Review |The Cottage at Rosella Cove

THE COTTAGE AT ROSELLA COVE 
By Sandie Docker
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia 
Release Date: January, 2019

 

Why had the house stayed empty so long? Why had it never been sold?
LOST
Nicole has left her city life for the sleepy town of Rosella Cove, renting the old cottage by the water. She plans to keep to herself – but when she uncovers a hidden box of wartime love letters, she realises she’s not the
first person living in this cottage to hide secrets and pain.

FOUND
Ivy’s quiet life in Rosella Cove is tainted by the events of World War II, with ramifications felt for many years to come. But one night a drifter appears and changes everything. Perhaps his is the soul she’s meant to save.

FORGOTTEN
Charlie is too afraid of his past to form any lasting ties in the cove. He knows he must make amends for his tragic deeds long ago, but he can’t do it alone. Maybe the new tenant in the cottage will help him fulfil a promise and find the redemption he isn’t sure he deserves.

Welcome to the cottage at Rosella Cove, where three damaged souls meet and have the chance to rewrite their futures.

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**Thank you Penguin Books Australia for providing a copy for review as part of the #lovebetweenthepages Book Club!**

The Cottage at Rosella Cove is simultaneously heart-shattering and uplifting, brilliantly weaving 3 separate tales told from multiple POVs into one story that left me on the verge of tears when I finally finished the last page.

As there are 3 stories, my review will be divided accordingly:

LOST

Nicole has left her life behind in Sydney and entered the small town of Rosella Cove. From the get go I was curious about why Nicole had left her life behind as she had close to no belongings when she arrived at the old cottage in Rosella Cove. Nicole’s story is told in the present, but there are flashbacks to her life in Sydney that helped unravel why she decided to disappear from her Sydney life.

Nicole is a character I immediately connected with; through the flashbacks we’re introduced to this lonely girl who has no blood relatives, and whose only family is her best friend and boyfriend. This resonated with me as I too don’t have any siblings and I consider my parents, friends and boyfriend my family.

I liked Nicole more and more as the story progressed, and I really wanted her to have a happy ending after everything she’d been through with her emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend (who by the way, seemed like the most loving and loyal boyfriend at the start). I was so happy when the residents of Rosella Cove welcomed her to the town with open arms, and it was extremely heart-warming to see Nicole with her new family.

FOUND

Nicole’s new home, the old cottage that’s been uninhabited for the last few decades, came with a few surprises. She discovered a box of letters written by the last owner of the house, a woman named Ivy.

Ivy’s story is one of pain, heart-break and forgiveness. Ivy’s life was devastated by the effects of World War II; her letters were written but never posted, and they continued up until her death. There was so much pain, loss and hurt in Ivy’s letters, and on more than one occasion I was left teary after reading them.

Through Ivy’s letters, we discover a man who saved her life, who is also haunted by pain and secrets that would never be revealed. Towards the end of Ivy’s letters, it was easy to start piecing together all the different individuals and how they contributed to the town of Rosella Cove.

FORGOTTEN

Throughout the book, there was one mysterious character that we knew nothing about. He’s a grumpy old man who doesn’t interact with people, around eighty years old, lives by himself, and barks at anyone who stares at him for too long or goes anywhere near him. In the beginning I didn’t think much of him but as the story progressed it became clear what his role in the book was, and when I started piecing everything together, I couldn’t wait to find out whether my theory was correct.

In summary, I enjoyed The Cottage at Rosella Cove immensely! The characters were relatable and real, the setting was fantastic (I do love some Aussie settings with four wheel driving references) and the story tore my heart out then put it back together. I can’t wait for more from Sandie Docker!

Review | I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

I OWE YOU ONE
By Sophie Kinsella
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia 
Release Date: February, 2019

Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . . . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all. 

So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour.

That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time.

Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves.

Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? 

 

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**Thank you Penguin Books Australia for providing a copy for review as part of the #lovebetweenthepages Book Club!**

Sophie Kinsella became one of my favourite rom-com authors after I picked up a copy of “I’ve Got Your Number” a few years back when I was backpacking around Europe. I distinctly remember sitting in a café reading the book for hours instead of exploring the city I was in because I could not put it down. When I discovered Sophie Kinsella was releasing a new book this month, I was over the moon, and could not wait to get back from my business trip to read it!

Although I Owe You One didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I nevertheless enjoyed it. The first half of the book was a slight disappointment as I got annoyed at Fixie and her actions every two seconds but the second half of the book more than made up for it. I did feel that things wrapped up rather quickly in the end but I was still content with the ending 🙂

Fixie’s character demonstrated exceptional growth over the course of the book. I was initially so annoyed at her as she never stood up for herself in front of her family and let the boy she’s crushed on since high school walk all over her whenever he was in town. There were so many moments where I wanted to throw the book across the room in frustration because Fixie somehow COULD NOT SEE what a lying, condescending and obnoxious con man Ryan was. He was a pathological liar, said all the right things but there were so many red flags but she ignored them all. However I found it easy to relate to her in other aspects of her life, such as her tendency to shy away from confrontation and her inability to stand up for herself. I was so proud when she finally spoke up for herself, and told her sexist and misogynistic uncle to shut up. I was on the brink of exploding in anger after all the sexist comments her Uncle Ned made about how “every family needs a man of the house” and how Fixie’s mum never called him out for it. Thank God Fixie finally gave him a piece of her mind.

As for Seb, I don’t think his character was fleshed out well. We’re told he’s haunted by the memory of his brother despite convincing everyone that he has moved on; is passionate about his job, his company and is extremely vocal about his opinions. However, when I think of Seb I see a cardboard cut-out for a character. I enjoyed his romance with Fixie but as an individual character, I felt he was bland and I personally didn’t care for him too much.

If there’s one theme that I Owe You One focuses on, it is the importance of family. Coming from a small family I found it difficult to relate at times during the family-feud scenes in the book, however I thought it was a good insight into the dynamics of a big family. I would recommend picking up a copy of I Owe You One for all romance lovers out there and Sophie Kinsella fans! I personally can’t wait to read more stories by Sophie Kinsella!

Review | Not Bad People by Brandy Scott

NOT BAD PEOPLE
By Brandy Scott
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia
Release Date: 29th January 2019

 

Three friends, thirty years of shared secrets, one impulsive gesture .. and a terrible accident. When friendship goes bad, someone has to pay. For fans of Liane Moriarty and Robyn Harding.

It’s New Year’s Eve. Three thirty-something women – Aimee, Melinda and Lou – best friends for decades, let off sky lanterns filled with resolutions: for meaning, for freedom, for money. As the glowing paper bags float away, there’s a bright flare in the distance. It could be a sign of luck – or the start of a complete nightmare that will upend their friendships, families and careers.

The day after their ceremony, the newspapers report a small plane crash – two victims pulled from the wreckage, one a young boy. Were they responsible? Aimee thinks they are, Melinda won’t accept it, and Lou has problems of her own. It’s a toxic recipe for guilt trips, shame, obsession, blackmail and power games.

They’re not bad people. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

**Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for providing a copy for review**

Not Bad People centres around the lives of three best friends in a small town called Hensley, located on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia. The main characters are:

Aimee: An active member of the Hensley community and wife of Nick, the owner of a vineyard that has been around for generations.

Lou: A single mum who was disowned as a teenager when she refused to terminate her pregnancy. She despises all the “locals” in the town as she believes they turned their backs on her when her parents disowned her and sided with them instead of helping her to make ends meet.

Melinda: The oldest of the three and a rich and successful entrepreneur. She is single, and previously dated Nick when they were fresh out of high school.

In the first few pages, we’re introduced to the three best friends setting off a lantern on NYE and subsequently learned that there was an airplane crash in the direction of where the lantern was headed. From here onwards, we step into the lives of these three best friends as they navigate life, and witness the power of love and friendships.

Not Bad People is written from the perspective of multiple people. I felt that Brandy Scott did a marvellous job writing from multiple perspectives, and for the most part I didn’t skim/skip paragraphs (I have a tendency to skim pages when one chapter/POV ends in a cliffhanger and I have no desire to read from the other person’s POV). I liked how the last few chapters felt very fast paced; the POVs changed quicker which suited the tone and pace of the revelation at the end of the book. I felt myself reading faster and faster just so I could finally find out what happened in the end.

I remember at the beginning of the book I thought that out of the three girls, Aimee was the luckiest: she lives a very comfortable and stable life in a massive house with a loving husband and two rather well behaved teenage kids. However as the story progressed I could feel myself starting to feel a myriad of emotions towards her: annoyance at how she was so worried about everything and needing to do everything right to make herself feel better and pity at how her actions will forever be defined by her past and lastly compassion and understanding. Aimee was a straight A student in school with a passion for writing but everything changed a few years into Uni. She now spends the majority of her time at home while her husband is at work and kids are at school and there’s just so much time to think. From my own experiences when there’s too much free time on my hands, my thoughts will wonder to dark places and this allowed me to relate to Aimee at times.

One massive take away from the book for me was that I realised that no one’s life is perfect. Obviously I’ve always known this, but I never had the opportunity to process it until I read this book. Not Bad People is one of the only 2019 books I wanted to continue reading and would definitely recommend it to everyone looking for a compelling story about friendships, family and forgiveness.

Post Travel Depression

A lot of people have asked me what the hardest part of travelling is or praised me for my courage to venture solo into a completely foreign environment with no grasp of the language. Yes I have encountered difficulties caused by a communication barrier and once I missed my bus because I couldn’t find the bus stop and was also pointed in the wrong direction by a stranger, but these are certainly not “the hardest parts of travelling” for me.

Since I started actively travelling, I have had my backpack and valuables stolen, had no change of clothes because my checked-in baggage never left the city I departed from, been scammed by taxi drivers,  gotten so sick I was bed-ridden for a few days,  and had to visit a dentist in Italy, been the target of racist comments and have woken up on a stranger’s couch after drinking too much the night before with absolutely no idea who the house belonged to. Sure, the above were problems and challenges I faced overseas and I would rather never have to deal with them again but after spending the last 2 weeks in Sydney, I’ve finally realised what the hardest part of jet setting is for me.

It’s adjusting to life at home.

Last year after I came back from 8 months abroad, I suffered a short period of post-travel depression but this was swiftly pushed to the back of my mind as more pressing matters emerged: passing my final year at uni, applying for internships, looking for a part-time jobs etc. It was easy for me to move on with my life because I kept myself busy, and on my days off I managed to find friends who were willing to explore different parts of Sydney with me. I also made a decision to work hard for an entire year, save as much money as possible and after graduating, I would return to Europe for my graduation trip.  I therefore had something to look forward to in my life, and a reason to work hard and keep busy.

This is unfortunately not the case this time round. I returned to Australia 3 weeks ago and this post travel depression syndrome is hitting me at full force. I was fine the first week as I was busy preparing myself for my graduation,  but the last week and a half have been horrible. All my friends are either working full time, part-time or studying for exams and obviously don’t have time to chill with me on weekdays. I used to look forward to Friday and Saturday nights because usually my friends are free and I could drink and forget. However, it seems like most of them would prefer a quiet night in as opposed to a trashy night out. This is disappointing because what I need right now is to talk to people, forget that I’m not travelling anymore and have fun but the reality is, I’m stuck at home every second day and am about to explode.

I’m currently considering escaping Sydney again before Christmas, but at the rate my bank balance is depleting, I don’t think I’ll have enough money for another trip abroad. All I can hope for now is that this post travel depression will soon fade away and I’ll fall back into my daily routine.

Review | The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby

The Secret History of Us
by  Jessi Kirby

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 24th July 2017 

 

Gorgeously written and emotionally charged, The Secret History of Us explores the difficult journey of a teenage girl who must piece her life together after losing her memory in a near-fatal accident.

When Olivia awakes in a hospital bed following a car accident that almost took her life, she can’t remember the details about how she got there. She figures the fog is just a symptom of being in a week-long coma, but as time goes on, she realizes she’s lost more than just the last several days of her life—she’s lost her memory of the last four years. Gone is any recollection of starting or graduating high school; the prom; or her steady boyfriend Matt. Trying to figure out who she is feels impossible when everyone keeps telling her who she was. 

As Liv tries to block out what her family and friends say about who she used to be, the one person she hasn’t heard enough from is Walker, the guy who saved her the night her car was knocked off that bridge into the bay below. Walker is the hardened boy who’s been keeping his distance—and the only person Olivia inexplicably feels herself with. With her feelings growing for Walker, tensions rising with Matt, and secrets she can’t help but feel are being kept from her, Olivia must find her place in a life she doesn’t remember living.

A quick, breezy read that I need every now and then to escape reality.

The story follows Liv, who miraculously survives a fatal car accident but has lost her memory of the last four years of her life. Her journey to recovery after the accident made me question how I would react if I woke up with the realisation that I’d lost the last 4 years of my life and whether I’m happy with the person I am today. After creating a quick summary of things I would change vs things I would like to remain the same, it turns out if I were to lose the last 4 years of my memory, there are definitely things in my life that I would do differently.

The message I took from The Secret History of Us is that we shouldn’t care about what other people thinks of us or what society expects us to do. Do what you want.

“You gotta go with what seems right to you, not what you think you should be doing because it’s what you’ve been told. You’re allowed to change. We all are.”

We spend half our lives living in fear that we’ll get judged for doing something unconventional or un-us. But who cares about what other people think? Life is short, do what you want for yourself.

Jessi Kirby continues to be on my list of authors to look out for every year. I can’t wait for her future books!