Review: Northern Heat by Helene Young

Title: Northern Heat
Author: Helene Young
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: 27th May 2015
Pages: 368
Book Source: Penguin Aust & NetGalley

Synopsis: In steamy northern Queensland, Conor is living under an assumed name and rebuilding his shattered life. Working at Cooktown's youth centre has given him the chance to make a difference again, and a chance to flirt with Dr Kristy Dark.

After tragedy tore her family apart, Kristy fled to Cooktown with her feisty teenage daughter, Abby. She hoped being part of the small community would help them both heal, but Abby's sports coach is turning out to be a compelling distraction.

When a severe cyclone menaces the coast, threatening to destroy everything in its path, tensions come to a head – and the weather is not the only danger in Cooktown. Cut off from the world and with her life on the line, Kristy will have to summon her courage and place her trust in Conor, or they'll both lose someone they love.

My Thoughts:

Helene Young's novels are an addictive mix of nail-biting tension and characters to emotionally invest in. Northern Heat is no exception, I couldn't put it down, finishing in the wee hours ... the sleep deprivation was totally worth it J

Northern Heat is definitely a stand-alone novel but if you've read Safe Harbour you'll recognise Conor as the yachtsman pulled from wild seas. I didn't pick up on that from the synopsis but I was so happy to get more of Conor. 

Kristy and Conor are two of my favourite characters; scarred by tragedy but strong, passionate and resilient. They're portrayed with depth and compassion and I was completely pulled in to their lives, cheering them on. Whilst the attraction between Conor and Kristy sparks immediately, I loved seeing their relationship play out naturally over time.

Helene tackles the subject of domestic violence with sensitivity, Kristy and Freya's story rang true for me and I read with my stomach churning and my heart in my mouth. The vivid descriptions of our Australian landscape show respect and appreciation of the harsh beauty and diversity, the challenges faced in remote areas, the weather extremes, from drought to devastating cyclones. Cyclone Kate bearing down on the community of Cooktown heightened an already tense plot ... talk about building to a crescendo. 

It's no easy feat to advance a plot at a cracking pace without sacrificing character development and authenticity. Helene Young finds the perfect balance and makes it look effortless. A favourite read this year. 

Recommend: In a heartbeat

I was very excited to have Helene Young as a guest on my blog yesterday. Don't forget to check out her wonderful guest post Winds of Change and enter the awesome giveaway! 

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Audiobook Reviews: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein & The Collector by Nora Roberts

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: 6th June 2012 (1st published 6th Feb 2012)
Time: 10hrs 7mins
Narrator: Morven Christie, Lucy Gaskell
Book Source: Own audio

Synopsis: Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 

My Thoughts: 
I'm late to Code Name Verity. Even though I bought the book a year or so ago, for some reason I never got around to it. Then someone recommended it on audio and that was all the incentive I needed. 

Code Name Verity is a complex, emotional tale. Don't be lulled into inattention or distraction by the slow-ish, almost baffling start, (is it less so, in print?) it requires careful listening to pick up the truths. Pay attention and you'll be richly rewarded.  

The bond between 'Verity' and Maddie is something special, it resonated, had me in tears, made me laugh and ugly cry ... sometimes at the same time ... not pretty. Verity is arrested and interrogated, with two weeks to write her confession ... she tells their story. The constant wondering about Verity's reliability as a narrator (after all, she's being tortured) kept me off balance, it's heartbreaking and surprisingly funny and yes a little weird to find myself sniggering and laughing but oh I loved her sense of humour.  

Narrators Morven Christie and Lucy Gaskell bring 'Verity' and Maddie to life, it's a story that never feels like it's being 'read.' Morven Christie in particular is superb, her accents, inflections and emotions are spot on. 

Code Name Verity is one I'll read again, as much for all that complexity wrapped in deceit, misdirection, secrecy ... argh wish I could think of the right word ... as for the beautiful story of friendship, loyalty and courage. 

Next up, with box of tissues in hand, Rose Under Fire, the companion novel to Code Name Verity. It shares some of the same characters and takes place shortly after Code Name Verity finishes. 

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Title: The Collector

Author: Nora Roberts

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publication Date: 15th April 2014

Time: 15hrs 44mins

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Book Source: Own audio

Synopsis: As a professional house-sitter and freelance writer, nothing ties Lila Emerson down - not her work, not a home, and definitely not a relationship. She spends her life moving from one job to the next, sometimes crashing at a friend 's Manhattan apartment. And though she can appreciate her clients ' extraordinary homes, their expensive collections, and their adorable pets, Lila has never longed for possessions of her own. Everything she has, including her heart, is portable. 

But when she witnesses a possible murder-suicide from her current apartment-sitting job, life as Lila knows it takes a dramatic turn. 

Artist Ashton Archer knows his charming, clever, and impulsive brother couldn't have killed his girlfriend - or taken his own life. His hope of unraveling what happened lies with Lila, the only eyewitness. And even buried in grief, Ash longs to paint the woman whose deep, dark eyes seem to hold endless reserves of strength and a fiery passion. 

Chalking up their intense attraction to the heat of the moment, Lila agrees to help Ash in trying to find out who murdered his brother and why. From the penthouses of Manhattan to grand Italian villas, their investigation draws them into a rarefied circle where priceless antiques are bought, sold, gambled away, and stolen, where what you possess is who you are, and where what you desire becomes a deadly obsession…

My Thoughts: 

Nora Roberts' The Witness (2012) was a 5 star listen for me this year so I just had to have The Collector on audio. I loved Julia Whelan's narration in The Witness so ... can't really go wrong ... right? 

I'm pretty good at suspending belief, this is after all fiction, but I did find the whole professional housesitter/writer (Lila) and artist (Ash) chasing down a contract killer, implausible and just a bit ridiculous. Baddie killing off the hero and heroine for their sheer stupidity would have been more realistic ... oops did I say that out loud. 

That aside, I quite liked people-watching Lila and teapot poodle Earl Grey earns this one extra cuteness points. And for a lengthy book it doesn't drag at all ... good job on the narration Jennifer Whalen.

Despite some eye-rolling this was actually an enjoyable, easy listen, I didn't dislike the story but I didn't bother catching up on the few missed minutes  ... grr annoying telemarketer. 

Recommend: hmm ... doesn't come close to The Witness 

Celebrating Audiobook Month: The Witness by Nora Roberts & The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd & My Top 5

In celebration of Audiobook Month and 2014 being an awesome year of audio for me I wanted to share my Top 5 Audiobooks for 2014 so far. Narrators can make or break a story and I've experienced both this year ... thankfully way more exceptional narrations than not.   

Title: The Witness
Author: Nora Roberts
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Publication Date: 16th April 2012
Time: 16hrs 18mins
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Book Source: own audio

Synopsis: Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever. 

Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems -- and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing. But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason. Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something -- and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

5 reasons The Witness made my Top 5

 1. Unputdownable - I was caught up from the first page to the last, I had my heart in my mouth anticipating the worst, hoping for the best. Schedule in significant blocks of time for this one because believe me you'll begrudge having to stop for anything. 

2. Julia Whelan gives one of the best narrations I've listened to this year, mesmerising. She elevates a terrific story to riveting new heights.

3. Nora Roberts at her best - characters you can't help but fall in love with and a protective community you want to be part of. Well-paced, complex plot, sweet romance ... sure there are flaws but the audio version amplified all the good making this a winner.

4. An unforgettable main character - Elizabeth/Abigail is an exceptionally smart, strong, fascinating heroine. Her cool reserve and logic is the perfect counterpart for Brooks Gleason's unguarded enthusiasm and emotion. 

5. Best dog ever - I love you Bert xx

Title: The Invention of Wings

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Genre: Historical Fiction/Southern Fiction

Publication Date: 6th January 2014

Time: 13hrs 41mins

Narrator: Jenna Lamia, Adepero Oduye

Book Source: own audio

Synopsis: From the celebrated author of the international bestseller The Secret Life of Bees comes an extraordinary novel about two exceptional women.

Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. The one her mother calls difficult and her father calls remarkable. On Sarah's eleventh birthday, Hetty 'Handful' Grimké is taken from the slave quarters she shares with her mother, wrapped in lavender ribbons, and presented to Sarah as a gift. Sarah knows what she does next will unleash a world of trouble. She also knows that she cannot accept. And so, indeed, the trouble begins ... 

A powerful, sweeping novel, inspired by real events, and set in the American Deep South in the nineteenth century, The Invention of Wings evokes a world of shocking contrasts, of beauty and ugliness, of righteous people living daily with cruelty they fail to recognise; and celebrates the power of friendship and sisterhood against all the odds.

5 Reasons The Invention of Wings made my Top 5

1. History and truth - Sue Monk Kidd's powerful and sensitive blending of fact and fiction delves into the ugly roots of slavery and racism. The Grimké sisters grew up in a wealthy, slave-owning South Carolina family yet became significant abolitionists and social activists. The Invention of Wings is loosely based on Sarah Grimke's story and the narration alternates between Sarah and Hetty (Handful) the slave given to her on her 11th birthday. It's enlightening having both viewpoints. 

2. It's no secret Jenna Lamia is one of my favourite narrators ... she has southern down pat but Adepero Oduye is Handful. Sensitivity and empathy add another dimension to this powerfully narrated story. 

3. Charlotte, Handful's mother and the Grimke's seamstress, spends nights making quilts, and her own story quilt. Preserving her family's story was so touching it brought me to tears ... beauty amidst the pain and suffering. 

4. It's vivid, appalling, haunting and compelling. It's about strength, courage and the wings of change. I liked the Secret Life of Bees but The Invention of Wings is deeper, more complex, more moving, it's just ... more. 

5. Novels like this bear witness to our less-than-human history. You trust me don't you? It's a must-read.  

and rounding out my Top 5 Audiobooks in 2014:

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick

Narrator: Katie Scarfe

Katie Scarfe's narration is excellent, she makes Aliénor, Duchess of Aquitaine entirely accessible and 18+ hours of audio fly

See my review 

While We Were Watching Downton Abbey by Wendy Wax

Narrator: Orlagh Cassidy 

Brilliant narration by Orlagh Cassidy; diverse personalities, distinct voices, 

accents and quirks captured perfectly.

See my review  

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Narrators: Jessica Almasy, Suzanne Toren

Beautifully narrated with such authenticity I felt like a participant rather than an observer. 

See my review

Check out more of my audiobook reads here. Do you have a favourite narrator? Audiobook recommendations? Don't be shy ... please share :)