JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Matters of the Heart by Fiona Palmer

A classic love story about manners, men and modern romance.

Western Australia, 2019: The Bennets are a farming family struggling to make ends meet. Lizzy, passionate about working the land, is determined to save the farm. Spirited and independent, she has little patience for her mother’s focus on finding a suitable man for each of her five daughters.

When the dashing Charles Bingley, looking to expand his farm holdings, buys the neighbouring property of Netherfield Park, Mrs Bennet and the entire district of Coodardy are atwitter with gossip and speculation. Will he attend the local dance and is he single? These questions are soon answered when he and Lizzy’s sister Jane form an instant connection on the night. But it is Charlie’s best friend, farming magnate Will Darcy, who leaves a lasting impression when he slights Lizzy, setting her against him.

Can Lizzy and Will put judgements and pride aside to each see the other for who they really are? Or in an age where appearance and social media rule, will prejudice prevail?

Matters of the Heart by Fiona Palmer is a modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set in farmlands in rural Western Australia.

Lizzy Bennet’s family have owned and run Longbourn for decades, and they’re not about to let a few rough years of drought force them to sell up and leave the town.

Charles Bingley, his sister Caroline Bingley, and his best friend Will Darcy soon arrive to the area after Charles buys the expensive neighbouring property Netherfield. If you’re familiar with Pride and Prejudice, you’ll know what comes next.

Despite the twenty-first century Australian setting, Matters of the Heart follows Pride and Prejudice pretty similarly. There are a few slight tweaks to the storyline, and some accelerations in pacing, but other than that, it’s pretty loyal to the original story. Any devoted fan of Pride and Prejudice – like me – will enjoy another fresh retelling of the classic tale.

“Ken Collins was shorter than Lizzy by half a head, and his hair was thick and black, resembling that of a Lego-man. He wore a leather belt with a shiny buckle as if he’d been a rodeo champ in his day. If you let him talk long enough he’d tell you about the time he rode a bucking bronco.”

The rural Australian setting was a nice touch to the story, and allowed us to see the Bennet family as a struggling but stoic unit. They’re supportive, compassionate, and they bond over the tough times they’ve had on the farm in previous years. The sisters are all vastly different – like in Pride and Prejudice – but they support one another and the older girls are a positive influence on the younger ones.

I did wonder if more creative liberties could’ve been taken, and if the storyline could’ve drifted a bit more from the original source. I love Pride and Prejudice, but I felt like I knew exactly where the story was going and so I didn’t feel a huge range of emotions when reading the book. I would’ve like a bit more of a difference between the book, and its source.

“You can’t save them all, her dad had said when she was six and saw her first mauled lamb. It’s nature; that lamb has fed a family of birds. It was a rough way to learn about the cycle of life, but in farming there was no shying away from it.”

This book showcases strong, independent women. Lizzie plans to take over Longbourn from her father and she is already running a lot of the operations on the farm. She’s capable, confident and she’s incredibly smart.

Lizzie is used to men assuming she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s used to being questioned about who will run the farm after her father passes. But she’s sure of herself, and she doesn’t let others sway her opinion. She’s feisty and she’s fun, and her romance with Will Darcy is really heartwarming. I enjoyed reading about their blossoming romance — their quirks and their clashes, and their respect for each other.

There are moments of humour scattered throughout the book. Ken Collins is ridiculous and clueless, just like his inspiration. Kitty and Lydia are overdramatic and self-centred, but they bring a smile to your face, and Will and Lizzie have incredible chemistry on the page that you can’t help but adore.

“The top envelope was addressed to Jane and Lizzy. The invitation was fancy, handmade with care, but Lizzy couldn’t imagine Charlie or Caroline making them. Probably paid someone to do them. Across the top it read Bingley Barbecue.”

I recommend this to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen fans, although be aware the story doesn’t venture outside the original plot-lines quite like I’d expected.

Fans of romance will enjoy this, as will any Australian reader interested in rural settings or books set amongst farmland. Matters of the Heart reminded me of McLeod’s Daughters — strong women showing men how capable they can be on their own.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Matters of the Heart
Fiona Palmer
September 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle by Sophie Green

It’s 1982 in Australia. The Man from Snowy River is a box office hit and Paul Hogan is on the TV.

In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves.

From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life.

After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself.

Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle.

In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean’s salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms. Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day.

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle is the latest novel from Australian author Sophie Green, this time introducing us to a fantastic group of women who bond over their love of the water.

The book is set in 1980s NSW, but there is so much about these women and their lives that can be understood by readers who may not have memories of the 1980s. These four women confront loss, grief, relationships, family, adultery, friendships, addictions, and mental health. Sophie Green explores these issues with sensitivity and compassion. You don’t need to live in a certain time period to understand these things — all readers will be able to understand or relate to a least a couple of the themes present in the book, and the discussions that are had between the women.

Swimming brings these four women together at a time when they’re all in need of friends. Theresa is married to a philandering, arrogant man and takes on the majority of the household responsibilities. Andrew doesn’t help out with the two kids, and Theresa is at a loss.

Marie is still mourning the death of her husband five years ago, and her best friend has recently moved quite some distance away — Marie is lonely.

Leanne recently moved to Shelly Bay and is a paediatric nurse at the local hospital. But, she finds it hard to connect with people. She’s distanced from her parents and her family, and she has quite a few skeletons in her closet that she struggles to talk about. She certainly struggles connecting with men, and hasn’t ever had a boyfriend.

Elaine is an alcoholic whose husband works all the time. She’s new to the country — having recently moved here from England — and she’s missing her sons. She turns to the bottle to comfort her loneliness.

“She really doesn’t want to play with them again, but she hasn’t managed to find another group activity that suits her, and if she doesn’t play tennis she will have absolutely no one to talk to apart from James, who works all day and half the night.”
ELAINE

Sophie Green is a really skilled writer, bringing these women to life and making the reader fall in love with each of them. The book switches POV between the four women, and despite the fact these women are all different ages and at different stages in their lives and their careers, their voices and stories are all so unique that you never grow tired of the plot, or of the writing.

Friendship is the dominant theme in the book, and is executed incredibly well. Women in particular will be able to relate to the close connections that these women form with each other over the course of the novel. The four women become a support network for each other, helping the others overcome the emotional and physical hurdles that they’re facing in their lives.

“Today is the day. After her lessons, and Matt’s reassurances that her freestyle is ‘coming along nicely’, Leanne is ready to swim in the ocean. With Theresa and her friends.”

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle shows us that we shouldn’t bury our pain or hide our struggles — we should learn to trust in others, and confront what it is that’s causing our pain. The book also highlights the importance of having quality friends, and that it’s never too late to build friendships and relationships with others.

Theresa, Marie, Leanne and Elaine share a lot of heartache in the book, but they also share a lot of laughs and tender moments. They grow over the course of the novel — not just their relationships with others, but their relationships with themselves.

“They’re always like this on the nights when Andrew doesn’t arrive home in time for dinner. They never say anything about him not being there, yet they cling harder to her. They want all of her time, and they’ll fight sleep to get it.”
THERESA

The setting of the novel is captured really strongly in the pages, and readers will easily be able to imagine the picturesque Shelly Bay location — even if they’ve never been to Sydney or Shelly Bay.

Sophie Green’s latest novel is just as satisfying as The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club — readers who like historical fiction, romance, and family sagas will enjoy this book.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle
Sophie Green
August 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

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