Tag Archives: Contemporary

Last Night at the Mount Solemn Observatory by Danielle Binks

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: Last Night at the Mount Solemn Observatory
Author: Danielle Binks
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Contemporary, Young adult
Dates read: 22nd November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Tonight is no different; Em’s legs are in Adelaide’s lap and she’s sitting up to talk to her, their faces so close together that Ravi has to lean round the back to hear, one hand on Em’s shoulder for balance.

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Synopsis

It’s her big brothers last night in town, and she doesn’t know when he’ll be back. Sometimes it’s important to say goodbye.

Thoughts

As an older sister, I’ve never considered what it was like for my younger sister when I left home. And I didn’t move that far away. This was a great story that actually made me stop and think about what that moment was like for her. I can’t imagine that it would have been easy, and I almost wish we had’ve done something special together in that last night that we lived together.

Last Night at the Mount Solemn Observatory sparked all kinds of nostalgia for me. It was a great ode to sibling relationships and the love you can feel for people. It was also a fantastic way to highlight the feeling of loss, but empowerment when you finally leave the place that you know is pulling you down. It’s most definitely a difficult feeling. But it’s also one that we must all go through.

Lastly, the thing that I probably loved most about this story was that it featured someone who has a disability. In the case of this tale, the older brother is deaf. I would personally love to learn Australian Sign Language and this was really a reminder why. It’s always great when a story, any kind of story, features somebody from a diverse background.

<- The Feeling From Over HereCompetition Entry #349 ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

The Feeling From Over Here by Gabrielle Tozer

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: The Feeling From Over Here
Author: Gabrielle Tozer
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Contemporary, Young adult
Dates read: 18th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: That night he’d drafted a text, scribbled a letter, started Facebook message, but he didn’t follow through with any of them.

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Synopsis

Lucy Faris is stuck on a bus to Melbourne. Which would be bad enough, if it wasn’t for the fact that the boy she thought she liked, and then decided she hated didn’t just get on and sit down next to her…

Thoughts

This short story has an amazing pace to it. It’s not necessarily quick, and it’s most certainly not all that typical. But it worked. I love that each little segment was split into the time at which it happened. Sometimes large gaps of time, sometimes smaller. It was an absolute pleasure to proceed through this journey, one step at a time.

I love that Lucy is a completely kick ass year twelve. She has definitely got a bit of attitude, and plenty of gumption to herself. She’s fun and a little bit quirky. The messages that she is constantly sending to her friends just help to top off her great characterization. Then, flipping her point of view with Cam’s to show why he has acted in certain ways… well, it helped me to bond with both characters in a very short amount of time.

I imagine that a year from the ending of this story, Lucy and Cam totally got together. And had some kind of happily ever after. Because I’m a sap who totally believes in love stories.

<- Oona UndergroundLast Night at the Mount Solemn Observatory ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

More Than Words: Volume 6 by Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child

Book Review, , , , , , , ,
Overview
More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: More Than Words: Volume 6
Author: Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 22nd October – 14th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: “That’s why I thought of you.”

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Synopsis

Presenting… the sixth annual More Than Words anthology

Five bestselling authors
Five real-life heroines

Little by little, one person at a time, we can make our world a better place. The five dedicated women selected as this year’s recipients of Harlequin’s More Than Words award have done just that, by discovering a seed of compassion, and nurturing it to effect real change in their communities. To celebrate their accomplishments, five bestselling authors have honored the winners by writing short stories inspired by these real-life heroines.

We hope More Than Words inspires you to look into your heart and find the heroine who lives within.

Thoughts

I bought this anthology with no idea what to expect. I only knew that there was a Virgin River novella in it somewhere. And now I want to get my hands on all of the More Than Words books that I can find. I love that not only are they gorgeous little romances. But they also incorporate charities and amazing activities which are run by some incredibly awe-inspiring women. What a fantastic collection!

I found the idea of creating an anthology around five charities and women who have created them to be seriously unique. And brilliant. Hence, the fact that I want to buy the rest of these books. I mean, how cool is it that this book not only is an amazingly fun and beautiful read, but also a way to promote some great causes. It also manages to place a face to those who would most benefit from funding going to such charities.

This was a fantastic collection that not only had me feeling happy and all dopey and lovey (which is honestly why I read romances), but also hopeful about the world. After all, every one of these stories had a happily ever after. And the horrible things in the world aren’t necessarily always horrible. Or at least, in these hopeful stories, there are still happily ever afters…

<- The Princess ShoesAlmost Lost ->

Image source: Goodreads

Oona Underground by Lili Wilkinson

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: Oona Underground
Author: Lili Wilkinson
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI
Dates read: 14th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: I desperately want to know what Oona is thinking, how she feels about what happened.

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Synopsis

She’ll follow Oona anywhere. Including underground to the Witch’s Ball and the answers that they may or may not find there.

Thoughts

What a cute, adorable and beautiful love story. Two girls who are best friends and both want something more, journeying to a Witch to find out their fate. It’s a little teenager-y and in some moments, frustrating. But it’s also really well written and interesting. Plus, it’s incredibly sweet and left me with a happy, content smile on my lips after I turned the final page.

I honestly don’t know if I could love like the girl who follows Oona in this story. I mean, I feel like I would follow my SO anywhere, but I really can’t guarantee that that would be the case. And it’s a depth of faith and commitment that just seems unfathomable. A terrifying depth of faith and commitment that I just can’t quite fathom…

This whole short story felt very fae and dreamlike. It had this incredibly ethereal quality that left me drifting along with the words. Content and happy to experience Oona Underground.

<- Missing PersonsThe Feeling From Over Here ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

The Princess Shoes by Maureen Child

Book Review, , ,
Overview
More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: The Princess Shoes
Author: Maureen Child
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 14th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: The organization’s story started with another little boy at a school in Pomona, California, found crying on the playground and saying his feet hurt.

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Synopsis

USA Today bestselling author Maureen Child reminds us of the happiness and purpose that even a youngster can find by putting her best foot forward in a story inspired by Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit.

Thoughts

This story did a great job of highlighting how big a difference a pair of shoes can make in someone’s life. It’s cute and sweet, beautiful and just a little bit heart-wrenching. I was lucky – and this novella really reminded me of all of the things in my life that I am lucky for. Add to that the fact that there is a romance in this story and just a whole heap of sweetness…

This probably wasn’t my favourite novella in the collection. Yet, it was probably featuring one of my favourite charities / causes. Whilst they’re all good, I love the simplicity and strength that giving a child a new pair of shoes can provide. I think that I didn’t enjoy it quite as much simply because the romance was not quite as intense and didn’t draw me in as much as the others did. It was still a brilliant novella. Just not one that had me thinking about it for long afterwards.

This was a wonderful novella. Not only did it show how important it can be for children to feel comfortable and hopeful for the future. It also featured a man who had experienced the foster system himself. It was a reminder that sometimes the smallest act can have the greatest impact. And it was a wonderful, positive note upon which to end this collection.

<- No LimitsMore Than Words: Volume 6 ->

Image source: Goodreads

No Limits by Rochelle Alers

Book Review, , ,
Overview
More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: No Limits
Author: Rochelle Alers
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 10th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: “What’s the matter?”

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Synopsis

National bestselling author Rochelle Alers demonstrates that passion and the courage to step outside the box can accomplish the impossible for under-resourced students on Chicago’s south side in her tribute to Lara Tavares, founder of Sky’s the Limit.

Thoughts

I loved this novella. But I seriously, deeply, truly can’t imagine the trauma of losing a child. And to read a novella that is both a romance, and a beacon of hope for a charity, but also about recovering from that loss. It was pretty powerful. Yet even though it deals with something that is really sad, depressing and dark. It also has this wonderful sense of hope.

Something about this story, about starting a non-profit in which disadvantaged teens are able to get computers, makes me want to start my own non-profit. I’m not ever going to be able to. I get way too easily distracted. But, still, this story shows how such amazing charities are begun. And it is seriously inspiring and wonderful.

The fact that this is ultimately a reconciliation story helps to make everything about this even more… heart warming and beautiful. Finding a way past the past is probably one of the most difficult things I think anyone has to do. I love this story. It goes from strength to strength. And I would most definitely read this again and again.

<– Safely HomeThe Princess Shoes ->

Image source: Goodreads

Missing Persons by Ellie Marney

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: Missing Persons
Author: Ellie Marney
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Contemporary, Young adult
Dates read: 9th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I don’t think you should – ‘

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Synopsis

Rachel is about to start high school in Melbourne, the Big Smoke, for the first time. It’s very different from the rolling plains and open spaces of her family’s farm. It’ll take a little bit of getting used to…

Thoughts

I can completely, totally, and utterly understand the feeling of not quite fitting into a city. That hatred of living in an area where you struggle to see the wide, open skies. I know it’s why I chose to live in the country as soon as I was able to realistically do so. Although, to be fair, my version of country is nowhere near as open as Rachel’s.

This is a typical fish-out-of-water story. But it’s also a great coming of age tale. After all, Rachel is not only trying to figure out how to fit in with a whole new, terrifying world, but she’s also a teenager who has a whole slew of other issues to contend with. And I love that the Mad Scientist, Mycroft, seems to be the main person who is likely to help her do so. He’s completely off kilter and odd. The perfect person to help you try to figure out your way in a new world.

Although Rachel feels like a “missing person” in this story and still hasn’t quite come to terms with her new life, there is still a ray of hope at the end. This feeling that things will all turn out for the best, and eventually Rachel will find her own place in this new world she’s been thrust into.

<- SundaysOona Underground ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

Sundays by Melissa Keil

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for begin, end, begin book cover

Title: Sundays
Author: Melissa Keil
In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance,  Young adult
Dates read: 5th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Lou holds out a bottle of Limonata, the top popped.

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Synopsis

Sundays are a day of leisure. But, on this fateful night and morning, they are also a day of change. One that heralds the beginning of new things, and the end of the old.

Thoughts

I absolutely adore Melissa Keil, in fact, she’s the reason that I bought the Begin, End, Begin collection – I knew that she had a story in there somewhere and I knew that it was one that I thoroughly enjoy. This short story just drove home how important that was and just why I love this author so damn much. Now I just have to wait for her to publish some more stories…

This story completely matches the idea of Begin, End, Begin. It’s about beginnings and endings, and how just one night can mean the change in everything. I remember finishing high school myself, and how terrifying that precipice of change and adulthood is. I don’t think that I had just one night that did this for me, but I had a whole heap of moments that I can still remember with terrifying clarity that were about the ending of the old, and the beginning of the new. Most of them from this point in my life…

Gabe is a great narrator for this story. She’s not the mainstream teenager that you would expect, and so I probably related to her way more than I otherwise would have. That, and Lou, the rock for her throughout this realisation of change… I absolutely adored both of these characters. I want more of them! Just like I want more of all of Keil’s characters… I’m not slightly obsessed at all…

<- First CasualtyMissing Persons ->

Image source: Harper Collins Australia

Safely Home by Christina Skye

Book Review, , ,
Overview
More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: Safely Home
Author: Christina Skye
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 29th October 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: He pointed across the dusty floor of a small room.

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Synopsis

In her suspenseful tale of a woman determined to assist the elderly in her small, newly adopted community, New York Times bestselling author Christina Skye honours Barbara Huston, co-founder of Partners in Care Maryland.

Thoughts

I started this novella wondering just how a story about caring for the elderly could morph into a contemporary romance story. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few stories I’ve read which feature the elderly in these settings. But they’re never the actual focus, and, since I’m still young and sprightly, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to read a story in which the elderly person was the love interest. Luckily for me, that’s not the case in this story either. Whilst it does feature caring for the elderly, the romance is all about a younger couple.

Romance, elderly and just genuinely lovely stings aside in this novella. There’s a dog. Which is generally all that I want in a good novella. I mean, as I’m writing this review, I have two dogs curled up beside me… one snoring his pretty little (or not so little as the case is) head off. The fact that Marlowe (that’s the dog in this story) not only manages to be an amazing character, but he also saes the day… yeah, I really would have been quite happy just reading about Marlowe for half an hour I think. Can anyone tell that I’m dog obsessed?

Although this is a contemporary romance story, I love that it more so features sisterly love and the strength of the relationship between the two Wilson sisters. I know that I’d do pretty much anything to protect my little sister, and Sarah in this most definitely feels the same. Definitely a fantastic novella that transported me to another world.

<- Sheltering HeartsNo Limits ->

Image source: Goodreads

Sheltering Hearts by Robyn Carr

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: Sheltering Hearts
Author: Robyn Carr
Series: Virgin River #10.1
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 24th October 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up to his.

Synopsis

In her story, New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr brings her fans back to her beloved Virgin River country, to focus on the plight of single mothers in need, as her way of honoring Rhonda Clemens, founder of Zoe Institute.

Thoughts

This was such a beautiful story. Which, really isn’t surprising. Because pretty much every Robyn Carr story seems to be beautiful. I just can’t get enough of the woman! The fact that it’s loosely set within the Virgin River series just makes me fall all that much harder for this story. Even though there is just a peripheral attachment / appearance of Mel and Paige.

This isn’t as romance-heavy as the rest of the Robyn Carr stories. Although, I did like that fact. Because it was more about the heroine finding her own way and creating a legacy that will help support other single mums. Actually, the romance is completely secondary to the rest of the story and it was gorgeous. Although, a hunky fire fighter was still very much appreciated.

There were some nice moments of humour throughout this. Particularly in the moments when Clay tries to help by getting a little revenge… but, mostly, I loved this story because it highlighted the difficulties that all single mums have. Not just those who have an abusive background…

<- Moonlight RoadMidnight Confessions ->

Image source: Goodreads