FICTION

<strong>For readers who loved <em>Remarkable Creatures</em>, <em>The Naturalist's Daughter </em>and <em>The Birdman's Wife</em> comes <em>The Woman in the Green Dress</em>...</strong> <p><strong>1853 Mogo Creek, NSW</strong></p><p>Della Atterton, bereft at the loss of her parents, is holed up in the place she loves best: the beautiful Hawkesbury in New South Wales. Happiest following the trade her father taught her, taxidermy, Della has no wish to return to Sydney. But the unexpected arrival of Captain Stefan von Richter on a quest to retrieve what could be Australia's first opal, precipitates Della's return to Sydney and her Curio Shop of Wonders, where she discovers her enigmatic aunt, Cordelia, is selling more than curiosities to collectors. Strange things are afoot and Della, a fly in a spider's web, is caught up in events with unimaginable consequences...</p><p><strong>1919 Sydney, NSW</strong></p><p>When London teashop waitress Fleur Richards inherits land and wealth in Australia from her husband, Hugh, killed in the war, she wants nothing to do with it. After all, accepting it will mean Hugh really is dead. But Hugh's lawyer is insistent, and so she finds herself ensconced in the Berkeley Hotel on Bent St, Sydney, the reluctant owner of a Hawkesbury property and an old curio shop, now desolate and boarded up.</p><p>As the real story of her inheritance unravels, Fleur finds herself in the company of a damaged returned soldier Kip, holding a thread that takes her deep into the past, a thread that could unravel a mystery surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress; a green that is the colour of envy, the colour buried deep within an opal, the colour of poison...</p>

<p>From a bestselling Australian author, this compellingly realised novel brings to life the story of an enigmatic figure, wife to feted colonial architect Francis Greenway, and asks, whose hand really shaped Sydney? Who is the talented Mrs Greenway?</p> <p><strong>1814 Sydney</strong> When Mary Greenway, freshly arrived from the old country, steps into the maelstrom of Sydney Town with three children at her skirts, she has high hopes of a new beginning, despite having little money and a husband in irons. After all, the sudden death of her sadistic first husband has meant freedom from her gilded cage and Francis Greenway is an architect of some promise, under the protection of Admiral Phillip himself.</p><p>Mary herself is a woman of great resources and an even greater creative passion, a passion that will surely burn through anything that the filthy, burgeoning, vitality of colonial Sydney can throw at her. Soon ensconced in a tiny cottage in George Street, Mary sets about moulding a life for her family from the unpromising clay of this new colony, with a determination fired in equal parts by guilt for her disastrous past action that nearly brought ruin to them all and desire to see her true calling realised.</p><p>When she is befriended by Elizabeth Macquarie it seems that fate is smiling on them with the promise of a better life in her grasp. But fate is a difficult mistress and with past secrets to keep, and current betrayals on the brink of discovery, the stakes are higher than ever. With Mary's grip on this new life slipping, will her past lies come back to haunt her?</p>

Hating her was my end game, loving her was just the beginning … A grumpy small-town boxer meets a sunshine girl as sweet as pumpkin spice. Welcome to Magnolia Falls, perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Lucy Score and B.K. Borison!*** Demi Crawford is Magnolia Falls royalty. I'm the boxer from the wrong side of the tracks. We couldn't be more different.Her family is enemy number one, and it made her guilty by association. I despised her before I even knew her. It was easier that way.But now she's moved in next door to me, and she's everywhere I turn. She is beautiful and honest and sweet. Everything I know I shouldn't want.They say there's a fine line between love and hate, and I don't know when I crossed over. She is the right hook I never saw coming. But the secrets between us will threaten to tear us apart.Lucky for her I'm a born fighter. And she is definitely worth the fight …Readers have fallen for LOVING ROMEO, will you?'A delicious slow burn with all the feels' 'I laughed, I cried, I blushed and kicked my feet like crazy, this book was EVERYTHING!' 'The spice in this book was top tier' 'I loved Romeo's friends … cannot wait to read their stories' 'A perfect small town, enemies-to-lovers romance' Tropes: Grumpy x sunshine Small town Opposites attract Found family

I may be the lawyer, but she's the one judging me …A bad boy small-town lawyer meets his match. Welcome to Magnolia Falls, perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Lucy Score and B.K. Borison!*** Ruby Rose declared me the enemy before I had a chance to defend myself. I may be an attorney, but this girl had appointed herself judge and jury. And I’d never minded a good verbal sparring. But the more we fought – the more I craved her. Until our arguing turned into a bit of a wager. One I was determined to win. One time. Sixty seconds. A secret only we would share. But from the minute we crossed the line, there was no turning back. Ruby Rose may have given me more than sixty seconds, but she wasn’t offering forever. And now my world doesn’t work without her in it. But how do I convince her to stay, when she already has one foot out the door? Readers have fallen for WILD RIVER, will you?'This book omg! The way I obsessed over River and Ruby was not okay' 'Burned hotter than any fire … I could feel myself blushing whilst reading' 'Falling in love with the ride or die gang has been a highlight of 2024' 'I highly recommend reading this small town romance, Laura is the queen of them' 'Moving, epically sweet and searingly romantic … this is your next favourite read' Tropes: Enemies to lovers Small town Black cat FMC Found family

A body positive, neighbors-to-lovers romance about a curvaceous beauty who strikes an unlikely bargain with the handsome photographer next door. "A man is going to treat you how you treat yourself. So please, for the love of God, act like a queen." I was expecting a ring on my thirtieth birthday. What I didn't see coming was my boyfriend and business partner dumping me because he couldn't bear the idea of our bland sex life for the rest of our lives. When an opportunity arises to spend my summer in Las Vegas, I stumble upon my hot new neighbor and his photography studio. We strike a simple deal. He's the teacher, and I'm his student. My lesson is learning to love the body I have. In exchange, I'm going to save his business. I have exactly one summer to unearth the most confident version of myself before I go home and return to reality. But after a passion-fueled summer, I'm not sure of who I am anymore, and it's clear that the worst heartbreak of my life might still be yet to come.

<p><strong>Keeping secrets comes naturally to him ... but will it ruin his chance at love?</strong></p> <p>Liam Castle knows the secrets of everyone in Bunyip Bay. As the owner of the pub, he's heard it all - from marriage proposals and farming disasters to family rifts and everything in between. The locals love to confide in him, but no one knows he's hiding a tragic past.</p><p>And he wants to keep it that way.</p><p>Agricultural pilot Henrietta Forward lives for her job, choosing work over romance. But when an incident in the air brings Henri home to Bunyip Bay earlier than planned, she finds herself questioning everything she believes about herself.</p><p>But Henri's secret isn't her only problem.</p><p>Her mother will stop at nothing to have her settled down back in the Bay, and while Henri had always known domesticity wasn't the life for her, now she wonders what her future holds. So when Liam - always the first to lend a hand to those in need - agrees to play along with Henri's scheme to ward off her mother, she has mixed feelings. What happens when a pretend romance starts to feel like the real thing?</p><p>Will Henri's demons and Liam's traumatic past prove too great a barrier to love?</p>

<p><strong>Frankie and Simone are sisters and best friends. Could a new man in town drive a wedge between them for the first time ever?</strong></p> <p>Cafe owner Frankie has been unlucky in love all her life. It's hard in a small town like Bunyip Bay to meet prospective partners. Her sister, Simone, lost the love of her life years before and is now devoted to raising their two teenage girls, leaving little time for romance. When Frankie is kissed by a handsome stranger who calls her Simone, it's a case of mistaken identity - but who is this man and how does he know Simone?</p><p>Logan Knight is in town to meet up with a woman he has met online. Although raised on a farm with his brother Angus, he has travelled the world as a journalist and is now looking forward to meeting a girl and settling down. The girl in the cafe was an amazing kisser - but not the one he thought he was meeting!</p><p>Reclusive farmer Angus wants nothing to do with Logan's plans for improving the property's finances and finding a partner - until he meets the sisters at a wedding. Who is attracted to whom? More importantly, can Frankie and Simone sort out their feelings for the two brothers without destroying their very close bond?</p>

<p><strong>Stella only wanted a holiday...the last thing she expected was a love interest and a possible ghost.</strong></p> <p>Third-generation farmer Adam Burton has always tried to keep his family together, but twenty years after his little sister went missing from the family farm he's losing hope. His dad has walked out, his mum is as reclusive as ever and he still blames himself for his sister's disappearance.</p><p>When Stella Reynolds and her young daughter arrive from the big smoke to stay at the holiday cottage on their farm for the summer, Adam is immediately attracted to the beautiful single mum. Although he's always steered clear of children and doesn't believe he deserves love or a family of his own, he finds himself spending time with Stella and her young daughter, Heidi, and enjoying it.</p><p>As the twenty-year old mystery begins to unravel, Stella wonders if she should take her daughter and run. But doing so is easier said than done, because Stella just might be falling in love with Bunyip Bay and a gorgeous, but hurting, farmer.</p><p>From one of Australia's best-loved rural romance authors comes a story of mystery, heartache and hope.</p>

<p><strong>Ruby wasn't looking for love, Drew wasn't looking to stay... until they found each other. Can their fling survive the darkness of Ruby's past and Drew's desire to move on?</strong></p> <p>Ruby Jones was always an optimist, but the trauma of her past had made her wary. So when she flees to the small rural community of Bunyip Bay to start afresh, she has her sights firmly set on establishing her horse-riding business and rebuilding her life. The last thing Ruby wants is a romance. In fact, after all she has been through, she can't imagine she will ever believe in love again.</p><p>Police officer Drew Noble has no intention of staying in Bunyip Bay - he is just an outsider seeking temporary refuge. But as the charm of the town sways him, Drew finds himself increasingly drawn to the community and its inhabitants, as well as another newcomer, the lovely Ruby Jones.</p><p>When Drew investigates a suspicious fire at Ruby's parents' business, he finds himself feeling strangely protective of the girl with the flowers in her hair. As the details of Ruby's past emerge and she comes once more under threat, Drew realises he will do all in his power to save her.</p><p>Soon these outsiders discover they have both lost their hearts - not only to the town but to each other.</p>

<p><strong>Faith and Monty are both looking for love...but are they looking in the wrong direction?</strong></p> <p>Faith Forrester is at a crossroads. Single, thirty and living on a farm in a small Western Australian town, she's sick of being treated like a servant by her brother and father. Ten years ago, her mother died of breast cancer, and Faith has been treading water ever since. She wants to prove to herself that she's done something worthwhile with her life. And she wants to find a man...</p><p>For as long as he can remember, Daniel 'Monty' Montgomery has been Faith's best friend. When he was ten, his parents sold the family property and moved to Perth and ever since, Monty's dreamed of having his own farm. So for the last ten years, he's been back on the land, working odd jobs and saving every dollar to put toward his dream. Now he finally has the deposit. But there's still something missing...</p><p>So when Faith embarks on a mission to raise money for a charity close to her heart, and Monty's dream property comes on the market, things seem like they are falling into place for them both. Until a drunken night out ends with them sleeping together. Suddenly, the best friends are faced with a new load of challenges...</p><p>Monty and Faith are both ready to find a life partner and settle down, but they didn't expect love to be so close by.</p>

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\nouicompat{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 10.0.22621}\viewkind4\uc1 \pard\cf1\fs16\lang1033 Flying solo can be harder than it looks.. A warm-hearted rural romance about finding your way home. Flying solo for the first time had been the greatest high of Anna Kelly's life. So when the chance of a dream job as a pilot with the Royal Flying Doctor Service comes up she takes it, even though she has to leave her home in Adelaide and move to remote Broken Hill - a place she had hoped she would never see again. The bad memories the town provokes remind Anna why she keeps men at arm's length but as her work proves fulfilling, her housemate becomes a friend and a warm community grows around her, Anna is surprised to discover that Broken Hill is starting to feel like home. But there is no such thing as plain sailing and with errant mothers, vengeful ex-patients and determined exes on the prowl, life is becoming increasingly complicated. More than that, the distractingly attractive Flight Nurse Nick Harrison seems keen to get to know her better, and he has a way of finding a path through her defences. But will he still want her if the truth comes out?\par }

{\rtf1\ansi\deff0\nouicompat{\fonttbl{\f0\fnil\fcharset0 Arial;}} {\colortbl ;\red0\green0\blue0;} {\*\generator Riched20 10.0.22621}\viewkind4\uc1 \pard\cf1\fs16\lang1033 She's gone..will her family pull together, or fall further apart? Classic, women-centred fiction, a complex, multi-layered story about family and community, from the author of the warmly received Home at Last. . 'Functionally dysfunctional.' That's how financial analyst Grace Fairley describes her family in the small South Australian farming community of Miners Ridge - a family fractured by tragedy and kept that way by anger, resentment and petty jealousies. As the eldest sibling, Grace tries to keep the family in touch, but now she's accepted a promotion to the London office. Time-zones and an enormous workload mean she's forced to take a step back, although she finds time to stay in contact with Miners Ridge landscape gardener Aaron Halliday. Sarah Fairley, Grace's mother, fled Miners Ridge and her embittered husband eight years ago. Now, in the absence of Grace, she finds herself pulled back to the small town where her estranged children and grandchildren live. Drawn into the local community, and trying to rebuild family relationships, she uncovers a long-kept secret that could change her world.. Can Grace, Sarah and their family find a way to heal? Who will have the courage to make the first move?\par }