Summer at Kangaroo Ridge
Nicole Hurley-Moore
Reviewed by Helen
I am a big fan of Nicole Hurley-Moore’s stories, I love how she brings such emotion to her characters and makes me as a reader feel very close to them and this book is no exception, beautifully written we meet the Carrington family five siblings, twins Seb and Tamara are the eldest, Gray, Lix and Luce who were affected by tragedy eight years ago and this story shows how they pull together with the help of their Aunt Maddie and get on with life and how Tamara finds love even if it takes some time and a few hurdles, grief and guilt can cause a lot of pain.
The Carrington’s own the only pub in the small country town of Kangaroo Ridge and also a farm, Seb and Tam gave up their teenage years to ensure that the family have stayed together and moved on after losing their parents in an accident, the farm has been converted into a wedding venue and Tam has worked hard with Maddie to make it a huge success but Tam has had a few wild years after the accident and Seb has knuckled down and become very serious. But Tam is in a secret relationship with Dylan who is Seb’s best friend and she knows Seb will not be happy about it, but she loves Dylan he has always been there for her.
Tam worries that she will never be able to give Dylan the happiness he deserves because all these years after the accident Tam believes that she is responsible and the guilt is eating at her it takes her to dark places and when things come out in the open there needs to be a lot of talking done between brother and sister, will they finally open up and leave the past behind and move towards the future?
I loved this story, it is filled with emotion as we see Tam struggle with her future and go back and find out what happened that terrible day, yes there were tears from me and lots of emotion I was cheering them on and getting ready to yell at times, so many wonderful characters that add to this story and the setting is beautiful. I do look forward to more trips back to Kangaroo Point. This is one that I would highly recommend I loved the ending moving and wonderful.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
The Carrington’s own the only pub in the small country town of Kangaroo Ridge and also a farm, Seb and Tam gave up their teenage years to ensure that the family have stayed together and moved on after losing their parents in an accident, the farm has been converted into a wedding venue and Tam has worked hard with Maddie to make it a huge success but Tam has had a few wild years after the accident and Seb has knuckled down and become very serious. But Tam is in a secret relationship with Dylan who is Seb’s best friend and she knows Seb will not be happy about it, but she loves Dylan he has always been there for her.
Tam worries that she will never be able to give Dylan the happiness he deserves because all these years after the accident Tam believes that she is responsible and the guilt is eating at her it takes her to dark places and when things come out in the open there needs to be a lot of talking done between brother and sister, will they finally open up and leave the past behind and move towards the future?
I loved this story, it is filled with emotion as we see Tam struggle with her future and go back and find out what happened that terrible day, yes there were tears from me and lots of emotion I was cheering them on and getting ready to yell at times, so many wonderful characters that add to this story and the setting is beautiful. I do look forward to more trips back to Kangaroo Point. This is one that I would highly recommend I loved the ending moving and wonderful.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
5 stars
Published March 1st 2022 by Allen & Unwin AU
