Happy New Year everyone! May the year 2020 bring in more blessings and adventures. May the new decade be filled with abundance and love.

Christmas and New Year was a bit solemn for us because my brother-in-law had to be admitted to the hospital. What we suspected as just a spike in blood sugar and a slight stroke turned out to be a tumor in the brain which is blocking the fluids from draining and is growing near the brain stem. He had to undergo an operation immediately than risk a coma. Thankfully, we were able to borrow money for the operation. He was operated on the 26th to put a shank on his brain to drain the fluids and to lessen the building pressure. Another operation will be performed in a few days to remove the tumor which is benign and is just level one when tumors are concerned. Apparently, there are four levels or stages. At least, that's one thing we are thankful for and that we found it early, least he would just drop down into a coma while in the loo. That's how critical the situation would have been. We continue to pray that the next operation would be as smooth and there would be no complications and that he would make a faster full recovery. So, for those who will be reading this, please help pray for my brother-in-law. Thank you in advance.

When I chose this story as the first story to be reviewed for 2020, I did not have any conscious reason except that this should have been reviewed last year. After telling you about what our Christmas and New Year's celebration were like, I realized that this book has a lot of relevance to our experience mostly because the story is about a doctor. So, my telling you about my brother-in-law's case is actually a good introduction to this story or about the main character - Dr. Hayden Luschcombe.

Hayden is a very skilled pediatrician. He can easily spot things that most doctors would miss, thus is a very valuable asset to the hospital he works for. But after a very painful betrayal of his wife, he lost his cool while attending to a burned child at the emergency room and had an altercation with the child's father. He was suspended and might lose his license to practice. It was like Hayden's whole world came crushing down on him. His marriage is in shambles after he caught his wife cheating and now his career is lost as well. Worst, he had nowhere to go. No friends to find solace or comfort. His last and only resort was to go back to the one and only other place he knew - Walhalla. His hometown.

I had to reread the earlier parts of this story that led to Hayden's misfortunes. I had to make sure I had it right. What was imprinted in my consciousness was the part where Hayden spent in Walhalla after he lucked out, which is probably most of the story and the most amazing part. It turned out, life has a way of working out and for Hayden, it was Walhalla. Walhalla, along with its very kind-hearted people, had helped Hayden get back on his feet and rediscover his first love - woodworking. Aside from being a very good doctor, Hayden is a very skilled wood worker. It was in Walhalla where he found the strength and the inspiration to get his hands working again and create wooden masterpieces. It was also the place where he comes to terms with his past and his present and eventually, consider plans for his future.

Aside from Hayden, the two other inspiring characters in this story are the mother and daughter pair - Isabelle and Genevieve Sampi. Isabelle is a very talented baker. She could bake delicious and mouth-watering goodies. While reading this book, I could imagine the delicious aroma of bread baking and I can't help but miss the relaxing and uplifting mood baking brings to me. It's a very good form of stress relief which I have missed badly. I haven't done a lot of baking lately. But last New Year's eve, I got to relive the high of baking again because my sister asked me to make a banana cake when she saw that we had too many bananas that had gone too ripe. They were leftover from the hospital given by friends who visited.

One very memorable scene in this story is how Hayden and Genevieve first met. It was a very hilarious one. The pint sized Genevieve packed a very mean kick and Hayden's unfortunate groin could attest to that. Also, Genevieve is deaf. She was so surprised that the doc is really good at sign language. These three souls (Isabelle, her daughter and the doc) turned out to find solace in each other and fixed whatever is broken within themselves. As fate would have it, Walhalla is definitely the "Valley of the Gods" as it is called because these three people have found the healing they needed to start life over.

This is a very touching story which tugged at my heart in so many different ways. I emphatized with Hayden. With him losing it and going ballistic with the parent was to me a very classic human reaction. I can understand his frustration and if I were in his place, I would have done the same thing. I would have creamed that abusive father till he admits to what he did to his own child. But then, society and values require us to be the bigger man, damn it! To be rational in a very frustrating situation. What the heck, right? But then, with the doc ending up in Walhalla, a place where he remembered he was loved, was a way for him to find hope once again.

Love, hope and that dreams do come through if you work hard enough, are the main themes of this story. In spite of the very unlucky start of Hayden, with his marriage and career ending, he found comfort and hope in the welcoming and very kind arms of Walhalla. He then resolved to fixed his messes, starting with his parents' cottage. I guess, for some of us, whose issues aren't as tangible or the damage can't be literally fixed or put back together, we have to start the healing with the things that we can manually do something about. With Hayden, it was the cottage, then his dad's last wood work and then when he felt better enough about himself, he started fixing his life. The story tells us to take one thing at a time because to take on everything at once is too overwhelming. Instead of making things better, we may end up doing more damage. No one came back from the ashes in one go. Even the phoenix requires time to build strength and start the embers before rising to its rebirth. One step at a time because healing is gradual. It doesn't take overnight. It's a slow process. For others, much slower, depending on the person's drive to make things better and how much the emotional, physical and mental damage is. And it doesn't hurt also to have people who believe in you. That no matter how much you messed up, they believe that you can pull through because they've seen you when you were at your best. They have faith that you are a lot bigger than your messes. You can be better. You can do a lot better.

I give this book 5/5 doctor's bag. It's a very good story of starting over and doing what we truly love. And it couldn't be just one thing but we could be passionate about many things. Just like Hayden, he doesn't have to choose between being a wood craftsman and a doctor, he could be both. He could do well with a chisel and a stethoscope. He's skilled at those two things. He could heal people with compassion and create works of art with wood with a passion. He could be an artisan doctor. He only has to be reminded of the joy that woodworking brings to him and from there he could feel better. To learn to forgive himself and start over. With that in mind, I hope that whatever our misses in 2019, we leave it there. We start over this year just like Doc Hayden, Isabelle and Genevieve and make a better life than the one we had the previous year or the years before that. To just aim to be better. Cheers to new beginnings and to living life with a passion and living our passions. If you have not found your passion or anything that makes you feel so alive, then find it!

What we were as children doesn't necessarily translate to the people we are now.
- Dean Mayes, The Artisan Heart -

Thank you again Dean Mayes and Netgalley for the review copy. Sorry, this review took a whole year to come out. Happy New Year!

Beautiful and well written. I loved the story and definitely recommend this book. It is very captivating.

Dean Mayes has outdone himself. This was such a touching, beautiful story. Highly recommend, Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Hayden Luschcombe is a brilliant paediatrician living in Adelaide with his wife Bernadette, an ambitious event planner. His life consists of soul-wrenching days at the hospital and tedious evenings attending the lavish parties organized by Bernadette. When an act of betrayal coincides with a traumatic confrontation, Hayden flees Adelaide, his life in ruins. His destination is Walhalla, nestled in Australia’s southern mountains, where he finds his childhood home falling apart. With nothing to return to, he stays, and begins to pick up the pieces of his life by fixing up the house his parents left behind. A chance encounter with a precocious and deaf young girl introduces Hayden to Isabelle Sampi, a struggling artisan baker. While single-handedly raising her daughter, and trying to resurrect a bakery, Isabelle has no time for matters of the heart. Yet the presence of the handsome doctor challenges her resolve. Likewise, Hayden, protective of his own fractured heart, finds something in Isabelle that awakens dormant feelings of his own. As their attraction grows, and the past threatens their chance at happiness, both Hayden and Isabelle will have to confront long-buried truths if they are ever to embrace a future.
This was a pretty good read. It is a story about two good people rebuilding their crap lives. It’s pretty straight-forward, you know what’s going to happen, but it is well-written. I recommend.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Did not finish. Did not connect with the characters or the storyline. Main character was too perfect. Just not for me.

A lovely story, evocative and contemplative, about loss, betrayal and new love. Dr. Hayden Luschcombe is a gifted physician, dedicated to his work, and sensitive to his wife’s demands. In trying to comply with his job’s demands, he frequently fails his wife, and is torn apart. I could tell from the first moment that his life was in shambles and his wife was not an understanding woman, appreciative of such a talented husband. Bernadette was a self-involved woman, with a demanding job as an event planner, and she expected her husband, an emergency physician, to be available to assist to all her events. Never mind that there may be lives to save!

An act of betrayal completely upends his life and he flees to his childhood town in Walhalla, where he finds the cottage where he lived as a child to be in sad disrepair. He is still torn by the loss of his parents, he’s melancholic in a house full of memories, not all of them happy. Yet, Hayden wants to honor his parents, so he starts working on repairing and bringing the cottage to its glory days.

Isabelle Sampi is running away from a violent past, and is working hard to bring her grandparents’ bakery to life. She has a precious seven year old little girl, Genevieve, who is deaf and a happily adapted girl, loved by everyone in the little town. She used to bully Hayden when they were kids and she spent summers in town.

I think Hayden first fell in love with Genie because she was so full of life and personality. They made good friends and then Hayden fell for Isabelle. I liked this couple because Hayden is the soft one, a curious, inventive scholar who tackles all the chores he faces using his brilliant mind and investigative personality. His manner is mild, well-mannered, considerate and kind. I loved him. Isabelle is more assertive, yet she comes to depend on Hayden for support and help on renovating the bakery. Their path to love moves slowly, strongly supported by Genie until their past explodes into the scene and threatens to tear them apart.

The setting of this book happens in a little town in Walhalla, full of good people who help each other. Max and Annette, Hayden’s parents’ best friends, are a column of support for both Hayden and Isabelle and love Genie like a grandchild. The feeling of a little town with lots of townfolk greeting and helping each other is very comforting. When the worst happens, they gather forces and get into action to help, no holds barred. The book starts slow and picks up speed until the dramatic finale. A very entertaining read, comforting and sweet.

The Artisan Heart is a breath of fresh air. I absolutely loved this book. I couldn't put it down and was sad to see it end. The writing is so good. It'll suck you into the story. It's told in multiple POV's and it's clear when the viewpoint changes. The story flows seamlessly and will keep you engaged.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this novel.

I really enjoyed this heart warming novel set between Adelaide amd Walhalla., particularly the contrasts between city and small town life, as well as relationship values. I loved the transformation of the main characters.

A wonderful book to curl up with.

I give this book 3.5 stars

Even though this book is a little predictable, it's a wonderful read. Hayden, a doctor short on sleep and a wife who is cold and involved in her own life loses it one night in the ER and attacks a father who has burned his young baby. He heads home and finds his wife in bed with another man and decides to head to his family home in Walhalla. He meets Isabelle and her young deaf daughter, Genevieve. She's just opened a bakery and is working hard to make a living. The two bond but both have people from their past show up to derail their friendship. A page turner for sure, even if you can guess the outcome, it's well worth your time. A realistic look into the rural life in Australia. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a lovely book. Sweet, comforting and feel-good. It is a good book for those times when you need to read something that will just make you feel good.

This is the first book from this author that I have read and I will definitely be looking out for his others.

Hayden Luschcombe a successful ER paediatrician, losers everything in one night. With a broken relationship and a medical suspension overhanging his head, he retreats to the town he grew up in. Is the small high country town of Walhalla the place where he can find himself again?
I really enjoyed this book, it was a gentle story of healing and accepting love again. I loved the small community of Walhalla, with it’s diverse characters and acceptance of each other. The book also touches lightly on domestic violence and child abuse but it’s more about the resilience of those effected and the opportunities they make with their life.
If you’re looking for an easy feel good novel, with a small touch of suspense I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this novel. I have read the authors previous novel ‘The Recipient’ and these two couldn’t be more different but both very good.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read.

I really enjoyed this, it had drama, romance and suspense and I found it hard to put down. I liked the way the two main characters Hayden and Isabelle helped each other to heal from past trauma. It was a really lovely story that kept me hoping for good outcomes to the different events that led them to the township of Walhalla. I also hoped that Haydens wife would get what she deserved. The township of Walhalla was just the sort of place I could imagine going to to get over my own problems, full of interesting and supportive characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars--THE ARTISAN HEART by Dean Mayes is an adult, contemporary, stand alone romance story line focusing on ER paediatrician Dr. Hayden Luschcombe, and artisan baker Isabelle Sampi.

Told from third person perspective THE ARTISAN HEART, set in the small Australian town of Walhalla, follows Dr. Hayden Luschcombe in the wake of both personal and professional disasters. On forced leave from the hospital, Hayden returns to his hometown, searching for the peace that has long eluded our story line hero. An easy-going and well-respected paediatrician, Hayden Luschcombe, is lost and struggles to make sense of where it all went wrong. A welcome home by the locals is met with disdain by artisan baker Isabelle Sampi, a woman Hayden remembers from his childhood days. What ensues is the building relationship between Hayden and Isabelle, and the potential fall-out as Isabelle’s past comes looking for revenge, and Hayden’s past comes looking for a second chance.

On the surface, Hayden Luschcombe is the perfect man with the ability to do and fix anything with exception of his personal life. Years as a doormat for his ambitious wife pushes Hayden one final time until the realization of what was, and what will never be forces our hero back home. Isabelle Sampi is a struggling, single mother to a deaf, seven-year old daughter, a precocious child who captures Hayden’s attention from the very start. Isabelle remembers Hayden from their childhood days, memories that Isabelle had hoped to forget, along with a darkened past that threatens to her present and future.

THE ARTISAN HEART is a slow building story line and thusly a slow building romance. Family secrets are revealed; the past is revisited; lies, manipulation and revenge threaten our story line couple. THE ARTISAN HEART is a predictable story of family, love, betrayal and vengeance. The colorful people of Walhalla mean well but tend to gossip and know everybody’s business. Hayden’s wife Bernadette is nothing short of bitchy and manipulative, eliciting neither sympathy nor tears for her behavior and end result. The premise is enjoyable; the romance is sweet and affectionate; the characters are broken, real and uncomplicated.

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This is a great book so many different characters but all needed not so many you lose why there in the story. You really get to escape into there lives. It all seems so real the way their relationship progress is nice to see a romance without all the sex scenes. I really think this more a romance then just a fiction book.

For the first few chapters, it was kind of hard to connect with the story as we witness the disintegration of a marriage. It makes it difficult to want to pick it up and read when you know the inevitable split is just around the corner! In the end though, it was definitely a necessary introduction, as all of the seemingly inconspicuous details of the beginning come back full circle in the end. The story truly comes alive though once Hayden travels to his childhood country home in Walhalla. It might be a small town, but it’s brimming with personality and memories from Hayden’s past, both good and tragic. It’s the one place he can escape to, and ultimately he is re-enveloped in its charm.

While the town of Walhalla was charming, it’s residents were a pure delight. This is one of those small towns where everybody knows everybody, which also means that it doesn’t take long before they all know Hayden’s business. But rather than sit back and judge, or gossip away in the shadows (which can be common of small town novels), instead we see an incredibly supportive group of townsfolk. I wouldn’t necessarily say they pity him, but rather they are saddened that something traumatic has impacted one of their own. Especially considering they all know about the sad fate which befell his parents, whom they all knew and loved.

What’s clearly evident in this read is that every detail serves a purpose to the story, and we’re presented with an extremely well thought-out sequence of events. We start with the end of a marriage, then see Hayden become reacquainted with his home town, followed by a romance with Isabelle, a suspenseful encounter with her ex-husband Mitchell, and finally the drama with his wife comes back full circle. There’s a little bit of everything! When the shady characters of Isabelle and Hayden’s pasts come to town, we question if these outside forces will succeed in breaking apart this new family we’ve come to love.

Final Impression: The novel had a bit of a rocky start as Hayden’s relationship with his wife Bernadette slowly dissolved before ending in a fiery crash and burn situation. Once he escapes to his hometown though this is when the novel truly comes alive and becomes something special. It’s a great read, with a perfect combination of romance, suspense, and starting life over after hitting rock bottom. We see this for both Hayden and Isabelle, and what makes them such strong and lovable characters was their ability to bounce back and rise up in the face of adversity. They’re admirable individuals, but as a family unit with Isabelle’s daughter, Genevieve, they are unbreakable. A great beach read for sure once you push through the somewhat depressing start.

There are so many psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators on the market these days, we forget what joy there is in reading a book that is “just” a story, a story about people at their best and worst, places, events, little joys, big tragedies, decisions, heartbreak – and love. That’s what The Artisan Heart is by Dean Mayes. “Just” a story, but so much more. And so very satisfying.

Hayden Luschcombe isn’t all that likable at the beginning of the story. In fact, he was so abrupt and such a loner that for a while I thought he might be on the autism spectrum or something. But as more is revealed, it becomes clear that he cares, he does want to engage, he ventures out and tries, exposes himself a bit, but he never quite seems to fit or meet expectations so he pulls back. We learn that he has a long history of feeling rejected and misunderstood and foolish, hapless and hopeless, and nothing seems to be changing. Instead, his life has just gotten dramatically worse. Which is sad, because Hayden is a sweet, talented, generous man with quite the romantic nature.

Hayden escapes to his childhood home in the former gold mining town of Walhalla, Australia to try and put his life back together. Or to at least hide out until things don’t feel so raw. Even though many of his own memories aren’t that happy, he is welcomed back to Walhalla; everyone remembers him so fondly.

As he begins to repair his parents’ home he meets Genevieve, a precocious little deaf girl, and The Artisan Heart takes off from there. Turns out Genevieve’s mother is Isabelle – no happy childhood memories for Hayden there. Turns out Isabelle has some history of her own. But can things change? Is a happy future possible?

The Artisan Heart is an enchanting story, with a strong, smooth-flowing plot and characters that will keep you turning pages. The village of Walhalla is so interesting it’s like another character in the book. But all is not small town charm. People have secrets and bad things happen. There is suspense and drama and danger and mystery. But throughout it all there is heart.

I unexpectedly received an ARC of The Artisan Heart from the publisher. Dean Mayes was a new-to-me author, but this most definitely will not be the only book of his I read. The Artisan Heart is a marvelous, touching, warm story. As I neared the end I was torn between wanting to know how things would be resolved and wanting to stay in Walhalla forever with Hayden, Isabelle, Genevieve, Max, Annette and everyone else. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I was not asked or required to provide a review and all opinions are my own.

After disciplinary action at work and his marriage falling apart Hayden feels his life is spiralling out of control. He needed time to think and contemplate his future. With no family and no real friends in Adelaide he decides to return to his home town of Walhalla, in country Victoria. When he returns to the town of his youth, and the dilapidated house of his deceased parents, he is welcomed back with open arms.

Soon after Hayden arrives home he meets Isabelle (Belle) who is also starting over in Walhalla. Hayden and Belle have history and the memories aren’t pleasant. However in a small town it’s very hard to avoid each other.

At the beginning of the story you may think Hayden is a bit wishy washy. Belittled by his charismatic and powerful wife; he is reserved and downtrodden coming across as awkward and aloof. Don’t let this deter you. Hayden does grow and gain self confidence. However, the confidence he lacks in love does not carry over to his professional life. He is an excellent doctor well revered by his peers.

This is a sweet romance story of two broken people finding each other and falling in love.

Mayes touches on the societal issue of child abuse with the introduction of Genevieve a 7 year old deaf child. Placing a child as one of the main characters can be quite tricky however was well executed with Genevieve never pushed to the background or forgotten.

I especially loved Mayes’ depiction of life in the small rural town. The descriptions of the town, from the local cafe to the pub, are welcoming and warm. It’s easy to fall in love with this beautiful town and its friendly, unpretentious people.

I liked how Mayes weaved the word ‘artisan’ throughout the story making it more than a title; it became the essence of the story.

The Artisan Heart is as much a story of the town and its people, banding together in a time of need, as it is about Hayden and his finding himself, reconciling with his past and embracing his future.

I read an advanced reader copy of Mayes' novel The Recipient, an intense thriller centred around a heart transplant recipient, and I loved it. It was filled with mystery suspense and drama. Could Mayes go from writing a gripping thriller to a romance? I have to be honest and say I had my doubts; but Mayes did it! The story was perfect with well crafted characters and real emotion, drama and suspense.

I have no doubt you will fall in love with Walhalla and its residents. It was hard to say goodbye to them by the end of the story.

Mayes is fast becoming one of my favourite Australian authors and I do hope he continues with the Contemporary Romance genre.

*I received an uncorrected review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

Hayden Luschcombe is a successful pediatrician working for an inner-city children’s hospital where he spends long days and nights treating his young patients. He tries to be a good and decent husband to his wife, Bernadette, but he always falls short in her eyes. Their marriage is strained to say the least. When an unfortunate incident precedes a tragic event at work, it forced Hayden to run to his childhood home in Walhalla, a quaint small town where everyone knows everyone. Here he meets a deaf child, Genevieve and her mother, Isabelle, the town baker. Could this move and the chance meeting between him and Isabelle be the start of a fresh life for Hayden?

Hayden is such an awesome character. You can see his love for his patients and the pride he takes in his work. He is a pretty brilliant doctor in his field, but where he is successful at work, his marriage is almost the opposite. He can’t seem to do anything right to please his wife, Bernadette. I feel sorry for him being married to a woman who never seems to appreciate him. Hayden is a good man and his wife is so unsupportive. When Hayden goes back to his childhood home in Walhalla, he is able to finally be himself and reconnect with the past and the troubling times he had with his father prior to his death. It is nice to see that Hayden can finally feel like a man capable of doing so many things that his wife never appreciated.

Isabelle has a tragic past. One she ran far away from. Living in Walhalla with her deaf daughter, Genevieve affords her the ability to do what she loves most, baking. She is a do-it-yourself kind of women and rarely relies on others to help her. Isabelle is a strong independent women just trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter. She is really not looking for a relationship, as her last one is the reason why she ran. When she meets Hayden, she remembers him from when they were children. Isabelle was not very nice to him back then, but he is an attractive man now. One she feels drawn to even though she doesn’t want to be.

I love stories featuring a small town where everyone knows each other and everyone is treated as family. Growing up in a city, you really do not have that here at all where I live. So, it is nice to feel all the love and warmth coming from a small town and its residents. Everyone watches out for each other. The romance between Hayden and Isabelle did not feel rushed at all. They took the time to get to know one another before taking it a step further. It is just a feel good sweet romance that I really treasured. There is some suspense thrown into the mix which I felt lent an air of believability and really progressed the story. I could feel my heart pounding as the story took a turn and I felt that it wrapped up rather nicely while staying true to the heart of the story.

The Artisan Heart is a feel good heartwarming story with characters I have grown to love. The story moves at a nice pace affording me the opportunity to really connect with each of the characters and life in a small town. It is a wonderful beach read where you can relax and enjoy entering the world of Hayden and Isabelle and rooting for their happily ever after. I also would like to add how beautiful the cover is! It is warm and inviting and gives you that small hometown feel.

The Artisan Heart by Dean Mayes

Hayden Luschombe works hard as an emergency room pediatrician in a children’s hospital in Adelaide, Australia. No matter how hard he works he seems to manage to let his wife Bernadette down. He is a skilled diagnostician who puts his tiny patients first even when it means being late to attend an event his event planning wife has asked him not to be late to. Now, having grown up in a home with an anesthesiologist father I know how difficult it can be for a doctor to carve out time for a personal life…an emergency or patient must come first. Bernadette’s inability to put her husband’s work in perspective and her being more than a little selfish led to a situation in which Hayden sees his wife for what she really is, has a bit of a meltdown at work and heads off to Walhalla to regroup.

Walhalla is a real place…I had to look it up because it sounded too good to be true. Online it looks like a beautiful remote mountain town that would be a perfect place to spend time on vacation or perhaps forever. In this town we meet a number of characters. Some were good friends of Hayden’s parents while others are newer on the scene. I can see this location being a place the author could continue a series of books should he want to. There is a sheriff that needs a partner at the minimum and perhaps there are others lurking about that could do with a bit of romance, too.

So, Hayden has turned his back on Adelaide, is fixing up the family home and is unsure of his future when he meets Genevieve. At seven she is formidable, feisty and also friendly once you get to know her. Hayden has a bit of a head start with Genie as he is already fluent in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) although their first meeting is not all that friendly. Genevieve’s mother, Isabelle, runs the bakery in town and her childhood days in town make her sound a bit of a bully…at least in regard to interactions with Hayden.

This book has small town charm with wonderful characters that provide warmth and generosity to most within. There is a romance in the making that has potential to be great or be derailed by the ex’s of both Isabelle and Hayden. I have to say that from what I read I would love to live in this small town and get to know the people who live there and no doubt become their friends. Perhaps the story has predictability but if so it has the good kind that warmed my heart and made me happy as I wished Hayden, Isabelle and Genevieve a happily ever after together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

An Australian tale of relationships, of all sorts, and the finding of your true self.
The country town setting is perfect for the book, and has a solid connection to the background of both main characters. This is a nice book and a decent story, however I didn't really connect with it. Hayden is so closed off and passive it's difficult to get a feel for his inner emotions and thoughts, with them being described more than shown. That, in turn, makes it hard to feel empathy for him, or get hooked into the story. Some of the actions of other characters don't feel authentic, either.
I found the plot somewhat predictable, and the pacing slow. It's not a bad book, but I wouldn't describe it as a page turner, more as a book to wind down with.