A Peek at my ARC Pile: Unread but Full of Promise...
And a BOOK SALE and question for my loyal subscribers.
A few months ago, I shared what the second best thing about being an author is!
Spoiler, it’s FREE books. Not only FREE books but FREE BOOKS BEFORE THEY’RE released. These are known in Australia as ARCs (short for advanced reading copy) and I get sent a LOT!
Way more than I can ever hope to read.
Despite this, I still get excited when I see book sized packages waiting on my doorstep. I’m so grateful for this opportunity. If only there were more hours in the day, days in the week, maybe I’d have a hope in hell of getting through them. But with a busy writing schedule, two podcasts (which also require reading) and family, life, etc, it’s simply impossible.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to read them, think they sound amazing and want to let all of you know about what’s coming, so without further ado, here’s a peek at my current ARC pile.
THE NANNY’S HANDBOOK TO MAGIC AND MANAGING DIFFICULT DUKES by Amy Rose Bennett
Mary Poppins meets Bridgerton in a blend of cosy fantasy, historical romance and humour, as a recently graduated nanny finds her supernatural abilities are little help when it comes to falling for the shy, mysterious inventor who happens to be her employer. For readers of Heather Fawcett, India Holton and Freya Marske.
London, 1851: Emmeline Chase, 25-year-old widow and recent graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses, is more high-spirited than her peers would like. Few graduates, however, could turn a mismanaged teleportation onto a duke’s rooftop into an offer of employment.
Emmeline will need every trick in her nanny’s handbook to manage eccentric horologist Xavier Mason, Duke of St Lawrence, and his three rambunctious wards. Xavier’s wards have already sent two nannies packing thanks to frogs, firecrackers and general mayhem. And the duke has his own fair share of quirks, requiring absolute peace to work on his design for a clock to grace London’s Westminster Palace.
Emmeline is determined to restore order, but someone seems intent on sabotaging the duke’s plans. As she and Xavier work to identify the saboteur, Emmeline finds herself drawn to him, even though the nanny’s handbook forbids fraternising with employers. But she’s fairly sure the duke is falling under her spell, too…
How good does this sound? They had me at Mary Poppins!!!
COCKATOO CAVE by Maya Linnell
Maggie West has worked tirelessly to prove herself, establishing a successful cattle stud instead of following her father into the crayfishing industry, though it's never enough to stop local speculation about her family's holdings. And with her teenage daughter veering off the rails, she knows all too well that money doesn't provide immunity against heartache or hardship.
Since landing in South Australia's picturesque Limestone Coast, Scottish winemaker Fergus Abernathy has gone from strength to strength. But it isn't just the awards that are keeping him in the district; if he can put down roots, perhaps he can persuade his family to join him Down Under.
Missing his family back in Scotland, Fergus looks a little enviously at the close-knit West family, until a shocking phone call changes everything.
Misunderstandings and long-withheld secrets create roadblocks for Maggie and Fergus, and with a community fundraiser hanging in the balance, it seems they're never destined to be in the right place at the right time.
Set in stunning wine country with border collies, rugged coastlines and generous community spirit, Cockatoo Cove is an exceptional tale showcasing the richness of life on the land.
While I haven’t read this one, I have read plenty of Maya’s other books and I’m sure this one will be as warm and wonderful as the others.
A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY by Jennifer Trevelyan
In the past we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother's preference. This year was different . . .
As the summer holiday stretches ahead, with her older sister more interested in boys, her mother disappearing on long walks and her father, beer in hand, watching the cricket, the youngest in the family often finds herself alone.
At the beach, she meets Kahu, a boy who tells her a tragic story about a little girl who disappeared a couple of years ago, presumed drowned. Suddenly, the summer has purpose-they will find the missing girl and become local heroes.
Between dips in the ocean, afternoon barbecues and lazy sunbaking, their detective work brings to the surface shocking discoveries and dark secrets, even about her own beautiful family . . .
Jennifer Trevelyan magnificently captures the confusion and frustration of childhood, the fraught but unshakeable bond between sisters, and the dangers that lurk in the white lies we tell-especially about the people we love most.
I’ve been excited to read this since it was first announced, so fingers crossed I get to it soon!
FANGS FOR NOTHING by Steffanie Holmes
A cosy paranormal romance featuring a grumpy vampire and sunshine human, a meddling book club, a compelling murder mystery – and endless cups of tea.
Lord Alaric Valerian has a problem. His mother is visiting his castle for the first time, but she doesn’t know that Alaric has filled every room with centuries of his artistic projects.
Desperate, he hires professional organiser Winnie Preston to help him tame the mess. Yet Alaric isn’t prepared for bubbly, passionate Winnie to show up at his castle – she sets his fangs on edge, but the more he works with her, the more he wishes she could be his.
To complicate things further, Alaric’s mother arrives with a surprise in tow: a bride. Shocked and dismayed, Alaric convinces Winnie to pretend to be his fiancée to avoid the dreaded union. What could go wrong? For one thing, Winnie still doesn’t know Alaric’s a vampire, and for another, Winnie’s meddling book club suspects Alaric of a mysterious murder in the village.
Will their maybe-not-so-fake relationship survive once Winnie discovers the monster that lurks beneath his fangs?
While not my usual genre, I’m SO here for the grumpy sunshine, book club and mystery element.
WHAT DID I MISS? by Holly Brunnbauer
Married young. Finally divorced. Turning thirty ... A witty rom-com for all fans of Sally Thorne and Beth O'Leary.
Makayla has many regrets: a Chiko Roll impulse buy, not visiting the Big Pineapple and marrying her high-school dud.
Now, newly divorced, determined to hold on to her independence and facing the Big Three-O, Makayla makes a list of all the things she missed out on while her friends were single and running amok in their twenties.
But when her one-night stand turns up again, and a revenge plot on her ex spirals out of control, she has to decide if some things are worth missing. And if Makayla can't sort herself out before her birthday, she might face the biggest regret of her life.
A fresh and feisty romantic comedy about what happens when you meet someone special before truly knowing yourself.
This sounds like it’s a hoot and Holly is a debut author, so it’s a priority for me!
LESSONS IN LOVE AT THE SEASIDE SALON by
Four women. Four loves. Four life-changing stories. At a little salon by the sea - on the windblown coast of 1980s Australia - four different women with intertwined lives will find themselves through love, heartbreak and learning to love again.
Lost love: Trudy, 57, owns Summertime Salon in the sun-soaked Central Coast town of Terrigal. She loves her job and her clients. Her colours, perms and Princess Di cuts bring joy and confidence to regulars and tourists alike. But since Laurie died, life hasn't been the same.
Love on the rocks: Anna, 42, brings her mother to Summertime Salon every Monday morning but never gets her own hair done. With two children and an absent husband, she doesn't have time for vanity. When Anna kicks Gary out, will she also rediscover the joys of caring for herself, starting with highlights?
Unrequited love: Hairdresser Evie, 33, has never had much luck with men. As a single mother, love is the last thing on her mind. Then, new hire Sam joins the salon - he's handsome and kind, and he and Evie hit it off immediately. But is their relationship all that it seems?
First love: Apprentice Josie, 19, is seeking independence. She's determined to make her own way in the world, especially when she meets sweet surfer and mechanic Brett, who she can't quite believe is silly over her. How long can she keep him a secret from her overprotective parents?
Uplifting and heartwarming, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon follows four women on their journeys for love - in all its beautiful and bittersweet forms. Sophie Green is the bestselling author of The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle and Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society.
I remember when Soph first decided to write this so I’m very excited to read it and I definitely WILL because we’ll be chatting about it on our pod, Dear Rach and Soph.
THE GOOD LOSERS by Meg Bignell
The heartfelt and hilarious new novel from the bestselling author of The Angry Women’s Choir.
Callie March is fascinated by human absurdity, including the habits of the upper class. So when she pushes her screen-addicted teenage son to join a local rowing club, she is thrilled to discover a whole new world of odd behaviours, irrational obsessions and riverside rooting.
Thrust into a support crew and a very silly uniform, Callie has inadvertently volunteered for a season of pre-dawn parenting, endless fundraising, and pandering to insufferable dickheads. But she also finds friendship, intrigue and lust, while her son might just find love.
Callie is torn between enchantment and repulsion, until a trail of corruption and scandal leads to deep suspicion. There’s something fishy in the rowing shed, and Callie is determined to find out what lurks behind the closed doors of this sports club. In doing so, she will rock the boat – or better still, capsize it altogether.
This novel is set in northern Tasmania. It contains profundity, profanity, heart-ache, bum chafe, terrible winners and very good losers.
Another one I’ll definitely be reading because it’s our October book in the Rachael Johns’ Book Club.
THE MIDNIGHT ESTATE by Kelly Rimmer
A haunting mystery of a family's darkest secrets from the worldwide bestselling Australian author.
In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate. Intent on restoring it - despite her mother's objections - she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated country mansion. Beneath the crumbling plaster are secrets that have been buried for a generation.
When a book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own life - a story of love, loss and betrayal. She dismisses the similarities as coincidence, but as she's drawn deeper into the story, the lines between fiction and reality blur, and Fiona must ask herself: how well does she know her family?
A gothic epic that spans generations, Kelly Rimmer weaves a tale as immersive as Kate Morton's Homecoming, inviting readers into the heart of a family's darkest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery.
Kelly is a must-read author for me so VERY excited to get this!
But, is TBR overwhelm a thing?! As my mantra seems to be ‘Too many books, too little time,’ we’ve just added a t-shirt with these exact words to my shop!
I’ve been considering how often I should send this newsletter and would love your help to shape future editions. Please vote in the poll below.
Weekly: what I’ve been doing for a while.
Fortnightly: one update and recommendations newsletter and one random post about writing, books, life, etc.
Three times a month: beginning of month update and recommendations, middle of month random post, and end of month Backlist Book Club.
Thanks in advance for reading Seaside Salon ❤️
Ok so now I want to read all these too ...although I already have Cockatoo Cove as am going to see Maya!!! I have a love/hate relationship with our reading club as soooo many amazing books and authors and not enough time!