australian women writers challenge

Summer and the Groomsman (#2) by Cathryn Hein

21 May 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Australian Women Writers, Novella, Romance Tags: three stars, romance, novella, australian women writers challenge, rural romance, Audiobook, cathryn hein, levenham love story, ayesha tansey

Published: 10 November 2015 (print)/1 December 2024 (audio)
Publisher: Cathryn Hein/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 106/3 hrs and 20 mins
Narrator: Ayesha Tansey
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Rural Romance
★ ★ ★ – 3.5 Stars

It’s Levenham’s wedding of the year but unlucky-in-love Harry Argyle has more on his mind than being groomsman.

After yet again nearly colliding with an escaped horse while driving home to the family farm, Harry Argyle comes face-to-face with its pretty owner, and doesn’t hold back his disapproval.

Confronted by a bad-tempered giant on a dark country road, beautician and new arrival in town Summer Taylor doesn’t know who to be more afraid for: herself or her darling horse Binky. It’s not her fault Binky keeps escaping. The alcoholic owner of the paddock she rents won’t fix the fence and Binky can be sneaky when it comes to filling his stomach. But no matter how big and muscled the bully, she refuses to be intimidated.

When Harry’s wedding party book a session at the day spa where Summer works, both she and Harry are horrified to be paired together. Grudgingly, they agree to make the most of it – only for the session to spiral into disaster. Realising he’s made a dill of himself in front of sweet Summer yet again, Harry vows to set things right.

Summer isn’t about to easily forgive the man who called her horse stupid, no matter how brave and kind, but with everyone on Harry’s side, even fate, resistance is hard. Can these two find love or will Summer’s wayward horse put his hoof in it again?

Being a novella this is a quick and easy read but manages to fulfill all the requirements of a cute love story. The depth of character is there and with a few words Hein can bring this town to life and expand on the story we’ve already built upon.

I enjoyed the grumpy nature of Harry and how he and Summer both have justifiable causes for their apprehension for one another. The stakes and issues are real, the dangers of car accidents, loose horses, and fences only the start of the troubles.

Hein brings real cause for conflict with her characters and also the need to have characters prove they’ve changed, or show they are not who they first appear. Harry is a sexist guy but there is hope for some redemption by the end of the book otherwise there’s no reason to root for Summer and he to mend their relationship.

The small town country feel we gain from book one is there to welcome newcomer Summer, but Hein also makes sure we can start right here and not miss a step as we get to know this town and these characters.

There is heart, community, and faith in doing the right thing. It’s a great continuation of the series but also a great story in its own right.

You can purchase Summer and the Groomsman via the following

Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

My Family and Other Suspects by Kate Emery

21 May 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Audiobook, aussie, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, australian women writers challenge, five stars, kate emery, lola bond, loveozya, mystery, young adult

Published: 1 February 2025 (print)/5 December 2024 (audio)
Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd/Wavesound
Pages: 229/7 hrs and 1 mins
Narrator: Lola Bond
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

‘Do you want to talk about a fictional murder in a book or do you want to talk about the actual murder that happened under our roof?’

Ruth is less-than-thrilled to be spending the weekend at the family farm visiting the ancient GG, her coolly distant step-grandmother. With no internet or phone coverage, she occupies herself by re-reading old Agatha Christie novels, eavesdropping on the adults and definitely not daydreaming about her sort-of-cousin Dylan.

But when GG dies under suspicious circumstances, Ruth’s dull weekend turns into an enforced-family-holiday-slash-possible-murder-investigation – and she’s not about to let the police get in the way of her chance to solve a real-life murder mystery. With Dylan as the Watson to her Holmes, Ruth soon discovers that plenty of people had reasons to be rid of GG, and her list of suspects grows to comprise everyone in the house, including, in the interests of fairness, herself.

The thing about family holidays is that you’ve got to be prepared for fights.

What grabbed me first about this was the great narrative voice. Emery brings our teen narrator to life so well and engages you early on with this fun mystery. I’ve read a lot of YA where there’s 19, 17,16 year old narrators but 14 years old gives the casual narration style an appropriate age and it feels less restrictive to what voice is meant to be.

I love how Ruth breaks the wall and addresses the reader. It’s funny and plays with your mind as you piece together clues and try to guess the direction of the story. When your narrator can chime in and critique your thoughts or counteract your assumptions it’s a delightful and refreshing experience. Especially since it’s done so skilfully.

Emery brings a wonderful Australian feel to the language and story without pushing too far into cringy. It was natural and good humoured, and coupled with Ruth’s voice it was fantastic to read.

I did pick the murderer, but I was hoping to be proven wrong because there wasn’t enough information revealed until later, but I am glad I was proven right. However it doesn’t take away from the fact that the story is brilliantly told, not to mention the narration and the way Ruth tells us the story is engaging and captivating that it really could go in any direction. I would happily have been proven wrong but I am glad I pegged it.

Bond’s narration in the audio was fantastic, Ruth’s voice and Emery’s writing shining through and I lost nothing on the fun experience by listening to it. In a way it works as it felt like Ruth was telling me the story herself, such is Emery’s writing style.

Overall Emery has written a fantastic book. It was one of the top books I read in 2024 and it is funny, openly addresses the reader in a unique way while never taking you out of the story, and the mystery element is creative and keeps you guessing. It is a book that look deceptively light hearted but manages to still be an amazing read.

You can purchase My Family and Other Suspects via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Rocking Horse Hill (#1) by Cathryn Hein

12 May 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Australian Women Writers, Fiction, Romance Tags: aussie, aussie books, australian women writers challenge, cathryn hein, jessica stanley, levenham love story, rural romance, three stars

Published: 26 March 2014 (print)/1st Aug 2024 (audio)
Publisher: Cathryn Hein/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 292/9 hrs and 36 mins
Narrator: Jessica Stanley
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Rural Romance
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

An emotional story of family turmoil and second-chance love played out against the dramatic landscape of rural South Australia, from bestselling author Cathryn Hein.

Who do you trust when a stranger threatens to tear your family apart?

When Emily Wallace-Jones’s brother Digby arrives home with a secretive new fiancée, no one knows how to react. The Wallace-Jones are old-money rural aristocracy and Felicity Townsend is from a very different side of the tracks.

But Em is determined not to treat Felicity with the same teenage snobbery that tore apart her relationship with her first love, Josh Sinclair. A man who has now sauntered sexily back into Em’s life and given her a chance for redemption.

As Felicity settles in, suspicions are raised about her intentions toward Em’s beloved Rocking Horse Hill, the historic family property that Digby owns but has promised will be Em’s home for as long as she wishes. Though worried for her future, Em sides with her brother and Felicity, until a near tragedy sets in motion a chain of events that will change the family forever.

This has been sitting on my shelf for so long it’s a small miracle I’ve finally picked it up. But with the desire to read the connected novellas I had to go back to the start and see where it all began.

Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the overall story, I wasn’t convinced of the romance aspect. Josh jumped all over the place with his feelings, he never seemed to trust Emily, but his own issues around that probably manifested in every way. He seemed to flip back and forward a lot on his opinion of her and it was weird. And I know we need some conflict, but it has to be said Josh is being a baby a lot of the time. He is petulant and sulky but I will admit most of the time he is a pretty ok bloke or else we couldn’t accept Emily would like him.

Once again Hein makes the rural landscape its own character. The descriptions and feelings from characters, especially our narrator Emily, highlights their connection to the land and brings you into the story as they describe paddocks, the affinity for Rocking Horse Hill, and the community spirit it’s easy to feel like you’re surrounded by these hills and animals yourself.

With newcomer Felicity into the close knit family she is the centre point of everyone’s attention. The judgement based on family, the reputation and the desire for a fresh start churn away in this story as the hope for love conquering all comes true. The spurn of others and the desire to break free is strong and Hein keeps you guessing about motives, second chances, and true intentions.

To her credit, Emily constantly tries to see the best in Felicity, despite those around her who have other opinions, be it against her, for her, or uncertain. Emily tries to get all the facts before passing judgement and it was refreshing to see this approach from a main character and not a side character who tries to convince our narrator, instead she tries to tell others to keep an open mind.

In terms of twists it’s interesting that what you expect to happen does indeed happen, but it isn’t disappointing having guessed it and the exact details are never clear. Hein brings in a different angle and a lot of heart that through Emily brings compassion mixed with the dramatics. Rather effectively too given the tension and drama towards the end.

The ending is bittersweet, but at the same time there’s a weird satisfaction as well. Everyone is affected by the events in the book, no one is left unscarred by it which is also interesting. This is a Levenham Love Story, and while it is the first one, it doesn’t mean the whole series needs to be read. It is easily a standalone, but with strong and endearing characters it will be good to see what other antics and adventures happen in this small rural town.

You can purchase Rocking Horse Hill via the following

QBD | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales

10 Dec 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Aussie YA Challenge, Australian Women Writers, LGBTQIA, Young Adult Tags: #AussieYAChallenge, Audiobook, aussie, aussie books, Aussie YA Challenge, australian women writers challenge, barrie kreinik, contemporary young adult, four stars, loveozya, sophie gonzales, young adult

Published: 9 March 2021 (print)/11 March 2021 (audio)
Publisher: Wednesday Books/Hodder Children’s Books
Pages: 352/8 hrs and 58 mins
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Her advice, spot on. Her love life, way off.

Darcy Phillips:
• Can give you the solution to any of your relationship woes—for a fee.
• Uses her power for good. Most of the time.
• Really cannot stand Alexander Brougham.
• Has maybe not the best judgement when it comes to her best friend, Brooke…who is in love with someone else.
• Does not appreciate being blackmailed.

However, when Brougham catches her in the act of collecting letters from locker 89—out of which she’s been running her questionably legal, anonymous relationship advice service—that’s exactly what happens. In exchange for keeping her secret, Darcy begrudgingly agrees to become his personal dating coach—at a generous hourly rate, at least. The goal? To help him win his ex-girlfriend back.

Darcy has a good reason to keep her identity secret. If word gets out that she’s behind the locker, some things she’s not proud of will come to light, and there’s a good chance Brooke will never speak to her again.

Okay, so all she has to do is help an entitled, bratty, (annoyingly hot) guy win over a girl who’s already fallen for him once? What could go wrong?

One thing I’ve discovered is I enjoy books set in US high schools if they are written by an Australian. I picked this up for my #AussieYAChallenge but was incredibly confused with the American narrator. But it ended up ok because it’s a good story and does have decent Australian representation in it.

The US school system is a baffling thing anyway but I liked that it didn’t feel so engrained in the school. We get story outside of school a lot which helped balance it. I also enjoyed how even though it followed the US style YA story of having these school wide social media/student organised systems in the form of Darcy’s advice business, it wasn’t weird and unsettling. It was something I had seen with One of Us is Lying, and a few others – a public forum, app, or secrets blog that ruled the school, caused drama, or blackmailed people. This is more like Dear Wendy which technically was university and more public, but the premise was the same: a write in advice service.

The secret locker business was interesting, and the way Darcy explains it was set up is reasonable, as is the eventually outcome of the whole endeavour. Darcy has an interest in helping people and makes sure she does her research and isn’t doing it for gossip or nefarious purposes. But like all things, it’s the invested interest and biases than can get you into trouble.

The hired for advice thing was well played out, and I liked how the relationship between Brougham and Darcy evolved. The blurb is slightly misleading, but from Darcy’s perspective it is not entirely untrue. While there is drama I enjoyed the personal nature of it and it never felt unrealistic. The often overdone, overreaction unreality was missing and it was refreshing to see.

I enjoyed the queer aspect where the bisexual representation was handled well, as well as the exploration of other issues in the school club discussions. It isn’t a side plot per se, Gonzales interweaves everything to be connected somehow, but it’s another aspect of Darcy’s character and it’s a great way to show her growth as well as tie it into the conflicts of the story.

Even with the US setting Gonzales brought the Aussie writing style that made it feel natural. With this also came the benefit of having an Australian character that didn’t sound like a painful stereotype or an American in disguise. Brougham got to actually be a full character and not a background voice of cliché phrases. Gonzales does sneak in a few slang words and some unspoken things which any good Aussie could pick up on, and while it felt a little like a nod to the Aussie reader or a brief education, it still felt ok and within the narrative. I never felt like we stopped the story to have a wedged in “Australian moment”, instead it was a fun meeting of cultures.

Kreinik is a good narrator and the voice of Darcy suited her well. There was no bad Aussie accent either which was so good and a nice change. Overall I was pleasantly surprised considering I was a little reluctant going in.

You can purchase Perfect on Paper via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Room for More by Michelle Kadarusman

14 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, The Picture Book Corner Tags: aussie books, australian women writers challenge, children's picture book, four stars, maggie zeng, michelle kadarusman, picture books

Published: 14 June 2022
Publisher: Pajama Press
Illustrator: Maggie Zeng
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Two wombats, two wallabies, a koala, and a tiger snake humorously squeeze into one burrow—and reveal important truths about environmental disasters and the importance of welcoming refugees.

When afire sweeps through the Australian bush, wombats Dig and Scratch are glad to have a cool, damp burrow to keep them safe. But Dig notices that other animals are not so lucky. When Dig invites a wallaby mother and her joey to shelter with them, Scratch grumbles. When Dig beckons to a koala, Scratch complains. And when Dig welcomes in a tiger snake, Scratch is fit to be tied—but Dig is sure there’s always room for more. And when the rains come to douse the fire and bring a new threat of flooding, a crowd of creatures may turn out to be just what the wombats need.

Inspired by stories of animals sheltering in wombat burrows when her homeland of Australia experienced devastating fires, award-winning author Michelle Kadarusman gets young readers up close and personal with Australian wildlife. Illustrator Maggie Zeng brings the creatures to life with a generous dose of personality as they squeeze together in the burrow and work together aboveground. Extensive back matter includes information about wildfires, a glossary of animals, and age-appropriate context about environmental disasters and the work that is being done—including a renewal of Indigenous land practices—to prevent them.

Unlike the other book which covered this topic, which was sweet but fell a smidge short because it came from a USA perspective, this one is more natural and keeps the animals in their native environments. It also comes from someone who knows what this country goes through with bushfires.

I liked that Scratch and Dig covered two perspectives: one to help, and one to be wary of room and danger. It doesn’t idolise the risks involved but it also helps show that while these are factors, it is still the right thing to do.

The illustrations are gorgeous. The subdued but earthy and natural tones really make this story feel like it’s set in the bushland, especially with the red orange glow of the impending bushfire. Zeng’s art style is full of emotion but still keeps the animals animals. The details on the landscape is subtle but beautifully detailed too. The natural setting really helps bring home what these fires were like and how it impacted on the environment.

The story is one of the many that came out of the Black Summer bushfires and it’s still really hard to read about all these years later. But stories like this give a little light in the tragedy that the previous actions of some animals could help save lives. The authors note acknowledges these burrows may not have been active at the time, but it’s a little light of joy to think there was a wombat or two who tolerated sharing their space.

You can purchase Room for More via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Blackwell’s

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust