There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett – Spotlight

A tender and masterfully told story of memory, family and love.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Prague, 1938: Eva flies down the street from her sister. Suddenly a man steps out, a man wearing a hat. Eva runs into him, hits the pavement hard. His hat is in the gutter. His anger slaps Eva, but his hate will change everything, as war forces so many lives into small, brown suitcases.

Prague, 1980: No one sees Ludek. A young boy can slip right under the heavy blanket that covers this city – the fear cannot touch him. Ludek is free. And he sees everything. The world can do what it likes. The world can go to hell for all he cares because Babi is waiting for him in the warm flat. His whole world.

Melbourne, 1980: Mala Li ka’s grandma holds her hand as they climb the stairs to their third floor flat. Inside, the smell of warm pipe tobacco and homemade cakes. Here, Mana and Bill have made a life for themselves and their granddaughter. A life imbued with the spirit of Prague and the loved ones left behind.

Favel Parrett’s deep emotional insight and stellar literary talent shine through in this love letter to the strong women who bind families together, despite dislocation and distance. It is a tender and beautifully told story of memory, family and love. Because there is still love. No matter what.

The profoundly moving new novel from the critically acclaimed and Miles Franklin shortlisted author of PAST THE SHALLOWS and WHEN THE NIGHT COMES.

There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett – Spotlight

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The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings – Review | Blog Tour

An enchanting, magical tale.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

An amazing and captivating, curl-up-on-the-sofa debut about a magical frost fair and the lasting power of friendship.

It’s a cold winter during the Great Frost of 1683. Thomasina and Anne are the best of friends, one running her father’s sweet shop and the other the apprentice at the family apothecary – together they sell their goods on the frozen River Thames. When a family tragedy turns Thomasina’s world upside down, she is drawn to a mysterious conjuror and the enchanted frost fair. But soon the world of Father Winter threatens to claim everything she holds dear. Will they be able to solve the magical mysteries that surround them . . . ?

The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair by Natasha Hastings

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The Wind in the Wall by Sally Gardner – Spotlight

Illustrated by Rovina Cai

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

‘I have no idea how long I have been incarcerated in these ancient walls . . . Let me explain how I find myself in this predicament . . .’

Set in the hot houses of a stately home in eighteenth century England, a gardener falls from grace when the Duke sets him the impossible task of growing prize pineapples fit to show off in high society.

The gardener’s star falls further when he is replaced by Mr Amicus, a pineapple ‘specialist’, whom he believes to be a charlatan and a trickster – but nevertheless miraculously produces fruit to delight the Duke. Determined to uncover Mr Amicus’s tricks, the gardener sneaks into the pineapple house to uncover the mysterious shrouded birdcage Mr Amicus carries with him. And what he finds changes his life for ever . . .A cautionary tale with echoes of myth and fairy tale, this bewitching fable will make you careful what you wish for.

The Wind in the Wall by Sally Gardner – Spotlight

Love, Liana… Sincerely, Kade by Allie Doherty – Review | Blog Tour

An engaging romantic comedy.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Meet Liana Dawson, a perpetually single romantic-advice blogger.

She’s one set of granny-panties away from proclaiming herself New York City’s version of Bridget Jones when she’s hit with a fan demand for sex advice. With an unwavering belief in love (and rom-com superiority), there’s no relationship problem Love, Liana can’t fix… until a fascinating, albeit cocky, email paves the way to a whirlwind friendship that leaves Liana questioning everything she thought she knew about falling in love.

Enter Kade Jennings, the ass who wrote it.

After writing in to a popular blog to get some answers about whether love exists, Kade receives an offer he can’t refuse-one that throws his world of one-night stands, whiskey, and books into a tailspin at the hands of a woman he had no intention of ever meeting.

Liana knows love, Kade knows sex. They could be each other’s, perfect teachers… if they can keep their hands off long enough to learn.

Love, Liana… Sincerely, Kade by Allie Doherty – Review | Blog Tour

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The Ice House by Monica Sherwood – Spotlight

A captivating, middle-grade novel.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Spring has arrived, and yet an unyielding winter freeze has left Louisa snowed into her apartment building for months with parents coping with extreme stress, a little brother struggling with cabin fever, and—awkwardly—her neighbor and former close friend, Luke. The new realities of this climate disaster have not only affected Louisa’s family, but when Luke’s dad has an ice-related accident and it’s unclear if he’ll recover, both families’ lives are turned upside down.

Desperate to find an escape from the grief plaguing their homes, Louisa and Luke build a massive snow fort in their yard. But their creation opens up an otherworldly window to what could lie ahead, and sets them on a mission: to restore the universe to its rightful order, so the ice will melt and life will return to “normal”.

The Ice House by Monica Sherwood – Spotlight

New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi – Review | Blog Tour

An enthralling middle-grade adventure.

WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT

Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon. 

No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter… with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.

Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It’s kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon forces him to question everything he thought he knew.

With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too.

If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to?

New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi – Review | Blog Tour

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.