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Beautiful Messy Love
What happens when love and loyalty collide? Two couples must deal with the consequences of their messy love not just for themselves but for those who depend on them. For lovers of passionate romance in the vein of Nicolas Sparks.
When football star Nick Harding hobbles into the Black Salt Cafe the morning after the night before, he is served by Anna, a waitress with haunted-looking eyes and no interest in footballers famous or otherwise. Nick is instantly drawn to this exotic, intelligent girl. But a relationship between them risks shame for her conservative refugee family and backlash for Nick that could ruin his career.
Meanwhile, Nick's sister, Lily, is struggling to finish her medical degree. When she meets Toby, it seems that for the first time she is following her heart, not the expectations of others. Yet what starts out as a passionate affair with a man who has just buried his wife slips quickly into dangerous dependency.
Through attraction, breakups, triumphs and tragedies, these two couples learn just how much their beautiful messy love might cost. A West Side Story for the modern day.
When football star Nick Harding hobbles into the Black Salt Cafe the morning after the night before, he is served by Anna, a waitress with haunted-looking eyes and no interest in footballers famous or otherwise. Nick is instantly drawn to this exotic, intelligent girl. But a relationship between them risks shame for her conservative refugee family and backlash for Nick that could ruin his career.
Meanwhile, Nick's sister, Lily, is struggling to finish her medical degree. When she meets Toby, it seems that for the first time she is following her heart, not the expectations of others. Yet what starts out as a passionate affair with a man who has just buried his wife slips quickly into dangerous dependency.
Through attraction, breakups, triumphs and tragedies, these two couples learn just how much their beautiful messy love might cost. A West Side Story for the modern day.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2017
77 people are currently reading
555 people want to read
About the author
Tess Woods
7 books245 followers Visit www.tesswoods.com.au
Facebook and Instagram - look for Tess Woods Author
Email Tess at tess@tesswoods.com.au
Facebook and Instagram - look for Tess Woods Author
Email Tess at tess@tesswoods.com.au
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July 23, 2017
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I have literally spent a whole day locked in an intense relationship with the four main characters from Beautiful Messy Love, written by Tess Woods. My reading of Beautiful Messy Love reminds me of my experience reading the debut novel by Tess Woods titled, Love at First Flight. This book was completely addictive, compulsive and all-encompassing. Perhaps this is the type relationship I am supposed to have with the writing of Tess Woods – acute, passionate and utterly devouring. There is just something about Tess’ writing that seems to gel so easily with me. To surmise this spellbinding story, Beautiful Messy Love is a contemporary life lit style novel, featuring two different couples and their resulting experiences of love – in all its guises.
Onto the main story of Beautiful Messy Love. First we have Lily, who is ceremoniously dumped over a lamb korma by her long-term boyfriend, Ben. Lily and Ben’s relationship has come to an abrupt end when Ben announces his plans to move to Kenya, to help build a school, rather than move in with her. Lily is completely floored by this announcement and her response is to throw herself even harder into her medical degree. In her fifth year and on rotations in oncology, Lily crosses paths with Toby, the husband of Jen, a patient on Lily’s rotation ward. When Jen passes away, her last wishes were for Lily to check up on Toby. Only a few days shy of his wife’s burial, Toby embarks on a passionate love affair with Lily. Their relationship is as passionate as it is secretive. But, problems arise when Toby worries about the backlash from those closest to him over his love and lust for Lily. Now we come to the other two main players in Beautiful Messy Love, Anna and Nick. Nick Harding is Lily’s brother and a star footballer. When Nick decides to turn his playboy ways around, his blessing in disguise comes from Anna, a young Egyptian refugee, who works at a local cafe. Drawn to Anna’s presence, which is far removed from his typical love interests, the two tentatively take steps towards a relationship. There is much to navigate in Nick and Anna’s newfound interest in one another. From dodging the media’s interest in their love affair, balancing Anna’s private life (two jobs, care for her depressed mother, volunteer work at Asylum Assist and her support for Ricky a young refugee boy with cancer) and the threats to Nick’s career. Then there is the obvious cultural and religious divide that exists between this couple. In Beautiful Messy Love, Tess Woods opens up the raw business of love, she examines common life problems and looks closely at how our dreams come into play when we enter into the tricky world of relationships.
So almost two years after Tess Woods left me breathless after her debut novel, Love at First Flight, the feelings have returned all over again through my experience of reading Beautiful Messy Love. Some of the themes that I loved in Tess’ first novel have popped up again (instant attraction, forbidden love, honesty, family loyalty and self fulfilment) but woven into this powerful story of the intricacies of love is so much more. Woods has developed a fearless approach to her writing this time around, tackling some topical and controversial topics within her affecting life lit novel. These include such topics as Australia’s treatment of refugees – especially young children in detention, religious/cultural persecution, terrorism, media corruption, morally complex relationships, cancer treatment and depression.
My connection to the characters featured in Beautiful Messy Love was swift and instant. I took an immediate liking to Anna, the young and inspiring Egyptian refugee. I saw subtle shades of Anna in the author, Tess Woods and I did wonder at some points as to whether Anna was a protagonist drawn from deep within Tess’ own personality. Anna is the shooting star of this book, her back story is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. Just how this young woman manages to juggle the responsibilities of her employment, unconditional care for her loved ones and come to terms with the loss of her twin sister was nothing short of inspiring to read. Through Anna, we as the reader glean an important lesson in modern-day prejudice, religious misunderstanding and the compassion that is needed in our refugee crisis in Australia. Apart from Anna, there are a body of supporting characters that are realistic, well drawn and truly have much to give to this story. Through the character of Nick Harding, we are given the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the life of a high-profile AFL player – which really was an eye-opening experience! Through the character of Nick’s sister Lily, we are able to step into the difficult shoes of a medical student. Finally, through the character of Toby, we learn about the struggles of balancing your loyalty to your family business with your aspirations. These are four varied life lessons, balanced well by the accomplished hand of Tess Woods. On a side note, I was pleased to learn of the link between brother and sister duo Nick and Lily, who are the children of Mel, the female lead in Love at First Flight, the first novel written by Tess Woods. But I do need to make it explicitly clear, that although these characters are loosely linked to the debut novel from Woods, you do not need to read this novel first to appreciate Beautiful Messy Love.
With love in the title of this book, you would expect much of the focus of the novel to be zoned in on the precarious nature of love, in all its varied forms. In Beautiful Messy Love, we are introduced to many forms of love. These experiences range from instant love, lust, sex based love, ethically challenged love, love based on loyalty and the unconditional love of family. It is an emotional ride that gives room for Woods to include moments of high drama, emotion, deep passion but it is also balanced out with opportunities for humour, mostly emanating from the embrace of Anna’s extended clan. However, what I took from following each of the individual pathways in love featured in this novel, is the self actualisation process that comes from falling in or out of love.
A familiar setting (Perth, Western Australia) topped my enjoyment of Beautiful Messy Love, despite the fact that I was somewhat dismayed that one of the leads I had grown to love, did not quite get their happily ever after. However, it is a gentle reminder on behalf of the author that this is how real life works, not everyone is destined for a happily ever after, despite how hard they work for it. The second novel from Tess Woods is an excellent example of contemporary women’s fiction, which is firmly rooted in the here and now of Australian life. Beautiful Messy Love is nothing short of a five star read for me.
*I received a copy of this book via the author, Tess Woods and the publisher, Harper Collins Books Australia, in exchange for an honest review as part of the official publicity tour.
I have literally spent a whole day locked in an intense relationship with the four main characters from Beautiful Messy Love, written by Tess Woods. My reading of Beautiful Messy Love reminds me of my experience reading the debut novel by Tess Woods titled, Love at First Flight. This book was completely addictive, compulsive and all-encompassing. Perhaps this is the type relationship I am supposed to have with the writing of Tess Woods – acute, passionate and utterly devouring. There is just something about Tess’ writing that seems to gel so easily with me. To surmise this spellbinding story, Beautiful Messy Love is a contemporary life lit style novel, featuring two different couples and their resulting experiences of love – in all its guises.
Onto the main story of Beautiful Messy Love. First we have Lily, who is ceremoniously dumped over a lamb korma by her long-term boyfriend, Ben. Lily and Ben’s relationship has come to an abrupt end when Ben announces his plans to move to Kenya, to help build a school, rather than move in with her. Lily is completely floored by this announcement and her response is to throw herself even harder into her medical degree. In her fifth year and on rotations in oncology, Lily crosses paths with Toby, the husband of Jen, a patient on Lily’s rotation ward. When Jen passes away, her last wishes were for Lily to check up on Toby. Only a few days shy of his wife’s burial, Toby embarks on a passionate love affair with Lily. Their relationship is as passionate as it is secretive. But, problems arise when Toby worries about the backlash from those closest to him over his love and lust for Lily. Now we come to the other two main players in Beautiful Messy Love, Anna and Nick. Nick Harding is Lily’s brother and a star footballer. When Nick decides to turn his playboy ways around, his blessing in disguise comes from Anna, a young Egyptian refugee, who works at a local cafe. Drawn to Anna’s presence, which is far removed from his typical love interests, the two tentatively take steps towards a relationship. There is much to navigate in Nick and Anna’s newfound interest in one another. From dodging the media’s interest in their love affair, balancing Anna’s private life (two jobs, care for her depressed mother, volunteer work at Asylum Assist and her support for Ricky a young refugee boy with cancer) and the threats to Nick’s career. Then there is the obvious cultural and religious divide that exists between this couple. In Beautiful Messy Love, Tess Woods opens up the raw business of love, she examines common life problems and looks closely at how our dreams come into play when we enter into the tricky world of relationships.
So almost two years after Tess Woods left me breathless after her debut novel, Love at First Flight, the feelings have returned all over again through my experience of reading Beautiful Messy Love. Some of the themes that I loved in Tess’ first novel have popped up again (instant attraction, forbidden love, honesty, family loyalty and self fulfilment) but woven into this powerful story of the intricacies of love is so much more. Woods has developed a fearless approach to her writing this time around, tackling some topical and controversial topics within her affecting life lit novel. These include such topics as Australia’s treatment of refugees – especially young children in detention, religious/cultural persecution, terrorism, media corruption, morally complex relationships, cancer treatment and depression.
My connection to the characters featured in Beautiful Messy Love was swift and instant. I took an immediate liking to Anna, the young and inspiring Egyptian refugee. I saw subtle shades of Anna in the author, Tess Woods and I did wonder at some points as to whether Anna was a protagonist drawn from deep within Tess’ own personality. Anna is the shooting star of this book, her back story is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. Just how this young woman manages to juggle the responsibilities of her employment, unconditional care for her loved ones and come to terms with the loss of her twin sister was nothing short of inspiring to read. Through Anna, we as the reader glean an important lesson in modern-day prejudice, religious misunderstanding and the compassion that is needed in our refugee crisis in Australia. Apart from Anna, there are a body of supporting characters that are realistic, well drawn and truly have much to give to this story. Through the character of Nick Harding, we are given the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the life of a high-profile AFL player – which really was an eye-opening experience! Through the character of Nick’s sister Lily, we are able to step into the difficult shoes of a medical student. Finally, through the character of Toby, we learn about the struggles of balancing your loyalty to your family business with your aspirations. These are four varied life lessons, balanced well by the accomplished hand of Tess Woods. On a side note, I was pleased to learn of the link between brother and sister duo Nick and Lily, who are the children of Mel, the female lead in Love at First Flight, the first novel written by Tess Woods. But I do need to make it explicitly clear, that although these characters are loosely linked to the debut novel from Woods, you do not need to read this novel first to appreciate Beautiful Messy Love.
With love in the title of this book, you would expect much of the focus of the novel to be zoned in on the precarious nature of love, in all its varied forms. In Beautiful Messy Love, we are introduced to many forms of love. These experiences range from instant love, lust, sex based love, ethically challenged love, love based on loyalty and the unconditional love of family. It is an emotional ride that gives room for Woods to include moments of high drama, emotion, deep passion but it is also balanced out with opportunities for humour, mostly emanating from the embrace of Anna’s extended clan. However, what I took from following each of the individual pathways in love featured in this novel, is the self actualisation process that comes from falling in or out of love.
A familiar setting (Perth, Western Australia) topped my enjoyment of Beautiful Messy Love, despite the fact that I was somewhat dismayed that one of the leads I had grown to love, did not quite get their happily ever after. However, it is a gentle reminder on behalf of the author that this is how real life works, not everyone is destined for a happily ever after, despite how hard they work for it. The second novel from Tess Woods is an excellent example of contemporary women’s fiction, which is firmly rooted in the here and now of Australian life. Beautiful Messy Love is nothing short of a five star read for me.
*I received a copy of this book via the author, Tess Woods and the publisher, Harper Collins Books Australia, in exchange for an honest review as part of the official publicity tour.
August 2, 2017
5 ♥♥♥♥♥
Beautiful Messy Love is the sophomore novel of Perth writer, Tess Woods. Her debut novel, Love at First Flight, was very good and different, so I was eagerly anticipating her second novel.
After fifty pages or so I knew I loved it, but was it going to be a 5 star read?
As you can see, it made it to five stars. Honestly, I loved everything about this novel. The characters were realistic and very interesting, and there was no over-the-top drama.
Two love stories make the bulk of the novel. For Lily, a five year medical student, and Toby, a building supervisor and aspiring photographer, was love/lust at first sight, when they came across each other in a café. The only problem was that Toby’s wife was dying of cancer in the same hospital Lily was about to begin her medical rotation.
Anna, a nineteen-year-old Egyptian refugee, works in a café, where she meets the football superstar, Nick Harding. She’s got no idea who he is, as she’s too busy working two jobs, looking after a refugee boy in hospital and volunteering at Asylum Assist, while also looking after her depressed mother. Nick is, or better said was, your stereotypical football star – attractive, cocky, and full of himself, a womaniser, who only thinks about football and his next lay. But he’s unexplicably drawn to the kind, not-his-usual-type Anna. Their relationship won’t be easy as they’ll have to face lots of obstacles, including the pressure of being in the media spotlight and prejudice as Anna is a Muslim girl.
Without a doubt, my favourite character was Anna. Her backstory was heartbreaking. Through her, Tess Woods, brought to our attention the plight of refugees, and re-affirmed that each person has a story, more often than not, a very traumatic one. The refugees are not statistics! They deserve compassion and help, not the awful treatment that our heartless government bestows upon them. It’s outrageous and I am disgusted. Don’t get me started …
Beautiful Messy Love is a women’s fiction novel, but it’s an outstanding one, as it manages to be relevant, funny, occasionally sad, and overall it made for an enthralling read.
I can’t fault it in any way.
I ♥ it!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me an advanced reading copy, in exchange for my honest review.
I've read this to go towards the Aussie Author Challenge hosted by Book Lover Book Reviews at http://bookloverbookreviews.com/readi...
Beautiful Messy Love is the sophomore novel of Perth writer, Tess Woods. Her debut novel, Love at First Flight, was very good and different, so I was eagerly anticipating her second novel.
After fifty pages or so I knew I loved it, but was it going to be a 5 star read?
As you can see, it made it to five stars. Honestly, I loved everything about this novel. The characters were realistic and very interesting, and there was no over-the-top drama.
Two love stories make the bulk of the novel. For Lily, a five year medical student, and Toby, a building supervisor and aspiring photographer, was love/lust at first sight, when they came across each other in a café. The only problem was that Toby’s wife was dying of cancer in the same hospital Lily was about to begin her medical rotation.
Anna, a nineteen-year-old Egyptian refugee, works in a café, where she meets the football superstar, Nick Harding. She’s got no idea who he is, as she’s too busy working two jobs, looking after a refugee boy in hospital and volunteering at Asylum Assist, while also looking after her depressed mother. Nick is, or better said was, your stereotypical football star – attractive, cocky, and full of himself, a womaniser, who only thinks about football and his next lay. But he’s unexplicably drawn to the kind, not-his-usual-type Anna. Their relationship won’t be easy as they’ll have to face lots of obstacles, including the pressure of being in the media spotlight and prejudice as Anna is a Muslim girl.
Without a doubt, my favourite character was Anna. Her backstory was heartbreaking. Through her, Tess Woods, brought to our attention the plight of refugees, and re-affirmed that each person has a story, more often than not, a very traumatic one. The refugees are not statistics! They deserve compassion and help, not the awful treatment that our heartless government bestows upon them. It’s outrageous and I am disgusted. Don’t get me started …
Beautiful Messy Love is a women’s fiction novel, but it’s an outstanding one, as it manages to be relevant, funny, occasionally sad, and overall it made for an enthralling read.
I can’t fault it in any way.
I ♥ it!
Many thanks to HarperCollins Australia for sending me an advanced reading copy, in exchange for my honest review.
I've read this to go towards the Aussie Author Challenge hosted by Book Lover Book Reviews at http://bookloverbookreviews.com/readi...
September 4, 2017
I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy this book. I don’t read a lot of romance and when I do it’s because it has a good strong storyline, great characters and is not too mushy! Fortunately, this book ticked all those boxes splendidly and I raced through it.
The book is based on four young people, all trying to work out what they want to do with their lives. Nick, a professional football player who plays fast and loose with the girls but is suffering from injuries that may affect his career. Anna, a refugee from a mixed Egyptian Muslim-Christian family forced to seek asylum in Australia with her mother, a political activist, after her sister and father were killed by religious extremists in Egypt. Lily, a medical student recently dumped after a long term relationship, who is having doubts about becoming a doctor and Toby, running the building company his dad has worked hard to build up, but dreaming of being a photographer.
Love between the two couples that form out of this group of four does indeed seem beautiful and simple in the beginning but soon becomes complicated and messy and some will feel the need to back away so others don’t get hurt. Their lives also become complicated by the expectations of their families and the world. The intrusion of the media into the private lives of celebrities and the politics of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers, particularly children held in detention are just two themes explored in the novel through the stories of the characters. The characters are all really well developed with interesting and complex personalities. Tess Woods has a strong understanding of the passions and difficulties of young love and relationships and her writing makes for compelling reading.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Harper Collins Australia for a copy to read and review
The book is based on four young people, all trying to work out what they want to do with their lives. Nick, a professional football player who plays fast and loose with the girls but is suffering from injuries that may affect his career. Anna, a refugee from a mixed Egyptian Muslim-Christian family forced to seek asylum in Australia with her mother, a political activist, after her sister and father were killed by religious extremists in Egypt. Lily, a medical student recently dumped after a long term relationship, who is having doubts about becoming a doctor and Toby, running the building company his dad has worked hard to build up, but dreaming of being a photographer.
Love between the two couples that form out of this group of four does indeed seem beautiful and simple in the beginning but soon becomes complicated and messy and some will feel the need to back away so others don’t get hurt. Their lives also become complicated by the expectations of their families and the world. The intrusion of the media into the private lives of celebrities and the politics of Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers, particularly children held in detention are just two themes explored in the novel through the stories of the characters. The characters are all really well developed with interesting and complex personalities. Tess Woods has a strong understanding of the passions and difficulties of young love and relationships and her writing makes for compelling reading.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Harper Collins Australia for a copy to read and review
July 24, 2017
Tess Woods was born to write this story and she’s nailed it: beautifully, sensitively, and as she did with her debut, courageously.
It’s fitting that her first novel was called Love at First Flight, because for me it was. I fell in love with her storytelling then and there is no doubt she will continue to soar because she’s followed up with this— a contemporary tale about four characters and their complicated and interconnected lives. Beautiful Messy Love is the perfect title and in only two novels Tess has positioned herself as: ‘the voice in Australian literature that is unafraid’.
You get 5 stars for writing a distinctly and honestly inclusive Australian story (how a modern, multicultural society should be portrayed more often). I believe Tess is leading the way in a new genre I’m calling: Stories That Need To Be Told.
She has touched on a subject close to my heart (the ugly side of social media and media scrutiny and made me grateful I am not young any more, or having to traverse this minefield! Happy to read about it (and you may have taught me a few news words, Tess!) *wink*
It’s fitting that her first novel was called Love at First Flight, because for me it was. I fell in love with her storytelling then and there is no doubt she will continue to soar because she’s followed up with this— a contemporary tale about four characters and their complicated and interconnected lives. Beautiful Messy Love is the perfect title and in only two novels Tess has positioned herself as: ‘the voice in Australian literature that is unafraid’.
You get 5 stars for writing a distinctly and honestly inclusive Australian story (how a modern, multicultural society should be portrayed more often). I believe Tess is leading the way in a new genre I’m calling: Stories That Need To Be Told.
She has touched on a subject close to my heart (the ugly side of social media and media scrutiny and made me grateful I am not young any more, or having to traverse this minefield! Happy to read about it (and you may have taught me a few news words, Tess!) *wink*
August 5, 2017
I've been so excited about reading this book, the second by Perth author Tess Woods. I loved her debut, Love At First Flight.
I attended the Perth launch of Beautiful Messy Love last week and heard the author discuss the passions that drove her to write this book.
For me, BML was 'stolen' by Anna/Anwar's story. I thought the characterisation and voice of Anna and her Egyptian family was brilliantly done. It was through this story that I found the gold of humour, love, empathy that is part of all Tess Woods' stories.
Tante Rosa and Ahmo Fariz just made the book for me, and I felt like I was right there - part of this family so different to my own - trying to run their restaurant and bring up their niece according to their view of a 'good Muslim girl.'
So much tragedy for so many people in this book. All of which caused me those stingy-eyed moments as I read. Early in the piece it's a lemon pie and silver spoon; later it's more tragedy for poor Mel from Love At First Flight. Reading Tess Woods is a little bit like watching Game Of Thrones... someone you love always dies!
But there's so much hope in this book too and it comes through the humour (even in dark times) and the writing tone.
Well done Tess. I love your work Habibti.
I attended the Perth launch of Beautiful Messy Love last week and heard the author discuss the passions that drove her to write this book.
For me, BML was 'stolen' by Anna/Anwar's story. I thought the characterisation and voice of Anna and her Egyptian family was brilliantly done. It was through this story that I found the gold of humour, love, empathy that is part of all Tess Woods' stories.
Tante Rosa and Ahmo Fariz just made the book for me, and I felt like I was right there - part of this family so different to my own - trying to run their restaurant and bring up their niece according to their view of a 'good Muslim girl.'
So much tragedy for so many people in this book. All of which caused me those stingy-eyed moments as I read. Early in the piece it's a lemon pie and silver spoon; later it's more tragedy for poor Mel from Love At First Flight. Reading Tess Woods is a little bit like watching Game Of Thrones... someone you love always dies!
But there's so much hope in this book too and it comes through the humour (even in dark times) and the writing tone.
Well done Tess. I love your work Habibti.
August 6, 2017
Reading the new book written by Tess?! I've been waiting for it since I finished "Love at first flight" and reading a book about Lily and Nick - Mel's children?! I really wanted this!
I knew from the start I'm gonna love this book. Right from the second page where Game of thrones was mentioned (I'm a big fan, can't blame me for it haha).
The second thing I noticed and liked a lot, was that the story happened in Perth, Australia. Most books I've read so far have the action taking place in cities from America. So it's nice to chance the "view". (Yeah, I know that the author is from Perth, but some authors place their book action in different cities than the one they live in).
It just seems so beautiful to read about letters. Nowadays people don't write letters anymore... it's all about the internet. So this little part from the beginning was a out of the present scene I really enjoyed.
For the first time, I also got the chance to read a book from the perspective of 4 different people. And it was a welcomed change.
A man baking for his loved one... Even he never baked before, was such a romantic thing to do... that I craved for that lemon pie.
The “It’s LeviOsa not LeviosAR” quote made me laugh out loud and made me imagine Hermione saying it. Good memories...
If I'm talking about quotes, I want to point out that I enjoyed the book, music, TV shows references. I also found myself thinking about Grey's Anatomy while reading Lily's chapters. And guess what: I freaking loved them!
One thing I liked a lot, was the mixture of cultures. Turkish coffee, egypsian dishes,
I even learned new things about Muslims and Islam.
And now... what I thought about the characters:
Arielle is just the kind of friend any girl wants. She says whatever she wants even if it may sound embarrassing for Lilz. She is the kind of friend that doesn't say what you need to hear, but what you bave to hear. That's the kind of friend everyone shoud have and appreciate.
Tante Rosa's English was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing at some point. Extra points for a book with funny people.
Ricky and Gianni were - in my opinion - the link between the four main characters. Ricky melted my heart with his condition and Gianni was just... the mean brother until... love happened. Love really creates miracles!
And Ross... I just gotten used to the idea of him and Mel and then... out of the blue, he was taken. Why does it always happen to good people? I'm not saying more, because I don't want it to be considered a spoiler. But it made me sad.
The thing that I think was a matchmaker, was that both, Lily and Toby, lost an important person prior to their bound. It was the kind of love meant for a long time. Or so I thought. Somehow, my heart craved for a Ben-Lily relationship the hole time.
On the other side, the story of Anna and Nick. I loved the fact that Anna was so clueless regarding who Nick was. Even her uncle knew! And after that, I found out who Anna was and I was blown away! They were meant for each other in so many ways... their career in sports, the fact that they both lost a family figure, little Noor etc.
The one thing I didn't agree with, was the fact that the words "I love you" were spoken way too fast. I just think that those words are meant to be spoken after a while, after knowing someone in all ways. Maybe I'm wrong, but this is the way I think, so don't judge me.
It was a beautiful book! I enjoyed every single page of it. And Tess, you didn't disappoint me at all. I knew those 2 years of waiting would pay off. You are an amazing writer and once again you proved it! Thank you for the things I learned from your book. That's the beauty of a book. The things you get to learn. The lessons they teach you, the feelings you earn after reading.
Favorite quotes:
“Guys didn’t call girls ‘amazing’ and ‘inspirational’ unless they were shagging them.”
“If eyes really were the window to the soul, then this girl’s soul was shattered to pieces.”
“When our eyes met he smiled a very small smile, I think one that was intended just for me to notice and in that moment it was as if I was falling out of a plane without a parachute.”
“They held deep-blue oceans of pain in them. He had a happy smile but his eyes were filled with pain. And I recognised that in him, as though I was holding up a mirror to myself.”
“it is better to be a fool who experiences happiness than a genius who misses out.”
“His soft kisses and the feel of his stubble on my chin made the butterflies in my tummy start dancing and the frogs in my heart start their game of leap again.”
P.S. I'm now waiting for the third book!
I knew from the start I'm gonna love this book. Right from the second page where Game of thrones was mentioned (I'm a big fan, can't blame me for it haha).
The second thing I noticed and liked a lot, was that the story happened in Perth, Australia. Most books I've read so far have the action taking place in cities from America. So it's nice to chance the "view". (Yeah, I know that the author is from Perth, but some authors place their book action in different cities than the one they live in).
It just seems so beautiful to read about letters. Nowadays people don't write letters anymore... it's all about the internet. So this little part from the beginning was a out of the present scene I really enjoyed.
For the first time, I also got the chance to read a book from the perspective of 4 different people. And it was a welcomed change.
A man baking for his loved one... Even he never baked before, was such a romantic thing to do... that I craved for that lemon pie.
The “It’s LeviOsa not LeviosAR” quote made me laugh out loud and made me imagine Hermione saying it. Good memories...
If I'm talking about quotes, I want to point out that I enjoyed the book, music, TV shows references. I also found myself thinking about Grey's Anatomy while reading Lily's chapters. And guess what: I freaking loved them!
One thing I liked a lot, was the mixture of cultures. Turkish coffee, egypsian dishes,
I even learned new things about Muslims and Islam.
And now... what I thought about the characters:
Arielle is just the kind of friend any girl wants. She says whatever she wants even if it may sound embarrassing for Lilz. She is the kind of friend that doesn't say what you need to hear, but what you bave to hear. That's the kind of friend everyone shoud have and appreciate.
Tante Rosa's English was so funny, I couldn't stop laughing at some point. Extra points for a book with funny people.
Ricky and Gianni were - in my opinion - the link between the four main characters. Ricky melted my heart with his condition and Gianni was just... the mean brother until... love happened. Love really creates miracles!
And Ross... I just gotten used to the idea of him and Mel and then... out of the blue, he was taken. Why does it always happen to good people? I'm not saying more, because I don't want it to be considered a spoiler. But it made me sad.
The thing that I think was a matchmaker, was that both, Lily and Toby, lost an important person prior to their bound. It was the kind of love meant for a long time. Or so I thought. Somehow, my heart craved for a Ben-Lily relationship the hole time.
On the other side, the story of Anna and Nick. I loved the fact that Anna was so clueless regarding who Nick was. Even her uncle knew! And after that, I found out who Anna was and I was blown away! They were meant for each other in so many ways... their career in sports, the fact that they both lost a family figure, little Noor etc.
The one thing I didn't agree with, was the fact that the words "I love you" were spoken way too fast. I just think that those words are meant to be spoken after a while, after knowing someone in all ways. Maybe I'm wrong, but this is the way I think, so don't judge me.
It was a beautiful book! I enjoyed every single page of it. And Tess, you didn't disappoint me at all. I knew those 2 years of waiting would pay off. You are an amazing writer and once again you proved it! Thank you for the things I learned from your book. That's the beauty of a book. The things you get to learn. The lessons they teach you, the feelings you earn after reading.
Favorite quotes:
“Guys didn’t call girls ‘amazing’ and ‘inspirational’ unless they were shagging them.”
“If eyes really were the window to the soul, then this girl’s soul was shattered to pieces.”
“When our eyes met he smiled a very small smile, I think one that was intended just for me to notice and in that moment it was as if I was falling out of a plane without a parachute.”
“They held deep-blue oceans of pain in them. He had a happy smile but his eyes were filled with pain. And I recognised that in him, as though I was holding up a mirror to myself.”
“it is better to be a fool who experiences happiness than a genius who misses out.”
“His soft kisses and the feel of his stubble on my chin made the butterflies in my tummy start dancing and the frogs in my heart start their game of leap again.”
P.S. I'm now waiting for the third book!
June 2, 2018
Contemporary romance is a genre I usually find cliched and tacky and, therefore, I very rarely seek out. Tess Woods’ Beautiful Messy Love was recommended to me, however, so I decided to give it a go. I’m glad I did. Yes, this is a contemporary romance done right.
One of my biggest beefs with some contemporary romance books is that writers think they’re offering us something fresh and modern just by adding a couple of modern references. A stray mention of a twitter feed or someone talking about online dating in passing is all it seems to take for some writers to think they’re hipster novelists. I imagine some have a list of what’s hot at the time which they tick off as they write! In Beautiful Messy Love, however, Woods uses modern references and topical political subjects to actually add to the plot and characterisation. Social media, terrorism, fear of Muslims, asylum seekers, Australia’s off-shore detention centres - they’re all integrated into the plot seamlessly.
The book, set in Western Australia, centres on two couples, Nick and Anna, and Lily and Toby.
Nick is a famous AFL player who meets Anna, a young Muslim Egyptian who has been granted asylum by Australia. Nick’s whole life is in the spotlight. Not only do reporters follow his every move, everyone with a mobile phone tries to catch him in a compromising position for their 15 minutes of fame. Meeting Anna means he buries his penchant for womanising and hard drinking but he soon learns the fickle Australian public would find this preferable to dating a Muslim and fighting for human rights. Anna has her own issues even without Nick coming into her life. The two most pressing being that her mother is suffering from debilitating depression and that she’s adopted/fostered a young boy with cancer.
Meanwhile, Nick’s sister, Lily, is struggling to find motivation to complete her four year medical degree when her boyfriend dumps her to work overseas. Whilst doing some training at the hospital she meets Toby and they fall instantly in love. Sounds simple enough but Toby just happens to be at the hospital because his wife is in the oncology ward with terminal cancer.
If you’re looking for a book that represents how Aussies really think, talk and act, this is the book for you. The dialogue and slang are spot on. Woods’s Egyptian background means Anna and her hilarious relatives are also most likely accurately portrayed. (I enjoyed all the supporting characters. Toby’s brother, John, especially was so real it hurt.)
Although I enjoyed both couples’ storylines, I was more drawn to Lily than the other characters and I flew through the book eager to know how Woods would sort everything out. I don’t really want to reveal anything about the ending but I will just send a shout out to Woods to hurry along with the third book in the series.
Yes, sadly, I didn’t realise Beautiful Messy Love is actually a sequel to Love at First Sight which had Nick and Lily’s mother, Mel, as the lead character and I guess I know how that novel must end given everything that is happening with Mel in this outing. I’ll still read Love at First Sight though.
I also must mention the publisher’s saying Beautiful Messy Love in the vein of Nicolas Sparks in their marketing. What an insult! (Yes, I do hate Sparks and his banal books.) I will admit though there was a few times I needed a tissue.
4 and ½ out of 5
*Thanks to Net-Galley and Harper Collins for my copy.
One of my biggest beefs with some contemporary romance books is that writers think they’re offering us something fresh and modern just by adding a couple of modern references. A stray mention of a twitter feed or someone talking about online dating in passing is all it seems to take for some writers to think they’re hipster novelists. I imagine some have a list of what’s hot at the time which they tick off as they write! In Beautiful Messy Love, however, Woods uses modern references and topical political subjects to actually add to the plot and characterisation. Social media, terrorism, fear of Muslims, asylum seekers, Australia’s off-shore detention centres - they’re all integrated into the plot seamlessly.
The book, set in Western Australia, centres on two couples, Nick and Anna, and Lily and Toby.
Nick is a famous AFL player who meets Anna, a young Muslim Egyptian who has been granted asylum by Australia. Nick’s whole life is in the spotlight. Not only do reporters follow his every move, everyone with a mobile phone tries to catch him in a compromising position for their 15 minutes of fame. Meeting Anna means he buries his penchant for womanising and hard drinking but he soon learns the fickle Australian public would find this preferable to dating a Muslim and fighting for human rights. Anna has her own issues even without Nick coming into her life. The two most pressing being that her mother is suffering from debilitating depression and that she’s adopted/fostered a young boy with cancer.
Meanwhile, Nick’s sister, Lily, is struggling to find motivation to complete her four year medical degree when her boyfriend dumps her to work overseas. Whilst doing some training at the hospital she meets Toby and they fall instantly in love. Sounds simple enough but Toby just happens to be at the hospital because his wife is in the oncology ward with terminal cancer.
If you’re looking for a book that represents how Aussies really think, talk and act, this is the book for you. The dialogue and slang are spot on. Woods’s Egyptian background means Anna and her hilarious relatives are also most likely accurately portrayed. (I enjoyed all the supporting characters. Toby’s brother, John, especially was so real it hurt.)
Although I enjoyed both couples’ storylines, I was more drawn to Lily than the other characters and I flew through the book eager to know how Woods would sort everything out. I don’t really want to reveal anything about the ending but I will just send a shout out to Woods to hurry along with the third book in the series.
Yes, sadly, I didn’t realise Beautiful Messy Love is actually a sequel to Love at First Sight which had Nick and Lily’s mother, Mel, as the lead character and I guess I know how that novel must end given everything that is happening with Mel in this outing. I’ll still read Love at First Sight though.
I also must mention the publisher’s saying Beautiful Messy Love in the vein of Nicolas Sparks in their marketing. What an insult! (Yes, I do hate Sparks and his banal books.) I will admit though there was a few times I needed a tissue.
4 and ½ out of 5
*Thanks to Net-Galley and Harper Collins for my copy.
June 18, 2017
Before I start this review, I want to set you in the mood I was before I read it.
Picture this: You're young, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You've dreamed of visiting this far off wonderland place which everyone keeps talking about. You've seen gorgeous pictures and brochures about the place. People wax poetic about how incredible it is. You look forward to it so much that your insides hurt. You can think of nothing but that place! And then ... you step off the plane. The air is humid, you get rained on, some homeless guy urinates on your foot. Yep. You've arrived, and do you know what? It's just a place. It has trees and a sky. It's still here on earth, so what was all the fuss about? Then you spend a week there, and the beauty of it shines through. A stranger gives you a smile, the coffee is incredible, and you discover the hotel has the best library! Maybe it's not so bad after all, but it definitely wasn't what the brochures advertised.
This is how I felt about love when I grew up. I'd heard it was the bees knees, the answer to all my prayers. Well, that's what the movies and books said. Some perfect guy would come and sweep me off my feet and I'd never have to be sad or alone again. But finding love isn't all sugar and spice, sometimes it down right hurts.
And when I read the first few chapters of Tess Wood's new book, I felt like shouting, Hallelujah to the world. Here's a book that shows love is not just beautiful, but another four letter word: mess.
Beautiful Messy Love follows the journey of two couples as they navigate through the torrid confusion of life. You've got Anna (an Egyptian refugee) and Nick (an Aussie Rules Footy star), and then Ben (conflicted husband of a dying woman) and Lily (medical student with a broken heart). Nick and Lily are the children of the main couple you find in Tess's first book, Love at first Flight, however, you don't have to read it to enjoy this one.
Of the two couples in Beautiful Messy Love, my favourite by far was Nick and Anna. The story woven for Anna's background is just amazing, authentic and tragic. After being a progressive politician's daughter in Egypt and losing half her family to an act of terrorism, Anna is now waiting tables at two restaurants, volunteering at a charity, caring for a sick refugee orphan, and trying to keep her mother's happiness afloat. You get insight into Anna's heart when she writes letters to her lost sister, and it's a truly touching read. For Anna, her religion and ethnicity clash with Nick who is firmly in the media spotlight. It was bittersweet to watch unfold. At times it felt hilarious, like 'My Big Fat Egyptian Wedding' and other times it was heartbreaking, because you know that's exactly how the media would act, you've seen it a million times and, quite frankly, it makes you ashamed to be a human.
And then there's Ben, who is nursing his dying wife, even though she left him. He's stuck between loyalty and his own heart so much that he doesn't really know what he wants anymore. Then he sees Lily who's just had her heart stomped on and they fall in love, lust or something in between. Lily is also dealing with self-discovery and for a while, loses herself again to this new relationship.
There's an Aussie Rules grand final, boat people, mixed-race relationships, and a girl with mermaid hair. This is the real Australia, and Tess Woods has captured it perfectly.
This book is as much about finding yourself and navigating through the mess of life as it is about love. I think Tess Woods is incredibly brave to tackle issues such as religion, prejudice, and diversity in the world, and incredibly smart for tying it all together in a story that does everything a publisher says not to do in such a way that has you laughing and at the same time reaching for a box of tissues to wipe those stray tears away.
As a budding writer, I always like to take a writing lesson from the books I review, and this is what I learned from reading Beautiful Messy Love: You don't have to follow the rules. You can start the book with a break-up, you can write each of your characters view-point in first person. You can do whatever the hell you want, as long as you stay true to the story you want to write.
I have no doubt Tess Woods is going places in the world of writing. Do yourself a favour and read this book. It comes out on July the 24th in Australia, and you can pre-order it at Tess Wood's website.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HarperCollins.
Picture this: You're young, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You've dreamed of visiting this far off wonderland place which everyone keeps talking about. You've seen gorgeous pictures and brochures about the place. People wax poetic about how incredible it is. You look forward to it so much that your insides hurt. You can think of nothing but that place! And then ... you step off the plane. The air is humid, you get rained on, some homeless guy urinates on your foot. Yep. You've arrived, and do you know what? It's just a place. It has trees and a sky. It's still here on earth, so what was all the fuss about? Then you spend a week there, and the beauty of it shines through. A stranger gives you a smile, the coffee is incredible, and you discover the hotel has the best library! Maybe it's not so bad after all, but it definitely wasn't what the brochures advertised.
This is how I felt about love when I grew up. I'd heard it was the bees knees, the answer to all my prayers. Well, that's what the movies and books said. Some perfect guy would come and sweep me off my feet and I'd never have to be sad or alone again. But finding love isn't all sugar and spice, sometimes it down right hurts.
And when I read the first few chapters of Tess Wood's new book, I felt like shouting, Hallelujah to the world. Here's a book that shows love is not just beautiful, but another four letter word: mess.
Beautiful Messy Love follows the journey of two couples as they navigate through the torrid confusion of life. You've got Anna (an Egyptian refugee) and Nick (an Aussie Rules Footy star), and then Ben (conflicted husband of a dying woman) and Lily (medical student with a broken heart). Nick and Lily are the children of the main couple you find in Tess's first book, Love at first Flight, however, you don't have to read it to enjoy this one.
Of the two couples in Beautiful Messy Love, my favourite by far was Nick and Anna. The story woven for Anna's background is just amazing, authentic and tragic. After being a progressive politician's daughter in Egypt and losing half her family to an act of terrorism, Anna is now waiting tables at two restaurants, volunteering at a charity, caring for a sick refugee orphan, and trying to keep her mother's happiness afloat. You get insight into Anna's heart when she writes letters to her lost sister, and it's a truly touching read. For Anna, her religion and ethnicity clash with Nick who is firmly in the media spotlight. It was bittersweet to watch unfold. At times it felt hilarious, like 'My Big Fat Egyptian Wedding' and other times it was heartbreaking, because you know that's exactly how the media would act, you've seen it a million times and, quite frankly, it makes you ashamed to be a human.
And then there's Ben, who is nursing his dying wife, even though she left him. He's stuck between loyalty and his own heart so much that he doesn't really know what he wants anymore. Then he sees Lily who's just had her heart stomped on and they fall in love, lust or something in between. Lily is also dealing with self-discovery and for a while, loses herself again to this new relationship.
There's an Aussie Rules grand final, boat people, mixed-race relationships, and a girl with mermaid hair. This is the real Australia, and Tess Woods has captured it perfectly.
This book is as much about finding yourself and navigating through the mess of life as it is about love. I think Tess Woods is incredibly brave to tackle issues such as religion, prejudice, and diversity in the world, and incredibly smart for tying it all together in a story that does everything a publisher says not to do in such a way that has you laughing and at the same time reaching for a box of tissues to wipe those stray tears away.
As a budding writer, I always like to take a writing lesson from the books I review, and this is what I learned from reading Beautiful Messy Love: You don't have to follow the rules. You can start the book with a break-up, you can write each of your characters view-point in first person. You can do whatever the hell you want, as long as you stay true to the story you want to write.
I have no doubt Tess Woods is going places in the world of writing. Do yourself a favour and read this book. It comes out on July the 24th in Australia, and you can pre-order it at Tess Wood's website.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you HarperCollins.
August 2, 2017
I very much enjoyed reading Tess Woods skilfully written second novel Beautiful Messy Love. Realistic and occasionally confronting the novel was , I thought, an accurate depiction of people at their best and worse and it makes for great reading. Overall I felt it was a story of endurance and survival, especially for Anna, whose characterization in the novel is handled brilliantly.
September 28, 2017
Beautiful Messy Love is a book you won't want to end.
There is so much that is good in Tess Woods' second novel, Beautiful Messy Love: from the way the complicated issue of asylum seekers is raised; the hunky guys; the message of following your dreams and being true to yourself; the treatment of religion and Muslims; the hot football guys; and did I mention the great sex (OMG, did I just say 'great sex' in a book review).
Beautiful Messy Love follows on from Woods' debut novel, Love at First Flight but it certainly isn't a sequel--it's a stand-alone work of general fiction that will make you cry, laugh, and gasp in delight.
The story follows Anna or Anwar (an Egyptian refugee); Toby (a disenchanted, grieving man); Lily ( a Rapunzel-like med student); and her brother Nick (a gorgeously redeemed womanising professional footy player). Four complicated loves that collide in beautiful messy love.
I don't know how to say this--except Beautiful Messy Love will break your heart and then put you back together again. Woods' novel will leave you feeling hopeful about humanity. It's a feel-good romance anchored very much in reality and the complications of everyday life.
Beautiful Messy Love is a wonderful example of contemporary Australian romantic fiction. Highly recommended for anyone not watching the AFL Grand Final this weekend.
P.S. Tess, you were wrong--I did love Nick!
Many thanks to Alice at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of Beautiful Messy Love.
There is so much that is good in Tess Woods' second novel, Beautiful Messy Love: from the way the complicated issue of asylum seekers is raised; the hunky guys; the message of following your dreams and being true to yourself; the treatment of religion and Muslims; the hot football guys; and did I mention the great sex (OMG, did I just say 'great sex' in a book review).
Beautiful Messy Love follows on from Woods' debut novel, Love at First Flight but it certainly isn't a sequel--it's a stand-alone work of general fiction that will make you cry, laugh, and gasp in delight.
The story follows Anna or Anwar (an Egyptian refugee); Toby (a disenchanted, grieving man); Lily ( a Rapunzel-like med student); and her brother Nick (a gorgeously redeemed womanising professional footy player). Four complicated loves that collide in beautiful messy love.
I don't know how to say this--except Beautiful Messy Love will break your heart and then put you back together again. Woods' novel will leave you feeling hopeful about humanity. It's a feel-good romance anchored very much in reality and the complications of everyday life.
Beautiful Messy Love is a wonderful example of contemporary Australian romantic fiction. Highly recommended for anyone not watching the AFL Grand Final this weekend.
P.S. Tess, you were wrong--I did love Nick!
Many thanks to Alice at Harper Collins for sending me a copy of Beautiful Messy Love.
July 26, 2017
Tess Woods's debut novel, Love at First Flight, stayed with me long after I finished reading it, so I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of her second novel, especially when I discovered that Beautiful Messy Love was the story of the children from the first book. Beautiful Messy Love is a stand alone novel, though. You don't need to have read Love at First Flight to enjoy it, but once you read it I'm sure you'll fall in love with Tess's incredible writing and rush out to grab a copy.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance ebook copy and devoured it within a couple of days. I also received a surprise paperback advance copy too. I loved the story so much that I bought the audiobook the day it released and finished that within a couple of days, too. So now, I have the whole set!
Wow! This was the best audiobook I've ever listened to - and I've listened to almost 200 audiobooks (you can see them all HERE). There are four different narrators that are perfectly matched to the four different point of view characters. The book was a five-star read anyway, but this extra attention to detail took it to the next level. If you're an audiobook fan - this is an auto buy. If you're not sure about audio then this book is a great place to start. The narrator for Toby - SWOON!
I found Lily very relatable - in my early 20s, I also struggled with studying a difficult university degree and debated whether to finish it. My heart went out to Anna and I loved Tante Rosa - the grumpy Egyptian matriarch made me smile. My favourite character would be Toby's brother, John - he cracked me up so many times with his inappropriate, self-absorbed comments. He was like the Aussie version of Joey from Friends - but more of a prick (and his girlfriend's name was Renee - I'd never put up with his crap, though).
I went from laughing at hilarious one-liners to sobbing, on multiple occasions - a roller coaster of emotions. Two intertwining love stories, overcoming issues of race, religion, fame and grief. This book is firmly at the top of my Best of 2017 list.
I was lucky enough to receive an advance ebook copy and devoured it within a couple of days. I also received a surprise paperback advance copy too. I loved the story so much that I bought the audiobook the day it released and finished that within a couple of days, too. So now, I have the whole set!
Wow! This was the best audiobook I've ever listened to - and I've listened to almost 200 audiobooks (you can see them all HERE). There are four different narrators that are perfectly matched to the four different point of view characters. The book was a five-star read anyway, but this extra attention to detail took it to the next level. If you're an audiobook fan - this is an auto buy. If you're not sure about audio then this book is a great place to start. The narrator for Toby - SWOON!
I found Lily very relatable - in my early 20s, I also struggled with studying a difficult university degree and debated whether to finish it. My heart went out to Anna and I loved Tante Rosa - the grumpy Egyptian matriarch made me smile. My favourite character would be Toby's brother, John - he cracked me up so many times with his inappropriate, self-absorbed comments. He was like the Aussie version of Joey from Friends - but more of a prick (and his girlfriend's name was Renee - I'd never put up with his crap, though).
I went from laughing at hilarious one-liners to sobbing, on multiple occasions - a roller coaster of emotions. Two intertwining love stories, overcoming issues of race, religion, fame and grief. This book is firmly at the top of my Best of 2017 list.
August 10, 2017
This book is hands down one of the best books I've read in such a long time. From the first few minutes I was instantly captured by the lives of Anna, Nick, Lily and Toby and wished so badly that I was a part of their world so I could continue to experience it even after the book had ended. This beautiful and at times heartbreaking story feels so real and incorporates the perfect amount of real world places and current issues. I'd recommend this book 1000 times over and wish I could listen to it again and again. Incredible. I loved it.
September 7, 2017
4.5 ★s
Beautiful Messy Love is the second novel by Australian author, Tess Woods. When fifth-year med student, Lily Harding finds herself looking across the hospital café table into the beautiful blue eyes of a gorgeous blonde man, she’s not expecting to fall in love. After all, she still carries a flame for Ben, her ex, now doing charitable things in Kenya. And when she sees blue-eyes again, in the oncology ward, at the bedside of his terminally ill wife, well, it may be beautiful but she knows it’s all wrong.
Aussie Rules football star, Nick Harding is sick of the debauchery: he vows to turn over a new leaf. But is that even possible with his reputation? When Anna serves his coffee at the local café, he’s instantly smitten. But Anna (Anwar) is a good Muslim girl who’s way too busy (two jobs, volunteer work for asylum seekers, caring for a six-year-old orphan refugee, about to start a Law degree) to spend any time with Nick. But Nick, even new-leaf Nick, can be charming and persistent.
Four narrators relate the events of their lives and loves over a seven month period, with an epilogue two years on to tie up the loose ends. The plot is foreseeable, but only for Part One and then it twists and turns and ventures into uncharted territory. It’s gotten messy. The characters are appealing for all their flaws and emotional baggage, and even the somewhat stereo-typical minor characters are not wholly predictable. The dialogue is natural and the banter between certain characters provides plenty of humour.
This is a novel that touches on both topical and age-old themes: the plight of asylum seekers, grief, survivor guilt, being stuck in the wrong career, media scrutiny, the clash of cultures, and effect of preconceptions about those cultures on established loyalties. Because it’s a book about young lovers, yes, there’s quite a bit of sex as well as gratuitous use of expletives. But also fidelity, fiery passion, football and fun. Even a bit of Harry Potter. An entertaining read.
Beautiful Messy Love is the second novel by Australian author, Tess Woods. When fifth-year med student, Lily Harding finds herself looking across the hospital café table into the beautiful blue eyes of a gorgeous blonde man, she’s not expecting to fall in love. After all, she still carries a flame for Ben, her ex, now doing charitable things in Kenya. And when she sees blue-eyes again, in the oncology ward, at the bedside of his terminally ill wife, well, it may be beautiful but she knows it’s all wrong.
Aussie Rules football star, Nick Harding is sick of the debauchery: he vows to turn over a new leaf. But is that even possible with his reputation? When Anna serves his coffee at the local café, he’s instantly smitten. But Anna (Anwar) is a good Muslim girl who’s way too busy (two jobs, volunteer work for asylum seekers, caring for a six-year-old orphan refugee, about to start a Law degree) to spend any time with Nick. But Nick, even new-leaf Nick, can be charming and persistent.
Four narrators relate the events of their lives and loves over a seven month period, with an epilogue two years on to tie up the loose ends. The plot is foreseeable, but only for Part One and then it twists and turns and ventures into uncharted territory. It’s gotten messy. The characters are appealing for all their flaws and emotional baggage, and even the somewhat stereo-typical minor characters are not wholly predictable. The dialogue is natural and the banter between certain characters provides plenty of humour.
This is a novel that touches on both topical and age-old themes: the plight of asylum seekers, grief, survivor guilt, being stuck in the wrong career, media scrutiny, the clash of cultures, and effect of preconceptions about those cultures on established loyalties. Because it’s a book about young lovers, yes, there’s quite a bit of sex as well as gratuitous use of expletives. But also fidelity, fiery passion, football and fun. Even a bit of Harry Potter. An entertaining read.
September 3, 2017
Tess Woods explicitly understands what it is to be human. She demonstrated this with her first novel, Love At First Flight, and now she’s done it again with her second, Beautiful Messy Love. I loved this novel so much I hardly know where to begin with articulating all of my thoughts – which are many!
A good starting point would probably be for me to state up-front that I liked Beautiful Messy Love a teensy bit more than Love At First Flight, which is a pretty big deal because Love At First Flight was one of my top picks for last year. I felt there were a greater range of characters for Tess to go deep with in Beautiful Messy Love and there were also a couple of timely and important social issues explored that were handled with sensitivity and great intelligence by Tess. It appears that Tess Woods is going to keep getting better and better with each new novel when she was already brilliant to start with. Aren’t we lucky!
One thing really struck me while reading Beautiful Messy Love, a notion I took to be the overall ‘message’ of the novel:
We do not love in isolation
I’ve never read a novel that has demonstrated this so well, particularly in the case of Nick and Anna, but also to a certain degree with Lily and Toby. This is one of the many reasons why I say things like, ‘Tess understands being human’. She really does. Her characters are just like real people, crafted with the skill that only comes from the hand of someone who has lived and loved and lost themselves. It’s a gift to be able to translate such precise emotion into words and to tell a story that not only keeps people reading all night but has them thinking about it for days after. And it’s not only her main characters that strike a chord. I absolutely adored Ahmo Fariz and Tante Rosa; these two were so funny together but they provided more to the story than comic relief. They were the linchpins for Anna, the two people she could rely on above all others and I loved their dedication and protection of their niece, even when her choices were making their lives difficult. One of my favourite scenes in Beautiful Messy Love was when Tante Rosa shares her story with Anna. Such a heartbreaking moment when we learn of Rosa’s own loss.
Beautiful Messy Love is a character driven story so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the main characters with a little more depth. Lily was simply divine. She possessed a beautiful soul and the point at which she realised this was a truly wonderful turning point for her. Instead of regarding her empathy as a reason to not be a doctor, she learnt to embrace it and focus on a new medical career that was of her own choosing, rather than simply following blindly in someone else’s footsteps. The relationship between Lily and Toby demonstrated how important it is to be your own person first if you have any hope of being able to successfully love another for more than a brief moment in time. I especially enjoyed Lily’s relationship with her brother, Nick. Their closeness and rapport was so endearing, really lovely, and of course, quite natural and authentic. For Nick, meeting and loving Anna enhanced his life in so many ways. I loved seeing him transform from a shallow empty soul into a meaningful person who was willing to use his celebrity status for more than just a free ride at life. I adored Anna, with her fierce love for her family and her unwavering hope for a better future. Anna, and her family’s story, is a timely example of how terrorism needs to be separated from being Muslim: the two are not mutually exclusive.
I learnt more about being Muslim from this novel than from any other source in recent times. It was refreshing to experience the life of another culture through the eyes of someone who knows what they’re talking about. As demonstrated through Nick’s and Anna’s experiences with the media, we live in a society that is saturated with fear mongering and negative hype. It’s sad to think that division is more popular than unity, but novels like Beautiful Messy Love give me hope that one day we can overcome this societal flaw. One day we might all unite and love each other for our differences just as much as we already do for our similarities. Surely, the only way we can overcome evil is to band together and stand united against it. If we can learn anything from history at all, then it has to be that religious persecution is not the way forward.
I’m going to leave this review with the same stunning words Tess left Beautiful Messy Love on:
“The love I had for the people who surrounded me and the way I loved those I had lost was messy – it was complicated, difficult and sometimes unbearably painful. But that didn’t make it any less beautiful.”
Beautiful Messy Love. Read it. Love it. Tell everyone about it. #BeautifulMessyLove
Thanks is extended to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of Beautiful Messy Love for review.
Beautiful Messy Love is book 56 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
A good starting point would probably be for me to state up-front that I liked Beautiful Messy Love a teensy bit more than Love At First Flight, which is a pretty big deal because Love At First Flight was one of my top picks for last year. I felt there were a greater range of characters for Tess to go deep with in Beautiful Messy Love and there were also a couple of timely and important social issues explored that were handled with sensitivity and great intelligence by Tess. It appears that Tess Woods is going to keep getting better and better with each new novel when she was already brilliant to start with. Aren’t we lucky!
One thing really struck me while reading Beautiful Messy Love, a notion I took to be the overall ‘message’ of the novel:
We do not love in isolation
I’ve never read a novel that has demonstrated this so well, particularly in the case of Nick and Anna, but also to a certain degree with Lily and Toby. This is one of the many reasons why I say things like, ‘Tess understands being human’. She really does. Her characters are just like real people, crafted with the skill that only comes from the hand of someone who has lived and loved and lost themselves. It’s a gift to be able to translate such precise emotion into words and to tell a story that not only keeps people reading all night but has them thinking about it for days after. And it’s not only her main characters that strike a chord. I absolutely adored Ahmo Fariz and Tante Rosa; these two were so funny together but they provided more to the story than comic relief. They were the linchpins for Anna, the two people she could rely on above all others and I loved their dedication and protection of their niece, even when her choices were making their lives difficult. One of my favourite scenes in Beautiful Messy Love was when Tante Rosa shares her story with Anna. Such a heartbreaking moment when we learn of Rosa’s own loss.
Beautiful Messy Love is a character driven story so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the main characters with a little more depth. Lily was simply divine. She possessed a beautiful soul and the point at which she realised this was a truly wonderful turning point for her. Instead of regarding her empathy as a reason to not be a doctor, she learnt to embrace it and focus on a new medical career that was of her own choosing, rather than simply following blindly in someone else’s footsteps. The relationship between Lily and Toby demonstrated how important it is to be your own person first if you have any hope of being able to successfully love another for more than a brief moment in time. I especially enjoyed Lily’s relationship with her brother, Nick. Their closeness and rapport was so endearing, really lovely, and of course, quite natural and authentic. For Nick, meeting and loving Anna enhanced his life in so many ways. I loved seeing him transform from a shallow empty soul into a meaningful person who was willing to use his celebrity status for more than just a free ride at life. I adored Anna, with her fierce love for her family and her unwavering hope for a better future. Anna, and her family’s story, is a timely example of how terrorism needs to be separated from being Muslim: the two are not mutually exclusive.
I learnt more about being Muslim from this novel than from any other source in recent times. It was refreshing to experience the life of another culture through the eyes of someone who knows what they’re talking about. As demonstrated through Nick’s and Anna’s experiences with the media, we live in a society that is saturated with fear mongering and negative hype. It’s sad to think that division is more popular than unity, but novels like Beautiful Messy Love give me hope that one day we can overcome this societal flaw. One day we might all unite and love each other for our differences just as much as we already do for our similarities. Surely, the only way we can overcome evil is to band together and stand united against it. If we can learn anything from history at all, then it has to be that religious persecution is not the way forward.
I’m going to leave this review with the same stunning words Tess left Beautiful Messy Love on:
“The love I had for the people who surrounded me and the way I loved those I had lost was messy – it was complicated, difficult and sometimes unbearably painful. But that didn’t make it any less beautiful.”
Beautiful Messy Love. Read it. Love it. Tell everyone about it. #BeautifulMessyLove
Thanks is extended to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy of Beautiful Messy Love for review.
Beautiful Messy Love is book 56 in my 2017 Australian Women Writers Challenge.
August 9, 2017
Tess Woods delivers a perfect blend of romance and contemporary women’s fiction in her latest novel, Beautiful Messy Love. Humour, lust and love are intricately threaded into topical themes centred around asylum seekers, terrorism, prejudice, cancer and depression. Tess takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, calling it as she sees it in her achingly honest and down to earth way.
Nick and Lily, siblings from Tess’s debut novel Love at First Flight are young adults, navigating life after the sudden death of their father a few years before.
On first impression Nick is a shallow man, enjoying one night stands that come all too easily thanks to his hunky AFL star status. He meets Anna (Anwar), a political refugee from Egypt with a traumatic past. A social media frenzy ensues, threatening to ruin Nick’s career and turning the local muslim community against Anna’s tight knit family.
Lily is studying oncology, but worries whether she will be able to cope with the emotional demands of this line of medicine. She meets Toby, who’s wife is dying in hospital, and sparks fly. They begin a passionate affair that draws criticism from family and friends on both sides.
The book is divided into three parts, with chapters alternating in different points of view between Nick, Lily, Anna and Toby, allowing a deep insight into the psyche of each character. Their four lives become entwined without them realising it, giving the reader a ‘fly on the wall’ experience as they see events unfold before the characters do. This helps create a tension that makes it difficult to put the book down.
I liked all the characters, however my favourite was Anna. Raised by a muslim father and a christian mother, her Egyptian background was extremely well drawn and I learnt quite a lot from her. Anna is the epitome of understanding, compassion and acceptance. Her ability to move on from tragedy, while maintaining a passion for life, love and lust for Nick, and unconditional love for a refugee boy under her care is inspiring. She is a strong young woman who makes up her own mind, unconstrained by religious, cultural or societal ‘rules’.
Authors have a unique ability to access the private minds and hearts of their readers, allowing them to tackle difficult subjects in an easily accessible format, one-on-one. Tess has taken this gift seriously, and presented her themes in a humane, non-preachy way. A line from Beautiful Messy Love that resonated with me reads;
‘Change happens if you strike a chord in the heart of just one person.’
And Tess certainly does that, not only through her writing, but in the charities she champions, such as Share The Dignity (access to sanitary pads for homeless women). Head over to her Facebook page and I imagine you, too will be caught up in her enthusiasm for the causes she supports.
After listening to her inspirational speech at the Perth launch of Beautiful Messy Love, I started her novel from the very back – the acknowledgments page (apparently the longest list of acknowledgements ever published by Harper Collins). These last pages shine brightly with Tess’s infectious personality. I laughed hard, then I cried. Then I buckled myself in and started to read the rest of her book. Throughout the story this pattern was repeated. Deep despair lightened by hilarious moments. Cringe-worthy male behaviour eclipsed by women who are not afraid to own their sexuality.
The novel is good. Very good. And brave. And funny. And sad. And real.
You never know in a Tess Woods novel whether there will be a happily ever after. Her books are strewn with grit, edge and uncertainty, making for a suspenseful read that deviates from the traditional ‘romance genre’.
I finished the book on a Saturday afternoon, curled up on the couch under a cosy blanket while a winter storm did its thing outside. It was pure pleasure. I just wanted you to know that, Tess.
Authors put so much of themselves into a book. They write late at night and early in the morning, their families learning to adapt to the demands of the publishing process. They deal with crippling self doubt, barely hanging in there at times. It’s hard to comprehend this when all you see is the glossy finished product while you’re lazing by the pool on vacation, or sitting out a raging storm. I’m glad you stuck with the writing gig, Tess! I’m looking forward to your next novel.
Thank you to Harpour Collins for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
mariemclean.com
Nick and Lily, siblings from Tess’s debut novel Love at First Flight are young adults, navigating life after the sudden death of their father a few years before.
On first impression Nick is a shallow man, enjoying one night stands that come all too easily thanks to his hunky AFL star status. He meets Anna (Anwar), a political refugee from Egypt with a traumatic past. A social media frenzy ensues, threatening to ruin Nick’s career and turning the local muslim community against Anna’s tight knit family.
Lily is studying oncology, but worries whether she will be able to cope with the emotional demands of this line of medicine. She meets Toby, who’s wife is dying in hospital, and sparks fly. They begin a passionate affair that draws criticism from family and friends on both sides.
The book is divided into three parts, with chapters alternating in different points of view between Nick, Lily, Anna and Toby, allowing a deep insight into the psyche of each character. Their four lives become entwined without them realising it, giving the reader a ‘fly on the wall’ experience as they see events unfold before the characters do. This helps create a tension that makes it difficult to put the book down.
I liked all the characters, however my favourite was Anna. Raised by a muslim father and a christian mother, her Egyptian background was extremely well drawn and I learnt quite a lot from her. Anna is the epitome of understanding, compassion and acceptance. Her ability to move on from tragedy, while maintaining a passion for life, love and lust for Nick, and unconditional love for a refugee boy under her care is inspiring. She is a strong young woman who makes up her own mind, unconstrained by religious, cultural or societal ‘rules’.
Authors have a unique ability to access the private minds and hearts of their readers, allowing them to tackle difficult subjects in an easily accessible format, one-on-one. Tess has taken this gift seriously, and presented her themes in a humane, non-preachy way. A line from Beautiful Messy Love that resonated with me reads;
‘Change happens if you strike a chord in the heart of just one person.’
And Tess certainly does that, not only through her writing, but in the charities she champions, such as Share The Dignity (access to sanitary pads for homeless women). Head over to her Facebook page and I imagine you, too will be caught up in her enthusiasm for the causes she supports.
After listening to her inspirational speech at the Perth launch of Beautiful Messy Love, I started her novel from the very back – the acknowledgments page (apparently the longest list of acknowledgements ever published by Harper Collins). These last pages shine brightly with Tess’s infectious personality. I laughed hard, then I cried. Then I buckled myself in and started to read the rest of her book. Throughout the story this pattern was repeated. Deep despair lightened by hilarious moments. Cringe-worthy male behaviour eclipsed by women who are not afraid to own their sexuality.
The novel is good. Very good. And brave. And funny. And sad. And real.
You never know in a Tess Woods novel whether there will be a happily ever after. Her books are strewn with grit, edge and uncertainty, making for a suspenseful read that deviates from the traditional ‘romance genre’.
I finished the book on a Saturday afternoon, curled up on the couch under a cosy blanket while a winter storm did its thing outside. It was pure pleasure. I just wanted you to know that, Tess.
Authors put so much of themselves into a book. They write late at night and early in the morning, their families learning to adapt to the demands of the publishing process. They deal with crippling self doubt, barely hanging in there at times. It’s hard to comprehend this when all you see is the glossy finished product while you’re lazing by the pool on vacation, or sitting out a raging storm. I’m glad you stuck with the writing gig, Tess! I’m looking forward to your next novel.
Thank you to Harpour Collins for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
mariemclean.com
October 6, 2017
You know it's a good one when you end up crying into your wine while reading the last few chapters! After an emotional roller coaster of a journey I was just happy to see that each of the characters got what they wanted in the end 😭🤧
Seriously though, Tess Woods has a wonderful gift of interweaving very real and confronting topics into a story that has you crying and laughing along. I had trouble putting this down and will probably think of it for a long time to come.
Seriously though, Tess Woods has a wonderful gift of interweaving very real and confronting topics into a story that has you crying and laughing along. I had trouble putting this down and will probably think of it for a long time to come.
July 24, 2017
Themes of love, lust, loss, grief, family conflict and duty can all be found in Perth-based author Tess Woods’ new novel Beautiful Messy Love(HarperCollinsPublishers), but it’s the broader social themes that set it apart from other contemporary women’s fiction, and will ensure it generates plenty of debate and discussion.
The novel’s exploration of serious contemporary issues – including the plight of asylum seekers, the impacts of depression, dwindling privacy in the digital age, the challenges of cross-cultural relationships, ignorance about religious difference, and the threat of terrorism – adds depth and breadth to the narrative, without overwhelming the dual love stories at its heart.
Woods’ deft and delicate handling of these contentious subjects confirms she is a deep-thinking, compassionate and fearless writer with the skills and finesse to incorporate lofty ideas in her storytelling, without preaching or proselytising.
While these themes challenge her readers, Woods has also challenged herself, by writing the novel from four alternating perspectives – those of the two men and two women whose lives and loves become irresistibly entwined as the story progresses.
While the protagonists of Tess Woods’ debut novel Love at First Flight were hard to like, the four key characters in Beautiful Messy Love are flawed but immensely likeable, and their complicated relationships bear an authenticity certain to satisfy readers attracted by the romantic elements of the story, as well as those looking for more.
Secondary characters are also well crafted, with Anna’s Tante Rosa – possibly inspired by some of the author’s Egyptian relatives – providing a moral compass, and some welcome levity amid the drama. There’s also a rumour that several sexually charged cameo roles may be named after some of Tess Woods’ writing friends.
Beautiful Messy Love is charming, enthralling and thought-provoking, and it looks set to cement Tess Woods’ place among the most sought-after writers of contemporary Australian fiction.
* Beautiful Messy Love, by Tess Woods, is published by HarperCollinsPublishers, rrp $29.99. eBook also available. My copy was provided by Tess Woods and HarperCollinsPublishers in exchange for an honest review.
The novel’s exploration of serious contemporary issues – including the plight of asylum seekers, the impacts of depression, dwindling privacy in the digital age, the challenges of cross-cultural relationships, ignorance about religious difference, and the threat of terrorism – adds depth and breadth to the narrative, without overwhelming the dual love stories at its heart.
Woods’ deft and delicate handling of these contentious subjects confirms she is a deep-thinking, compassionate and fearless writer with the skills and finesse to incorporate lofty ideas in her storytelling, without preaching or proselytising.
While these themes challenge her readers, Woods has also challenged herself, by writing the novel from four alternating perspectives – those of the two men and two women whose lives and loves become irresistibly entwined as the story progresses.
While the protagonists of Tess Woods’ debut novel Love at First Flight were hard to like, the four key characters in Beautiful Messy Love are flawed but immensely likeable, and their complicated relationships bear an authenticity certain to satisfy readers attracted by the romantic elements of the story, as well as those looking for more.
Secondary characters are also well crafted, with Anna’s Tante Rosa – possibly inspired by some of the author’s Egyptian relatives – providing a moral compass, and some welcome levity amid the drama. There’s also a rumour that several sexually charged cameo roles may be named after some of Tess Woods’ writing friends.
Beautiful Messy Love is charming, enthralling and thought-provoking, and it looks set to cement Tess Woods’ place among the most sought-after writers of contemporary Australian fiction.
* Beautiful Messy Love, by Tess Woods, is published by HarperCollinsPublishers, rrp $29.99. eBook also available. My copy was provided by Tess Woods and HarperCollinsPublishers in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2017
4.5 *
https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
This book is receiving great acclaim and I can see why. Divided into three parts, with alternating character chapters, you are provided with great insight into each of the four main leads and how their lives are entwined. With everything from an AFL (Australian Rules Football) Grand Final to asylum seekers - this book truly has it all.
At its heart this is a book that puts a microscope on contemporary Australian living with its honest portrayal of not only multiculturalism, but also drawing attention to the ugly side of social media. Tess Woods gives honest accounts on diversity, prejudice and religion - so very topical and handled so well. Her serious exploration of contemporary issues are not only wide ranging, but heartfelt and compassionate. Woods shines the light on everything from the plight of asylum seekers, privacy issues in this digital ‘tell all’ age, cross cultural relationships, religious bigotry and the debilitation of depression on all those who come in contact with it.
‘This is the worst situation ever.’
‘It is,’ I agreed.
‘I don’t know how we can make this work. It’s too messy.’
‘I don’t know either, but I know that I really want to try.’
Yes, this is also a tale of two love stories, but Woods definitely strikes a balance between that and the social spotlight investigation. In keeping with the social realist approach, the love here is real with its ‘warts and all’ approach covering not only the joy and passion, but also the loss and heartache. The array of supporting characters, the detail provided to their stories, is also demonstrative of how each has a role to play, adding real depth and support to each of the many themes.
The title could not be more apt - this is a book where the central theme is about finding your way in life, navigating as best you can because it’s not always smooth - it’s messy! Complex! But also, it can be very beautiful!
‘Let me tell you something important –it is better to be a fool who experiences happiness than a genius who misses out.’
This is a powerful and thought provoking book with its contemporary focus on the messiness of life and having strength of character to stay the course, grow and develop despite what others may claim. It’s beautiful, it’s messy, it’s love.
The love I had for the people who surrounded me and the way I loved those I had lost was messy –it was complicated, difficult and sometimes unbearably painful. But that didn’t make it any less beautiful.
https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
This book is receiving great acclaim and I can see why. Divided into three parts, with alternating character chapters, you are provided with great insight into each of the four main leads and how their lives are entwined. With everything from an AFL (Australian Rules Football) Grand Final to asylum seekers - this book truly has it all.
At its heart this is a book that puts a microscope on contemporary Australian living with its honest portrayal of not only multiculturalism, but also drawing attention to the ugly side of social media. Tess Woods gives honest accounts on diversity, prejudice and religion - so very topical and handled so well. Her serious exploration of contemporary issues are not only wide ranging, but heartfelt and compassionate. Woods shines the light on everything from the plight of asylum seekers, privacy issues in this digital ‘tell all’ age, cross cultural relationships, religious bigotry and the debilitation of depression on all those who come in contact with it.
‘This is the worst situation ever.’
‘It is,’ I agreed.
‘I don’t know how we can make this work. It’s too messy.’
‘I don’t know either, but I know that I really want to try.’
Yes, this is also a tale of two love stories, but Woods definitely strikes a balance between that and the social spotlight investigation. In keeping with the social realist approach, the love here is real with its ‘warts and all’ approach covering not only the joy and passion, but also the loss and heartache. The array of supporting characters, the detail provided to their stories, is also demonstrative of how each has a role to play, adding real depth and support to each of the many themes.
The title could not be more apt - this is a book where the central theme is about finding your way in life, navigating as best you can because it’s not always smooth - it’s messy! Complex! But also, it can be very beautiful!
‘Let me tell you something important –it is better to be a fool who experiences happiness than a genius who misses out.’
This is a powerful and thought provoking book with its contemporary focus on the messiness of life and having strength of character to stay the course, grow and develop despite what others may claim. It’s beautiful, it’s messy, it’s love.
The love I had for the people who surrounded me and the way I loved those I had lost was messy –it was complicated, difficult and sometimes unbearably painful. But that didn’t make it any less beautiful.
October 20, 2017
So, let me begin by saying that I'm struggling to write this review because I'm terrified that I won't be able to do the book justice or fully express just how much I absolutely ADORED it. I read the first few chapters - was deeply invested in the story and the characters - and then I promptly lost the book in the middle of the city and was kicking myself because I desperately needed to know what happened next!! I finally made it into Dymocks to replace my copy and then once I started reading again, I didn't let it out of my sight until I was finished! I wished I could have showed some self-restraint and made it last longer because I enjoyed every minute with this book and I didn't want it to end. However, from about a third of the way in, there was no way I was putting it back down for even a second. I sat outside in the sunshine and I simply sobbed my way through the second half of the book and when I finished, I couldn't stop crying and smiling. (And I do mean noisy, sniffly, embarrassing tears - luckily I was home alone).
It's smart, emotional, witty and lovely.
It squeezes your heart and you fall head over heels for the characters - especially Anwar, the sweetest, most gorgeous character ever.
I loved every moment.
It's smart, emotional, witty and lovely.
It squeezes your heart and you fall head over heels for the characters - especially Anwar, the sweetest, most gorgeous character ever.
I loved every moment.
July 20, 2017
You just know when a book is going to be brilliant.
Sometimes it's a character who you instantly connect with.
Sometimes it's simply a sentence that hits you with such clarity that you have to re-read it a few times then close the book and just breathe.
Sometimes it's a challenge that the character endures that just resonates. Not because you understand it from a personal perspective but because the author presents it with such detail and empathy that you can't not be affected.
Rarely, very rarely, is it all these things and more.
Tess Woods has created a stunning novel in Beautiful Messy Love.
Told from the standpoint of four characters: Lily, Toby, Anna, and Nick, the story develops quickly yet realistically. As the title suggests this is a novel that encapsulates the beautiful and often messy business of love.
Not to give much away, Lily and Toby's relationship develops from an unusual chain of events and it is certainly a passionate love affair and one that sees each character develop greatly as individuals. For Lily and Toby we see how one pivotal love or relationship has the power to set us on a different life path and that the mess of that love can actually quieten the chaos inside of us. Theirs is an important relationship and one that though less challenging than Anna and Nick's offers just as much understanding and scope as to the complexities of love.
Anna and Nick are the epitome of opposites attract: Anna, an Egyptian refugee who has experienced far more than is fair in her 19 years and Nick the carefree borderline-playboy footballer who falls for her. Whilst Woods presents their relationship with great care she doesn't shy away from showcasing the cultural challenges that the relationship faces and that I think shows the depth of Woods' own life experience and storytelling ability.
The ensemble of characters who support the central characters add flair, fun, and depth to the story with each of them being presented uniquely and with consideration for how they contribute to the greater story.
Importantly, Woods' explores the cross-cultural challenges faced by many Australians as well as the plight of asylum seekers and refugees who are so desperately seeking the safety and security that our great nation can provide. What I liked most was that these aspects of the story were presented with such empathy that it never once felt like a lecture or an agenda being pushed.
Beautiful Messy Love is a truly stunning read that not only delivers delightful tales of love and romance but also breathes life in to cultural conversations that deserve attention and that I believe many people will identify with. Not since Melina Marchetta's Looking for Alibrandi has an Australian author presented the cross-cultural challenges of new Australians quite so beautifully. Beautiful Messy Love is my pick for 2017 book of the year.
Sometimes it's a character who you instantly connect with.
Sometimes it's simply a sentence that hits you with such clarity that you have to re-read it a few times then close the book and just breathe.
Sometimes it's a challenge that the character endures that just resonates. Not because you understand it from a personal perspective but because the author presents it with such detail and empathy that you can't not be affected.
Rarely, very rarely, is it all these things and more.
Tess Woods has created a stunning novel in Beautiful Messy Love.
Told from the standpoint of four characters: Lily, Toby, Anna, and Nick, the story develops quickly yet realistically. As the title suggests this is a novel that encapsulates the beautiful and often messy business of love.
Not to give much away, Lily and Toby's relationship develops from an unusual chain of events and it is certainly a passionate love affair and one that sees each character develop greatly as individuals. For Lily and Toby we see how one pivotal love or relationship has the power to set us on a different life path and that the mess of that love can actually quieten the chaos inside of us. Theirs is an important relationship and one that though less challenging than Anna and Nick's offers just as much understanding and scope as to the complexities of love.
Anna and Nick are the epitome of opposites attract: Anna, an Egyptian refugee who has experienced far more than is fair in her 19 years and Nick the carefree borderline-playboy footballer who falls for her. Whilst Woods presents their relationship with great care she doesn't shy away from showcasing the cultural challenges that the relationship faces and that I think shows the depth of Woods' own life experience and storytelling ability.
The ensemble of characters who support the central characters add flair, fun, and depth to the story with each of them being presented uniquely and with consideration for how they contribute to the greater story.
Importantly, Woods' explores the cross-cultural challenges faced by many Australians as well as the plight of asylum seekers and refugees who are so desperately seeking the safety and security that our great nation can provide. What I liked most was that these aspects of the story were presented with such empathy that it never once felt like a lecture or an agenda being pushed.
Beautiful Messy Love is a truly stunning read that not only delivers delightful tales of love and romance but also breathes life in to cultural conversations that deserve attention and that I believe many people will identify with. Not since Melina Marchetta's Looking for Alibrandi has an Australian author presented the cross-cultural challenges of new Australians quite so beautifully. Beautiful Messy Love is my pick for 2017 book of the year.
August 22, 2017
‘Beautiful Messy Love’ is the second Women’s Fiction/Romance book from Australian author, Tess Woods.
Full disclosure: Tess is an author with the Literary Agency I work for, Jacinta di Mase. My review though, is in no way impacted by my connection to Tess (really, if I don’t like a book these days, I just don’t write about it). But I will say – I loved ‘Beautiful Messy Love’ so much, I texted Jacinta late one night, asking when Tess would have a third book out – so that’s just a little bonus to the connection!
‘Beautiful Messy Love’ is the story of two whirlwind romances that start in the most unlikely of ways, and meet their fair share of hurdles along the way. One concerns an AFL-footballer with a reputation, deciding to turn his life around right when he meets a beautiful Egyptian refugee who he falls hard and fast for. The second concerns a young medical student starting a risky romance with the estranged husband of a patient she meets during her oncology-ward rounds.
The novel is written in alternative-POV chapters from each of the four players – as we get to know all the baggage that each person brings to their new relationship, and the outside complications that threaten them all. Everything from media scrutiny to xenophobia, past-trauma and heartbreak are detailed and examined with lovely tenderness and cutting observation.
I absolutely adored this book, and gobbled it up in two days. I was actually surprised that I connected so viscerally with both couples and their stories – especially because one romance, between med-student Lily and the very tricky coupling with a grieving ex-husband Toby, sounds absolutely shocking in theory … but on the page, Woods teased this couple out with so much heat and sensuality, it was hard not to fall for them and root for them, even as all their biggest problems and obstacles were still painfully obvious.
The stand-out in this book though, is the romance between footballer Nick Harding and young refugee woman Anwar ‘Anna’. Tess Woods has written such a beautifully complex romance between them – that I also appreciated for how thoroughly Australian it is, and the bigger discussions it allowed Woods to have.
Anna has an awfully painful story of how and why she sought refuge in Australia, and coupled with the combustible media-landscape for AFL celebrities – Woods was really able to peel back a rather ugly underbelly to Australian society, media and politics that made for higher stakes in this romance, coupled with really thoughtful discussion about much bigger issues. There’s no lecture here, just a very human story that was all too believable and heartbreaking.
The book does end on a sense of … open-endedness for some that left me just a little sad to not know for sure that everyone got a happy ending. But that also felt very true, and anything neater than what we got would have felt rather disingenuous and perhaps too sickly-sweet? So I almost appreciated the sour with the sweet. But not so much that I won’t be hoping that some of these character pop up in another book – or short story/novella?
I’ve been in such a reading-slump this year, purely because I’m doing so much manuscript reading and assessing that my recreational-reading has felt a little clogged … but now I’m well and truly back in a reading rhythm, and thanks in large party to the addictiveness of ‘Beautiful Messy Love’. It’s romance that packs a punch, tender and thoughtful with a fantastic hot-streak. Tess Woods has now leapt to my auto-buy list, and I cannot wait to read more from her!
Full disclosure: Tess is an author with the Literary Agency I work for, Jacinta di Mase. My review though, is in no way impacted by my connection to Tess (really, if I don’t like a book these days, I just don’t write about it). But I will say – I loved ‘Beautiful Messy Love’ so much, I texted Jacinta late one night, asking when Tess would have a third book out – so that’s just a little bonus to the connection!
‘Beautiful Messy Love’ is the story of two whirlwind romances that start in the most unlikely of ways, and meet their fair share of hurdles along the way. One concerns an AFL-footballer with a reputation, deciding to turn his life around right when he meets a beautiful Egyptian refugee who he falls hard and fast for. The second concerns a young medical student starting a risky romance with the estranged husband of a patient she meets during her oncology-ward rounds.
The novel is written in alternative-POV chapters from each of the four players – as we get to know all the baggage that each person brings to their new relationship, and the outside complications that threaten them all. Everything from media scrutiny to xenophobia, past-trauma and heartbreak are detailed and examined with lovely tenderness and cutting observation.
I absolutely adored this book, and gobbled it up in two days. I was actually surprised that I connected so viscerally with both couples and their stories – especially because one romance, between med-student Lily and the very tricky coupling with a grieving ex-husband Toby, sounds absolutely shocking in theory … but on the page, Woods teased this couple out with so much heat and sensuality, it was hard not to fall for them and root for them, even as all their biggest problems and obstacles were still painfully obvious.
The stand-out in this book though, is the romance between footballer Nick Harding and young refugee woman Anwar ‘Anna’. Tess Woods has written such a beautifully complex romance between them – that I also appreciated for how thoroughly Australian it is, and the bigger discussions it allowed Woods to have.
Anna has an awfully painful story of how and why she sought refuge in Australia, and coupled with the combustible media-landscape for AFL celebrities – Woods was really able to peel back a rather ugly underbelly to Australian society, media and politics that made for higher stakes in this romance, coupled with really thoughtful discussion about much bigger issues. There’s no lecture here, just a very human story that was all too believable and heartbreaking.
The book does end on a sense of … open-endedness for some that left me just a little sad to not know for sure that everyone got a happy ending. But that also felt very true, and anything neater than what we got would have felt rather disingenuous and perhaps too sickly-sweet? So I almost appreciated the sour with the sweet. But not so much that I won’t be hoping that some of these character pop up in another book – or short story/novella?
I’ve been in such a reading-slump this year, purely because I’m doing so much manuscript reading and assessing that my recreational-reading has felt a little clogged … but now I’m well and truly back in a reading rhythm, and thanks in large party to the addictiveness of ‘Beautiful Messy Love’. It’s romance that packs a punch, tender and thoughtful with a fantastic hot-streak. Tess Woods has now leapt to my auto-buy list, and I cannot wait to read more from her!
August 1, 2017
Beautiful Messy Love is a heartwarming, funny, poignant and achingly beautiful tale of the realities of love. It is the second novel from Australian author Tess Woods, and after delivering in spades with her first, ‘Love at First Flight’, she has backed it up with yet another sensational read.
Beautiful Messy Love tells the story of four complicated lives. There’s Nick, the handsome Aussie Rules superstar. Anna, a Muslim refugee with a heart of gold, but a tragic past. Lily, Nick’s sister, who is struggling with the decision whether or not to finish her medical degree. And Toby, who has just lost his wife to cancer. Their stories will intertwine and then be thrown about and torn apart by love and loyalty.
What I love about Tess’s writing, is the way she instantly forces you to care for her characters. You are immediately drawn into their lives and compelled to read on because they have scratched your your heart. They are not characters; they are real people. And just like real people, they are complicated and emotional, and their lives are completely messy.
Tess confronts many issues in this book, from social justice and the plight of asylum seekers, to the hollowness and pitfalls of fame. And she does so in a beautifully subtle way, which imprints on your brain and stays with you long after you finish reading. She also highlights the power of women; their strength, vulnerability, courage, and sensuality.
This is a book that everyone will relate to in one way or another, but mostly to the fact that love is rarely ‘happy-ever-after’. Love is in fact messy. And loyalty, friendships, careers, and family are all factors that cause it to be so. Tess’s ability to evoke emotion that squeezes your heart and doesn’t let go, is evidence of supreme talent as an author.
Readers of her first novel, ‘Love at First Flight’ will recognize two of the characters – Nick and Lily – as the now grown up children of Mel, which is a lovely touch.
This book will make you laugh, cry, fist-bump, sigh and everything else in between.
Note: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. But would have bought the book even if I hadn't! And in no way has this influenced my opinion.
Beautiful Messy Love tells the story of four complicated lives. There’s Nick, the handsome Aussie Rules superstar. Anna, a Muslim refugee with a heart of gold, but a tragic past. Lily, Nick’s sister, who is struggling with the decision whether or not to finish her medical degree. And Toby, who has just lost his wife to cancer. Their stories will intertwine and then be thrown about and torn apart by love and loyalty.
What I love about Tess’s writing, is the way she instantly forces you to care for her characters. You are immediately drawn into their lives and compelled to read on because they have scratched your your heart. They are not characters; they are real people. And just like real people, they are complicated and emotional, and their lives are completely messy.
Tess confronts many issues in this book, from social justice and the plight of asylum seekers, to the hollowness and pitfalls of fame. And she does so in a beautifully subtle way, which imprints on your brain and stays with you long after you finish reading. She also highlights the power of women; their strength, vulnerability, courage, and sensuality.
This is a book that everyone will relate to in one way or another, but mostly to the fact that love is rarely ‘happy-ever-after’. Love is in fact messy. And loyalty, friendships, careers, and family are all factors that cause it to be so. Tess’s ability to evoke emotion that squeezes your heart and doesn’t let go, is evidence of supreme talent as an author.
Readers of her first novel, ‘Love at First Flight’ will recognize two of the characters – Nick and Lily – as the now grown up children of Mel, which is a lovely touch.
This book will make you laugh, cry, fist-bump, sigh and everything else in between.
Note: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. But would have bought the book even if I hadn't! And in no way has this influenced my opinion.
August 1, 2017
You know when you pick up a book that is truly epic and life changing, and you just want to put everything on hold to finish it? Ignore the family, call in sick to work, just refuse to budge until you have absorbed every last page?
Beautiful Messy Love is one of those books.
I was lucky enough to get a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review. But you know what's? I love it so much I'm going to go out and buy a copy to give to my mum and everyone I know who reads. It's just the darned good.
Lily. Toby. Anna. Nick.
A med student. A builder. An Egyptian refugee. A professional footballer.
4 people who have a chance encounter with each other than leads to love, friendships, heartbreak.
All 4 characters were so well rounded. Even the side characters had depth. They were people I actually came to care about, I wanted things to work out and them get their happily ever after.
Seriously, just read this book. You won't regret it.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Beautiful Messy Love is one of those books.
I was lucky enough to get a copy from NetGalley in exchange for a review. But you know what's? I love it so much I'm going to go out and buy a copy to give to my mum and everyone I know who reads. It's just the darned good.
Lily. Toby. Anna. Nick.
A med student. A builder. An Egyptian refugee. A professional footballer.
4 people who have a chance encounter with each other than leads to love, friendships, heartbreak.
All 4 characters were so well rounded. Even the side characters had depth. They were people I actually came to care about, I wanted things to work out and them get their happily ever after.
Seriously, just read this book. You won't regret it.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Read
June 13, 2018What a rollicking good read!
I'm a huge AFL fan so having a hero who plays AFL is a huge bonus. Loved Nick Harding!
All the characters came alive on the pages and had me turning at a rapid rate.
The cultural angle, and Anna's incredible backstory, was riveting.
Thoroughly enjoyed.
I'm a huge AFL fan so having a hero who plays AFL is a huge bonus. Loved Nick Harding!
All the characters came alive on the pages and had me turning at a rapid rate.
The cultural angle, and Anna's incredible backstory, was riveting.
Thoroughly enjoyed.
August 17, 2017
Engaging, confronting, at times a little too graphic for my taste. :-) A good read, original, bound to capture your imagination.
July 12, 2017
3.5 stars
My comfort zone and guilty pleasure genre is Women's fiction, especially those with realistic, likeable characters and more than a hint of romance. Beautiful Messy Love had four main characters Lily, Toby, Nick and Anna, two love stories and a handful of interesting side characters. So far so good. From the beginning I was captivated by the characters and yes they were realistic and likeable. As an added bonus their story was set in Australia and it felt familiar. Ultimately it was a story about these four uncovering their true desires and making changes in their lives to fulfill their dreams. As in real life, nothing was plain sailing and they each encountered obstacles, some self imposed, others completely out of their control.
Nick, a high profile AFL star, has a bad boy reputation for a reason and he's decided to make a change for the better. He meets and falls hard for Anna a young Muslim girl who is unaware of his fame. Anna is completely unlike his normal type but she makes him want to change his ways. Meanwhile Nick is completely oblivious to Anna's traumatic and very high profile family history. Anna and her mother Leila, a fomer political leader in Egypt, have made their lives as refugees in Australia after a suicide bomber took the lives of their family. Anna and Nick's relationship brings out the worst in some fans as religious discrimination, racism, social media bullying, inaccurate media reporting and various other obstacles stand between their happiness. Meanwhile, Anna's mother is unsuccessfully battling her depression. Theirs was a story I loved and wanted more of.
Lily is a 5th year medicine student plodding along after the breakdown of a four year relationship. Toby spends his days in the hospital supporting his wife Jen who is dying of cancer. When they meet in the hospital there's an instant attraction between them. Though it feels like fate and they quickly fall in love, the timing is wrong. Neither Lily nor Toby are being true to their hearts desires and change is afoot. Their story was less dramatic yet I was equally invested in wanting things to work out for them.
Writing this review has clarified my thoughts and though I liked this book alot I wanted to love it so much more than I did. Though there were some important and highly thought provoking topics covered, the sheer number of huge obstacles being introduced felt overwhelming at times. Instead of being more emotionally involved I somehow felt myself pulling back. That was purely my response and may not be so for other readers and would recommend to anyone who likes a good love story.
Thanks to Tess Woods the author, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
My comfort zone and guilty pleasure genre is Women's fiction, especially those with realistic, likeable characters and more than a hint of romance. Beautiful Messy Love had four main characters Lily, Toby, Nick and Anna, two love stories and a handful of interesting side characters. So far so good. From the beginning I was captivated by the characters and yes they were realistic and likeable. As an added bonus their story was set in Australia and it felt familiar. Ultimately it was a story about these four uncovering their true desires and making changes in their lives to fulfill their dreams. As in real life, nothing was plain sailing and they each encountered obstacles, some self imposed, others completely out of their control.
Nick, a high profile AFL star, has a bad boy reputation for a reason and he's decided to make a change for the better. He meets and falls hard for Anna a young Muslim girl who is unaware of his fame. Anna is completely unlike his normal type but she makes him want to change his ways. Meanwhile Nick is completely oblivious to Anna's traumatic and very high profile family history. Anna and her mother Leila, a fomer political leader in Egypt, have made their lives as refugees in Australia after a suicide bomber took the lives of their family. Anna and Nick's relationship brings out the worst in some fans as religious discrimination, racism, social media bullying, inaccurate media reporting and various other obstacles stand between their happiness. Meanwhile, Anna's mother is unsuccessfully battling her depression. Theirs was a story I loved and wanted more of.
Lily is a 5th year medicine student plodding along after the breakdown of a four year relationship. Toby spends his days in the hospital supporting his wife Jen who is dying of cancer. When they meet in the hospital there's an instant attraction between them. Though it feels like fate and they quickly fall in love, the timing is wrong. Neither Lily nor Toby are being true to their hearts desires and change is afoot. Their story was less dramatic yet I was equally invested in wanting things to work out for them.
Writing this review has clarified my thoughts and though I liked this book alot I wanted to love it so much more than I did. Though there were some important and highly thought provoking topics covered, the sheer number of huge obstacles being introduced felt overwhelming at times. Instead of being more emotionally involved I somehow felt myself pulling back. That was purely my response and may not be so for other readers and would recommend to anyone who likes a good love story.
Thanks to Tess Woods the author, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and NetGalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 25, 2017
I really enjoyed this! It wasn't perfect, but all the characters were so damn relatable and I was just cheering them on the whole time! They loved and struggled and grieved and made up, and sometimes they didn't, and I just wanted more! There were also some important issues raised about our treatment of asylum seekers which I highly approve of. I definitely recommend!
July 20, 2017
Once again Tess has blown me away with her second novel. I have literally spent the whole day reading this story, this rollercoaster of a story that follows the lives of four young people as well as their families. The characters were so real and so well written that I could identify with them all. I'm often angered and saddened by the way refugees are treated in this country, and reading about the character of Anna, her experiences and her fight for better treatment and outcomes for all the refuge children out there made me wish I could do something more to help. This was a story of love and all the many messy aspects that love in its many forms can take. A story of dreams and of growing up and finding out who you are. I highly recommend Beautiful Messy Love.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for this copy
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Australia for this copy
January 1, 2021
Beautiful Messy Love is a sequel to Tess Woods’ debut novel, Love at First Flight. Mel’s children are now grown up and the novel focuses on Nick and Lily’s lives and romantic adventures.
Nick is now an Australian Rules Football star who liked to party hard until he meets the enigmatic Anna/Anwar with a conservative Egyptian family and a complicated life. Lily is struggling through medical school until her life is consumed by Toby who is dealing with the recent death of his wife.
I loved Beautiful Messy Love just as much as Love at First Flight, or maybe even a little bit more. Anna’s experiences as an Egyptian refugee with both Christian and Muslim ancestry were beautifully and passionately written. This makes a lot of sense because the author shares a similar ancestry.
Thank you very much, Tess, for including my favourite Australian Rules Football Club in your story just for me. Go Cats! I’m a bit nervous to read Tess’s next novel because I’ve heard a rumour that there will be a character named Jade in that one…
I will be interviewing Tess Woods at the Melbourne launch of Beautiful Messy Love at Dymocks on Collins Street next Thursday, August 10th at 6:30 pm. This is a free event and all Melbourne romance readers are more than welcome to join us for the event. For event details head to trybooking.com or the Facebook Event Page.
Looking forward to seeing lots of Melbourne readers and writers there!
Nick is now an Australian Rules Football star who liked to party hard until he meets the enigmatic Anna/Anwar with a conservative Egyptian family and a complicated life. Lily is struggling through medical school until her life is consumed by Toby who is dealing with the recent death of his wife.
I loved Beautiful Messy Love just as much as Love at First Flight, or maybe even a little bit more. Anna’s experiences as an Egyptian refugee with both Christian and Muslim ancestry were beautifully and passionately written. This makes a lot of sense because the author shares a similar ancestry.
Thank you very much, Tess, for including my favourite Australian Rules Football Club in your story just for me. Go Cats! I’m a bit nervous to read Tess’s next novel because I’ve heard a rumour that there will be a character named Jade in that one…
I will be interviewing Tess Woods at the Melbourne launch of Beautiful Messy Love at Dymocks on Collins Street next Thursday, August 10th at 6:30 pm. This is a free event and all Melbourne romance readers are more than welcome to join us for the event. For event details head to trybooking.com or the Facebook Event Page.
Looking forward to seeing lots of Melbourne readers and writers there!
November 10, 2017
At first I didn’t think this book was for me - the story lines were too raw, too ‘messy’, too in-your-face; not my usual read. But I’d met Tess Woods at a Library evening and was enchanted by her passion, and others who’d read her were equally encouraging. So I kept reading, and it was so worth it. I loved the cross cultural parts of the story, and the way there wasn’t necessarily a HEA for all her characters. Or even an easy ‘fix’ when problems rose, or a guarantee everything would work out. It was all a bit messy. Like life, I guess. By the end of the book I cared for all her characters, even the ones I admit I initially disliked. Tess, you worked your magic on me. Thankyou.
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