“If you’ve never read Margaret Way before, you’re in for a treat.”—New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer An epic tale of modern day Australia, where greed, desire, tragedy, and ambition collide . . . Alexandra Ross has always known Lavender Hill will be hers one day. The grand old house, with its waving jacaranda fronds circling around it like a canopy against the white-hot Australian sun. The acres of orchards, trees heavy with sweet-smelling mangoes and prickly pink lychee. The rushing emerald creek that claimed her brother’s life; the genteel boudoir where her mother died of grief, gin, and stroke. Even the quad bike her bullheaded father uses to tear around the plantation like a teenager, as his covetous young wife plays tea party with Alex’s mother’s favorite china. Someday Alex will undo her father’s blunders and be the good neighbor her childhood friend Rafe Rutherford deserves. The yearning she feels for Rafe can never overcome the heartbreak they’ve lived through together, but at least she will have his companionship. Until her father is killed and the plantation is divided. If she wants to keep the land she loves Alex must break free of guilt and hesitation. And once she begins to fight for what her heart desires, there’s no telling where she’ll stop . . .
In this passionate saga set in present-day Australia, the passing of a wealthy patriarch leaves one young woman with a chance to change her life—if it doesn’t bring her world crashing down first... After losing her parents in a tragic accident, young Charlotte was taken in by her grandfather, Sir Reginald Mansfield. Despite his tyrannical tendencies, he cherished her above all—a fact made clear by his surprising bequest. In her early twenties, she intends to follow in his illustrious footsteps in the field of law. And now she is the beneficiary not only of his vast financial assets, but of Clouds—the stunning sandstone house in New South Wales with a breathtaking view of the Blue Mountains and a bountiful garden of fragrant flowers. Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased for her. Charlotte’s grasping aunt and uncle, as well as her controlling, entitled cousin cannot hide their fury. As rivalries simmer and naked greed roils the socially prominent clan, only Brendon Macmillan, Charlotte’s longtime friend, seems genuinely happy for her—despite the bitter, scandalous history between their families. Charlotte’s dream is to use the funds to open a shelter for abused women, and Brendon intends to support and protect her. But often, more money means more betrayals, secrets, and lies—and as Charlotte tries to determine who she can trust, she may be a woman in danger herself... “If you’ve never read Margaret Way before, you’re in for a treat!” --New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer
GabriellaIt was supposed to be simple-drink tequila, forget about the life I'm running away from and have one wild night. That's exactly what my next-door neighbor, Aubrey, told me to do.That's when I met him-the arrogant Aussie.It's easy to forget a night with a stranger until that stranger is living next door.OliverIf it wasn't for my horrific motorbike accident, I'd still be playing soccer. Instead, I'm crashing at my mate Chance's place with no clue where my life is heading. I needed an escape while I got my head together. But it was never supposed to be with her-the girl next door. The rich heiress arranged to be married to some wealthy snob, and I was the arrogant Aussie who didn't care about anyone but myself.She couldn't have been more wrong. Gabriella Carmichael is a heartbreaker-the worst kind.And I'm selfish, cocky, and won't settle for second best. I have to make her all mine.There is no other choice.
Once the top of a Burrawang tree fell to the ground and became ... Grug! This classic Aussie hero is back from the bush to enchant a new generation of youngsters! Grug teaches the basic building blocks of learning, the alphabet and numbers, in a fabulous Australian setting.
Cora Cabot’s life is falling apart. So when her Australian friend announces she’s secured an internship in the States, Cora has a brilliant idea: house swap! Small-town Australia sounds like the perfect getaway. Only, when she gets there, the house isn’t empty. Turns out her friend’s hot Australian brother is staying there, too—and he doesn’t look happy to see her. The last thing Trent Walters needs is a roommate for the summer. Especially an American who immediately floods the house and single-handedly destroys the family project his sister created for their parents’ anniversary. Now, not only does Cora insist on helping fix the house, he needs her help re-creating the family scrapbook. And glitter is not his forte. But between late nights cooking, pints at the local pub, and competitive matches of cricket on the beach, Cora starts to break through Trent’s defenses. Too bad Cora made a promise to return to working with her father at the end of the summer—a promise she can’t break—because this holiday is starting to feel like one she never wants to end. Each book in the Patterson's Bluff series is STANDALONE: * The Aussie Next Door * Her Aussie Holiday
This is a story of gum trees, cobbled streets and long cups of tea shared between good friends. It is a story that spans over a century. It encompasses rural Victorian life in the early period of Australian settlement to life in the suburbs of Melbourne in the present day. This stirring tale captures the freedom of romping through native bushland and of sleeping under the stars. It is also a tale of waking up in a mice-ridden cellar and studying by the stub of a candle's glow. Jim's biography moves rapidly from one poignant account to another – a miraculous deliverance from addictive smoking, two world wars, life as a ganger on the railway and then as a Missioner to the 'lowest of the low' in Melbourne city. He lived for nearly twenty years among drunks, thieves, murderers and other hurting and damaged souls ravaged by alcohol abuse. James Collett drew the best out of each person he knew. He was 'Jim', 'Mr C', 'Uncle Jim,' 'Dad' and 'Grandpa'. By whichever name he was fondly and respectfully called, his legacy lives on. Jim's biography will inspire and change you. You will not be able to look at your world and life in the same way again. About reading this book: The story that you are about to read is in fact a story within a story. Or more accurately, a compilation of many stories – after all, our lives are made up of many moments and events. Some events have distinct beginnings and ends, while others just merge quietly into the next. Some events in our lives are more memorable than others while others are made memorable because we choose to grace them with our attention. As this particular story goes, it is a little of both . . . At the start of each chapter (and sometimes at the end as well) you will find what I call 'cameo conversations and exchanges' that have to do with more current events in Jim's life. These have been added to give you additional insight into Jim's character and relationships as well as giving you a peek at some 'behind the scenes' stuff. But, if you are only interested in a straight forward chronological narrative of this unique, yet typical-of-the-era Australian, skip those passages typeset in sans-serif text. You can come back to these later – if you wish. However, if you are up to the challenge, you could read it as it is . . . (For those familiar with The French Lieutenant's Woman as well as fans of the very popular TV series Lost and Once Upon a Time, this should not prove too daunting an approach.) I've tried to allow Jim's 'voice' to be reflected in his biography as much as possible. As such, minimal editing has been undertaken in the 'main' passages in order to preserve, wherever possible, the narrative style of an 'oral tradition'. REVIEWS Jim Collett's life which spans more than a century from his birth in 1902 with descriptions as a rural laborer appear far-fetched and removed from our comfortable, well-nourished lives today. His matter-of-fact descriptions of growing up in a large poor family in a rural town, his rudimentary schooling with few resources or books, the need to leave school early and find work far from home were in fact the norm for large numbers of his generation. Today's parents and young people would be shocked by the freedom young people had to roam the countryside with no supervision. Jim's life resonates with some of the anecdotes told to me of their earlier life, by my parents and their friends who also grew up in the country. Jim learnt the hard way that not all employers were humane or honest – yet his story bears no resentment. Jim's gentle, trusting nature shines through. Jim's recollections of life as a railway ganger records something of the lives of the men who hammered out the rail netwo
After her uncharacteristic behavior made headline news, buttoned-up Olivia Balfour has been sent far away from home. The English rose will work for Clint McAlpine—a cattle baron who's as fierce and untamed as his Outback station. But she's shocked when Clint informs her that she's entirely at his beck and call. The cattle king is determined to get beyond Olivia's prim exterior…and, under the heat of the Australian sun, he'll enjoy slowly unbuttoning her at each and every step of the way!
"I found myself considering those rare things only books can do, feats outside the purview of film or fine art . . . Gorgeous." —Samantha Hunt, The New York Times Book Review It is New Year’s Eve 1990, in a small town in southeast Australia. Ru’s father, Jack, one of thousands of Australians once conscripted to serve in the Vietnam War, has disappeared. This time Ru thinks he might be gone for good. As rumors spread of a huge black cat stalking the landscape beyond their door, the rest of the family is barely holding on. Ru’s sister, Lani, is throwing herself into sex, drugs, and dangerous company. Their mother, Evelyn, is escaping into memories of a more vibrant youth. And meanwhile there is Les, Jack’s inscrutable brother, who seems to move through their lives like a ghost, earning both trust and suspicion. A Loving, Faithful Animal is an incandescent portrait of one family searching for what may yet be redeemable from the ruins of war. Tender, brutal, and heart–stopping in its beauty, this novel marks the arrival in the United States of Josephine Rowe, the winner of the 2016 Elizabeth Jolley Prize and one of Australia’s most extraordinary young writers.
