I always enjoy getting to know the characters in a Meredith Appleyard novel and The Seachangers introduced me to some more relatable characters . Appleyard writes about older characters and the realistic challenges faced in aging . Although her stories are not overly gripping they are just lovely to read and a great switch off from the real world .

In the Seachangers , cafe owner Ruth is exhausted from running her own business and wondering what the next stage of her life will be . Recently retired Hamish had just lost his father and heads to Ruth's home town Cutler's Bay to prepare his father's house for sale . The pair meet and we watch a friendship form.

A lovely slow read !

The Seachangers by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard is a beautifully written story with a great cast of characters. The storyline and setting had me so engrossed that I didn’t want this story to end. I loved this story and I love the cover it is very eye-catching. Highly recommended.
 
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin for sending me this beautiful book!

What first grabbed my attention was the beautiful cover! The blurb on the back of the book intrigued me and I knew I would fall in love and feel right at home in South Australian Coastal town of Cutlers Bay.

The Seachangers is a beautiful, sweet and gentle story about growing older, retirement, falling in love and new beginnings. There were moments in this book that I laughed out loud, experienced the sadness of the characters as they said goodbye to some much loved family members and felt as if I was sitting at one of the tables in Rosie's Cafe.

Meredith Appleyard has a lovely, easy to follow and descriptive writing style that easily sets the scene and brings not only the characters but also the places they work and live in to life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a lovely easy read that leaves you thinking about the characters (and Cutlers Bay!) long after you close the book. Definitely one my 5 star reads for 2024 and one of the first books I recommend to fellow readers.

I picked this up as it features an older leading couple but, unfortunately, it wasn't for me.

I thought a gentle sweet read would be just what I needed at the moment but The Seachangers didn't capture my attention. I found myself getting distracted and skimming.

There just wasn't enough plot. Most of the conflict was far to humdrum and mentioned repetitively.

There isn't anything offensive about the book and I'm sure some people will enjoy it, but it's a 1 1/2 out of 5 for me.

Gosh I love Meredith’s books! Meredith is part of a group of authors writing tales that involve our aging population and I salute her for shining the spotlight on this undervalued age group. It’s not overly dramatic but packs a punch where it counts for the over 50s age bracket and the challenges and decisions they often face.

‘I'd noticed that about getting older: I couldn't keep as many balls in the air at one time, not anymore, no matter how many lists I made and how hard I tried.’

The Seachangers is a sensitive story about ageing, retirement and new beginnings. Meredith assembles a great cast of characters from the over 50s, to teenagers, to single mothers. Every one of them has something to contribute and it’s the tiny details that make the story so relatable. It’s about the problems of life and how we cope with them no matter what our age is. With themes including family, suicide, retirement, running a small business, death, depression and alcoholism.

‘The idea I might end my days in an aged-care facility was beyond the pale. I needed to get my act together, make the most of the years I had left before it was too late.‘

The Seachangers is a wonderful story that I could not put down. There is something for every reader but especially those getting older and some of the big questions about not only what direction your life is going but how you are going to get there.









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.

The Seachangers is a beautiful story by Meredith Appleyard about two people in their late fifties deciding what to do about retirement and finding love again. When she turned 57, Ruth moved from the city to a country town called Cutlers Bay to run a small cafe. However, after five years, Ruth started thinking about what to do about her business and retirement. When one of her customers died, his son Harmish came to Cutlers Bay to organise his father's house for sale and work out what he wanted to do with his life. Will Ruth and Harmish work out what they want to do in retirement? The readers of The Seachangers will continue to follow Hamish and Ruth to discover what happens.

The Seachangers is a beautiful book that allows me to imagine being lucky like the main characters in this book. I engaged with this book from the first page but had trouble putting it down. I love Meredith Appleyard's portrayal of her characters and their interaction with each other. The Seachangers was well-written and researched. I like Meredith Appleyard's description of the settings of The Seachangers, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

The readers of The Seachangers will understand the problems of working in a small business. Also, The readers of The Seachangers will know that sometimes what you dream for you does not necessarily get what you want when you retire.

I recommend this book.

The Seachangers is the ninth novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. It’s the unexpected death of an elderly parent that brings a recently retired diesel mechanic into the orbit of a café owner whose sea change, a life-changing decision made when she’d been unhappy, dissatisfied and grieving her mother, seems to be wearing her out.

Ruth Clancy came to the clifftop town of Cutlers Bay on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula five years ago to open Rosie’s Café, but lately, the early mornings, hectic days, and necessary after-hours preparation are leaving her tired, headachy and in poor spirits. When Theo Adams, one of her regulars, and several years a widower, dies, she’s not surprised to see his son and daughter in town to sort out his home.

With his younger sister Natalie’s time taken up with children and grandchildren, Hamish Adams finds himself the default person to clear out their parents’ home and get it ready for sale. Sorting through their possessions brings home to him how often and how deeply he’d failed his parents, especially his mother, a product of a tragic incident in his teens. But coffee and lunch at Rosie’s Café, and occasional chats with Ruth, are a welcome respite from that.

Of a similar age, they find they can relate on concerns and challenges that present, even if what they are dealing with, such as sibling issues, are different. Thus topics like retirement plans, business exit strategies, isolation, loneliness and the downward spiral into dependency, avoiding ending up in a care facility, staving off boredom, and reinventing oneself, all get an airing.

Ruth bemoans the loss of the person she was before she became Ruth from Rosie’s Café: “She used to have fun, she didn’t have to censor every word she said and she lived a life that wasn’t always about work.” Meanwhile, Hamish has come to wonder if the coveted city apartment he bought for his retirement might have been a mistake.

They come to appreciate a different perspective and their insights on certain themes are worth sharing: “We’re not ourselves when we grieve. If the loss is great enough, we’re never that same person ever again” and “Regret takes you nowhere good, unless you use it as motivation not to make the same mistakes in the future” are examples.

This is a novel that will certainly resonate with readers of a certain vintage, but will also strike a chord with family and friends of that cohort. While some aspects of the plot might be predictable, there are enough turns to keep the reader completely enthralled in the fates of this appealing cast. Thought-provoking, but also heart-warming and uplifting, this is another Meredith Appleyard winner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and HQ Fiction.

Five years prior to the start of the book Ruth had a sea change after the death of her mother. She purchased a cafe in a small seaside town called Cutler’s Bay located a few hours north of Adelaide in South Australia. The cafe was run down but she has built it up and it’s now a flourishing business with regular customers and a small casual staff base. Recently though, it has started to be all too hard, and she has started to lose the joy. With staff issues resulting in Ruth working longer hours, severe migraines hitting her, and generally feeling tired, run down and trapped. When an acquaintance of hers retires at 57, she realises she is in her 60s with no retirement plan in place and wondering if running the cafe until she drops dead is really what she wants to do.

Hamish has already retired and living what he thought was his dream in a trendy apartment in Adelaide. However his dream is slowly turning into a nightmare and he doesn’t know what to do to change things around. When his father’s body is found, he travels to Cutler’s Bay and decides to stay and do up his fathers house so it can be sold. But as he slowly fixes the place up, meets the neighbours and gradually joins in community activities he wonders if life here might be what he needs.

When Hamish comes into the cafe and meets Ruth, friendship blossoms as they help each other to work through their dissatisfactions. It is not smooth sailing, there are misunderstandings as they resist the growing feelings for each other and cling to their independence.

There are quite a few issues covered as back stories - family drama, sibling rivalry, suicide, death, alcoholism, depression, health scares, teenage children, money issues. A thoroughly thought provoking book that has many light moments so doesn’t drag you down at all. There is a great support cast of all ages from teens upwards, there are some characters you would like to give a good virtual smack to, others I rolled my eyes at and yet more who I would ask over to my place for a BBQ. I love it when I relate to characters and I certainly related to both Hamish and Ruth - and not just because I’m in their age group.

The Seachange is an excellent story, I could not put it down. There is something for everyone in the story and I loved every moment I spent with Ruth and Hamish. This is not my first Meredith Appleyard book and it won’t be my last - I love her work.

I loved, loved, loved this book for so many reasons. Firstly, it is wonderful to read an insightful and thoughtfully constructed story about people my own age that doesn’t have them standing with one foot in the grave. It’s clear that author Meredith Appleyard knows people in their sixties are still vibrant humn beings with active lives and loves even if they are sometimes quicker to tire than their twenty-something selves. Secondly, the characters in this story are just brilliant! Ruth, who’s owned Rosie’s Café for the past five years is a rock star in the kitchen, whipping up delectable muffins and other tasty treats for her customers, though her flagging energy levels and growing desire to be someone other than the person who owns the local café with all its associated stressors are clearly drivers of the plot. Hamish enters the page as a grumpy customer but it soon becomes evident that he’s simply had a bad day. His retirement hasn’t turned out quite the way he wanted it to but his boredom begins to lift as he returns to his parents’ home after his father’s suicide and starts to prepare the house for sale. It’s clear that he’s a hard-working and talented man though he too has his crosses to bear. These two are truly fascinating characters and I really loved watching their friendship and support for each other blossom as the story progressed. Needless to say the plot is fabulous. There were glimmers of a possible ending to the story, but it really didn’t tie itself up neatly until the last few pages. I also loved the setting, the small South Australian coastal town of Cutler’s Bay, where everybody knows everybody else’s business, where most people are caring of each other but also where things look to be slowing down a little in terms of viable businesses. The Seachangers is both uplifting and engaging and I absolutely adored it.

This is a beautifully told story about life and the changes we go through, I loved the setting and the characters, Ruth Clancy owner of Rosie’s Café in Cutlers Bay and Hamish Adams who arrives in town after the death of his father, is it time for a change for them both?

Ruth is sixty two and works hard in the café she started from scratch five years ago after the death of her mother she decided on a seachange and a totally different life but when one of the locals decides to retire at fifty seven Ruth starts to think about her own life she has not prepared for retirement and she is getting very tired these days, running a café is not easy she has older twin brothers who live in Adelaide, is it time to sell up and make a change in her life.

Hamish Adams has retired and bought what he thought he wanted an apartment in the city, he has worked hard in the bush now it is time for him but he isn’t feeling the way he thought her would, then his father dies, Hamish arrives in the small town of Cutlers Bay to clean the house and sort out his father’s affairs with pressure from his sister along the way, but while there he starts to think that retirement was not for him, he is feeling a lot of memories from the past and he is making friends as well especially Ruth who runs the café, could there be a new start for him and maybe Ruth.

This story is filled with lots of emotions from both Ruth and Hamish, there is a lot going on in both of their lives and soon spending time together is what they both want but will they be able to put their pasts behind them and find that idyllic future and happiness that they both deserve?

A fabulous story that I highly recommend real and truthful and with such wonderful characters and beautifully told.

My thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin HQ for my copy to read and review.

EXCERPT: Just after three there was a ruckus out front, punctuated by a burst of raucous laughter. Allie had left for the day so I hurried out of the kitchen to find Ella Sinclair wrangling Claire Cross and her walking frame across the threshold. They were both giggling.
'It's you two,' I said, feigning exasperation. 'I should have known.'
'Damn thing,' Claire said and gave the offending walker a hefty shove. 'Gets hooked up on just about every damn thing.'
'Never mind, we're in now. Will you have tea, Claire? Ella said. The pair made their way to table two, their usual.
'Please, and a piece of the richest, most unhealthy cake you have.'
Ella settled Claire at the table and came up to the counter. 'Claire's been unwell. Nothing serious, but she's almost ninety and really shouldn't be living on her own in that old house. But of course she won't agree to the old folks home. Not that I blame her.'
That explained why I hadn't seen them for the last few weeks.
'If you're going to talk about me rather than to me, keep your voices down,' Claire called and cackled with laughter.
'How is she now?' I said and loaded a generous slice of hazelnut gateau onto a plate. I added a squirt of whipped cream.
'Frail but feisty, as you can hear. Between me, Angie, and the community nurse, we're managing to keep her at home, which is what she wants.'
'Is there anything I can do to help? I have Mondays and Tuesdays off over summer,' I found myself offering without thought.
'Ruth,' Ella said in a kind but firm voice, 'pardon me for saying this, but you look as if you need a month at a tropical resort, not more things to do.'

ABOUT ' THE SEACHANGERS': It's never too late for a new beginning.

At 57, Ruth made a successful sea she relocated from the city to the country and opened Rosie's Cafe in the seaside town of Cutlers Bay. Business boomed, but five years on the shine has worn off. Where has that other Ruth gone, the independent, feisty woman who'd had the courage to sell up in the city and move to the country? Even the bathroom mirror is reflecting back someone she doesn't quite greying hair, wrinkles, the sparkle all but gone from her blue eyes. Ruth is convinced she has to make a change - if only she could decide what.

After a lifetime of hard work out bush, Hamish has retired to the city for a life of comfort and ease. It's what he always dreamed of, so why doesn't he feel satisfied? When his 89-year-old father dies, Hamish comes to Cutlers Bay to settle his affairs. At first, packing up the house and renovating it to sell is both a filial duty and a welcome project to fill his days. As the work energises him, Hamish was retiring a mistake? The longer he's in town, the more Cutlers Bay starts to feel like home. And a certain cafe owner makes the idea of staying there all the more appealing ...

MY THOUGHTS: I always enjoy Meredith Appleyard's beautifully written books set in South Australia, and I have met many of these characters previously in All About Ella also set in the small community of Cutler's Bay. But it is not necessary to have read All About Ella to enjoy The Seachangers.

Meredith Appleyard always provides an interesting blend of characters; from the teenaged, hardworking student Mia to her single mother Allie who works part-time at Rosie's Café to Ruth the sixty-something café owner to the elderly Theo and his two slices of raisin toast. Each character is fully rounded, and Appleyard provides all those tiny details that make them oh so real.

Hamish is a new addition to the community. In town to clean out his deceased father's house he unexpectedly finds a whole new way of life offered in Cutler's Bay. Will he take up what is on offer, or will he move on? I enjoyed Hamish's character, and the trials of his relationship with his sister Natalie provide some excellent dialogue and entertainment.

Equally unexpectedly, I actually found Ruth quite hard to relate to which was a bit of a surprise as I have been in her situation of building up a business from nothing, then staying in it too long and becoming a slave to it. Maybe it was the deja vu effect, or maybe I didn't like things in Ruth that I recognised in myself - I don't know. I definitely recognise her fierce independence and aversion to accepting help!

Appleyard addresses the issues surrounding retirement in The Seachangers. Hamish has retired comfortably but is finding that perhaps he wasn't quite ready for it while Ruth longs to be retired but can't see how she can afford to be. It's a common conundrum!

There is a lot of angst in The Seachangers as each of the main characters, and some of the minor ones, battle their demons. There was a little too much angst/bleakness with death, fractured family relationships, suicide, PTSD, depression and alcoholism featuring prominently- and probably not enough of the light, joy and humor that is usually evident in Appleyard's books which affected my reading enjoyment and so I rate The Seachangers

⭐⭐⭐.6

#TheSeachangers #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: I was born and raised in a farming community in the Murray Mallee region of rural South Australia, and my heart will always be in the country, and when I’m not physically there, I yearn to return. These days home is the Clare Valley wine-growing region in South Australia.

This is the first book I have read by Meredith Appleyard and I think it will the first of many. I really enjoyed the storyline about Ruth in her 60's working long hours to keep her rural cafe profitable and successful. But upon learning that someone younger than her is about to retire, she realises she doesn't have an exit plan and her body is just not keeping up with the demands of her business and she starts to resent it.
The other main character is Hamish, he is a similar age to Ruth, divorced, and has retired after many years as a diesel mechanic working in remote areas of Australia. He has a beautiful apartment in Adelaide and gets to golf with his friends but feels somewhat adrift and unsatisfied with the reality of retirement.
The story was quite realistic in the way it unfolded, but in parts it seemed to ramble a little bit and elements were introduced that were never really 'resolved' or 'dealt with' and having said that it seemed to end quite abruptly and without what felt like a resolution. However, still a very enjoyable read that will appeal to fans of Tricia Stringer.
Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

The Seachangers is a charming story about navigating aging, embracing change, and living life to the fullest. Ruth, who runs a cafe in the small country town of Cutlers Bay, 2 hours from Adelaide, is feeling increasingly worn out and uncertain about how much longer she can keep running the cafe. Meanwhile, Hamish, newly retired and having purchased a luxurious apartment in North Adelaide, comes to Cutlers Bay temporarily to sort through his late parents' home and handle their affairs after the death of his Father.

Told through alternating viewpoints, the story features mature characters, with Ruth in her late 50s and Hamish in his early 60s. Both are dealing with their own set of challenges and personal baggage, but they eventually forge a meaningful friendship.

The narrative delves into family dynamics, tackling themes such as grief, family conflicts, and mental health with nuance and realism. The genuine support and connection between Ruth and Hamish are heartwarming and contribute to the story's overall feel-good vibe.

Overall, The Seachangers is an uplifting and touching read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing an advanced copy.

A beautifully written book set in coastal South Australia about two people entering a late in life romance. Both of the main characters have reached a point where they urgently need a change of some kind but when events bring them together they are both slow to grab their opportunities.

For the first section of this book I thought I was on a five star winner. The characters of Ruth and Hamish were both so appealing and I really enjoyed their alternate voices as we discovered them as individuals and then as they met. However at 401 pages this book was too long. Not enough happened to support all those pages and the continuing angst of each main character was not really enough to keep the momentum going.

Nevertheless it was still a four star book. The writing was excellent, the characters were lovely even Natalie,the one you had to hate. It was hard to put the book down, slow as it was in parts, because there was always a need to see if the two of them would grab what they had between them. Thank goodness there was an epilogue.

A beautiful heartwarming story about family, grief, relationships, running a business and a reflection on life. It gives the reader a lot to think about regarding the struggles of getting older. The characters are highly relatable and the plot is thought provoking and soul touching. I cried because the challenges the characters face are ones I have experienced or ones that I fear. The book is very touching.

The Seachangers is a wonderful story that gives reflection on life as you get older and wondering what to do with the rest of your life after working all the time.

Ruth is a cafe owner of 'Rosie's Cafe' after building it from the ground up from when she moved from Adelaide to Cutler's Bay at 57, now that she's 62. She feels run down and feels like there is more to life than just running/operating a Cafe.

Hamish Adam has retired and living the dream retired life he dreamed of but when his dad Theo Adams passes away he feels like the retired life for him isn't his thing atm and decides to sell his apartment in Adelaide and move to Cutler's Bay into his parents place.

The way this was written pulled at my heart strings as it gives a lot of depth of what life is like sometimes as there is topics on things like: dysfunctional families, suicide, talking about death, losing a sibling, depression, being lonely.

I enjoyed reading about Ruth and Hamish and would like to give thanks to HQ and Netgalley for letting me read this delightful book.

Ruth Clancy had owned and run Rosie's Cafe in Cutlers Bay for the past five years, to great success, but she was finally wondering what was next. Now in her early sixties, she was tired, run down and stressed, and after a recent death in the family, Ruth found she wanted more from the last years of her life. Travelling the two and a half hours between Cutlers Bay and Adelaide, using the two days off she had each week, left her feeling the need of a proper break. But it wasn't possible with the busyness of her life; the constant 'on the go' with the cafe so she fell into bed each night in exhaustion. Something had to give...

Hamish Adams had finally sold his apartment in Adelaide, moving to his parents' home in Cutlers Bay to prepare it for sale. Hamish's dad had recently died and his mother a few years previously, so the need was there. Rundown and tired, the house needed some TLC, and the more time Hamish spent there, the more he liked Cutlers Bay. In his sixties, Hamish had wondered if he'd retired too early, but as he found different jobs to fill his time, helping neighbours around their houses when they were unable, enjoying the coffee and meals at Rosie's Cafe as well as a few games of golf, Hamish's life began to settle. It didn't hurt that he'd befriended Ruth...

The Seachangers is an exceptional read by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard which I loved. I was so into the story that I wasn't aware of how late it was getting last night, then continuing this morning, suddenly I was at the Epilogue. Such a riveting, enthralling, great book! Ruth and Hamish are captivating characters, written extremely well. The setting in rural, coastal South Australia, not far from its capital Adelaide, is an area I know well, so visualising it was easy. I've thoroughly enjoyed all Ms Appleyard's books, and this one was no exception. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Enterprises AU for my digital ARC to read.

Ruth set up Rosie’s Cafe in Cutlers Bay five years ago, later in life. She’s enjoying it and the community but the sudden retirement of someone younger than her makes her question her life. Now at 63, running a cafe six days a week, juggling staff and with no outside life, makes her realise how tired she is and wondering what her retirement plans actually are…especially when a lovely newcomer comes to the town.
I love Meredith Appleyard’s books, they are so life like. Just like talking to your neighbour over the back fence.
A number of important topics are covered including the elderly in the community, loneliness and sense of purpose, especially when we retire but they are woven well into the story.
I did find this book did have a bit of heaviness to it but that could be because I’m at the same stage of life.
Being familiar with the area that the book was set, also made it more real for me.
An enjoyable and relevant story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Ruth Clancy has lived in the small coastal town of Cutlers Bay in South Australia for five years, ever since she bought a vacant shop and turned it into “Rosie’s Café.” Now at sixty two with the café being a runaway success due to Ruth’s great coffee and baking, she is wondering how she can ease back on the constant work and stress of keeping it running and think about retiring. Although she has family in Adelaide, she could never afford to live there so she’s not sure what’s next for her.

Hamish Adams grew up in Cutlers Bay and has now retired after a life as a mechanic working in the bush. He has a great bachelor apartment in Adelaide, enjoys playing golf and has restaurants and cafés on his doorstep. It’s the lifestyle he’s always thought he wanted but somehow, he’s not enjoying it as much as he should. When his father Theo, one of Ruth’s regular customers dies he returns to Cutler’s Bay to organise his father’s house for sale. He soon discovers Ruth’s café with its great coffee and food and after a number of visits decides that maybe small town life might be what he needs.

This is a delightful, gentle tale of very real, finely drawn characters, at an important turning point in their lives. Retirement is something many people don’t plan for and the author explores the uncertainties in what it will look like for Ruth and Hamish. Despite being surrounded by people, they are both lonely and there is also uncertainty for them as their to whether it’s too late for their growing friendship to move into a deeper relationship
after being accustomed to single life for so long.

With it’s beautiful, fresh cover this is a very enjoyable read. The lives of the characters are fully fleshed out, with all the challenges and joys of their every day lives and relationships with family and other people. It’s refreshing to read a novel about people in their sixties looking forward to the next phase of their of their lives.

The Seachangers by Meredith Appleyard has such a refreshing cover matched by a finely written story that is quite realistic and appealing. Many of us know the Australian show SeaChange with Sigrid Thornton. I loved that show and my daughter was born at home twenty five years ago a Sunday night during the airing of one of its episodes. Unfortunately, I missed that one! (Though I now own the boxset). There is a lot of interest these days in finding a better lifestyle. The Australian definition of the word seachange is: a significant change in lifestyle, especially a move from the city to a rural or seaside location. Why do people do it? They are looking for “a better work-life balance."

This is a story about all that and more. Relationships are the heart of this plot, though. More with a focus on character development or realisation than action. Of course, there are some life major events that drive the plot like death of parents, siblings and health scares: all the things that go with getting older and needing to make life decisions that can be quite scary but necessary to keep moving forward. Time, mobility and even money are luxuries, too, we often don’t have plenty of when we get older so we must do all we can, when opportunities arise that make sense and can create a better senior life for ourselves. Whether it be to sell up a business, move house, downsize, head for better shores or take a well-earned holiday.

The Seachangers unfolds in chapters that are divided mostly between Ruth and Hamish’s viewpoints. They are the main focus characters with others swirling around them. They are not a couple to start with but in the end they find their way to each other, both older and enjoying companionship that appears natural between them. They are definitely friends able to share their burdens and provide support through some trying circumstances. This friendship though could become a bit more. But each of them is out of practice as far as romantic relationships are concerned. It doesn’t matter though as there is no pretence and plenty of honesty flows between them. I loved how Hamish is gentle with Ruth and steps in to be whatever she needs at the time and she is the same with Hamish.

When Ruth courageously made the sea change at age 57 from the city to the seaside town of Cutler’s Bay, she opened a Rosie’s Café and ran a successful business. But now that she is five years older (62) she is feeling worn down from all the work and worry. The person she sees in the mirror has aged and she has lost her energy and sparkle. She needs a change. And once she makes that decision to move forward again, she realises a new direction—in fact a new business that draws upon her past travels and resident time in Paris. She is able to utilise her love of clothes and desire to help others who need them. A great new goal that will appeal to her skills and interests and be less hectic and less demanding at this stage in her life.

Hamish was a diesel mechanic and worked in the bush, then retired and moved to the city but became ill at ease with his new surroundings. When his 89 year old father dies, he comes to Cutlers Bay to tend to the house left to him and his only sister. They are not close and her behaviour towards him is quite grating at times but we learn more about their past and understand how they got to this point in their sibling relationship. Hamish witnessed a loss in his family at a young age and it overshadowed his life. It has caused some psychological wounds that must be treated and he eventually gets the courage to do so. While sorting out his father’s home, he becomes energised by renovation ideas and once visiting Rosie’s Café strikes up a friendship with Ruth. It seems Cutler’s Bay works its magic on him. And life begins looking up.

This is a solid story with firm bones that left me nodding my head often, understanding the characters and their dilemmas. It displays the struggles of most people today getting older and being faced with different options and needs. Ruth and Hamish are very likeable characters and I enjoyed following their journeys as they navigated the maze of ageism. I heartily recommend The Seachangers for anyone who likes a well written modern day Australian story laced with wit and wisdom but older readers may appreciate its topics even more. 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to HQ Fiction and Negalley for a review copy.