I loved the first few books in the Women of WAR series, about female players of Aussie Rules football, and this is a terrific addition to the series. This is my second Lauren K. McKellar book too, and damn it… she made me ugly cry again! Zoe is a pediatric nurse at a ‘care home’, which is basically a hospice where ill children coming from remote areas stay when receiving outpatient hospital treatment. A major side character is a young patient with cancer, and, spoiler, this i

Fourth in the Mindalby Outback Romance series about the residents of a small outback town thrown into turmoil when the local cotton mill closes down unexpectedly, this book’s heroine is Lynsey Carter, the daughter of the mill owner, who moved to Brisbane to pursue a career in agricultural science. At her mother’s behest, she’s come home to try and help sort out the crisis. Lynsey’s mother and father divorced long ago and her mother was replaced with a younger model, who’s ref

Wow. I’m still reeling a couple hours after finishing reading this book, because it is emotionally INTENSE. Be warned; if any of the following trigger you, you might want to give this one a miss. Cancer deaths, cancer treatment, violence towards pregnant women, alcoholic parents, abusive parents. This is another in the Mindalby series of Australian romances about a small outback town thrown into turmoil when the cotton mill suddenly closes down. Asher is a single mother, work

I’m really enjoying this series of Australian romances about Mindalby, a small outback town whose residents all depend in one way or another on the local cotton mill for their livelihoods. When the mill suddenly closes down unexpectedly and the owner goes missing under a cloud of suspicion, the residents must find ways to survive and figure out a way through the crisis. While this is a series, each of the books can be read as a standalone. There are a few characters who appea

Elsa’s Stand is an absolutely delightful outback romance, and in a fascinating twist, I’m incredibly well qualified to review some of the ‘technical’ aspects of the plot. Jack Hargreaves, the hero, is an opal miner from Lightning Ridge, left a property by his mother with a sapphire find hidden on it… somewhere. And it just so happens that I’m a member of a lapidary club, with experience of both opal and sapphire hunting myself. If Cathryn Hein hasn’t been fossicking, she’s de

First in a seven-book series by various authors, Cotton Field Dreams introduces the small outback Australian town of Mindalby, where the town’s existence is strongly tied to the local cotton mill. When the mill closes suddenly, the town is thrown into turmoil. The residents must band together to survive, even as tensions drive them apart. Sasha’s a newcomer to town. Working in the mill’s accounts department, she’s the one who fills in the workers’ payslips, which automaticall

Marriage celebrant Isabella has a secret… a secret husband, to be exact. One she married and left in Vegas without so much as a goodbye. Only now Harry's found her, and he's furious, demanding a divorce. Except Isabella’s starting to think marrying Harry wasn't such a mistake after all… The setting of the book in the northern Victoria wineries was charming, and beautifully realistic. There was some lovely, evocative prose which really helped transport the reader into the stor

Darcy Clarke’s dreams are coming true. She’s going to play for the Brisbane Banshees in the Women’s Australian Rules competition. The only cloud on the horizon? The new coach is her ex-boyfriend, who dumped her and broke her heart two years ago, and now seems to want back into her life and her bed! Levi is her flatmate, the best friend whose shoulder she cried on when Tony broke her heart… and the guy she’s starting to realize she has feelings for beyond just friendship. Of c

One of the new Women of W.A.R. series about the women of the Australian Rules football competition, Game On follows Angie Bryant, the daughter of a legendary soccer player determined to forge her own path. Gifted with superior sporting genes, Angie still has to prove herself as the star player for the Melbourne Muses - and to Jaxon Flint, the biggest sports management agent in the business - and also the guy with whom she had a fantastically sexy one-night stand without knowi

One of a new series about the professional sportswomen of the Women's Australian Rules football league (and yes - there really is a professional women's league, though the team names aren't the same as in this fictional version) Long Game is the story of Cress Kennedy, a country girl through and through, who moves to Sydney to follow her dream of being a professional footy player. Fortunately, she has a ready-made mentor, best friend and place to live all in one. Quin was her

Don't be put off by the cheesy Harlequin title. This book is an absolutely FANTASTIC romance. Matt and Penny are completely adorable and I just wanted to smoosh their faces together and shout NOW KISS. I'm thinking in foodie terms because Penny, the heroine, is a trained chef, and I reckon this book is like a lemon meringue pie; it's sweet, sugary, fluffy and delicious... and yet at the same time there's enough tart tanginess to make it interesting. Penny has been betrayed on

New Beginnings is a very sweet book about Sophie, a young woman struggling to take care of her little sister after the pair of them are orphaned. Inheriting a house from a mysterious benefactor seems like a gift from God for Sophie, even if she does have to uproot herself and Mia from Sydney and move to Hobart, Tasmania, for it. This was well-plotted out, with a completely plausible reason for a stranger leaving Sophie her property which is revealed in a clever and intriguing