International Fiction Archives — the Story Enthusiast

.YNOPSIS

Finella Mayfield hates two things: liars and thieves. And she’s determined to marry a man who’s neither. Chasing her dead father’s dreams, the twenty-year-old English bride arrives in Australia in 1875 for an arranged marriage. Anticipating her future as village preacher’s wife, she records her thoughts in her Everlasting journal.

But instead of her fiancé, Finella is met by Shadrach Jones, a poor farmer sent to collect her from the busy Melbourne pier.
This is not what her father planned. And it’s only the beginning of the unraveling of Finella Mayfield ~ the bride with no groom.
All Shadrach Jones longs for is rows of mustard and chicory. He’s busy growing a farm near the Phillip Island fishing village of Cowes, and caring for Molly, his simple sister. Far from the brutal life they remember with their ex-convict father, Shadrach’s building something new.

But he’s also made a promise to a dying friend. To collect and marry the English girl destined to never be a preacher’s wife.
Can Shadrach convince Finella she has a future with a farmer? Can he convince himself, knowing his family secrets will haunt their future? Continue reading “Book Review – Carry Me Home”

SUMMARY

When Mia finally runs out of patience with her cheating husband, she packs her bags and escapes to Paris to stay with her best friend Daisy. As an actress she knows the value of escaping into a good role. So she dyes her hair, changes her appearance and takes up waitressing in Daisy’s restaurant all while bemoaning her bad luck in love.

Paul is an expat American author living in Paris. His initial publication success mingled with his shyness drove him across the sea to hide out in the City of Love. His subsequent novels are only popular in South Korea, so it doesn’t interfere with his introverted lifestyle.

Thanks to an interfering friend, Paul meets Mia in a blind date arrangement neither is aware of. After much confusion, they enter into a strangely defined friendship which helps both of them cope with their lonely and sad personal lives. But although they are drawn to each other, Mia and Paul’s path to a more meaningful relationship is strewn with obstacles, not the least of which is themselves.

Continue reading “Book Review -P.S. From Paris”