Great Australian author, great story that could not put down and friendships old and being renewed. Just great!

My Thoughts

‘Making Peace’ is the follow up to Fiona McCallum’s ‘Finding Hannah’ (which I have not read) and while it is a sequel, you can be assured that you will enjoy this as a standalone. This novel picks up one year after Hannah Ainsley lost her husband and parents in a tragic Christmas Day car accident. Hannah has spent the past twelve months moving through the process of grief, supported by her special group of friends.



This is the story of how Hannah has reached a point in her life where she attempts to move on. Her loss will always be felt in her heart, however, she is making a conscious decision to move on with life. You can therefore understand that this is a tale of dealing with grief and how people cope with it. Given the circumstances of Hannah’s tragic loss, I believe the central theme of this tale revolves around the capacity to forgive as the first step in moving on. The need of strong, supportive friendships is also presented as being essential. Fiona tries to stress what she calls the ‘ripple effect’ in how kind acts can be repaid over and over in others lives.

‘I think it’s good that people, especially those you care about, are using what’s happened as a catalyst for change in a good way’

If you are a person who has been struggling with loss, then you may find this tale to be a soothing balm. For me, I found it a ‘nice’ story but it does not really go anywhere. Everyone just seemed to be too nice and too accomodating, and Hannah would undoubtedly be one of the purest, kindest and most forgiving characters ever written. Yet, this may be the message Fiona is trying to convey, that to experience such a horrific loss, how does one move on? Maybe it does all come down to one’s forgiving nature to start the journey of healing and moving forward. I also struggled with the amount of (what I believe was unnecessary) dialogue even from secondary characters eg. waitresses. It just dragged the story down to discuss every little detail or thought. I disliked the whole ‘stalking’ storyline - brushed aside too quickly for my liking.

Overall, however, this is indeed a lovely and uplifting tale providing a happy closure with a strong message of being kind and forgiving.

“It’s inside you. You have to find your reason for living and making peace with it all.”



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

3.5 *** This was a nice story. I do have to say I found all the characters too nice, too helpful, too understanding, it started to get on my nerves, but that might be me, but in my experience no one is as nice as all these characters were. The story itself was enjoyable, I hadn't read the first book, Finding Hannah, but I don't think that spoiled this book in any way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin (Australia), TEEN / MIRA for a copy in return for an honest review.

Hannah Ainsley had spent the past year in a fog - the grief over losing both her parents and her husband in an accident on Christmas Day was something she didn't think she'd ever recover from. But slowly her life started to come together. Her adoption of Holly and her kittens, Lucky and Squeak had had a lot to do with that. The unconditional love from those three furry critters went a long way to helping Hannah heal.

Working with her artistic best friend Sam, who was going through troubles of her own, as well as sorting out her confused and unsettled mind once back at work had Hannah's emotions frequently up and down. But it was the meeting of someone connected to the past which had the most profound effect on her life, and the lives of Hannah's dearest friends. What would the future be for Hannah? Would she be able to move forward?

Making Peace by Aussie author Fiona McCallum is an emotional look at grief and the various ways people cope. The support of friends is vital; the attitude of the grieving person has a great impact on how that person comes out the other side. Making Peace also shows a lot about forgiveness, empathy and friendship and while it is a follow on from Finding Hannah, it has been written to be read as a stand alone. It is a two book series - The Finding Hannah series - finishing with Making Peace. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended. I also love the cover :)

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.

Really enjoyed this book. A lovely read and I willl be reading more from this author.