path and balancing issues with his family.
Standing Strong is a worthy follow up to an earlier Fiona McCallum release, Wattle Creek. Though it is not entirely essential that you read Wattle Creek to enjoy Standing Strong, reading the two novels back to back enhanced my reading experience. I liked being transported back into the town of Wattle Creek. By the time I reached Standing Strong, these characters began to feel like old friends. McCallum always does a fine job with her characters, creating main protagonists that we can easily draw comparisons from, despite not living in a rural situation. While reading Standing Strong, I enjoyed being provided with the opportunity to get to know both Damien and Jacqueline in more detail. Standing Strong also allows McCallum to explore of her main character’s background, by shining the spotlight on story threads involving their respective families. I liked the introduction of Damien’s sister Lucy and I did feel like she was left with some loose threads at the close of Standing Strong. Perhaps in the future, McCallum will give Lucy her own story and happy ending! The main conflict in Standing Strong was a realistic and emotional one. It did tug at my heartstrings many times. McCallum also uses Standing Strong as a platform to highlight issues that are relevant to country based communities, such as Damien’s venture into wildlife rescue and the lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas. McCallum always works hard at recreating the most realistic country settings as she can in her novels and Standing Strong is no exception. The use of periphery characters such as Aunt Ethel, serves to highlight how strong the community spirit and banding together really is in these rural locations of Australia.
Fans of Fiona McCallum are in for a treat with Standing Strong and new readers to this genre are in safe hands with McCallum’s writing. Standing Strong is a loveable country story that takes the reader on an emotional journey, with characters that will be sure to stay in your heart.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
The action in Standing Strong immediately picks up where it concluded in Wattle Creek. City come country psychologist and Wattle Creek’s newest resident, Jacqueline Havelock, finds herself in a pickle. She has fallen hard for one of her former patient’s, Damien McAllister. Damien also feels the same way about Jacqueline and it seems like love is blossoming, much to the delight of the townsfolk of Wattle Creek. Damien and Jacqueline’s happiness is short lived when Jacqueline discovers she has broken strict rules in her position. These binding rules prevent her from having a relationship with a former patient for a period of 24 months, after the termination of their last session. As much as Damien feels Jacqueline is the woman for him, he realises what an asset she is to the town of Wattle Creek. He makes the extremely hard decision to end their relationship, before it really hits the ground. Jacqueline is devastated but she acknowledges that Damien has saved her from throwing years of study away. While battling a broken heart, Jacqueline is dealt another blow, when an anonymous tip is sent to the Psychology of Board of Australia. An unknown source has informed them of Jacqueline’s relationship with Damien. Jacqueline must gather all the strength she can to fight her way back to credibility. In the meantime, Damien also faces his own personal battle in dealing with his new career path and balancing issues with his family.
Standing Strong is a worthy follow up to an earlier Fiona McCallum release, Wattle Creek. Though it is not entirely essential that you read Wattle Creek to enjoy Standing Strong, reading the two novels back to back enhanced my reading experience. I liked being transported back into the town of Wattle Creek. By the time I reached Standing Strong, these characters began to feel like old friends. McCallum always does a fine job with her characters, creating main protagonists that we can easily draw comparisons from, despite not living in a rural situation. While reading Standing Strong, I enjoyed being provided with the opportunity to get to know both Damien and Jacqueline in more detail. Standing Strong also allows McCallum to explore of her main character’s background, by shining the spotlight on story threads involving their respective families. I liked the introduction of Damien’s sister Lucy and I did feel like she was left with some loose threads at the close of Standing Strong. Perhaps in the future, McCallum will give Lucy her own story and happy ending! The main conflict in Standing Strong was a realistic and emotional one. It did tug at my heartstrings many times. McCallum also uses Standing Strong as a platform to highlight issues that are relevant to country based communities, such as Damien’s venture into wildlife rescue and the lack of mental health care facilities in rural areas. McCallum always works hard at recreating the most realistic country settings as she can in her novels and Standing Strong is no exception. The use of periphery characters such as Aunt Ethel, serves to highlight how strong the community spirit and banding together really is in these rural locations of Australia.
Fans of Fiona McCallum are in for a treat with Standing Strong and new readers to this genre are in safe hands with McCallum’s writing. Standing Strong is a loveable country story that takes the reader on an emotional journey, with characters that will be sure to stay in your heart.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
November 13, 2023
3.5 stars
A light rural read set in South Australia. A decent sequel to Wattle Creek.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Jennifer Vuletic
Duration: 10 hrs, 57min. 1.50x Speed
A light rural read set in South Australia. A decent sequel to Wattle Creek.
Listened to the audiobook on BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Jennifer Vuletic
Duration: 10 hrs, 57min. 1.50x Speed
March 14, 2016
I haven't read Wattle Creek, but I can only assume it would be the story of Jacqueline and Damien falling in love. This is the sequel and picks up where the previous book left off - a very new relationship between Jacqueline and Damien. No smooth sailing from here though. There is enough background information given that I was able to follow and enjoy the story, but if you have the chance, I'd recommend reading Wattle Creek first.
I enjoyed the alternating POV between Jacqueline and Damien, going through the ups and downs of getting their prospective businesses off the ground. I got quite emotionally involved at times and got all choked up more than once. I loved Auntie Ethel and all the animals. It read more like women's fiction than romance, focussing on building friendships and rural life.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the alternating POV between Jacqueline and Damien, going through the ups and downs of getting their prospective businesses off the ground. I got quite emotionally involved at times and got all choked up more than once. I loved Auntie Ethel and all the animals. It read more like women's fiction than romance, focussing on building friendships and rural life.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2024
Really enjoyed returning to the Wattle Creek ‘family’. In this book we find that Damien & Jacqueline’s relationship has hit a professional roadblock due to pt/professional ethical issue. We learn further about what holds communities together & what can divide & alienate families. Damien realises what he really wants to do, ongoing with his life, now that the fire has changed so much. Jacque’s parents become more ‘present’. We meet Damien’s sister & get the feeling that there could also be some further line of story there.
I give this 4.5 🌟
I give this 4.5 🌟
October 25, 2023
Following on from Wattle Creek
August 28, 2016
Tossing up between 2 and 3 stars: ended up with 3 because even though the same issues I had with the previous book were still there, I enjoyed this one a little bit more than Wattle Creek.
It still had the awkward pacing: scene changes weren't heralded by the line break that I'm used to, so that was a bit confusing, and certainly didn't help the flow.
I found myself a bit frustrated at the heroines approach to the "conflict" in the story (to avoid spoilers, I will just say it's the one that concerns her professionally). The solution, based on the official wording, was pointed out to her early on, yet she still dithers. I wanted to give her a big shake!
I would have loved a bit more fleshing out of the auxiliary characters - they were introduced towards the end of the story, and I felt their development was not in proportion to the role they (should have) played or the amount of screen time they had. Given their relationship to the main characters, I was a bit disappointed to see them cast in the role of convenient plot devices.
Again we saw a character introduced for no specific purpose (Paul) that I could determine. What could have been a significant point of conflict to flesh out the story was merely cast as a cameo role. While I felt he could potentially have been an interesting character, the removal of the scenes with him in them wouldn't have made much difference to the overall story.
To summarise: it was an ok read, and I am glad to have read it, however I won't be reading it again.
It still had the awkward pacing: scene changes weren't heralded by the line break that I'm used to, so that was a bit confusing, and certainly didn't help the flow.
I found myself a bit frustrated at the heroines approach to the "conflict" in the story (to avoid spoilers, I will just say it's the one that concerns her professionally). The solution, based on the official wording, was pointed out to her early on, yet she still dithers. I wanted to give her a big shake!
I would have loved a bit more fleshing out of the auxiliary characters - they were introduced towards the end of the story, and I felt their development was not in proportion to the role they (should have) played or the amount of screen time they had. Given their relationship to the main characters, I was a bit disappointed to see them cast in the role of convenient plot devices.
Again we saw a character introduced for no specific purpose (Paul) that I could determine. What could have been a significant point of conflict to flesh out the story was merely cast as a cameo role. While I felt he could potentially have been an interesting character, the removal of the scenes with him in them wouldn't have made much difference to the overall story.
To summarise: it was an ok read, and I am glad to have read it, however I won't be reading it again.
December 25, 2016
I 'listened' to this as an audio book which is a first for me (but i cant read. & crochet at the same time) more review when i get decent internet!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2023
Having read and really enjoyed, Wattle Creek, I was delighted to know there is a sequel which is Standing Strong. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this one. It seemed to take much longer to get to the point in many areas and while I found the characters very real in Wattle Creek I found some in this book irritating to the point of wondering, can I be bothered finishing this - Damien's relationship with his crazy mother didn't ring true - I couldn't see how Jacqueline could be attracted to another man when she loved Damien. Fortunately it ended satisfactorily but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I expected to.
November 18, 2025
Standing Strong is the sequel to Wattle Creek.
I found this to be a far better read than Wattle Creek but still way too many words that didn't really contribute to moving the story forward. Too much descriptive writing bores me.
It was fairly obvious after reading Wattle Creek which direction the story lines would go, and they did. No surprises :)
As in wattle Creek, Standing Strong continued the theme of mental health issues, particularly in relation to men.
I still have more of Fiona McCallum's books on my 'to read' book shelves but am going to take a break for now as I am struggling with all the descriptive writing.
I found this to be a far better read than Wattle Creek but still way too many words that didn't really contribute to moving the story forward. Too much descriptive writing bores me.
It was fairly obvious after reading Wattle Creek which direction the story lines would go, and they did. No surprises :)
As in wattle Creek, Standing Strong continued the theme of mental health issues, particularly in relation to men.
I still have more of Fiona McCallum's books on my 'to read' book shelves but am going to take a break for now as I am struggling with all the descriptive writing.
March 19, 2017
This is the follow-up to the Fiona McCallum's book Wattle Creek. It is the continuing story of Jacqueline Havelock and Damien McAllister. She is a psychologist who fell Damien a farmer starting up an Animal welfare farm. Jacqueline remembers of the patient client rule by the board that have wait 24 months before you can have a relationship with a client after treating them.
Damien breaks up with her so she could keep her job. Jacqueline is been investigated by board after a complaint been made. Doctor Squire, Ethel, the community of Wattle Creek all write letters of support including Jacqueline writing a letter in regards to the allegations.
They spend weeks apart going on with their everyday routine missing each other. Lucy returns home she Damien's sister. They learn who it was that reported her was Damien mother.
I liked the strength of the characters to stand for each others love for each other and a small town community supporting the people in their town. A great read.
Damien breaks up with her so she could keep her job. Jacqueline is been investigated by board after a complaint been made. Doctor Squire, Ethel, the community of Wattle Creek all write letters of support including Jacqueline writing a letter in regards to the allegations.
They spend weeks apart going on with their everyday routine missing each other. Lucy returns home she Damien's sister. They learn who it was that reported her was Damien mother.
I liked the strength of the characters to stand for each others love for each other and a small town community supporting the people in their town. A great read.
October 22, 2022
This was a wonderful sequel to her novel ‘Wattle Creek’ and further explored the lives of Psychologist Jacqueline and a local man Damien she met through her work in the small town she moved to as the first psychologist there. Their relationship was challenged by a family member and supported by others. The supportive relationships of family and community members made this a personally beneficial novel.
January 17, 2020
Enjoyed the read but I found the reason for the conflict in the story - the client/ patient relationship was weak as it had not been a long, strong one in the beginning. As a nurse I know it could have been explained quickly if the decision to query had happened promptly not dithering. Therefore the plot was not very supportive but I did enjoy the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2020
Enjoyed the book however not as much as some of her others. It demonstrated the devastation that bush fires bring and what happens when they go through farms.. all that with a animal recuperation programme a new psychologist in town and family secrets made it an enjoyable but sometimes a bit over the top.
January 28, 2022
I enjoyed ‘Standing Strong’, the sequel to ‘Wattle Creek.’ An editing oversight though in both novels is the cause of some confusion to the reader; incorrectly inserted speech marks makes it difficult at times to know which character is speaking. But the plot and setting certainly held my interest throughout. I look forward to sourcing another book by Fiona McCallum.
July 20, 2017
Wattle Creek continues in this story with Damien n Jacqueline along with family n community. The emotional level was prominent with the characters n a mistake that could destroy a career. I think I needed to read this book to enlightened me n help me see differently what's in front of me.
November 23, 2017
The plot was overly contrived and for a psychologist, the main character was pretty chatty & naive about the circumstances she found herself in. It was ok for a light read if you can suspend disbelief long enough.
July 12, 2017
Much better than the earlier title, Wattle Creek, in this pair. Good character and plot development, if a little repetitive.
September 19, 2017
I just couldn't care enough about the characters to read what happened to them. Did not finish (which is something I very rarely do)
March 9, 2018
Found this novel not as good as some of Fionas others. Found the characters hard to connect with this time
March 15, 2018
thank god someone finally put tina in her place.
still not the biggest fan of jaquline.
glad we got to meet Lucy, love her! and Ethel.
still not the biggest fan of jaquline.
glad we got to meet Lucy, love her! and Ethel.
March 27, 2018
What a brilliant sequel. Loved it Fiona x
March 5, 2020
Aussie book with a romantic twist.... pleasant holiday reading..... not a big brain tester...
August 26, 2020
A really good sequel to Wattle creek. Well worth the read.
June 15, 2021
Love this one too, great story as always
July 21, 2022
Bit like a Woman’s weekly story. Easy read and not much depth
August 2, 2022
Great book, held suspense
Read
October 11, 2023Kindle
Read
June 1, 2024Fun easy read
August 14, 2024
Very good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews