Top Ten Tuesday: Aussie August 2025

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Non-bookish Freebie (The sky is the limit here. Make a top ten list on any topic of your choosing, bookish or not!)

When we have had this kind of theme before I have come up with something but this time I am going rogue. August is Aussie August 2025 on Instagram which is a chance to celebrate Australian authors. So this week I am going to share the last 10 books I have read by Aussie authors. To be transparent, I have read two books by Amanda Hampson so I only included one in my list! One of my goals for this year was to review all of the historical fiction and Aussie author books I read, and from this list I am pleased that I have reviewed all of them except for two. For one, the review will be up tomorrow and the other is the book I only finished a couple of days ago. I will be reviewing that one soon because it was so good!

The Whisky Widow by Karen Brooks - I am kicking myself that I have not previously read Karen Brooks. I own several of her books and now that I enjoyed this one so much I am going to have to move this one up the list!

One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald - This one featured a really interesting main character that I won't forget for a while! My review will be up tomorrow for this book!

Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - I find this author's books really relaxing! I have read a lot of them now! (My review)

Your Friend and Mine by Jessica Dettman - This one featured a fun almost treasure hunt like quest across London! (My review)

Eat Your Heart Out by Victoria Brownlee - A foodie romance set predominantly in the south of France? Yes please! (My review)

The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson - I read all three books in this series this year and loved them all. Looking forward to the next one. (My review)

The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - I have read both of this author's books so far over the last couple of month. Really enjoyable. (My review)

The Butterfly Women by Madeleine Cleary - This novel is set in Melbourne during the gold rush and features four women all connected with the brothels in an area called Little Lon. (My review)

The Girl from Normandy by Rachel Sweasey - WWII France is a setting I will always be attracted to! (My review)

Half-Truth by Nadia Mahjouri - This is a semi-autobiographical story about a woman who heads to Morocco with her young child to find her family. So good! (My review)

So there we have the last ten Aussie authors I have read in honour of #aussieaugust2025

Blog Tour: Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

 

The other week I had reason to count up just how many Maggie Christensen books I have read. I knew it was a lot, but even I was shocked that this was my 24th book by her in the last 4 years. So what is it that keeps me coming back for each and every book she releases? I think there are several factors. I love the communities that she creates, I enjoy that she focusses on older characters finding love and I find her writing very smooth and easy to read. This book was no exception.

Livvy Grace has been in England for the last year visiting her family, but now it is time to come home to Pelican Crossing. She misses her cottage, her friends and her work. However, when she does arrive home it is a big shock to find out that her former partner has wound up their business and started again, taking all Livvy's counselling clients with her. The town has changed a bit too. The big old church that hadn't been used for years has been turned into a wellness centre. 

Dan Parker has lived in Pelican Crossing for a few years now after moving there  with his daughter following the death of his wife.  As the man behind the wellness centre, he has already left his mark, but he is interested in doing more for the community if he can. When Livvy first approaches him about renting one of the available spaces in the centre, he is not sure if he can trust her or not. The story she has told him seems a little off. 

Livvy doesn't warm to Dan that much either. While she is glad to be getting her new counselling business up and running after weathering the initial shock, she's not sure that she likes Dan all that much. Or maybe she does, but she is fighting it. Her friends are certainly all doing their best to push her in his direction. Things become even more confusing when she starts seeing his daughter in a professional capacity.

Dan is relieved that his daughter is talking to someone. He is finding it difficult to navigate raising a teenage daughter by himself. While he and his wife had still been together they had been living pretty separate lives and he is worried that his wife's family are trying to derail his relationship with his daughter. He isn't that keen for him to spend time with them but he has to balance that against the fact that they are his daughters family too. And she is of an age where she can start to make some of these kind of decisions for herself.

This is another good entry in the Pelican Crossing series. The familiar factors are all still there: community, sun and sea, friendships and more. If I had one niggle, I would have liked to have got more understanding of why Livvy's former partner, Ingrid, was doing the things she was doing all through the book, what her motivation was. It was kind of glossed over I think. 

The next book has already been announced and it is a Christmas book. It is always nice to see an Australian Christmas portrayed in story. The main character is going to Lou who we already have met a few times, and there were a couple of hints in this book about Lou's story. You know I am going to be reading it!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and it counts towards my Aussie Author August reads. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 4/5

About the book

Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing

Sad to leave her daughter and granddaughters behind in England where she has been visiting for the past year, Olivia Grace is excited to return to her hometown of Pelican Crossing and resume her life as a counsellor. But a shock awaits her, threatening to destroy her future and forcing her to make changes she’d never anticipated.

Dan Parker has moved to Pelican Crossing with his teenage daughter after the death of his wife, intent on making a fresh start. Now, having fulfilled his long-held dream of opening a Wellness Centre, he confronts an unexpected challenge

Faced with an unforeseen situation and frustrated by her friends' relentless matchmaking, Olivia finally admits her attraction to Dan and agrees to a date. But real life isn’t a romantic novel, and things don’t go smoothly.

Can these two lonely people find a future together, or are they destined to grow old alone?

For fans of heartwarming small-town romances, this is a must-read. With vibrant descriptions of the charming coastal town and two endearing characters who struggle with loss and loneliness, this book will tug at your heartstrings.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/Wavesofchange

About the Author

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!



Social Media Links –


https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen
https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about
https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/maggiechriste33.bsky.social

This week....

I'm reading

It's been a busy reading this week with books read and author events attended! 

I read Waves of Change in Pelican Cove by Maggie Christensen who is definitely a comfort read author for me. My review will be up later this week!

I also finished reading The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina which is an absolutely delightful read. She is an Italian author who has lived in Japan for 20 years. The book felt like a Japanese book, and I can't wait to read more from her. This book will count as a read for Women in Translation Month.

I finished listening to The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. What a book! I really need to find someone to talk to about parts of the book. I will have a review up later in the month, but I can't talk about some of the things that happened as they are major spoilers! Anyone up for a chat about this book?

I then started listening to Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt. I am only a short way in but I already know I am going to love this book too! I love Marcellus the Octopus! I am also already looking forward to the movie adaptation. 

The book that has taken most of my reading time is The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. It's a big book at nearly 600 pages, but so good - a five star read for me! I have now read all of her books which means I just have to wait for the next one. She does tend to have pretty big gaps between books but it will be worth the wait I am sure.

I did also start reading Kelly Rimmer's new book, The Midnight Estate. It is only early days but I am enjoying it so far.

Now I have to work out what my new normal looks like seeing as I won't have as much reading and blogging time going forward. 

At the end of each month I share where my reading has taken me. Before I do that though, I found this quote in the Author's Note for Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen and it sums up bookish travel perfectly!

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot.

You might note a lot of books set in France. I was participating in Paris In July and making the most of it!

Europe

Sweden - Beartown

France - The Magic of Provence, A Bakery in Paris, The Paris Novel, The Village Cafe in the Loire, One Summer in Provence, Fresh Water for Flowers, Eat Your Heart Out

United Kingdom - Your Friend and Mine, One Snowy Day, The Summer Before the War

Iceland - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Italy - A Place in the Sun

Asia

Vietnam - Adam & Evie's Matchmaking Tour

Australia

Tasmania - The Secrets of the Huon Wren

Sydney - The Deadly Dispute

Queensland - Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing

I also share my favourite reads for the month on Bookstagram and here. I read 18 books in July. Beartown and Eat Your Heart Out were both 5 star reads and the others shown were all 4.5 star reads! Not a bad reading month.

I attended a couple of author events this week. The first was the launch for Alli Parker's new book Until the Red Leaves Fall which was held in a super cool bar with 1950s music playing and there were these adorably cupcakes. It was such a fun night.

The second was an event at a nearby library run by Penguin which featured three of their debut authors, Joanne Miller (The Eights), Chloe Adams (The Occupation) and Michelle See-Toh (Jade and Emerald). It was such an interesting discussion. I ended up buying two of the three books.

There are a couple of theme for August and I am going to be participating in them to some degree or another. The first is Women in Translation and on Instagram also Aussie August 2025 which is a focus on Aussie authors. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of crossover there. After all I shouldn't need Australian translated for me, but I will do my best to read for both of them! 

Have you seen that Lisa from Hopewell has a new monthly link party called A Cup of Tea and a Good Book. The idea is that you can add any bookish links to her link party. All she asks in return is that you visit a couple of other people's links during the month. I am going to be participating where I can.

I'm watching

We finally finished watching season 2 of Andor. The last few episodes were amazing!

We also finished watching the Great Canadian Bake-off. Just in time too, as the Great Australian Bake-off started this week!

We went and saw The Stolen Painting which is a French movie about a painting that was thought to be lost during WWII being found. It was based on a true story. In the movie, a young factory work buys a house, contents and all and it turns out one of the paintings is a masterpiece. Here's the trailer

Life


I spent the last week trying to get some of the things done that I have been meaning to do while I wasn't working. 

I went to the National Gallery of Victoria and took one of their free collections highlight tour. I go to the NGV quite regularly for their big exhibitions but I don't often look at any of the other rooms outside the major exhibition spaces. The tour was super interesting as the guide told us stories behind the pictures, and explained a lot of the symbolism in the painting.  She mainly concentrated on 17 and 18th century pictures but there were some later pictures too. I am definitely going to go and do more of these tours.

On Thursday I went for a very nice massage and facial experience which included a hammam and I could stay in the pool and spa for as long as I wanted to.  

On Friday we went for a drive to the Yarra Valley for a lovely lunch at a winery and a visit to the locat Chocolaterie. It was a lovely way to spend my last weekday before I get back into the working life.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Sunset Colours

Paris in July: Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

Paris in July: French Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston exhibition
Paris in July: The End
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: August links
The Storytellers by Sue Heath
Weekend Cooking: In My Kitchen - July
Six Degrees of Separation: The Safekeep to I Knew You Were Trouble


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Top Ten Tuesday: Animal Companions

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Animal Companions (These animals can be real or fantasy!) (submitted by P.S. I Love Books)

I was thinking about just doing a post with the word dog in the title, but it turns out I already did that a couple of years ago and I would have used a lot of the same titles! Instead, I am choosing books where there are dogs in the books. First though, here's a recent picture of our good boi, Max.

Now, onto the books!

A Snowy River Summer by Stella Quinn - Features a black labrador named Herbert.

Snowy Mountain's Daughter by Alissa Callen - There is a kelpie named Bundy in her series who just moves from place to place around town, whereever he is needed! (My review)

The Woman Who Met Herself by Laura Pearson - One of the characters, Debbie, starts walking a dog called Bonnie. (My review)

The Recipe for Happiness by Jane Lovering - Seren finds herself temporarily owning a Collie called Kez. Or is it temporary? (My review)

The Mirror by Nora Roberts - Mooks, Jones and Yoda! With all the books that Nora Roberts has written how on earth does she come up with character names and then have multiple dogs in the story too! I'm listening to this one at the moment!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - How could anyone forget Six-Thirty the dog? (My review)

Starting over at Starlight Cottage by Debbie Viggiano - Tilly tells her dog Cindy all her secrets. I mean, I talk to Max. I am not sure that he is that good at keeping secrets. (My review)

Hopefuly Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Gladys the labrador plays a big part in this book. (My review)

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - When Molly the dog gets sick, Rachel takes her to the vet and meets the vet locum, Luke, who just happens to be her first love. (My review)

Muster Dogs: From Pups to Pros by Lisa Millar- I haven't actually read this but it is the book that accompanies the Muster Dog TV series, which I adore!

Top Ten Tuesday: Surprise!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Surprised Me (in a good or bad way)

I wasn't sure how I was going to go about this topic, but in the end I found ten books which surprised me in different ways

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - I was recently looking through the reviews that I have written for Susanna Kearsley books, and I came across this review for The Rose Garden where I said that I gasped in surprised when I read the big twist!

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult - This was a surprise in a bad way. That ending made me want to throw the book against the wall. And I have never read another one of her books in the 20 years since.

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton - The surprised for me in this one was that I didn't know that Japan had occupied Korea for so long! I knew that they had invaded Manchuria in the years before WWII but not Korea.

The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke - I searched my blog for the word surprise and this is one of the books that came up. I do love this book! (my review)

Undercover Billionaire by Amy Andrews - The surprise for this one was that I forgot to add it to my blog tours list and suddenly realised I had to read and review it in the space of a couple of day! Surprise! (my review)

Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr - I was surprised that this book was released 8 years after the previous book in the series. Still haven't read it!

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson - I am a bit surprised I haven't read any more of Helen Simonson's books given how much I loved Major Pettrigrew's Last Stand which I reviewed here. I will be reading this one soon!

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - I was surprised I had so few books with the word surprise in the title! (my review)

Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey - I am a bit surprised I have had so many 5 star reads so far this year. Normally I have two or three but so far this year I have had 6! This was the first. (my review)

Pictures of You by Emma Grey - And this was the most recent!

Spell the Month in Books - April

Reviews From the Stacks

Welcome to the April edition of Spell the Month in Books which is hosted at Reviews From the Stacks. The link party opens on the first Saturday of the month, but I won't be posting until after that as I already have other things scheduled every Saturday and for the first two Sundays of the month.

The idea is that you use the title of books to spell the month name. There is also a theme each month, with the theme for April being animals on the cover. 

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - I couldn't go past this children's classic which includes talking hares, grinning cats and so much more!

The Restaurant in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - Whilst I might be cheating with this one, this is the first book in a series set in a small Australian coastal town called  in Pelican Crossing, and the word pelican appears in the title of every one of them

Rescue my Heart by Jill Shalvis - It's been many years since I read Jill Shalvis, but I do recall enjoying her trilogy called Animal Magnetism, which is set in and around an animal shelter 

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - Does a dragon count as an animal?

Lion in the Valley by Elizabeth Peters - This is the fourth book in the excellent Amelia Peabody series set in Victorian Egypt. 

There's no set theme for May. Maybe I will have to come up with my own! Or maybe I will just keep it simple next month. We'll see when we get closer to the time!

I am sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted by Readerbuzz.

Top Ten Tuesday: What I Read on Holidays

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is My Unpopular Bookish Opinions (You can share opinions surrounding being a reader, a book reviewer, etc. OR you could share your opinions on specific books that go against what everyone  else is saying. Are there any books you loved that most people didn’t, or vice versa?)


I am going rogue (again) and instead I am doing What I Read on Holidays, which fits nicely into the post because I finished exactly ten books while I was away!

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - What an interesting and delightful book! I am planning to review this soon.

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - Given all the hype around this series, I was expecting more but it was a good book to read on a plane.

Safe Harbour in Pelican Harbour by Maggie Christensen - I always enjoy Maggie Christensen's books and this one was no exception. I reviewed this book here.

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwan Easton - I wanted to read this one because it is set in both Korea and Japan. I had no idea that Japan had occupied Korea between 1910 and the end of the war. 

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - I told myself I was reading this one for our read on a theme book club. The theme for this month is spy and I guess I could make this fit the theme if I really tried.

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - This one definitely fits the theme!

Under a Riviera Moon by Helen McGinn - This is an upcoming review book!

Next of Kin by Hannah Bonhan Young - I just wanted to read something fun and this one fit the bill! 

Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn - What a book! I really enjoyed this one! I am hoping to review it soon, but I don't have a specific date. Maybe I should just give it a date just to give myself a deadline.

One Day and Forever by Shari Low - I have said yes to a book that features some of the same characters from this book. However, it turns out that this book has lots of links to other books as well!

Blog Tour: Safe Harbour in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

 

In the previous book in this series, we met Erica Masters who came home to Pelican Crossing to stay with her brother, Joe, after many years to escape an abusive marriage. Having returned to Perth following her husband's death, she soon finds herself missing her home town, particularly when it seems her only son's plan is for her to become their permanent, live in babysitter. She loves her granddaughter, but she is not having someone else dictate when and what she does any longer!

Erica has some clear goals in mind for her return to Pelican Crossing, including getting back to work as a nurse, living independently and reconnecting with her old friends. She is also very clear that she has no time for a relationship. However, it seems that her heart has not read the room as it does seem to respond in completely the opposite way every time she runs into her first love, Jamie Whittaker. 

Jamie has always lived in Pelican Crossing, but it hasn't always been easy. His ex wife left him for the bright lights and more exciting life in the city, and he hasn't had much to do with her since. He has raised their two sons, and established a successful boat charter business. He has always held a flame for his first love, Erica, and now that she is back in town could it finally be their chance. 

I must say that Jamie had the patience of a saint during this story. Erica was very hot and cold in this book, but her reactions do actually make sense to me. After so many years of being controlled and abused, it must be difficult to learn to trust your own feelings and your own gut instincts, let alone to trust men. It is especially hard for her to think that history might be repeating itself in her own family.

Once again, the whole community of Pelican Crossing comes to life in this book. It is definitely the kind of town it would be lovely to be part of. I also liked that we have Erica's school friends were part of this book (albeit one of them spent the whole book off page) and I look forward to reading their stories in the future. 

I have been reflecting on the title of Safe Harbour, and I have decided that this is exactly what Maggie Christensen's books are for me. I look forward to each new book knowing that I am going to have a very soothing reading experience, and close the book with a happy sigh, This doesn't mean that the books avoid difficult subjects, but rather that those subjects are dealt with in a very considered fashion.

It is a real pleasure to once again visit Pelican Crossing! 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book:

Safe Harbour in Pelican Crossing: An emotional and uplifting story of friends, family and second chances

After the death of her abusive husband, Erica Masters returns to Perth, eager for a fresh start and the birth of her granddaughter. But when she learns her husband has changed his Will in favour of their son, leaving her with nothing, she flees to seek refuge in Pelican Crossing, the place she once called home.

Having sold his fishing boat after a bitter divorce which left him to bring up his two teenage sons, Jamie Whittaker has found success with his fishing charter business. Thrilled by the arrival of his first grandchild, he is stunned when his teenage flame, Erica, reappears in town.

As the pair reconnect, old feelings resurface, but Erica remains guarded after her painful past. Jamie, determined to win Erica's heart once again, manages to break through her defences until a family tragedy turns their lives upside down.

With everything unravelling around them, can these two troubled souls build a future together?

If you enjoy emotional reads, you'll love this gripping tale of love and second chances.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/SafeHarbourinPC

About the Author:

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!



Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen
https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about
https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/
https://bsky.app/profile/maggiechriste33.bsky.social

Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas reads!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books I Hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I don't tend to ask or receive books as gifts, with the notable exception of cookbooks. So, here are the ten Christmas books I have read so far this year. I am currently reading another two as well!

Actually, I am going to start with a bonus book! Last night I read this book to my nephew. My sister, her husband and my husband were all in the room as well, so it was like a group readalong.

And now on for the actual top ten!

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - I can't believe I haven't read this until now!

The Silver Haired Sisterhood by Judy Leigh - Christmas on the Isle of Skye sound great. (My review)

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - It's so nice to read a Christmas novel set in Australia! (My review)

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan - A fun short story! Must read more Jenny Colgan (My review)

A Skye Full of Stars by Sue Moorcroft - Yes, this is another Christmas novel set on the Isle of Skye. (My review)

Someone Like You by Sandy Barker - This one was set in both London and Seattle, which I loved! (My review)

A Recipe For Christmas by Jo Thomas - This one had it all! Chocolate, grumpy hero, and snow in Switzerland! (My review)

The Village Christmas Party by Sue Roberts - What happens when the village senior Christmas lunch is booked at the same time as a birthday party for a 5 year old. (My review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - When a journalist is sent to a village in the French Alps to cover a story about a pregnant reindeer and a man named Wolf, Christmas magic ensues. (My review)

Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin - Christmas in Paris! Yes please. (My review)

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

Blog Tour: A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

 

Rachel Mason has kept herself very busy since her husband died several years ago. Between running a busy B&B, looking after her energetic grandchildren and her dog, she doesn't have a lot of time leftover. Despite all of her friends recently meeting their second chance loves, Rachel doesn't have the time even if she had the inclination. And now that her son, Alexander, has announced that he is coming home from London and that he is bringing a surprise, she still has a lot to do before Christmas.

Luke Findlay was glad to offer his son and his partner a place to live when they needed it, but now he feels a bit uncomfortable. When he is offered the chance to take up a locum position in the small town of Pelican Crossing, he knows that his son can look after his veterinarian practice, so he decides to take the offer. After all, he grew up in Pelican Crossing, and being there will help him find out more about his family history.

When Rachel needs to take her dog, Molly, to the vets, she is surprised to see that it is Luke. Luke used to date her sister, and Rachel had a bit of a crush on him. Luke was always really nice to her, and even had a nickname for her, Red. And he is still very attractive! Rachel's own self worth is a little damaged and so she can't believe he would be attracted to her.

Luke is very attracted to Rachel, but he knows that he is only in town for a limited time so it wouldn't be fair to start anything anyway. So why can't he seem to stay away?

And when Alexander arrives with his surprise, it is not at all what she was expecting. To be honest, Rachel was far more patient with him than I would have been! 

I always love visiting the town of Pelican Crossing. I swear if it was a real place, I could walk into town and recognise some of the people and places in the books. And because it is a very friendly place we could have a chat before I continued on my merry way.

Maggie Christensen's books are very much comfort reads for me. I know when I pick up one of her books, I will be drawn into the lives of the characters, that it will be a book that I can get lost in and that I will close it with a smile. Whilst I have read a lot of her books, I do have some that I am saving for a rainy day, for one of those days where I just need a pick me up read!

Obviously with the title this is set at Christmas time.  It's nice to occasionally read a Christmas story where there is sun and sand, which is what I am used to, rather than cold and snow. 

This is another fun read in the Pelican Crossing series, and I can't wait for the next one!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. This also counts for the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing

Christmas is coming to Pelican Crossing, bringing with it a host of surprises.

Fifty-eight-year-old widow Rachel Mason thought she had her life all figured out – running her quaint Bed and Breakfast, spending time with her grandkids, and keeping her loyal West Highland Terrier by her side. But when her son announces a Christmas surprise, Rachel's world is turned upside down.

Luke Findlay, widowed, retired, and looking to check off items on his bucket list, suddenly finds himself back in his hometown of Pelican Crossing, where he is tasked with temporarily running the local vet clinic.

When the new vet turns out to be Rachel’s teenage crush, and her son’s Christmas surprise is very different from what she anticipated, her life becomes unexpectedly complicated. But then, Luke receives a surprise of his own.

As Rachel and Luke reconnect, sparks fly, and old feelings resurface. But with Luke's impending departure and Rachel's unforeseen responsibilities, can their newfound connection survive?

Fans of heartwarming romances will love this story of second chances and unexpected love.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Surprise-Pelican-Crossing-perfect-ebook/dp/B0DBXPL4NM/

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Surprise-Pelican-Crossing-perfect-ebook/dp/B0DBXPL4NM/

About the Author 

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!



Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen
https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about
https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/

This week...

I'm reading

Last week I started reading Last Night in London by Karen White. It's not the book I intended to read, but never mind! I enjoyed it nonetheless. I did pick the major twist in the story pretty early on, but I was a little bit surprised by one of the other twists.

Next up I read a super short and sex story by Rachael Johns called The Ex Proposal. It was originally released as part of an anthology, but now the authors have the rights back and so Rachael released it. The link is available on her author Facebook page. 

Next up I read A Christmas Surprise in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen. I really enjoy everything I read by Maggie Christensen and this was no exception. My review will be up in a couple of days

I then started reading Judie Leigh's new book, The Silver-Haired Sisterhood. The review for this one will also be up later this week. Then I have one more review due and then a month or so before the next one. Of course I will be reading to get ahead of due dates, but there will also be some time for me to just read whatever I like which I am looking forward to!

I was listening to The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley, but I have put that aside for now. Last year I listened to the Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson twice, and I felt like listening to it again, so I did. It's full of very interesting Christmas facts! I then began my annual listen to Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. Once I have finished this I will go back to The Missing Sister. I did recently hear that Richard Armitage narrates the next book in the series, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt, so I will need to get onto that asap! But I also have the new Nora Roberts book waiting for me, and so many other audiobooks too!




I'm watching

SailGP is back! We therefore watched the first race last week. Last year we went to Sydney to watch a live SailGP race, and the year before we went to Christchurch but this year we will only be watching from home.

We finished watching Nobody Wants This which was a lot of fun. It stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody. I think I will try to start the new Ted Danson series next or maybe we should continue with some of the series we already have on the go?

I also watched Meet Me Next Christmas which was a fun Christmas movie. I am hoping to watch more Christmas movies, but I don't really seem to have enough time which is a bit weird!



Life

How on earth did I ever have time to work. The second half of last week was super busy, featuring a brunch on Thursday, lunch at Geelong, people around for lunch on Saturday, and then visiting a Christmas market on Sunday. 

The other thing that we did on Friday night was to go and visiting the Da Vinci exhibition at Lume. We had seen it before, but this time there was a quintet from Melbourne Symphony Orchestra playing which made it a really nice experience.

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Back to the Beginning
Blog Tour: Casa Paradiso by Francesca Scanacapra
Blog Tour: Celebrating 25 books by Sue Moorcroft
Weekend Cooking/Cook the Books: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: December Links
Festive Treats: November


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

This week....

Life


We took advantage of the beautiful weather on the public holiday and went for a drive in the country to a garden where there were both cherry blossoms and tulips in bloom! All the way through the gardens there were these inviting benches to just sit a while.

On Sunday afternoon, we went and had high tea at Koi Dessert Bar. We have been to the Sydney restaurant years ago, but this is the first time we have been since they opened in Melbourne

I'm reading

It's been a busy reviewing week for me. I finished reading The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham and then read both  A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen and Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin.

I also finished listening to The Yellow Wood by Minnie Darke. I started listening to it a couple of months ago but I didn't listen while we were away and so it has taken me a long time to get through, especially considering that it is only 4 hours long. 

I started listening to The Lost Bookstore by Evie Woods. I also started reading The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson after loving her latest book, The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine. Yes, I am still gushing about this book!

I mentioned last week that my next book club theme is Going Back. So far I could choose from The Resistance Bakery, A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing,  The Yellow Wood and presumably Mabel Beaumont as well as options and I still have another 4 weeks before the meeting!



I'm watching

It was the AFL grand final on Saturday  so we had a long weekend (I know, odd reason but still). In addition to watching some of the final we watched some of the Americas Cup sailing, and started a new cooking show called The World Cook

On Friday night, we went to movies and watched an Italian movie called Comandante. It's a WWII move, based on a true story about a submarine commander who sinks a merchant navy ship and then picks up the survivors and is trying to get them to a safe port.

Here's the trailer

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring 2024 To Read List

Blog Tour: The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson
Blog Tour: Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts
Blog Tour/Weekend Cooking: The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham
Blog Tour: A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

Blog Tour: Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Blog Tour: A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

What's that saying about there being only two things in life that you can be certain of? Death and taxes. For me, I would like to add a third certainty. If there is a new Maggie Christensen book out then I will be reading it.

This is the third book in the Pelican Crossing series and this time the main focus is Gill Dickson, local divorce lawyer, and Joe Harris, widowed town mayor. Gill is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce from her husband Max, which in turn has caused her daughter to cease speaking to her. Not only is she upset to find herself in this situation, the fact that it is dragging on and on given that she is a divorce lawyer is a bit embarrassing. There is no way known that she is interested in meeting anyone new. She will throw herself into her work, just as she always has, even though Max has often said that was a big part of why they have divorced. The only time when she isn't on edge is early in the morning when she joins the wild swimmers in the ocean, whatever the weather.

Joe has been widowed for a while now after a very happy marriage to Barb. He has his chocolate lab, Coco, and he has the mayoralship which keeps him very busy. He's lonely, but not really ready to do much about it, but when he meets Gill he is immediately attracted to her, despite her prickliness.

When Joe's sister, Erica, suddenly contacts him in a distressed state, he has no qualms in offering her a refuge. He never really liked his brother in law, Geoff, but even he can't believe what has been going on in his sister's life. When a friend suggests that Gill might be able to help, it enables him to see her even more. Whilst Gill  is advising Erica on her next steps, Joe is helping Gill to try some new adventures, with the hope that she will thaw a little towards him.

Gill is a bit of a funny characters. She is very emotionally contained, which I guess serves her well as a lawyer, but probably doesn't serve her that well when it comes to making new friends. She definitely makes Joe work hard for every little step in their relationship. I did like that Gill was very community minded.

As always, this is another fun visit to Pelican Crossing, and we also got to revisit a few of the characters from the previous series which was set in nearby Bellbird Bay. I can always rely on Maggie Christensen to write feel good second chance romances for older characters.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

Rating 3.5/5

Before finishing, I thought I would share a picture of my beautiful chocolate lab, Max, just  because I can.

About the Book

A New Dawn in Pelican Crossing

Divorce lawyer Gill Dickson thinks she has seen it all, until she finds herself in the midst of her own acrimonious divorce and estranged from her daughter. Her one certainty is that the last thing she wants in her life is another man.

Pelican Crossing mayor Joe Harris has buried himself in his work after his wife's death, finding solace with the companionship of his faithful dog, Coco. But when Joe needs Gill's legal expertise for a family matter, he is unexpectedly drawn to her.

Can Joe break through Gill’s emotional barriers and earn her trust? And can these two lonely souls find the happiness they deserve in each other?

Set in the small Queensland coastal town of Pelican Crossing, this heartwarming romance will keep you captivated until the very end.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/NewDawninPC

About the author 

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!



Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://twitter.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen
https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about
https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/