Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell

EXCERPT: ‘But we like you living with us,’ Harriet said, bringing water glasses to the table. ‘Can’t you stay forever?’
‘Not sure it’s Uncle Jack’s dream setup, but he does own half the house, so it’s his as much as it is ours. Stay as long as you want, Jack.’
Clem was kinda right. If someone had told him eighteen months ago he’d be sharing a house with his sister, he would’ve frisked their pockets for drugs. But the gift of their grandparent’s farmhouse combined with the Penwarra policing position and Clem’s redundancy, had felt like three ducks had waddled into their lives and lined up in a millimetre-perfect row.

ABOUT ‘WALLABY LANE’: From interviewing local flower growers to receiving blue ribbons for her show baking, Lauren Bickford’s genuine love for her hometown is almost as strong as her ambition to become a radio presenter. But is it enough to outweigh the series of on-air stuff-ups that have plagued her career?

No stranger to this small winegrowing region in South Australia’s Limestone Coast, Jack Crossley is the new cop in town. He’s traded his city beat for a slower pace, and as a former local, knows only too well that mischief can lurk around every quiet corner.

For Jack and Lauren, the course of true love is not running smoothly. Can he restore order in the town before the neighbourhood watch vigilantes take justice into their own hands? Or are Jack’s biggest worries much closer to home? Can Lauren’s reporting remain impartial as her attraction to Jack grows? Or will her family’s advice lead her completely astray?

MY THOUGHTS: Set in the fictional rural town of Penwarra in South Australia’s Limestone Coast this is a family drama highlighting mental health issues, post-natal depression, the delinquent youth problem so common in small towns, family relationships and workplace bullying. There’s a side dish of romance to lighten the load.

I liked the characters in this book. They are all very human, making mistakes in both their personal and work lives and having to bear the consequences of their actions. This is a multi-generational story with Arthur and sister Jean representing the older generation, Clem and Jack in the middle, and Harriet the younger. Art is a bit of a meddler, but a good-hearted one who only wants the best for his niece and nephew and little Harriet. Harriet is a great character, saying just what she thinks with all the confidence of a six-year-old wondering why adults complicate so many things.

Jack is a good-hearted and sensible cop, but he has his own demons to conquer. A past betrayal has hit him hard and he finds it difficult to trust others in his personal life. Professionally he is caring and astute, evidenced by the way he deals with Cohen’s and Sebastian’s misdemeanours.

Lauren is a young woman with dreams and ambitions who comes from a very career orientated family, but every time she has her goal in sight, she shoots herself in the foot. She is a lovely warmhearted young woman, but does she have what it takes to climb to the top of her chosen career?

Some of the animals in this book are just as entrancing as the characters – Gaz (Gary) the Galah and a one-eyed goat are but two.

I liked that a lot of the storyline was centered around the Penwarra show’s centenary celebrations. All the preparations in the buildup to the show are chronicled as well as the big day itself with its resulting tensions, triumphs, missing money and the ‘cake war’! These fixtures have disappeared from a lot of small towns, my home-town included, and I enjoyed the memories reading this brought back.

And please do read the author’s acknowledgements at the end, where Maya Linnell talks about her own experience with post-natal psychosis which she used to form Clem’s back story, calling it ‘the scariest and most dangerous thing (she’s) ever experienced.’

This is my first book by Maya Linnell, but it won’t be my last. Despite the ‘heavy’ topics, this was a fun read with great characters and a wonderful setting.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#WallabyLane #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: From country show baking to raising orphaned lambs, bestselling author Maya Linnell writes about the life she lives and loves. A keen bookworm, former rural journalist and radio host, Maya also blogs. She lives in rural Victoria with a menagerie of animals, rambling gardens, three bookworms and the odd tiger snake or two.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Allen & Unwin via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Wallaby Lane by Maya Linnell for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.