Well, I know I haven’t mentioned this one the blog yet (being so far behind as I am!) but this is our time to learn all about Australia and all things Australian. It has been almost a full month now of amazing facts and interesting dialogue between ourselves and the friends online who live in Australia currently. While searching for books at the library (and I may add someone else is doing the same topic and chasing me for resources! ACK!) I came across some fiction books under the same keywords. So what is a girl to do but request one and give it a go! So… here goes!

First off, Patchwork Family in the Outback by Soraya Lane is one of a series called Bellaroo Creek (which is also the location they are set at in… you guessed it… the Outback). They are also NOT the inspirationals I usually read, rather a Harlequin Romance, though still soft and without great detail in regards to intimacy… a sort of, kiss kiss fade to black but we darn well know what those two got up to… sort of story.

Basically Bellaroo Creek is in need of a teacher, otherwise its school will close and families will have to move (or as we have learned, take radio school… though this option is not discussed in the book). This is a huge fear for single father Harrison Black who regards life as one bitten always shy… no twice about it… when his wife jumps ship to move to a more urban center. Enter Poppy Carter, wooed by the one dollar a month rent and the chance to make a difference after her own disastrous romantic history.

I enjoyed this book on a rather light hearted, easy read sort of basis. There is no religious component and the speed of the story is relatively quick. I don’t know how true to life it would be, this Bellaroo Creek in the Outback and would love it if someone could fill me in either way.

What I found interesting is the isolation and how the characters reacted to it. I wonder how I would feel out where you really have to depend on those things at hand and people near by with the understanding that outside that bubble is quite the drive to get to more.

The characters are endearing, the issues spring up from the past and the current weather/land/seasonal change. So there is no true bad guy dipping a finger in the pot. I liked that. The intimacy description was well within my comfort range though at times I wanted to swat the man upside the head. So, if you are interested in a light read based in Australia… give it a go… and please let me know if you do!

A Cereal Killer by is the first in the Sibyl Potts Cozy Mystery series by Morgana Best. Set in Australia, it is a rather intriguing and fun cozy mystery. There is a murder in the boarding house up the hill and Sibyl has the bad luck to walk into it.

I don’t know that unique characters really gives the full impression of the people the main character Sibyl is introduced to post divorce as she begins life in a new town in a different state of Australia. Mr. Buttons of the cucumber sandwiches and obsessive compulsive disorder… and Cressida Upthorpe her landlady, painter of some very unique, somewhat macabre paintings, theatrical to the core. Sibyl herself is interesting with her failed marriage and somewhat psychic abilities (as a child to see dead people and later to foretell the future, just not always when she would like to).

The story begins with a death, well after we learn more about Sibyl’s somewhat messy divorce from Andrew the stingy. Which ties in nicely to the murder by cyanide (the product of the mining company Andrew works for). And it all goes from there.

While I do not know too much about Australia I really did enjoy the descriptions of the area and the author is terrific at sharing terms that would be unknown to someone not native to the country. All in all a great mystery, no real romance in this volume and, while certainly a quick read it was highly enjoyable!

Well oops, I had this review written up BEFORE Christmas and totally blanked on the posting… anyway… enjoy.

Well, even before Thanksgiving Christmas is already starting to pop up all over the place. What better than a Christmas story on a quiet afternoon? Playing Santa by H.Y. Hanna is from the Summer Beach Vets series. A Christmas story centered in Australia. Quite the change from the traditional snowy weather tales.

A story of lucky circumstances, the woman at the center of our story is a young lady who grew up in foster care. She is gifted with the once in a lifetime chance to fly to Australia and house sit for a kindly couple she helped out of a tough spot back home in the US. For a short period of time she is in charge of a lovely house including rather large car and a very pampered kitty.

A lucky find of a box full of puppies in need of care and homes and wheels are put into motion for romance. A handsome vet who is filling in temporarily at the local office actually is her wealthy temporary neighbour. There are moments of minor suspense… most notably including a spider! (not my favourite part of the story) A nice, sweet romance, a little misunderstanding and some interesting side characters to bring flavour.

While not the first in the series, I do believe this is another book where you can actually read it as a stand alone. Also called the Escape Down Under series.