Layla moved away from her hometown in Tasmania after her father died and tried to never return. She marries, has two children, ruins her rep at work and has an affair and is called back home when her mother attempts to kill herself. Fair to say she has a lot going on. But when Layla makes it home, evetything she has ever thought about her childhood is torn apart when some horrible truths are revealed. A great read.

The Heart Is A Star by Megan Rogers is a stunning debut that captivated me from beginning to end. As I had seen it was recommended for fans of Holly Ringland and Hannah Richelle, I was immediately drawn to this book, and it did not disappoint. The gorgeous cover only added to the allure, and once I delved into the story, I discovered a talented new author whose writing style and storytelling ability truly impressed me.

The story revolves around Layla, a middle-aged woman who finds herself overwhelmed by the various roles she plays in her life. She is a wife, mother, doctor, sister, lover, and daughter, constantly juggling these responsibilities. When Layla's mother threatens suicide again, it feels different this time, as she hints at a secret about Layla's beloved late father that she needs to share. Prompted by this revelation, Layla decides to leave everything behind and return to her childhood home on the untamed and breathtaking west coast of Tasmania. As the truth gradually unravels, Layla is forced to question everything she thought she knew about herself and those around her, leading to life-altering consequences.

Megan Rogers has crafted a beautiful and thought-provoking story in The Heart Is A Star. Her lyrical and slow-burn storytelling kept me engaged throughout, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the narrative. I appreciated the author's skill in developing complex and multi-dimensional characters, as I enjoyed unraveling their intricacies and exploring their inner worlds.

What struck me most about this novel was its raw and honest portrayal of life. As a middle-aged woman myself, I found Megan's insights to be incredibly realistic. She delves deep into the messy aspects of life, highlighting the challenges we face in maintaining a sense of self amidst the demands of our roles and responsibilities.

Overall, The Heart Is A Star is a remarkable debut that left a lasting impression on me. Megan Rogers has proven herself to be a talented storyteller, and I eagerly look forward to reading more of her work. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates poignant and introspective stories that resonate long after the final page.

The heart is a star is a fantastic debut. Told with empathy and compassion. So vivid and lyrical I found myself completely and utterly absorbed.

'𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚎𝚛', 𝙳𝚊𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚊𝚢𝚜, '𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚊 𝚏𝚕𝚊𝚝-𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎.'

This is a great debut novel- a compelling and intense read, for the most part beautifully written - the literary references and the dialogue, particularly between the women is powerful and heartbreaking. The depiction of anger and grief is raw.

Layla is exhausted juggling her life as an anaesthetist, mother, wife and lover. It's coming up to Christmas and her mother, with whom she has a tenuous relationship with, is suicidal. Layla drops everything to go to Tasmania to 'deal' with her mother and confront the truth about her father's death.

This book is a slow burn. It's a story about the affect of family secrets, and how sometimes protecting people from the truth can be just as damaging as confronting the truth.

Thanks to #netgalley and @harpercollinsaustralia for the e-book in return for an honest review.

I loved it, couldn't put it down, but also found it disturbing and a couple of parts I hated. It has left my heart heavy.

𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎.

⚠️⚠️⚠️Trigger warning and Spoiler Alert ⚠️⚠️⚠️

I don't want to give away too much, but I do feel that the last quarter of the book is intense and does need trigger warnings as it deals with confronting topics of suicide, self-harm and abuse.

#debutnovel #australianwriter #contemporaryfiction #theheartisastar #meganrogers #harpercollinspublishers

This book follows the story of Layla Byrnes, an anaesthetist who is on forced leave for giving her patient the wrong medication. Her marriage is falling apart, her lover is too needy and she is missing her young kids growing up. But most importantly, she's trying to manage her mentally ill mother who threatens to kill herself almost every year, but this year it's different. There's none of her usual script and instead tells Layla things about her beloved father. So Layla drops everything to confront her mother and hopefully lay some demons to rest.

I'll start with what I did like, the fact it was well written and easy to read. And that's about it... I know others are singing their praises for this book and while I hear what they're saying, I'm not buying it. I wasn't gripped by any of these characters, nor feel like I could relate to any of them. I was pretty bored while reading this even though there was so much going on. There was so many big events that happened in this book but they were never expanded on, rather just thrown in there for dramatic effect. The relationship between Layla and Lucas was so pointless and didn't add any depth to Layla's story, I felt nothing between them. And as for the two sex scenes in the book, they were unnecessary, forced and also didn't add anything to the plot. The characters felt two-dimensional, and there were so many characters that I struggled to keep up with them all and felt as though many could have just as much significance not being in the book at all. The plot twist was kinda predictable too and I wasn't shocked at all. Maybe I've just been reading too many crime/mystery books lately, but I guessed what Layla's dad was up to about halfway through.

I also find it so hard to believe that no one took Nora, Layla's mum seriously. Especially in this day and age when this book is set where mental health is taken seriously. The same can be said for the "misogyny" in the medical field where I'd like to believe that this is also not really a thing anymore.

I'm really wanted to like this book but it felt like such a chore to finish it. I wasn't hooked and frankly was pretty bored. Thank you to Netgally and Harper Collins for sending me this one to review but unfortunately, me and this one didn't mix.

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did, I was unable to put it down.
Layla is an anaesthetist, she is a mother of two, having and affair and dealing with her mother who has mental health issues. It is coming up to Christmas, there are problems at work, in her marriage and her mother who lives in a remote part of Tasmania is threatening suicide. What should Layla do, flee to her lover, ignore her demanding mother or head 'home' to Tasmania and try to keep the peace?
The book unfolds many deep secrets, regrets and each packs a punch. Layla discovers truths about herself and her family that are very confronting but necessary for anyone to move forward.
A very sad, yet contemporary tale, told with threads of beauty and complete honesty, warts and all!
Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

An amazing debut novel from a most gifted writer.

If you like complex family dramas, flawed characters, including the protagonist who is a bit of a hot mess, navigating midlife crises and stories about truth not reconciling with memory - you will love this.

“Pain catches up. It always does. As does truth. You can’t outrun it, out-busy it, outsmart it. Even though you delay it. The body knows.”

This book will both delight and shock you. And the plot twist is sure to surprise.

Make yourself a warm cup of tea, grab some chocolate, and settle into your favourite reading spot - because I guarantee you will devour it.

Roger reminds us that we all have a little light inside us that guides us in the right direction, we just need to find it:

“My body, now, my compass. My heart, a star.”

I loved it and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you @megan_rogers_writer and @netgalley for this advance copy.