The Orphans
By: Fiona McIntosh

5 Stars

This was such a beautiful story. Tom and Fleur, both orphans, meet on a tragic and sad day when they are children. Years later, they meet again in a serendipitous meeting that will forever change them.

This story was beautifully written. It presented a tale of loss and pain while also presenting a tale of drama, mystery, and romance. This was a book that was so easy to be captivated by. The scenery was descriptive and intriguing. I was lost in the deserts of Australia and a budding new country. I felt completely swept up in the story. The characters were so real and relatable. They made me feel all the emotions. I was mad, sad, angry, happy. I laughed, and I cried. I felt it all, and I loved it. It was heart-wrenching and heartwarming.

I can say that this author can write an emotional story, and she can do it very well. This story had me from the very first page, and I can not wait to read more from such a talented author.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

Two orphans who meet at a funeral when they are young. They promise to meet again. They do meet again, 20 years later.

A very enjoyable read. I loved the story! It was wonderful!

This is a slow paced historical fiction novel set in Australia. The characters are really loveable. I found the pace to be a bit too slow for me.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author. This is the story of a childhood meeting and a chance meeting some years later, Fleur and Tom meet when Toms mother passes away and Fleur’s father who is a funeral director is called to arrange a quiet funeral for the estranged daughter. Fleur is 8 and helps her father in the funeral home and takes to Tom when they arrive at the home of his grandparents. His grandparents want nothing to do with Tom so he leaves to go back to his home in the outback to wait for his father to return from a shearing tour..
The book is well written with lovely characters.
My thanks as always to NetGalley for the early read and to publisher Storm Publishing

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. It's the first I have read by this author. I enjoyed the storyline which held my interest throughout. Fleur Appleby, is an unusual girl, with rare talents as the daughter of an Undertaker. She has a strong character, supported by her parents. Tom Catchlove, is from a different background with a loving mother who died young. They first met as children and reunited 20 years later. The story is set in Southern Australia in the ear,y 20th century. Conditions were harsh, the environment is well described and easy to imagine. The author showed great empathy for the characters, both the pleasant and unpleasant.
I can recommend this book. It's an engaging story that is easy to read.

A sort of light read but only in it's predictability, not subject matter. Set in early to mid 20th century Australia the descriptions of time and place were strong and felt realistic. At 10 years old Tom Catchlove was growing up on a remote sheep station but with his father away for months on end, droving. His pregnant mother is unwell and he has to drive her 18 miles to the nearest hospital (no other adults to help? It is a sheep station after all). Sadly she and the baby die. Fleur Appleby, 8 years old, helps her father the local mortician and meets with Tom at the funeral home where Tom's mother and baby have been taken. Tom and Fleur are drawn to each other! Eighteen years later Tom is a first class wool classer, father dead. Fleur is still working with her father and hoping to take on the business when he retires. Her stepmother has other ideas. Fleur and Tom meet by chance at a local dance, where Fleur is trying to be civil to the man her stepmother has lined up as a husband, and immediately recognise each other. Their story moves on until the eventual predicted ending following the death of her father, subsequent murder investigation, lying letters from step mama etc etc. There was an awful lot of detail about what happens to a body after death and what the morticians do to make the client acceptable for viewing. I'm not squeamish but got fed up with that level of detail being retold several times, once is adequate. An ok read but it wasn't as engagins as I had hoped. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The moment I started reading this book I didn’t know that I was possibly going to become part orphan. A day later my mom had a massive stroke and now her life is pending by a thread. My state of mine doesn’t allow me to continue reading the book but the minimum I read I was loving it. Hopefully, soon I’ll be able to continue and give a more satisfying review about it. Sorry to leave it like this for now. I do wish to finish it!

This took me a while to get through. Not because I didn’t enjoy it but because I wanted to really feel it. This was the first book of Fiona McIntosh that I’ve read and her way with words is absolutely beautiful. She flawlessly paints a picture with her writing that is easy to get lost in. Her telling of Tom and Fleur’s journey made me feel everything from immense sadness to elation and everything in between.
A solid 4 stars and I will absolutely read again.

A very good story which kept me interested all the way through. I loved the setting and the way the story flowed along. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Australian setting of life in the early 20th century sounded a welcome change to most fiction books available at present.

The vivid descriptions of the outback brought to life the blistering Australian heat, the choking dust in the shearing sheds and the constant flies buzzing around. The author had clearly carried out an impressive amount of research. It would have helped if the author had explained what Tom's ambitions of being a wool classer meant, she did much later, but in the meantime I had to resort to Google for clarification.

The details of a mortician's work to prepare a body for burial was interesting - the first time it occurred. For the second body further facts were offered, even more were added for the third corpse. This is definitely a case of information overload. When Fleur was about to lay out a fourth body, I'd had enough. The Orphans had turned into an instruction manual for trainee morticians and I wondered if there would be a questionnaire at the end.

Considering the size of South Australia, it was unlikely that on Tom's first day in Adelaide he would encounter Fleur, more unrealistic that they'd recognise each other from their one brief meeting as young children twenty years ago. Within hours they declared their love for each other: my reasoning for the instalove is that she was the first woman he'd met after arriving from the outback, and Fleur was being pressurised to marry a man she disliked.

The plot twists were obvious very early in the book offering no surprises for the reader, and there was too much over explaining..

DNF. While other people seem to love the book, sadly it fell far short of my initial expectations

With thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

The Orphans is an outstanding historical fiction book by Fiona McIntosh. Beautifully written , yet she doesn’t write too many words. Yet I could feel the summer heat, and the thirty throat, along with the smells of the shearing shed and the embalming room. Her descriptions are vivid, and her characterizations are honest and real. The story is captivating but also a pleasure to read despite the harsh circumstances Fleur and Tom found themselves in at times.

The first book I have read by this author but soon I plan to be reading more. The Orphans is a remarkable book from the beginning with young Tom and Fleur to the end when Fleur experiences a moment with Tom from his childhood. Recommend The Orphans as a must read.

This book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction, emotional dramas, and anyone who loves a story that lingers long after the last page is turned. McIntosh has truly outdone herself with The Orphans, creating a rich, unforgettable narrative that is both heart-wrenching and inspiring.

The Orphans is a beautifully written, deeply emotional journey that explores the complexities of family, resilience, and the impact of historical upheaval. Set against the backdrop of post-war Europe, McIntosh weaves a compelling narrative about survival, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds between people who are forced to face unimaginable hardships.

The characters are richly developed, each one layered with their own hopes, fears, and dreams. From the heartbreaking struggles of orphaned children to the compassionate yet flawed adults who try to help them, the story is filled with moments of heartache and triumph. McIntosh's ability to bring her characters to life makes the emotional stakes feel deeply personal, leaving the reader invested in their fates from the very first page.

The pacing of the novel is masterful, maintaining a delicate balance between quiet, reflective moments and intense, gripping action. The historical detail is meticulously researched, offering vivid and immersive sense of time and place, yet the novel's themes remain timeless. McIntosh's prose is evocative and lyrical, capturing both the despair and hope of her character's journeys.

At its core, The Orphans is about finding family in the most unlikely places and discovering strength in the face of overwhelming adversity. McIntosh has crafted a story that is not only a testament to human resilience but also a reminder of the power of compassion and the importance of looking out for one another, no matter the circumstances.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Two children meeting in unlikely circumstances when they were young, meet again as adults and the connection and bond they have is undeniable but not everyone is keen on their renewed friendship. Fleur and Tom are on their way to happily ever after but an unexpected death and an evil plot may get in the way of their happiness.

This was an emotional read with tragedy, death, grief, and evil schemes. This is a new found author to me and the second book I have had the chance to read. I enjoy this author and will definitely be reading more.

3.5 stars

I read the book and learned about the undertaking and wool classer. I would never have guessed that the Australian outback would be the source of wool. Heavy work for both Fleur (a woman undertaker) and Tom (a wool classer). Despite the hard scenario of this story, it is a love story with some mystery. I liked reading the book.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This was a story of two people, both have their own reasons for being on their own.

Tom is in Australia hoping to get away from something that happened in his life, but he’s never forgotten about a girl who made his life feel happier the days when things weren’t going well.

Fleur lives with a family who adopted her, but is finding it hard to adjust with how she felt growing up in her home to how she feels now.

Now that both Tom and Fleur are together, we see their lives develop into an emotional love story, which is also sad to read about the way their family behaved.

I loved what Fleur did as a job.

It was interesting to read about what happened after the war in Australia.

I recommend this book.

BOOK: THE ORPHANS
AUTHOR: FIONA MCINTOSH
PUB DATE: MARCH, 2025
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REVIEWThanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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THINGS I LIKED
1. The FMC, Fleur, she was a force to be reckoned with. She was smart, confident, and determined to be respected and seen as the mortician she is.
2. Tom Catchlove, he was an amazing mmc. He is a good man, but someone still trying to deal with his parents' deaths.
3. Mae and Henry Appleby. They were amazing parents to their adopted daughter, Fleur and they loved each other.
4. I liked Fleur and Tom's chemistry. Their love story was fast, but the chemistry was there.
5. The author really focused on the development of both MCs and I liked it.
6. Fleur's forgiveness at the end
7. The pace of the book
8. The funeral home/mortician approach. I appreciate what I learned from the book
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THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE
1. The love story was too fast, both of them had amazing chemistry, I just didn't like the love at first sight trope. And I didn't like the miscommunication trope thrown at the end. If I was the one, I wouldn't be as forgiving as Fleur.
2. Henry Appleby's behavior at the end.
3. Irma Appleby
4. The author portrayed 99% of those who died as loving people. Not everyone was a good person before they died. I just felt like she glossed over reality.
5. I didn't really get the mystery I was promised. It was there, but kinda different than what I expected.
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I liked this book and I read it in a day. I would have liked an epilogue, but it's good either way. I liked reading it and I would definitely recommend it!
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I very much enjoyed this heartfelt exploration of family, of life, death, love, and the changing role of women in the 20th century. Although there were some moments when I felt that the coincidences and the characters’ highly progressive ideas came uncomfortably close to being implausible, overall The Orphans was a terrific historical romance filled with drama. I particularly liked the vivid descriptions of the Australian settings - both the outback and the city - and also the impeccable research that captured the sheep shearing/wool classing and undertaking in a way that made them easy to visualise. The wonderfully named Tom Catchlove was a worthy romantic hero, and Fleur was a dynamic and interesting heroine.

The Orphans is a well written, compelling historical fiction novel set in Australia and spanning several years.

With richly developed characters and an imaginative plot, the author paints a vivid portrayal of outback Australia and the workings behind the scenes in a funeral home. It is the story of love, loss and new beginnings. It has been well researched and I recommend it to readers who enjoy predictable love stories with a historical twist.

1⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of The Orphans.

Fleur has been around dead bodies since she was a child because her father is a mortician. She has plans to take over his business as an adult and be the first female mortician. She meets a boy named Tom who has just lost his mother and she comforts him. Decades later they meet again at a dance and form a relationship but many challenges and struggles are thrown there way.

This book really drug on and honestly seemed more like a young adult read at some points. Some of the plot points were kind of ridiculous. I was not a fan.

This is a sweet, light story about two people who meet as children and find each other later in life.

Plot summary: Fluer is adopted and brought up by a loving couple. Tom's mother passes away as she gives birth to a new baby who dies at birth. Fleur's father is an undertaker and takes care care of Tom's mother and sister, and Fleur and Tom, who are eight and ten years old, forge a quick connection.
20 years later, Fleur's adoptive mother has passed away and her evil stepmother tries to ruin her life. Tom is on his own, and events bring them together. But will other people intervene to keep them apart?

This is quick and easy read. It comes across as contrived and predictable, and although there are twists, they're completely expected. The main characters are likeable, but it's very clear who's good and who's bad here. Not a lot of nuance.

I'm an outlier here, so take what you will from this review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin, and Fiona McIntosh for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.