We’ve officially crossed the middle part of the year and I am TIRED.
After a full week of work, and social engagements, and general life maintenance I am, simply put, exhausted. All I want to do is spend an entire day in bed, treating myself to great romance reads and endless cups of tea.
If, like me, you wish to take some R&R time this weekend, whether it be simply a long bath, an early bedtime, or an entire day in bed, we have the perfect reads for you!
What Love Sounds Like by Alissa Callen
Outback speech pathologist Mia Windsor believes her morning from hell is over. Then suited-up city boy Kade Reid strides into her office and announces he and his wide-eyed niece are the clients that she will be living with for the fortnight.
Kade Reid adheres to a single edict – money is as important as breathing. But when he becomes an instant father to four-year-old Tilly, he escapes to the only place he was allowed to be a child…the family property of Berrilea.
As Mia and Kade work together to help Tilly overcome her speech delay, can they face their fears in order to give Tilly the family she so desperately needs?
Cowboy Of Interest by Carla Cassidy
Cowboy turns murder suspect!
Determined to see ranch hand Nick Coleman jailed for her sister’s murder, Adrienne Bailey introduces herself with a quick jab that leaves him black-eyed and bewildered. Still, the injured cowboy wants to prove his innocence and suggests they work together to find the real killer. Reluctantly, the grieving sister agrees.
As other credible suspects emerge, Adrienne’s distrust of Nick turns to a surprising attraction. He’s too handsome and one night of passion awakens unfamiliar emotions for them both. But until they catch the killer plaguing the ranch, neither she nor Nick is safe.
Deep Diving by Cate Ellink
From Cate Ellink comes a sun–soaked, sandy, seaside erotic novel about a tropical paradise, two athletes used to getting physical, and a sex–filled, no–strings holiday fling.
Samantha is celebrating her newly retired status from competitive triathlons with a diving holiday in her favourite place in the world: Australia’s Lord Howe Island. But all divers need a buddy, and Sam can’t dive solo. A chance meeting with rugby league superstar Cooper Sterling in the dive shop seems serendipitous. Sam can’t wait to have a partner who might be able to keep up with her.
It soon becomes evident that Cooper and Sam are compatible both in and out of the water, and things gets seriously sexy. But Sam is disinclined to be another football groupie, and Cooper has been burned before. So the rules are clear: a holiday fling, no strings attached, and they part as friends at the end.
But as the final days of their time together come to a close and a life apart becomes a reality, Sam and Cooper start to question their decision. Is this holiday fling really the finish line or can Sam and Cooper turn their friendly competition into more than sizzling sex?
Daughter Of The Murray by Darry Fraser
A fast-paced historical romance adventure, set on the mighty Murray River in the 1890s with a flawed but loveable heroine.
1890s, River Murray, Northern Victoria
Georgina Calthorpe is unhappy living with her indifferent foster family the MacHenry’s in their crumbling house on the banks of the River Murray.
Unlike the rest of the family, she isn’t looking forward to the return of prodigal son Dane. With good reason. Dane MacHenry is furious when on his return he finds his homestead in grave decline. Unaware that his father has been drinking his way through his inheritance, he blames Georgina and Georgina decides she has no option but to leave. Unfortunately she chooses Dane’s horse to flee on, and when Dane learns she has stolen his prized stallion, he gives chase.
From this point their fates become intertwined with that of a businessman with a dark secret, Conor Foley, who offers Georgina apparent security: a marriage with status in the emerging nouveau–riche echelons of Melbourne. But none of them could imagine the toll the changing political and social landscape would have on homes, hearts and families.
Will Georgina’s path lead her into grave danger and unhappiness, or will she survive and fulfil her destiny?
Fair Game by Amy Andrews
Darcy Clarke
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to play for the Brisbane Banshees in the new Women’s Aussie Rules league. I think I’ve proved that given that I’m willing to put up with the coach being my ex, Tony. He may have stomped over my heart, but I’ve moved on, and I’m focused on my team. I don’t need any men in my life–apart from Levi, of course, my roommate, and friend. And my saviour, now that I’ve corked my thigh in our first game, and need his sports massage skills to get me back on the field. What I feel when Levi touches me … is making things very complicated.
Levi
Darcy was always my best friend’s girl–Tony’s girl. Two years on and she still doesn’t know how I’ve felt all this time. There’s no way I’m leaving her in pain when I can fix her injury and get her back to playing the sport she loves. No matter how much touching her makes me want to make her mine at last. Finally, I’ve got a bit of hope–the last thing we need is Tony suddenly deciding he wants to take Darcy back after all…
Beached by Ros Baxter
When the clerk at a burger joint is assaulted for trying to sell a fish burger to a hot blonde, it’s just the beginning of a clash between Land and Sea. The world is going mad, and Princess Lecanora is on a special mission to stop it. There are just a few complications…
First, life on the land is a bit harder to adjust to than expected, what with the wearing of clothing and the consuming of delicious (but pointless) calories. Second, the most evil magician the world has ever seen wants her as his bride – consensually or otherwise. Finally, a completely inappropriate gun–toting mercenary who goes against every one of her pacifist principles keeps rocking her world.
As the forces of darkness gather, Lecanora must come to terms with the lengths she will go to in order to save the sea home she has always known, and the land she has come to love.
Drawing Closer by Jenny Schwartz
A story about taking love off the page and into real–life…
Zoe Loyola is keeping a secret between her and her sketchbook. She loves sculptor Nick Gordon. Her drawings of him are hot…and naked!
Nick has a secret, too. He’s being blackmailed. Protecting his family means ignoring his desire for Zoe.
But in the world of art, passion breaks every rule and secrets are made for sharing.
Gallipoli Street by Mary-Anne O’Connor
An Anzac tale of three families whose destinies are entwined by war, tragedy and passion.
At 17, Veronica O’Shay is happier running wild on the family farm than behaving in the ladylike manner her mother requires, and she despairs both of her secret passion for her brother’s friend Jack Murphy and what promises to be a future of restraint and compliance.
But this is 1913 and the genteel tranquillity of rural Beecroft is about to change forever as the O’Shay and Murphy families, along with their friends the Dwyers, are caught up in the theatre of war and their fates become intertwined.
From the horrors of Gallipoli to the bloody battles of the Somme, through love lost and found, the Great Depression and the desperate jungle war along the Kokoda Track, this sprawling family drama brings to life a time long past… a time of desperate love born in desperate times and acts of friendship against impossible odds.
A love letter to Australian landscape and character, Gallipoli Street celebrates both mateship and the enduring quality of real love. But more than that, this book shows us where we have come from as a nation, by revealing the adversity and passions that forged us.
A stunning novel that brings to life the love and courage that formed our Anzac tradition.
When We Found Home by Susan Mallery
Life is meant to be savoured, but that’s not easy with no family, limited prospects and a past you’d rather not talk about.
Callie Smith doesn’t know how to feel when she discovers she has a brother and a sister – Malcolm, who grew up with affection, wealth and privilege, and Keira, a streetwise twelve–year–old. Callie doesn’t love being alone, but at least it’s safe. Despite her trepidation, she moves into the grand family home with her siblings and grandfather on the shores of Lake Washington, hoping just maybe this will be the start of a whole new life.
But starting over can be messy. Callie and Keira fit in with each other, but not with their posh new lifestyle, leaving Malcolm feeling like the odd man out in his own home. He was clever enough to turn a sleepy Seattle mail–order food catalogue into an online gourmet powerhouse, yet he can’t figure out how to help his new sisters feel secure. Becoming a family will take patience, humour, a little bit of wine and a whole lot of love. But love isn’t Malcolm’s strong suit…until a beautiful barista teaches him that an open heart, like the family table, can always make room for more.
In this emotional, funny and heartfelt story, Susan Mallery masterfully explores the definition of a modern family – blended by surprise, not by choice – and how those complicated relationships can add unexpected richness to life.
Back To The Country by Mandy Magro
Set in the heart of the Australian countryside comes a compelling romance with a touch of mystery from bestselling author Mandy Magro.
Country singer Indigo Nash has it all, except love …
At the height of her musical career, Indigo should be nothing but happy. But Indi is disillusioned with show business, finding herself depressed and lonely. When she reaches breaking point, a simple life back in the country begins to beckon her. But the demons left lingering in the shadows from a childhood trauma follow her, and nightmares of that fateful night plague her … Can she unearth the truth of her family’s deep dark secrets?
For two years Harley Knight has travelled the world with Indi as her bodyguard. She’s a stubborn woman who drives him nuts, but also, in her vulnerable moments, shows him a side of herself he secretly loves and always has since they were teenagers. When she hits rock bottom, he convinces her to return with him back to their hometown of Kuranda and stay at his property, where Harley hopes the peaceful landscape will give her the time and space she needs to heal.
With these precious few weeks, can he show her what she’s missing by constantly running away, or is time to let her go?
Don’t Let Me Forget by Belinda Williams
Would you remember the face of a killer?
After divorcing the heir to a media fortune, Juliet Temple chose to keep her high-profile surname to grow her elite event planning business. But when a young woman is found dead and Juliet is drugged at her latest celebrity party, not even the Temple name can protect her. Unable to remember what happened that night, Juliet finds herself in serious danger.
Juliet retreats to the Hunter Valley, where she becomes Jet Appleton, Rhodes Family Estate’s wedding organiser. Martin Rhodes, winemaker and former detective, is tasked with watching over her, but his son, Dan, knows nothing of Jet’s true identity–which is a problem because he’s the sort of man who deserves her honesty.
As the dark ties holding her to Sydney close in, Jet begins to see her old life–including her controlling ex-husband–in a whole new light. Jet’s longing to return to Sydney is proving to be a dangerous desire, and so are her growing feelings for Dan. But not as dangerous as the killer, who is still watching her every move . . .
Claiming His Hidden Heir by Carol Marinelli
“Did you forget to tell me about my baby?”
Buttoned-up PA Cecelia Andrews’s resignation released her secret raw desire for her demanding playboy boss, Luka Kargas. One year after his callous dismissal, Cecelia’s hiding an even greater secret—their daughter! She’ll never let coldhearted Luka make her daughter feel unwanted. But when Luka uncovers her deceit, there’s no escaping the consequences of her passionate surrender…
The Laird Of Blackloch by Amy Rose Bennett
Revenge might be sweet, but love is far sweeter…
Following the Battle of Culloden, Alexander MacIvor returns to his ancestral home, Blackloch Castle, only to find the Earl of Tay, chief of the rival Clan Campbell, has laid waste to everything he holds dear. In the face of such devastation, Alex seems doomed to live the life of a fugitive Jacobite…until a stroke of good luck allows him to escape the Highlands and begin again.
Years later, styling himself as a wealthy Englishman, Alexander reclaims his forfeited estate, becoming the new Laird of Blackloch. But it’s not nearly enough to quell his thirst for vengeance. Hell–bent on destroying Lord Tay, he single–mindedly sets about driving his nemesis to bankruptcy. When he learns the earl intends to marry the very beautiful English heiress, Miss Sarah Lambert, thus escaping penury, he devises a devious plan: kidnap Miss Lambert and ransom her to hasten Tay’s ruin.
When Sarah Lambert learns Lord Tay is not the man she thought he was during a masquerade ball in Edinburgh, she is devastated. Reeling from her discovery, things go from bad to worse when a mysterious yet charming guest by the name of Alexander Black turns out to be a true devil in disguise. Abducted and whisked way into the wild Highlands by Black, Sarah is imprisoned in a remote, island–bound tower. Refusing to be a pawn in Black’s diabolical plan for revenge, she determines that somehow, some way, she will regain her freedom. If only she could unlock Black’s secrets…
Living in such close quarters, Alexander quickly discovers the spirited Sarah is more than a match for him, and even the best laid plans can go awry when passion flares and the spark of love threatens to revive his long–dead heart. When the shadows of the past begin to gather, will Alexander and Sarah find their way forward…or will the threatening darkness destroy them both?
Lying In Wait by Diane Hester
No one else believes there’s a murderer out there…
Grieving widow Andy Vaughn has struggled to get back to the real world after her husband’s sudden death. But her son needs her, and when a terrifying encounter with a snake reveals unknown skills, the American expat feels alive for the first time in years. She’s going to leave behind her career as a science teacher and instead start training as a national park ranger with a specialty in snake handling. There have been a high number of brown snake incidents in their small community over the last few months, and Port Matthews desperately needs an experienced snake handler on the Parks and Wildlife team.
But with two deaths and several close calls in only a matter of weeks, is the increased snake activity just an unusual spike? Or is something more sinister going on? New cop in town Dev certainly thinks something isn’t quite right, but nobody is going to believe the city cop with a chequered past. With growing suspicions that a serial killer might be out there using snakes as a weapon, Dev is going to need to find proof — and fast. Because the serial killer has a new victim in his sights, and she might just be the beautiful snake handler Dev is fast falling in love with.
Having Her Boss’s Baby by Susan Mallery
Don’t miss this fan favourite from No.1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery!
The last thing Devlin Hunter expects is to find himself in a marriage of convenience. But he just wants to do the right thing for Noelle Hunter, a young woman who has just lost everything at the worst possible time. He certainly didn’t anticipate that his beautiful bride would be the one to capture his heart…
Shanahan’s Revenge by Julie Mac
What happens when you fall in love with your worst enemy?
When the CEO of one of New Zealand’s biggest companies steps down, heir apparent Kate McPherson and Australian outsider Sam Shanahan are left fighting for control of McPherson & Co.
But Sam hasn’t just travelled to New Zealand for business. He’s there to avenge the wrongs done to his mother three decades ago, and he’s determined that no one–especially not his beautiful arch rival–will get in his way.
Poised to take over the company from her father, Kate has fought hard for her success and will do anything to defeat the stranger who’s after her job–no matter how strong the chemistry between them.
Sam and Kate are driven apart by ambition and drawn together by fiery attraction. And between them sizzles a family secret that threatens to blow Kate’s world apart.
Home At Last by Meredith Appleyard
Flying solo can be harder than it looks … A warm-hearted rural romance about finding your way home.
Flying solo for the first time had been the greatest high of Anna Kelly’s life. So when the chance of a dream job as a pilot with the Royal Flying Doctor Service comes up she takes it, even though she has to leave her home in Adelaide and move to remote Broken Hill – a place she had hoped she would never see again.
The bad memories the town provokes remind Anna why she keeps men at arm’s length but as her work proves fulfilling, her housemate becomes a friend and a warm community grows around her, Anna is surprised to discover that Broken Hill is starting to feel like home.
But there is no such thing as plain sailing and with errant mothers, vengeful ex-patients and determined exes on the prowl, life is becoming increasingly complicated. More than that, the distractingly attractive Flight Nurse Nick Harrison seems keen to get to know her better, and he has a way of finding a path through her defences. But will he still want her if the truth comes out?
Happy reading!