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The Country Wedding
The heartwarming new romantic saga by the bestselling author of The Grazier's Wife.
Two country weddings, fifty years apart … and the miracle of second chances
In the tiny Tablelands township of Burralea, Flora Drummond is preparing to play in a string quartet for the wedding of a very close friend. The trouble is, she can't quite forget the embarrassing teenage crush she once had on the handsome groom.
All is as it should be on the big day. The little church is filled with flowers, the expectant guests are arriving, and Mitch is nervously waiting – but his bride has had a sudden change of heart.
Decades earlier, another wedding in the same church led to a similar story of betrayal and devastation. Hattie missed out on marrying her childhood sweetheart the first time around, but now she has returned to the scene of her greatest heartache.
As Flora is drawn into both romantic dramas, she must also confront a relationship crisis of her own. But the past and the present offer promise for the future and there's a chance for friends, old and new, to help each other to heal.
From the rolling green hills of Far North Queensland to the crowded streets of Shanghai on the eve of the Second World War, this is a beautiful romantic saga that tells of two loves lost and found and asks the questions – do we ever get over our first love, and is it ever too late to make amends?
Two country weddings, fifty years apart … and the miracle of second chances
In the tiny Tablelands township of Burralea, Flora Drummond is preparing to play in a string quartet for the wedding of a very close friend. The trouble is, she can't quite forget the embarrassing teenage crush she once had on the handsome groom.
All is as it should be on the big day. The little church is filled with flowers, the expectant guests are arriving, and Mitch is nervously waiting – but his bride has had a sudden change of heart.
Decades earlier, another wedding in the same church led to a similar story of betrayal and devastation. Hattie missed out on marrying her childhood sweetheart the first time around, but now she has returned to the scene of her greatest heartache.
As Flora is drawn into both romantic dramas, she must also confront a relationship crisis of her own. But the past and the present offer promise for the future and there's a chance for friends, old and new, to help each other to heal.
From the rolling green hills of Far North Queensland to the crowded streets of Shanghai on the eve of the Second World War, this is a beautiful romantic saga that tells of two loves lost and found and asks the questions – do we ever get over our first love, and is it ever too late to make amends?
417 pages, Paperback
Published July 31, 2017
12 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Hannay
410 books294 followersMulti award winning author, Barbara Hannay, is a city bred girl with a yen for country life. Most of her 50 plus books are set in rural and outback Australia and they've been enjoyed by readers around the world.
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
Barbara has been nominated five times for Romance Writers of America's RITA Award which she won in 2007 and she has twice won Australia's Romantic Book of the Year award.
In her own version of life imitating art, Barbara and her husband currently live on a misty hillside in beautiful Far North Queensland where they keep heritage pigs, hens, ducks, turkeys and an untidy but productive garden.
Visit Barbara's website at www.barbarahannay.com
Follow her on Facebook and Twitter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 15, 2017
As Hattie watched from a distance, she knew Joe had seen her. His sad and sombre expression mirrored her own heartbreak as she watched the man she knew she’d love forever, marry another…
Many years later Flora Drummond had fled Melbourne to the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, to the little town of Burralea where she hoped to be able to lie low for a time. Flora’s brother Seth lived in the area with his girlfriend Alice; Seth had recently purchased a property and he had exciting plans for the future. Flora was a violinist and after having to leave her position in the orchestra in Melbourne, hoped to gain a position in Brisbane’s symphony orchestra.
Mitch was Burralea’s small town policeman and his wedding day was fast approaching when he asked Flora if she would be the fourth in the quartet at his wedding. But when Mitch’s bride didn’t show, his humiliation and anger was great. But in a matter of days, Mitch was notified of a strange, sinister find out on Seth’s new property; he was glad to get back to the job – at least he could stop dwelling on his non-wedding…
The Country Wedding by Aussie author Barbara Hannay is an exceptional story of love lost, second chances and how circumstances can affect people way into the future. A story laced with mystery, intrigue and heartache, The Country Wedding is set in far north Queensland and spans generations across the continents. Told in two timelines – past and current day – it captured my imagination and held me enthralled until the very end. Once again, this author has nailed it! Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House and the author for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Many years later Flora Drummond had fled Melbourne to the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, to the little town of Burralea where she hoped to be able to lie low for a time. Flora’s brother Seth lived in the area with his girlfriend Alice; Seth had recently purchased a property and he had exciting plans for the future. Flora was a violinist and after having to leave her position in the orchestra in Melbourne, hoped to gain a position in Brisbane’s symphony orchestra.
Mitch was Burralea’s small town policeman and his wedding day was fast approaching when he asked Flora if she would be the fourth in the quartet at his wedding. But when Mitch’s bride didn’t show, his humiliation and anger was great. But in a matter of days, Mitch was notified of a strange, sinister find out on Seth’s new property; he was glad to get back to the job – at least he could stop dwelling on his non-wedding…
The Country Wedding by Aussie author Barbara Hannay is an exceptional story of love lost, second chances and how circumstances can affect people way into the future. A story laced with mystery, intrigue and heartache, The Country Wedding is set in far north Queensland and spans generations across the continents. Told in two timelines – past and current day – it captured my imagination and held me enthralled until the very end. Once again, this author has nailed it! Highly recommended.
With thanks to Penguin Random House and the author for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
February 16, 2018
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
4.5 stars
While looking on my overcrowded bookshelf for a book with a yellow cover, my eyes rested on The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay. I soon snatched this book from its place on my shelf and decided this book was the perfect read for book bingo. The stunning cover is definitely yellow and has a great summer feel to it. It also features a bride wearing my favourite flower and my own choice of wedding flower, a frangipani. Hannay is an author who has captured this reader’s heart on more than one occasion, so an opportunity to read this book for my challenge was welcomed.
Barbara Hannay’s latest romantic saga crosses two time frames and two different countries. It also links two weddings, set decades apart, as both events take place in the tiny church located in Queensland’s tablelands region of Burralea. For keen readers of Barbara Hannay’s work, this is the site of one of her previous novels, The Grazier’s Wife. In the present day, the local community has gathered for the wedding of their respected local police officer Mitch. Flora Drummond, who has held a torch for Mitch for many years, is struggling with her feelings and summoning the strength to play her violin at Mitch’s ceremony. However, a missing bride soon puts a stop to this wedding taking place. This quaint church has also seen heartache many years earlier, when Hattie witnessed her childhood love, Joe, marry another woman. It seems history is repeating itself in Burralea. Hannay deftly combines the romantic dramas of Flora, Mitch, Hattie and Joe under the backdrop of the tropical beauty of far north Queensland. In The Country Wedding, second chances in the love department are very much on the menu.
A new romantic saga from Barbara Hannay always induces a round of excitement for this reader. I have been a fan of Hannay’s novels for some time now. Home Before Sundown sealed the deal for me. From then on, I’ve been hooked on Hannay’s work. When I first saw the title of this new novel by Hannay, I couldn’t wait to read it. I will admit to being a sucker for stories centered on weddings. The Country Wedding offers, not one but two wedding narrative threads, all contained within the one exceptional novel.
I felt immediately enmeshed in the wedding proceedings presented in this book. Hannay does a fine job of transporting the reader to the involving scenes of her book. I soon got caught up in the emotion and drama of the two different weddings in Burralea, despite the decades that separate them.
There was a lovely sense of familiarity about The Country Wedding. The central character of this book also appeared briefly in The Graziers Wife, which was also written by Hannay. Do expect a heartfelt reunion with Seth Drummond, Alice and Charlie if you have read The Grazier’s Wife. However, I do need to make it clear that there is no prerequisite to read The Grazier’s Wife in order to appreciate The Country Wedding.
As with all of Hannay’s work, expect to be enthralled by her setting country based locale. I have never had the pleasure to visit the tablelands region of far north Queensland, though Hannay’s enticing setting descriptions have encouraged my resolve to get there one day. In the mean time, I enjoyed the experience of being swept up in the rural township of Burralea. There is a passion and a strong sense of authenticity behind Hannay’s setting descriptions that speak volumes for her love of the land. The sense of community spirit and the colourful characters that make the town of Burralea come across clear as day in The Country Wedding. Likewise, I was impressed with Hannay’s ability to bring war time Shanghai to life, through her passages in the novel which are devoted to Hattie’s childhood and past. This forms the appealing past based narrative of the novel.
Romance is definitely the order of the day in The Country Wedding. Hannay is a respected romance writer, with an impressive back list of romance novels. It is no wonder that both the romances featured in this novel are utterly engaging. The first, involving Flora and Mitch, was a great example of a modern day love story, complete with an unfulfilled teenage crush and a bride with cold feet. Hannay also takes the time to insert an important thread on psychological abuse in a relationship, which has resulted in Flora’s brave decision to flee her marriage and career for Burralea. The second romance was the ultimate second chance love story, full of missed opportunities, misunderstandings and a wonderful nostalgic feel. Both love stories equally warmed my heart.
Hannay presents the reader with an additional narrative treat in The Country Wedding. Hannay includes a mystery element to her novel, through the discovery of human remains on the property owned by Seth, Flora’s brother. The resulting investigation and the story that emerges from the appearance of these bones offers the reader another fine reason to enjoy this novel.
Hannay shows us the path to happiness is not an easy one. In The Country Wedding, happiness is threatened by time, wrong decisions and heartache but in the end, love prevails for all. I encourage you to pick this one up if you are a fan of romance novels and high quality Australian sagas.
The Country Wedding is book #12 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
4.5 stars
While looking on my overcrowded bookshelf for a book with a yellow cover, my eyes rested on The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay. I soon snatched this book from its place on my shelf and decided this book was the perfect read for book bingo. The stunning cover is definitely yellow and has a great summer feel to it. It also features a bride wearing my favourite flower and my own choice of wedding flower, a frangipani. Hannay is an author who has captured this reader’s heart on more than one occasion, so an opportunity to read this book for my challenge was welcomed.
Barbara Hannay’s latest romantic saga crosses two time frames and two different countries. It also links two weddings, set decades apart, as both events take place in the tiny church located in Queensland’s tablelands region of Burralea. For keen readers of Barbara Hannay’s work, this is the site of one of her previous novels, The Grazier’s Wife. In the present day, the local community has gathered for the wedding of their respected local police officer Mitch. Flora Drummond, who has held a torch for Mitch for many years, is struggling with her feelings and summoning the strength to play her violin at Mitch’s ceremony. However, a missing bride soon puts a stop to this wedding taking place. This quaint church has also seen heartache many years earlier, when Hattie witnessed her childhood love, Joe, marry another woman. It seems history is repeating itself in Burralea. Hannay deftly combines the romantic dramas of Flora, Mitch, Hattie and Joe under the backdrop of the tropical beauty of far north Queensland. In The Country Wedding, second chances in the love department are very much on the menu.
A new romantic saga from Barbara Hannay always induces a round of excitement for this reader. I have been a fan of Hannay’s novels for some time now. Home Before Sundown sealed the deal for me. From then on, I’ve been hooked on Hannay’s work. When I first saw the title of this new novel by Hannay, I couldn’t wait to read it. I will admit to being a sucker for stories centered on weddings. The Country Wedding offers, not one but two wedding narrative threads, all contained within the one exceptional novel.
I felt immediately enmeshed in the wedding proceedings presented in this book. Hannay does a fine job of transporting the reader to the involving scenes of her book. I soon got caught up in the emotion and drama of the two different weddings in Burralea, despite the decades that separate them.
There was a lovely sense of familiarity about The Country Wedding. The central character of this book also appeared briefly in The Graziers Wife, which was also written by Hannay. Do expect a heartfelt reunion with Seth Drummond, Alice and Charlie if you have read The Grazier’s Wife. However, I do need to make it clear that there is no prerequisite to read The Grazier’s Wife in order to appreciate The Country Wedding.
As with all of Hannay’s work, expect to be enthralled by her setting country based locale. I have never had the pleasure to visit the tablelands region of far north Queensland, though Hannay’s enticing setting descriptions have encouraged my resolve to get there one day. In the mean time, I enjoyed the experience of being swept up in the rural township of Burralea. There is a passion and a strong sense of authenticity behind Hannay’s setting descriptions that speak volumes for her love of the land. The sense of community spirit and the colourful characters that make the town of Burralea come across clear as day in The Country Wedding. Likewise, I was impressed with Hannay’s ability to bring war time Shanghai to life, through her passages in the novel which are devoted to Hattie’s childhood and past. This forms the appealing past based narrative of the novel.
Romance is definitely the order of the day in The Country Wedding. Hannay is a respected romance writer, with an impressive back list of romance novels. It is no wonder that both the romances featured in this novel are utterly engaging. The first, involving Flora and Mitch, was a great example of a modern day love story, complete with an unfulfilled teenage crush and a bride with cold feet. Hannay also takes the time to insert an important thread on psychological abuse in a relationship, which has resulted in Flora’s brave decision to flee her marriage and career for Burralea. The second romance was the ultimate second chance love story, full of missed opportunities, misunderstandings and a wonderful nostalgic feel. Both love stories equally warmed my heart.
Hannay presents the reader with an additional narrative treat in The Country Wedding. Hannay includes a mystery element to her novel, through the discovery of human remains on the property owned by Seth, Flora’s brother. The resulting investigation and the story that emerges from the appearance of these bones offers the reader another fine reason to enjoy this novel.
Hannay shows us the path to happiness is not an easy one. In The Country Wedding, happiness is threatened by time, wrong decisions and heartache but in the end, love prevails for all. I encourage you to pick this one up if you are a fan of romance novels and high quality Australian sagas.
The Country Wedding is book #12 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
August 6, 2017
MS Hannay has written another story that will engage the reader with characters who are so full of charm, these characters are so real and come to life on the pages they pull you into their lives whether it be in Shanghai around war time or a beautiful country town Burralea in the Tablelands of northern Queensland in 2015. This is our second visit to Burralea and we are back with the Drummond family this time we get to know Flora and we discover Joe and Hattie who are re-united after the discovery of bones on a property that is owned now by Flora’s brother Seth. I didn’t want to put this one down so make yourself comfortable and enjoy.
Flora is back home after leaving an abusive partner she is a gifted violinist and is practising for a new position she is staying in town and lying low so to speak but when she is asked to play in a quartet for a very good friend’s wedding she is happy to help but this wedding doesn’t go to plan and this is not the first time that this beautiful little church has seen a betrayal of love and Flora is feeling the grooms heartache you see she has had a crush on Mitch Cavello since she was a young girl and Mitch came to stay on the property she grew up on, so here starts a journey that brings a lot of drama into Flora’s life.
Hattie Bellamy spent her younger years in Shanghai with her very English family exploring the markets and lots of other exciting things but with the war getting closer and fear takes over her widowed mother Rose brings Hattie to Australia to be safe and there she meets Joe Matthews they spend a lot of time growing up on Joe’s parents property Kooringal they fall in love and plan to marry but plans get turned around and Joe marries someone else in the little church in Burralea. Hattie loses her mother Rose and a secret is uncovered and moves to England and gets on with her life but many years later she moves to Brisbane and then the discovery of bones on Kooringal bring her back to Burralea and back to Joe.
There are four people who have a lot to go through to get to their HEA’s and their stories are so moving, emotional and just so captivating this was a book I was really looking forward to after reading The Grazier’s Wife and wow it really is a beauty of a story one that I can highly recommend, I don’t want to give too much away and I hope that I have done this one justice because it is another keeper, one not to be missed thank you MS Hannay you bought me to tears, you made me smile and it will be a while before I stop thinking about Flora, Mitch, Hattie and Joe and the cast of wonderful characters that made this story so very enjoyable. Don’t miss this one.
Flora is back home after leaving an abusive partner she is a gifted violinist and is practising for a new position she is staying in town and lying low so to speak but when she is asked to play in a quartet for a very good friend’s wedding she is happy to help but this wedding doesn’t go to plan and this is not the first time that this beautiful little church has seen a betrayal of love and Flora is feeling the grooms heartache you see she has had a crush on Mitch Cavello since she was a young girl and Mitch came to stay on the property she grew up on, so here starts a journey that brings a lot of drama into Flora’s life.
Hattie Bellamy spent her younger years in Shanghai with her very English family exploring the markets and lots of other exciting things but with the war getting closer and fear takes over her widowed mother Rose brings Hattie to Australia to be safe and there she meets Joe Matthews they spend a lot of time growing up on Joe’s parents property Kooringal they fall in love and plan to marry but plans get turned around and Joe marries someone else in the little church in Burralea. Hattie loses her mother Rose and a secret is uncovered and moves to England and gets on with her life but many years later she moves to Brisbane and then the discovery of bones on Kooringal bring her back to Burralea and back to Joe.
There are four people who have a lot to go through to get to their HEA’s and their stories are so moving, emotional and just so captivating this was a book I was really looking forward to after reading The Grazier’s Wife and wow it really is a beauty of a story one that I can highly recommend, I don’t want to give too much away and I hope that I have done this one justice because it is another keeper, one not to be missed thank you MS Hannay you bought me to tears, you made me smile and it will be a while before I stop thinking about Flora, Mitch, Hattie and Joe and the cast of wonderful characters that made this story so very enjoyable. Don’t miss this one.
February 5, 2018
The story starts in Burralea in the Northern Queensland Atherton Tablelands in 1958 with a wedding. Heartbroken Hattie sees the man she loves, who she thought loved her, marry someone else. The next chapter flips forward to 2015 and Flora Drummond as she arrives in Burralea for six weeks or so. She is in hiding from her abusive boyfriend Oliver and trying to take charge of her life again and ready herself for a position as violinist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She also reconnects with policeman Mitch Cavello who had been a good friend growing up with her brother Seth. Flora had a crush on Mitch as a teenager but Mitch is about to be married. Except plans have a habit of changing drastically. As a reader you just know that somehow the stories of Hattie and her lost love Joe, and that of Flora are going to interconnect. They do and subsequent chapters take the reader over to Shanghai in 1935 and that adds an interesting touch. The discovery of human bones on Seth’s property also plays its part in this story.
It was interesting to be re-united with Seth and his young son Charlie and Seth’s girlfriend Alice encountered in The Grazier’s Wife. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, family, secrets and friendships. It also shows how seemingly innocent conversations can be twisted with far reaching consequences in the hands of a manipulative person.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Hattie and Joe were lovely characters, and so were Flora and Mitch. I also liked Father Jonno. Good to see an Anglican priest portrayed as so likeable and real. Along the way I learned a lot about playing the violin and the differences between violins, among other things. An entertaining read that had me happily engrossed in the story and the various locations and time frames. Anyone who like Australian rural stories with mystery, realistic characters and settings and romance should enjoy this. Barbara Hannay is turning into a favourite author for me and this is another that is highly recommended.
It was interesting to be re-united with Seth and his young son Charlie and Seth’s girlfriend Alice encountered in The Grazier’s Wife. This is a story of love, loss, sacrifice, family, secrets and friendships. It also shows how seemingly innocent conversations can be twisted with far reaching consequences in the hands of a manipulative person.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Hattie and Joe were lovely characters, and so were Flora and Mitch. I also liked Father Jonno. Good to see an Anglican priest portrayed as so likeable and real. Along the way I learned a lot about playing the violin and the differences between violins, among other things. An entertaining read that had me happily engrossed in the story and the various locations and time frames. Anyone who like Australian rural stories with mystery, realistic characters and settings and romance should enjoy this. Barbara Hannay is turning into a favourite author for me and this is another that is highly recommended.
August 27, 2017
Barbara Hannay’s books are without fail, a breath of fresh air for me. If I’m feeling stressed or just looking for a book that I know will be wonderful without even reading a word, her novels are a go to. I love the combination of the Queensland setting (lush and tropical) with characters who only want the best for themselves and their loved ones. Naturally, The Country Wedding falls into this category with its spring, light filled cover. Don’t be worried that it is all about weddings though – it’s about the impact of weddings on the couple and those who love them.
If you’ve read The Grazier’s Wife, you will know Flora Drummond, sister to Seth and daughter of Jackie. If you haven’t, that’s perfectly okay because Flora was a minor character in The Grazier’s Wife and everything that is relevant is explained. For the fans of the previous books, you get to say hi to Charlie and Alice again. Flora is an exceptionally talented musician who has come to Burralea to practise for a role in the Queensland symphony orchestra. She’s also come to escape her abusive former partner Oliver, but she doesn’t want anyone to know this. It’s with deep reluctance that she tells local policeman Mitch her troubles. But Mitch has his own problems – jilted at the altar and now human bones have appeared on Seth’s new property. The discovery makes state news, which leads Hattie to return to the town she departed so abruptly after a wedding. Can she and former owner Joe shed light on what happened?
Both Flora and Hattie are lovely main characters, despite the decades between them. I enjoyed both their stories equally as Hattie faces her old love after many decades and Flora fights an increasing attraction to Mitch which could just be remnants of a teenage crush. (Or that’s what she tells herself). This story is not just about the romance though. It’s about becoming part of a community that loves you and looks out for you, as both Flora and Hattie discover. It’s about protection, support and helping each other. Flora and Hattie are quite similar, thinking themselves big city women who left the country far behind. But they both have kind hearts and the willingness to help that is revered in small communities. I liked their unlikely friendship as much as I enjoyed their paths to happiness.
Barbara Hannay creates characters that are different from each other, real and unique. I enjoyed reading about the minor characters just as much. Who would have guessed the bane of Mitch’s police life, elderly lady Edith, was so smart and caring? Father Jonno I feel has a few more stories up his sleeve – how did he get to Burralea and his post? I’d love to read more about him and this humid oasis.
I’m a big fan of multiple narratives across history and the story of Hattie’s mother and aunt didn’t disappoint. Shanghai in the late 1930s and during war time came alive for me, rich with detail and excitement. The complex relationships that went on were a bonus!
Rich and lush, Barbara Hannay’s stories are always a joy. If you’re looking for a book to warm your heart, The Country Wedding is just right.
Thank you to Penguin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
If you’ve read The Grazier’s Wife, you will know Flora Drummond, sister to Seth and daughter of Jackie. If you haven’t, that’s perfectly okay because Flora was a minor character in The Grazier’s Wife and everything that is relevant is explained. For the fans of the previous books, you get to say hi to Charlie and Alice again. Flora is an exceptionally talented musician who has come to Burralea to practise for a role in the Queensland symphony orchestra. She’s also come to escape her abusive former partner Oliver, but she doesn’t want anyone to know this. It’s with deep reluctance that she tells local policeman Mitch her troubles. But Mitch has his own problems – jilted at the altar and now human bones have appeared on Seth’s new property. The discovery makes state news, which leads Hattie to return to the town she departed so abruptly after a wedding. Can she and former owner Joe shed light on what happened?
Both Flora and Hattie are lovely main characters, despite the decades between them. I enjoyed both their stories equally as Hattie faces her old love after many decades and Flora fights an increasing attraction to Mitch which could just be remnants of a teenage crush. (Or that’s what she tells herself). This story is not just about the romance though. It’s about becoming part of a community that loves you and looks out for you, as both Flora and Hattie discover. It’s about protection, support and helping each other. Flora and Hattie are quite similar, thinking themselves big city women who left the country far behind. But they both have kind hearts and the willingness to help that is revered in small communities. I liked their unlikely friendship as much as I enjoyed their paths to happiness.
Barbara Hannay creates characters that are different from each other, real and unique. I enjoyed reading about the minor characters just as much. Who would have guessed the bane of Mitch’s police life, elderly lady Edith, was so smart and caring? Father Jonno I feel has a few more stories up his sleeve – how did he get to Burralea and his post? I’d love to read more about him and this humid oasis.
I’m a big fan of multiple narratives across history and the story of Hattie’s mother and aunt didn’t disappoint. Shanghai in the late 1930s and during war time came alive for me, rich with detail and excitement. The complex relationships that went on were a bonus!
Rich and lush, Barbara Hannay’s stories are always a joy. If you’re looking for a book to warm your heart, The Country Wedding is just right.
Thank you to Penguin for the copy of this book. My review is honest.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
August 12, 2017
Just loved it! Paired with The Grazier's Wife, though both are stand alone books, the two make a delightful collection to keep, to re-read or to pass on to someone would also love them . Thank you Barbara Hannay, I have a couple more of your books yet to read and I have no doubt they will be as delightful as these two!
August 4, 2017
The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay is a heart-warming and beautifully written novel set mostly in the tiny Far North Queensland township of Burralea with the backdrop of a white, wooden church, classical violin music playing in the distance with the scent of frangipani.
Set in different time zones with plenty of characters to hold your interest, clever twists and turns in the plot and a murder inquiry to spark more interest as you delve into this new, romantic novel by Barbara Hannay.
There's a hint of exotic destinations such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Do we ever forget our first love? Can we bring the past into the future and live it as today? Is it ever too late?
Read it and see in The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay.
Set in different time zones with plenty of characters to hold your interest, clever twists and turns in the plot and a murder inquiry to spark more interest as you delve into this new, romantic novel by Barbara Hannay.
There's a hint of exotic destinations such as Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Do we ever forget our first love? Can we bring the past into the future and live it as today? Is it ever too late?
Read it and see in The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay.
March 25, 2024
This is the first of Barbara Hannay’s books I have read and I enjoyed it very much. I especially enjoyed the real places and changing timelines. Shanghai is not a place I knew much about so it was interesting to go back and research it and know what life was like pre WWII in that part of the world. My education is richer for that and also for the classical music which I took time to listen to, thanks to the topic of the book. I have more of Barbara’s books awaiting and feel like I’ve found a treasure in an author I hadn’t read before.
October 31, 2025
Definitely a read I wouldn’t have picked myself but I don’t regret reading it.
I enjoyed the flashbacks and the mix between all of the characters and their stories. I liked the general story between everyone and the idea of the book.
However, the writing was rushed and there was a lot of jumping from action to action without much time to sit in the moment of it happening.
I enjoyed the flashbacks and the mix between all of the characters and their stories. I liked the general story between everyone and the idea of the book.
However, the writing was rushed and there was a lot of jumping from action to action without much time to sit in the moment of it happening.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2017
A dual time zone book – nice, sweet, heartfelt, with characters that you feel like you become friends with in a rural Queensland town being a lovely backdrop to this lovely written novel. I enjoyed it all and found this to be an enjoyable, engaging read.
September 13, 2017
When I first started this book I kept getting confused with The Graziers Wife, however I then realised that the two books were connected. I loved the story of Flora and her music and her life from Melbourne to Brisbane via Burralea. A very enjoyable read.
September 29, 2017
I absolutely enjoyed this novel. I found it hard to put down and read it in just over 2 days. I enjoyed the dual storylines of the two main characters and loved the interactions between all the characters in the small town of Burralea. I will definitely be reading more by Barbara Hannay
October 23, 2017
Wow!!! Just wonderful!! After the first chapter or 2 I discovered that my sense of deja’vu was because this book visited the characters and setting from ‘The Graziers Wife’. I so enjoyed this story and the inserts from Shanghai etc were delightful. Beautiful read and definitely recommend!!
October 28, 2019
A lovely romance with storylines stretching back decades. In my opinion, this always adds depth and interest. Loved also the Acknowledgement at the end of the book to Rosie Batty, Australian of the Year 2015, who has 'raised our country's awareness of domestic violence'. Really enjoyed this one.
December 9, 2020
I love the Qld setting in this book - connected with Shanghai and the 2nd world war. Charming story.
This is the 2nd story I've read by Barbara Hannay and I loved how the town setting mentions characters from Burralea who I've read about in the previous book.
This is the 2nd story I've read by Barbara Hannay and I loved how the town setting mentions characters from Burralea who I've read about in the previous book.
September 1, 2017
This was a heart warming story based mainly in Far North Queensland.
September 11, 2017
Heartwarming story with a couple of favorite characters from a previous book. A bit predictable but still enjoyable.
September 23, 2017
A wonderful second chance dual love story.
Love the way Barbara Hannay writes deeply moving characters.
Love the way Barbara Hannay writes deeply moving characters.
January 18, 2019
4 September 2017 (posted to Good Reads 18.01.2019
Martin Kerr
True romance, jilted weddings, domestic violence and a police procedural
The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay
Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House Australia), 2017, 417 pages
‘…Joe’s terrible dilemma, and the choice he’s made between the girl he loved and the girl he believed he had made pregnant. She [Hattie] thought of the distressing choice that Lily, her own mother, had been forced to make in war-torn Shanghai, between keeping her child and keeping the man she loved.’( P408)
Choices made on the run, when one was young. Three strands. So many balls in the air. A Russian violinist and an English girl in Shanghai; Joe and his one night stand with a sassy barmaid; a country cop and a schoolteacher.
Three generations – Lily’s delayed marriage and an adopted-out Hattie, farmer Joe who never made it to his original wedding, the cop who was left standing at the altar. This is a novel which expands the horizons – pre-war China, American troops in far north Queensland, beautiful music, song and dance in a tropical highlands country town.
Plot-wise it’s too complex leading to convenient resolutions at the expense of the characters.
Flora, a young violinist fleeing from a toxic relationship with a baritone, makes it back to her home town and former orphaned and unsettled heart throb, Sergeant Mitch Cavello.
This is the beginning of an exciting story. Trouble is this contemporary setting opens at the second chapter.
Chapter one is vintage 1958 and goes back to pre-war China. Sure, Hattie the illegitimate daughter of a White Russian; Jilted by Joe for Gloria; and her return to Burralea is going to be the major part of the story, but this chapter could have been deleted altogether and the novel begun at Chapter Two.
Chapter Six reintroduces/introduces Hattie who after two marriages returns to the town for a visit, where she meets up with Joe a widower with a critical small-minded daughter, and a witness (also with Hattie) in the investigation into human remains.
Sergeant Cavello, about to seek a transfer out of embarrassment of being jilted, is diverted by this investigation. He also sees the need to protect his former schoolgirl crush Flora who is preparing for an audition to the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Flora and Mitch’s romance obviously develops despite the hurt to each of them. Flora’s former lover Oliver turns up on a nasty violin destroying mission to be eventually removed from the scene.
Small town gossip, nosey but caring neighbours, a sympathetic Anglican priest, successful farmers with successful families. Beautiful highlands weather interrupted by the big wet and its oppressive build up. Families and friends enjoying Christmas, visits to Brisbane and Cairns. Perfect conservative country, contrasting with the Japanese invasion of China and black American GIs mutinying in Townsville.
Truly a smorgasbord to delight any reader looking for romance, adventure, some detective work and the victory of good over evil, despite doubtful decisions made early in the protagonists’ lives.
The race card is respectfully orchestrated. Chinese man-English woman, Russian Jew-English woman, African-American soldier-Australian girl, hard-working Italian-Anglo/Celtic relationships in the Atherton Tablelands.
Nothing about Murri or the possibility of Murri farm workers. Or overseas backpackers.
Now here’s a challenge for Hannay and the romance genre. (I alluded to this in my critique of Moonlight Plains).When will she attempt a romantic Aboriginal-Balanda relationship? A problem for a book cover too.
Barbara Hannay has a way with words. Don’t throw them away. She’s not up with the F word. It’s introduced on page 36 and occasionally appears throughout the novel. Unless it’s in dialogue (even then this is problematic) F… appears to be extraneous and quite unnecessary. This is not said out of prudery. F… does not fit comfortably with the professional style and approach of this ambitious and challenging novel.
The balls are still in the air with The Country Wedding. Too complex, and exhausting for the author no doubt. Fewer players would allow relationships to develop at a more revealing and sympathetic pace.
I give her four stars all round – true romance and literary style.
Martin Kerr’s New Guinea Patrol was first published in 1973. His cult memoir, short stories and seven novels are available on Kindle.
Martin Kerr
True romance, jilted weddings, domestic violence and a police procedural
The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay
Michael Joseph (Penguin Random House Australia), 2017, 417 pages
‘…Joe’s terrible dilemma, and the choice he’s made between the girl he loved and the girl he believed he had made pregnant. She [Hattie] thought of the distressing choice that Lily, her own mother, had been forced to make in war-torn Shanghai, between keeping her child and keeping the man she loved.’( P408)
Choices made on the run, when one was young. Three strands. So many balls in the air. A Russian violinist and an English girl in Shanghai; Joe and his one night stand with a sassy barmaid; a country cop and a schoolteacher.
Three generations – Lily’s delayed marriage and an adopted-out Hattie, farmer Joe who never made it to his original wedding, the cop who was left standing at the altar. This is a novel which expands the horizons – pre-war China, American troops in far north Queensland, beautiful music, song and dance in a tropical highlands country town.
Plot-wise it’s too complex leading to convenient resolutions at the expense of the characters.
Flora, a young violinist fleeing from a toxic relationship with a baritone, makes it back to her home town and former orphaned and unsettled heart throb, Sergeant Mitch Cavello.
This is the beginning of an exciting story. Trouble is this contemporary setting opens at the second chapter.
Chapter one is vintage 1958 and goes back to pre-war China. Sure, Hattie the illegitimate daughter of a White Russian; Jilted by Joe for Gloria; and her return to Burralea is going to be the major part of the story, but this chapter could have been deleted altogether and the novel begun at Chapter Two.
Chapter Six reintroduces/introduces Hattie who after two marriages returns to the town for a visit, where she meets up with Joe a widower with a critical small-minded daughter, and a witness (also with Hattie) in the investigation into human remains.
Sergeant Cavello, about to seek a transfer out of embarrassment of being jilted, is diverted by this investigation. He also sees the need to protect his former schoolgirl crush Flora who is preparing for an audition to the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Flora and Mitch’s romance obviously develops despite the hurt to each of them. Flora’s former lover Oliver turns up on a nasty violin destroying mission to be eventually removed from the scene.
Small town gossip, nosey but caring neighbours, a sympathetic Anglican priest, successful farmers with successful families. Beautiful highlands weather interrupted by the big wet and its oppressive build up. Families and friends enjoying Christmas, visits to Brisbane and Cairns. Perfect conservative country, contrasting with the Japanese invasion of China and black American GIs mutinying in Townsville.
Truly a smorgasbord to delight any reader looking for romance, adventure, some detective work and the victory of good over evil, despite doubtful decisions made early in the protagonists’ lives.
The race card is respectfully orchestrated. Chinese man-English woman, Russian Jew-English woman, African-American soldier-Australian girl, hard-working Italian-Anglo/Celtic relationships in the Atherton Tablelands.
Nothing about Murri or the possibility of Murri farm workers. Or overseas backpackers.
Now here’s a challenge for Hannay and the romance genre. (I alluded to this in my critique of Moonlight Plains).When will she attempt a romantic Aboriginal-Balanda relationship? A problem for a book cover too.
Barbara Hannay has a way with words. Don’t throw them away. She’s not up with the F word. It’s introduced on page 36 and occasionally appears throughout the novel. Unless it’s in dialogue (even then this is problematic) F… appears to be extraneous and quite unnecessary. This is not said out of prudery. F… does not fit comfortably with the professional style and approach of this ambitious and challenging novel.
The balls are still in the air with The Country Wedding. Too complex, and exhausting for the author no doubt. Fewer players would allow relationships to develop at a more revealing and sympathetic pace.
I give her four stars all round – true romance and literary style.
Martin Kerr’s New Guinea Patrol was first published in 1973. His cult memoir, short stories and seven novels are available on Kindle.
February 22, 2018
I just enjoy Barbara Hannays books more and more each time I listen to one! The Country Wedding follows on from The Graziers Wife, but could easily be read as a standalone novel. Mitch the local cop is jilted at the altar by his fiancee. Determined to go on he becomes involved in the mysterious finding of bones on his best man's property that was owned for years by Joe. Meanwhile Flora has come home to escape her ex boyfriends violence and is in hiding, but as she is a talented violinist she is coerced into organising the childrens christmas concert by her old music teacher and mentor. The attraction to Mitch is powerful, but she is conscious that he doesn't want to move on just yet from his disastrous wedding day. Meanwhile Joe reconnects with Hattie who was his childhood sweetheart. She returns to town because she knows something about the mysterious bones that were found, and Joe is involved in that as well.
This story kept me involved from the beginning to end and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator Barbara has used through all the 3 books of hers that I have listened to is excellent. Can't wait to see what Barbara has on the book front next.
This story kept me involved from the beginning to end and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The narrator Barbara has used through all the 3 books of hers that I have listened to is excellent. Can't wait to see what Barbara has on the book front next.
August 10, 2018
Just finished reading The Country Wedding by Barbra Hannay it set in far North Queensland and is about two couples a young woman Flora Drummond a violinist who has returned for the wedding of Mitch Calveo who she once had a crush on when she was 17 years old and on the run from her abusive ex boyfriend Oliver. Mitch is the police officer of the town that is dumped by his fiancee on their wedding day. The othe couple elderly Hattie and Joe who were supposed to be in love decades ago after Joe married someone else and she left now years later Hattie returns after bones are found on the property once owned by Joe now owned by Flora's brother Seth. We learn of the past of Hattie and Joe growing up during the war and how they partied ways and finding their way to love again. Flora and Mitch love also blooms as well. A great read. Read in week , am loving Barbra Hannay books lately.
October 20, 2017
This is a very sweet book about love and relationships. I wish that the murder played a more prominent role in the overall story (and the blurb on the back strongly suggests it does), but it really just acts as a catalyst to bring two people back together. There is nothing wrong with this, I was just really hoping to see more of the story unfold around this drama, instead it was cast off to the side once it had served its purpose.
Also only one of these love stories was really developed, the other to me seem like it just happened. Don't get me wrong it was still very enjoyable and sweet to read about these two young people falling in love, but there wasn't really any significant development to my mind in regards to that relationship.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was simple and sweet, full of love stories between a number of couples and individuals, spanning 3 generations. I really liked the chapters that flashed back to Shanghai in the 1940's as it added an extra dimension to the whole plot that was really enjoyable. If your looking for something to keep you entertained with warm and fuzzy feelings, this is your book.
Also only one of these love stories was really developed, the other to me seem like it just happened. Don't get me wrong it was still very enjoyable and sweet to read about these two young people falling in love, but there wasn't really any significant development to my mind in regards to that relationship.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was simple and sweet, full of love stories between a number of couples and individuals, spanning 3 generations. I really liked the chapters that flashed back to Shanghai in the 1940's as it added an extra dimension to the whole plot that was really enjoyable. If your looking for something to keep you entertained with warm and fuzzy feelings, this is your book.
April 14, 2018
Loved this book!
'Two country weddings, fifty years apart … and the miracle of second chances'. Hannay skilfully juxtaposes various eras in the protagonists' lives, mainly set in the lush tropical climate of Far North Queensland but also taking us to places pre- and post- Second World War. Not only was the plot interesting - we care about what happens to these characters - but the subplot of family violence in relationships is deliberately and tautly drawn - shining a light on a very real and hidden tragedy.
Reading this reminded me of the enjoyment I felt in reading 'Sweet Wattle Creek' by Kaye Dobbie.
I can't wait to read more by this award-winning Australian author!
'Two country weddings, fifty years apart … and the miracle of second chances'. Hannay skilfully juxtaposes various eras in the protagonists' lives, mainly set in the lush tropical climate of Far North Queensland but also taking us to places pre- and post- Second World War. Not only was the plot interesting - we care about what happens to these characters - but the subplot of family violence in relationships is deliberately and tautly drawn - shining a light on a very real and hidden tragedy.
Reading this reminded me of the enjoyment I felt in reading 'Sweet Wattle Creek' by Kaye Dobbie.
I can't wait to read more by this award-winning Australian author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2020
This was a good read with a good storyline, but for me it jumped around from the past to the present a bit and made the story a little disjointed.
However, I still enjoyed the book and the characters were all brought together by circumstances in their lives, to the same place and people as decades earlier which helps them heal the hurt from the past.
However, I still enjoyed the book and the characters were all brought together by circumstances in their lives, to the same place and people as decades earlier which helps them heal the hurt from the past.
June 4, 2019
A teenage crush comes true among heartbreak for a jilted groom. Decades earlier a history repeats itself with a similar encounter and hidden secrets. In the present day, one couple gets a second chance at reviving true love.
Left asking 'whatever happens to our first love.'
Left asking 'whatever happens to our first love.'
November 3, 2017
A thoroughly enjoyable read that magnificently weaves multiple strange together. Easy to read, enthralling. An absolute delight to read from beginning to end.
March 17, 2018
First book I have read by this author and I will be reading more
I love to find stories of Australia for a change
I love to find stories of Australia for a change
April 25, 2019
This was super cute!
August 24, 2019
I read this as an audiobook and therefore my full review is on Amazon. It was good and probably deserves 3.5 stars.
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