After the Party

by Cassie Hamer

'After The Party forces the reader to confront uncomfortable questions like, How far would you go to protect a child? How clear is the line between right and wrong? And, what does it truly mean to be a good mother?' - Mamamia

Be careful what you wish for...

Lisa Wheeldon has a lovely life. Wife to a gorgeous husband, Scott, and a devoted mother to two small daughters, the former accountant has everything she wants - except a third child. But the universe has a strange way of providing.

On the surface, Ava's fifth birthday party seems the ideal opportunity for Lisa to meet her daughter's new kindergarten friends - all 32 of them! But from beginning to end, the day is a complete nightmare, capped off by the discovery of a little girl hiding in the Wheeldon's backyard. At first, Lisa reasons that Ellie's mum is running late. But when they open a gift from the mysterious little girl, it becomes clear her mother has no intention of returning at all...

What sort of mother abandons her child? And why has she chosen the Wheeldons?

Together, Lisa and her sister Jamie launch their own efforts to find the missing mum, a journey that will force Lisa to face her past, Jamie to confront her future and see both embroiled with angry exes, pragmatic fortune-tellers, Russian mobsters and a hyena pack of yummy mummies.

A journey that will force Lisa to rethink all she knows about being a good mother.

Liane Moriarty meets Marian Keyes with a touch of Christos Tsiolkas's The Slap in this hilarious, touching and clever novel that asks what wouldn't you do to save a child?

PRAISE FOR AFTER THE PARTY

'Everything I love in a novel ­- jam-packed with intrigue and humour - After the Party will keep you turning the pages into the early hours.' - Bestselling Australian author Rachael Johns

'a light-hearted and heart-warming story about parenting, marriage and family...I can see it being passed from sister to sister, or from girlfriend to girlfriend, with a knowing look, an exasperated sigh and a genuine giggle.' - Cass Moriarty, bestselling author of The Promise Seed and Parting Words

Genres: Audiobook, Book Club, Fiction, Ebooks, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Australia

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2019

About the author

Cassie Hamer has a professional background in journalism and PR, but now much prefers the world of fiction over fact. She has published four novels, which focus on the dark side of suburbia.

Cassie lives in Sydney with her terrific husband, three, mostly-terrific daughters, and a labradoodle, Charlie, who is the least demanding member of the family. In between making school lunches and walking the dog, Cassie is also working on her next novel but always has time to connect with other passionate readers via her website – CassieHamer.com – or through social media.

You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Reviews

[Tylah Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

if this book was as exciting as the last 65 pages this would’ve been a higher rating - little disappointed with this one.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After The Party by Cassie Hamer was a fun Aussie book that made me laugh. A story about motherhood and the lengths you will go for your children and also about choices and how they shape your future. I really enjoyed the relationships especially that of the sisters Lisa and Jamie. This book shows that there is no such thing as the perfect mother and no matter what happens trust your heart.

Lisa has a great life - she loves her husband Scott and her 2 children but she is aching for another child - something that Scott doesn't want. She wants Ava's 5th birthday party to be perfect - all 32 kids from her class are coming and she has it all planned. But she sleeps in and the day just goes from bad to worse - we have all had those days. After the party she finds that Ellie is hiding in the backyard and soon finds that her mother has abandoned her. With the help of her family she sets out to find the mother.

While all of this is happening Jamie, Lisa's sister is trying to decide what is best for her future. Her life is about to dramatically change but is it what she really wants? Secrets are revealed and life has a funny way of showing you what you really want.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia, HQ Fiction for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
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**4.5 stars**

After The Party by Cassie Hamer. (2019).

Lisa has a lovely life, a gorgeous husband and two beautiful girls (although she would like another child too...). Lisa invites 32 kindy kids for her daughter's birthday; it's compete chaos and at the end of the day there is one child left, Ellie. Ellie has a mysterious note that makes clear her mum isn't coming back to get her...what sort of mum does this, and why pick Lisa's family?
Lisa and her sister decide to track down the missing mum and this journey is life-changing for both of them.

This novel well and truly is a fantastic debut for the author. With a perfect mix of intrigue, humour, suspense and reality, it's one I'd be happy to recommend. I felt like there was a strong underlying current focusing on the powerful love of mothers, as well as highlighting the special relationship between sisters (particularly when their parents have sadly passed away). I really enjoyed following both Lisa and Jamie's respective journeys, as well as the drama they run into searching for Ellie's mum. Keep an eye out for side character Heather who truly is a riot!
Overall, this story is really entertaining and engaging. I look forward to future novels from this author.

[Tatterededges · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was excruciating. I’d read a handful of chapters and have to put it down before I lost the will to live. The only reason I finished it at all is because I‘ve had so many DNF’s this year that I was determined to finish this thing.

The female characters are all vapid, shallow, stereotypes. Jesus, why is it so hard for authors to develop female characters with a little fucking substance? Sigh, I digress.

The men are pretty much absent. Meh, half their luck really, if I was married to any of these characters, I’d be absent too.

A couple of things that annoyed me from the start were:

1. Children do not generally talk like that. I mean of course they can be rude little shits, but these children were full of contempt for Lisa which I just don’t believe 5 year olds at a kids birthday party would do.

2. The whole bath thing after the party was just weird. What parent would put a strangers kid in the bath while they’re waiting for their parent to collect them? Especially when you’ve already noticed that the kid is scared. Getting her naked and exposed in front of 3 adults she doesn’t know from Adam is a brilliant idea 🙄 oh hello child protective services, fancy meeting you here in inappropriate town.

3. As if you wouldn’t call the cops. Fuck right off.

4. Lisa tells everyone. All these school mums who are portrayed as snobby bitches that she doesn’t know at all and yet she tells them all her dark secrets. As if one of them wouldn’t have called the cops.

It just gets stupid after that with a whole bunch of mums playing detective, Lisa clutching her pearls every other page and a whole lot of time wasted on a wedding that we all knew was never going to happen the minute she stuck her tongue down another guys throat at her own engagement party.

And finally the climax, (and I use that term loosely), a big burly guy has a gun in your face, but sure, go ahead and have a discussion amongst yourselves about Ellie’s parentage. And finally a hair dryer? Really? Fuck right off again.

I’ve never been so happy to finish a book since... well the last one star.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warm, light and hilarious in parts, this was such a delight to read. Fabulous debut.

Lisa is a mum of two little girls and has a wonderful husband, Scott. For Ava's fifth birthday they decide to have a party, but alas, all does not go to plan. At the end of the party it is clear that one of the parents is not coming to collect their little girl and a mystery ensues. A funny tale of friends, family and solving the mystery of the abandoned child. The friendships in this book were beautiful in the way they unfolded and that premise that you really would do anything for your child. This one was such an easy read and I loved the Aussie references, being from Sydney myself. So yes, a little bias! It had some really heart-warming moments and comedy with the school mum antic. Definitely recommend for an easy and enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to @harlequinaus @hqstories and Cassie Hamer for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Lily Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really got into the story of Lisa and Jamie, and its big ensemble of school mums, little sisters, hairdressers, kindergarten teachers, patient husbands, fiance's, fashionista bosses, assistants, drug thugs and even ex dudes from the Russian mafia. It tickled my funny bone, maybe because I can't make a cake to save my life and I always mega-stress before my kids' birthday parties... and cannot wait for entire show to be over.
This was really well written, giving all characters an arc I enjoyed, but if I have to pick a favourite I found myself really warming to Heather.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Dear Lisa,

I’m sorry. Please know this, above all else. I am truly sorry to put this responsibility on you but I have been left with little choice.”

After an exhausting morning hosting 32 kindergarten children for her daughter’s fifth birthday, Lisa Wheeldon is stunned to learn that one tiny guest won’t be collected any time soon. In amongst the gifts, is a heartfelt plea for Lisa to look after six year old Ellie for a few weeks while her mother, a complete stranger, deals with some unspecified crisis. Lisa knows she should notify the relevant authorities, but having experienced the perils of the foster system first hand, decides she will care for Ellie, at least temporarily, while making every effort to track down the absent mother.

Child abandonment seems an unlikely theme in which to find humour, but Hamer somehow does as Lisa enlists the help of her sister, Jamie, and an odd selection of school mum’s she barely knows, in an effort to find Ellie’s missing mother. Lisa’s attempts are well intentioned, but she doesn’t have the cunning, or know how, to deal with the situation she finds herself in, so she does what she can do well, which is care for Ellie.

As a mother, I could relate to several of Lisa’s experiences in the book – the chaos of children’s birthday parties, and the gossipy and competitive nature of primary school mum’s particularly, though Lisa’s naivety is a bit of a stretch.

I think the story could included less of Jamie’s relationship troubles, they were a distraction. I think the plot would have been better served by focusing more on ‘Missy’, Ellie’s mum’s, past and present.

I think Hamer just tried to include too much, not an unusual error in a debut novel, so the focus was split and in the end, the novel was a bit messy. However, I did enjoy the humour, and overall found After the Party to be a quick, easy read.

[Tash · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the Party is my first book from this author. I was intrigued by the premise. A child abandoned at a party seemed a little too far fetch but it’s fiction. The possibilities are endless. Hamer did weave an interesting story telling it from the perspectives of those who are key to the story. It made me as the reader invested in enough wanting to discover every little thing. Lisa was the ideal character considering the reletability factor.
It wasn’t perfect book but it held promise for a debut. I wish it was more darker then light considering the touchy subjects discussed in this book. It’s a mash up of two genres that worked together on most levels but need to be a little more tighten to be more fitting of the issue at hand.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I’m sorry. Please know this above all else.’

Ava Wheeldon is having a fifth birthday party. Her mum Lisa has invited Ava’s kindergarten class (all 32 of them), has a list of all the tasks (spreadsheets can be so useful!). It’s ambitious, but Lisa has a schedule and the help of her husband Scott and her sister Jamie. What could possibly go wrong? Well, as Lisa finds out, just about everything. Oversleeping puts the schedule under pressure, and the food preparation doesn’t go according to plan either. And Lisa’s not getting to meet many of the parents as most parents just drop their children off and leave.

Finally, the party ends, and the children are picked up. All except for one little girl, Ellie. Lisa figures that Ellie’s mother is running late. But there’s a note from Ellie’s mum asking Lisa to look after Ellie, to keep her safe. The note asks Lisa not to call the police (as they’ll take Ellie into care) and says that she’ll be back for her.

At first, Lisa thought it was a sick joke. But what kind of mother would abandon a child, and why have the Wheeldons been chosen?

‘The right thing to do is always the hardest.’

Lisa and Jamie decide to try to find Ellie’s mum. Scott wants to telephone the police, but he’s willing (reluctantly) to wait a while. So begins a well-intentioned (albeit at times bizarre) journey for both Lisa and Jamie. Add in relationship issues, ghosts from the past, competitive school mummies, and a vengeful ex and you have a mystery with a twist (or two).

I liked Lisa, and while I was never brave (or perhaps foolish) enough to have 32 guests at a children’s birthday party, I could relate to the organisational mayhem. I enjoyed the touches of humour as the story unfolded, and I was satisfied by the ending. Ms Hamer deftly handles several different issues in this novel. The main characters are well drawn, and the minor characters fit into their supporting roles neatly. I enjoyed it.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HQ Fiction for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lovely story that was easy to follow the story. no big twist but very enjoyable

[Cass Moriarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Cassie Hamer's debut novel After the Party (Harlequin Books 2019) is a light-hearted and heart-warming story about parenting, marriage and family. The book opens with Sydney mum Lisa Wheeldon in the midst of the chaos that is a child’s fifth birthday party. Like Liane Moriarty, Hamer touches on the nerves of all readers who are parents or carers as she dissects the judgmental expectations, the sugar highs, the cake disasters, the parents who’ve had one too many wines, and the pinata problems. But just when it seems she has survived the party, she realises she has an extra child in her home – a little girl, Ellie, who wasn’t even invited, and who seems to have been abandoned by her mother. The book takes a dark turn and delves into some more serious issues. But despite the weighty mystery at its centre, the story remains entertaining and amusing as Lisa and her friends and family struggle to decide what to do about Ellie. What is the right thing to do versus what do they want to do? Should they involve the police? What about Ellie’s rights? And what if Ellie’s mother’s motivations are more complicated than they at first appear? This is a great book club book that will ignite discussions about foster care, parental rights and responsibilities, domestic violence, societal norms and expectations and the sacrifices we are prepared to make, both for our own children and for the children of others (that whole ‘it takes a village’ philosophy).
Funny writing is very hard to do well and it is difficult to produce a book that is humorous precisely because it is so familiar and recognisable, and because you can so easily see yourself in the same situation as the characters. But this book is very funny and very relatable. There are some great relationships between parents and children, and between adults, that navigate the ups and downs of connection, and there’s a madcap and over-the-top ending that really raises the stakes. If you are a parent or an aunt or uncle, I guarantee you will recognise your child, your neighbour, your partner or yourself in this story. I can see it being passed from sister to sister, or from girlfriend to girlfriend, with a knowing look, an exasperated sigh and a genuine giggle.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

After most kids parties there's always the matter of cleaning up the mess, then I usually find myself kicking back to recover whilst mentally tallying the pro's and con's of the event - (i.e. should I put myself through this again next year...so much preparation for a couple of hours of fun). In Cassie Hamer's version of After The Party, Lisa & Scott Wheeldon have somewhat more to consider following their daughter Ava's 5th birthday party. Ellie, one of the young party-goers has not been collected. Not only that, it turns out she wasn't even invited in the first place. The note in her bag tells the Wheeldon's she's been entrusted to them for safe keeping and please don't go to the police. What happens after this discovery is the crux of the story. There's a couple of side stories thrown into the mix and a couple of red herrings to keep us guessing about who Ellie was and how or why she might have been left with the Wheeldon family.

Whilst I enjoyed the book some elements didn't entirely work for me and I wasn't necessarily convinced everything was plausible. This meant I had to stop expecting too many answers and to remind myself to just go with the flow. I did enjoy that it was set in Australia and that the author came up with what I believe was a unique storyline. All in all a pleasant way to fill a couple of days.

My thanks to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't seem to be in the mood for chick lit at the moment. I liked the premise for this, and some of it was well done, but parts of it were just...a bit too over the top!

[Cathy Nicholson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m only a few chapters in and took to Good Reads to see if it might get better. The writing is so awful (overuse of parenthesis much??). The plot development is slow, the author gives the reader no credit and overexpains everything, and the characters are two-dimensional. I love a good chic-lit but this is not doing it for me. Worst book I have read in years.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this book and the characters were interesting but it became a bit unbelievable once it was known who the mother of the child was. An entertaining read none the less. Loved the start about the actual children's party and the need for moscato!

[Kim (hundredacreofbooks.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected gift left at her daughter's fifth birthday party in the form of a little girl pitches Sydney mum Lisa Wheeldon into events both hilarious and life-changing.

Liane Moriarty meets Marian Keyes with a touch of Christos Tsiolkas's The Slap in this hilarious, touching and clever novel that asks what wouldn't you do to save a child?

Be careful what you wish for...

Lisa Wheeldon has a lovely life. Wife to a gorgeous husband, Scott, and a devoted mother to two small daughters, the former accountant has everything she wants - except a third child. But the universe has a strange way of providing.

On the surface, Ava's fifth birthday party seems the ideal opportunity for Lisa to meet her daughter's new kindergarten friends - all 32 of them! But from beginning to end, the day is a complete nightmare, capped off by the discovery of a little girl hiding in the Wheeldon's backyard. At first, Lisa reasons that Ellie's mum is running late. But when they open a gift from the mysterious little girl, it becomes clear her mother has no intention of returning at all...

What sort of mother abandons her child? And why has she chosen the Wheeldons?

Together, Lisa and her sister Jamie launch their own efforts to find the missing mum, a journey that will force Lisa to face her past, Jamie to confront her future and see both embroiled with angry exes, pragmatic fortune-tellers, Russian mobsters and a hyena pack of yummy mummies.

A journey that will force Lisa to rethink all she knows about being a good mother.


A fifth birthday party with an entire class of Kindergarten children as the guests, what could go wrong? Turns out for mother of two not everything goes according to Lisa Wheldon's plans. Lisa drops the extravagant castle cake, which then gets eaten by the family's hungry golden retriever, makes for a wonderful start to the day.

For me, I really enjoyed the topic and event that set the story in motion. I had no idea where the story was going or how I would as the reader eventually get there, however, I found the characters were well suited to the roles they played within the story that they were situated.

I also loved Jamie and Ben's role within the book, as I thought they really brought the story together for me more so than Lisa and her husband Scott did. I found myself worried at times that the story would run dry or around in cycles but I really enjoyed how everything panned out in the end.

As the reader, I was able to sense Lisa's concern for Ellie as the events unfolded, but even more so what role Lisa would play in Ellie's life after the truth was discovered about Ellie's mother's whereabouts.

I had no idea that 'After The Party' was Cassie Hammer's debut novel! 'After the Party' seems like the highly anticipated next read from Cassie. I really look forward to Hammer's next offering as I was completely surprised at the fact that 'After The Party' was a debut novel.

I recommend this book to adult women in search of a Contemporary Fiction read, or simply looking for a light read by a female author.

With thanks to Harlequin Books and Netgalley for proving a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Jenny (Bookbookowl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing me with a copy of After the Party in exchange for an honest review.

After the Party kicks off with a hilarious morning of mishaps for Lisa, on her daughter's fifth birthday party.  Anything that can go wrong does go wrong and all she wants is for the party of kids bouncing off the walls to be over.  But once all the children have gone home and she finally feels like she can relax, there's one more surprise....a child seems to have been left behind.  The assumption that her mother is just running late is quickly shattered when they read the note the little girl has with her. 

As Lisa, her sister and a crew of intimidating mums at her daughter's new school attempt to move heaven and earth to find the girls missing mother, they discover secrets about not only the girls situation but their own families too.  

After the Party was an often hilarious but also heartwrenching story about what it means to be a mother, and the lengths you will go to for your children.  It also took us down paths of the choices people make to hold onto ideals for their own lives.  I really enjoyed this book, even though I sometimes found some of the subject matter hard to read.  As a mother I don't think I could ever understand what Ellie's mum did, but I understood her thought process, and by the end of the book I wondered whether that actually made me more selfish than her.  It begs the question ' how far would you go to protect your child?' 

This was a fantastic debut novel for Cassie Hamer and I hope to read more of her books in the future!

[Sharon J · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing story that was enjoyable and easy to read.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good premise, relatable characters, well written. A page turner - read over two days.

[Leanne Lovegrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a clever book! The story evolves naturally with just the right amount of surprise. It’s well-written and paced, an absolute delight. Loved it and cannot wait for the next book.

[Kate (KitKat07210) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️

[Renelle Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“After the Party” is a light piece of contemporary fiction that’s good fun to read, although not overly emotionally involving. Still, it’s well written, and isn’t trying to pretend that it will spark any deep soul searching. There are a number of things in the novel that you can criticise when you’re looking at it analytically. But as a reading experience, it’s a smooth and flowing read, light and good fun, and not overly demanding. We all have moments where we just want to be entertained, and “After the Party” does that well. It’s not very memorable, but a lot of people will just plain enjoy reading it.

For a more detailed review, please see:
http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

A friend loaned me this book. Not sure what she was thinking! Too much ghastly yummy-mummy and fairy floss for me.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story had a lot of potential and started of really well, but then withered out a bit. I find it hard to believe you can keep a child and enrol it in school without any paperwork....

[Cass · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a lot of critical thoughts reading this book. Who has a birthday party at 10am on a Sunday? Who throws a five-year-old's birthday party without planning any games? Who does pass the parcel with five-year-olds and doesn't include a tiny prize in every layer? I know these are all rookie mistakes and I'm not even a parent!

I admit the book has an interesting concept and I liked the writing overall. However, the majority of the characters are completely unlikeable and absolute caricatures. Lisa's pathetic, and judgemental, and is the mother who looks like she has it all together but is actually an absolute mess. And not only is she a mess. She's just horrific.

Jamie's storyline was the only one that really interested me - because it was so obvious that I actually actively wanted her to realise she loved Ben.

This book made me uncomfortable while reading, so I plodded along hoping I could at least appreciate the book if not enjoy it, but I just couldn't.

Good concept, but eh on the execution.

*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - a really good read that I only made 3 instead of 4 stars, because there is no way any human woman in the universe would ever, ever leave the birthday cake to be made on the day of a birthday party that starts at 10.00am, especially when the cake in question is supposed to be anything other than a basic iced job. This kid had asked for a castle. I have the Australian Women's weekly birthday cake cook book, I have made many of them, although not the cake, and I know that you need to get them done the day before - and you are still going to have a late night. She didn't even TRY to do a crumb layer, what the actual??? That was the least plausible plot point I think that I have ever read.

All that aside, it was a fun read, with some serious bits thrown in. Possibly a bit light for those serious aspects, but overall worth a read.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the Party is the debut novel by Australian author Cassie Hamer, and it is one stand out of a debut.

When cleaning up after her daughter's 5th birthday party, Lisa finds a child hiding in the back of the yard. It soon becomes obvious the mother isn't just late in picking up her child, but rather has left 6 year old Ellie in Lisa's care.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I'm completely on the fence as to whether to make this a 4 or 5 star review, because Lisa is totally my person. Hamer has completely nailed the chaos of child's birthday party, of school mum cliques, of loooong assemblies, of intimidating school principals. There wasn't much in her experience I couldn't relate to.

It had the laugh out loud moments - particularly Lisa's attempts at detective work in the stationary shop.

After the Party is a fun, light hearted read despite the subject matter. It's not a story of an abandoned child and the angst surrounding that. It's the story of a mum who suddenly find herself with a third child with no warning, and the discovery of how much love a mother has. Because that's really at the core of this story. Motherhood. Love.

If I had to have a downside, it was the opinions portrayed towards foster carers, and the limited example in the book. I understand that was to help justify Lisa's decision, but I know some utterly amazing foster carers and they really do love the children in their care. That's my personal issue though.

An incredible debut, I look forward to seeing more by this author.

**I received an ecopy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Certified Book Addicts · Rating 5 out of 5]

After The Party is the debut novel from Aussie author, Cassie Hamer. It’s an honest, real and often hilarious account of motherhood told through the eyes of the protagonist, Lisa Wheeldon. I’m not always a fan of ‘mummy fiction’ (for want of a better term) but every now and then I find one that strikes the right cord and this is one of them. Through Lisa’s experiences, Hamer explores themes that women, mothers or not, can relate to. While motherhood is the main theme, family, sisters, domestic violence, school yard politics and yummy mummy’s means this novel has something for everyone.

Lisa Wheeldon is a good mother living in Sydney. Like all mothers, Lisa is constantly trying to juggle everything with various amounts of success. I liked Lisa for always doing her best by her family but she was still able to accept that this wasn’t always possible. Lisa wasn’t scared to ask for help either and her two biggest supports were her gorgeous husband, Scott, and sister, Jamie. The close relationship between the sisters was inspirational. When Lisa and Jamie were teenagers, a tragedy hit the family, leaving Jamie in foster care until Lisa legally became an adult. With these two people by her side, Lisa always puts her two children first, Ava, 4 and her younger sister, Jemina, a toddler. It is Lisa’s life experiences that inform her decisions at Ava’s birthday party.

After a stressful but successful birthday, a child has not been picked up by her mother. Ellie is the child whose mother, Missy, appears to be running late. One note and many hours later, this is no longer the case. Lisa, Jamie and Scott must make the difficult decision of going to the police or to look after Ellie in the short term until everything is sorted out. What follows is a journey that demonstrates the strength of a mother’s love for her children.

Cassie Hamer is a bright, new talent to keep an eye out for in the future.

[Kristiejb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book. It was easy to read, easy to follow, and very relatable for, I’m sure, many Mums and families with young children (I’m not a mum, but still enjoyed it). When I first started reading I felt it was going to be a ‘good, yet simple and predictable’ book, however the further I got into it, the more reluctant I was to put it down of a night! The climax at the end of the book is quite dramatic and somewhat out of place with the more placid nature of the rest of the story - this would be a positive for some, negative for others. It was neither here nor there for me, however I was thankful that the ‘action’ part only filled a small proportion of the story, as that’s not really my genre.

I’d been experiencing a reading drought, having been uninspired to read for a couple of months, so thanks Cassie Hamer for reigniting my love of reading - this book was the perfect one for this purpose!