Category Archives: Australian

November 19, 2025 · 2:02 pm

The Distance Between Dreams – Emily Paull

The Distance Between Dreams – Emily Paull

My local library (Evelyn H Parker) was having an Author talk and craft event. Ms Paull was one of the authors. So, in preparation, I read this novel.

I do like a novel set in W.A.

Here’s the blurb …

Sarah Willis longs to free herself from the expectations of a privileged upbringing, while Winston Keller can’ t afford the luxury of a dream. Despite their differences, the pair are drawn together in a whirlwind romance that defies the boundaries of class. But when a dark family secret pulls the young lovers apart, and WWII plunges the world into chaos, it seems impossible they will ever find their way back to each other &– or even hold onto the dream of what might have been

It is clear that a lot of research went into this novel. I learnt quite a few things. For example, I didn’t know that there was rationing (here in W.A) during World War Two. Or that there were so many war brides (not to mention the ones who got duped).

The characters are well-written, particularly the bitchy Florence. Winston and his mother, Elsie, were delightful. Robert Willis might be a bit too stark a villain, but otherwise this was an interesting and enjoyable novel to read.

A review.

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September 2, 2025 · 1:40 pm

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin (Book 2) – Alison Goodman

The Ladies Guide to Utter Ruin – Alison Goodman

Miss A got this from Dymocks as an advanced reader copy. It languished on my pile until a friend read it, and then I finally dug it out. I have read the first one, and I think it is better if you read the first one before this one.

Here’s the blurb …

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age—hardly worth a second glance. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister and her lover from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take the two women into their home. They know what it is like to have a powerful and overbearing brother. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. But it is no easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.                    

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will the dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?

These novels are adventurous romps. They’re full of period detail, but the heroines and heroes have modern sensibilities (at least as to how they view women). The villains are despicable and evil, and then there are the men (and women) who have extremely conservative views (Lord Duffy for instance).

There is an occasional reference to Austen – one of the characters is reading Sense and Sensibility and another character is given the false name of Miss Dashwood.

He glared at me. “I do not take my leave of you, Augusta. You will not receive my courtesy until you behave in the manner of a gentle woman and a sister.”

Very Lady Catherine De Burgh.

These are lots of fun and the end sets up the next one.

A review.

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July 30, 2025 · 1:39 pm

Rise and Shine – Kimberley Allsopp

Rise and Shine – Kimberley Allsopp

I am not sure where I first heard about this novel. Possibly from one of the many book newsletters I receive. It took a while to track down, but in the end it was in the ‘Three for the price of Two’ section at Dymocks.

Here’s the blurb …

Charming, talky, wryly funny, poignant and original – Rise and Shine is a love story, yes, but it’s a love story that happens ten years into a marriage, when somebody wants out.

This is a story about marriage. It is also a story about life and love and happiness and the absence of happiness and what we need to do to find it again.

It’s a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.

It’s a story about August and Noah.

It begins at the end.

Rise and Shine is an utterly surprising delight, a break-up tale that is also a love story; endearing, astringent, talky, wry, wise, uplifting and so original.

First, I love that this novel is set in Australia.

It is a grown-up romance. The issues are real and no one is a villain. I loved all of the relationships – Noah and August, August and Regina, August and Jasper, Jasper and Noah, Noah and Adam, and Noah and Jeff. The writing is beautiful, there are poignant moments and funny moments.

A review.

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June 29, 2025 · 1:48 pm

An Academic Affair – Jodi McAlister

An Academic Affair – Jodi McAlister

I heard Jodi McAlister interviewed on That Rom Com Pod, and it sounded right up my alley. Dual point of view, rivals to lovers and a bit of a homage to Anne of Green Gables.

Here’s the blurb …

From the “masterly” (The New York Times) Jodi McAlister, a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

I really enjoyed it (although I did think it could have ended a bit earlier). It is well-written, witty, and both Sadie and Jonah have a bit of insight and they develop over the story. I loved the Australian setting, and I learned a new word ‘precariat’ (a social class characterized by precarious, insecure, and unstable work conditions, often lacking benefits and leading to a sense of social and economic vulnerability).

I loved all of Jonah’s footnotes.

There is also a marriage of convenience – how amazing is that in a modern novel?

From the podcast, I understand this is the first of a trilogy, so I am looking forward to the next two (I think I might even know who the protagonists are)

A review.

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May 14, 2025 · 12:47 pm

Without Further Ado – Jessica Dettman

Without Further Ado – Jessica Dettman

This languished in my pile, but now that I have my random number generating plan it popped up.

Here’s the blurb …

Can a modern woman take lessons in love from Shakespeare? Book Lovers meets 10 Things I Hate About You in this sparkling romantic comedy from beloved Aussie author Jessica Dettmann.
‘Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever …’ Since she was sixteen, Willa’s curious touchstone in life and work has been the 1993 film Much Ado About Nothing . She’s always looking for The Feeling, the stirring in her heart – and loins – that she gets when watching the opening scenes. Now she’s navigating her mid-thirties, her career as a romance publisher in an unusual family business, and her determination to remain child-free, while quietly holding out for a love as big as Beatrice and Benedick’s. But when relationships start to get complicated between Willa, her cousin Imogen and the four sons of the family she works for, and the events of her own life begin to mirror the plot of her beloved comedy, Willa must consider whether there is such a thing as too much ado. A delightfully Shakespearean romantic comedy about modern love, women’s roles and how the films and stories we grow up with shape us. ‘An absolute delight! With its witty dialogue, relatable characters, and laugh-out-loud moments, this book is the perfect escape.

I am also a fan of Much Ado About Nothing, probably not as much as Willa. This does loosely follow the plot – I did spend a bit of time wondering who the ‘Benedick’ would be. I found Willa to be a bit more caustic than witty at times, but overall this is a fun, well-written novel. And it is always nice to read an Australian novel, set somewhere that I recognise.

A review.

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March 26, 2025 · 12:14 pm

The Idea of Perfection – Kate Grenville

The Idea of Perfection – Kate Grenville

This is the first novel I have read by Kate Grenville. I know of her, of course, she is a famous Australian author (which I think has put me off reading her, but the cover convinced me).

Here’s the blurb …

Harley Savage is a plain woman, a part-time museum curator and quilting expert with three failed marriages and a heart condition. Douglas Cheeseman is a shy, gawky engineer with jug-handle ears, one marriage gone sour, and a crippling lack of physical courage. They meet in the little Australian town of Karakarook, where Harley has arrived to help the town build a heritage museum and Douglas to demolish the quaint old Bent Bridge. From the beginning they are on a collision course until the unexpected sets them both free.

Elegantly and compassionately told, The Idea of Perfection is reminiscent of the work of Carol Shields and Annie Proulx and reveals Kate Grenville as “a writer of extraordinary talent” (The New York Times Book Review).

This was great, Harley and Douglas are fabulous characters – very believable. And I particularly liked Felicity Porcelline (and her fixation on winkles), and Freddy who sees himself as the lothario of Karakarook. This is a character driven novel (the best sort) and all of the characters have a lot of baggage. So it’s about happiness, trust and community.

The writing is beautiful and I agree with the above blurb – it is reminiscent of Carol Shields, and I would add Anne Tyler, however, the setting is very small town Australia (beautifully described – I could feel the heat, see the main street, and the local hotel).

This was published in 1999, but it is still very readable.

A review

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February 5, 2025 · 2:20 pm

Camille’s Bread – Amanda Lohrey

Camille’s Bread – Amanda Lohrey

I bought this one in Tasmania (Hobart). I wanted something by a Tasmanian author and I had previously read The Labrinth, so I was familiar with her work.

Here’s the blurb …

After too many nights of takeaway pizzas, Marita wants just one year off to look after her daughter, Camille. then she meets Stephen, a public servant in the complex process of reinventing himself, training as a shiatsu masseur. As their relationship grows, so does the drama of parenting Camille, in this elegantly crafted, warmly appealing novel of contemporary Australian life.

This was a very thoughtful book about relationships; with one’s self, with a romantic partner, parenting, step-parenting, and friendship. It is also about compromise or the lack of compromise.

Stephen is very rigid in his views of the best way to live. He is trying to find ‘poise’ and he thinks it is to do with the body and the body’s energy – how you feed it and how you treat it. He thinks words are the enemy. Marita, on the other hand, is all about words. She has a personal project where she records people talking (telling stories etc.) and then she listens to them and tries to rework them into some kind of prose. Stephen finds Camille’s love of trashy white bread horrifying (all that dead white flour) and is always trying to improve their (Marita and Camille) diet.

Here’s a quote that sums it up for me

In bed that night, Stephen ponders the question of cake. It’s that nurturing hysteria again. Eve took the apple from the Serpent and she’s been making up for it ever since by feeding everyone cake. But when we bake flour it becomes oxidised and oxidation is the Ling process, the beginning of death … of rust, and breaking down. Once again this is a strong materialist position, of the kind Sanjay had warned him against. Of late, he has modified his thinking on this and is inclined to argue now that it’s not the cake as such but what goes into it, the quality of the energy, which includes not only the character of the ingredients but the energy of the cook as well. Marita believes it to be the other way around – what is important is not the reality but the idea.

It’s beautifully written with a visceral sense of place. The minor characters are fabulous and add heft to the story.

A review

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