Book Review: The Lawson Sisters by Janet Gover

Photo: Author's own

Full disclosure: The Lawson Sisters by Janet Gover is the first book I have ever been sent by a publisher (Thanks Harlequin – I have discovered I LOVE book mail), and I also consider Janet to be a friend of mine, which is why I was glad I liked this book! It would have been terrible if I had to tell her it stank. 😉

I’ve also not written a book review, all proper-like, since year nine in high school (which was more than 30 years ago <argh!>). So, here’s hoping this is on point… and doesn’t give away too many spoilers.

The Lawson Sisters is a tale of two very different, but very similar, women who also happen to be sisters – Elizabeth and Kayla. Following the death of their parents in a car accident, Elizabeth stays on the family stud, keeping the business alive, while a much younger Kayla is packed off to boarding school. They go their separate ways until Elizabeth needs her sister’s help to rescue the stud and she’s ultimately none too happy with Kayla’s idea to give them the income they need.

I opened the book staunchly on Liz’s side – but as the story progressed, I wanted to just take her out to the stables and shake some sense into her. She’s hard to like. I also started out thinking that Kayla would be a spoiled brat, only to grow fonder of her as I got deeper into the book, so I think Janet does her job in developing multi-dimensional, and realistic characters. I can definitely understand how the sisters got to where we find them in the first chapter, and how they are who they are through the resolution of the conflict and secrets.

Photo: Author's own - Irish National Stud 2014

As for the main secondary character – Mitch – I’d have liked to have seen a little more fire in Mitch… but that being said, I’m a romance reader at heart and this is definitely a romantic elements tale – the story is Elizabeth’s and Kayla’s to tell (not Elizabeth’s and Mitch’s).

I also have to mention the extra ‘character’ in this book – which is the setting. Janet has clearly done her research, and builds a clear picture with her words of the Australian rural landscape, contrasted nicely on occasion with the city. She also does a wonderful job in detailing the Willowbrook homestead, and how it comes alive again over the course of the sisters’ relationship repair.

The one thing that did bug me about the book is the pacing. We get great build up with short chapters that pull you along for the ride but I’d have liked it to linger a little longer in the second half with a little more emotional payoff from the sister’s relationship. Things resolve pretty sharply after the climax and I’d have liked a little more time to sit with the end of the story. I’m also a little perplexed at how Mitch’s parents didn’t do more for Elizabeth at the time of her parents’ death… but these are things we’re left to wonder.

Overall, four out of five stars from me!

P.S. There were also tears, so make sure you have tissues handy.

Kristine Charles writes sexy tales where coffee (and red wine) is abundant, designer shoes and handbags are cheap, chocolate has no calories and men always put the toilet seat down. Find her at www.wordsbykristinecharles.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I love to love... reading. Figures, huh? But I've been reading more this month and loving it!

I love to laugh... while reading The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa.

I love to learn... about myself. This month I'm doing a course about how my personality affects my writing process and... wow!

How to Write a Review

with Marilyn Forsyth

Image courtesy of Giphy

All writers know the critical importance of reader reviews to the discoverability and potential purchase of our books. The more reviews we get, the better for us 😉.

(Although, having said that, I’m reminded of an author friend of mine who had a review written about her mystery thriller in which the reviewer named the killer! It took her weeks to have the review pulled. What a disaster!)

Anyway, back to the blog…

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Why is it that asking for reviews can be like asking for an arm or a leg? Could it be because readers are simply unsure of how to go about actually writing a review?

If that's the case, here are some suggestions that might help (don't feel you have to use them all!):

1) Before you start writing, imagine that you are describing the book to a friend who has asked your opinion on it. Your friend will want to know not just what the book is about, but why you liked/didn’t like it and, importantly, why.

2) Mention the author in the first few sentences, then give a taste of the plot in general terms (no spoilers, plot twists or endings, please 😉). If it’s part of a series, you can mention it.

3) Say what you liked about the book. Here are some questions to
get you started:

Image courtesy of Pixabay

• Was the story believable?
• Did you enjoy the author’s style?
• Did you find the main characters credible/likable/relatable?
• Did the author make the setting come to life?
• Did the book keep you turning the pages?
• Did you laugh, cry, want to keep reading past the end?

Image courtesy of pexels.com

4) Anything that didn’t work for you about the book?

• Characters TSTL (too stupid to live)? 
• Frustrating ending? (Don’t give it away.)
• Trope didn’t do it for you? (Be fair. If you don’t like the trope, why read the book?)
• Story could have done with better editing?

5) Summarise your personal response to the book.

• Would you recommend it?
• Who should read it? (Fans of comedy, YA, historical romance, etc)
• Any authors or series it could be compared to?

Image courtesy of Pixabay

6) Rate the book. (Even if you just give a book a rating, it helps.)

Readers always want to know what other readers think of books. A good review focuses not so much on the plot of the book but on the reviewer’s thoughts and feelings about the story and the author’s ability to tell it. By providing an honest review you can not only unite readers with books they can love, but also help authors to get their books noticed.

Go on! Do it! Write that review!

Image courtesy of Giphy

*Follow the link to find Cassandra Samuels’ excellent post on how to physically get your book review up on a site: http://breathlessinthebush.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Book%20Reviews


As a reader, what encourages you to leave a review? As an author, have you struggled to get reviews? Any suggestions?

Love to Love getting a new kitchen. This is my thirty-year-old one; I'm going with black and white for the new one. I'll post a pic when it's done.

Love to Laugh at reruns of The Vicar of Dibley. Gotta love Dawn French.

Love to Learn by doing workshops. I recently attended a one-day self-publishing workshop, organized by our writing group, with the fabulous Cathleen Ross. I learned so much! Who knew it was so easy??

Favourite Aussie Romance Reads of 2016

By the Breathless Bloggers

So great to have our favourite reads get the thumbs up from Keith Urban (courtesy of giphy.com)!

It hasn't been easy! With all the wonderful Aussie Romances published last year, the Breathless Bloggers have somehow managed to select just one favourite Romance read from 2016. 

We hope you enjoy our reviews as much as we enjoyed reading these fabulous books.

CASSANDRA: THE EARL AND THE HIGHWAYMAN'S DAUGHTER by Maggi Andersen

link to buy this book

With so many great romance authors to choose from, it was a hard decision but my pick for 2016 is Maggi Andersen's The Earl and the Highwayman's Daughter. Maggi has an easy to read style which lends itself so well to novellas.

Eugenia Hawthorne and Brendan, Earl of Trentham are thrown together when he is wounded in an attack by highwaymen on his way home. Eugenia patches him up but when her father returns he and Brendan make a deal and Eugenia ends up as Brendan's unofficial ward. But there is more to this arrangement than meets the eye. There is a mystery, an emerald necklace and plenty of sexual tension to keep you turning the page.

MARILYN: THE ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by Rachael Johns

link to buy this book

While not strictly a romance, The Art of Keeping Secrets contains powerful romantic elements. In it, we meet Felicity, Genevive and Emma, three ladies attempting to deal with issues and situations that many women will be able to identify with: life after divorce combined with a life-threatening health problem, a ‘perfect’ marriage that isn’t as perfect as it appears, and a forced reunion with an old flame who happens to be the father of her son (although he doesn’t yet know it!). One of the story-lines in particular had me on tenterhooks till the very last page (no, I’m not telling which one; you need to read it for yourself J).

Flick, Neve and Emma are believable and eminently likeable characters, and the strength of their friendship is something I could easily relate to. I greatly enjoyed spending time with them all. ’Onya, Rachael. Another winner!

MIRANDA: THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne

link to buy this book

This book is sharp and edgy in its writing; fresh and funny and a total winner. A perfect office romance between the geeky but ohmygosh gorgeous Josh, and the diminutive-in-size-only Lucy. It's told in Lucy's point of view, which gives you just enough information about how she's feeling about Josh - and what she thinks he's thinking and feeling about her - to keep you guessing. For half the book Josh remains somewhat of an enigma, although the paintball work-bonding day was a bit of a heroic giveaway. By the end of the book (and a lot of laughs and a few tears later) I was in love with both of them. Thank you, Sally, for bursting onto the romance scene with such a brilliant debut. Please write more!

Favourite funny quote:

I stumble into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. I pee, flush, and then realize how unladylike I was. Oh, well. He's seen and heard almost everything now. There's nothing left to do but fake my own death and start a new life. 

There's more about Sally Thorne here: https://www.hachette.com.au/sally-thorne/the-hating-game if you want to follow her slavishly (which I now do).

SHARON: THE SUMMER BRIDE by Anne Gracie (Chance Sisters series #4).

Link to buy this book

Daisy Chance was raised in a brothel from which she helped two young women escape. Together with the sister of one of the women, they declare themselves sisters of the heart, and vow to support one another through life's challenges.

Daisy is a talented seamstress, determined to have her own shop and make it the best in London. She has no interest in marriage; a husband would get in the way of her ambitions. Patrick Flynn, a self-made man, orphaned in tragic circumstances he has never fully dealt with, is attracted to Daisy, but wishes to marry the finest lady in London. He feels he is good enough for anyone, and needs to show this to the world by marrying a high-born lady.

The well-constructed characters, captivating dialogue, sense of fun and poignant moments that tug at the reader's heartstrings which Anne brings to her writing make this book a must read.

ENISA: SUNSET SHADOWS (Goodabri series #3) by Bronwyn Parry

link to buy this book

In the stark isolation of the Australian bush there’s a madman on the loose. As sinister shadows in the untamed wilderness herald danger, police officers Steve Fraser and Tess Ballard put their careers on the line to save the lives of 50 cult members, and the people they care about. In a race against time, their pasts return bringing heartbreak, and as they wonder if they will survive, a romance slowly blossoms.

Wow! From first page to last, Sunset Shadows had me enthralled. I was there, in the isolated surrounds of the bush amidst the fast-paced action, tension gripping me by the throat as surely as it gripped Steve and Tess as I immersed myself in their rush to catch the madman and bring justice to those threatened. I was there hurting along with Steve and Tess confronting pasts too painful to face, and I was there watching in wonder as romance flickered through their friendship, the flame slowly burning, turning to love. Packed with emotion, edge-of-your-seat suspense and twists you don’t see coming, Sunset Shadows is a brilliant read. Is it any wonder Bronwyn Parry is a must-read author for me?

KAREN: BEYOND THE ORCHARD by Anna Romer

Link to buy this book

I am choosing Anna Romer's latest book, Beyond the Orchard, as my favourite romance for 2016 because it is an absorbing read shrouded in suspense and mystery from the very start.

A family saga of love, heartbreak, deceptions and discoveries written in the authors unique voice, it easily transports the reader from the present into the past and back again, while providing such detailed descriptions of the time periods and Australia's beautiful landscape, flora and fauna, that you almost feel it surround you.

An ominous old house full of secret crevices and hidden truths with supernatural elements that hang heavily in the readers mind, igniting fear only limited to one's own imagination. Rich characters with their own demons, sorrows and stories to tell. And a tale of love that keeps you hoping and wondering until the end.




DANA: THE FARMER'S PERFECT MATCH by Marilyn Forsyth

Link to buy this book

I've chosen The Farmer's Perfect Match as my favourite romance read of 2016 for so many reasons. The setting, the characters and the plot brilliantly pack the book full of tension and romance. Our own Marilyn Forsyth weaves the story in and around the setting, creating and building tension so beautifully that you think you're there! The characters filled my heart with so much emotion that I ached for them! I wanted Evie and Adam to succeed at their goals but feared that if they did then they would never get together.

This is one of those books that you read from cover to cover and at THE END you want more...you need more. The Farmer's Perfect Match is one powerful read!

Did your favourite romance read from last year make the cut? No? Then please let us know in the comments of any books published in 2016 that you'd recommend. We're always on the lookout for wonderful romances.

We LOVE TO LOVE Aussie Romance Writers.

We LOVE TO LAUGH!Our monthly Writers' Group meetings are always a lot of fun.

We LOVE TO LEARN who each other's favourite Aussie authors are.

Writing a Book Review 101

with Cassandra Samuels


Hi everyone!

Speak to any published/self-published author and they will tell you how important reviews are. I've lost count of the number of times people have said they would love to post a review of a book but are not sure how to do it, don't know what to write, or think it is only for professional review bloggers.

 Reviews are not for authors, they are for readers. 

They help readers determine whether any author might be worth their $2.99 investment. A review can determine whether someone picks an author's book or skims on by. With over 5 million books on Amazon it can be hard for a reader to find their next favourite author.

Reviews on other platforms like Goodreads can be very helpful. If you are a reader (and let's face it, most of us are) and you are unsure about leaving a review let me put you at ease.

Amazon reviews

When you buy a book from Amazon, they kindly give you a few weeks before sending you an email asking how you liked the book. Here is your opportunity to let other readers in on your thoughts. 

The only real requirement is that you be over 13 years of age to do a review. You should be honest and respectful in your review and explain why you liked or disliked the book. You don’t have to do a summary of the book like professional reviewers do but rather just say in your own words why you enjoyed reading the book.

Was it the characters, the setting, the time period, the intriguing plot? Was the book free of errors? Did you enjoy the writer’s style, humour or emotional punch? Did it make you laugh or cry? 



Amazon to some extent tries to help by providing these three buttons.

You don’t have to use the buttons if you don’t want to. To get the stars, simply highlight the desired amount with your mouse. Then all you have to do is write about the book, trying not to include spoilers. It doesn't have to be an essay, as long as you think it might help another reader. And that is it.

You can also go to the Amazon site and do the same thing from there if you like. Amazon keeps an account of all the books you have bought.

Goodreads

If you have a Goodreads account it is easy to leave a review. You have two choices:


1. A starred review with no comments  

2. A review with stars and comments

When you hover over the stars it helps you to determine how many stars you want to give the book.

• 1 star - I did not like it 
• 2 stars – it was ok 
• 3 stars – I liked it 
• 4 stars – I really liked it 
• 5 stars – it was amazing 

Of course a review with comments is more helpful for fellow readers than a starred review on its own. The same applies here in regards to being honest but not nasty. If you truly do not like a book by all means say why. Perhaps you didn't like a certain character in the book or the fact that it was filled with errors which kept pulling you out of the story. 

However, if there were any redeeming features in the book it is nice to balance a 'not so nice' review with something positive. Perhaps it had some humorous moments, or a battle scene that was exciting to read.

Here you can see that my book 'A Scandalous Wager' has 14 ratings and 7 reviews. Goodreads at a glance gives you an average rating for your book. You can see under the cover picture that you have the opportunity to hover over the stars and give any book on your list a rating. Or let the author know you want to read it by adding it to your virtual shelf by clicking on the green button below the picture.

And that my dear readers is all there is to writing a review! Remember, reviews are for you--the reader, but readers have to leave them in order to be able to use them!

 Have you hesitated over leaving a review on a book? Tell us why. Did this blog post help you to feel more encouraged to leave a review?

I love to laugh at this video of dogs failing at being dogs.

I love to love solving a story problem in the shower.

Picture courtesy of mentalfloss.com

Love to learn that I am not the only one who struggles with work life balance.

Flickr.com under creative commons licence

Miranda's Musings

Darlings, there’s a crispness in the air at last... Such welcome relief from the heat we’ve been having down under! All the more reason to snuggle down in a chair with a tea (or wine) and read, read, read...

What did I love to love this month?

It’s all Jane Austen. How could we possibly not pay homage to this marvellous author? She is the source of all our Mr Darcy fantasies – and Mr Knightley and Captain Wentworth, and, and – well, you get the gist. The distinguished lady will shortly grace the British ten pound note, replacing Charles Darwin. All writers should be so lucky!

December 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of 'Emma', and the novel is still as fresh today as it was then.
I think Emma herself has the strongest character arc of all Jane Austen heroines: at the beginning of the book she is annoying and immature but oh, how she changes! I have to say, darlings, I stood on that infamous Box Hill last year (see pic), where Emma was so incredibly rude to poor Miss Bates, and I *immersed* myself in the scene. Especially where Mr Knightley tells her how badly she behaved. Such seething emotion, such tears, such drama! I think that was a real turning point in the book. What about you? Do you love 'Emma'?

What did I love to laugh at?

Not exactly laugh AT, but I did laugh along with the new Manga Classics version of 'Pride and Prejudice'. This was blissfully So! Much! Fun! to read! There are little bits in this version that (ahem) aren't in the original Jane Austen, but who cares? Not I. The overall story line and all the angst, drama, simmering tensions and divinely overblown and wonderfully drawn characters (with big, big, big eyes and long, long legs) are oh so very delicious. Mr Collins was particularly funny: he looked like a cowlick on a stick. And don't think the book is insubstantial because of the manga - it's 376 pages long! I loved the handy ‘how to read this book’ at the beginning – you read it like a traditional manga: backwards. My dears, the proposal scenes were to die for... And yes, there were a few sneaky (...romantic...) kisses. I’m sure Jane Austen would excuse them.

Do you enjoy manga? Which Jane Austen would you most like to read in manga?


And lastly, what did I love to learn this month?

The divine Suzi Love has written a series of books about Regency life, so in keeping with my Jane Austen theme, I romped through her lavishly illustrated 'Regency Overview: Book 1' from the Regency Life Series. Everything you want to know about the Regency period but didn’t know who to ask! I loved this titbit of gossip from a newspaper: ‘The fashionable Mrs Hog has taken No. 11 Manchester Place, where she will receive her numerous list of elegant friends, as soon as her little drawing-room has got the new paper.’ How very droll!


Suzi, oh my goodness, has generously offered three – yes, THREE – people the chance to win a complete set of her Regency Life e-series! This includes the above, plus 'Young Gentleman's Day', 'Older Gentleman's Day', 'Young Lady's Day' and 'Older Lady's Day'. Lucky, lucky you!

Leave a comment and you will be in the running for this fabulous set of books. Thanks so much, Suzi.

The three winners will be announced on next week's blog (with guest blogger, the lovely Suzi Love) so please check back then to see if you are among them.

Can’t wait to hear from you.

Everything Jane Austen! Hoorah!

Miranda xx

Miranda's Musings

Hello beautiful people, let’s talk Christmas romances! Do you love to read them as much as I do? For me, there's nothing better than picking one up and getting right into the festive mood.

What books did I love to love this month?
A Very Special Holiday Gift

Barbara Hannay's 'A Very Special Holiday Gift' is an absolute melting moment, wringing the heartstrings.
Zac flies to London with his lovely PA, Chloe, when he learns of his sister's sudden accidental death...and that her tiny baby girl was saved. You can imagine what a poignant journey this becomes at Christmas. There’s a certain red dress that also takes on a life of its own. Sigh.

Her Christmas Earl
'Her Christmas Earl' by Anna Campbell is a lovely novella to enjoy among the rush and bustle. It's the old whoops-I-have-been-compromised theme done brilliantly well by Anna.

In this instance, shy, quiet Philippa accidentally gets caught in the Earl of Erskine's dressing room, and it all goes on from there. I wouldn’t mind this verra handsome Scottish earl in my Christmas stocking!

High Country Holiday
Try 'High Country Holiday' by Glynna Kaye if you like a little faith with your romance. 

Bad boy Cody Hawk returns to his childhood town when his father has a stroke, but he’s still wearing the chip on his shoulder from years ago. To his shock the girl he loved years ago, Paris Perslow, is still there... and still unmarried. Lots of issues in this book, so hold on.

What did I love to laugh at...an oldie but a goodie: 

Twelve Days of Christmas 

'Twelve Days of Christmas' by Trisha Ashley. A widow goes to house-sit a family home, deserted for Christmas, but one by one people keep arriving - and staying! As her husband died at Christmas she really wants to be left alone, but slowly she realizes how lovely Christmas can be as the house fills. She whips up amazing meals (she is a chef, and I swear I put on weight just reading this), and she unexpectedly falls in love. Sweetly comic.

What did I love to learn...that there are more festive books coming my way!

Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Home For An Aussie Christmas by Marion Lennox, Kandy Shepherd and Michelle Douglas.

Home For Christmas by Fiona Greene!

It’s a wonderful time of year! May your Christmas be full of good cheer and lots of books. Do let me know what festive books you’re reading? And see you again in 2015!

Miranda's Musings

Hello everyone, Miranda here. I’ll be popping into Breathless in the Bush every now and then to talk about books, books, and more books. What blissful indulgence, to catch up on some of my recent romantic reads. I can’t think of a nicer thing.

So ... what book did I love to love this month?

click the cover to see book details 

I needed a comfort book while I had yucky medical tests (you know, those yearly ones we all have to have). ROAD TRIP WITH THE ELIGIBLE BACHELOR by Michelle Douglas was perfect! Single mum Quinn Laverty and her two young boys are on the road from Perth to Sydney, relocating in a high-risk and fairly scary move. A plane strike grounds all Australian flights, and politician-in-the-making Aiden Fairhall hitches a lift with Quinn and the boys in an epic road trip across the Nullabor Plain. Just. So. Fabulous. Instead of sitting in medical rooms stressing, I enjoyed the beaches, the beautiful scenery along the road, and the tender romance. Thanks Michelle, you made me feel so much better.

Who else loves sweet romance? What are your faves?

What did I love to laugh at?

click the cover to see book details

Well... I laughed at me... I am such a scaredy-cat when it comes to thrillers and romantic suspense, but I was a big, brave girl and plunged into Karen M. Davis’s latest release DEADLY OBSESSION, a gritty murder mystery. I’m so glad I did; welcome back Detective Lexie Rogers! Lexie has the unhappy knack of being followed by psychos. Everything becomes personal, coming back full circle to deep grudges (unhinged, whack-job deep grudges) against Lexie and her family, her friends, you name it. I couldn't put the book down. I needed to find out who the villain was - but guessed wrong, as usual (ha!). Good job, Karen, a compelling read.

Anyone else get the jitters when reading romantic suspense, or is it just me?

What did I love to learn?

click the cover to see book details

Like so many romance readers, I read my first Georgette Heyer (Bath Tangle) when I was about fifteen. I loved her sparkling dialogue and charming, oldy-worldy romances. I still do. If you’re a like-minded Heyer fan, don’t miss the magnificent GEORGETTE HEYER: The Biography of a Bestseller by Jennifer Kloester. I can honestly say this is the best biography I’ve ever read. Jennifer had personal access to Heyer’s private papers and such, and her thorough research has produced a fascinating read. It was wonderful to learn more about the Georgette we all adore. You’ll love it. It sent me straight back to the shelves to read one of her crime books, Envious Casca (and no, I didn’t pick the villain), and the swashbuckling romance Beauvallet. Big happy sigh.

What was your first Georgette Heyer?

Till next time, book lovers!

Miranda xx