If you're anything like me, you're dying to flick the calendar over to a warmer October, and you've been revelling in the recent spate of Indian Summer weather that has been bestowed on us here in lovely South Australia.
But....there is one great, GREAT thing about winter--reading romance in front of the FIRE.
Now, I'm not sure if Kyoko Church has a fire or not (she lives in the chilly Adelaide Hills, as I do, so chances are high), but nonetheless, she has been reading The Vale Girl.
Kyoko Church: "I've read The Vale Girl, a debut novel by Aussie author Nelika McDonald. It was brilliant! Masterfully presented plot, beautifully written, couldn't put it down. It reads like a mystery which is normally not my thing but the literary quality of this kept me reading. Big recommend."
"If you leave no trace, nobody could say later whether you were even there at all."
Fourteen-year-old Sarah Vale has gone missing in the small town of Banville. She's the daughter of the town whore so no one seems particularly concerned.
No one cares except Tommy Johns, who loves Sarah Vale with all the unadulterated, tentative passion of a teenage boy. He galvanises the town's policeman Sergeant Henson and, together, they turn the town inside out, searching for the lost girl.
A delicate and layered exploration of secrets and lies, forgotten children and absent parents, and the long shadows of the past.
An extraordinary debut from a talented new writer.
Sounds fascinating, Kyoko. Thank you. And an Aussie author! Oi, oi!
As for me, I've been continuing my sci-fi romance bent.
Here are some of the titles, check your Amazon Sci-Fi Romance list if you'd like to grab a copy.
Invasion Earth (Delroi Connection Book 1) by Loribelle Hunt
In the distant future, Earth has been ravaged by war and famine, and after generations of bloodshed settles into peace only to be invaded by the alien Delroi. General Alrik Torfa needs a mate and his seers promise mates for many of his people on the distant planet Earth. He doesn't expect her to come easily, but is more than a little surprised to find her leading an enemy army. Outmanned and outgunned, there is no way the Earth forces can win.Sergeant Major Laney Bradford has always played her part and served her people well, but the demands of the Delroi's surrender are a bit extreme. Marriage? To one of them? Not likely. But she's fought for peace her entire life and when surrender talks are threatened by a conspiracy led by her people, Laney must choose. Will she submit to the alien invader or lead the fight against him?
When Jeremiah arrived at Megiddo Station, all he wanted was to make some trades and resupply his starship. He never thought he'd come away with a wife.
Before he knows it, he's back on his ship, alone with his accidental bride. Since neither of them speak the same language, he has no way to tell her that there's been a terrible mistake. And because of the deadly famine ravaging her home, there's no going back. She's entirely at his mercy, and that terrifies him more than anything.
Jeremiah isn't ready to take responsibility for anyone. He's a star wanderer, roaming the Outworld frontier in search of his fortune. Someday he'll settle down, but for now, he just wants to drop the girl off at the next port and move on.
As he soon finds out, though, she has other plans.
Sky Hunter (The Targon Tales 1) by Chris Reher
Air Command pilot Nova Whiteside is assigned to a remote outpost to guard the construction of a new tethered orbiter, Skyranch Twelve, against rebel sabotage. The difference between the well-ordered Union air fields and this dusty garrison is made painfully clear when she runs afoul a brutal commander of ground troops.
Her assignment takes her from the midst of a bloody uprising to the elegant new space station where she hopes to train for her Hunter Class pilot grade. But not all runs according to protocol and she soon suspects that more than farming is being done up there. When she uncovers the treacherous and illicit schemes taking place, it seems that local riots are the least of their troubles.
The Return Journey by Michael Gillen
Two men go on a journey through space to a planet that is legendary for holding the answer to any question. But, on the way, they start having new questions about each other and themselves, and they are shocked by the answers they discover.
Date Night on Union Station by EM Foner
Kelly Frank is EarthCent’s top diplomat on Union Station, but her job description has always been a bit vague. When she receives a gift subscription to the dating service that’s rumored to be powered by the same benevolent artificial intelligence that runs the huge station, Kelly decides to swallow her pride and give it a shot. But as her dates go from bad to worse, she can only hope that the supposedly omniscient AI is planning a happy ending.
While I enjoyed most of these books, Loribelle Hunt is the author I'd reach for again, though Foner's book was amusing, and had my favourite hero, and I enjoyed the premise of Vasic's novella.
Until next time, happy reading and stay warm!
Emmeline x
No comments:
Post a Comment
We love comments. Why not leave one?