Scan barcode
busyreading's review against another edition
5.0
Maggie Lindeman returned to her hometown of Calingarry Crossing with her teenage son, Noah. Maggie’s father has dementia and can no longer run the family pub. Maggie will take over until they can find a buyer and then she will return to her home in Sydney. Seeing her father's health decline is quite upsetting for Maggie at times. Maggie would've liked her husband, Brian to come with her, but he said he couldn't afford the time away from his music career.
Maggie has been kept busy since she arrived back and trying to find a buyer for the pub was turning out to be more difficult than she thought. Keeping tabs on her son, Noah making sure he didn't up to anything thing he shouldn't and also popping in regularly to see how her ailing father was going. He had his good days and bad days and as the days passed it seemed the bad were out weighing the good. Then there was the school reunion coming up which, Maggie was helping out with. Maggie was looking forward to catching up with old friends, but the one person she wasn't sure about seeing was, Dan Ireland. Maggie had a thing for him back when they were younger so she wasn't sure what kind of reception she would get although she didn't know if he was going to attend. Part of her wanted to see him again and part of her didn't. Will the reunion turn out to be an enjoyable day or could it be a day that most of them would rather forget?
Another fantastic read by Jenn J McLeod. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm surprised at just how quickly I read it seeing as its quite a big book. Once I started I just couldn't put it down and before I knew it I was on the last page. I really enjoyed Jenn's first book, House for all Seasons, but I LOVED this one and I can't wait to read Season of Shadow and Light. Hurry up 2015. I have no hesitation in HIGHLY recommending this book.
Maggie has been kept busy since she arrived back and trying to find a buyer for the pub was turning out to be more difficult than she thought. Keeping tabs on her son, Noah making sure he didn't up to anything thing he shouldn't and also popping in regularly to see how her ailing father was going. He had his good days and bad days and as the days passed it seemed the bad were out weighing the good. Then there was the school reunion coming up which, Maggie was helping out with. Maggie was looking forward to catching up with old friends, but the one person she wasn't sure about seeing was, Dan Ireland. Maggie had a thing for him back when they were younger so she wasn't sure what kind of reception she would get although she didn't know if he was going to attend. Part of her wanted to see him again and part of her didn't. Will the reunion turn out to be an enjoyable day or could it be a day that most of them would rather forget?
Another fantastic read by Jenn J McLeod. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I'm surprised at just how quickly I read it seeing as its quite a big book. Once I started I just couldn't put it down and before I knew it I was on the last page. I really enjoyed Jenn's first book, House for all Seasons, but I LOVED this one and I can't wait to read Season of Shadow and Light. Hurry up 2015. I have no hesitation in HIGHLY recommending this book.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
Those who have read Jenn J McLeod's debut, [b:House for all Seasons|17068417|House for all Seasons|Jenn J. McLeod|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1357697719s/17068417.jpg|23408859], will be delighted to reunite with some of the characters met in the small Australian country town of Calingarry's Crossing. It is however a minor character, Maggie Lindeman, that takes the lead in Jenn McLeod's loosely linked sequel, Simmering Season.
When Maggie's father fell ill, she and her teenage son, Noah, reluctantly left husband, and father, Brian, in Sydney with plans to sell the family pub in Calingarry Crossing and reunite in a few months. But two years on, with no-one showing interest in the motel, Maggie is warming to the idea of making the move permanent, if only Brian, obsessed with chasing fame, would agree to join them. Frustrated by Brian's excuses to remain separated from his family, Maggie's loyalty to her errant husband is tested when her teenage crush, Dan Ireland, returns to Calingarry Crossing for the school reunion. But Dan's return isn't the only thing troubling Maggie, her son is growing restless, Amber's headstrong daughter, Fiona, is her guest for the summer, and as the season wears on, simmering secrets begin bubbling to the surface.
While I thought things were a little slow to heat up in the Simmering Season as the author establishes the back story for the three main characters, Maggie, Fiona and Dan, once the school reunion gets underway, the story begins to move forward with surprising revelations and some dramatic moments, prompting the characters to make decisions about their future.
As in the House For All Seasons, the major themes of this novel examines the need to make peace with the past in order to move forward and the importance of knowing what you need, and want, to be happy within yourself.
In trying to accommodate what Maggie thinks her husband and son wants from her, instead of what she needs, Maggie has grown increasingly resentful, but is unwilling to admit it. At times I was frustrated by Maggie, while her sense of loyalty to her husband is admirable, it is so clearly misplaced that her angst was a little wearying and in protecting her son from Brian's failures, she made herself a martyr. It took her a while but I was relieved when Maggie began to recognise her worth as the events that unfolded during Simmering Season forced her to reassess her priorities.
Dan has been punishing himself for years for the part he played in a fatal accident. Returning to Calingarry Crossing is difficult for him but he has to decide to let go of the things he can't change, and do something about those he can including dealing with his high stress job as a police car accident investigator, reuniting with his father and pursuing Maggie.
I most admired Fiona's growth during the story, a spoilt, spiteful princess with a (not entirely unwarranted) chip on her shoulder to begin with, she learns some hard lessons about the value of family and responsibility. Fiona is affected the most by the secrets her mother, Amber, kept and when they are revealed, she is finally able to make peace with her past and move on.
An appealing novel about self discovery and second chances, I enjoyed Simmering Season and I look forward to revisiting Calingarry Crossing again next year in the Season of Shadow and Light.
scrappyreadermum's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this even more than the first. Both characters seemed so realistic and loveable. Poor maggie having to shoulder so much for so long she is an amazing character. Can't wait to read the next one
kathryn08's review
3.0
I liked this more than the first book, A House For All Seasons, although it was also an enjoyable read. I liked the way some difficult topics were tackled, and I especially liked the author’s acknowledgement at the end that these issues are reality for some people, with some phone numbers and websites for places to get help, if people have been affected.
I'm giving this 3.5 stars and looking forward to [b:Season of Shadow and Light|24823511|Season of Shadow and Light|Jenn J. McLeod|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423022253s/24823511.jpg|44465076].
I'm giving this 3.5 stars and looking forward to [b:Season of Shadow and Light|24823511|Season of Shadow and Light|Jenn J. McLeod|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423022253s/24823511.jpg|44465076].