Amber Jakeman's Blog
November 21, 2025
Thriller or romance? Romance is thrilling!
I recently enjoyed the privilege of meeting more than 100 readers and about a dozen fellow authors at a Global Girls Online Book Club lunch in Sydney.
Asked by organiser Jackie Claridge-Wood which book we’d prefer to read for Christmas — thriller or romance — my answer was swift, because romance is thrilling.
Just when you think romance might have passed you by, your life can change in an instant. It happens in books, and it happens in real life.
It is these moments we authors like to examine and explore. Will he, won’t she? If not, why not? If not now, when? And how? Readers can find out word by word and enjoy the rush.
Jackie Claridge-Wood and team
With fellow authors Sophie Green, Pamela Cook, Jane Tara, Ashley Kalagian-Blunt, Petronella McGovern, Ashley Kalagian Blunt, Nadia Mahjouri, Susan Mackie, Ber Carroll, Michelle Montebello and Belinda Alexandra at the Global Girls Online Book Club lunch The Chase: What readers say:Releasing a new novel remains a nail-biting experience for me. Will readers enjoy it?
It is enormously gratifying that The Chase is receiving 5-star reviews! I could not be more grateful to these generous reviewers. Thank you, Cindy!
Cindy says: What an exhilarating start to a fantastic new series! The Chase at Brighton Court by Amber Jakeman is a modern warm, witty, heart-squeezing romantic story. This delightful feel-good read provides colourful characters and plenty of action, tension and twists…
The main characters are perfectly developed and vividly portrayed so I could picture their appearances, mannerisms and hear their voices in my head: including the banter, arguments and passion between a certain two!
This is definitely a novel about relationships… In certain cases, the persons left behind need a fresh start after enduring some heavy bumps in the road…
So well done, Amber, in delivering another great romantic reading adventure! A must read for happy ending lovers!
5 Stars 
Buy The Chase paperback (Australia)
Say ‘hi’!I’d love to see you at the The Concourse Artisan Christmas Markets, Lower Podium, 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW Australia on Sunday 21 December from 11am to 5pm. Come and say hi, whether or not you plan to buy!Or see you online at the Global Girls Online Book Club group where I’ll be “Author for the Day” on Facebook on Tuesday 10 February 2026 Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). You are warmly invited to the official Sydney launch of The Chase at Brighton Court and full Escape to the Coast series at Galaxy Bookshop, upstairs at Abbeys, opposite the Queen Victoria Building in York Street Sydney Australia at 2pm on Saturday 14 February 2026, Valentine’s Day! Bring your date, your friends and family and enjoy complementary pink bubbly and cupcakes! Free.See you at the Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Perth, Australia, on Sunday 29 March 2026.
Book here
.More sweet readsSweet romance and women’s fiction
Forget me not cosy and clean reads
Psst!My Summer Beach e-book is on sale for USD $1.99 until 24 November! Enjoy this first in series, enemies to lovers, rockstar romance and beach read at this special price.
Happy reading!Amber JakemanFind all books by AMBER JAKEMAN
November 8, 2025
The Chase is on!
So excited to announce that The Chase at Brighton Court is now available in paperback and ebook formats around the globe, and I hope you love it.
About The ChaseIn this later in life story of second chances, enterprising divorcee Lucy Beston seeks security.
When the apartment Lucy rents comes up for sale, she’s determined to buy it, so no one can ever again take away her home.
Charming and stylish, Lucy catches the eye of widower Dirk ‘The Doc’ O’Connell, who moved to his Brighton Court penthouse when he retired from his rural family practice.
Their budding romance falters when Dirk’s best friend spots Lucy’s many diamonds and insists she’s a gold digger, on the hunt for another husband.
Thoroughly betrayed by her ex-husband and estranged from her daughter, Lucy has more on her mind than another diamond ring and wedding.
Can Dirk summon all his skills to save Lucy’s life – and w in her heart?
Enjoy this fresh and heartwarming, next door neighbours, real-estate romance!
NB: Because of differences in time zones, the following links might not yet be live for you, especially Kindle. If so, can I ask you to click the e-book link in a few days if you can’t find your preferred e-reader version, please? My apologies for not thinking of this in advance…
Buy THE CHASE e-bookBuy THE CHASE paperback (US)Buy THE CHASE paperback (Australia)
Buy The Chase e-book
Buy The Chase paperback (US)
Buy The Chase paperback (Australia)
You can ask for The Chase at Brighton Court at your favourite bookstore or library as print copies are also available on demand via Lightning Source.
Thank you!I could not be more grateful to you for taking the author journey all this way with me! It’s hard to believe that The Chase is my ninth feel-good fiction book!
Reader generosity with purchases, feedback and reviews continues to fuel my efforts, and two more Brighton Court novels are in the works, all set in the US north west.
Thanks also to the readers who came to meet me at The Station on Market Day in Newcastle, thanks to Betty Loves Books. It’s always a joy to meet readers, and more opportunities are coming up.
You are warmly invited to “meet me online” at the Facebook Cozy & Sweet Blissful Reading Group on Tuesday 11 November Australian Eastern Standard Time, which is 15 hours ahead of New York and 10 hours ahead of London. I’ll be giving away some e-books!
And don’t forget to let friends and family who enjoy feel-good fiction to know about their chance to download my first book, House of Diamonds, for free from my home page.
FangirlingShout-out to successful “lifelit” author Rachael Johns, who is rolling out her 30th novel, The Lucky Sisters.
Here she is, graciously posing with me at one of her many events.
Authors Rachael Johns and Amber Jakeman Make a date!# The Global Girls Online Book Club Reader & Author Lunch on Sunday 16 November from 11.30am to 4pm at Merrylands Bowling Club 65 Newman Street, Merrylands, NSW. Book here.
# The official Sydney launch of The Chase at Brighton Court and full Escape to the Coast series at Galaxy Bookshop, upstairs at Abbeys, opposite the Queen Victoria Building in York Street Sydney Australia will take place at 2pm on Saturday 14 February 2026, Valentine’s Day! Bring your date, your friends and family and enjoy complementary pink bubbly and cupcakes! Free!
# The Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Perth, Australia, on Sunday 29 March 2026. Book here.
More sweet readsSweet romance and women’s fiction
Happy reading!Amber JakemanOctober 24, 2025
Cover reveal! The Chase at Brighton Court
While I am still in the process of making final edits, I’m more than excited to share with you the setting of my new series! Brighton Court is an older style apartment block on the north-west coast of the US.
Close to downtown, in an “uptown” area still undergoing urban renewal, Brighton Court was built in the 1940s.
Best of all, Brighton Court houses a mix of renters and owners of all ages, each with their own dramas and hopes and dreams.
In The Chase, you’ll meet Dirk and Lucy.
The Chase at Brighton Court – the blurbIn this later in life story of second chances, enterprising divorcee Lucy Beston seeks security.
When the apartment Lucy rents comes up for sale, she’s determined to buy it, so no one can ever again take away her home.
Charming and stylish, Lucy catches the eye of widower Dirk ‘The Doc’ O’Connell, who moved to his Brighton Court penthouse when he retired from his rural family practice.
Their budding romance falters when Dirk’s best friend spots Lucy’s many diamonds and insists she’s a gold digger, on the hunt for another husband.
Thoroughly betrayed by her ex-husband and estranged from her daughter, Lucy has more on her mind than another diamond ring and wedding.
Can Dirk summon all his skills to save Lucy’s life – and w in her heart?
A fresh and heartwarming, next door neighbours, real-estate romance from feel-good fiction author Amber Jakeman.
Coming soon!Save the datesMeeting readers is a highlight of this writing life. I’d love to see you if you’re anywhere nearby. Come and say “hi” whether or not you buy!
# Betty Loves Books The Station, Shop 1a/110 Scott St, Newcastle NSW, Australia on Saturday 8 November from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
# The Global Girls Online Book Club Reader & Author Lunch on Sunday 16 November from 11.30am to 4pm at Merrylands Bowling Club 65 Newman Street, Merrylands, NSW. Book here.
# The Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous in Perth, Australia, on Sunday 29 March 2026. Book here.
Sweet reads for you to shareSweet romance and women’s fiction
Contemporary romance sweet reads
Happy reading!Amber JakemanFind my books
October 10, 2025
‘Man chest’ heartbreak rocks the ages
He was a super-hero, larger than life, in charge of no less than all the world’s oceans; and she was a goddess – as smart, wise and powerful as she was beautiful.
Sculpted in marble nearly 2,500 years ago to grace the peak of the ancient Greek Parthenon, rival gods Poseidon and Athena retained their celebrity status, captivating mere mortals like me during plague, famine, flood, fire, war and peace.
Poseidon stirred up storms and earthquakes with his trident, while Athena’s portfolio included wisdom, justice, defense and agriculture and the invention of new tools, even mentoring other ancient Greek gods.
But Poseidon’s heart broke in 1687 when the front half of his chest was blown off. A Venetian bomb had detonated the Ottomans’ on-site munitions store.
His pecs and abs were discovered later among some 25,000 shattered bits of marble littering the Acropolis, while his back half can be found in the British Museum, along with the other so-called Elgin Marbles, hacked down in the early 1800s and shipped to England.
Poseidon’s man chestWhile up to 20,000 people trek to the top of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon a day, the story of this world heritage site is beautifully presented in the new Acropolis Museum, built on the same scale as the ancient building and allowing visitors to wander at will between replicas and other fascinating exhibits.
I’m hanging out for the happy ending, when Poseidon’s chest and heart are ‘healed’ — in an act of international good will beyond borders and national pride, to represent and celebrate the best of our human capabilities.
Make love not warAway from my desk, I’ve gasped at the Gothic beauty of stained glass windows and pondered an enormous variety of body armour, once such a vital part of complex histories of enemies and allies.
I came face to face with life-size golden frescoes inside a small, almost perfectly preserved Byzantine chapel, and marvelled at herbs and grapes still growing in the monastery garden.
I’ve admired the azure waters of the Mediterranean, watched dawn birds circle ancient towers as their church bells ring, and dined beside the sea and in narrow cobbled laneways.
Tourists now hand over far more money than could ever have been gained through war and pillage!
Best of all, the destination wedding I attended in Greece went off without a hitch, beside a tiny church on an island, between the ruins of a Napoleonic castle and, on a nearby headland, an ancient Greek one.
The bride has Greek ancestry and the groom, Italian. He suggested his ancestors expressed their approval when the westerly wind blew strong. We wish them well from every corner of the earth, as we cheer for every bride and groom. Let’s celebrate romance!
Back at my deskTreasured beta readers have given me feedback on my next novel, The Chase at Brighton Court, and I’m working hard to make it the best it can be, for you!
Come and say ‘hi’I’ll be signing at Market Day at the Station, outside Betty Loves Books, Shop 1a/110 Scott St, Newcastle NSW, Australia on Saturday 8 November from 9.30am to 2.30pm.
I’d also love to see you at The Global Girls Online Book Club Reader & Author Lunch on Sunday 16 November from 11.30am to 4pm at Merrylands Bowling Club 65 Newman Street, Merrylands, NSW. Book here.
And next year, you’ll find me in Perth in Western Australia at The Australian Romance Readers Association Romantic Rendezvous, on Sunday 29 March 2026.
Heartwarming readsCuddle up with clean and cosy reads
Cosy, sweet and kind of spooky
Find my booksHappy reading!
Amber JakemanAugust 30, 2025
Gadding about
My New Shorter Oxford Dictionary informs me that I am a “gadabout” as in a person who gads about or is roving.
I’m unlikely to answer emails or phone calls due to changing time zones and uncertain internet connections as I travel.
Amazingly, I’m off to Prague, Croatia and even to Greece, with joy and gratitude, for the very best of reasons – a wedding!
Photo courtesy Terje SolliePlease follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jakemanamber/ if you’d like to see my photos. I’ll be glad to share more with you in a month or so.
In the meantime, thank you again so much for your interest in my work! You’re always welcome to let friends and family know they can download a free copy of House of Diamonds from my home page (scroll down a bit to find the link). Happy Reading!
Other sweet reads (spot my books as you browse)And, starting very soon, so please check back in as the month rolls over:
Sweet romance and women’s fiction
My thanks to Elements5 Digital, Terje Sollie and Aleksandar Pasaric for sharing their beautiful images with us.
I hope you enjoy your own September in your favourite ways.
Amber JakemanFind my books
August 16, 2025
Time out with roses
I know your time is precious, and I’m stalling, but with (lovely) family commitments, I haven’t yet been able to bring my next book to you.
Instead, I’m glad to share with you some roses, most from the Huntington Library gardens in sunny California.
Closed-door romancesOne way that authors like me find new readers is to share our books with those who enjoy other fiction in our genre. This is why I’ve joined all of the promotions, below.
With so many books on offer (can you believe the long list below!) I could not be more grateful that you have taken a chance on reading my own books, be they in my House of Jewels series or Escape to the Coast series, or both. You are truly an Amber Jakeman VIP!
You can spot my books as you browse these links, or you can simply find all my books here.
Barefoot reads in sweet August
Wishing you Happy Reading!
Amber JakemanEnjoy my other blogs
August 1, 2025
Celebrating ‘summer’ with a sale
To my newest readers and my longest-standing VIPs, may your reading be a balm after a busy day, sweet as kindness from a stranger. May it be welcome as a summer spritz or a winter rose!
In Australia, it’s been rainy, gray and cold. I feel so fortunate to have jetted out of Sydney to LAX for a couple of weeks, with this stunning surprise! See the double rainbow?
While I continue to work at bringing you my next series, you are more than welcome to read any of my other books.
Spot my Escape to the Coast series at the Willoughby Literary Festival bookshop! Read ‘pink’ fiction round-up.Find my booksSummer Beach saleDid you know that Summer Beach (e-book) is on sale for just $1.99USD? It’s the first in my Escape to the Coast series, and an enemies to lovers, small town, rockstar romance!
Buy SUMMER BEACH ebookSpot my titles in the group promotions below, or browse my covers and blurbs here.
Sweet readsGrab your next series starter (ends soon!)
Sweet and clean romances featuring parents
Cosy and sweet: the perfect combination
Happily ever after: sparkling clean romance reads
Barefoot reads and August hearts
You’re also more than welcome to follow me on Facebook and on Instagram.
Thank you so much for your interest in my work.
Happy reading!AmberJuly 18, 2025
Interrogating ‘pink’ fiction
What a joy to meet up with successful romance and women’s fiction authors Amy Hutton, Saman Shad and Catherine Greer and discuss what draws them to explore passion, pain, friendships, loss, longing and love through their writing.
At the inaugural Willoughby Literary Festival, I had the honor of moderating the pink panel, the fun panel, the deadly serious panel – where we interrogated the challenges and triumphs of writing about women for women*.
I’m glad to share with you some quotes and highlights.
Catherine Greer, a versatile author who has also penned a Young Adult novel, two children’s books and nonfiction, shares Love our Age, a weekly blog. From her debut women’s fiction novel, The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe:
“She was not a victim or a survivor; she was a warrior, just like every other woman she knew. Warriors might be tired, and scarred, and a little beaten up by life – or even a lot – but they weren’t invisible.”
Catherine’s cover announces “sometimes losing everything is the only way to win.” It’s a pointer to the endearing appeal of “hopeful” storytelling. Writing by women for women reminds us of our inherent resilience; that heartbreak, betrayal and loss can be overcome. Her romcom is an absolute delight. It even includes recipes!
From The sex lives of married women by Saman Shad:
“One of the things she loved about her friendship with Meena, Sophie thought, was how they could be silly and serious at the same time. There weren’t many people you could tell your deepest secrets to as well as have the heartiest laughs with. It was something she would never take for granted.”
Saman’s novel, which follows her debut, The Matchmaker, is not afraid to go deeply into her three narrators’ points of view, to reveal some nitty gritty ins and outs of partnering and parenting. Encompassing other cultures, this novel enriches our understanding as it shares uncomfortable truths and celebrates the joys of female friendships. I hope her authentic voice will bring more aspects of our lives into the light.w
Amy Hutton‘s Sit, Stay, Love offers a ‘friends to lovers’ ‘love triangle’ so delightful it appears effortless.
“Writing can feel like a lonely pursuit. Just me and my anxious brain against a bunch of words who wilfully refused to organise themselves on the page. But in reality, it’s not lonely. It’s filled with support and cheering and virtual crowd waves.”
Amy’s writing is effervescent. Sit Stay Love is an absolute romp of a read, complete with fluffy animals, with Love From Scratch a popular sequel and Ghosted on offer from September.
Warmest thanks to Willoughby City Library, to Festival Convenor Cecilia Wong, to Constant Reader Bookshop, Crows Nest, and to our audience for their questions.
And to my loyal VIPs, I can’t thank you enough for being my cheerleaders!
Sweet readsSweet romance and women’s fiction
Happy reading!*A note on diversity: While the majority of romance and women’s fiction readers and writers are female, the romance-writing community actively welcomes and encourages writers and readers of all backgrounds and persuasions. View Romance Writers of Australia Mission Statement.
AmberJuly 5, 2025
Romance and power
In a recent interview, Materialists film director Celine Song speaks of how romance is often looked down upon as “small potatoes.”
But she points out that romance is a genre in which a woman is centre stage, making choices about her future.
“It’s a genre where a woman has so much power and gets to make a lot of decisions – and where, traditionally, a woman is the lead character,” she says in The Sydney Morning Herald article.
And in this BBC article, ‘Not just smut’: Why it’s happily ever after for romance books, journalist Maia Davies writes “some readers and industry experts say attitudes towards romance are changing for the better, but others believe sexism keeps the genre from the mainstream.”
From my point of view, writing romance allows me to explore power, to analyze relationships and at least control the fate of my characters, rewriting worlds through my words.
Out and aboutI’m honored to be moderating a panel on Romance and contemporary women’s fiction at the Willoughby Literary Festival on Saturday 19 July from 11.30am to 12.45pm. I’ll be interviewing fellow Aussie authors Saman Shad, Catherine Greer and Amy Hutton. Join us! View details.
Enormous thanks to those of you who were able to stop by and say “hi” at the recent Coal Loader Artisans Market at Waverton in Sydney, Australia. The pink beanie kept the winter chills at bay!
And big thanks to the Australian Romance Readers Association for featuring me as a guest blogger recently.
Thank YOU!As I’ve been busy writing, it’s been a very long time since I signed into Goodreads. What a fantastic endorsement to see so many positive reviews from you! Thank you!
By way of thanks, I’ve reduced the prices on my House of Jewels e-books a little longer, and you will often see price reductions on my other books. Find all my books.
Remember, you can always enjoy a free taste of all of my House of Jewels novels. Just go to my Books page and scroll down a bit until you see “your free samples.”
More feel-good fictionHappy reading!AmberJune 20, 2025
Cover story
(Friendly reminder! You’re warmly invited to meet me at the Coal Loader Artisans Market tomorrow, at 2 Balls Head Drive, Waverton, NSW, Australia on Sunday 22 June from 9am to 3pm. I’ll be in a marquee, not far from the Library of Things and coffee shop.)
And STOP PRESS! I’m delighted to let you know I’ll be convening a panel on Romance and Contemporary Women’s Fiction at the Willoughby Literary Festival, coming up on Saturday 19 July 2025 from 11.30am to 12.45pm. Save the date. Details coming soon.
When making magazines was part of my day job, every single story required ideal images, a catchy title and accurate and enticing words – but it was the cover choice that received all the attention. That cover image worked hardest of all, along with carefully selected fonts, in colors that popped.
A cover is more than the icing on the cake; more than the wrapping on a gift. It’s as special as an old-fashioned invitation in an envelope, with our name and address hand-written by a favorite friend.
If a picture tells a thousand words, it’s the cover that offers us the first taste of the reading adventure to come.
I love browsing covers in bookstores – always so fresh and inviting – the title, author and colors holding hints of what’s inside as well as faint echoes of all the other books we’ve ever read.
I am not alone. Romance bookstores in general are thriving, and bookshops are moving their growing romance sections closer and closer to the front of their stores. These shelves are safe spaces where lovers of romance reads can browse and select their favorites without judgement.
Enjoy this recent ABC article about the popularity of romance.
At book fairs like the Australian Romance Readers’ Association Romantic Rendezvous events in capital cities (thank you to all who make these events possible!), we authors set up our stalls oh so carefully!
I adore the moment when you readers come browsing like tropical fish, and turn towards my heartwarming novels, the House of Jewels series, and the Escape to the Coast series. Thank you for your interest!
So it’s no surprise that while I keep writing and editing the contents of my next offerings, it’s the choice of covers for my third series – my Brighton Court novels – that is causing great excitement.
This series is set in a 1940s apartment building, Brighton Court. Is “real estate” a trope? A treasured beta reader thinks it should be!
I will be super excited to share the cover and blurb for The Chase at Brighton Court with you shortly, ahead of its release later this year.
What kinds of covers do you prefer? Feel free to email me with your thoughts.
More sweet readsSweet Summertime Books (NB: Please revisit this site tomorrow if it’s not live, as Australia is almost a day ahead of the US, where many of my readers live)
Happy reading!Amber
