Review: Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime

Title: Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime

Author: Fiona McKenzie Kekic

Publisher: 29th July 2025 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA 

Pages: 352 pages

Genre: Travel | Women's Fiction

Synopsis:

When Eva Moore wakes up on her fiftieth birthday, her drab middle-class life immediately starts to unravel. First, she receives an anonymous Facebook message claiming her husband is having an affair. Next, she is restructured out of her job by her obnoxiously young boss. Then, just when she thinks her life can't get any worse, her elderly parents wilfully go missing from their group tour of India. All they've left behind is an increasingly bizarre series of TikTok videos.

Eager to put some distance between herself and her failing marriage, Eva undertakes a rescue mission, determined to save her parents from certain disaster. She wants to find them. But what Eva really needs is to find herself. If she can do that, she might get a second chance at life and love - and, along the way, become an inspiration to anyone who fears their best days are behind them ...

My Thoughts

Eva Reddy's Trip of a Lifetime is exactly what the title promises - and so much more. Fiona McKenzie Kekic has crafted a beautifully written, emotional story that’s equal parts adventure, soul-searching, and self-discovery.

‘Hello again, women of indeterminate age! My name is Eva Reddy. And welcome to my blog ‘Wizened & Wild’, where I ponder the challenges and everyday injustices that accompany female middle age.’

From the very first page, I was drawn into Eva’s world - a woman at a crossroads, bravely stepping outside of her comfort zone and into the unknown. The journey that follows is filled with humour, heartbreak, warmth, and hope. Kekic’s writing shines with vivid settings, compelling characters, and authentic emotion, making Eva's personal transformation feel both real and deeply relatable. From the author:

‘To all those women who feel trapped and invisible. Ignore what social media and our ageist culture would have you believe. You can be anything you want to be. We’re way past caring what other people think. So, find your power. Middle age is just the beginning.’

Eva is the kind of protagonist you cheer for from beginning to end. Her voice is sharp, witty, and deeply human. Whether she's navigating unfamiliar Indian cities or confronting the truths she's spent years avoiding, every step of her journey feels earned and impactful. I highly recommend reading this as it left me feeling inspired, a little teary-eyed, and completely satisfied (especially with all the 1980s references).

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review:The Italian Secret (Billie Walker Mystery #3)

Title: The Italian Secret (Billie Walker Mystery #3)

Author: Tara Moss

Publisher: 26th August 2025 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 384 pages

Genre:  General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

Synopsis:

#1 internationally bestselling author Tara Moss returns with an immersive post-war mystery as glamorous investigator Billie Walker follows a trail of secrets to Italy’s sun-drenched Neapolitan coast

Naples, 1943. Deep within a secret network of underground tunnels, a woman takes shelter from a wartime air raid and prays her husband will return home safe.

Pacific Ocean, 1907. A girl embarks on a lonely journey to begin a new life far from home.

Sydney, 1948. Billie Walker, recently returned from a stint as a wartime investigative journalist, has reopened her father’s private inquiry office. One day, Billie is cleaning out old filing cabinets when she uncovers a dusty box whose contents just might upend everything Billie thought she knew about her late, beloved father.

Soon Billie is on the scent, uncovering the secrets of her family’s past, travelling aboard the first post-war luxury passenger ship from Sydney to Naples in search of answers. And as the trail leads her toward two women whose history may be entwined with her own, she realizes she might be putting all three of them in harm’s way. Billie’s father had an enemy—one who may now be stalking Billie around the world—and the closer Billie gets to the truth, the more danger she finds herself in.

My Thoughts

I am ever so happy to have been lost in Billie Walker’s world once more - my new historical female heroine! The Italian Secret is the third novel in the Billie Walker series by Tara Moss and I loved it! Although not necessary to have read the previous two (Tara does provide a catch up and some background) I highly recommend you do. This is a post WWII private investigator you will not want to miss out on!

’He was the one who had taught Billie to search out answers, to be curious about the world and the people in it. He had taught her to solve the whys of the world.’

These books are a gorgeous blend of mystery, history, and glamour! This time the setting is a cruise ship then the stunning backdrop of post-war Italy, this book had me hooked from the first page. 

Moss paints a vivid picture of 1950s Rome, full of secrets, fashion, and intrigue. Billie, as always, is smart, stylish, and utterly captivating — think Audrey Hepburn meets Veronica Mars. If you're into vintage noir, strong female leads, and a little bit of danger wrapped in silk and shadows, The Italian Secret is a must-read. 

I highly recommend this series and reading the books in order. The Italian Secret is such a wonderful historical mystery book filled with exciting, emotional and highly addictive storylines. I can't wait to see what Billie gets up to next! Perfect for fans of historical thrillers with a cinematic flair. 

'So it is not an illness at all, you suspect?' She shook her head. 'No. I don't think so?

'You believe these deaths are connected?'

'Yes, I fear they are, she said. 'Almost certainly’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Butterfly Women

Title: The Butterfly Women

Author: Madeleine Cleary

Publisher: 29th April 2025 by Simon & Schuster (Australia) | Affirm Press

Pages: 400 pages

Genre:  General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

Synopsis:

It's 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new façade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious red-light district of Little Lon, full of brothels where rich and poor alike can revel all night. The most glamorous among them is Papillon, home to the most alluring women in the city.

For poor Irishwoman Johanna Callaghan, a job at Papillon could be her ticket to success, but in a time when women's lives are cheap, it also brings great danger. Meanwhile, for respectable women like journalist Harriett Gardiner, Papillon is strictly off-limits, but when a murderer begins stalking the streets of Little Lon, she becomes determined to visit it and find the truth.

As both women are drawn into the hunt for the killer, a long-hidden side of old Melbourne is revealed. Lush, dark and meticulously researched, The Butterfly Women weaves romance and mystery into an unforgettable tale of Australian history, and the women so often erased from it.

My Thoughts

Madeleine's debut novel, The Butterfly Women is a sure-fire winner - I loved it. Melbourne in 1863 is growing exponentially thanks to the discovery of gold, however, all that glitters is not gold. This shiny new façade conceals the real Melbourne where the notorious red-light district of Little Lon is found.  Brothels are attended by rich and poor alike and the most glamorous among them is Papillon, home to the most alluring women in the city. A murderer is stalking the streets of Little Lon, including the Butterfly women, and it must be stopped. 

‘We may resemble pretty little butterflies, Captain, but we have been in more fights and know these streets better than your men.’

Reading about the Melbourne of this era was absolutely fascinating. Combine that with memorable women and a page turning murder mystery and I couldn’t put it down. The story is told through the voices of four women: Johanna an Irish ‘dressed’ woman, Catherine the brothel owner, Mary who police patrols the streets in her husband's uniform and Harriet a respected journalist. All these women’s lives interconnect as together they work towards trying to get by in a man’s world. It was so engrossing to read about my city from a time long past. A stunning debut filled with twists and turns told through a feminist lens. 

‘For while John and many of the town’s men failed to find their fortunes on the goldfields, Catherine and the women they’d left behind found theirs in the boarding houses and brothels of this dusty town.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

 

Review: Rise and Shine

Title: Rise and Shine

Author: Kimberley Allsopp

Publisher: 4th June 2025 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages: 383 pages

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction

Synopsis:

Charming, talky, wryly funny, poignant and original - Rise and Shine is a love story, yes, but it's a love story that happens ten years into a marriage, when somebody wants out.

This is a story about marriage. It is also a story about life and love and happiness and the absence of happiness and what we need to do to find it again.

It's a story about hope, baking, making music, lemon trees, painting, love, divorce, dogs, the families we create for ourselves, and the heat of the Brisbane sun.

It's a story about August and Noah.

It begins at the end.

Rise and Shine is an utterly surprising delight, a break-up tale that is also a love story; endearing, astringent, talky, wry, wise, uplifting and so original.

My Thoughts 

Kimberley Allsopp has a most unique style of writing. Her debut novel in 2022, Love and Other Puzzles, blew me away - I adored it. It was full of wit and charm, refreshing, never dull with a perfect combination of humour and hindsight. Kimberley has carried some of this over into her next book, Rise and Shine where once more she challenges her readers by asking the question, when you realise that life is not what you want or wish it to be … how does one change?

‘She had a good life. She had to stop worrying about it and trying to stretch it into a shape that she thought it needed to be when this was a good shape.’

This is a story about life, love and what happens when, after ten years of marriage, someone wants out. What makes us happy, what makes us unhappy and what can we do about it. It’s a story that gets you thinking, presented in Kimberley’s witty, quirky and uplifting way. 

‘She had to fold this moment up and put it in her pocket so she could bring it out when her love for this man felt worn out and thin.'

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Beach Vibes

Title: Beach Vibes

Author: Susan Mallory

Publisher: 30th April 2025 by HQ Fiction

Pages: 368 pages

Genre:  General Fiction | Women’s Fiction | Romance

Synopsis:

What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?

While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she’s even prouder of her charismatic brother, Rick, who rose from foster care all the way through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Things take a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days...and nights.

But when she catches Rick with another woman — like, with with — her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend.

Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.

My Thoughts

My first Susan Mallory book and I really enjoyed it - good quality escapism. It does not have much to do with ‘beach vibes’ to be honest, but it has a highly engaging family drama which both intrigued and grabbed me. 

There is Beth proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches and her brother who she has always supported and is now a surgeon. Then there is Beth’s best friend, Jana and her brother who is a widow and father to three children. The four hit it off and all look to be heading to a rosy future …. until it isn’t. I don’t want to give away much as the angst surrounding the colliding of love and loyalty are certainly front and centre in this tale. 

A super engaging and complex family drama making readers consider,  “what would you do?” A story of family dynamics, loyalty, friendship, romance and most definitely, betrayal. It is certainly a bittersweet read and more than just a romance. I recommend giving it a go. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.