What do you think?
Rate this book
All We Have Is Now
Healing others is their calling, but what happens if they can't fix themselves? A richly nuanced and empathetic examination of life, loss and courage from a talented new Australian author.
Health and wellbeing brought Olive, Elsie and Bree together. After five years, their bustling wellness centre is demanding expansion. A beautiful federation house nestled among the picturesque backdrop of their small town is the perfect place to grow their business. But they don't count on their personal lives getting in the way.
Practical and pragmatic, Olive keeps her past hidden from her friends. But when an old high-school flame shows up, the secrets she's worked so hard to bury threaten to tear her carefully constructed world apart.
Bree is the fun-loving one, although family tensions lurk behind her free-spirited facade. The reappearance of her troubled sister Winnie brings Bree's priorities into sharp focus. Will she have to shelve her own happiness to save her sister?
Kind and maternal to all those around her, Elsie's role as the practice's counsellor comes naturally. But when tragedy strikes, her world tumbles down like a house of cards.
With everything they've built in disarray, their friendship is on the line...
Health and wellbeing brought Olive, Elsie and Bree together. After five years, their bustling wellness centre is demanding expansion. A beautiful federation house nestled among the picturesque backdrop of their small town is the perfect place to grow their business. But they don't count on their personal lives getting in the way.
Practical and pragmatic, Olive keeps her past hidden from her friends. But when an old high-school flame shows up, the secrets she's worked so hard to bury threaten to tear her carefully constructed world apart.
Bree is the fun-loving one, although family tensions lurk behind her free-spirited facade. The reappearance of her troubled sister Winnie brings Bree's priorities into sharp focus. Will she have to shelve her own happiness to save her sister?
Kind and maternal to all those around her, Elsie's role as the practice's counsellor comes naturally. But when tragedy strikes, her world tumbles down like a house of cards.
With everything they've built in disarray, their friendship is on the line...
464 pages, Paperback
Published April 7, 2021
17 people are currently reading
411 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
April 11, 2021
When I heard that Kaneana May had a new book coming out I was desperate to get my hands on it. I absolutely loved The One and knew I needed more from this wonderful writer. So a very big thank you to Harlequin Australia and Better Reading for my advanced copy to read.
All We Have is Now is a beautifully written story of friendship, family, love, hope and grief amongst other things. Set in Australia with characters that you will warm to, this story will have you laughing and also reaching for those tissues. My heart broke for these characters and I wanted to reach out and hug them all. Their lives were all so different and troubled, but somehow they found each other. The events of this story will test that friendship and change them all forever.
Olive is the practical one who keeps them all in line. But she has a big secret from her past, which hurts her so much that she cannot bear to speak of it, even to her best friends. So when an old school friend turns up at their newly located and decorated wellness clinic, she is scared that her past is going to be revealed, and that that he true feelings will come out.
Bree is the fun one of the group. She is single, at times reckless and has a string of men in her wake. But there is also darkness in her family and when her estranged and troubled sister returns, Bree is suddenly the carer and the sensible one. She must protect her sister, but at what cost to her life.
And then there is Olive. She is the counsellor at Healing Hands, the wellness business that the 3 have built up over the last 5 years. She looks after everyone and wants nothing more than her onw family. Her life is turned upside down when tragedy strikes her and her husband. She feels like she will never recover from the pain and loss and pushes everybody away.
You will love getting to know these women and their stories will touch you. All We Have is Now is out in Australia April 7th.
All We Have is Now is a beautifully written story of friendship, family, love, hope and grief amongst other things. Set in Australia with characters that you will warm to, this story will have you laughing and also reaching for those tissues. My heart broke for these characters and I wanted to reach out and hug them all. Their lives were all so different and troubled, but somehow they found each other. The events of this story will test that friendship and change them all forever.
Olive is the practical one who keeps them all in line. But she has a big secret from her past, which hurts her so much that she cannot bear to speak of it, even to her best friends. So when an old school friend turns up at their newly located and decorated wellness clinic, she is scared that her past is going to be revealed, and that that he true feelings will come out.
Bree is the fun one of the group. She is single, at times reckless and has a string of men in her wake. But there is also darkness in her family and when her estranged and troubled sister returns, Bree is suddenly the carer and the sensible one. She must protect her sister, but at what cost to her life.
And then there is Olive. She is the counsellor at Healing Hands, the wellness business that the 3 have built up over the last 5 years. She looks after everyone and wants nothing more than her onw family. Her life is turned upside down when tragedy strikes her and her husband. She feels like she will never recover from the pain and loss and pushes everybody away.
You will love getting to know these women and their stories will touch you. All We Have is Now is out in Australia April 7th.
April 19, 2021
⭐️5 Stars⭐️
I absolutely loved All We Have Is Now, it’s a thoroughly engaging read which dwells on some particularly heavy emotional issues and the messy everyday complications of life. The characters are so realistic they come to life on the pages and you can’t help but feel for them.
Our three principal ladies are Olive our Dietician, Elsie our Counsellor and Bree our Pilates Instructor, they are uniquely different and interesting women. The ladies are business partners in a wellness centre called ‘Healing Hands’ and they are also best friends, they’re moving their business from a tiny commercial shop and relocating to a beautiful house built in 1902.
Life is not perfect as we follow Olive, Elsie and Bree as they encounter sorrow, grief, love and complicated family and romantic relationships. The women’s friendships are strained at times but we see how strong these friendships can be and how important it is to have others to help you through the tough times.
Beautifully written and if I may add Kaneana May is an Australian author to look out for.
Publication Date - 7th April 2021
I wish to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read an advanced copy
I absolutely loved All We Have Is Now, it’s a thoroughly engaging read which dwells on some particularly heavy emotional issues and the messy everyday complications of life. The characters are so realistic they come to life on the pages and you can’t help but feel for them.
Our three principal ladies are Olive our Dietician, Elsie our Counsellor and Bree our Pilates Instructor, they are uniquely different and interesting women. The ladies are business partners in a wellness centre called ‘Healing Hands’ and they are also best friends, they’re moving their business from a tiny commercial shop and relocating to a beautiful house built in 1902.
Life is not perfect as we follow Olive, Elsie and Bree as they encounter sorrow, grief, love and complicated family and romantic relationships. The women’s friendships are strained at times but we see how strong these friendships can be and how important it is to have others to help you through the tough times.
Beautifully written and if I may add Kaneana May is an Australian author to look out for.
Publication Date - 7th April 2021
I wish to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read an advanced copy
June 24, 2021
Friends Elsie, Olive and Bree run a health and well being business together and it’s time to expand Healing Hands. They find the perfect place, a beautiful old federation house, with lots of treatment space and endless possibilities.
Olive Atkins is Healing Hands dietitian, she sensible, practical and has everything under control. But she has a secret, she hasn’t told anyone and including her two business partners.
Bree Vandenberg is Healing Hands Pilate’s instructor, she’s single and flits from one man to another. Her younger sister Winnie has a habit of disappearing, her parents worry constantly about her, she turns up on Bree’s doorstep, and will her parents have their hearts broken again?
Elsie Parker is Healing Hands counsellor, she’s kind, compassionate and a caring step-mother to Johan and married to painter Frank.
The Three owners of Healing Hands are all very different, when tragedy strikes, what will happen to their friendship and will their business survive financially? All We Have Is Now is well written story and I cared about Olive, Bree and Elsie, it’s an emotional book to read and it made me cry. It’s about life, relationships, family, secrets, loss and finding a way and courage to carry on through really tough times.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I'm very keen to read other books by Kaneana May and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Olive Atkins is Healing Hands dietitian, she sensible, practical and has everything under control. But she has a secret, she hasn’t told anyone and including her two business partners.
Bree Vandenberg is Healing Hands Pilate’s instructor, she’s single and flits from one man to another. Her younger sister Winnie has a habit of disappearing, her parents worry constantly about her, she turns up on Bree’s doorstep, and will her parents have their hearts broken again?
Elsie Parker is Healing Hands counsellor, she’s kind, compassionate and a caring step-mother to Johan and married to painter Frank.
The Three owners of Healing Hands are all very different, when tragedy strikes, what will happen to their friendship and will their business survive financially? All We Have Is Now is well written story and I cared about Olive, Bree and Elsie, it’s an emotional book to read and it made me cry. It’s about life, relationships, family, secrets, loss and finding a way and courage to carry on through really tough times.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I'm very keen to read other books by Kaneana May and five stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
April 30, 2021
I loved this story so much be warned make sure you have a box of tissues at the ready because you will need them, Kaneana May pulled me into this emotional roller coaster so well, I was crying bucket loads and then I was pushing these woman along and feeling not happy with them and that for me is a great story that I am so engaged with the characters, good and strained emotions. I do hope that you pick this one up and get to know Elsie, Bree and Olive, I am sure you will enjoy it.
Three woman meet at a well- being retreat and their friendship is instant and grows Elsie, a counsellor, Bree a Pilates coach and Olive a nutritionist start a small well-being clinic Healing Hands in a small country town and five years on they feel the need to expand and find a beautiful federation house and move with high hopes a growing and being there for the community and each other life doesn’t always run smoothly though.
Elise is happily married to Frank and she have a stepson Jonah, she is kind and caring she is so good at what she does and her active craft classes are much enjoyed by everyone who attends but when tragedy strikes, Elsie struggles so much, and wonders whether she will make her way back to normality.
Bree is full of fun and love coming from a farm and great family with two sisters who are all different her youngest sister has lots of problems but Bree is always there for her and everyone who needs her and often puts their happiness before hers is it time to think of herself.
Olive needs to be in control, she is quiet and comes across shy but she keeps deep secrets that look like coming out when and old school friend arrives in town and is hired by Healing Hands, will this be what Olive needs to finally heal herself.
Beautifully written, this moving and emotional story shows what grief, heartbreak and love and friendship can do to people and families how no matter how friendships can crack a little they also can be pulled back together with love and hope. The ending had me cheering these beautiful woman on, I do highly recommend this one, I really did love it so much.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review
Three woman meet at a well- being retreat and their friendship is instant and grows Elsie, a counsellor, Bree a Pilates coach and Olive a nutritionist start a small well-being clinic Healing Hands in a small country town and five years on they feel the need to expand and find a beautiful federation house and move with high hopes a growing and being there for the community and each other life doesn’t always run smoothly though.
Elise is happily married to Frank and she have a stepson Jonah, she is kind and caring she is so good at what she does and her active craft classes are much enjoyed by everyone who attends but when tragedy strikes, Elsie struggles so much, and wonders whether she will make her way back to normality.
Bree is full of fun and love coming from a farm and great family with two sisters who are all different her youngest sister has lots of problems but Bree is always there for her and everyone who needs her and often puts their happiness before hers is it time to think of herself.
Olive needs to be in control, she is quiet and comes across shy but she keeps deep secrets that look like coming out when and old school friend arrives in town and is hired by Healing Hands, will this be what Olive needs to finally heal herself.
Beautifully written, this moving and emotional story shows what grief, heartbreak and love and friendship can do to people and families how no matter how friendships can crack a little they also can be pulled back together with love and hope. The ending had me cheering these beautiful woman on, I do highly recommend this one, I really did love it so much.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review
April 13, 2021
All We Have Is Now is Kaneana May’s second novel following her well-received debut, The One in 2019.
All We Have Is Now unfolds from the perspectives of Bree, Elsie and Olive, colleagues and best friends who run a wellness centre, ‘Healing Hands’. The success of their business has allowed them to relocate to larger premises where Bree, the life of any party, is a Pilates instructor; Elsie, happily married and newly pregnant, provides counselling services; and pragmatic Olive, a dietician, runs cooking classes.
While the centre is thriving, Bree, Elsie and Olive come under increasing personal stress and I quickly found myself invested in their stories. May skilfully develops complex, distinct characters whose behaviours and attitudes feel authentic. With her concealed past, I found Olive to be the most intriguing figure, while Elsie was the most sympathetic given her circumstances. It took me a little longer to warm to Bree, but I loved the depiction of the close, but not uncomplicated, friendship between the three.
May addresses a number of themes in the novel, such as friendship, family, love and romance, but it’s her exploration of grief that is especially thoughtful and sensitive. Each of her main characters are forced to find the courage to confront some difficult realities about loss in order to move forward with their lives. Though bereavement is not something that can be, nor should be, compared, Elsie’s is particularly heartrending given its immediacy.
There is a special sort of thrill in being familiar with the setting of a story. All We Have Is Now is primarily set in Wingham, which adjoins my own town of Taree, so I could easily envisage both the house in which the centre operates and the characters movements around their environs (the author herself is a local).
Thoughtfully crafted, heartfelt and poignant, All We Have Is Now is a pleasure to read.
All We Have Is Now unfolds from the perspectives of Bree, Elsie and Olive, colleagues and best friends who run a wellness centre, ‘Healing Hands’. The success of their business has allowed them to relocate to larger premises where Bree, the life of any party, is a Pilates instructor; Elsie, happily married and newly pregnant, provides counselling services; and pragmatic Olive, a dietician, runs cooking classes.
While the centre is thriving, Bree, Elsie and Olive come under increasing personal stress and I quickly found myself invested in their stories. May skilfully develops complex, distinct characters whose behaviours and attitudes feel authentic. With her concealed past, I found Olive to be the most intriguing figure, while Elsie was the most sympathetic given her circumstances. It took me a little longer to warm to Bree, but I loved the depiction of the close, but not uncomplicated, friendship between the three.
May addresses a number of themes in the novel, such as friendship, family, love and romance, but it’s her exploration of grief that is especially thoughtful and sensitive. Each of her main characters are forced to find the courage to confront some difficult realities about loss in order to move forward with their lives. Though bereavement is not something that can be, nor should be, compared, Elsie’s is particularly heartrending given its immediacy.
There is a special sort of thrill in being familiar with the setting of a story. All We Have Is Now is primarily set in Wingham, which adjoins my own town of Taree, so I could easily envisage both the house in which the centre operates and the characters movements around their environs (the author herself is a local).
Thoughtfully crafted, heartfelt and poignant, All We Have Is Now is a pleasure to read.
Read
April 6, 2021Family dynamics and friendships are at the forefront of the moving new novel from New South Welsh author, Kaneana May. All We Have is Now centres around a wellness business, Healing Hands, with the storyline switching between the perspective of main characters Bree, Elsie and Olive. I was quickly drawn into the dance between friendship and secrets, as the three colleagues face the biggest challenges of their lives.
Kaneana shines a touching spotlight on the toughest aspects of being a mother, sister and daughter. I had no trouble picturing the settings and the beautiful federation house where their wellness centre is set and felt strong empathy for the characters as they navigated heart-wrenching situations. All We Have is Now is out in eBook, audiobook and paperback with Harper Collins.
Visit https://www.mayalinnell.com/blog for the full interview
Kaneana shines a touching spotlight on the toughest aspects of being a mother, sister and daughter. I had no trouble picturing the settings and the beautiful federation house where their wellness centre is set and felt strong empathy for the characters as they navigated heart-wrenching situations. All We Have is Now is out in eBook, audiobook and paperback with Harper Collins.
Visit https://www.mayalinnell.com/blog for the full interview
February 23, 2021
Thank you Harlequin and Kaneana for sending us a copy to read and review.
If you took all the emotions, the good the bad and the ugly and put them all in the one book, then you have the beautifully written All We Have Is Now.
Olive, Elsie and Bree are in need of expanding their wellness centre.
A perfect country style home has become available in their small country town and it’s the right fit for the ladies.
As their business continues to grow together, their personal lives continue to entangle.
Olive has a secret that she has never told the other two and when a flame from the past arrives, everything she has kept hidden will be exposed.
Elsie has a wonderful younger husband and stepson but when a tragedy occurs, everything she holds dear comes crumbling down.
Bree is a carefree spirit who takes each day as it comes but when her troublesome sister Winnie returns, she finds it hard to concentrate and relax.
As all their issues collide together, can their friendship survive if they can’t mend and heal themselves?
It’s gorgeously told, real and raw and the combination of what life throws at you, all make for a tender, heartfelt read.
Kaneana weaves the serious issues throughout a story of hope, love and friendship with such ease and compassion that this super relatable tale will have you bursting at the seems with all the feels.
Life isn’t always perfect and Kaneana shows us that and so much more.
The characters are realistically portrayed and you can’t help but embrace them as you join all on their journey of courage and authenticity.
A first rate story from a creative author in a country that continues to produce incredible talent.
Can we also take a moment to take in the stunning cover.
If you took all the emotions, the good the bad and the ugly and put them all in the one book, then you have the beautifully written All We Have Is Now.
Olive, Elsie and Bree are in need of expanding their wellness centre.
A perfect country style home has become available in their small country town and it’s the right fit for the ladies.
As their business continues to grow together, their personal lives continue to entangle.
Olive has a secret that she has never told the other two and when a flame from the past arrives, everything she has kept hidden will be exposed.
Elsie has a wonderful younger husband and stepson but when a tragedy occurs, everything she holds dear comes crumbling down.
Bree is a carefree spirit who takes each day as it comes but when her troublesome sister Winnie returns, she finds it hard to concentrate and relax.
As all their issues collide together, can their friendship survive if they can’t mend and heal themselves?
It’s gorgeously told, real and raw and the combination of what life throws at you, all make for a tender, heartfelt read.
Kaneana weaves the serious issues throughout a story of hope, love and friendship with such ease and compassion that this super relatable tale will have you bursting at the seems with all the feels.
Life isn’t always perfect and Kaneana shows us that and so much more.
The characters are realistically portrayed and you can’t help but embrace them as you join all on their journey of courage and authenticity.
A first rate story from a creative author in a country that continues to produce incredible talent.
Can we also take a moment to take in the stunning cover.
March 30, 2021
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy of Kaneana's second book in exchange for an honest opinion. I was so impressed with Kaneana's debut novel The One last year and I must say her writing has stepped up another notch with this great Women's Fiction novel.
Olive, Bree & Elsie are partners in a wellness retreat called Healing Hands and work together so well in their various disciplines however they all have their issues behind the scenes. Olive is dealing with her parents especially her mother who is showing signs of Alzheimer's, Bree has a wayward sister who lobs on her doorstep and Elsie is in a second marriage dealing with her husband's ex-wife and his son while desperately trying to start a family herself. All are not without the hurdles they need to jump over but their friendship keeps them together.
This novel kept me interested from the beginning and Kaneana's writing showed so much more depth this time with the 3 points of view and their complexities, it will appeal to readers of female friendships and womens fiction. Loved it!
Olive, Bree & Elsie are partners in a wellness retreat called Healing Hands and work together so well in their various disciplines however they all have their issues behind the scenes. Olive is dealing with her parents especially her mother who is showing signs of Alzheimer's, Bree has a wayward sister who lobs on her doorstep and Elsie is in a second marriage dealing with her husband's ex-wife and his son while desperately trying to start a family herself. All are not without the hurdles they need to jump over but their friendship keeps them together.
This novel kept me interested from the beginning and Kaneana's writing showed so much more depth this time with the 3 points of view and their complexities, it will appeal to readers of female friendships and womens fiction. Loved it!
May 12, 2021
Loved it! Olive, Elise and Bree completely became my friends from page one. I can absolutely see their beautiful purple federation healing hands business, complete with the crepe myrtle tree. I loved exploring the themes of loss, daughterhood, motherhood and so much more through these friends. The characters were all so believable, and so different from one another, the storyline was so engaging and the landscape perfect. I just loved it and will really miss my friends x
April 16, 2021
First, I just want to say that in the past year I have loved being introduced to so many amazing Australian authors and Kaneana May is no exception!
The premise of this book drew me in and I loved the idea of it being centred around the coming together of three women Olive, Elsie and Bree and their interest in health and wellbeing and in turn forming their own wellness centre business, Healing Hands. What I did not expect was the multitude of emotions that came with it. I felt like these three girls were my real-life friends and I was by their side going through all the grief, love, loss and happiness with them.
A Beautifully written, heart-warming story, Kaneana’s protagonists face real life issues that I think most will resonate with in some way or another creating an ambience of reality. While offering love and support to each other, their friendship is also tested as they all deal with past and present life challenges that have the potential to ruin their friendship and mutual dream. The importance of love, support, persistence, strength, and the power of true friendship are magnified exquisitely throughout this lovely story.
I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions while reading this beautifully written book and I did not want it to end!
I absolutely look forward to reading more from Kaneana May!
Thank you Harlequin Australia for my review copy.
The premise of this book drew me in and I loved the idea of it being centred around the coming together of three women Olive, Elsie and Bree and their interest in health and wellbeing and in turn forming their own wellness centre business, Healing Hands. What I did not expect was the multitude of emotions that came with it. I felt like these three girls were my real-life friends and I was by their side going through all the grief, love, loss and happiness with them.
A Beautifully written, heart-warming story, Kaneana’s protagonists face real life issues that I think most will resonate with in some way or another creating an ambience of reality. While offering love and support to each other, their friendship is also tested as they all deal with past and present life challenges that have the potential to ruin their friendship and mutual dream. The importance of love, support, persistence, strength, and the power of true friendship are magnified exquisitely throughout this lovely story.
I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions while reading this beautifully written book and I did not want it to end!
I absolutely look forward to reading more from Kaneana May!
Thank you Harlequin Australia for my review copy.
July 18, 2021
Bring the tissues! You'll need them in this sensitive and moving portrayal of love and loss. Kaneana has gone deep with this story and it's absolutely worth the emotional pain. Loved it!
April 15, 2021
This book is an absolute delight!
All We Have Is Now follows friends Olive, Bree and Elsie as they embark on a new chapter of their business, Healing Hands, a health and wellness centre. The chapters alternate between the 3 characters as drama unfolds in their work, personal and love lives and secrets long hidden are revealed.
I just couldn’t put this book down. I was immediately swept up in the lives of all 3 women - each incredibly likeable - and spent the book wondering how the conflicts would be resolved and hoping for multiple happy endings for this wonderful trio. I want to be friends with these people!
This story is pitch perfect. Issues are handled sensitively and realistically, the dialogue and dramas are believable and there’s a good balance between drama, romance and the everyday lives of the characters.
All We Have Is Now is fantastic Aussie fiction. It will have you feeling all the emotions. There are moments of absolute heartbreak and some beautiful highs to carry you through.
Having now discovered the joy that is Kaneana May’s writing I’ll be picking up a copy of her book, The One ASAP!
I was lucky enough to have won an uncorrected proof of this book from the author.
All We Have Is Now follows friends Olive, Bree and Elsie as they embark on a new chapter of their business, Healing Hands, a health and wellness centre. The chapters alternate between the 3 characters as drama unfolds in their work, personal and love lives and secrets long hidden are revealed.
I just couldn’t put this book down. I was immediately swept up in the lives of all 3 women - each incredibly likeable - and spent the book wondering how the conflicts would be resolved and hoping for multiple happy endings for this wonderful trio. I want to be friends with these people!
This story is pitch perfect. Issues are handled sensitively and realistically, the dialogue and dramas are believable and there’s a good balance between drama, romance and the everyday lives of the characters.
All We Have Is Now is fantastic Aussie fiction. It will have you feeling all the emotions. There are moments of absolute heartbreak and some beautiful highs to carry you through.
Having now discovered the joy that is Kaneana May’s writing I’ll be picking up a copy of her book, The One ASAP!
I was lucky enough to have won an uncorrected proof of this book from the author.
May 4, 2021
Loved this.
Such a tender, poignant read.
Elsie, Bree and Olive are best friends who run Healing Hands, a wellness centre.
Each of them have problems to bear and seeing how their lives unfold makes for a page-turner.
Thoroughly enjoyed!
Such a tender, poignant read.
Elsie, Bree and Olive are best friends who run Healing Hands, a wellness centre.
Each of them have problems to bear and seeing how their lives unfold makes for a page-turner.
Thoroughly enjoyed!
May 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this.
Firstly, it’s set not far from where I grew up, around an hour south for the most part and several of the characters are from a place around half an hour south. So many of the places are familiar to me, it references the place my brother was married, a town we went to for family breaks, a waterfall that everyone who has ever lived in that area has visited, etc. It’s really nice to see my local area represented in fiction, it works very well for it in many different ways (it has a lot of beaches, several very large rivers, also slightly inland is a rich farming area, particularly dairy cattle).
Friends Olive, Elsie and Brie buy a beautiful Federation property to run their wellness centre out of. They each have different specialities: Olive is a dietician and offers cooking classes as well. Brie runs Pilates classes and Elsie is a counsellor with a full book of clients. They also add in massage therapist Tom, who knows Olive from when they were in high school and his addition threatens to bring up the past that Olive has kept buried a long time. Brie’s struggling younger sister has shown up but Brie knows it’s only a matter of time until she disappears again and Elsie finds herself awaiting something that she has long desired, only for the worst of tragedies to occur.
I felt like each of the characters were quite well developed and the story devoted time to carefully constructing their backstory and the struggles they were dealing with in the present. What is an exciting and wonderful time for them all is slowly eroded as their personal lives overwhelm them in different ways. Olive is also dealing with a mother who is in failing health and her father’s desperation in clinging to the woman he married, was done so well. I think it would be a horrible thing, to go through what Olive and her father are dealing with, the realisation that they can’t fix this or even prevent it from getting worse. Olive has also buried something from her past down very far and I could kind of relate to her because I tend to respond to grief in a similar way.
Grief is something this book does well (and by that I mean with believable care and sympathy) – it’s showcased in many ways and each of the main characters are experiencing things that are causing it. For Brie, it’s her worry and stress over her younger sister Winnie, who is a recovering addict who often disappears for years at a time. Their parents are constantly in a state of worry over Winnie as well, and Brie hates the fact that Winnie will most likely vanish again, causing them yet more concern at a time in their lives when they should be relaxing, now that years of having tumultuous teenage girls are well past. Brie also has a lot of guilt about Winnie, which is something she has never really dealt with. Winnie was a character that I felt was so complex – in some ways, she’s so frustrating and if she were my sister, it’d be really difficult to turn a blind eye to a lot of her behaviours, especially some that violate Brie’s privacy so utterly. But when the alternative is her disappearing to who-knows-where for up to years at a time, your tolerance is probably much greater. Brie really wants a relationship with Winnie and she really wants their parents to have some security in her safety and presence as well. Brie is a fan of casual relationships with men, keeping things moving quickly but all of a sudden she’s looking at someone she’s known forever in an entirely different light. I loved that part of the story.
And then there’s Elsie’s story, which broke my heart actually. Elsie and I are the same age and we’re also both stepmothers. I really felt the grief and hopelessness and heartbreak that Elsie experienced, her withdrawal from her friends and loved ones, her apathy that nothing really mattered anymore. She went through a very dark time and I also thought Olive and Brie’s frustration at being unable to help her (that there really was no helping her) was well portrayed as well. Also her husband Frank’s grief, which Elsie doesn’t really see, is shown to the reader through her eyes even as she perhaps isn’t seeing it in the same way that the reader is. She’s too caught up in her own pain and has to move through that first, before she can see how others around her are hurting as well.
This was a wonderful story, underpinned by the friendship of the three very different women.
***A copy fo this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
Firstly, it’s set not far from where I grew up, around an hour south for the most part and several of the characters are from a place around half an hour south. So many of the places are familiar to me, it references the place my brother was married, a town we went to for family breaks, a waterfall that everyone who has ever lived in that area has visited, etc. It’s really nice to see my local area represented in fiction, it works very well for it in many different ways (it has a lot of beaches, several very large rivers, also slightly inland is a rich farming area, particularly dairy cattle).
Friends Olive, Elsie and Brie buy a beautiful Federation property to run their wellness centre out of. They each have different specialities: Olive is a dietician and offers cooking classes as well. Brie runs Pilates classes and Elsie is a counsellor with a full book of clients. They also add in massage therapist Tom, who knows Olive from when they were in high school and his addition threatens to bring up the past that Olive has kept buried a long time. Brie’s struggling younger sister has shown up but Brie knows it’s only a matter of time until she disappears again and Elsie finds herself awaiting something that she has long desired, only for the worst of tragedies to occur.
I felt like each of the characters were quite well developed and the story devoted time to carefully constructing their backstory and the struggles they were dealing with in the present. What is an exciting and wonderful time for them all is slowly eroded as their personal lives overwhelm them in different ways. Olive is also dealing with a mother who is in failing health and her father’s desperation in clinging to the woman he married, was done so well. I think it would be a horrible thing, to go through what Olive and her father are dealing with, the realisation that they can’t fix this or even prevent it from getting worse. Olive has also buried something from her past down very far and I could kind of relate to her because I tend to respond to grief in a similar way.
Grief is something this book does well (and by that I mean with believable care and sympathy) – it’s showcased in many ways and each of the main characters are experiencing things that are causing it. For Brie, it’s her worry and stress over her younger sister Winnie, who is a recovering addict who often disappears for years at a time. Their parents are constantly in a state of worry over Winnie as well, and Brie hates the fact that Winnie will most likely vanish again, causing them yet more concern at a time in their lives when they should be relaxing, now that years of having tumultuous teenage girls are well past. Brie also has a lot of guilt about Winnie, which is something she has never really dealt with. Winnie was a character that I felt was so complex – in some ways, she’s so frustrating and if she were my sister, it’d be really difficult to turn a blind eye to a lot of her behaviours, especially some that violate Brie’s privacy so utterly. But when the alternative is her disappearing to who-knows-where for up to years at a time, your tolerance is probably much greater. Brie really wants a relationship with Winnie and she really wants their parents to have some security in her safety and presence as well. Brie is a fan of casual relationships with men, keeping things moving quickly but all of a sudden she’s looking at someone she’s known forever in an entirely different light. I loved that part of the story.
And then there’s Elsie’s story, which broke my heart actually. Elsie and I are the same age and we’re also both stepmothers. I really felt the grief and hopelessness and heartbreak that Elsie experienced, her withdrawal from her friends and loved ones, her apathy that nothing really mattered anymore. She went through a very dark time and I also thought Olive and Brie’s frustration at being unable to help her (that there really was no helping her) was well portrayed as well. Also her husband Frank’s grief, which Elsie doesn’t really see, is shown to the reader through her eyes even as she perhaps isn’t seeing it in the same way that the reader is. She’s too caught up in her own pain and has to move through that first, before she can see how others around her are hurting as well.
This was a wonderful story, underpinned by the friendship of the three very different women.
***A copy fo this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
February 22, 2021
Kaneana’s debut novel “The One” is an absolute favourite of mine and I have been looking forward to reading more from her.
I just loved “All we have is now”!
The book stirred up so much emotion in me, my heart broke and was slowly pieced back together. It made me smile and made my heart burst with joy by the end.
I fell in love with the three main characters, Olive, Elsie and Bree, Health and wellbeing brought them together, they began a business and after five years it needed expansion, they found a beautiful federation house nestled in their picturesque small town.
Practical and pragmatic, Olive keeps her past hidden from her friends. But when an old high-school flame shows up, the secrets she's worked so hard to bury threaten to tear her carefully constructed world apart.
Bree is the fun-loving one, although family tensions lurk behind her free-spirited facade. The reappearance of her troubled sister Winnie brings Bree's priorities into sharp focus. Will she have to shelve her own happiness to save her sister?
Kind and maternal to all those around her, Elsie's role as the practice's counsellor comes naturally. But when tragedy strikes, her world tumbles down like a house of cards.
I enjoyed how the chapters would alternate between each of the characters allowing you into their world, learning more about each of them, and what made them, them.
This book is due to hit shelves on April 7, I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy as you will just love it! A huge thank you to Harlequin Australia for gifting me with an ARC of this book.
I just loved “All we have is now”!
The book stirred up so much emotion in me, my heart broke and was slowly pieced back together. It made me smile and made my heart burst with joy by the end.
I fell in love with the three main characters, Olive, Elsie and Bree, Health and wellbeing brought them together, they began a business and after five years it needed expansion, they found a beautiful federation house nestled in their picturesque small town.
Practical and pragmatic, Olive keeps her past hidden from her friends. But when an old high-school flame shows up, the secrets she's worked so hard to bury threaten to tear her carefully constructed world apart.
Bree is the fun-loving one, although family tensions lurk behind her free-spirited facade. The reappearance of her troubled sister Winnie brings Bree's priorities into sharp focus. Will she have to shelve her own happiness to save her sister?
Kind and maternal to all those around her, Elsie's role as the practice's counsellor comes naturally. But when tragedy strikes, her world tumbles down like a house of cards.
I enjoyed how the chapters would alternate between each of the characters allowing you into their world, learning more about each of them, and what made them, them.
This book is due to hit shelves on April 7, I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy as you will just love it! A huge thank you to Harlequin Australia for gifting me with an ARC of this book.
March 10, 2021
The three main characters, Olive, Bree and Elsie, are all so relatable. They each had a story of tragedy and real life experiences that most of us have experienced. Although their experiences are all different, at the end of the day they all are grieving some form of loss. They become friends from a shared interest in Health and Wellbeing and then business partners. They support and care for each other as real friends do. Olive has secrets from her past she hasn't shared with her friends. An old friend comes into Olive's life that brings all her buried past back and she struggles to hide it from her new friends. Bree has family issues and the reappearance of her troubled sister causes her to rethink her life. Bree has to reconsider her life and her search for happiness. Elsie is married to a younger man with a son. She is the counsellor at the wellbeing centre. She is very happy with her life but when tragedy hits her whole world is turned upside down. Their friendships and business are tested. I absolutely loved this book and found the author Kaneana May wrote beautifully. We all have problems and issues or a past that we don't share and try to deal with ourselves. Just because we walk out our front door with a big smile on our face does not mean our life is perfect.
Thank you to Better Reading for sending me a copy to read and review.
Thank you to Better Reading for sending me a copy to read and review.
October 1, 2023
5 stars for a book with no big twist or revelation; very unheard of for me! I found myself embedded in the lives of Elsie, Bree and Olive and their friendship as a whole and wanted the book to continue on forever. It touched on real life tragedies, and shone a light on the fact that your world is always okay with good friends by your side.
December 18, 2021
A beautiful story about the strength of friendships, living with grief and finding hope again. I enjoyed this story so much - there may be heavy themes, but there is a sense of light and hope throughout the story. Kaneana has a beautiful writing style that draws you into each character's world and captures complex emotions in the most subtle and touching way. I highly recommend!
May 17, 2024
literally made me silent sob my god
February 5, 2022
A beautiful story! There are difficult topics discussed in this book, some of them will bring tears to your eyes or make you cry.
May 18, 2021
Before I say anything about this novel, there will be spoilers in this review, so continue at your your own risk.
I came across Kaneana’s debut novel via a recommendation on a radio show and I read it in one day! I absolutely loved it! When I heard about the second book I was very excited to read it and it’s even this months pick (my pick) in our book club.
It took me more than a day to read, but that was only because I was busy and had nothing to do with the story itself.
There are 450 pages and I made it 95% through the story before I started crying.
This book covered sensitive topics, but I can relate to them very well.
One central story is about stillbirth, this is something I’ve experienced myself twice already and I didn’t know how I would go reading about it, but Kaneana brought up the topic well and in a very respectful manner. I didn’t relate to the way Elsie responded to the situation (everyone handles things differently) but I liked seeing her friends perspective and how it affected them. I appreciated the research that obviously went into the story, it was good reading about cold cots, because many people don’t know they exist.
Another topic was Alzheimer’s, something else I am familiar with, though in my case it affects a grand-parent.
I have seen how it can affect a family and someone’s personality and Kaneana’s descriptions were accurate and very raw but once again very respectful.
The death of a sister is not something I can relate to, but I did lose a family member recently and it was traumatic so I could relate to that part of the story.
Olive hearing her sisters voice I found a little odd to be honest, but it worked for the story.
I probably related to Bree the least, but I did enjoy reading her story arc nonetheless.
Once again it was a great book and I know I’ll read any more that Kaneana brings out!
When reading this, brace yourself for many different feelings, but it’s well worth the emotions!
I came across Kaneana’s debut novel via a recommendation on a radio show and I read it in one day! I absolutely loved it! When I heard about the second book I was very excited to read it and it’s even this months pick (my pick) in our book club.
It took me more than a day to read, but that was only because I was busy and had nothing to do with the story itself.
There are 450 pages and I made it 95% through the story before I started crying.
This book covered sensitive topics, but I can relate to them very well.
One central story is about stillbirth, this is something I’ve experienced myself twice already and I didn’t know how I would go reading about it, but Kaneana brought up the topic well and in a very respectful manner. I didn’t relate to the way Elsie responded to the situation (everyone handles things differently) but I liked seeing her friends perspective and how it affected them. I appreciated the research that obviously went into the story, it was good reading about cold cots, because many people don’t know they exist.
Another topic was Alzheimer’s, something else I am familiar with, though in my case it affects a grand-parent.
I have seen how it can affect a family and someone’s personality and Kaneana’s descriptions were accurate and very raw but once again very respectful.
The death of a sister is not something I can relate to, but I did lose a family member recently and it was traumatic so I could relate to that part of the story.
Olive hearing her sisters voice I found a little odd to be honest, but it worked for the story.
I probably related to Bree the least, but I did enjoy reading her story arc nonetheless.
Once again it was a great book and I know I’ll read any more that Kaneana brings out!
When reading this, brace yourself for many different feelings, but it’s well worth the emotions!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2021
“All we have is now” is a story of how the path may impact on our present and affect our future. Meet friends Olivia, Bree & Elsie, all living with their past and trying to move into the future. Together they run a wellness center, supporting and helping their community.
Olivia has hidden her past, pushed it to the depths of her memory, not shared history with her friends. In doing this she became an efficient and structured person. But when Tom, a person from her past, comes to join their practice the past starts coming out. This and her family issues, her mum forgetting the past needs her to remember, despite its associated pains.
Bree’s life gets tipped upside down when her troubled sister drifts back in and out of her life. Having been a free and easy kind of woman, having her sister slows down her fun, gives her a bit of responsibility and opens up potential for a life change, hopefully for the better.
Elsie has been a step-mom for a while but yearns for a child of her own. Her excitement of falling pregnant and progressing through her pregnancy has her optimistic for an amazing future. But despite her knowledge of being a councilor for many working through issues, her own trauma may result in her losing everything, her friends, job, husband…
A touching and warming story of these ladies. I really enjoyed the escape it offered and the story within.
Thanks Beauty & Lace and the publishers for giving me such a fun read.
Olivia has hidden her past, pushed it to the depths of her memory, not shared history with her friends. In doing this she became an efficient and structured person. But when Tom, a person from her past, comes to join their practice the past starts coming out. This and her family issues, her mum forgetting the past needs her to remember, despite its associated pains.
Bree’s life gets tipped upside down when her troubled sister drifts back in and out of her life. Having been a free and easy kind of woman, having her sister slows down her fun, gives her a bit of responsibility and opens up potential for a life change, hopefully for the better.
Elsie has been a step-mom for a while but yearns for a child of her own. Her excitement of falling pregnant and progressing through her pregnancy has her optimistic for an amazing future. But despite her knowledge of being a councilor for many working through issues, her own trauma may result in her losing everything, her friends, job, husband…
A touching and warming story of these ladies. I really enjoyed the escape it offered and the story within.
Thanks Beauty & Lace and the publishers for giving me such a fun read.
April 10, 2021
If you are on a hunt to find a book about friendship, family, love and sadness then Kaneana May's second novel, All We Have Is Now is the book for you.
It is based on the close friendship of Elise, Bree and Olive. We follow their relationships with friends, family and partners. Amongst their feelings of happiness, loss and grief.
The three of them form Healing Hands, a blooming health wellness centre. After buying a house to support their centre needs all seems to be going well. Until each one of the women suffer through some sort of ordeal.
The characters grew on me and I rather became attached to them. I felt their happiness, their laughter and their pain. When they were in pain I wanted to reach in and comfort them. I think I had a deeper connection with the book as I could resonate with some of their hurdles. I love that friends and family rallied up to be supportive of each other.
The setting where the book takes place, Kaneana describes sounds like paradise. It makes me want to take a trip up to the middle north coast just to absorb the environment.
Also I never had a book which made me crave food before. So I ended up making a Lemon Meringue Pie 🥧 which I ate mostly by myself. Bonus points to Kaneana.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Harlequin and Kaneana.
It is based on the close friendship of Elise, Bree and Olive. We follow their relationships with friends, family and partners. Amongst their feelings of happiness, loss and grief.
The three of them form Healing Hands, a blooming health wellness centre. After buying a house to support their centre needs all seems to be going well. Until each one of the women suffer through some sort of ordeal.
The characters grew on me and I rather became attached to them. I felt their happiness, their laughter and their pain. When they were in pain I wanted to reach in and comfort them. I think I had a deeper connection with the book as I could resonate with some of their hurdles. I love that friends and family rallied up to be supportive of each other.
The setting where the book takes place, Kaneana describes sounds like paradise. It makes me want to take a trip up to the middle north coast just to absorb the environment.
Also I never had a book which made me crave food before. So I ended up making a Lemon Meringue Pie 🥧 which I ate mostly by myself. Bonus points to Kaneana.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Harlequin and Kaneana.
May 24, 2021
𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚎, 𝙴𝚕𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙾𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝙽𝚘𝚠, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝.
𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕖 ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕨 by Kaneana May is just so beautifully sad and will pull at your heart strings! Whilst all these friends personal stories are tragic and deal with some very tough situations, Elsie's tale was the one I treasured and made me cry the most
Kaneana May hasn't held anything back with the issues that people deal with each and every day. Her care and sensitivity make her characters lives very relatable for her readers. The main theme is grief and the grieving process, something I can relate to very well.
I did like that the main characters ran a health and wellbeing centre for a small community. I feel like there should be one in every Australian town or city. The community featured in this book are very caring and bands together in the hour of need. This is evident when tragedy strikes Elsie, and Olive when she realises that her mother isn't well at all.
Kaneeya May is a new author to me, and I will be reading her previous novel 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕟𝕖 in the foreseeable future.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
𝔸𝕝𝕝 𝕨𝕖 ℍ𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕚𝕤 ℕ𝕠𝕨 by Kaneana May is just so beautifully sad and will pull at your heart strings! Whilst all these friends personal stories are tragic and deal with some very tough situations, Elsie's tale was the one I treasured and made me cry the most
Kaneana May hasn't held anything back with the issues that people deal with each and every day. Her care and sensitivity make her characters lives very relatable for her readers. The main theme is grief and the grieving process, something I can relate to very well.
I did like that the main characters ran a health and wellbeing centre for a small community. I feel like there should be one in every Australian town or city. The community featured in this book are very caring and bands together in the hour of need. This is evident when tragedy strikes Elsie, and Olive when she realises that her mother isn't well at all.
Kaneeya May is a new author to me, and I will be reading her previous novel 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕟𝕖 in the foreseeable future.
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
September 25, 2021
My heart was on a rollercoaster of emotions 😩❤ It is honestly one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.
Bree, Elsie and Olive are close friends who run Healing Hands, a wellness centre in NSW, each focussing on their own niche in the business.
Bree, the Pilates instructor, is the single, care-free fun-loving friend. But her life isn't what it appears on the surface, especially when her younger sister returns out of the blue.
Olive, the Dietitian, is the sensible and practical friend. But she is struggling to hide her past, now that Tom has arrived.
Elsie, the Counsellor, is the compassionate friend. Married to Frank, step mother to Jonah. But when tragedy strikes, Elsie is no longer the same person.
Kaneana's writing is exceptional.
The characters are so vivid and relatable. I usually find myself very distracted reading multiple POVs, but each character is so distinguished, it's so easy to follow their stories.
This is a touching story about family, friendship and love, and I know this story will stay with me long after I put this book on my shelf.
Please read the CW for this book as this touches on some sensitive topics ⚠️
Bree, Elsie and Olive are close friends who run Healing Hands, a wellness centre in NSW, each focussing on their own niche in the business.
Bree, the Pilates instructor, is the single, care-free fun-loving friend. But her life isn't what it appears on the surface, especially when her younger sister returns out of the blue.
Olive, the Dietitian, is the sensible and practical friend. But she is struggling to hide her past, now that Tom has arrived.
Elsie, the Counsellor, is the compassionate friend. Married to Frank, step mother to Jonah. But when tragedy strikes, Elsie is no longer the same person.
Kaneana's writing is exceptional.
The characters are so vivid and relatable. I usually find myself very distracted reading multiple POVs, but each character is so distinguished, it's so easy to follow their stories.
This is a touching story about family, friendship and love, and I know this story will stay with me long after I put this book on my shelf.
Please read the CW for this book as this touches on some sensitive topics ⚠️
March 12, 2021
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Olive, Elsie and Bree move their growing wellness centre into a larger place and must navigate the ensuing changes and challenges in their lives. For Olive, it's her secret past surfacing in the form of the wellness centre's new masseuse. For Elsie, it's her role as stepmother and soon-to-be mother. For Bree, it's the sister who blows in and out of her life and causes trouble wherever she goes. Achieving wellness will be harder than any of them ever realised.
I'm always hungry for a novel that explores the varied and fascinating relationships between women and this certainly delivered. Olive, Elsie and Bree felt like real people to me. I could easily picture running into them on the street. May has a history of making me ugly cry (see her previous novel, The One!) and All We Have is Now was no exception. Definitely park yourself beside a box of tissues when you pick up this book. A thoroughly satisfying read.
Olive, Elsie and Bree move their growing wellness centre into a larger place and must navigate the ensuing changes and challenges in their lives. For Olive, it's her secret past surfacing in the form of the wellness centre's new masseuse. For Elsie, it's her role as stepmother and soon-to-be mother. For Bree, it's the sister who blows in and out of her life and causes trouble wherever she goes. Achieving wellness will be harder than any of them ever realised.
I'm always hungry for a novel that explores the varied and fascinating relationships between women and this certainly delivered. Olive, Elsie and Bree felt like real people to me. I could easily picture running into them on the street. May has a history of making me ugly cry (see her previous novel, The One!) and All We Have is Now was no exception. Definitely park yourself beside a box of tissues when you pick up this book. A thoroughly satisfying read.
May 12, 2021
Thank you to Beauty and Lace Club and Harlequin Enterprises Australia for my copy.
This is my first Kaneana May book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author doesn't waste any time getting into the story and I was hooked as soon as I read the prologue. I liked the chapter lengths and each chapter is about one of the main three characters. It wasn't hard to keep track of all the characters and their families, love interests and careers. The author encapsulates family dynamics and squabbles perfectly. The book is mostly about friendships with their ups and downs and grief, how people deal with loss in different ways. It was heartbreaking in places, how loss can rip people apart and also dementia, although awful, is explained accurately. I only had one tiny gripe which was the end part of the story, it just seemed a little rushed over a small number of pages. Overall, a heart warming story.
This is my first Kaneana May book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author doesn't waste any time getting into the story and I was hooked as soon as I read the prologue. I liked the chapter lengths and each chapter is about one of the main three characters. It wasn't hard to keep track of all the characters and their families, love interests and careers. The author encapsulates family dynamics and squabbles perfectly. The book is mostly about friendships with their ups and downs and grief, how people deal with loss in different ways. It was heartbreaking in places, how loss can rip people apart and also dementia, although awful, is explained accurately. I only had one tiny gripe which was the end part of the story, it just seemed a little rushed over a small number of pages. Overall, a heart warming story.
August 3, 2021
All We Have Is Now – how true, we can’t dwell on the past and we can’t predict the future.
This is a story of three women all different traits and personalities who are the best of friends.
They came together at a wellness resort 5 years ago and now they run their own business in the country town of Wingham.
There are past loves and tragedies that haunt them and current dramas and loss that may tear them apart.
The characters are very relatable and endearing, they will have you laughing one minute and crying the next, I really enjoyed getting to know them all.
Reading this reminded me of watching your favorite soap like Neighbours or Friends, where you just want to find out what happens next in their lives. Why can’t books be like soaps and get issued every month or year or just a newsletter…I’d subscribe to that 😊.
I love the way Kaneana writes, the words flow well and makes it really enjoyable to read.
This is a story of three women all different traits and personalities who are the best of friends.
They came together at a wellness resort 5 years ago and now they run their own business in the country town of Wingham.
There are past loves and tragedies that haunt them and current dramas and loss that may tear them apart.
The characters are very relatable and endearing, they will have you laughing one minute and crying the next, I really enjoyed getting to know them all.
Reading this reminded me of watching your favorite soap like Neighbours or Friends, where you just want to find out what happens next in their lives. Why can’t books be like soaps and get issued every month or year or just a newsletter…I’d subscribe to that 😊.
I love the way Kaneana writes, the words flow well and makes it really enjoyable to read.
August 22, 2021
I suspect I will be derided for my ideas and comments but when one reviewer likened it to a soap opera I knew I wasn't the only one! I like my plots to be a little more substantial with some evidence of research from the author. While the female relationships were mostly believable and relevant, albeit one based on a lie, the men seemed superficial and based on their sexual prowess and good looks. Do 30-something women actually refer to the men in their lives as 'boys'? At times I thought these women were still teenagers in their thinking and their actions! Elsie definitely needed some counselling, something that would be offered when someone suffers a loss as she did. Oh, that's right, she IS a counsellor!
It seems all the five star reviews came about from the many free copies people received, even before this book was published. And 14+ hours of the audio version was positively painful even with the boredom of lockdown! I had to give up in the end.....
It seems all the five star reviews came about from the many free copies people received, even before this book was published. And 14+ hours of the audio version was positively painful even with the boredom of lockdown! I had to give up in the end.....
October 2, 2021
I love this book so much very emotional at times of what the main three characters are dealing with in their personal lives but their friendship seems to remain strong throughout the book. A well written book I recommend that you pick this one up and have read. I just don't want to give a away too much of the storyline I think you need to read it and see for yourself that from the moment you start to read it you can't put it down that you want to know how the three friends support each other through their own personal situations of opening up their hearts, lives to each other is special bond to have with friends and as for these women they also work together at the Wellness clinic they bought. This Kaneana May second book that I have read and I can say this author has a very bright future ahead in storytelling she has a gift of bringing the characters to life and shows the talent she has through her books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews