Book picks similar to
Outback Roads: The Nanny by Annie Seaton


annie-seaton
aussie-authors
contemporary-fiction
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Lovebirds


Amanda Hampson - 2021
    Their future was full of promise and, blessed with children and careers, their happiness complete. But a twist of fate changed their lives forever.Now in her sixties, Elizabeth is desperately lonely. She rarely sees her two adult sons and her closest friend is a talkative budgie. But when her grandson, Zach, gets into trouble with the police, she decides to take him on a road trip to find his grandfather, her lost love Ray, in the hope of mending their broken family.Two less compatible travelling companions would be hard to find, as they set off on an unlikely adventure into the wilds of the northern NSW hinterland. What they discover along the way, about Ray and each other, has the power to transform them all. In trying to save Zach, Elizabeth might just save herself.Warm, witty and wise, Lovebirds is an astute and uplifting novel about the power of love and family.

Light From Other Windows


Chris Chalmers - 2015
    Unputdownable.” — Penny Hancock, author of Tideline How many secrets can a family hide? 19-year-old Josh Maitland is at the end of a gap-year trip round the world when the tsunami hits the Canary Islands. His family are devastated at the loss of someone they thought would outlive them all: mother Diana, advertising executive and shatterer of glass ceilings; older siblings Rachel and Jem, each contemplating a serious relationship after years of sidestepped commitment; and stepfather Colin, no stranger to loss, who finds himself frozen out by his wife's grief. It's only with the discovery of the private blog Josh was writing for his friends that the significance of his travels becomes clear. It reveals secrets he knew about everyone in the family — and one about himself that will change the way they think of him forever.

Melani: A BBW Love on the Rise


Tyanna - 2020
    

The Things You Cannot See


Sam Vickery - 2019
    Raising her first son, Toby, had been the happiest time of her life and she was sure that her second baby would bring her just as much joy. But it isn't long after Milo's birth when she realises that something is different. The bond she found so easy with her firstborn, is conspicuously absent. The harder she tries to force the feelings of maternal love, the more she struggles to even be near him. As Megan fails at the only thing she's ever been good at, her grip on reality begins to slip. There are only two things she can be sure of. She must not tell anyone the truth. And eventually, she will have to make a choice between herself and her baby. An emotional roller-coaster of a novel you won't want to put down.

Error Code Love


Suman Bhattacharya - 2013
    But my Karma won’t let me, I have to compensate for what I’ve done.”Kolkata, 2008 Driven by a crazed love, Dev, our next door shy software engineer commits the biggest mistake of his life. Over 72 marathon hours, he loses his education, career, love, and life by a single act of madnes.Bengaluru 2012 Years later, Dev reaches Bengaluru in search of a better life. Destiny brings him face to face with his first love once again. He chases the same impossible dream only to find himself burning and failing in love. On the verge of losing everything that mattered, Dev fights his sense of practicality and his crazy, but limitless ‘Love’.Let’s find out who wins!Error Code Love takes you on an epic journey through the roads of friendship, jealousy, obsession, mistakes, redemption and love. It raises questions allied to grey areas of teen emotions and lets you find the answers within.

The McCalister Legacy


Nicole Hurley-Moore - 2020
    Eleven years on, she returns to the small town of Harlington, determined to confront the past and, finally, to cut all ties and sell her family's farm.Complicating her desire to get out of Harlington, Berry is drawn to her childhood crush, Nate Tarant, He never knew she existed back then. But things change and this time, Nate seems to be very much aware of her presence.While in town, Berry begins to question the long-believed story of what happened to her family. Someone in Harlington is hiding a secret - one that could not only change her life but also alter the past.Will she ever find out the truth and can one old rumour shed light on the real events of that night?

Showtime!


Judy Nunn - 2021
    . .Judy Nunn's latest bestselling novel will take you from the cotton mills of England to the magnificent theatres of Melbourne, on a scintillating journey through the golden age of Australian showbusiness.'So, Will, are you going to come with me and my team of merry performers to the sunny climes of Australia, where the crowds are already queuing and the streets are paved with gold?'In the second half of the 19th century, Melbourne is a veritable boom town, as hopefuls from every corner of the globe flock to the gold fields of Victoria.And where people crave gold, they also crave entertainment.Enter stage right- brothers Will and Max Worthing and their wives Mabel and Gertie. The family arrives from England in the 1880s with little else but the masterful talents that will see them rise from simple travelling performers to sophisticated entrepreneurs.Enter stage left- their rivals, Carlo and Rube. Childhood friends since meeting in a London orphanage, the two men have literally fought their way to the top and are now producers of the bawdy but hugely popular 'Big Show Bonanza'. The fight for supremacy begins.Waiting in the wings- Comedy, tragedy, passion and betrayal; economic depression, a pandemic and the horrors of World War One...

Girl 43


Maree Giles - 2014
    The graffiti on the holding room wall says it all: 'Gunyah is hell on earth'. And Ellen's about to find out why. Ellen was never the daughter her mother wanted. Patent leather shoes and frilly dresses just weren't her thing and, at age fourteen, she's ready to leave school and find her own way. No one is going to stop her from going where she wants, doing what she wants, and hanging out with Robbie. Or so she thinks. But when the police turn up, Ellen is deemed to be in 'moral danger' and is sentenced to the Gunyah Training School for Girls. Suddenly, she's no longer Ellen, she's Girl 43, and she has to follow the rules, work hard and - most importantly - stay quiet. When it's discovered that she's pregnant, there's no respite from the staff. Told she isn't capable of bringing up a child, they twist the truth to make her cooperate. But however hard they try, they can't destroy the connection between a mother and her child . . . or can they? Drawn from experiences in Parramatta Girls' Home in the seventies, "Girl 43" is a story that could have come straight from today's headlines about the shocking treatment of innocent children and teens by people in the very institutions that were supposed to protect them.

Cotton Field Dreams


S.E. Gilchrist - 2018
    But when she meets local single dad, Cole, she can't help but be drawn to his warmth and his humour, and his two engaging children. Cole says and does all the right things, and Sasha finds herself falling, but will all of her secrets destroy the relationship before it has a chance to begin?Mindalby, a small town, a community, a home. But when the mill that supports the local cotton farmers and employs many of the town's residents closes unexpectedly, old tensions are exposed and new rifts develop. Everyone is affected and some react better than others, but one thing is certain: living on the edge of the outback means they have to survive together, or let their town die.

Siren


Rachel Matthews - 2017
    By daybreak, her world has shifted. Max Carlisle, a troubled AFL star, can't stop what comes next. And Ruby, a single woman from the apartment block, is left with questions when she sees Jordi leave.In this remarkable novel, Rachel Matthews captures the characters of Jordi and her family, the players, and the often loveable inhabitants of a big city with a deceptive lightness of touch that seduces the reader. Siren reveals the often unnoticed life of a city while simultaneously drawing us deep into a dark and troubling world. What happens has an unexpected effect on all those who are both directly and indirectly involved.The result is a powerful and haunting novel about cultural stereotypes and expectations, love, loneliness, family and our struggle to connect. In so many ways, Matthews subtly sounds the siren on sexual violence and its prevalence in our culture.

Holding on to Love


Ashish sinha - 2020
    BUT CAN TRUE LOVE OVERCOME DESTINY?When ASHU finds out that his so-called loved ones pampered him only till his father was living, he is heartbroken. After his father’s sudden demise, Ashu is left alone, fighting the world for every small bit of happiness. But he rediscovers love and affection in DISHA ,who he meets at a job interview.Disha is an epitome of love and he finds his true happiness with her. Soon after their marriage, just as they are beginning to relish the little joys of life, Ashu is diagnosed with a fatal disease. The only way out is a transplant, which in itself is a life-threatening surgery.Will Disha’s overwhelming love, acceptance and sacrifice make the impossible possible?Holding On To Love is an astonishing true story of Ashu’s will to defeat destiny, backed by Disha’s faith in the power of their love.

B&Bers Behaving Madly at a Devon Seaside Guesthouse


Sharley Scott - 2019
    Eccentric or challenging guests are the usual order of the day. But when a sinister man moves in across the road, the first ripples of unease appear.Katie has learned the hard way that a seaside idyll is never what it seems. She and Jason have worked hard at their marriage, but now she has other issues to tackle.While her new cleaner has proved to be a godsend, she comes with a complicated love life. Then there’s Katie and Jason’s daughters, Emily and Lucy, whose boomerang visits definitely have an ulterior motive.And what about the threatening man opposite who has taken an intense dislike to Shona, the madcap owner of the adjoining B&B. Shona’s life has always been chaotic, but now it’s verging on disaster.As the season moves on and guests come and go, Katie fears her daughters have been keeping secrets of their own, while Shona’s troubles come to a head.When the B&Bers are behaving madly, anything can happen. Can Katie weather the storm?

Isolation


S.J. Gardiner - 2016
     The real danger though lurks unseen in the shadows - a serial killer who will stop at nothing to make their twisted plan a reality. As Dr Sinclair battles to save her hospital and her patients she realises that all is not as it seems and the truth is even more terrifying than anyone could ever have imagined. “S.J. Gardiner’s debut thriller makes the pulse race…” “Thrilling to the very last page.” “Move over Kay Scarpetta, there’s a new Doctor in town.”

Love Me Until I Love Myself: Sage and Delilah's Love Story


B. Love - 2016
    Her dreams seemed to be completely out of her reach until she met Tory. Tory needed a beautiful woman to seduce his brother and take part in a scandal big enough to strip his brother, Sage, of his good reputation and position as President of their family company.When Tory saw Delilah he knew she was the one, and for fifty thousand dollars Delilah willingly agreed.When Sage saw Delilah he knew she was the one, but she wasn’t saved. She didn’t have a relationship with Christ. Ignoring the little tug at his heart that told him to stay away from her, Sage gave Delilah his heart recklessly and was forced to pick up the pieces when her betrayal shattered it.After Sage finds out who Delilah really is and what her true intentions were, he’s faced with the most difficult decision of his life – loving and being merciful like the God he claims to serve, or seeking revenge on her and his brother for all of the damage they’ve caused in his life and reputation.Which one will he choose? Read this standalone modern day Samson and Delilah story to find out!

Bellingwood Book 10 Vignettes


Diane Greenwood Muir - 2015
    In the first, Jeff Lyndsay & Sylvie Donovan discuss his career trajectory. Can he live with being happy in his job? The Vignette #2, Stephanie and Kayla Armstrong agree that it is time to celebrate small joys. The third vignette focuses on Henry's panic as he begs his parents for input as to whether or not he should make a big deal out of Mother's Day for Polly. Vignette #4 is a familiar story to many parents. How do you get your kids moving in the morning? Sylvie always has an answer. The final vignette is a fun little furry look at living in Sycamore House.The Bellingwood books are written from Polly's perspective and every once in a while it's fun to look at what's happening behind the scenes from the viewpoint of other characters. These vignettes were originally published on the nammynools.com website and in the monthly email newsletter to Bellingwood readers.