Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has become one of those Australian authors that I look out for, and in this case, an authors whose past titles I track down.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins, that is, not identical, in reality very different.

We begin the story with Rose's journal, recently begun, but beginning with a major event in their lives when they were 12 years old. So we see things in the journal from Rose's point of view. But then we begin to see things from Fern's point of view in chapters headed with her name. Rose appears to be the controller of their lives while Fern comes over as introverted and retiring.

As we put together the picture of their past, we also begin to see their mother, mainly from Rose's point of view, and are led to conclude that their childhood was an unhappy one.

And then comes the question of a baby, which Rose desperately wants, and Fern thinks she has a solution.

An engrossing read.… (meer)

A short story about relationships and complications.

Introverted Ella dreads boarding the Lady Emerald (“a charter that's a wellness retreat on water”) alone. While this is her sixth time aboard the liner, it is her first time alone as her husband Max was stuck at the work at the last minute. There are seven more guests on the charter, but as most are couples, Ella ends up with the only other passenger travelling alone, Chloe, who is newly single and has taken a break to recover from her broken heart. The bond between the two women is almost instant, and Ella finds her charismatic companion irresistible. However, all good things do come to an end, and in this case, it is a unforeseen secret that shatters Ella’s composure. What was that secret, and how will things progress aboard the ship? Read and find out.

Pros:
The title is apt for the story. Not only does it hint at the setting of the plot, but it also reflects several novel events that take place in the plot, as many of the character dive into “uncharted waters” during the course of the story.

Despite being just 49 pages long, the story allows its characters to make an impact as they are sketched fairly well within their limited page space.

Again, despite the short length, all the tracks are tied together neatly. There are no loose ends.


Cons:
- This is classified as a mystery-thriller. It was more of a contemporary drama.

- The “twist” was predictable. I don’t enjoy “thrillers” where I am not surprised even once.

- The writing didn't keep me hooked.


Regardless of the tiny length, there are some truly impactful lines in the content. I loved the below two:
“Nothing worthwhile happens in the comfort zone.” – So true!

“Women were twice as likely to bond over mutual dislike than over shared passion.” - I don’t know how far this is true but it certainly is an interesting thought.


I picked this story up only for the author. I must admit, I have never read any of her works and thought that this would give me a good glimpse into her writing style. In that sense, I am satisfied because I am a character person, and she sketches realistic characters in situations that you can empathise with. I will judge her “thrill skills” only after reading her full-length works, because this little story certainly doesn’t do her reputation any favours due to the utter lack of edge-of-the-seat moments.

2.75 stars.

This book is part of the Getaway collection and is available to Amazon prime subscribers.


———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
… (meer)

Jessica, Norah & Alicia have grown up under the care of Miss Fairchild at Wild Meadows farm. It is a foster facility. While there, they formed a bond more durable than actual sisters. Miss Fairchild had all kinds of rules, some unpredictable. There were others brought in for short periods of time.
The girls grow up with some horrendous problems, mostly caused by Miss Fairchild.
They are now grown and have been contacted by the police that there is an investigation going on about a body found under the remains of the house they grew up in. They are then having to go back and be reminded of everything that they went through as children.

This was a good book, but there were quite a few grammatical errors that should have been amended before publication. Little confusion with the psychiatrist and who was being treated.… (meer)