Bestselling Australian author Jennie Jones takes us back to Swallow’s Fall for one more story: Gemma has a burning need to stay and make a home. All Josh has ever wanted is to get out. Now he has the chance, and all he needs to do is tie up a few loose ends…
Gemma Munroe loves hard, laughs hard and plays hard. Or at least she did before today. Her dream is finally within her grasp – owning the toy shop in Swallow’s Fall and establishing herself permanently. Only one person has the power to get in her way: Josh Rutherford – the love of her life who kissed her and left her ten years ago is coming home.
Josh will be in town for five days. Only five days. He’ll finally sever the ties to a youth filled with poverty by selling the properties that are now his. He’s returning healthy, wealthy and emotionally stable, and then he’ll leave forever. It’s all in the plan. Everything…except for Gem. He never forgot her, but he definitely forgot the effect she has on him. Now she’s got problems, and he can’t seem to leave without trying to help her solve them.
The town itself also has its own plans: Gemma and Josh are thrown together in Speed-Date fiascos, kissing experiments, bar fights and an issue with the North Star – Josh’s compass and the road to his next adventure. Seven weeks later Josh is still in town. Gem has to get through her best friends’ wedding and Josh has to get over Gem. Because he’s not staying. Is he?
Gemma Munroe loves hard, laughs hard and plays hard. Or at least she did before today. Her dream is finally within her grasp – owning the toy shop in Swallow’s Fall and establishing herself permanently. Only one person has the power to get in her way: Josh Rutherford – the love of her life who kissed her and left her ten years ago is coming home.
Josh will be in town for five days. Only five days. He’ll finally sever the ties to a youth filled with poverty by selling the properties that are now his. He’s returning healthy, wealthy and emotionally stable, and then he’ll leave forever. It’s all in the plan. Everything…except for Gem. He never forgot her, but he definitely forgot the effect she has on him. Now she’s got problems, and he can’t seem to leave without trying to help her solve them.
The town itself also has its own plans: Gemma and Josh are thrown together in Speed-Date fiascos, kissing experiments, bar fights and an issue with the North Star – Josh’s compass and the road to his next adventure. Seven weeks later Josh is still in town. Gem has to get through her best friends’ wedding and Josh has to get over Gem. Because he’s not staying. Is he?
Copy received from Harlequin Australia for an honest review
OK, someone needs to pull my out from whatever rock I have been under. How could I have not heard of this author or series before?
This is the 5th book in the series, and does relate to character who were featured earlier in the series, but I did not feel I needed to have read the earlier books to get the full understanding of The House At The End of The Street.
Josh Rutherford is the prodigal son, returning to Swallow's Fall after walking away a decade ago.
Gemma Munroe is the girl he left behind (though they were never "together" as such) - and whose heart has been his all that time.
Oh boy, did my heart ache for both of them as they were reunited. There is a "Snowy" mountain of hurt and history between them, and it all comes to a head now as they are reunited.
All I wanted the whole time I was reading for Gemma and Josh to talk it out, move on from the past and find their happy, all the while knowing it was never going to be that easy for either of them, no matter their feelings.
Boy, the tension and attraction between them could be cut with a knife!
I loved the way the whole town was playing matchmaker. I live in a small town (not as small as Swallow's Fall, but still small) and I completely understood and at times laughed at the small town dynamic. Everyone knows everyone's business, gossip spreads like wild fire - but everyone also looks out for each other too.
There are some great characters in this town. I adored Gemma's best friends, the twins Jess and Jillian. They are bundles of energy that would be hard for anyone to keep up with.
There are more secrets and lies from the past that are uncovered in The House at The End of The Street, but again, I did not have to have read the other books for these to make sense.
So, can Gemma and Josh get over the hurts of the past and create a future together, or will it all be too much?
Ms Jones has a way with words. I could picture the small town, the old buildings, the snow covered streets.
Now, I have just one clicked and am going to read this series from the start
Born in Wales.
Loved romantic anything from about age four.
Big gap with all sorts of romantic things like her first kiss (do you remember yours?).
Joined amateur dramatic groups and youth theatres and found something better to occupy her love of all things romantic than her first kiss.
Learned how to touch type (best thing she learned how to do).
Can still do shorthand (but only she knows what she’s saying).
Gave up her career as an office worker at the heady age of eighteen and went to drama school in London.
Spent three years being poor and very dramatic.
Spent the next ten or so years as a professional theatre actor, working all over Britain.
Was still very poor (but strangely contented).
When out of work as an actor, worked as a Foley Artist, recreating sound FX for film & TV.
Wrote a Mills & Boon historical western (while out of work as an actor) but they didn’t want it.
Got a job in musical theatre and forgot about writing historical westerns (for which authors of historical westerns are truly appreciative).
Met a handsome Kiwi in a pub beneath Hammersmith Bridge.
Got it together.
Felt left-out because he had been to 91 countries and she had only been to seven (maybe six), so she did a solo road trip around Australia.
Got back from road trip and found Kiwi bloke still keen.
Had her Hens Night in Iceland, then came back to London and had another at acclaimed Madame Jojo’s nightclub in London (sucker for drama).
Married her Kiwi. (The church was in Wales and the reception was a four minute walk away in England.)
Backpacked around South America with dare-devil Kiwi husband.
Walked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu without porters (and won’t do that again).
Now living with Kiwi in a rickety wooden log house in Western Australia.
By the ocean.
Always liked all things country.
Always wanted a country manor.
Loves cowboys.
And dogs (has two cats too).
Loves Champagne. Not bothered about chocolate, but lemon meringue pie is a must.
Says the best thing that happened to her was joining Romance Writers of Australia (at which point she realised that the six novels she’d written so far were rubbish).
Spent three years learning the craft of writing fiction (with doubts, tears and even some screaming. Lots of champagne and lemon meringue pie during this period).
Her debut novel, The House on Burra Burra Lane, was a runaway bestseller.
Which was stupendously exciting and unexpected.
Which meant that she had to write more stories – fast (which meant a whole new learning curve – cue lemon meringue pie and more screaming).
Loves all her writing buddies, especially those who endured reading those first rubbish novels and those who now read her rubbish first drafts. They are her family in the writing community.
Had a hand in initiating Hearts n Wined Facebook page for WA writers, and Australian Rural Romance webpage portal for bestselling, award winning and emerging authors of Australian rural fiction.
Got to know lots of famous Australian romantic fiction authors (lucky, or what?).
Loved romantic anything from about age four.
Big gap with all sorts of romantic things like her first kiss (do you remember yours?).
Joined amateur dramatic groups and youth theatres and found something better to occupy her love of all things romantic than her first kiss.
Learned how to touch type (best thing she learned how to do).
Can still do shorthand (but only she knows what she’s saying).
Gave up her career as an office worker at the heady age of eighteen and went to drama school in London.
Spent three years being poor and very dramatic.
Spent the next ten or so years as a professional theatre actor, working all over Britain.
Was still very poor (but strangely contented).
When out of work as an actor, worked as a Foley Artist, recreating sound FX for film & TV.
Wrote a Mills & Boon historical western (while out of work as an actor) but they didn’t want it.
Got a job in musical theatre and forgot about writing historical westerns (for which authors of historical westerns are truly appreciative).
Met a handsome Kiwi in a pub beneath Hammersmith Bridge.
Got it together.
Felt left-out because he had been to 91 countries and she had only been to seven (maybe six), so she did a solo road trip around Australia.
Got back from road trip and found Kiwi bloke still keen.
Had her Hens Night in Iceland, then came back to London and had another at acclaimed Madame Jojo’s nightclub in London (sucker for drama).
Married her Kiwi. (The church was in Wales and the reception was a four minute walk away in England.)
Backpacked around South America with dare-devil Kiwi husband.
Walked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu without porters (and won’t do that again).
Now living with Kiwi in a rickety wooden log house in Western Australia.
By the ocean.
Always liked all things country.
Always wanted a country manor.
Loves cowboys.
And dogs (has two cats too).
Loves Champagne. Not bothered about chocolate, but lemon meringue pie is a must.
Says the best thing that happened to her was joining Romance Writers of Australia (at which point she realised that the six novels she’d written so far were rubbish).
Spent three years learning the craft of writing fiction (with doubts, tears and even some screaming. Lots of champagne and lemon meringue pie during this period).
Her debut novel, The House on Burra Burra Lane, was a runaway bestseller.
Which was stupendously exciting and unexpected.
Which meant that she had to write more stories – fast (which meant a whole new learning curve – cue lemon meringue pie and more screaming).
Loves all her writing buddies, especially those who endured reading those first rubbish novels and those who now read her rubbish first drafts. They are her family in the writing community.
Had a hand in initiating Hearts n Wined Facebook page for WA writers, and Australian Rural Romance webpage portal for bestselling, award winning and emerging authors of Australian rural fiction.
Got to know lots of famous Australian romantic fiction authors (lucky, or what?).
