For the purposes of this challenge ‘general fiction’, is defined as fiction set post mid 1900′s, which does not fit neatly into a specific literary genre.
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Missing You by Kyle Kaden
“‘Our lives were built around the strength of a kiss between strangers. Yet seven years on, look where it led us . . .’
When Aisha met Ryan she fell hard for his good looks and easy charm. Why worry that he didn’t want children or a 9 to 5 job? Nothing and no one would come between them.
But with the birth of their high-needs son, Eli, their extraordinary love is shackled into an ordinary life, their passion blunted by responsibility. Until Ryan can’t take it anymore. Then, following a mysterious phone call late one night, Aisha leaves four-year-old Eli in the care of her elderly father Patrick – and doesn’t come back. As Patrick struggles with the grandson he barely knows or understands, his frustration with his missing daughter and absent son-in-law quickly turns to fear. Particularly when blood is found in Aisha’s abandoned car…”
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out writes;“Kaden does a wonderful job of creating two interesting, well rounded characters and mapping a fairytale relationship complicated by reality.”. Carol at Reading, Writing and Riesling was enthusiastic about the novel;Â “This is a book that captivates, that you will pick up, start reading and the next thing you know the house is quiet and you are the only one still up and you are still reading!” . Brenda a little less so; “The suspense and mystery, especially toward the end was well executed, but I did feel a little let down by the ending”.
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Shooting Butterflies by T.M. Clark
“‘TIRI TOSE – there is no escape.’ Ex-soldier Kirkman Potgieter – known as Buffel – lives by the motto of his Rhodesian PSYOPS military unit. It may be all that keeps his PTSD at bay. But it can’t stop the dreams. So when fellow unit member Shilo Jamison Khumalo betrays him by saving twelve-year-old Tara Wright from becoming his newest ‘butterfly’, Buffel becomes obsessed with hunting them both down. He must hide the truth behind the ‘sangoma’ ritual killings that have been responsible for so many deaths.
Tara’s family leave for a new life in South Africa after she witnesses the murder of her father and uncle. Three years later, Tara finds she isn’t prepared for the price she has to pay for loving Wayne Botha, and it is only when she finds unexpected support within her family that she can escape the narrow-minded rural community.
But when Tara receives a potentially devastating diagnosis, she finally sends a letter to Wayne in the hope that he will acknowledge their son, Josha. But will Wayne and Jamison’s combined special services skills be sufficient to protect her and Josha from Buffel?”
In summary Marcia of Book Muster Down Under says; “Passionately told, filled with compelling characters, a dramatic landscape, the scents and sounds of the African wilderness, a love that one hopes will transcend time and some truly bone-chilling moments, this is the ideal read for one of those nights spent around a blazing fire with the stars gazing down upon you.”
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Confessions of a Once Fashionable Mum by Georgia Madden
“Successful hubbie? Tick. Facebook-worthy baby? Tick. Bikini-body six weeks after giving birth? Um … not so much. Fashion PR exec Ally Bloom got her happy ending. Okay, her marriage might be showing the odd crack, her battleaxe mother-in-law might have come to stay, and she might not be the yummy mummy she’d imagined, but it’s nothing a decent night’s sleep and a firm commitment to a no-carb diet won’t fix. But when Ally returns to work and finds she’ll be reporting to a 22-year-old airhead, she decides to turn her back on life as a professional fashionista and embrace her inner earth mama instead. So it’s out with the Louboutins and champagne and in with the sensible flats and coffee mornings with the Mummy Mafia. From attending her first grown-up dinner party only to discover that placenta is top of the menu to controlling her monster crush on local playgroup hottie Cameron, Ally must find her feet in the brave new world of the stay-at-home mum.”
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out has this to say; “There is plenty of humour in this sharply amusing, well paced novel. Wry observation is teamed with snappy dialogue and sarcasm, the characters and scenes may be exaggerated for effect but include a kernel of truth and familiarity for any modern day mother.” Monique of Write Note Reviews writes; “This book made me laugh, remember, and be grateful that I’ve been able to take off all the child locks, put all the good stuff back on display, pack away the Mary Poppins-esque carry bag and once again wear dream of wearing white.”
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Love at First Flight by Tess Woods
“Looking back on it now, I can see it was instant. The second we locked eyes. Boom. Just like that. The me I had spent a lifetime perfecting began its disintegration from that moment. And despite the carnage it brought to all our lives, I still don’t regret it. What would you risk to be with the love of your life? And what if your soul mate is the one who will destroy you? Mel is living the dream. She’s a successful GP, married to a charming anaesthetist and raising a beautiful family in their plush home in Perth. But when she boards a flight to Melbourne, she meets Matt and her picture perfect Stepford life unravels as she falls in love for the first time ever. What begins as a flirty conversation between strangers quickly develops into a hot and obsessive affair with disastrous consequences neither Mel nor Matt could have ever seen coming. Mel’s dream life turns into her worst nightmare.”
Marcia of Book Muster Down Under says; “Unsettling but entertaining and tastefully written, Tess has taken a combustible issue and given us a gut-wrenching and thought-provoking novel about obsession, love, choices and guilt so, put aside all the notions you’ve ever held about the motivations behind love at first sight and infidelity and pick up this novel”. Bree of All the Books I Can Read confesses; “I can’t really say that I enjoyed this as such – but I found it incredibly interesting in a portrayal of human nature and an exploration of marriage and relationships.”
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Other reviews of general fiction titles to browse
 
 
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About Me
My name is Shelleyrae Cusbert I am a mother of four children, aged 8 to 18, living in the mid north coast of NSW. I am an obsessive reader and publish my thoughts about what I read at my book blog, Book’d Out. In 2012 I read and reviewed a total of 109 books for the AWW Challenge and in 2013 a total of 117 and 2014 a total of 102. I juggle caring for my family with a part time job and volunteer at both the town’s local library and the children’s school library.
