Looking Out

by Fiona McCallum

Beneath the facade not everything is as it seems...

A moving and suspenseful story of family dynamics, obsession and the power of true friendship from Australia's master storyteller, Fiona McCallum.

On the surface Natasha and Mitchell live an idyllic life in the Adelaide Hills with their two daughters and kelpie cross. While both have busy careers, they ensure time is spent with family and friends.

Natasha, an aspiring interior designer, has started her own homewares shop and is excited to develop her business further. Mitchell, on the other hand, is becoming more withdrawn. Is he pressured by work, having a mid-life crisis or hiding something from his family?

Jesse, a charismatic new locksmith in town, offers to help Natasha with client leads. She welcomes the assistance and distraction. But is Jesse all he makes out to be?

Who ultimately is looking out for whom, and who is hiding from the truth?

Genres: Contemporary, Audiobook

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2024

About the author

** Please be aware Fiona is not active on this site. She can be best found on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu... **

Fiona McCallum spent her childhood years on the family cereal and wool farm outside the small town of Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.

Fiona now lives in Adelaide and works full-time as a novelist. She writes "heart-warming journey of self-discovery stories" - often with a rural setting, sometimes with a romantic thread and sometimes without. Her tales tie together her love of animals and fascination with the journey people go on to find what really makes their heart sing and then follow their true passions to find happiness, even if it means taking risks and facing seemingly impossible obstacles. It's a storyline very close to Fiona's heart because it reflects her own life.

Fiona now has nine Australian bestsellers to her name: 'Paycheque', 'Nowhere Else', 'Wattle Creek', 'Saving Grace' (Book one of The Button Jar series), 'Time Will Tell' (Book two of The Button Jar series) and 'Meant To Be' (Book three (and at this stage final) in The Button Jar series), 'Leap of Faith', 'Standing Strong' (a sequel to Wattle Creek), and 'Finding Hannah'. Her tenth book, 'Making Peace' has just been released (late March 2018).

Fiona is proof dreams can come true...

Please note, Fiona isn't active here. She only signed up to try and get books by authors of the same name removed from her listing. (Note, this Fiona McCallum is not the clairvoyant and author of "Dear Fiona". Nor is she the Scottish academic who writes about Christianity in the Middle East.) She's too busy writing to be on multiple social media platforms and only does Facebook. She can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/fionamccallu...

Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natasha and Mitchell live in Balhannah, a small town in the Adelaide Hills, with their two preteen daughter’s Willow and Lara and dog Angel. Looking at their life from the outside it looks prefect, they have a nice house, two cars, Natasha owns a home wares shop and is interested in interior design and Mitchell works from home and cooks tea for his family. Natasha does the school run, takes the girls to netball and catches up with her girlfriends regularly.

Mitchell has turned into a bit of a recluse and he’s become very withdrawn and Natasha puts this down to the pressures of trading on the US stock market and working from home at night, and least he doesn’t have to do the daily commute to the city via the death defying Free Way.

Natasha meets locksmith Jesse when he comes into her shop, he’s very charming, he offers to help Natasha with promoting her interior skills, and it seems like a legitimate offer. Soon everywhere she goes, Natasha starts bumping into Jesse, he’s rather good looking and there’s no harm in checking out a spunky tradie?

The issue is Jesse starts making Natasha think about the things she’s not getting from Mitchell, they were once close, she feels lonely and neglected. Her friends tell her she’s playing with fire, Jesse is a bit of a mystery man, Natasha knows nothing about his private life and when one points out he doesn’t use any form of social media, which is odd in this day and age and she gets huffy.

The main characters marriage has suffered due to the couple being busy, like most men Mitchell doesn’t talk about how he’s feeling or understand why he’s ended up making some bad choices and his life is unravelling. Natasha is wearing blinkers, luckily she has nice friends who care for her and pick up when something isn’t right.

I received a copy of Looking Out, by Fiona McCullum from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. The popular author is known for her interesting plots and tackling thought provoking and controversial topics in her books. Her latest novel is no exception, married life changes when you have children, gone is the spontaneous romance, it’s all about commitments, and it’s easy for a couple to lose their way, this is what happens with the main characters.

The narrative has elements of suspense, danger, people keeping secrets and this is hard to do in a small town, the story brings up types of addiction, signs of depression, family dynamics and what’s a normal family these days and the importance of friendship and why you should always listen to that little voice in your head called common sense. Natasha wasn’t my favourite character, I found her rather annoying and maybe this was intentional as no one is perfect and four stars from me.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...

🏡Known for her ability to weave social issues into relatable stories, Fiona McCallum presents Looking Out, a 2024 release. This is a contemporary and character focused novel blends everyday family life issues with underlying tension. Thoughtful, engaging and real, this is a contemplative tale from respected Australian storyteller Fiona McCallum.

🏡Looking Out follows Natasha and Mitchell, a married couple who on first glance appear to have a perfect life in the Adelaide Hills with their two daughters and dog. However, cracks in their marriage begin form and their relationship is tested to its limits when a stranger enters their lives. Questions of loyalty, longevity, trust and hidden secrets emerge. Will Natasha and Mitchell’s lives shift with all these changes?

🏡I have had a long reading relationship with Fiona McCallum, having fell in love with her writing after discovering her button jar series. It was unusual that I missed reading Looking Out when it released, but my busier schedule these days means that I have missed out on some great new releases. Anyhow, Looking Out offered me two days of reading enjoyment as I immersed myself in the lives of Natasha and Mitchell, an everyday couple living in the Adelaide Hills.

🏡McCallum carefully balances light family, couple and friendship moments in this novel with a range of more confronting themes. These include marital strains, communication breakdown, parenting pressures, mid life health, addiction, safety, financial crisis, emotional distancing, business management, depression, alcohol abuse and apathy. Although this does sound quite dark, McCallum creates a story for us that feels safe, honest and connective. It is a story that encourages discussion and would work well as a buddy or group read in my eyes.

🏡Looking Out is filled with a cast that appear believable and their related dialogue was authentic in many of the situations they each faced. There were some moments that I did feel a bit annoyed by the actions and choices of the main couple, but the end redeemed this feeling, even though it wrapped up quite quickly. McCallum includes some important information about places to get in contact with if the topics in the novel have touched you.

Looking Out is another emotionally layered and on point read from one of our nation’s most dependable storytellers.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★

I know when I pick up a book by this author I’m going to enjoy it. And once again Aussie author Fiona McCallum has not disappointed her readers. Looking Out is an enjoyable story about families, lies, friendships and relationships. Recommended.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am very impressed. Cant wait to read her backlist. There is a strong topic of communication in this book. Especially the lack of it in this one. the characters are realistic and I really liked how Fiona talked about situations in our society today such as depression, menopause, cost of living, interest rates and scam artists. I found myself nodding my head quite often. It was a mixed bag with a romance, crime and family dynamics. I really loved how a dog was a major part of the story too, he was close to the family especially the father.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The latest book by popular author Fiona McCallum is a story of family dynamics, secrets, friendship and the importance of communication.
Known for her stories which contain social issues and situations and themes that are thought provoking, Looking Out is encouraging with real life experiences and relatable characters.
Behind closed doors things are not always as they seem.
Natasha and Mitchell live in the Adelaide Hills.
They have busy workloads, a cute puppy, two daughters and enjoy spending time with friends.
But Natasha is bored with her life and Mitchell is being reserved.
Then enters Jesse, a very handsome locksmith who walks into their lives and changes everything.
Fiona has been writing for many years and consistently delivers great reads, with contemporary and rural stories and covering many different topics.
Filled with lots to enjoy, delight and think about, this book will create conversation and be great for book clubs.
A piece of fiction that has both light and dark subject matter but you know you’re in safe hands with a Fiona book.
The story is wrapped up nicely even though I wanted a little bit more.
Another tender, engaging and thoughtful read from one of our great talents in this country.

[Taylor Pepper · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only tolerable characters were Monica and Angel (the dog).

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

A basic book with no interesting sub plots.

[Cindy Spear · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first read of this author’s books, so, I was not sure what to find between the covers of Looking Out by Fiona McCallum. But once I got into the story, it was an intriguing tale. Quite quickly it was clear to see this is a story about relationships. The good glue, the repellent and less sticky that keeps people together or apart.

What happens when life gets so busy, important things begin to slip? I kept thinking, what caused this once happy couple to become so disengaged in the marital sense? Life happens, yes. And although the assurance of love is still present, the physical activities are not. This is how Natasha finds herself prey to Jesse, an attractive tradie shady individual: one who comes across as ‘too good to be true’ and manages to push all her desire buttons. She is lavished with attention, made to feel special, and she begins to wander in her thoughts. What would it be like to have an unpredictable romantic interlude?

Mitchell is the husband with the quiet voice. Quiet because he has fallen into some ground swallowing habits and does not want Natasha to know what he has been up to. It is obvious he is a man who cares about his family and wife and his adorable dog (who is a great judge of character!). To keep Natasha’s eyes off his folly, he agrees to an unimaginable experiment. Natasha gets the attention she needs from another man, while he tries to work his way out of the hole he has placed them in. It all becomes quite uncomfortable and we get the sense it is going to end badly (and it does). But when the truth for each character comes out, the responses are quite unexpected. Fear has kept Mitchell bound but when he accepts help from a friend, things start looking up.

This novel covers a lot of heavy issues such as blackmail, gambling, alcoholism, depression, contemplation of suicide and how these things can affect meaningful relationships. But it is not all doom and gloom. There are positives, too. It shows us how communication can diffuse the fear of the unknown, unload the accumulating burdens and set the wounded soul free from a load of guilt. Even alleviate the ache of loneliness from isolation. There are a few wonderful friends in this novel to help light the way. So, friendship is another important theme. I also love how a family pet warms his master’s heart, offers comfort and joy to the children and warns Natasha of a scam artist. Dogs are pretty good at sniffing out bad characters and Angel is exceptional!

I found Natasha’s and Mitchell’s journey hard to watch at times. When she loses her head for a while, I wanted Mitchell to speak up, not be so compliant. But we find out the emotions and reasons behind that. The ending was quite wonderful and her understanding of his mistakes, endearing. Of course, she had a fair number of her own blemishes to cover. Justice is served (not without some tense and suspenseful moments!) but true healing comes to this family and that’s the best ending for this story! 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for a review copy.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being my first read of Fiona McCallum, I wasn't sure what to expect. And initially I thought "Looking Out" was a light chick lit I'd be bored with. But the further I got into the book, the more I became intrigued....caught up in the lies and the bizarre freedom being given within the marriage of Natasha and Mitchell.
I did find the daughters a little confusing...one minute mature and next being encouraged to play chase and pin the tail, so I never really understood their age.
With themes of addiction, depression and very up to date with the online environment and challenges of working from home, this is a very modern story.
And the scenario totally believable.
But as always in life, true friendship, whether it be your bbf or your spouse, is your best steer.
The house on the book cover is totally wrong in my imagination, but the catch phrase "Beneath the facade not everything is as it seems..." truely sums up "Looking Out".
Thanks to NetGalley, Fiona McCallum and Harlequin Australia for my copy.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Looking out is a story focussing on secrets, lies, family, friendships and relationships.
I found the story slow to start with but it did pick up. I really questioned some of Natasha's decisions, especially considering she had children. Mitchell was a little annoying as he just went along with everything as he didn't want his secrets coming out. There was an incident, but it didn't blow up as bad as I was expecting and seemed to be resolved quite quickly and easily.
A big moral of the story is communication is key!

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking Out is the second book of Fiona McCallum's that I have read. Last year I absolutely adored Sunrise over Mercy Court and rated it 5 stars. Unfortunately I cannot rate this book the same. Natasha was a silly woman and her husband Mitchell was extremely weak. It could have been a really good story but I felt that it was really under-done and wrapped up a little too easily. Very disappointing for me. Even though she is an accomplished writer, I felt this book was nowhere near as page turning as her last book. It will not prevent me from trying more of her backlist though as she has written a lot of very popular books, but this one just didn't meet the mark for me.

Thank you to Harlequin/Harper Collins Australia for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes.

[Bronwen Heathfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

A woman in an unhappy marriage has an affair. Her husband is clearly depressed and is withdrawing. Who is this new man and is he for real? I have to admit I just didn’t care! This book is just so silly and sickeningly sweet. The two teenage daughters are totally unbelievably cute and clever. I just hated it. Won’t read another one from this author!!

[julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Lorraine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a warm family drama, with a few touches of thriller. It suffers a little from an unnecessarily compressed timeline, but is otherwise a strong novel likely to be enjoyed by those looking for a contemporary novel without too many sharp edges.

Natasha and Mitchell are at a turning point in their marriage. Although there’s nothing drastically wrong on the surface, quite a bit is bubbling away underneath. On the surface, they’ve been together decades, they’re in good health, have two lovely teenage daughters, have a strong group of friends, live in a lovely house and are professionally successful.

But Mitchell is becoming increasingly withdrawn, and seems to be keeping secrets. Natasha is missing their previous closeness, and is surprised to feel a frisson of attraction when Jesse, a locksmith, offers to help her find client leads.

The novel is strongest when it’s examining Mitchell and Natasha’s marriage, and their individual feelings. Many readers will find some or many aspects of this empathetic and recognisable. There are no villains here, although there are certainly fallible individuals. McCallum draws a vivid and believable picture of two people entering a new stage in their lives.

The description of Natasha’s reaction to Jesse is also believable. McCallum describes both her social reactions and her sexual attraction in ways that will ring a bell with many women. And because women are socialised to be nice, as a rule, it’s easy to believe how Natasha behaves.

But where the novel falls down, a little, is in the timeline of what happens between Natasha and Jesse. This feels rushed, rather like a scriptwriter trying to cram a mini-series worth of plot into a half hour episode. I found it difficult to believe that certain events would have happened so quickly.
For me the novel lost credibility here, and never quite regained it. I’m not sure why McCallum did this – had she had it happen over a few weeks or even months I’d have found it far more believable. But in days? Didn’t quite work.

Still, this is a readable and enjoyable novel. For me personally it wasn’t a favorite, but even so I enjoyed it while I was reading it. Many readers will do the same.

You may also enjoy my reviews of another novel by Fiona McCallum:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mitchell has given up his previous career as an accountant to work from home as a trader on the stock market. He enjoys cooking all the meals for his family: wife, Natasha and school-age daughters, Lara and Willow, while Natasha, a decorator, is working hard to make a success of her homewares store. They have a beautiful home, two upmarket cars and a dog called Angel.
All is not well, however. Mitchell is in all kinds of trouble with his trading, and the pressure of keeping their financial situation from Natasha is becoming overwhelming. Natasha is focused on her own business and trusts Mitchell to manage the family’s finances. She loves Mitchell and she’s sure he still loves her but because he is trading on international markets at all hours of the night and day she is seeing him less and less and even when she attempts to rekindle their former intimacy he turns away from her.

Enter Jesse, a good looking man making no secret of his interest in Natasha. Can a once peaceful, harmonious life be resurrected for Mitchell, Natasha and their daughters if a new dynamic is introduced, as long as there is total honesty about it? Does human nature work that way?

Looking out is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It deals with a lot of serious issues in a world where ‘having it all’, financially, emotionally, physically, is the standard expectation.

Fiona McCallum has written a very clever, utterly absorbing book, not like anything I’ve read before. I couldn’t get out of bed this morning because I couldn’t put it down, even though my poor little dogs were looking trustingly at me, waiting for me to make a move, the cats having long jumped down from the bed and gone to see their dad.

I can sum up Looking Out in three words: wow, just wow!

Published by Harper Collins

[Shelagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit that I found the start of Looking Out a little slow and wondered how the story would progress. Having finished, I understand that it was all about setting up central Natasha and Mitchell to fall into a spectacular scam. It scared me how quickly and easily Jesse ingratiated himself with Natasha, who starts off this story with a bit of a mid-life crisis, feeling both sex-starved and ignored. While there was nothing overt, it was obvious that something was off and my senses were definitely on edge. Natasha is a strong character, a business owner, an organised mother and outwardly has success in every area of her life, yet she is sucked in without realising that it is happening. Mitchell, meanwhile, has his own problems, largely to do with his online share trading. His withdrawal from Natasha is very believable. Their two daughters, Willow and Lara and Natasha’s best friend Monica all add depth to this story, which is skilfully written and compelling.

[Sharon Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Afternoon Everyone ......this book is Looking Out by Fiona McCallum ..this story is about Natasha and Mitchell who have 2 daughters Willow and Lara and their dog Angel ....they live in the Adelaide hills , from the outside everything seems normal ,they have a lovely house .....Natasha has her own home ware shop and Mitchell works from home.........however nothing is at it seems ........Fiona has touched on many life issues in this book secrets , betrayal .....love ...affection ... friendship .....controversial topics that I was like what is happening this doesn't happen ..........but you really need till read to the end of this page turner I could'nt put it down had to see where Fiona was going....... unbelievable .........loved this book ........so you know what to do ........enjoy ..😀

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona McCallum tackles some big issues in this book. Depression, online gambling, misuse of social media, fraud and manipulation all happen to this seemingly happy family. When Jesse appears in Natasha's life he seems too good to be true, however inconsistencies start to appear. Meanwhile Mitchell is battling his own mental and financial problems, and feels he has let Natasha down. Fortunately Natasha's friend is looking out for her and all is revealed. Although I felt Mitchell was a bit spineless, I can appreciate how the situation could escalate. I particularly enjoyed the two daughters. Overall, an enjoyable read, with some timely warnings. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and freely review.

[James Latham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this one up from Big W (my shopping centre doesn't have a book store - it also doesn't have a sandwich shop - if you think Noosa is paradise, you are very wrong) because it apparently they are a bestselling Australian author.
It tells the story of a woman he livings a classic mid-life crisis style life in a small town with a fuzzy (in the sense that they are hardly described and so they are not in focus and are a bit fuzzy) husband - with a secret! Then she meets a cute tradie and get moist. And then that goes on for 90 percent of the novel and then suddenly it is kind of dark, but very quickly the fuzzy husband goes into a phone booth and puts on a superman costume (literally) and saves the day. Competently written but I spent 90% of the book thinking what is this about?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the chance to read this book.

I found this book a little slow to get into at the start, but once I did, I enjoyed it. It covers some pretty heavy topics like depression, addiction, financial struggles, and relationship struggles. Overall, it was an engaging read.

I felt like it was a good depiction of how relationships can change as the years wear on and how important it is to continue to communicate and work on the connection that brought you together in the beginning.

I was pretty frustrated with how quickly Vanessa allowed things to move with Jesse, but I guess that is explained with his manipulative side being shown later on.

[Cindy Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've liked some of Fiona McCallum's other books but this one was nowhere near as enjoyable. The storyline was just too unbelievable. A marriage in trouble; husband supports his wife's affair; her lover moves into their house; where their pre-teen and teenage daughters live (!); daughters accept the explanation this is Mum's boyfriend without any upset; supposed severe financial distress, but there doesn't seem to be any struggle paying bills for the home, groceries, business etc other than an odd mention of thankfulness that cards haven't been declined in shops... it just goes on and on!
Unfortunately I had to finish it, just to see what the outcome was. Disappointed I bothered.

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Natasha and Mitchell are living seperate lives under one roof when Jesse comes into Natasha's shop. He is charming and wisks her off her feet.

I felt from the beginning that Jesse was dodgy. I kept waiting for it to become true. I was hooked on this book for the first half then I was holding on for the peak in the plot. Eventually it came, and then the ending wrapped up quickly.

I really liked Mitchell. He was a realistic character who suffers with addiction and mental health.

Thanks Net Galley for the ARC.

[Dragonladymoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed quite a few of Fiona McCallum’s novels so I had misgivings when this novel raised my hackles. I ploughed on to see where it would lead and realised my faith was not misplaced. It was a different journey and one that had many elements of common issues people face; a lesson in life and love, I guess. I am a great believer and new advocate for getting help where and when needed, so this resonated deeply in me. An interesting read that will no doubt return to me in my thoughts, as appropriate.

[JeanG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book quite an easy read. Interesting narrative on today’s society, especially how easy it is to be scammed and how kind, open minded people are such easy targets, particularly in this small town setting. The themes of family dysfunction and how lack of communication can have profound effects on relationships was well dealt with. Although I could see where it was heading straight away, I still found it enjoyable, relatively uncomplicated and it was also refreshing to read a book without a massive list of characters! I will look forward to reading more from Fiona.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely amazing book! Natasha and her husband Mitchell live in the country town of Balhannah but don’t have a happy marriage, to the extent they’re rarely spending time together and sleep in separate rooms. This unhappiness has gotten worse since Mitchell has started working for home and has become a lot less social. Into the social comes the tall, dark and handsome stranger, Jesse, who is very flirty with Natasha. Then the book twisted in a way I could never imagine, with storyline’s about relationships, addiction, depression and the importance of friends and family I loved this book.

[Lisal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one missed the mark for me personally and I struggled to finish it. Two of the main characters (Natasha and Mitchell) felt unauthentic and their actions/behaviours seemed unlikely to me. There were many tricky topics introduced (depression, suicide, addiction) but dealt with flippantly imho. The 2 threads that kept me interested were the importance of communication amd friendship to humanity.

[Sue · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've not read anything by this author before and won't be in the future. Fortunately I didn't pay much for this book, because at page 41, I can't bear it any more and won't continue. All the main characters are silly and spoiled who expect life to be easy, have everything you want. Warning bells were going off when the main character (mother) was dreaming that maybe he daughters could grow up to be influencers. I lasted a bit longer, but it clearly wasn't improving.

[Wendy Kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read quite a few of this authors books & enjoyed them. This was an audio version. I found this, for the main, quite a disappointing story. The main characters are rather self serving or weak. The final chapters actually raise serious issues and information, however is given a very brief address. The main characters are just too nice in their final reactions/responses.

This is a 3 🌟 for me

[Trudi Lawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read everyone of her books so far and loved them all except for the last one sunrise over mercy court. I disliked it that much that I wasn’t sure I would read her again. But I’m glad I did Looking Out was amazing and un put downable. I’m glad I went against my first thought and bought it.

[Shereen Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking out is a story focusing on secrets, lies, family, friendships and relationships. This could have been a good story, but I felt that it was really under-done and wrapped up a little too easily. Very disappointing for me.