Imagine a dare is born out of a college-nemesis/complicated past feelings relationship, that results in two bestselling writers crafting stories from genres they despise. The winner has to poach their novel to publishers, get the biggest book deal and the highest paying advance.
Enter January and Gus.
January has just made the worst discovery of her life. After her Dad’s recent passing, a letter he left her explained that he had been in love with another woman and had built a life with her all in a small beach town. January is confused as he was always the most loving father and their connection was strong. He has left the house that he shared in his double life to January. Not only is she thrown for six but her writing jué jué is off and the timeline on her next book is closing in.
Gus has never forgotten the frustratingly talented writer from college who never failed to make every writing assignment into a happy ending. He much prefers to research for years, uncover and pull apart the pieces of people that we sometimes never see. Seeing January in the house next door on the summer evening of his birthday was not what he had on his Bingo card for this year. But will it turn out to be his, and her, best year of writing yet?
Birds of a Feather is Rhianna King’s debut novel and by gosh, will it blow your socks off!
Rhianna is a professional communicator in State Government environmental agencies and has worked within an Aboriginal-led not-for-profit organisation as well. She’s also a graphic designer, having launched her own freelance business in 2015. How dynamic and talented is this woman who now adds ‘author’ to her resume as well!
I cannot thank Rhianna’s wonderful Affirm Press team for reaching out to me, gifting me Birds of a Feather to honestly read and review + have this opportunity to chat with Rhianna herself 🎙
Welcome to the blog Rhianna! 💖
Rhianna, how does it feel to be a debut Aussie author? Can you speak to the experience of being signed with Affirm Press and how the journey has been so far?
Being a debut Aussie author has been more wonderful than I could have possibly imagined (and I spent a lot of time imaging it!). I was lucky enough that Kelly Doust saw a place forBirds of a Feather in Affirm Press’s incredible collection of commercial women’s fiction and I have loved every second of working with the Affirm Press team. They have guided and advised me at every step, with respect for my vision, and the wisdom of experience.
Stepping behind the curtain of the publishing industry has made me fully appreciate how many people it takes to get a book published and in readers’ hands – the editors, cover designers, type setters, printers, marketing and publicity gurus, voice-over artists, those who get the books on the shelves and those who sell them. The experience has also shown me how much support there is out there for authors. Australia has such a wonderful community of people who love books, write them, enjoy talking about them, and are happy to spread the word about books they’ve enjoyed through their social and online platforms. Connecting with other authors and book lovers has been one of the best parts of this journey.
Birds of a Feather is being absolutely DEVOURED in my household! I’m reading on my lunch break, as soon as I get home and right before bed. When did you know that Beth and Elsie’s story was a keeper? – Thank you! 😊
I started writing the book during 2020, after Zoom trivia and puzzles had lost their novelty, because I wanted somewhere to escape to. I grew to love Beth and all her quirks, and I adored Elise’s character, so, once I started, I kept writing because I genuinely wanted to spend time with them. Being in lock-down gave me a whole new appreciation for being able to spend time with friends and family and in the natural environment so, I guess, it was a love letter to all the things I was missing from my life at the time. I also wanted to write a story that was different to anything I’d read before and I was keen to make a contribution, however small, to increasing representation of diversity in commercial fiction.
Beth’s winnings certainly throw her stickler budget and tightened nature out the window. I really enjoy watching her unfold and let in the world around her. Did you always know where Beth’s story started and where it ended? Or were you just along for the ride with her?!
I did have a pretty structured plan for the book before I started writing it, which I guess is ironic since the story centred around encouraging Beth’s character to be more open to going with the flow!
Much of Beth’s rigidity was in response to her family’s complete lack of structure – she enjoyed order while they preferred spontaneity, she liked well-made plans, where they took a laissez-faire approach to life. But I wanted her to see that it doesn’t have to be one or the other; if you open your heart (even a little) and are prepared to step out of your comfort zone, you can still be in the driver’s seat of your life but also find unexpected joy along the way.
I adore the passages where we watch, feel and listen to Elsie and Beth spend precious time together. Is there anyone in your life or from life experiences that influenced the loving, kind and special familial relationship these two have?
I was so blessed with two incredible grandmothers. Both were remarkable women and, incidentally, both were writers. Spending time with them was such a gift and, even though they’ve both been gone for many years, I still miss them.
I think the relationship between grandparents and their grandkids is so special because in many cases it’s all love, no responsibility. For Beth, Elise was the one person who she felt ‘got’ her when she didn’t feel like she belonged in her immediate family, and the two were bonded by their love of the natural environment. I think that having someone in your life who you trust, and with whom you share a common interest, means you always have someone to feel at home with.
Rhianna – thank you so much for your time and generosity in sharing your answers with us on Mel Reviews Her Books 💖
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a good ol’ fashioned bookish blog post! So here you are my friends – I’m going to fill you in on the 4 books I’ve already whipped through in 2024 📖
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren was the first book I completed in 2024. I zipped through this in about 3 days because it’s addictive plot line and characters were just divine. The True Love Experiment is about a US best selling romance author going on a reality dating tv show, much like ‘The Bachelorette’ or ‘Love at First Sight’ here in Australia. However, the set up for this reality show is that each guy introduced to our eligible bachelorette needs to be inspired by a romance novel trope, such as ‘the bad boy’, ‘the one that got away’, ‘the nerd’ etc. And of course, our beautiful, kind hearted producer (😉) can see this is a fabulous idea and will help make the tv network the money it needs for him to go back to producing animal documentaries. That is, until he also becomes incredibly invested in the show … and our main character. This book was laugh out loud funny, had great angst and hot moments, but also sweet and down to earth moments. I find Christina Lauren’s books a great palate cleanser ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth was my next completed novel. Admittedly, I started this in December of 2023 but just didn’t get around to finishing it until the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year was over. This story follows 3 women as they’re thrown into an investigation of the foster home they all lived in as children. A child’s body has been found under the house in present day and all 3 woman are suspects as the police try to put the timeline together. The flashbacks of each woman’s perspective shed light on what actually took place in the house/at this time/who this child could be. Due to the manipulative, abusive and influential experiences all 3 girls had at that house, they consider themselves sisters and are determined to see the woman behind their abusive childhood found guilty. I enjoyed this book. I would say that I saw some of the ending coming but there were other parts that I didn’t! Overall, enjoyable and I would like to try more of Sally Hepworth’s books this year. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)
Weyward by Emilia Hart was picked up at the perfect time for me! I wanted the feel of magic/fantasy but didn’t want drudge through the whole world-building chapters, not understanding peoples roles and having no clue what peoples names are – you know? 🤣 So Weyward was more magical realism and I found it the perfect slice for my craving. Following 3 quite extended generations of Weyward women, all 3 are guided by their connection to nature, ability to intuitively speak with animals, and also grow their gifts. A strong plot line that I was not expecting in this book is domestic violence and intergenerational trauma. Each woman has either been exposed to and/or experienced domestic abuse, with the male figure being the perpetrator, first hand. This abuse is actually the start of their spark in magic as it is used as both a coping mechanism and also a form of protection or revenge. One woman is in the 1600’s and she is on trial for witchcraft. Another woman is in the 1950’s and she has lost her mother, has a poor relationship with her father and her cousin unexpectedly comes to stay following his time serving in the War. Another woman is in present day, and she is on the run from her husband after just finding out she’s pregnant. This novel certainly hits some cautionary points and has quite descriptive scenes at times. I didn’t find this a bad thing, if anything it made me more passionate about seeing these women through to then end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5/stars)
Love, Just in by Natalie Murray has been my fourth completed book and I just NEEDED to pick this up because, girl – is she getting some hype (totally worth it I might add)! Love, Just In is a friends to lovers but there is also some high school chasing and then present day heartache. Josie and Zac have been best friends since the moment they bonded over music in high school, but as the years went by, poor timing, dating other people and after Zac experiences a tragic accident, resulting in the loss of someone significant in his life, they’ve drifted. Zac fled Sydney 2 years ago following the tragic accident and since then, him and Josie have barely been in touch. Josie has been offered an opportunity to help progress her news reading/tv presenter career, and it just happens to be in the city Zac fled to – Newcastle. Instantly, their friendship is starting to mend but Josie is seeing Zac in a different light; an attractive light; a more than friends light; a HOT light. Zac & Josie’s story had perfectly timed reveals, angst, funny moments and tender heart moments. The perfect Sunday morning/afternoon read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
How are you guys starting your 2024? New books? New hobbies underway? 🙈📖 Comment below 💭
Bestselling Australian Author, Jack Heath 📸 Curtis Brown Agency
Jack Heath is the #1 bestselling author of 40 novels, published in nine languages. Jack’s first crime thriller, Hangman, was voted one of the 100 best books of all time (twice) – and I think Kill Your Husbands won’t be far behind! His mission is to create books that inspire a love of reading in children and adults.
Welcome Jack, to Mel Reviews Her Books 😊
Jack, Kill Your Husbands is certainly a unique storyline! I mean, we have murder, a touch of romance, a LOT of suspicion and a partner swap! How and where were you inspired to write Kill Your Husbands?
I used to rent a beach house with my old high school friends every year after exams were over. There would be drinking, truth or dare, more drinking, and (my favourite) games of murder in the dark. We’d creep around the house with the lights out, and when someone screamed, we’d all get together in the room with the “body” and try to work out who the killer was.
Writing 7 different perspectives is not an easy feat in the slightest. Why did you choose to split perspectives rapidly in each chapter and do you feel its effect was achieved? (I certainly do!)
When I was a kid I read a murder mystery where the killer turned out to be the narrator, which blew my mind. For Kill Your HusbandsI set myself a challenge – what if the killer was the narrator, and the reader knew it from the start, but they didn’t know which narrator?
In a world where ChatGPT exists, human writers can compete by focusing not just on the characters’ emotions but the readers’. Splitting the perspectives and tightly controlling the flow of information was the only way to create the effect I wanted.
In person and online, you’ve spoken openly about the challenges of making it into the book industry and rewriting, rewriting and rewriting your work before sending it off to be published. 40 novels down the line, what does that process look like for you now?
Things have changed a bit. At the start of my career, I’d write a book and then hope I could find a publisher to sell it to. These days publishers often come to me and ask me to write something for them. This means my income is much more stable, but it also means less creative freedom. I have to outline everything before I write it, and I have so many readers that I’m locked in to certain genres. Nice problems to have, I know!
Our main Police perspective, Kiara, is a recurring character for you. Kiara ends Kill Your Husband by exploring new cases and she’s stepped up into higher ranks as a Detective. Do you feel like there is another story left for her yet?
I hope so! I’ve learned not to plan out long series, because often a book won’t sell well enough to warrant a sequel. I also have several contracts for non-Kiara books, so I’ll be pretty busy either way. But the response to Kill Your Husbands has been tremendous, so I think there’s a market there for another Kiara book if I chose to write one. What do you think of Kill Your Boss?
Kill Your Boss sounds absolutely terrifying! Can’t wait to read it 😉 Jack – thank you SO MUCH for spending your time here on Author Talks. I’m so pleased to have had the opportunity to chat again (virtual this time), it’s always a pleasure 📚
You can find all of Jack Heath’s books via this link: Click Here ⭐️
I did not expect to devour this book in under a week but I’m not ashamed to say that I did! What I am ashamed to say is that this is my first Jack Heath book! If the rest of his adult crime fiction are anything like this … book friends, you know what’s on my Christmas list 📕
Kill Your Husbands is a witty, stand alone crime fiction novel that takes place in a secluded, digital detox holiday house. Three couples, who are high school friends, take the opportunity to leave behind their every day life baggage and spend some time reconnecting with themselves, their partners and … other couples partners.
There are many different perspectives and characters to flick around in this book, so let me start by introducing them as outlined to us in the front of this novel:
*written by Detective Kiara*
FELICITY, stand-up comic, married to Dominic (trophy wife?)
DOMINIC (Dom), finance bro, gave $10K to Cole (gift or loan?)
COLE, gym owner, married to Clementine (but attracted to Isla?)
CLEMENTINE, fitness model, Isla’s best friend (find someone who’s done IVF, see if story is credible)
ISLA, full-time mum, married to Oscar (what ‘truth’ was he referring to?)
OSCAR, real estate agent (but didn’t rent the house?)
Just reading these I was immediately intrigued! So, we have Dom and Felicity, a very glitzy pair who show off their wealth in a new Tesla & branded clothing. Dom also forked out and rented the grand holiday house for everyone – he’s a bit of a show off really. Felicity is quite a bit younger than Dom and has an interesting background before meeting Dom. Felicity is the one to suggest the partner swap … or is she?
We have Cole and Clementine who are the ‘perfect’ couple. However for them, their seemingly wonderful relationship is not complete without a baby. They’ve been through multiple rounds of IVF and the cost is setting Cole’s gym business backwards. He is also starting to see Clementine as becoming fragile and not able to fulfil his desires. Cole is beginning to feel helpless and he has an urge that needs fulfilling … will the partner swap be just what he needs to fulfil these continuous thoughts?
Finally, we have Isla and Oscar, and they have a little one named Noah who is the light of their life but Oscar is beginning to feel twinges of jealously, like he is left behind and that his wife is only sexually attracted to him because she wants another baby. Mentally, Oscar is finding it hard to stay balanced, and a weekend away from his son, somewhat from his wife, is exactly what he needs. And also because there will be another woman there he’d like to focus on … Oscar never thought he’d be a man who would cheat on his wife, but he’s obsessed.
Snipping through each perspective, two week time period, as well as being lead through the investigation process by Kiara , Kill Your Husbands is a very quick read 📕 There is no time to put this story down because at the end of every chapter, you’re left hanging for the next.
Each character has a motive for murdering another in the group. Each character you feel sympathy for because we learn, care and understand how they feel – it’s only human. Each character is a suspect. Up to the very last pages, I promise you, you will be kept guessing as to who, when, how and why.
You could say this is just a story about a woman and a movie star. And it is, but it is also so much more.
Ann’s writing style is something I feel I cannot compare to any other author. Tom Lake reads so easily, as if it were a breeze to write. Yet on the flip side, part of you can just tell each sentence has been deeply mulled over and crafted with care. I felt as though Ann knew what the reader would want at the perfect time.
Gracefully, we flick through past and present. In the past, we are watching Lara grow up. We see her first unexpected audition in Our Town, to her first interactions with the movie star and love interest, Duke. Lara’s career progression is quick, exciting and forgein. Her success in theatre was not where she expected her life to go yet her experiences brought her to where she is now, and that’s on a her family run cherry farm, with her husband Joe and retelling her life story to her three early 20’s daughters during Covid-19.
Lara retelling her story to her three daughters is fascinating and a topic our book club really chose to flesh out. We all agreed that after reading this book, there must be so many parts of our parents lives that we just don’t know. For me, I think these thoughts swirled as we heard Lara relay areas of her life in a certain way to paint a certain picture or image of herself and others around her at the time. Lara also chooses to not tell certain parts of her life to her daughters because they are too harrowing, raw and would change their perception of her. I think this could be true for so many parents. As listeners and readers, we take certain parts of a story and flesh out the bits in between with our own imagination. I think Ann painted a really great narrative around this action and how it can impact familial relationships and memories we thought we knew so well.
Tom Lake has been my first Anne Patchett novel and I can safely say, it won’t be my last. And I must admit, I know have a temptation to pick up more Reece Witherspoon Book Club books as this is the 2nd I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
Do you love reading about broody incessant fictional males that are hard core romantics and not at all like real men ✅ (we can always hope)
Marriage For One by Ella Maise was recently picked up and her four romance novels recovered by Pip Watkins and Simon & Schuster UK. And man, have they found a whip smart novelist!
A fellow book store regular recommended this to me on Wednesday and from the get go, I was hooked. She said she instantly fell in love with Jack and Rose’s story. Also mentioning that this was her favourite Ella Maise book she’s read thus far. Tick, tick, tick from me.
Rose and Jack are complete strangers, or so Rose thinks. She’s currently going through hell trying to navigate her Uncle’s Estate and Will, in which Rose’s is surprised to find a hidden clause. Her Uncle states that her husband will inherit a very profitable but empty building that she had all intentions of renovating into a cafe. However, the husband label hasn’t gone quite to plan in Rose’s life. Her ex-fiance dumped her over text (very sus, more on that when you read the book), her money hungry cousins are out to get any inheritance Rose is left with and squash her cafe dreams, and NOW, she has some grumpy, non-smiling lawyer guy proposing to her?!
Jack Hawthorne was not about to sit aside and let Rose lose everything she’d dreamed of, or be taken advantage of. Meeting Rose a year before, Jack had admired her from afar. Jack is one of the lawyers that closely worked with Rose’s Uncle, therefore he was aware of the current complications with the Will. Jack founded a secret and permanent idea. He would marry Rose out of convenience. He would be her husband. He would then inherit the empty building. Rose could open her dream store. No complications – a simple marriage for one. All Jack asks in return is for her to attend dinners, charity events and closing deals as his wife, giving the image of a ‘family man’ lawyer. He insisted this was good for his branding but there may or may not have been some secrets swirling around …
Shocked by the proposal and in disbelief, Rose finds her life changing immediately. Next thing we know, Jack and Rose are moving to together as a ‘married couple’ to his apartment. Rose is working day and night to finish painting, planning and baking for the cafe … with Jack’s surprisingly quiet and brooding help. They’re going to business dinners where Jack is unexpectedly quite good at laying on the PDA and passing them as a very happy newlywed couple. In private however, Rose is struggling to have any kind of get-to-know-you conversations with Jack as he resists her closeness. I liked hearing from his perspective every so often because it allowed us as the reader to see that he was trying his best to give her space and grow to like him on her own terms. Rose was slowly getting used to his frowning, gruff non verbal responses and blunt stares when her health takes a turn.
You won’t find any spoilers here book friends BUT I will say, Jack came through with the goods as a fake husband and a real one 😉 I really liked the growth of their relationship and their humour. I liked the ever present romantic tension and do-they-don’t-they feelings. I didn’t feel like Jack was written as a coercive male figure in the relationship which was a real possibility due to the circumstances of the plot, however Ella Maise pulled it off. Some readers may disagree with me on this but hey, this is romantic fiction. We know what we’re going here to read.
Finishing this book in 48 hours, on little sleep and feelings of happiness about finding a book to devour – I gave Marriage For One ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars!
I gave into the hype, I did it and I’m telling you … I really, really don’t regret it. If you have been hesitant like me about reading the ridiculously loved, discussed and recommended novel ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owen – I am here to vouch that this book is great! Buy it, loan it, read it and let’s talk about it 😍✨
Clever. That is my overarching word, expression and summary for this book. Not only has Delia Owens written in a descriptive yet simplistic way, she has allowed us as the reader to connect with Kya who is our main character. We are also strongly invested in the death, or supposed murder of Chase Andrews.
Kya’s life isn’t easy. Her father has strong symptoms of PTSD, domestic abuse and alcoholism. Due to her family living within the deep marshland of North Carolina, the neglectful family environment goes unseen and unknown. Kya’s mother walks out on her uneducated, poor and scared children. Eventually, Kya is left to fend for herself and her father – constantly in a state of pining, grief and hoping her mother may return to the marsh. Eventually, her father also leaves and so Kya is left to completely fend for herself. We see her develop hands-on environmental intellect, sufficiency and resilience from a very young age and well into her teens – where she meets Chase Andrews, ‘the town golden-boy’.
Shifting back and forward of time is something I really enjoy in period novels. Delia Owens has perfected the technique as it provided the reader with suspicion, curiosity and a number of motives as to why/when/how/who may have been involved in Chase Andrews’ death.
The love expressed throughout this book – oh, how good it is!! Over time, Kya was exposed to and learnt how to feel supported and cared for by multiple people. It wasn’t just the assumed modern ‘love story’ scenario. Slang, twang and small town community culture/gossip held this novel in a different light. As the story takes place in the mid-1900’s, African American culture is hugely ostracised and rejected. Kya finds that her reputation as the ‘Marsh Girl’ pockets her in the same category – largely leading to the accusations and theories that spread about her and Chase.
Poetry, mother nature and the interesting scientific facts of insects, birds and animal relationships, really do complement the story. Clever – as I said at the beginning. Trust me, it will all make sense when you read it (which I throughly encourage you to do)! Reece Witherspoon was also behind the push for movie production/ book adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing. I can’t wait to see this on film in 2022 📽🎞
Mel Reviews Her Books 