March - Book Review

March was a big month for reading! Not only was I in the middle of a bunch of books, but there were also some anticipated new releases ... and a few I didn't anticipate and bought anyway, of course ...

This month I spent some time finishing off a few reads on Kindle. I find I enjoy those while I'm out and about or on the treadmill. Then there were the big two new releases - on the same day! - of Natasha Lester's and Matthew Reilly's new books. Plus the new Fiona McCallum and the newly discovered Josephine Moon! Not to mention the $5 book sale I happened across ... and revisted a few times.

Books I read in March

The Finn Factor by Rachel Bailey
I'll admit I've been very slack with this book on my Kindle. Not because of the book, just because I'm not good with ebooks. But this book was on my border collie book list and, I must say, Harvey the border collie was an adorable dog in this book. More on that when I finish my border collies in fiction post. But this was a nice new adult read and thoroughly enjoyable for everyone who can commit to ebooks.

Claiming his Family by Barbara Hannay
This was the third story in the Bachelorette collection and I was psyched to read it because it won the RITA Award with Romance Writers of America. Even though some reviews on Amazon were very bad, I had all the faith in Barbara. I do believe though that some people would have difficulty understanding the motivations of the characters in this story though if they have had seemingly perfect lives and haven't had strong internal battles. It makes perfect sense for a New York City girl to run away from the isolation of the Australian outback. And this was quite a nice read to pass away the time.

Darkening Skies by Bronwyn Parry
I think I enjoyed this book the most out of the Dungarri series and it was gripping from beginning to end. I enjoyed reading about Mark and Jen. This book was on my Border Collies book list, but even though it featured three adorable Border Collies, they didn't really play a big role in the story. One did save Mark's life, but apart from that, they were just the farm dogs Mark and Jen needed to care for after their owner died.

​The Seduction of Lord Stone by Anna Campbell
I really enjoyed this book as it was quick and intense read. The characters were lively, especially for regency romance, and it was a very enjoyable read whilst on the treadmill. I haven't read a lot of Anna Campbell, but I really love what I've read so of hers so far. And I plan to read more before attending her writing Masterclass at the end of May.
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Leap of Faith by Fiona McCallum
I sometimes need to escape romance, so when I feel like a good story full of life I usually turn to Fiona. And I was in the mood for horses, so I took on this book. Fiona's stories really are full of deep emotions and the struggles her characters need to overcome when faced with adversity. I really enjoyed Jess's story as she recovered from a riding accident and learned to love horses again. And Faith was a lovely horse to spend time with.

The Secret Runners of New York by Matthew Reilly
I'm always up for a fast-paced action thriller by Matthew Reilly and this one sure was fun. I was not happy when Big W didn't have it on the shelf on release day, or the other Big W, but at least one of my QBD's have their priorities sorted. It's the only shop that ever has anything on release day. But I enjoyed this book and was keen to learn what happened in this futuristic apocalyptic world, and enjoyed that it was more of an easy read compared to the bigger Jack West and Scarecrow series.

Books to Read in April

The Gift of Life by Josephine Moon
This is my first Josephine Moon book. I picked it up on release day in Big W and was hooked immediately. Loving it so far.

The French Photographer by Natasha Lester
I'm so slack. I can't believe I haven't read this one yet. But when it's released on the same day as Matthew Reilly's, and I bought Matthew's first cos it was cheaper and Big W were slack on getting Natasha's out, I got distracted by reading other things, didn't I? I'll definitely get to this next.

A Life of Her Own by Fiona McCallum
I love the idea of this book and I can't wait to get into it. A life of her own...it sounds exactly like what I need.

The Nature of the Lion by T.M. Clark
These books are appealing set amongst the wilds of Africa and I finally bought this one. Can't wait to get into it too - it sounds like something different to enjoy.

Let's see how I do. See you in May.

​Rachel