Tag: new fiction

Powerless by Lauren Roberts

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Someone needs to hold me back because I’m about to YELL all over this review about how FANTASTIC this read was!

Imagine Throne of Glass + The Hunger Games + a Sarah Adam’s romance novel angst and pining = Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Here are a good few reasons as to why you should pick up this book RIGHT NOW or slide it up to the top of your TBR pile:

✅ Actual enemies to lovers: Paedyn (love this name) and Malakai aka Prince Kai, are from different sides of the track and have very different loyalties.

Paedyn is an Ordinary hidden in plain sight. This means she was not born with any magical, mind bending or magnificent power such as morphing into animals, mind reading or mind silencing, invisibility or time warping. Those that do have these powers certainly show it and they are called the Elites.

The current King, who is an Elite, has poisoned society into believing that Ordinary’s actually make Elite’s sick and it is crucial that Ordinary’s are removed from society – ie. Paedyn. However, she is much more clever than most, as was her Father when training her, because she is posing as an Elite who has Psychic abilities.

Every year the annual Trials come around, which involve the most powerful Elites showing off their powers in a range of life-threatening and vengeful situations. Some people are naturally selected due to their status (ie. Prince Kai) and some are selected by society (ie. Paedyn). All are voted on and viewed by Ilya – determining the winner and ‘most powerful’ of the year.

✅ The fighting scenes are FANTASTIC and I was personally so pleased with the balance of angst and weaponry.

For Paedyn to survive in Loot (the poorest part of Ilya) she thieves coins and belongings. Prince Kai comes along, unbeknown to her of who he is. To Paedyn, he just looked like a well off guy holding a fat stack of coins. Drama and death tends to follow Prince Kai as he is the ‘Enforcer’ for the King, while also being his second son. Paedyn robs Prince Kai and walks away feeling chuffed, until a Mind Silencer starts attacking him.

Paedyn is triggered by a past event in her life when watching Prince Kai being attacked and she cannot stop herself from stepping in to save him. This action tumble-rolls Paedyn’s future. She is selected by Ilya to participate in the Trials as she is seen as strong, but in actual fact, she is physically strong and trained in conflict yet actual magical power? Zlitch.

✅ Angst was at an all time high!

The back and forward banter, love to hate relationship between Pae and Kai was incredibly entertaining. Him pulling down his walls around her because of his either genuine concern or curiosity + her desire to be around him yet knowing that he is in fact the worst person for her to befriend … or more.

Admittedly, there was a time there when I was starting to get a little over the back and forward without any consequence happening. They became so close at one stage that you would think the end of the scene was inevitable – but then it simmered again. I do believe that if their relationship had developed a little more, then the ending, Payden’s choices and Kai perspective would be heavier and more emotional.

In saying that, I think the reveal of Paedyn’s political actions and her powerless power in the final chapters was great. I wouldn’t say the final chapters were unpredictable (one element of the final challenge was), or that the outcome – couldn’t be guessed – but you know what, I still read and loved each and every page anyways!

Sometimes it’s not about the guessing game of a novel, it’s about connecting with the characters and just letting the story be told the way the author wants us to see it. And this novel certainly ticked all those boxes for me!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

4 Books to Begin my 2024

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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 💭

Author Talks with Jack Heath 🔪

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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.

I wanted Kill Your Husbands to be just as much fun as those games were.

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 Husbands I 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 ⭐️

Book Review: ‘Kill Your Husbands’ by Jack Heath

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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.

Kill Your Husbands was a 5/5 read for me, no doubt about it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’d like to hear Jack Heath and I discuss Kill Your Husbands, join us on Instagram Live Saturday 23 December @ 10am 🔪

BIG THANK YOU to Allen & Unwin for generously sending me this copy of Kill Your Husbands for review 💫👏🏼

WWW Wednesdays

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WWW Wednesday is hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words 📚 It is a book tag to broaden the reading community and help connect avid readers!

All you have to do is answer the following three questions:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

CR: Love and Other Scores by Abra Pressler is my current read, and I am devouring it! This easy to follow romance fiction is set on our very own Australian shores at the Australian Open (tennis glam slam – for those who don’t follow sports). Gabi is is professional tennis player seeking a moment of solice from the pressure, overwhelm and commitment that is tennis ruling your life. He wanders into a basement bar only to come across Noah. Noah is working out his days in this bar with it’s new owner. He feels connected to this place even now when it’s going down hill. He remembers what it used to be – jazzy, fun, inclusive, alive. Noah has no idea who Gabi is and to Gabi, this is a breath of fresh air. Will Noah be the perfect yin to Gabi’s yan? You’d better read and find out! Grab a copy here if you like 🎾

RF: Kill Your Husbands by Jack Health is a suspenseful, crime fiction novel I powered through in under a week! I was trying my best to read this non-stop because every chapter ended on a cliff hanger and by the end, as the reader we’re left trying to piece together what happened in a frantic mess of webs! Kill Your Husbands follows 3 couples as they venture on a digital detox holiday in the Australian bush. The holiday house they’ve rented is isolated, beautiful and the perfect place for things to go wrong. Que the suggestion of partner swapping, one person murdered and an unknown squatter on the property – things start to go very wrong, very fast. Full book review for Kill Your Husbands coming this weekend ✅

RN: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey is next up on my TBR and she’s going to be glorious – I can already feel it! Every time I pick up a novel by Tessa Bailey I think to myself, ‘Why have I left it so long before picking up another one of her books!’. I always adore them and how I could I say no to this; it’s Christmas; it’s giving cozy vibes; AND it’s romance. Yes, yes, yes from me 💖 + it’s our December pick for our online Romance book club called ‘THE ROMANTICS’. If you’d like to join, click this link: Join Here!

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

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Okay talk about 24 hour read! Icebreaker by Hannah Grace had me up till 3AM!!

I could not put down this GODDAMN book down, with it’s big puppy dog like golden retriever hockey team players, the ongoing manipulative drama between iceskating partners, and the SPICE 🌶 … the spice 🌶

Let’s just say this story has over 5 open door scenes for all you snoopy readers out there.

The storyline had body and I appreciated that. Anastasia attends Maple Hills College and is training with her partner to become iceskating olympians. Together, in their doubles duo they train hard everyday, restrict their diet, limit socialising outside of their iceskating groups and absolutely DO NOT associate with the other ice rink users, such as the ice hockey team.

Disaster strikes when the hockey teams separate ice rink is damaged due to a prank gone wrong, and our favourite tropes get introduced people! Friends to lovers & forced proximity 👏🏼🙈 Que ongoing arguments, training running over time, longing stares and secret watching/admiring of each other 😉 AND the unstoppable merging of two complete rivals in sports.

Nathan is built up from the beginning as this gentle giant. He is the captain of the hockey team and also a strong father type figure to the younger boys in the group. Nathan comes from a wealthy background but doesn’t flaunt it (too much) and our favourite part – he is genuinely love struck by Anastasia.

A big chuck of the beginning is the two of them in their own lanes, trying their best to not acknowledge the other. But, it’s not long before we’re well and truely into the depths of this ‘I want you but it’s not good to want you’ back and forward.

I genuinely liked having so much of the book about them figuring out their relationship status. I think it helped to draw out each of their personalities and fears of committing to a relationships in college (or university). Things change at the end of every year, people move away and careers begin to take a forward step.

However, this is a romance people so let’s remember that they’re always going to end up back in each others arms! 🙈

Purchase your own copy of Icebreaker by clicking HERE ✅

💫 Mini Review 💫

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This book had me in with both hands and both eyes – unblinking 😉 I COULD NOT put this DOWN 👏🏼

Now, I know this has had varying reviews, most saying that too much happens towards the end and it all a bit extravagant. And yes, I agree that there is a lot that happens and it is a bit extravagant but for me, that was the BEST PART!

This is my first gothic thriller/mystery novel I’ve read and it will not be my last. And definitely not my last read from Riley Sager.

In The Only One Left we follow Kit, who takes on the new role as caregiver/home nurse to Lenora Hope, the unconvicted murderer of her father, mother and older sister when she was a teenager. Lenora has suffered a stroke in later years, and now an old woman now has limited movement in her body, and is harmless. Or so Kit is told.

Mysteriously, Lenora’s previous caregiver left unannounced. She has introduced a typewriter as something to assist in communicating with a non-verbal Lenora. Lenora and Kit slowly develop a friendship/relationship through writing back and forward about Lenora’s life and her past. Slowly, Lenora begins to share her story and Kit begins unravelling the pieces of what really happened that night.

Who was really there and who saw what? Did Lenora really do it and if she did, what made her commit such a hideous crime?

This dark, moody and addictive chapter cliffhangers, I had this finished in 3 days! If you’re looking for a novel with a stream of suspects, unforgettable twists and turns, and the need to be up way past midnight reading – try this!

Book Review: ‘Tom Lake’ by Ann Patchett

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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.

Happy reading book friends ⭐️

Sundays in bed with … ‘The Wake-Up Call’

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There is something about Izzy and Lucas that had me needing to stay in my pyjama’s until 3.30pm and finish this book! Yes, you’re hearing that right 🙈

‘The Wake-Up Call’ is our October book pick for THE ROMANTICS book club, of which I’ve started with a book friend this year. It covers all things love, spicy and fun. If you’d like to join our online book club, click here 💖

Izzy Jenkins is a bright, bubbly English gal who passionately despises Lucas, a sexy, strong headed and co-working Brazilian at New Forest Boutique Hotel. Both share the job of receptionist slash hotel managers. Yet sharing the role is proving quite difficult, as the two of them are competitive, quick witted and always have the upper hand on one another.

But see the thing is, Izzy has (and actively does) suppress the fact that she has feelings for Lucas … strong feelings, even when he is a stubborn pain in her behind! So much so that in December 2020, she sends him a Christmas card, openly expressing her feelings and suggesting he meet her under the mistletoe. Oh man, did this go horribly wrong! Que laughing at card, Lucas kissing Izzy’s roommate instead and a totally disastrous next year of Izzy and Lucas trying to work side by side.

I really enjoyed the rollercoaster that is Izzy and Lucas’ enemies to lovers romance. Their back and forth banter, constant teasing of one another in the hotel lobby and in front of Poor Mandy. Gosh, I loved Poor Mandy and laughed every time I read her name and scenes. She’s not in fact poor, but is rather referred to as poor due to having to put up with Izzy and Lucas bickering, competing and disturbing each other every week she works with them.

I will admit, there was a part there where it started to lull for me, but then we got into the heated arguments becoming heated emotional and intimate scenes .. and snap! my attention was well and truely captured again!

Beth O’Leary is an instant buy for me because I always close one of her books feeling lighter, happier and like there is the possibility of romance still in the world 💫 I really recommend all her novels, particularly this one!

Sundays in bed with ‘The Hummingbird Effect’

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This book has got me in with both hands and I’ve been immediately immerse.

Kate Mildenhall’s writing has taken me by surprise, I must admit. I was definitely not expecting to be reading a novel that has me physically cringing, squirming and churning my stomach as I’m reading. And I cannot stop!

Last night while I was inhaling this novel, I had the thought “I don’t think a novel has ever made me feel like this.” And by ‘this’, I mean such physical reactions.

To give some reference, The Hummingbird Effect is set in 4 different times in our society. Those being; 1933; 2020; 2031; and 2181. As you move through the book, you’re seeing little snippets of how our society is changing and becoming more reliant on mechanical, technological and alternative devices to limit our man power & skillsets. It is eery. It is scary. And it is real. Even though this is a work of fiction, you can feel so much history and research in its pages.

Kate’s ability to describe all aspects of an environment in which she places the reader, such as sound, smell and texture that all interconnects to the scene we’re reading – is just phenomenal!

I am looking forward to spending more time reading this afternoon & hopefully having this book finished before next weekend, where I’m listening to Kate in person at Write Around the Murray book festival ⭐️📚🎤