Absolutely loved this debut novel. From the opening pages Lisa was a likeable character, I could relate to the birthday party chaos, and was hooked. When a party guest is left behind at Ava’s birthday party, I kept the pages turning to discover Why would a mother leave their child with a stranger? Is there a reason why Lisa was chosen by the mother to care for her daughter? Does Jamie’s fiancé know? I didn’t want to put this one down.

This was such an interesting concept and a book that really delves into relationships, parenthood, and abandonment. The writing itself was good but at times it felt there was a little too much going on, I also did enjoy the mystery/what's going on aspect but it did feel a little slow-paced. The ending really picked up, however. This was a very light-hearted book considering the themes it was portraying. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

After most kids parties there's always the matter of cleaning up the mess, then I usually find myself kicking back to recover whilst mentally tallying the pro's and con's of the event - (i.e. should I put myself through this again next year...so much preparation for a couple of hours of fun). In Cassie Hamer's version of After The Party, Lisa & Scott Wheeldon have somewhat more to consider following their daughter Ava's 5th birthday party. Ellie, one of the young party-goers has not been collected. Not only that, it turns out she wasn't even invited in the first place. The note in her bag tells the Wheeldon's she's been entrusted to them for safe keeping and please don't go to the police. What happens after this discovery is the crux of the story. There's a couple of side stories thrown into the mix and a couple of red herrings to keep us guessing about who Ellie was and how or why she might have been left with the Wheeldon family.

Whilst I enjoyed the book some elements didn't entirely work for me and I wasn't necessarily convinced everything was plausible. This meant I had to stop expecting too many answers and to remind myself to just go with the flow. I did enjoy that it was set in Australia and that the author came up with what I believe was a unique storyline. All in all a pleasant way to fill a couple of days.

My thanks to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Because she slept in, Lisa’s running behind on preparations for her daughter’s fifth birthday party. With nothing going to plan and her sister, Jamie, also a no-show, it all looks like being a disaster. But even though the day is saved by a nanny in a Wonder Woman costume and a school mum bearing a bottle of moscato and a cake, things get even stranger after the party.
No one comes to pick up one of the little girls, and instead Ellie has a note from her mother Missy, pleading with Lisa to look after her for a while. While Lisa tries to track down this woman she has never met, Jamie has a big decision to make concerning her boyfriend and her PR job.
This story was more light-hearted than I was expecting given the storyline of an abandoned child. It’s a heart-warming and often funny read about the depths of a mother’s love, even for a child who is not your own. The only thing I didn't like: the explanation behind Missy’s disappearance seemed a bit flimsy on the credibility front. Overall, a very promising debut.

“After the Party” is a light piece of contemporary fiction that’s good fun to read, although not overly emotionally involving. Still, it’s well written, and isn’t trying to pretend that it will spark any deep soul searching.

Lisa Wheeldon is normally a very organised person, but for some inexplicable reason, she’s completely failed with her daughter Ava’s fifth birthday party. She’s left everything to the last minute (why is never really explained) and now her morning is in total chaos. This explains why she doesn’t notice an extra, un-invited child among the 32 invited guests. But she most certainly does notice when the child’s mother doesn’t come to pick her up, and it becomes increasingly clear that she doesn’t intend to.

Lisa and her sister Jamie begin a search for the errant mother. They choose not to involve the police, but as the weeks pass, they begin to worry that perhaps they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Both sisters are being forced to face some uncomfortable truths about themselves and the lives they’ve chosen.

I felt the tone wobbled a little in the early chapters – as though it wasn’t quite sure yet whether it was a relatively light drama, or was going to turn into a domestic thriller. The plot could easily have gone either way. Fortunately the novel soon settles into the lighter path, and I felt the two elements melded very well after that. The mystery isn’t overly compelling – apart from the basic question of why you’d ever abandon your child – but the characters are strong enough that you want to keep reading.

It’s interesting that the characters are so engaging, because at bottom they’re really a series of stereotypes. The harried mother who’s lost something of herself. The young woman who on the surface has everything, but isn’t sure she’s happy. The good but not strongly drawn husband. The boyfriend who makes you roll your eyes because almost certainly, you dated someone that immature at some point. The flawless romantic prospect. And yet, their behaviour is interesting and credible enough that you genuinely want to find out what happens to them.

“After the Party” is well suited to its’ intended audience. There’s some (not particularly ground breaking) commentary about the challenges of motherhood, delivered often in a borderline comic tone. There’s a romance that doesn’t feel as high stakes as I think the author might hope for. The mystery elements around the abandoned child add a needed edge to the novel, but aren’t too overblown either. Readers looking for something well written but not too challenging are going to enjoy this.

I am a little tired of the trope of cliquey, fashionable, competitive mothers, partly because that’s not been my own experience at all. Hamer uses this trope in a more interesting, more realistic way than many writers, and this may strike a particular chord with mothers still in those early school years.

I did feel (and I’m trying to avoid spoilers here, so excuse the mild obscurity) that perhaps the novel skated a little too lightly over the emotional aftermath of events in the novel and what happened immediately afterwards. However, to be honest, such an examination wouldn’t have fitted at all with the overall tone of the novel. The last chapter, as written, is probably better for the reader than such an examination.

There are a number of things in the novel that you can criticise when you’re looking at it analytically. But as a reading experience, it’s a smooth and flowing read, light and good fun, and not overly demanding. We all have moments where we just want to be entertained, and “After the Party” does that well. It’s not very memorable, but a lot of people will just plain enjoy reading it.

After the Party is the debut novel by Australian author Cassie Hamer, and it is one stand out of a debut.

When cleaning up after her daughter's 5th birthday party, Lisa finds a child hiding in the back of the yard. It soon becomes obvious the mother isn't just late in picking up her child, but rather has left 6 year old Ellie in Lisa's care.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I'm completely on the fence as to whether to make this a 4 or 5 star review, because Lisa is totally my person. Hamer has completely nailed the chaos of child's birthday party, of school mum cliques, of loooong assemblies, of intimidating school principals. There wasn't much in her experience I couldn't relate to.

It had the laugh out loud moments - particularly Lisa's attempts at detective work in the stationary shop.

After the Party is a fun, light hearted read despite the subject matter. It's not a story of an abandoned child and the angst surrounding that. It's the story of a mum who suddenly find herself with a third child with no warning, and the discovery of how much love a mother has. Because that's really at the core of this story. Motherhood. Love.

If I had to have a downside, it was the opinions portrayed towards foster carers, and the limited example in the book. I understand that was to help justify Lisa's decision, but I know some utterly amazing foster carers and they really do love the children in their care. That's my personal issue though.

An incredible debut, I look forward to seeing more by this author.

**I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

I had a lot of critical thoughts reading this book. Who has a birthday party at 10am on a Sunday? Who throws a five-year-old's birthday party without planning any games? Who does pass the parcel with five-year-olds and doesn't include a tiny prize in every layer? I know these are all rookie mistakes and I'm not even a parent!

I admit the book has an interesting concept and I liked the writing overall. However, the majority of the characters are completely unlikeable and absolute caricatures. Lisa's pathetic, and judgemental, and is the mother who looks like she has it all together but is actually an absolute mess. And not only is she a mess. She's just horrific.

Jamie's storyline was the only one that really interested me - because it was so obvious that I actually actively wanted her to realise she loved Ben.

This book made me uncomfortable while reading, so I plodded along hoping I could at least appreciate the book if not enjoy it, but I just couldn't.

Good concept, but eh on the execution.

After The Party by Cassie Hamer was a fun Aussie book that made me laugh. A story about motherhood and the lengths you will go for your children and also about choices and how they shape your future. I really enjoyed the relationships especially that of the sisters Lisa and Jamie. This book shows that there is no such thing as the perfect mother and no matter what happens trust your heart.

Lisa has a great life - she loves her husband Scott and her 2 children but she is aching for another child - something that Scott doesn't want. She wants Ava's 5th birthday party to be perfect - all 32 kids from her class are coming and she has it all planned. But she sleeps in and the day just goes from bad to worse - we have all had those days. After the party she finds that Ellie is hiding in the backyard and soon finds that her mother has abandoned her. With the help of her family she sets out to find the mother.

While all of this is happening Jamie, Lisa's sister is trying to decide what is best for her future. Her life is about to dramatically change but is it what she really wants? Secrets are revealed and life has a funny way of showing you what you really want.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia, HQ Fiction for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy of After the Party in exchange for an honest review.

After the Party kicks off with a hilarious morning of mishaps for Lisa, on her daughter's fifth birthday party.  Anything that can go wrong does go wrong and all she wants is for the party of kids bouncing off the walls to be over.  But once all the children have gone home and she finally feels like she can relax, there's one more surprise....a child seems to have been left behind.  The assumption that her mother is just running late is quickly shattered when they read the note the little girl has with her. 

As Lisa, her sister and a crew of intimidating mums at her daughter's new school attempt to move heaven and earth to find the girls missing mother, they discover secrets about not only the girls situation but their own families too.  

After the Party was an often hilarious but also heartwrenching story about what it means to be a mother, and the lengths you will go to for your children.  It also took us down paths of the choices people make to hold onto ideals for their own lives.  I really enjoyed this book, even though I sometimes found some of the subject matter hard to read.  As a mother I don't think I could ever understand what Ellie's mum did, but I understood her thought process, and by the end of the book I wondered whether that actually made me more selfish than her.  It begs the question ' how far would you go to protect your child?' 

This was a fantastic debut novel for Cassie Hamer and I hope to read more of her books in the future!

‘I’m sorry. Please know this above all else.’

Ava Wheeldon is having a fifth birthday party. Her mum Lisa has invited Ava’s kindergarten class (all 32 of them), has a list of all the tasks (spreadsheets can be so useful!). It’s ambitious, but Lisa has a schedule and the help of her husband Scott and her sister Jamie. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as Lisa finds out, just about everything. Oversleeping puts the schedule under pressure, and the food preparation doesn’t go according to plan either. And Lisa’s not getting to meet many of the parents as most parents just drop their children off and leave.

Finally, the party ends, and the children are picked up. All except for one little girl, Ellie. Lisa figures that Ellie’s mother is running late. But there’s a note from Ellie’s mum asking Lisa to look after Ellie, to keep her safe. The note asks Lisa not to call the police (as they’ll take Ellie into care) and says that she’ll be back for her.
At first, Lisa thought it was a sick joke. But what kind of mother would abandon a child, and why have the Wheeldons been chosen?

‘The right thing to do is always the hardest.’

Lisa and Jamie decide to try to find Ellie’s mum. Scott wants to telephone the police, but he’s willing (reluctantly) to wait a while. So begins a well-intentioned (albeit at times bizarre) journey for both Lisa and Jamie. Add in relationship issues, ghosts from the past, competitive school mummies, and a vengeful ex and you have a mystery with a twist (or two).

I liked Lisa, and while I was never brave (or perhaps foolish) enough to have 32 guests at a children’s birthday party, I could relate to the organisational mayhem. I enjoyed the touches of humour as the story unfolded, and I was satisfied by the ending. Ms Hamer deftly handles several different issues in this novel. The main characters are well drawn, and the minor characters fit into their supporting roles neatly. I enjoyed it.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HQ Fiction for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Very enjoyable, reminded me a little of a Lianne Moriarty book. Well written, and the plot was fast and evenly paced. Characters were thoughtfully considered, with nuances and quirks that were very relatable. Recommend. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to read this book. It had so much in it! All from various points of view and yet it works. The characters are so real and likeable and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. There’s humour, love, mystery, sorrow and the little quirky everyday occurrences that surprise you.
The references to mothers wearing active wear, and how insane kids parties can be were hilarious.
The story wraps up really nicely leaving the reader very satisfied.
4.5 stars.

I've never met debut author Cassie Hamer but we've followed each other and chatted via social media for years so. I was delighted to hear she had a book deal.

I was a little nervous about reading it as I wasn't sure if it was going to be a genre with which I struggle (romance, for example) or (from the backcover blurb) going to dip into themes that don't interest me (the competitive yummy mummy thing).

However thankfully it was none of those things. I suspect it'll be described as women's fiction or general fiction, but it dips into an array of genres... with a mystery to be solved and a little romance thrown in. Hamer's sharp and witty prose also mean there's an element of humour added for good measure. 

The backcover blurb references mobsters and yummy mummies all of which would normally be a bit off-putting (for me) but I was very relieved that Hamer doesn't take us down any farcical route. The plot itself isn't comical, but she introduces sass and wit through her writing in a very light-handed way. It's the type of writing I love (the inclusions of little comical 'asides') and though I'm really heavy handed with them in my own writing, Hamer (and her publishers I assume) achieve a good balance here. For example, a few items from Lisa's pre-party spreadsheet....

"- Make fairy bread (no crusts, gluten-free bread)
- Cut fruit (star shapes, as per Ava's request)
- Blow up balloons (find balloon pump so as not to collapse from dizziness)
- Sweep the back deck for possum poo
- Get the girls dressed
- Clean the toilet (the girls treated the flush button like a bomb detonator - something to be feared and avoided at all costs, regardless of the smell emanating from the bowl)
- Decorate the cake (a princess castle, completely beyond Lisa's abilities)..." pp 4-5

Very Bridget Jones Diary-ish and (like I said), a style I love.

I adored Lisa, our lead character. She's an obvious 'square' and Hamer unabashedly reminds us of that on a few occasions. We learn why though... she had to take responsibility for her sister from a young age and she takes her responsibilities seriously.

And her sister Jamie is equally likeable and believable. There's romance afoot for Jamie and I very much appreciated that Hamer kept things realistic and Jamie was brutally honest in her feelings and behaviour. Very real and relatable. 

I also really liked the character of Ellie. She's a pivotal character but probably not seen as a main character (MC) but Hamer gives us enough of her - through her behaviour and conversations that I absolutely adored her. I get why Lisa would not want to give her back.

As I said, Hamer happily takes quite a light touch to the perfect parenting wars, posh schools and yummy mummies. It's there and I had to laugh at the opening antics of the party Lisa and husband Scott attempt to throw for 5yr old Ava. And yes, WTF were they thinking inviting 32 children?  I also sniggered at their horror of parents just dropping their kids off and not staying to help supervise / partake in the adult food Lisa had specifically made. I don't have kids but KNOW kids' birthday parties and social events are fraught!

Hamer very cleverly leads us down the garden path in the search for Ellie's mother Missy and the secrets she's keeping. Early on I was worried the answer was going to be startlingly obvious. But it wasn't. Instead that particular story arc offers a nice twist that's also deftly managed.

A couple of the support characters are a little cliched, but in a nice way: including a seemingly snobby but actually quite nice wealthy mother as well as a lycra-clad rude disinterested mother. I loved a scene (for example) where we're reminded of kids' innocence and their ability to forgive and forget; when Lisa and the disinterested mother are called to school after their kids get in a fight. The way the kids earnestly apologise and offer up hugs to each other is so very touching.

I obviously very much enjoyed this book by Hamer. I knew she was a good writer but the plot and complex, relatable and likeable characters most definitely exceeded my expectations and I look forward to what comes next.