Author: Maya Linnell
ISBN: 978-1-76052-981-9
Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin
Maya Linnell is the bestselling author of Wildflower Ridge, her debut novel that was released last year and I was lucky enough to read and review it for Beauty and Lace. While Wildflower Ridge followed the story of Penny and Tim we were introduced to the McIntyre sisters – Penny, Lara, Diana and Angie who grew up on the family farm based in the Grampians region of Victoria.
Bottlebrush Creek centres on Angie McIntyre and her partner Rob Jones and their adorable two year old Claudia. These books can be read as stand alone novels but the sisters all feature in the book in some way.
Angie and Rob have had a very whirlwind relationship, falling pregnant and having Claudia early in their relationship and are caught up in the day to day pace of life.
Angie manages her beauty salon and Rob works as a fly in and fly out worker. They are outgrowing their rental and Angie dreams of the day they will have their own place. When Rob faces retrenchment, he comes home all excited to show Angie yet another fixer-upper and he swears that this time the drive would be worth it.
With 200km to drive they chat about what needs to be done and Angie does like what she’s in the photos but knows there would be lots of hard yakka. The cottage weaves its spell on Angie and she can see it as their family home. Angie is startled to hear a voice and Rob’s mum is heading across the paddock, she then realises it is beside Rob’s dairy farm. Mmmmm would you want to live that close to your In-Laws, what would you do?
Maya has once again written a beautiful rural tale that I find to have very realistic characters with challenges that many may have. Renovating or building a home is very challenging to a relationship, trust me I know and Maya also has experience building a family home and that comes through in the book. Within the story we also read of Angie’s challenges with her
self -image and Rob’s past issues with his dad and brother all while having the McIntyre sisters drop in from time to time.
I find Maya’s books easy to read and it was like coming home and leaving me eager for the next instalment of the McIntrye sisters.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Bottlebrush Creek by Maya Linnell. You can read their feedback below, or add your own review!
Love reading especially on my train commute to and from work. Read most genres but my favorite would be Australian Rural Fiction. Love to support Australian Authors and Beauty and Lace have shown me some fantastic writers that I now read and follow.