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The Briny Cafe
Brimming with warmth and wit, a delicious tale of friendship and love, and the search for a place to call home
Ettie Brookbank is the heart and soul of Cook's Basin, a sleepy offshore community comprising a cluster of dazzling blue bays. But for all the idyllic surroundings, Ettie can't help wondering where her dreams have disappeared to until fate offers her a lifeline, in the shape of a lopsided little cafe on the water's edge.
When Bertie, its cantankerous septuagenarian owner, offers her "the Briny" for a fantastic price, it's an opportunity too good to miss. But it's a mammoth task, and she'll need a partner. Enter Kate Jackson, the enigmatic new resident of the haunted house on Oyster Bay. Kate is also clearly at a crossroads running from a life in the city that has left her lonely and lost.
Could a ramshackle cafe and its endearingly eccentric customers deliver the new start both women so desperately crave?
Ettie Brookbank is the heart and soul of Cook's Basin, a sleepy offshore community comprising a cluster of dazzling blue bays. But for all the idyllic surroundings, Ettie can't help wondering where her dreams have disappeared to until fate offers her a lifeline, in the shape of a lopsided little cafe on the water's edge.
When Bertie, its cantankerous septuagenarian owner, offers her "the Briny" for a fantastic price, it's an opportunity too good to miss. But it's a mammoth task, and she'll need a partner. Enter Kate Jackson, the enigmatic new resident of the haunted house on Oyster Bay. Kate is also clearly at a crossroads running from a life in the city that has left her lonely and lost.
Could a ramshackle cafe and its endearingly eccentric customers deliver the new start both women so desperately crave?
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
46 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Susan Duncan
53 books77 followersSusan Elizabeth Duncan was an Australian author, journalist and editor of The Australian Women's Weekly and New Idea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
February 6, 2018
I started this book thinking that the writing quality was not that high and I was going to be disappointed. And then I got sucked in by the characters and storyline (not plot), did some out loud chuckling, and it was all over! I was hooked.
The Briny Cafe is the heart of Cooks Basin on Australia's East Coast. When Bertie is taken ill, he sells the cafe for a song to Ettie. Ettie, middle aged hippie foodie artist who cleans to pay the bills, challenges Kate, burnt out twenty something journo, to join her as a partner. Together they engineer a rebirth for the Briny and themselves. During the process, we meet the offshores that live on the island. There are romances, deaths, arguments, nastiness, and even straight out wickedness.
There were only a few things that took the edge off for me and they are explained by the fact that there is a sequel. I was left wondering why it finished where it did - but that is why. There were some loose ends - and that is why. This book is just sheer enjoyment. Have fun - read it! I'll definitely be buying and reading the next.
Highly recommended.
The Briny Cafe is the heart of Cooks Basin on Australia's East Coast. When Bertie is taken ill, he sells the cafe for a song to Ettie. Ettie, middle aged hippie foodie artist who cleans to pay the bills, challenges Kate, burnt out twenty something journo, to join her as a partner. Together they engineer a rebirth for the Briny and themselves. During the process, we meet the offshores that live on the island. There are romances, deaths, arguments, nastiness, and even straight out wickedness.
There were only a few things that took the edge off for me and they are explained by the fact that there is a sequel. I was left wondering why it finished where it did - but that is why. There were some loose ends - and that is why. This book is just sheer enjoyment. Have fun - read it! I'll definitely be buying and reading the next.
Highly recommended.
January 13, 2012
I borrowed The Briny Café from the 7-Day Loan section of my local library (Mona Vale, NSW). It’s no surprise that there’s a high demand for this particular novel in this particular library, as the book is set in Cook’s Basin, a thinly disguised Pittwater in Sydney’s north, which was the setting for Susan Duncan’s bestselling memoir Salvation Creek.
The Briny Café is told from the point of view of three characters: Sam (the rough- diamond barge driver with a heart of gold), and two capable, high-energy women – Ettie, a middle-aged artist/foodie who earns a living by cleaning houses – and Kate, a successful young financial journalist tired of the demands of the rat race.
As unlikely as it seems at first, these two women form a partnership and take over the run-down Briny Café from owner Bert, who’s forced to retire due to serious illness. As the café is the focal point of the Cook’s Basin community, it also provides the novel with its framework, enhanced by an ensemble cast of colourful local characters, a mysterious villain, family secrets, and a love story or two.
Other reviewers have criticised The Briny Café for its thin plot and lack of a main character. Whilst I agree with those opinions (and would add that the dialogue is a bit stilted at times), the novel is worth reading for its feel-good factor. Sitting down with this book is like eating a couple of Ettie’s raspberry muffins or a bowl of lemon delicious pudding (recipes provided at the end of the book). Duncan’s writing really shines when describing gourmet delights, and she captures the sights and sounds of the natural world with beautiful detail. Best of all, she has written about a community of people who care about each other and their unique way of life.
I couldn’t decide whether to give The Briny Café three stars or four, but seeing that I got sunburnt on the beach because I couldn’t tear myself away from it, I’ll give it four. The Briny Café would make a wonderful film, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else but Noni Hazlehurst playing the part of Ettie. (Incidentally, I finished the book in four days, three days before the 7-Day Loan deadline.)
The Briny Café is told from the point of view of three characters: Sam (the rough- diamond barge driver with a heart of gold), and two capable, high-energy women – Ettie, a middle-aged artist/foodie who earns a living by cleaning houses – and Kate, a successful young financial journalist tired of the demands of the rat race.
As unlikely as it seems at first, these two women form a partnership and take over the run-down Briny Café from owner Bert, who’s forced to retire due to serious illness. As the café is the focal point of the Cook’s Basin community, it also provides the novel with its framework, enhanced by an ensemble cast of colourful local characters, a mysterious villain, family secrets, and a love story or two.
Other reviewers have criticised The Briny Café for its thin plot and lack of a main character. Whilst I agree with those opinions (and would add that the dialogue is a bit stilted at times), the novel is worth reading for its feel-good factor. Sitting down with this book is like eating a couple of Ettie’s raspberry muffins or a bowl of lemon delicious pudding (recipes provided at the end of the book). Duncan’s writing really shines when describing gourmet delights, and she captures the sights and sounds of the natural world with beautiful detail. Best of all, she has written about a community of people who care about each other and their unique way of life.
I couldn’t decide whether to give The Briny Café three stars or four, but seeing that I got sunburnt on the beach because I couldn’t tear myself away from it, I’ll give it four. The Briny Café would make a wonderful film, and I couldn’t imagine anyone else but Noni Hazlehurst playing the part of Ettie. (Incidentally, I finished the book in four days, three days before the 7-Day Loan deadline.)
November 5, 2011
Sometimes I just want to read a book that makes me feel so happy - this was it. I loved the quirky characters and I would so love to live in Cook's Basin, enjoy a meal at the Briny Cafe and meet Ettie and Kate (and Sam, the Misses Skettle and just about everyone in the book). Being Australian I so enjoyed reading a wonderful book set in Australia. I also loved the recipes. FABULOUS!
September 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐️s
This was such a delightful yarn and the characters were so sweet. I look forward to reading the sequel, Gone Fishing.
This was such a delightful yarn and the characters were so sweet. I look forward to reading the sequel, Gone Fishing.
November 1, 2013
When Ettie Brookbank realized there was a new resident who had arrived in Cook’s Basin, she wasn’t sure whether to welcome her, or ignore her. Newcomers were rare as the residents were mostly life-long inhabitants, whose sleepy lifestyle was a happy and contented one, with their homes only accessed by boat. Kate Jackson had taken over the derelict cottage not far from the water’s edge, also rumoured to be inhabited by ghosts. But when Ettie arrived with some delicious home-made goodies to welcome Kate to Cook’s Basin, she was a little uncertain about her reception…
Sam Scully was born and bred in Cook’s Basin, and he ran the barge delivery service. The Mary Kay was a sturdy vessel, Sam’s workhorse, and he had an affection for the old barge as if she was a woman. Always keeping an eye on the inhabitants, whenever there was a problem, Sam was the one everyone called. Bertie owned and ran 'The Briny Café' and had done for years, decades even. Everyone called in there for Bertie’s terrible coffee and a friendly catch-up with the locals. Big Julie worked there on occasion, often at Bertie’s side.
Ettie felt her life was at a stalemate; she was tired, depressed, unhappy with the way things were turning out – she wanted some excitement to brighten her life, she wanted to feel the rush of blood in her veins once again. And when suddenly an opportunity was basically dropped in her lap, she couldn’t believe it. Could it be possible that her dreams would come true at last? That rush of blood was about to hit, in more ways than one! And the fun was just beginning – for Ettie and all the residents of Cook’s Basin….
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The humour had me laughing out loud, and the closeness and friendship, the “watching everyone’s backs” evident throughout. The little side mystery was great, also the characters were engaging – I especially loved Jimmy – overall a delightful read, one I have no hesitation in recommending.
Sam Scully was born and bred in Cook’s Basin, and he ran the barge delivery service. The Mary Kay was a sturdy vessel, Sam’s workhorse, and he had an affection for the old barge as if she was a woman. Always keeping an eye on the inhabitants, whenever there was a problem, Sam was the one everyone called. Bertie owned and ran 'The Briny Café' and had done for years, decades even. Everyone called in there for Bertie’s terrible coffee and a friendly catch-up with the locals. Big Julie worked there on occasion, often at Bertie’s side.
Ettie felt her life was at a stalemate; she was tired, depressed, unhappy with the way things were turning out – she wanted some excitement to brighten her life, she wanted to feel the rush of blood in her veins once again. And when suddenly an opportunity was basically dropped in her lap, she couldn’t believe it. Could it be possible that her dreams would come true at last? That rush of blood was about to hit, in more ways than one! And the fun was just beginning – for Ettie and all the residents of Cook’s Basin….
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The humour had me laughing out loud, and the closeness and friendship, the “watching everyone’s backs” evident throughout. The little side mystery was great, also the characters were engaging – I especially loved Jimmy – overall a delightful read, one I have no hesitation in recommending.
September 30, 2011
A nice book about nothing in particular. Recently I have read a lot of books involving nasty murders, and although this book includes 3 deaths (1 of which is murder) they are a side-bar to the story, rather than the focus. A pleasant change for me!
Ettie is a house-cleaning-to-pay-the-bills struggling artist who lives in the offshore community of Cook's Basin. She often wonders where her life is leading - and in fact where it has gone! - until the day that Bertie, the cantankerous owner of The Briny Cafe, declares he is dying and offers Ettie ownership of the cafe for 'a song'.
Other main characters are Sam, the lovable, help-anyone, barge captain; Kate, a nervy journo who ran away from her international jet-setting life; Fast Freddy, the owner of the water taxi; and sundry other locals including Boag the dog, and the man known as 'the Weazel'.
I found Jimmy the not-quite-all-there teenager to be a grating character and could never pin point quite how old he was meant to be. Responsible enough to be left alone at night, for all his childishness. Sam is another age-defying character, ranging from old man-ish, to young 30-something.
I would like to marry the Chef though!
Ettie is a house-cleaning-to-pay-the-bills struggling artist who lives in the offshore community of Cook's Basin. She often wonders where her life is leading - and in fact where it has gone! - until the day that Bertie, the cantankerous owner of The Briny Cafe, declares he is dying and offers Ettie ownership of the cafe for 'a song'.
Other main characters are Sam, the lovable, help-anyone, barge captain; Kate, a nervy journo who ran away from her international jet-setting life; Fast Freddy, the owner of the water taxi; and sundry other locals including Boag the dog, and the man known as 'the Weazel'.
I found Jimmy the not-quite-all-there teenager to be a grating character and could never pin point quite how old he was meant to be. Responsible enough to be left alone at night, for all his childishness. Sam is another age-defying character, ranging from old man-ish, to young 30-something.
I would like to marry the Chef though!
June 12, 2018
An easy, fast, enjoyable read. Great characters that are easy to like. The perfect relaxing, feel good read.
March 23, 2012
The author of this salty saga is no wordsmith of more than average skill. There are more clichés per page here than you’d find in whole books, and her characters are decidedly stereotypically one-dimensional. But the novel, Duncan’s first, works, and that is because it possesses what many efforts of supposedly more literary merit lack, and that is a heart. She first captures and then charms the reader with the sheer inherent goodness of both her characters and her storyline. We cannot help but care for her people, and therefore we need to read on to discover how it all pans out for them. The narrative rollicks along at a heady pace, and we can almost taste the sea spray as well as the aromas from the eponymous café. This is a good book, almost ‘Sea Change’ revisited.
In it we have the required mix of small community types. There’s a sea-faring manly man who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em. There’s a domestic goddess for whom the chips finally fall favourably. Throw in a new comer, Kate, wanting a new life in this off-shore community. She’s feisty but will she possess the chops to be accepted. Perhaps Duncan’s most successful protagonist is ever-bouncing Jimmy, a lad ‘not quite the full quid.’ To provide a balance, another ingredient is a dastardly interloper corrupting the local kids. The Briny in itself is a major character being the fulcrum of this sun-blasted island community as it morphs from a bit of a dive to something a tad more worthy. Duncan mixes in a wedding, a funeral, changes in the weather and extracts from the local folksy rag to top up this light read for pleasant times.
The author won over this reader for all of the above, plus naming the compulsory canine Boag after my own island’s very famous drop, and for knowing who Tom Russell was. She did pinch our Wineglass Bay however! The only bit that was a tad confusing was the introduction of a brother for Kate late in the piece who neither appears, nor seemingly has a role. Perhaps a sequel is in the offing.
Are there places like Cook’s Basin (or indeed a Pearl Bay) still around our increasingly developed coastline? I’d have no trouble pointing them out around Tasmania’s rim – Bruny Island, Trial Harbour, Sisters Beach etc – but what of the Mainland? One hopes that in nooks and crannies there still exist such places.
All in all this is a delightful, rewarding excursion away from the mundane – it’s what all communities should be about and it tells us we’re never to old for love or taking a risk in life. Well done Susan Duncan. Rating 3.5
In it we have the required mix of small community types. There’s a sea-faring manly man who loves ‘em and leaves ‘em. There’s a domestic goddess for whom the chips finally fall favourably. Throw in a new comer, Kate, wanting a new life in this off-shore community. She’s feisty but will she possess the chops to be accepted. Perhaps Duncan’s most successful protagonist is ever-bouncing Jimmy, a lad ‘not quite the full quid.’ To provide a balance, another ingredient is a dastardly interloper corrupting the local kids. The Briny in itself is a major character being the fulcrum of this sun-blasted island community as it morphs from a bit of a dive to something a tad more worthy. Duncan mixes in a wedding, a funeral, changes in the weather and extracts from the local folksy rag to top up this light read for pleasant times.
The author won over this reader for all of the above, plus naming the compulsory canine Boag after my own island’s very famous drop, and for knowing who Tom Russell was. She did pinch our Wineglass Bay however! The only bit that was a tad confusing was the introduction of a brother for Kate late in the piece who neither appears, nor seemingly has a role. Perhaps a sequel is in the offing.
Are there places like Cook’s Basin (or indeed a Pearl Bay) still around our increasingly developed coastline? I’d have no trouble pointing them out around Tasmania’s rim – Bruny Island, Trial Harbour, Sisters Beach etc – but what of the Mainland? One hopes that in nooks and crannies there still exist such places.
All in all this is a delightful, rewarding excursion away from the mundane – it’s what all communities should be about and it tells us we’re never to old for love or taking a risk in life. Well done Susan Duncan. Rating 3.5
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February 9, 2012I'm not going to rate this book as it's not really fair to rate a book one hasn't read all of. However, I read the first 50 pages and it is definitely not one of mine...the plot is a bit meandering (at least for the first 50 pages) and the characters are wishy-washy and, well, not for me.
December 23, 2013
The Briny Café is the first novel in what I sincerely hope will become a series for author Susan Duncan; there is already a sequel Gone Fishing which I have separately reviewed for Starts at Sixty Bookies. These novels can be read and enjoyed alone, but I read them in order, for me this increased the enjoyment.
The Briny Café is located in the fictional Cooks Basin, but Susan Duncan reveals in notes that whilst this is a work of fiction, it owes a good deal to the beautiful offshore islands of Pittwater, New South Wales.
In the early 1990s, friends lived on one of these offshore islands and in many ways theirs was an idyllic lifestyle, working in the city then returning to peace and quiet each night. A tinnie was not an optional extra but a necessity as their home was infrequently serviced by a public ferry, or “on demand” by efficient, but expensive, water taxi.
Not in Pittwater, but in the Hawkesbury River Basin (also in NSW) there was a little ferry post where an unpretentious café served the most wonderful fish and chips. Between them, these memories had me feeling at home in the physical setting of the novel. Even if you have never been to Pittwater, however, Susan paints a clear picture of the environment and the characters that inhabit it.
When we first meet The Briny Café it serves questionable coffee, even more questionable “eats” in less than salubrious surroundings; not that many people notice these shortcomings, the view is just too beautiful. It changes hands and Ettie, the new owner cleans it up, changes the menu and to the surprise of the locals takes in a new resident, Kate as her partner. Is Kate a stayer or just a blow-in? I’m not going to tell you, nor am I telling how the Briny changes hands; no spoilers here!
But the novel is not only about the building; it is about the people who choose to live in the Cook Basin. These people value their surroundings but more they value each other; they take care of each other. Don’t come here peddling your drugs, we can make your life very uncomfortable. If you get caught in a storm, know that the Misses Skettle are watching through their binoculars and will either get Sam, the bargeman, or the Water Police to come to your rescue – it’s that type of place. I thoroughly enjoyed The Briny Café, by Susan Duncan and have no hesitation in recommending you another good read.
The Briny Café is located in the fictional Cooks Basin, but Susan Duncan reveals in notes that whilst this is a work of fiction, it owes a good deal to the beautiful offshore islands of Pittwater, New South Wales.
In the early 1990s, friends lived on one of these offshore islands and in many ways theirs was an idyllic lifestyle, working in the city then returning to peace and quiet each night. A tinnie was not an optional extra but a necessity as their home was infrequently serviced by a public ferry, or “on demand” by efficient, but expensive, water taxi.
Not in Pittwater, but in the Hawkesbury River Basin (also in NSW) there was a little ferry post where an unpretentious café served the most wonderful fish and chips. Between them, these memories had me feeling at home in the physical setting of the novel. Even if you have never been to Pittwater, however, Susan paints a clear picture of the environment and the characters that inhabit it.
When we first meet The Briny Café it serves questionable coffee, even more questionable “eats” in less than salubrious surroundings; not that many people notice these shortcomings, the view is just too beautiful. It changes hands and Ettie, the new owner cleans it up, changes the menu and to the surprise of the locals takes in a new resident, Kate as her partner. Is Kate a stayer or just a blow-in? I’m not going to tell you, nor am I telling how the Briny changes hands; no spoilers here!
But the novel is not only about the building; it is about the people who choose to live in the Cook Basin. These people value their surroundings but more they value each other; they take care of each other. Don’t come here peddling your drugs, we can make your life very uncomfortable. If you get caught in a storm, know that the Misses Skettle are watching through their binoculars and will either get Sam, the bargeman, or the Water Police to come to your rescue – it’s that type of place. I thoroughly enjoyed The Briny Café, by Susan Duncan and have no hesitation in recommending you another good read.
May 8, 2013
three and a half stars. It took me a while to warm to this novel about Cook's Basin but once I did I became interested in the lives of Ettie, newcomer Kate, Bertie - the cafe owner, Sam - the barge owner, the Misses Skettle and others. Jimmy is a young endearing character. People in Cook's Basin have a way of making their acceptance or repulsion felt, as one very suspicious character Sam dubs 'the weasel'finds out.
Ettie has the opportunity to stop cleaning houses and creating the occasional painting and instead make a longheld dream come true. But all of Cook's Basin are surprised by the partner she chooses to help her in the business.
This is a feel good read about mostly likeable people who care for each other. At the end are a few of Ettie's recipes which I admit I didn't try but a couple do sound good.
Ettie has the opportunity to stop cleaning houses and creating the occasional painting and instead make a longheld dream come true. But all of Cook's Basin are surprised by the partner she chooses to help her in the business.
This is a feel good read about mostly likeable people who care for each other. At the end are a few of Ettie's recipes which I admit I didn't try but a couple do sound good.
June 1, 2014
Not at all what I expected. This is quite a predictable book.
It is very much like a Mills and Boon book rather obviously aimed at women and their fantasy of a life by the water with a loving community, a handsome French chef ,a new start ,comforting cooking etc.
I was so looking forward to getting the recipe of Lemon Cakes that Susan Duncan spoke about...but nada...I think I will have to go to Winterfell and get their recipe LOL.
It is very much like a Mills and Boon book rather obviously aimed at women and their fantasy of a life by the water with a loving community, a handsome French chef ,a new start ,comforting cooking etc.
I was so looking forward to getting the recipe of Lemon Cakes that Susan Duncan spoke about...but nada...I think I will have to go to Winterfell and get their recipe LOL.
January 30, 2013
As always, a pleasure to settle down with a cuppa and open one of this authors books. She really does have the knack of describing a place, and its inhabitants, so that you immediately want to sell up and move there. Such a treat to open up a brand new Susan Duncan novel. She is one of the many reasons I love to read.
April 15, 2014
2 1/2 stars really. Not my usual type of book but it was a light read and I enjoyed some aspects of it more than others. The setting was its best feature. Some characters (like Kate's mother) were stereotyped beyond a joke, whilst others were quite sympathetically created. The dialogue was obviously meant to be colloquial Australian but sounded forced.
October 25, 2018
. If I don't like or get into a book, I won't finish it, and I did finish this one. A nice enough story, just a bit too simple for my usual reading, however perfectly readable and I'm sure people that like this sort of story would rate it higher than I did.
October 19, 2018
Not as good as her first one
January 5, 2025
The Briny Cafe by Susan Duncan is set in the picturesque, fictional Cooks Basin, a stand-in for Sydney’s Pittwater. This charming tale follows Ettie Brookbank, a middle-aged woman searching for a fresh start. When she’s offered the chance to purchase “The Briny,” a rundown cafe perched on the water’s edge, she jumps at the opportunity despite the mammoth task it entails.
Ettie soon teams up with Kate Jackson, a newcomer escaping her lonely, unfulfilling city life. Together, they tackle the challenges of reviving the cafe and, in the process, build a heartfelt connection with the quirky, tight-knit community. The story also introduces Sam, a gentle soul who runs a barge, and Bertie, the cantankerous former cafe owner who adds an extra layer of charm and wit to the narrative.
While the idyllic setting is rich with warmth and nostalgia, the plot moves at a leisurely pace. The main action doesn’t truly unfold until the last 30%, and the first half can feel a bit slow. However, once the story finds its rhythm, it becomes utterly engrossing, I was hooked by the 70% mark and couldn’t put it down.
What stands out most is Susan Duncan’s evocative writing. Her vivid descriptions transported me back to childhood memories of boating, exploring offshore islands, and soaking up the sleepy, tranquil vibes of coastal villages. The sense of nostalgia was so strong, it felt as though I were living alongside the characters in Cooks Basin.
This book may take its time to get going, but the beautiful writing and heartwarming themes make it worth the journey. I’m diving straight into the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ettie soon teams up with Kate Jackson, a newcomer escaping her lonely, unfulfilling city life. Together, they tackle the challenges of reviving the cafe and, in the process, build a heartfelt connection with the quirky, tight-knit community. The story also introduces Sam, a gentle soul who runs a barge, and Bertie, the cantankerous former cafe owner who adds an extra layer of charm and wit to the narrative.
While the idyllic setting is rich with warmth and nostalgia, the plot moves at a leisurely pace. The main action doesn’t truly unfold until the last 30%, and the first half can feel a bit slow. However, once the story finds its rhythm, it becomes utterly engrossing, I was hooked by the 70% mark and couldn’t put it down.
What stands out most is Susan Duncan’s evocative writing. Her vivid descriptions transported me back to childhood memories of boating, exploring offshore islands, and soaking up the sleepy, tranquil vibes of coastal villages. The sense of nostalgia was so strong, it felt as though I were living alongside the characters in Cooks Basin.
This book may take its time to get going, but the beautiful writing and heartwarming themes make it worth the journey. I’m diving straight into the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 2, 2019
The back of the cover pretty much sums up the whole book. It is a quaint character driven story about an offshore island with a small community of life sized characters.
I am generally a thriller, advernture, mystery and so forth type of reader and churn out lots of books but I also enjoy the Austalian historical sagas especially where they have locations you can lose yourself into. I needed a change of pace from reading those and the Briny Cafe was just what I needed. It is a very simple written story that reminded me so much of watching that 90's series on TV called Seachange. It's not a book I would normally jump into and it is certainly a book that I need to read when I am in the mood for this type of story - as it happens I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace because of it.
For something fairly simple, light and just nice uplifting yarn with a few conflicts and minor tragedies thrown in, I'd strongly recommend this as a curl up your toes by the fire and read. Looking forward to tackling another novel in the future.
Have given it 4 stars but I was close to giving it 5 simply because I really enjoyed it.
I am generally a thriller, advernture, mystery and so forth type of reader and churn out lots of books but I also enjoy the Austalian historical sagas especially where they have locations you can lose yourself into. I needed a change of pace from reading those and the Briny Cafe was just what I needed. It is a very simple written story that reminded me so much of watching that 90's series on TV called Seachange. It's not a book I would normally jump into and it is certainly a book that I need to read when I am in the mood for this type of story - as it happens I thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace because of it.
For something fairly simple, light and just nice uplifting yarn with a few conflicts and minor tragedies thrown in, I'd strongly recommend this as a curl up your toes by the fire and read. Looking forward to tackling another novel in the future.
Have given it 4 stars but I was close to giving it 5 simply because I really enjoyed it.
January 2, 2024
I accidentally borrowed a later title in the series as they are not sequenced correctly; it’s only Random House’s actual job, right?
I think an issue here might be working out what the heck genre this is?
The later title seemed to indicate that it had veered into cosy mystery land, but this is a kind of slice of Aussie life thing. So much so, that I fear the language would be unintelligible for non Aussies. GR has it listed under chick lit? but the romance is a bit too light for that?
Shrugs.
It was okay
2 stars
So far this year, my library saved me A$4238.01
I think an issue here might be working out what the heck genre this is?
The later title seemed to indicate that it had veered into cosy mystery land, but this is a kind of slice of Aussie life thing. So much so, that I fear the language would be unintelligible for non Aussies. GR has it listed under chick lit? but the romance is a bit too light for that?
Shrugs.
It was okay
2 stars
So far this year, my library saved me A$4238.01
February 6, 2024
Gorgeous story about a community of offshore folk. Their daily lives, friendships and work. Story centres around the town's cafe, which is initially run badly, with rot gut coffee and burnt bacon sandwiches.
Local Cook, Ettie takes it over with a new friend who has just moved to the island. Little bit of mystery, little bit of romance, a wedding, funeral and lots of other happenings to a group of friends, living and supporting one another through thick & thin.
First of all series I am looking to continue. Happy holiday read.
Local Cook, Ettie takes it over with a new friend who has just moved to the island. Little bit of mystery, little bit of romance, a wedding, funeral and lots of other happenings to a group of friends, living and supporting one another through thick & thin.
First of all series I am looking to continue. Happy holiday read.
May 10, 2019
The main character is a fifties-something self proclaimed remanent from the 70s who teams up in an unlikely partnership with an out of work journalist newly arrived in Cook's Basin. Together they revitalize a failing cafe.
Unfortunately I found this a very boring book. Not sure why the author is so acclaimed and I qualify this review by stating that I've not read anything else by her. The author lives on the Pittwater ( waterways off the northern peninsula of Sydney, Australia ) which is an area I used to visit when I lived in Manly so I thought I'd like her story, but it was so hum-drum that I started to skim....that's when I can tell I don't like a book.
What I found almost alarming was her approbation of the illegal antics of the insular and unwelcoming residents in trying to rid themselves of an eyesore in the community. If this is truly what they get up to under the guise of "protecting their community" from unwanted outsiders god help you if you dont fit in.
Didnt like any of the characters. .. a terribly dreary read.
1/5 stars
Unfortunately I found this a very boring book. Not sure why the author is so acclaimed and I qualify this review by stating that I've not read anything else by her. The author lives on the Pittwater ( waterways off the northern peninsula of Sydney, Australia ) which is an area I used to visit when I lived in Manly so I thought I'd like her story, but it was so hum-drum that I started to skim....that's when I can tell I don't like a book.
What I found almost alarming was her approbation of the illegal antics of the insular and unwelcoming residents in trying to rid themselves of an eyesore in the community. If this is truly what they get up to under the guise of "protecting their community" from unwanted outsiders god help you if you dont fit in.
Didnt like any of the characters. .. a terribly dreary read.
1/5 stars
April 2, 2020
Chirpy little novel. Colourful characters. A light breezy Chick Lit read.
I enjoyed the colourful language:
148> Cigarette butts, some still wearing lipstick, are jammed into the soil.
272> Frogs sing tortuously loud nighttime arias. The humidity is thick enough to slice with a knife. Summer at last!
I enjoyed the colourful language:
148> Cigarette butts, some still wearing lipstick, are jammed into the soil.
272> Frogs sing tortuously loud nighttime arias. The humidity is thick enough to slice with a knife. Summer at last!
June 20, 2020
Set in Cooks Basin (a fictional Pittwater?) the locals are caring and outsiders have to adapt or leave. Ettie is the central character, an unsuccessful artist. Bertie the cafe owner is unwell and offers her a deal on his cafe, which she jumps at. She gets a partner and after so e ups and downs it all works out well.
March 25, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Susan Duncan draws you in as usual and I couldn't wait to crack on with the next chapter of the people who lived and loved the Briny Cafe!
The characters grew on you as the story went along.
The characters grew on you as the story went along.
August 10, 2019
What a great read! I am a water lover and love the coast and waterways and their beauty but Don’t know if I’m up to offshore living which involves boats and rough weather! but damn these wee communities fill my heart with joy and hope that the wold IS a good and loving place 😊
May 2, 2020
A lovely warm hearted read, about a community and a nice mix of characters creating friendships. I liked how people in this book looked out for others and tried to include others in their activities. Loved the wedding chapter. A perfect escapist read for a cold day in lockdown!
August 4, 2022
I think this is one of the best books I've ever read. You are drawn in right from the start and by the end you feel like you are part of Cook's Basin. I love the characters and I'll miss them. Well written, it is a book that you don't just read, you feel as well.
January 22, 2023
I loved Salvation Creek by the same author, and this fictional account of life on an island was very close to real life . It was quite predictable but still a great story of community spirit, traditions and love.
August 8, 2017
Great feel-good holiday read.
September 10, 2017
Moving tale of friendship and love in a small community. Moments where I lay back and chuckled and moments when I said, "Oh, sh.t."
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