This story of Isabel and how the Murray River and the flooding of Mildura and the surrounding towns and how relationships can change through these times.

Isabel and her Mum run the local pub on the NSW side of the Murray a river. Isabel is young and just want to cook. She lives for it.

But when a flood flows down the river and causes many problems in both sides of the river, Isabel feels she needs to help.

She meets Matteo and forms a friendship with him and learns new things from spending time with him. However the river is controlling everyone’s feelings and movements. Isabel and Mattel throw themselves in helping their community and find out they have feelings for each other. Both Isabel and Matteo are emotionally helping each other, especially when they find out news that affect them.

This book gives the reader an insight into what a community will do to support one another in a crisis.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.

I love fiction that is woven into historical fact and in Heart Of The River, Cheryl Adnams has created a heartwarming love story set during the record Murray River flooding of the Mildura area in June 1956. The characters in this story are all beautifully crafted and very believable and it was easy to empathise with Isabel Hayward, her mother Audrey and the Sorrento family. The romance between Isabel and Matteo Sorrento highlighted a range of social issues that were prevalent at the time including bigotry, racism, sexism and bullying. While it is rare for eyebrows to be raised these days when a good Catholic boy of Italian heritage shows an interest in an Anglo-Saxon non-practising Protestant, in 1956 things were very different. The various social prejudices were very well presented through the eyes of a variety of secondary characters. I thought the romance was skillfully developed with the increasing flood emergency creating opportunities for Isabel and Matteo as well as ramping up the tension. This story was engaging from the start and I was almost sorry to have finished it. My thanks to Harper Collins Australia for the opportunity to read and review it.

Mildura, Northern Victoria - 1956
Isabel Hayward has ambitions of being a great chef. But cooking for the locals at the country pub she and her mother run doesn't really allow for experimenting with haute cuisine.
When she meets local Italian farmer Matteo Sorrenti, their connection is instant and intense - much to the displeasure of Ross Burrows, one of the region's wealthiest sons, who has been keen on Isabel since they were kids.
Isabel and Matteo's blossoming relationship has challenges to overcome: their cultural differences, prejudice, Ross's jealousy, and the worst flood in Australia's history.
As the Murray River rises to its peak, threatening the Sorrentis' farm and the Haywards' pub, secrets are revealed that show Matteo, Isabel, and Ross are inextricably linked by their fathers' wartime experiences. Will the secrets their fathers kept threaten Isabel and Matteo's relationship? Or can their love break down the remnants of prejudice left behind by the war?
The 1956 Murray River flood was and still is considered the biggest flood in the recorded history of the Murray,although few lives were lost.The flood occurred due to higher than average rainfalls in Western Queensland and heavy rains in the proceeding three months in the Murray-Darling basin.From upstream to downstream, flooding occurred in the towns of Wentworth in New South Wales; Colignan, Iraak, Mildura, Nangiloc, and Red Cliffs in Victoria; and many South Australia towns including Renmark, Mannum and Murray Bridge.Historic flood markers were erected at Apex Park and the lawns of the Mildura Rowing Club at Mildura, indicating the height the river reached in 1956.The Emily McPherson College of Domestic Economy was an Australian domestic science college for women, in Melbourne. It was officially opened on 27 April 1927 by The Duchess of York aka Queen Mum.On 30 June 1979 it became part of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
Loveday was one of the largest WWII alien internment camps located in Barmera,SA.It housed German,Italian and Japanese civilians.Loveday was selected as the site to build the camps because the land was arable & irrigation water was plentiful.

Isabel Hayward and her mother ran the local pub after her father had disappeared, with a local - Bruce - helping out in the kitchen. Isabel had long held a dream of being a fully qualified chef, so helping Bruce in the kitchen was a joy. The locals populated their pub in Mildura, Victoria, including Ross and his father, who was a mean drunk. But Ross had expected Isabel to be his girl as they'd been friends since childhood and Isabel thought of him as a cousin - nothing more...

Matteo Sorrenti lived on the edge of the Murray River with his father Carlo, mother Gia and brother Antonio. Plus Antonio's wife and their little daughter. They were subject to much criticism and racism, especially as Carlo had been interned for five years during the war.

With the inundation of constant rain causing the Murray to rise, and continue to do so, many livelihoods were being threatened. The community pulled together, building levees and sandbagging to prevent losses, but nothing would stop Mother Nature in her tracks. When a child went missing, all who could joined in the search, hoping to find him before it was too late. As the cold, bitter winds and rain continued in those terrible winter months, would the Sorrentis' farm, along with Isabel's pub, be lost?

Heart of the River is an exceptional historical novel based on fact by Aussie author Cheryl Adnams, set in 1956 when the rising of waters in the Murray flooded many towns in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It was a devastating time for all concerned, and with the author's ability to turn the tragedy into a fictional event, she had me totally engrossed. The fact that the same inundation is going on right now in Queensland and northern NSW, brings it home to us how fragile we all are, and how we can do nothing against Mother Nature's fury. I thoroughly enjoyed Heart of the River and found both Isabel and her mother, Audrey, special characters. Bullying and racism was heavy in the years after the war and it unfortunately hasn't lessened much now. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book purely for the setting. I love the Murray River and was excited to have a tale centred around the famous flood of 1956. What I was most certainly pleasantly surprised by was the breadth and depth of this tale and how much I came to love it. I highly recommend Heart of the River.

‘Abandoned livelihoods that stood as a reminder to the crowd of mourners just what the mighty Murray, usually a giver of life, could take away at the whim of Mother Nature.’

Cheryl has undertaken some incredible research into this period of Australian history from cuisine, to immigration, to the various idiosyncrasies of the day, to the huge task of preparing for an all time high flood of a mighty river. It’s powerful, it’s poignant and it is historical fiction writing at its best. Everything from the setting, to the plot, to the cast of characters is to be commended in this book.

‘I don’t like people judging me, or anyone else, based on stupid things like culture or what someone does for a living. You’ve suffered with jabs about your culture, I’ve suffered with jabs about being a barman’s daughter.’

There are so many highly engaging themes in this story: life on the land and farming; running the local pub; the mighty Murray and living so close when floods threaten; internment camps in Australia during WWII; the life of immigrants in Australia inclusive of post war resentments and prejudices; cooking and following your passion; a romance between two wonderful characters; and to top it all off, a really solid mystery.

‘While there is life, there is hope,’ Gia translated. ‘We have been through a lot. But you must always face what comes at you head on. Challenge gives life its flavour, and flavour is everything to Italians.’

You could not have a more appropriate title that truly sums up this book. Heart of the River truly encapsulates - literally and figuratively - how everyday life and indeed life during a natural disaster, brings community together demonstrating real heart.









This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

A beautiful read set in Mildura, 1956, this is a love story but is also about life, past and present, about secrets and how to get past and over resentments from long ago.

The characters in this book are what make it so real and the writing is flawless. It is emotional, strong, endearing and so much more. Isabel is a strong woman and I do like that in a good book. While Matteo is a gentle and kind soul and a person I think I would like very much. These two come together with a force to be reckoned with through tough times. It will make you happy and sad and will keep you reading from start to finish.

A wonderful read and one I highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, HQ for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a beautiful moving and emotional story set in 1956 around the Murray River on the border of New South Wales and Victoria, the river is rising towards one of the biggest expected floods in history, the rain is non-stop, how will the people from the towns living on the river survive?

Isabel Hayward and her mother Audrey run the Riverside Pub in the small town of Gol Gol, Isabel is the assistant cook but what she wants is to be a chef and is saving madly to attend a course in Melbourne but this constant rain may put a stop to that and the fact that she hasn’t told her mother yet.

Isabel meets a young Italian farmer Matteo Sorrenti at a meeting discussing the threat of floods and the attraction is instant, feelings left over from the war still run high and her friend Ross Burrows is not happy at all about their growing relationship, Ross is from one of the wealthiest families and has had high hopes for him and Isabel.

As the river rises even more, Matteo and Isabel’s relationship is growing much to many locals displeasure and houses and farms are lost, there is a death in the swollen river and all the locals are of tender hooks, Isabel and Audrey are doing everything they can to help and when Matteo’s family need a place to stay they offer shelter at the pub, this opens up past secrets that have been kept for too long, that also somehow link Isabel’s, Matteo’s and Ross’s fathers and the mystery of Isabel’s father Sam may finally be learnt.

As levees are built and broken by the raging river a storm is brewing around the Haywards the Sorrentis and the Burrows will Isabel and Matteo find love and happiness now that the past is reveled or will prejudice win?

This is a beautiful story that I loved so much, Isabel is strong and caring heroine and Matteo is a gentleman and so easy to fall in love with, it is filled with so many emotions, and there were tears from me happy and sad there are so many fabulous characters in this story, MS Adnams has researched this time in Australian history so well and made me feel like I was there in all of that rain and mud.

I do highly recommend this one, it is a page turner and keeper.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy to read and review.

Isabel Hayward works at her families country pub but she dreams of doing more with her culinary skills. When she meets Italian farmer Matteo sparks fly but they are facing a bigger challenge than ever when flood waters start rising and the community has to come together. The characters are well represented and it is a story of family, facing adversity, community and courage. It's a tough time for everyone with the flood but I love how the human spirit brings out the best of people in the worst of times. It's a heart filled book that brings your imagination to life.

Such a powerful and poignant historical fiction novel from Cheryl Adnams! I was completely pulled into the Heart of the River setting, characters and plot. The title is spot on, too, for the river is the heartbeat of the community and affects all those around it. When mother nature goes wild and upsets the balance of things and floods everything in its path, cardiac arrest occurs as many lives lose their homes and livelihoods. And in this giant sweep of destruction everyone is changed. As demonstrated in Heart of the River, people often come together during disasters and forget their differences in the fight for survival.

Cheryl’s excellent writing skills and vivid imagination provide a clear picture of Australia in the fifties. It is obvious a lot of research went into this novel for the author makes us believe in the world she created through her words. I truly felt transported to the communities affected by the 1956 Murray River flooding and all else happening at the time.

But even more my heart was pricked by the prejudice that came with war and how it created such distrust between races of people. Fortunately, Heart of the River does not leave us there. It takes us on a journey of hope and healing for those who are willing to learn the truth so that misunderstandings can be cleared. The transforming power of love is at the core of this novel, too, and how like the rains that flooded the towns along the Murray, it came smashing through their front doors and quickened their hearts. In the natural, everything in the flood's path was damaged or purged, leaving the raw bare truth exposed. And that includes even a missing person. The events externalised the ugly face of prejudice and made people reconsider their viewpoint as they helped each other through the disaster. Those who were once considered enemies (the Italians in this case) became the strongest helpers. The message here is that people should not be judged by race, colour or religion. Isabel and her mother set a good example and others eventually followed.

Australia is a land of many immigrants. After the war there was a population explosion including in the Mildura area (noted in story). Ten pound poms arrived along with others. Many left the war torn cities and bombed farmlands of Europe and England to start a new life. But not everyone here was happy about the arrival of foreigners to ‘their little piece of rural Australia.’ And Italy’s position in the war, meant Italians were seen as the enemy. Which led to many being sent to places like Loveday Internment Camp. Prejudice is a strong message in this novel and how it can pass from one generation to the next, evident in Trevor and Ross.

There is also a wonderful love story played out between Isabel and Matteo—even though there are a few bumps along the way. They are from different cultures. Fortunately their own families are supportive but some friends are not. Some negative reactions are based on ignorance and others on jealousy. There are a few heated scenes with Ross and his father—especially once a well-hidden truth surfaces that affects Isabel and her mother.

This is also a story about dreams. And Isabel has an admirable one. She wants to be a chef and go to a special cooking school in Melbourne. But she feels her mother needs her to stay and help run the Riverside Hotel that has been in her family for forty years. She enjoys cooking basic meals for the customers but she desires to learn more. Matteo has an idea that might help her and although it is a good one, things turn out quite differently than expected.

Gia (Matteo’s mother) says something that echoes throughout this novel: a statement of truth and solid advice. ‘While there is life, there is hope…We have been through a lot. But you must always face what comes at you head on. Challenge gives life its flavour, and flavour is everything to Italians…’

This novel covers a lot of emotional territory and there are some shocking secrets that unveil, so be prepared for your heart to ache at times but also cheer when things go well. There are at least three very strong women in this story to admire who shine through adversity. And as for the men, a few overcome their obstacles and dismantle their dilemmas while others go from bad to worse. But that is life. And people. I highly recommend this wonderful, tender and well-crafted story that inspired, educated and uplifted me. Without question, it deserves 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to HarperCollinsAu (Harlequin) and Netgalley for my review copy.

Isabel Hayward works as an assistant cook at the Riverside Hotel a country pub in Gol Gol, New South Wales and it's very close to the Victorian border. Isabel dreams of becoming a chef, she would have to attend a cooking college in Melbourne and she feels guilty leaving her mum to run the pub without her and it's not the right time.

In 1956, Queensland has had record breaking rain falls, the water will slowly make it’s way down the waterways and the Murray River will reach it’s peek sometime in August. Isabel meets farmer Matteo Sorrenti at a flood meeting in Mildura, he’s the Italian version of James Dean and she can’t stop thinking about him. Ross Burrows a young local man and the son of the region’s wealthiest families is keen on Isabel and she doesn’t feel the same way. Isabel and Matteo's blossoming relationship has many challenges to overcome, the cultural and religious differences, prejudice, Ross's jealously and the worst flood in Australian history.

The whole area is watching the river and listening for the fire siren, they have preparing as best as they can by sandbagging and building levees and have people checking them around the clock for leaks. The low lying areas closest to the river are the most vulnerable, people like Matteo’s family, who grow tomatoes in greenhouses, vegetable crops and fruit and in Buronga. The George Cheffey Bridge connects the town in New South Wales to Mildura, in Victoria and Isabel isn't a fan.

When it’s revealed during the war, Isabel’s father Sam, Ross’s dad Trevor and Matteo’s papa Carlo all knew each other, a shocking secret has been covered up for over fifteen years and the men have never told anyone what happened and why not?

I received a digital copy of Heart of the River by Cheryl Adnams from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The gripping and well written narrative is based around the famous flooding of the mighty Murray River in 1956 and the same year Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games.

The country's still overcoming the terrible war years, the average Australian didn’t like migrants, and called them by derogatory names and were racist. It didn’t matter if their children were born in Australia, it happened and it was wrong. Interracial couples faced decimation and prejudiced, they had to find way to make it work and be strong.

The story also highlights the devastation caused by a natural disaster, crops, houses, roads and infrastructure was swept away, to replace it cost a fortune and took time. The effect not speaking up has on a person and the heavy burden of guilt, injustice and righting the wrongs of the past.

I really liked how the Italian community helped each other and how Isabel and Matteo faced the challenges, both are stalwart and resilient and perfect for each other. I highly recommend the Heart of the River and Ms. Adnams previous book We'll Meet Again and five stars from me.