This is the fourth novel in Rachael Johns’ highly successful Bunyip Bay series, basically written in response to popular demand from readers who wanteThis is the fourth novel in Rachael Johns’ highly successful Bunyip Bay series, basically written in response to popular demand from readers who wanted to revisit this small town in Western Australia after the original trilogy concluded. In Outback Sisters we get the double whammy of 2 for the price of 1 with heroines and sisters Simone and Frankie taking centre stage. Both were introduced and featured in the previous novels, with something of each of their stories being told so it was only fitting that they both got to find their own happy ever afters.
Frankie is working in her local cafe when a handsome man strides in and kisses her senseless – quite enjoyable, very enjoyable in fact until she realises that he thought she was her sister Simone. Disappointed, Frankie directs him on how to find Simone, who has been set up by her teenage daughters in what is a pretty funny (but not really for poor Simone) sort of situation. Luckily the handsome stranger, named Logan, is not a serial killer and is just as nice as he is good looking.
Simone and Frankie are about as close as two siblings can be but the arrival of Logan Knight definitely complicates their relationship a lot. Things get even more complicated when Logan and Simone decide to get Logan’s grumpy brother Angus to accompany Frankie to a wedding. The sparks are flying – but they’re not really the sparks you’d be expecting!
The two sisters are remarkably real and I really enjoyed the ups and downs their relationship goes through in this novel as they negotiate some really difficult times and heightened emotions. Simone has been a single mother for a long time and Frankie has always been there to help her (and keep her and the kids fed!). Not having a sister, I really love reading about the intricacies of this sort of relationship and this one definitely explores the connection they have but establishes them very firmly as individuals.
Both Logan and Angus have experienced a lot of loss and family tragedy. Logan has managed to maintain a very positive outlook on life but Angus has his “grumpy” moments, working the family farm and not often getting out and about. Logan’s job as a journalist takes him away from the farm on a regular basis but Angus’ life has become very insular and although he’s often portrayed as being gruff and brusque, there are times when he really connects with some of the characters, even Simone’s very difficult teenage daughter. I found that I really warmed to Angus – the reader hears about him before we meet him and you are prepared for him to be antisocial and grumpy and he’s the sort of character that really grows on you as you discover his hidden depths.
One of the best things about a series, is that feeling of ‘coming home’ with each new installment and this book definitely gives that feeling. Due to a special occasion taking place there’s a whole cast of characters that we’ve previously read about showing up and popping in and out of the narrative and it makes you feel like you kind of belong in this town, like they could all be your friends too. The Bunyip Bay books have always been like this for me – Rachael Johns has created the most amazing small town and filled it with wonderful characters and this book was heaven for people who love a glimpse of past characters and what they’re up to now which satisfies the need to know more in me.
Outback Sisters is another gem, definitely one for the keeper shelf!
Merged review:
This is the fourth novel in Rachael Johns’ highly successful Bunyip Bay series, basically written in response to popular demand from readers who wanted to revisit this small town in Western Australia after the original trilogy concluded. In Outback Sisters we get the double whammy of 2 for the price of 1 with heroines and sisters Simone and Frankie taking centre stage. Both were introduced and featured in the previous novels, with something of each of their stories being told so it was only fitting that they both got to find their own happy ever afters.
Frankie is working in her local cafe when a handsome man strides in and kisses her senseless – quite enjoyable, very enjoyable in fact until she realises that he thought she was her sister Simone. Disappointed, Frankie directs him on how to find Simone, who has been set up by her teenage daughters in what is a pretty funny (but not really for poor Simone) sort of situation. Luckily the handsome stranger, named Logan, is not a serial killer and is just as nice as he is good looking.
Simone and Frankie are about as close as two siblings can be but the arrival of Logan Knight definitely complicates their relationship a lot. Things get even more complicated when Logan and Simone decide to get Logan’s grumpy brother Angus to accompany Frankie to a wedding. The sparks are flying – but they’re not really the sparks you’d be expecting!
The two sisters are remarkably real and I really enjoyed the ups and downs their relationship goes through in this novel as they negotiate some really difficult times and heightened emotions. Simone has been a single mother for a long time and Frankie has always been there to help her (and keep her and the kids fed!). Not having a sister, I really love reading about the intricacies of this sort of relationship and this one definitely explores the connection they have but establishes them very firmly as individuals.
Both Logan and Angus have experienced a lot of loss and family tragedy. Logan has managed to maintain a very positive outlook on life but Angus has his “grumpy” moments, working the family farm and not often getting out and about. Logan’s job as a journalist takes him away from the farm on a regular basis but Angus’ life has become very insular and although he’s often portrayed as being gruff and brusque, there are times when he really connects with some of the characters, even Simone’s very difficult teenage daughter. I found that I really warmed to Angus – the reader hears about him before we meet him and you are prepared for him to be antisocial and grumpy and he’s the sort of character that really grows on you as you discover his hidden depths.
One of the best things about a series, is that feeling of ‘coming home’ with each new installment and this book definitely gives that feeling. Due to a special occasion taking place there’s a whole cast of characters that we’ve previously read about showing up and popping in and out of the narrative and it makes you feel like you kind of belong in this town, like they could all be your friends too. The Bunyip Bay books have always been like this for me – Rachael Johns has created the most amazing small town and filled it with wonderful characters and this book was heaven for people who love a glimpse of past characters and what they’re up to now which satisfies the need to know more in me.
Outback Sisters is another gem, definitely one for the keeper shelf!...more
Recently I was halfway through a book that I found so distressing that I had to stop it and read something else that was the complete antithesis of thRecently I was halfway through a book that I found so distressing that I had to stop it and read something else that was the complete antithesis of that. I chose this book to be my ‘light in the dark’ so to speak and it was a great decision because I really enjoyed this. I thought it was fun and although the premise isn’t exactly fresh, this book did a great job of making me feel as though it was.
Essie Craven has been betrothed to the (new) Earl of Denholm since she was 8 and he was 10. Now she’s turned 18, it’s not far away and she’s determined to escape the fate. Essie has other plans, ones that would be never understood by her distant father, who packed her off to relatives after her mother died, or the aunt who tried to raise her to be a Countess. The thing that makes it easier is that Aidan doesn’t seem to want the arranged marriage either, which gives Essie an idea. She’ll find him a replacement, the most perfect Countess he could possibly have – someone much better than her, who is ill-equipped for the role. What could go wrong?
Essie doesn’t come up immediately with the idea to find the Earl and new future Countess. She does have other plans that she puts into motion first, when Aidan refuses to dissolve the agreement because his father and her father made a gentleman’s agreement that he cannot bring himself to renounce. Essie tries a lot of fun things (and some that would’ve been quite embarrassing) but Aidan sees straight through her every time and their banter and time spent together actually allows them a lot of time to build quite a nice friendship. Essie is able to be honest with him about what she wants for herself. Which I really appreciated as so often in romances, characters aren’t always honest with each other and it leads to so many misunderstandings and small conflicts.
I quite enjoyed a lot of the antics in this and I also really liked the relationship Essie has with her cousin, who she was raised with after her father basically abandoned her, and the relationship she develops with her paternal grandmother when she and her cousin are take to be under her chaperonage for their Season. There’s definitely a storyline you can see coming a mile away with Essie’s cousin (I do hope she gets her own story one day) and that gives Essie and Aidan another opportunity to be together in a way that showcases how supportive they are of each other and how they work as a team. It gives Essie some complex feelings about her choice not to marry Aidan and to find him another Countess. Even as she’s looking for one, she’s finding fault with them all or watching jealously as Aidan speaks to any other young woman.
This was perfect for what I wanted – I enjoyed the characters and the time the author took to make sure they were able to actually spend time together, to develop a relationship. Being betrothed since they were children and only having met once in their lives and their time in London gives them lots of chances to actually get to know each other and fall in love organically and it gives Essie the time to make choices about her future and what she really wants.
Really enjoyed this. It’s the first time I’ve read this author but she has a pretty extensive backlist, so I’d definitely like to read some more....more
Recently I read and really enjoyed Annie Seaton’s Porter Sisters trilogy so I jumped at the chance to read this one when it was offered to me. I didn’Recently I read and really enjoyed Annie Seaton’s Porter Sisters trilogy so I jumped at the chance to read this one when it was offered to me. I didn’t realise at the time but it’s actually the second of a quartet revolving around four cousins who are “called home” by their grandparents to help take care of the family farm. In the first book, which I haven’t read, the cousins come to an agreement that Liam will stay on and take care of the farm whilst their grandparents enjoy a well deserved holiday. This book begins in London where Angie is leaving to come back to Australia after her visa has run out. She and Liam have been in a relationship for about two years and she wants him to come with her but Liam is far too busy with his job to consider such a thing. Then we skip to recap Liam being called home and cover the decision to stay on, which is probably done more in depth in the first book but was definitely more than enough for me to catch up on what is happening. Fast forward to Liam having been on the farm for a while and he discovers a puppy on his farm. It doesn’t belong to him and appears to have an injured leg, so he takes the dog to a vet in town. Expecting the same vet he’s always known as having the practice, Liam is surprised when he realises that the vet is Angie. And Angie is equally stunned when she realises that her former partner has returned to Australia, something that he wouldn’t do with her.
I found this a really relaxing and enjoyable read. I liked the setting although I did find that Liam seemed to have a lot of free time on his hands for someone who seemed to be almost singlehandedly running a farm! But the small town community feel was definitely there and I found the vet practice to be a fun and interesting setting too. A large portion of the conflict in the book revolves around the fact that Liam believes that Angie is dating someone and in order to protect her heart, it’s a misconception that she doesn’t correct. However the two of them have a very difficult time staying away from each other. They seem to be attempting to do the just friends things but both of them are still very invested. Angie doesn’t want to get involved again because she feels this is a stop gap for Liam, a brief period before he chases his career again and heads for a big city. Angie doesn’t want to be left behind – breaking up with Liam the first time was very painful for her and very difficult and she doesn’t want to have to go through that all over again. And so for a while she allows Liam to continue thinking that she has some vague boyfriend living somewhere else. She knows that she does need to tell him the truth eventually but I sort of didn’t blame Angie for not bothering to correct Liam in a way. She wanted him to return to Australia with her but Liam was too caught up in his career however he did drop that when his grandparents recalled him to the family farm. But to Angie, some year later finds Liam back in Australia – he’d been back for quite a while and hadn’t let her know (presumably because he believed her with someone else).
Liam is a bit pushy for someone who believes that Angie is dating someone else, probably seriously. He’s always trying something – definitely the sort of guy who doesn’t let a chance go by! If Angie had of actually been dating someone I would’ve found it off-putting but she knows she isn’t. Liam does come across as quite torn, despite his taking chances. He frequently muses to himself about her boyfriend but he can’t seem to help himself when it comes to her. Their coming back together is sweet and low key, rather than sizzling hot romance. They do fit well together though and both of them have moved on and changed from what they were in London. For Angie, who doesn’t have a family, she’s come to realise that she could be an accepted part of a big and loving one as Liam’s cousin has definitely taken her under her wing and wants to include her in events and celebrations. And Liam makes a change from big shot city career guy to a slower pace and a reorder of his priorities and what he wants out of his life. When he realises that he could lose Angie all over again, he’s spurred into action.
I liked this – a very nice rural read to escape into for an afternoon. I’ll be looking to finish the series for sure.
**I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
Recently I read and really enjoyed Annie Seaton’s Porter Sisters trilogy so I jumped at the chance to read this one when it was offered to me. I didn’t realise at the time but it’s actually the second of a quartet revolving around four cousins who are “called home” by their grandparents to help take care of the family farm. In the first book, which I haven’t read, the cousins come to an agreement that Liam will stay on and take care of the farm whilst their grandparents enjoy a well deserved holiday. This book begins in London where Angie is leaving to come back to Australia after her visa has run out. She and Liam have been in a relationship for about two years and she wants him to come with her but Liam is far too busy with his job to consider such a thing. Then we skip to recap Liam being called home and cover the decision to stay on, which is probably done more in depth in the first book but was definitely more than enough for me to catch up on what is happening. Fast forward to Liam having been on the farm for a while and he discovers a puppy on his farm. It doesn’t belong to him and appears to have an injured leg, so he takes the dog to a vet in town. Expecting the same vet he’s always known as having the practice, Liam is surprised when he realises that the vet is Angie. And Angie is equally stunned when she realises that her former partner has returned to Australia, something that he wouldn’t do with her.
I found this a really relaxing and enjoyable read. I liked the setting although I did find that Liam seemed to have a lot of free time on his hands for someone who seemed to be almost singlehandedly running a farm! But the small town community feel was definitely there and I found the vet practice to be a fun and interesting setting too. A large portion of the conflict in the book revolves around the fact that Liam believes that Angie is dating someone and in order to protect her heart, it’s a misconception that she doesn’t correct. However the two of them have a very difficult time staying away from each other. They seem to be attempting to do the just friends things but both of them are still very invested. Angie doesn’t want to get involved again because she feels this is a stop gap for Liam, a brief period before he chases his career again and heads for a big city. Angie doesn’t want to be left behind – breaking up with Liam the first time was very painful for her and very difficult and she doesn’t want to have to go through that all over again. And so for a while she allows Liam to continue thinking that she has some vague boyfriend living somewhere else. She knows that she does need to tell him the truth eventually but I sort of didn’t blame Angie for not bothering to correct Liam in a way. She wanted him to return to Australia with her but Liam was too caught up in his career however he did drop that when his grandparents recalled him to the family farm. But to Angie, some year later finds Liam back in Australia – he’d been back for quite a while and hadn’t let her know (presumably because he believed her with someone else).
Liam is a bit pushy for someone who believes that Angie is dating someone else, probably seriously. He’s always trying something – definitely the sort of guy who doesn’t let a chance go by! If Angie had of actually been dating someone I would’ve found it off-putting but she knows she isn’t. Liam does come across as quite torn, despite his taking chances. He frequently muses to himself about her boyfriend but he can’t seem to help himself when it comes to her. Their coming back together is sweet and low key, rather than sizzling hot romance. They do fit well together though and both of them have moved on and changed from what they were in London. For Angie, who doesn’t have a family, she’s come to realise that she could be an accepted part of a big and loving one as Liam’s cousin has definitely taken her under her wing and wants to include her in events and celebrations. And Liam makes a change from big shot city career guy to a slower pace and a reorder of his priorities and what he wants out of his life. When he realises that he could lose Angie all over again, he’s spurred into action.
I liked this – a very nice rural read to escape into for an afternoon. I’ll be looking to finish the series for sure.
**I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review....more
I picked up this book last year in a Black Friday sale and it’s been sitting on my TBR shelf ever since. I honestly haven’t heard much about this sincI picked up this book last year in a Black Friday sale and it’s been sitting on my TBR shelf ever since. I honestly haven’t heard much about this since it was published, which is interesting. It’s Cassandra Clare’s first step away from the Shadowhunters world and it seems like the reviews are pretty mixed. When I pulled my September TBR prompts, one of them was a book that Hunter (my 16yo eldest son) chose from the TBR shelf. He picked this one because, quote “the cover is cool”. I had asked him not to pick something too big as I had a few other chunky books to get through this month and this one is bigger than it looks, clocking in at over 600p. Despite that though, I found myself getting through it in just a couple of days after a bit of a slow start.
The book opens with meeting Kel, a 10yo orphan who is chosen from his orphanage by an important man, because of his resemblance to the Crown Prince, Conor. Kel is trained as Conor’s “Sword Catcher” – to basically take any hit intended for Conor. With also a bit of a magic, Kel can actually pass as Conor at events. If he’s wearing a medallion, people will see him and think he’s Conor. They’re not identical, but this magic (which is now forbidden except in one tiny part of this city) will cause people to think they’re seeing Conor. As Conor and Kel grow up together, they become close but in a way that is reflective of their roles. Conor is a Prince, heir to a throne and Kel is still the orphan boy employed to protect and serve him. Conor might treat Kel like a friend, like the cousin the Crown pretends he is, but ultimately, their roles are defined and protocol prevents them from blurring too much. Kel is accepted wherever Conor goes as a minor noble but he’s forever reminded that he’d be nothing without Conor and the Royal Family and his loyalty is ultimately, forever to Conor.
The narration is split between Kel and a woman named Lin Caster, granddaughter of the advisor to the King. Both are from a race of people who have been sort of exiled. They’re allowed exist in a certain part of Castellane, but are not allowed out of that part of it without some sort of escort or permission, I was a bit blurry on those details. Lin is a physician, looked down upon because she’s a woman, by her own people although she’s built a small client base who know her skills. Because of her grandfather, who fulfils a very old and important role as advisor to the King, Lin is summoned when Kel is injured and almost killed when someone mistakes him for Conor. This puts her into the path of the Crown Prince, which causes a lot of…..upset for both of them.
Not going to lie, I felt like this had a slow and confusing start. There’s a lot of information presented in not exactly the most reader friendly ways in the beginning and it took me a lot of time to get characters straight in my head – some of Conor’s circle of cronies have similar names and some of the palace roles seem a bit confusing. There’s also a story being told in pieces at the beginning of each chapter that deals with the removal of magic from this realm/land/etc and how that happened as well as the exiling of what are Lin’s people/ancestors. It probably took me maybe 150ish pages to settle into the story and feel like I’d found the rhythm so honestly, people who say it’s too long….there’s something in that, I think. I’m sure the information could’ve been provided in a better way that felt less confusing early on.
However – once I did get into this story, I found myself quite enjoying it. It’s got lots of layers to it and there’s a lot of people that are playing a part and there’s plenty of politics and intrigue. The Ragpicker King (sort of a King of the….underbelly?) was an interesting character and I thought his interactions with Kel had potential. The second book in this series is actually titled The Ragpicker King so I guess he will play a much bigger role and maybe even be a POV character? I also really liked Ji-An.
I enjoyed this but I don’t think it was anywhere near a perfect story. It definitely feels too long and like it takes too many pages to start to get to the point and then the ending feels pretty frantic. It’s the first in a trilogy (I think, that’s what seems to have been announced so far) so of course it leaves you with more questions than answers but a lot of time is spent on drunken shenanigans which gets tedious after a while. Conor’s life is one of excess and Kel is dragged along for the ride, although Conor is as much as pawn in the game as anyone, despite being the Crown Prince. He might seem like he has oodles of freedom because he can come and go but his life isn’t his own either, any more than Kel’s. It was a struggle to like Conor but there were a few glimpses into the person he might not be, without the weight of expectation.
Will definitely pick up book two, I want to see where it goes....more
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