Helen arrives in Coorah Creek to see her daughter for the first time in many years. The feeling of uncertainty of how this meeting will go, depends on her daughter. Thanking her lucky stars, that her daughter’s boyfriend got in touch, makes it mean that it needs to go well.

Helen just wants her daughter in her life, especially after not being good enough earlier on, but Tia, needs to hear the full story without pushing Helen away.

Thank you to #netgalley for the free copy of this book for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel about people trying to get second chances with both family and love. Whilst I have read some other novels in the Coorah Creek series, it is not essential to have read them all.

EXCERPT: Ed was a little stunned. Trish gave him an accusing look as she followed Helen, still carrying the plate of food.
What had he done? Ed was more than willing to admit that he wasn't Mister Smooth. But his offer was meant as a gesture of friendliness. It shouldn't have caused Helen to run away. It was a very long time since he'd had much to so with a woman, but he was sure he hadn't done anything wrong. Or threatening.

ABOUT 'WEDDING BELLS BY THE CREEK': How do you forgive what you can never forget?

Helen Walsh has never stopped searching for the daughter who ran away from home when she was just fifteen. Now, her daughter has found her. Face to face with the woman her child has become, Helen longs to be forgiven for her mistakes.

Ed Collins has walked Helen’s path, and he knows that she needs more than her daughter’s forgiveness. He would help her if he could.

Ed’s wife Stephanie returns – thirteen years after she deserted Ed and their young son. Now Ed is being asked to forgive. Steph was his first and only love… but are some things impossible to forgive?

In the tiny outback town of Coorah Creek, secrets are hard to keep.

What will happen when Ed learns the truth about his wife?

And as Helen plans her daughter’s wedding, dare she dream of her own?

MY THOUGHTS: A quick and satisfying novella.

Wedding Bells by the Creek is the 5th book in the Coorah Creek series by Janet Gover. A small-town romance that's full of emotion and drama, I had no problem with continuity or character development even though I haven't read any of the previous books in this series.

Janet Gover has packed a lot into this very short - 128 pages - and delightful read, and I will be returning for more stories from Coorah Creek.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#WeddingBellsbytheCreek #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Janet Gover was born in Melbourne, Australia. When she was very small, her family moved to a small country town in Queensland. She published her first romance novel in 2009.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Escape Publishing via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Wedding Bells by the Creek by Janet Gover for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

The latest instalment in the Coorah Creek series by Janet Gover is "Wedding Bells By The Creek." This small-town romance, set in Coorah Creek, Queensland, Australia, is full of emotion and drama. I am sure you will love this book. This is the first book I have read, and I must say I think I have been missing out on a great story and characters.

The characters in the story are very believable, as is the storyline. I particularly enjoyed the characters, Helen and Ed, both in their fifties and unexpectedly finding love at this stage in their lives. It was heartwarming to see Helen reconcile with her daughter Tia, who ran away from home as a teenager, and to also learn that Ed had an experience with his son Tom a few years ago as well. This is a short story but one that packs the punches where needed to bring a very emotional and dramatic story.

The story begins with Helen Walsh, whose teenage daughter Felicity ran away ten years ago. Helen has never stopped thinking about her, and out of the blue, she receives a letter from Felicity. Helen travels to a town where she knows no one except the daughter she lost, now a grown woman. Both mother and daughter are understandably anxious about their reunion. As the story progress we learn about the circumstances of Felicity's disappearance and Helen's struggles over the years. Helen soon understands why her daughter chose this remote town, appreciating its strong sense of community. Despite knowing the visit would be challenging, Helen finds support from a kind stranger, Ed Collins, a garage proprietor who has lived in the town all his life. Ed, dealing with his own emotional turmoil, feels a connection with Helen, who is hoping to reunite with her daughter. Overall it is a heartwarming read to me.

Wedding Bells By The Creek is a remarkably well rounded book for its short length. The characters are very believable as is the story. I loved Helen and Ed, both in their fifties and both at the stage in their lives where the chance of falling in love is not something they expected. I also loved watching Helen reconcile with her daughter Tia, who ran away fro home as a teenager. I liked that Ed had had a similar experience with his son Tom. Interestingly, both runaways, despite going through tough times themselves, had turned into well-rounded and responsible adults by the time this story opened. It was also great to return to the western Queensland town of Coorah Creek. Author Janet Gover paints the scene exceptionally well and I really felt as though I was there watching events unfold as I read along. As short stories go, this one punches well above its weight.

Helen Walsh was nervous and maybe just a little scared. She'd been searching for her daughter for years after she'd run away from home at fifteen. Now she was approaching Coorah Creek where Tia had contacted her from - all these years later, was Helen being given a second chance with her daughter? Was the bitterness of their estrangement finally over? Would Helen find forgiveness?

Ed Collins was a lonely man. His wife had left Coorah Creek sixteen years previously, leaving Ed and their son Scott. Now Scott was in England with his girlfriend, and Ed still ran the local garage in the Creek. When he helped unload the train, and helped a woman who disembarked, he wondered about her. Was she Tia's mother? The whole town knew what was happening...

Wedding Bells by the Creek is the 5th in the Coorah Creek series by Aussie author Janet Gover and I enjoyed it very much. I really liked Max, the town's local cop, and the other integral characters worked perfectly. The Coorah Creek series is a delight to read, and I'm looking forward to #6. Recommended.

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

I was excited to get the opportunity to revisit Coorah Creek again and happy to see that it was Ed’s turn to get his happy ever after. His wife, Stephanie, left him and their young son years ago, and in CHRISTMAS AT COORAH CREEK his estranged son returned and the two men were able to bond again as truths were revealed. Now his son is living in England with his wife, and Ed is feeling lonely.
He meets Helen at the local hotel and immediately is drawn to her as she has been estranged from her daughter, Felicity (Tia), for quite a few years. Now Tia has reached out and asked Helen to come to Coorah Creek to meet up again, and both women are nervous. Tia is engaged to the local policeman and has turned her life around but there are a lot of issues to resolve between her and her mum - and a wedding to plan. Ed understands exactly how Helen feels and the two become friends very quickly.

Then Stephanie comes back, and makes it quite clear she wants Ed back.

I have loved my time at Coorah Creek and as this is the fifth book in the series I felt at home with all the familiar characters. The two story lines were handled very well and were written as opposites - one was a loving reconnection while the other was a disconnection - how it all worked out was a page turner and left me with tears in my eyes as I got to the final pages.

This was a heartwarming Aussie outback novella that is the final book as part of Janet’s Coorah Creek series.

Told from multiple POVs, which give great depth to a shorter read, we follow Helen Walsh to the rural town of Coorah Creek where she hopes to reconnect with her missing daughter Tia. This is a nerve wracking and anxious time for them both, but with a welcoming and supportive community embracing Helen, she starts to see why Tia has settled in the small town.

Ed Collins has recently re-connected with his estranged son, so he can empathize with Helen and be a shoulder to lean on she navigates a new relationship with her daughter. Their relationship development has you turning the pages eager to see where it goes.

Janet’s writing style lends itself beautifully to a rural setting. Told us such a way you can easily picture yourself right there in the small community alongside the characters, feeling the highs and lows right alongside them.

Now if all of this hasn’t sold you, then let me tell you it also features…puppies!

Thanks to Escape Publishing and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review