Book Review: High Rise by Vanessa Lee
An eye-opening book set on the Australian East Coast a few years from now. None of us know exactly when the sea level rises will start to force change – whole families moving en masse away from their coastal communities – but we know it will happen eventually.
This book traces two intertwined families as they can no longer ignore the impact of storms, king tides and erratic weather on their beloved home.
Constant storms have already damaged Bombora’s coastline and no end is in sight. When rising tides force Vaga, the beloved beachfront restaurant, to finally close it is seen as a grim omen. Community rifts deepen, old friends clash, and some flee the idyllic suburb for safer ground, while others stand firm, defying the increasingly erratic weather.
Mick, a charismatic local figure, faces a family crisis as he grapples with the impending threat. A chance encounter with Renata, an old schoolmate, and her son Guil, a local surfer, forges an improbable alliance. As a menacing storm looms on the horizon, Mick and Guil rally Guil’s surfer friends to form a ragtag “tinnie army.” When the tempest strikes with unrelenting force, it triggers a chain of events that will alter their lives forever.
*****
Bombora, once an idyllic seaside haven for surfers and the wealthy is now threatened by the changing weather and the ever increasing threat of climate change. Some decide to leave for safer ground but for the ones that choose to stay, life will never be the same.
When I was offered the chance to receive a copy of High Rise by Vanessa Lee to review, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
The story is told from the point of view of multiple characters. Mick, a local businessman is doing all he can to hold on, even when his wife and children want to move away. I felt quite sorry for him as his heart seemed to be in the right place. I’m not sure what I would do in his position.
I did feel empathy for his wife, Sam. She has built her life around her husband’s business. However, when people start to move away, her life becomes very empty.
by 
NK Chats To… Margaret Amatt
Hello Margaret. Thank you so much for joining me and inviting Novel Kicks onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your novel, Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn and what inspired it?
Hi! The Crafty Bee story was inspired by an evening when I was looking at books on Amazon – for a change! – and I noticed how popular books about beekeepers were. It was at the same time that a friend of mine was talking about The Sewing Bee. Somehow the two ideas blended in my head and I though up the name Crafty Bee Barn. I wanted to do something that blended beekeeping and crafts. And the story developed from there.
What are the challenges you found when writing Starting Over at the Crafty Bee Barn?
This book had quite a few challenges. Probably the biggest issue was Lilah’s backstory. She’s had a tough upbringing and I wanted that to come through in the story without making it too dark, but at the same time not trivialising it or brushing over it. Aidan was also a challenge. He’s quite a gruff character who’s annoyed with himself for his past mistakes but I still needed to make him loveable and relatable.
What songs would make up a playlist for your book?
I always find this question really hard. I think I’ll have to leave it to someone else to choose after they’ve read it because I really don’t have a clue!!
What’s your favourite word and why?
This will probably sound very strange to most people but I like the name Demeter. I honestly have no idea why but I just love the sound of it!
Any other advice for aspiring writers?
by Book Extract & Giveaway: Mysteries at Sea: The Royal Jewel Plot by A.M. Howell
I am so happy to be welcoming A.M. Howell back to Novel Kicks with the blog tour for her latest novel, Mysteries at Sea: The Royal Jewel Plot.
Alice and Sonny are excited for their summer trip, sailing on the luxurious yacht the Lady Rose. They’re even more excited when they find out the King of England is going to be onboard too!
There’s also a precious jewel on the boat – a rare opal, kept in a tank protected by a poisonous octopus.
Until one morning, Alice discovers that the opal and octopus are both missing. The search is on to retrieve the priceless gem, before the ship reaches its destination, and everyone on board finds themselves in serious trouble.
As Alice and Sonny’s investigations take them closer to the truth, they realise that everyone on the Lady Rose seems to have a secret, maybe even the king himself…
You have a chance to win a copy of Mysteries at Sea: Peril on the Atlantic (book one in the series), below but first, A.M. Howell has shared an extract from Mysteries at Sea: The Royal Jewel Plot. We hope you enjoy.
*****beginning of extract*****
Chapter One
The Lady Rose
Alice glanced at her watch in dismay. They were going to be late for the king’s arrival! Tightening her grip on her suitcase as she hurried along the hot, dusty street, her head was full of the summer storms, landslides and train delays that had hindered their journey from England to the small port of Ăibenik on the Yugoslavian coast. A journey that should have taken two days had instead taken four.
by Book Review: Summer At The Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin
I’m very excited to be welcoming Rebecca Raisin to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, Summer at the Santorini Bookshop. Happy publication day, Rebecca.
A Greek island holiday. A fake-dating pact. A chance at true love?
After losing her job as a book scout, hopeless romantic Evie needs a fresh start. So when she hears that her eccentric grandmother has just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini, Evie jumps at the chance to visit her.
But life on the island is not as idyllic as it first seems. Gran has a tempestuous relationship with her landlord and he’s threatening to take the bookshop away from her. So when Gran asks Evie to fake a romance with her landlord’s Greek God of a grandson, Georgios, to keep the family on side, she reluctantly agrees.
As the sun sets on Evie’s Greek holiday, can she save the bookshop – and fake date her way to love?
*****
When Evie loses her dream job as a book scout, she needs to find another one and fast. However, when she’s told to go to Greece to check on her Grandmother, Evie has no choice but to go and besides, she decides that a few days in the Santorini sunshine will do her the world of good. She’s soon embroiled in her Gran’s current predicament made even more complicated when she meets the handsome Georgios.
This is the first novel I’ve read by Rebecca Raisin and I was very happy to be invited onto the blog tour for Summer at the Santorini Bookshop. I couldn’t wait to get started.
First, the cover is very dreamy and makes me want to move to Greece and open a bookshop.
by Book Review: The Cottage in Sweet Meadow Park by Liz Davies
I’m very pleased to be welcoming Liz Davis to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her book, The Cottage in Sweet Meadow Park.
Enjoy a stroll in the park with this uplifting story of love, friendship and following your dreams.
When Molly Brown buys a derelict cottage in the middle of a rundown park, she hopes to return both the cottage and the park to their former glory. However, Molly soon begins to wonder whether she’s bitten off more than she can chew, especially when the good-looking guy from the council refuses to help.
In his role as Parks and Highways Officer, Jack Feathers doesn’t want to waste public funds on an overgrown, unloved park, no matter how gorgeous Molly is. But when he finds himself needing somewhere to live, Molly makes him an offer he can’t refuse – to move into her spare room, rent-free.
The catch? He has to help bring the park back to life.
It seems to be an ideal solution, until… Molly falls for Jack, the park is vandalised, and she realises he is still in love with his ex.
And soon Molly begins to regret letting Jack into her home, her life and her heart.
*****
Molly Brown has always harboured a dream and that is to live in the cottage within the grounds of Sweet Meadow Park. With the house very run down, she knows she has her work cut out. She isn’t just going to transform the house, she’s going to take on the park beyond too.
When she meets Jack, she doesn’t like him at first. However, when circumstances change and he ends up being her lodger, will it just be the house being transformed or her whole life?
I was very excited to be taking part in another blog tour with Liz Davis and going by the cover alone (which is so pretty,) I couldn’t wait to get started.
by Book Club
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