The past Renee Wildwood once ran from still haunts her...
Nine years ago, Renee's twin sister Scarlet went missing. In the threatening aftermath, seventeen-year-old Renee was forced out of her home at Wildwood Acres, leaving her family and her boyfriend behind. Although the case has long gone cold, every day Renee hopes the person responsible will be found. She has since made a new life for herself in the city but when fate intervenes, a family emergency forces her to face up to her fears and her painful memories. But can she go back to Wildwood Acres, the one place her heart yearns to be but where her life may be in grave danger?
Dylan Anderson has never quite got over the loss of his first love, Renee Wildwood, who left him without a word. He's now a single father trying to make it on his own after the tragic death of his wife, and his cattle property is struggling financially. Against all odds he's taking steps to get his life back on track, starting with a new job. But how will he feel when he finds Renee, the girl who stole his heart, is back at Wildwood Acres? Will he ever be able to forgive her?
Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her daughter, Chloe Rose. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction, and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman, and a romantic at heart, she loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian rural way of life, and all the wonderful characters that live there.
Renee Wildwood had been living in Melbourne for the past nine years having left her home of Wildwood Acres in Queensland in a desperate panic. Her grandparents had organised her escape, and they had told no one where she was going, not even her boyfriend – her safety was a priority to her Nan and Pa after Renee’s twin sister Scarlet had gone missing. The threatening note was the final straw for the family…
But, nine years on, when her Pa rang with the news her beloved Nan had had a heart attack and was in hospital, Renee knew it was time to go home. At least for a few weeks to care for her Nan. She had to face her fears and let the peace and tranquillity of life on Wildwood Acres help her to heal. But was she walking back into terrible danger?
It was three years since Dylan Anderson had lost his wife Shelley to a dreadful accident and Dylan was still lost in grief and guilt. He lived with his six year old daughter Annie and mother Claire on their cattle property, and although he worked from dawn to dusk, the farm was financially unstable. Nothing seemed to go right for him. Then the day he saw Renee Wildwood was back in town, he didn’t know what to think. Here was the girl who had hurt him so badly, now a woman – but he was still bitter and angry. What would the future be for these two young people who had such troubled pasts?
The Wildwood Sisters by Aussie author Mandy Magro was one I was really looking forward to reading. Unfortunately this is definitely not the author’s best work in my opinion. Filled with non-stop Aussie slang, there were places where it didn’t seem to fit and therefore came across as awkward – also a huge amount of never ending inner dialogue and not enough actual conversation between characters. I’d worked out the twist early in the book as well. That said, I will read more by this author.
The Wildwood Sisters is about love, family, jealousy and courage. One night Renee Wildwood received a phone call telling her that her Nan had a heart attack. Renee Wildwood dropped everything in Melbourne and went back home to look after her Nan even though she has not been home for since her twin sister went missing. Dylan Anderson heard that Stanley Wildwood needed someone to work for him part-time and Dylan needed a second job to support his rural property. Dylan went to see Stanley Wildwood to ask him for the job. However, Dylan did not realise his childhood sweetheart Renee Wildwood finally came home. Dylan hopes now he will finally get the answer why Renee left town after her twin sister Scarlet went missing. The readers of The Wildwood Sisters will continue to follow Renee Wildwood and Dylan Anderson to see if they will rekindle their childhood love and what happened to Scarlet.
Mandy Magro knows how to engage me with her stories and The Wildwood Sisters did not disappoint. The Wildwood is an enjoyable book to read. I like the way Mandy Magro portrays her characters and how she intertwines the characters with each other throughout The Wildwood Sisters.
The readers of The Wildwood Sisters will learn what jealousy can do to a person and how it can have deadly consequences. Also, the readers of The Wildwood Sisters will learn the importance of love and friendship. The Wildwood Sisters highlights the consequences vandalism does to rural property's fences and equipment to the owners and the community.
The Wildwood Sisters is Mandy Magro's sixth novel and the third I have read. It is heart warming rural romance with quite a sinister twist.
Renee Wildwood fled her home town of Opals Ridge 9 years ago when her life was threatened, 6 short months after her twin sister disappeared. She was just seventeen years old and she had to run without saying goodbye.
Scarlet disappeared without a trace, though the investigators eventually found enough blood to conclude she had met with foul play though never recovered a body. Six months later Renee is threatened and her grandparents convince her to leave town, without looking back and never coming back.
Renee moves and builds a new life for herself in Melbourne but she never forgets her home, her family or her first love. She is a country girl through and through so never finds complete happiness in Melbourne and she can't move on with her love life because no-one compares to her first love.
Her Nan has a serious heart attack and Renee decides it's time to go home, against the wishes of her grandparents, to look after her... and see what she can uncover about her sisters disappearance.
Returning to Opals Ridge is filled with trepidation, not only for the fact that whoever threatened her still walks free but also because in the six months before she left town Renee threw around some pretty wild accusations; she's not sure how warm the welcome home will be.
The Wildwood Sisters is told by Renee and Dylan Anderson in alternate chapters. Dylan Anderson is, of course, the first true love that Renee skipped out on without even a goodbye and on the heels of a huge argument. There has been no contact in the time they've been apart. Renee has only kept in touch with her Nan and Pa, who didn't know they were seeing each other, so has heard nothing of Dylan in the time she's been away. The remainder of the review will be live at Beauty and Lace
Lately, Mandy Magro has became my go to for a nice, relaxing and feel good read. Whilst The Wildwood Sisters ticked all these boxes, it was the mystery surrounding Scarlet Wildwoods disappearance that drew me in.
Twin sisters Renee and Scarlet Wildwood were inseparable growing up in the Far North Queensland town of Opals Ridge. Then when they were just sixteen, tragedy rocked Renee's world. Her beloved sister had disappeared and assumedly met foul play. Soon afterwards, a threatening note left on her windscreen made Renee flee the town, fearful for her life. Sent to live in Melbourne, there was no time to say goodbye to anyone, including her boyfriend Dylan Anderson.
Nine years on, there still isn't any answer to what happened to Scarlet. Renee has made a life for herself in Melbourne, and hasn't returned home to Opals Ridge since on her grandparents insistance. Still, when her Nan has a heart attack, Renee immediately starts making plans to be by her side.
Of course the first person Renee bumps into is Dylan. Despite still having feelings for her first love, Renee knows it is inappropriate. The wedding ring on Dylan's hand is proof of that, and the fact that he has a little girl. But not is all as it seems- Dylan's wife Shelley passed three years earlier and ever since Dylan has been struggling mentally and financially. But how long can Dylan put up the charade that he is still in love with Renee after all this time?
You may think this is a typical rural romance, but something more sinister is happening in the shadows. Something that Renee has been fearful for a long time, and it's all at the hands of someone everyone trusts...
Again I'm in love with reading books in a 'voice' so similar to my own, as a regional Aussie.
Mind you, I almost didn't read this, could't get through the first bit, which for someone with trauma in her background, was just too close to heart. That was my first try at any Mandy Magro book, and I avoided her after that.
I picked it up again a year or so later, having forgotten the triggers from my first try, skipped the first bit and then kept reading. SO glad I did. It was a great story, and believable and characters I could relate to.
It does amuse me how many spouses die a few years before these romances are written. So much more meaningful and makes the one that survived them to be more attractive than someone gone through a *shudders* divorce.
But I'm more than happy to giggle at that and just enjoy the storytelling. Which is great!
To be honest, the main reason I picked up this book was because the main character was called Renee. I've never found a book with the main character called Renee. The only song I know about Renee, tells me to "Just Walk Away". I was so excited to find a contemporary romance where I would have a happy ending - I mean where the fictional Renee character would have a happy ending. I was even more excited (and expressed my excitement by live tweeting Mandy as I was reading) to find my Dad's name, my pet guinea pig's name and my son's and in the book too. But apart from all these self centered reasons, the book is fantastic.
The cover is gorgeous and sets the scene perfectly. The pacing was great, the suspense keeping me on the edge of my seat. I had my suspicions about "who done it" but started second guessing myself. The romance element blended in well and balanced out the darker side of the tale. Dylan was swoon worthy.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
So poorly written I’m surprised I finished it. I’m a sucker for a missing person mystery but this book dragged on and on. It was too wordy; every sentence sensationalized. You could guess things in advance because the writer didn’t let the reader think for themselves and planted the ideas with about as much finesse as a sledgehammer. The writing itself was annoying. Direct quote: “His tone was so deep and rich Renee felt as though she was going to gain weight just by talking to him.” The characters also talk and think in an unnaturally positive way, with a sickly-sweet, rose-tinted view. In contrast, there’s an unexpectedly nasty scene at the end. The 6-year-old speaks so articulately, like an adult. Despite the title, Wildwood Sisters doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the history of the two sisters and their relationship. You only get snippets, so you don’t get the full measure of their close bond and therefore don’t fully connect to the story. The ending is also disappointingly rushed.
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. I loved all the characters, especially Mick. He's one funny Bugger.
The relationship between Renee and Dylan at first was a bit rocky but I'm so glad that they confessed what they were feeling and let it all out because they are the cutest couple. And Annie was such a cute little child, I really liked her.
Although, Renee'a Nan and Pa did annoy me the tiniest bit but that's a personal thing, I think. Because I really do hate it when parents or grandparents in books are way overprotective. I mean, it's understandable in this book considering what happened but Renee IS twenty-six. She's not a child anymore.
Anywho, I liked this book a lot and I'm very surprised at who the murderer was but that makes it all the better!
It is the story of Renae Wildwood who left the family farm nine years after the disappearance of her twin sister Scarlet who was never found. Renae returns home to the farm from Melbourne where she worked as Real Estate agent to care for her grandmother who is recovering from heart attack. Renae finds her sister's diary and there was another person who sister was interested in. Renae also has meet with Dylan a old boy friend she left behind when left without telling him why. This book had me on edge trying to figure out what happened to Scarlet who was the murder why her twin sister. Would recommend this book.
Renee has a twin sister Scarlette but Scarlette disappears 9 years later after Renee leaves wildwood acres to run away to Melbourne she returns to discover what really happened to her twin sister to fall in love again and start over again. who killed scarlette? what happened to Shelly? and who was the culprite?
what a amazing story and i highly recommened it - will leave you in the seat who was it and will renee find her highschool sweet heart after longing for dylan for 9 years???
Such a great read!! A few things in the books made me really smile. 1. Stan's stockhorse was called Gus - my Dad's last stockhorse was called Gus. 2. The was golden syrup on crumpets - I LOVE golden syrup on crumpets. 3. The saying "Nigel- no friends" made me laugh - my hubby's name is Nigel. Keep up the great writing Mandy... I need books like yours to cheer me up and see the brighter side of life!
I love Mandy's books - they have Great believeable Australian characters and deal with rural issues, love, grief and some intriguing issues i n each book. This book is about Renee Wildwood and her missing twin sister. After ten years she is forced to return to her home and has to confront many things that were influences in her previously leaving. Dylan Anderson, now a single father has to work to forgive Renee his first love and uncover the secrets that surround them. CJ
This is the first ru-ro I've read in ages, and if you like description and setting, you should love this one. It's a nice story, although the mystery is a little obvious. Since I'm all about the romance, it didn't bother me too much that I worked out the bad guy very early on. It's a good strong romance with a lot of internal dialogue and not much external dialogue.
A really great read! Enjoyed this book. I so thought I knew the end, but it was better than predicted. I found myself in a panic with my heart racing in the last chapter!! Wow I was hooked good!! Genuinely loved reading it.
OH WOW I loved this book! I think it's Mandy's best yet! I had many late nights reading this book. The mystery and suspense just made you want to read more. This storyline made me think of the Daniel Morecombe case.
Another great rural romance from Mandy Magro. A lovely tale of revisiting the past and second chances, with a gripping thread of mystery and suspense woven through.
While I enjoyed the concept of the story, I found the writing itself hard to read. It's like there are two piles of information: one with the storyline and everything to propel it forward; the other is filler information, sometimes pertinent to the story, most times not. The blend between the two could definitely have been neater.
The dialogue at times came across as lacking character and annoying to read in some points of the book. I see a lot of people upset over the Australian slang and jargon used by the characters but that was honestly the on-spot point of the dialogue that I loved because, yes, we Australians from the far north regions of Queensland do talk like that. I found the middle section of the book the best when it came to the dialogue because it really got into character and flowed a lot better than the start or finish.
That being said, I enjoyed the concept that Magro was incorporating. The remaining twin searching for her sister's killer after being away for her safety and now dealing with an old flame in the process. But here comes the kicker - it's also what really frustrated me about this novel. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the first couple of Magro's book but this one had me conflicted.
I like a good romance like anyone else these days but this was overkill. I felt like the whole book, Renee's just pining for Dylan. She's a twin who's other half has been murdered and she's returned home to what, pine for her old lover she hasn't seen in years? What happened to looking for your sister's murderer like you planned in the first part of the book? The way it's written, Renee and Scarlett were inseparable and upon her death, Renee went crazy searching for the killer. Now that she is back home, there's barely any substantial investigating on Renee's behalf. And as a twin, I find her lack of drive in the book to uncover the truth of her sister's murder very annoying, especially when we have so many chapters dedicated to her and Dylan's undying love.
The build up towards finding out the killer's identity could definitely be worked upon. Maybe more detective work on Renee's behalf? It's basically one to two chapters thrown in our face when Renee finds evidence and that's the end of that. I did like though the twist of who the killer really is.
I hadn't really wanted to be so against the book, especially when I first picked it up and read the blurb. However it did not meet the expectations I'd set it based on the blurb quality and my past experiences with her other novels which I really enjoyed.
I didn't enjoy either of the Mandy Magro books I read previously but this one was in the 3-in-1 'Country Secrets' book anthology so I figured what the heck, I'd try yet again. I was pleasantly surprised when it started off quite strong, but then I got frustrated with pages and pages of internal thoughts and it was blatantly obvious whodunnit. This quote from another reviewer fits precisely:
"Filled with non-stop Aussie slang, there were places where it didn’t seem to fit and therefore came across as awkward – also a huge amount of never ending inner dialogue and not enough actual conversation between characters. I’d worked out the twist early in the book as well."
Another exciting suspense filled whodunit by one of Australia's excellent authors.
Renee Wildwood is hurriedly sent as far away possible her home town after her twin sister disappears and a note is found on her car saying she would be next. When her Nan suffers a heart attack, she hurries home nine years later, intent on helping her beloved grandparents and finding her sister's murderer. Hoping against hope that her former sweetheart is still available.