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Close to Home
A delightful small town story of community and family with shades of Romeo and Juliet and The Dressmaker.
Two houses, both alike in dignity...
Aunt Alice Dwyer loves her small Australian town. She's rarely left its comforting embrace. She knows everyone in it; in fact, she's related to most of them. All she wants is to keep her family safe and the town running exactly the way it always has. Her way. But when an exotic French artist comes to town, her hold begins to weaken...
Lucienne Chevalier, once the toast of Europe, has come to Nyringa after a tragic loss to hang up her sequins and create a place for her circus family to rest between tours. With her is Simon, her grandson, recovering from an injury so damaging he can no longer perform. Lucienne fears he'll never embrace a new future. That is, until she notices the chemistry between him and the new schoolteacher... All they need is a push.
Both grande dames think they know what's best, but with equal amounts of stubbornness on both sides, peace looks unlikely. Then a relationship between Alice's rebellious great-niece and a teenage acrobat sets the two communities on a collision course. But when the bakery starts making patisseries over lamingtons, the battle lines are truly drawn...
A story of community and family. Of the love that brings them together ... and the fears that would tear them apart.
Two houses, both alike in dignity...
Aunt Alice Dwyer loves her small Australian town. She's rarely left its comforting embrace. She knows everyone in it; in fact, she's related to most of them. All she wants is to keep her family safe and the town running exactly the way it always has. Her way. But when an exotic French artist comes to town, her hold begins to weaken...
Lucienne Chevalier, once the toast of Europe, has come to Nyringa after a tragic loss to hang up her sequins and create a place for her circus family to rest between tours. With her is Simon, her grandson, recovering from an injury so damaging he can no longer perform. Lucienne fears he'll never embrace a new future. That is, until she notices the chemistry between him and the new schoolteacher... All they need is a push.
Both grande dames think they know what's best, but with equal amounts of stubbornness on both sides, peace looks unlikely. Then a relationship between Alice's rebellious great-niece and a teenage acrobat sets the two communities on a collision course. But when the bakery starts making patisseries over lamingtons, the battle lines are truly drawn...
A story of community and family. Of the love that brings them together ... and the fears that would tear them apart.
350 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2021
17 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Janet Gover
24 books112 followersJanet Gover was born in Melbourne, Australia. When she was very small, her family moved to a small country town in Queensland. She studied Journalism and Politics at Queensland University. She went on to forge a path in television journalism, she worked as a reporter and producer of news and other factual TV programmes in Australia, Hong Kong and the UK. Today matched with a Englishman, she lives in West London and works as a consultant, implementing high end digital systems in TV stations and production facilities in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Janet Gover published her first short story, called The Last Dragon, in 2002, and since then she published some short stories. In 2007 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association's Elizabeth Goudge Trophy, and now she is part of the RNA's Committee.. She published her first romance novel in 2009.
Janet Gover published her first short story, called The Last Dragon, in 2002, and since then she published some short stories. In 2007 she won the Romantic Novelists' Association's Elizabeth Goudge Trophy, and now she is part of the RNA's Committee.. She published her first romance novel in 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 30, 2022
The small Australian town of Nyringa had been Aunt Alice’s home all her life. Now in her old age she had family surrounding her who would always do her bidding. But it was her childhood which had left an indelible footprint in her heart and made her the strict and sometimes unkind matriarch of her family. When an old property on the outskirts of town was sold and Alice learned a circus family would be descending on them, including the owner, Lucienne Chevalier, she was incandescent with rage. How dare they come to Nyringa and disrupt her life?
Jenny was Aunt Alice’s great niece and a little in awe of her aunt. But she loved her. And when a new schoolteacher arrived when the summer holidays were over, one Miss Meg Walker, Jenny was excited to meet her. But Meg had bad memories of a recent experience that she hoped with time, she could get on top of – only time would tell…
Lucienne and her grandson Simon would be in charge of their new property, named Three Rings, and the circus would spend its off period each year there in Nyringa, repairing and maintaining. But both Simon and Lucienne had grief in their hearts and while injuries would heal, the heart would take much longer. With the antipathy from Alice toward the circus, the lingering grief for Simon and his grandmother, as well as Meg, would the town accept the newest residents? Or was it doomed to fail?
Close to Home by Aussie author Janet Gover was a spectacular read! I disliked Alice at the beginning for her bossy and overbearing ways, but gradually she softened, and I understood why she was like she was. Although the main characters were the two matriarchs – Alice and Lucienne – I found Jenny to be special, along with Finn, acrobat and entertainer. Close to Home is my first read by this author and I’ll be looking to read more now. Highly recommended.
Jenny was Aunt Alice’s great niece and a little in awe of her aunt. But she loved her. And when a new schoolteacher arrived when the summer holidays were over, one Miss Meg Walker, Jenny was excited to meet her. But Meg had bad memories of a recent experience that she hoped with time, she could get on top of – only time would tell…
Lucienne and her grandson Simon would be in charge of their new property, named Three Rings, and the circus would spend its off period each year there in Nyringa, repairing and maintaining. But both Simon and Lucienne had grief in their hearts and while injuries would heal, the heart would take much longer. With the antipathy from Alice toward the circus, the lingering grief for Simon and his grandmother, as well as Meg, would the town accept the newest residents? Or was it doomed to fail?
Close to Home by Aussie author Janet Gover was a spectacular read! I disliked Alice at the beginning for her bossy and overbearing ways, but gradually she softened, and I understood why she was like she was. Although the main characters were the two matriarchs – Alice and Lucienne – I found Jenny to be special, along with Finn, acrobat and entertainer. Close to Home is my first read by this author and I’ll be looking to read more now. Highly recommended.
March 1, 2021
Ever since reading The Wild One I have been a big fan of Janet Gover's novels. She has proven over the years to have quite diverse writing skills, touching on themes that concern small town communities and are also relatable in a broader sense.
Close to Home starts with a short prologue featuring a teenaged Alice and it was good to get an insight into this young, fun Alice before she grew to be the proud and proper 80 year old we see in the following story.
Close to Home centres on two strong women, both matriarchs of their large families. Heartbreak features strongly in both their lives. Whilst Alice's is an old wound that she can't seem to let go of and it still shapes her decisions and attitudes, Lucienne's is fresh and soul destroying however she knows to move forward she must heal. I did feel one was more superficial than the other but to these two women the hurt was equal.
When the circus comes to stay in Nyringa the wariness of newcomers is raised and judging people before getting to know them which can often happen in small towns where change is feared. I loved all the circus details, how circuses had changed over the years and the love and commitment the performers have for what they do. I think this will have many readers on a nostalgic trip back to their childhood.
Gover redefines family with Alice and her large hoard of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and Lucienne declaring that every performer in her circus is part of her family. Family is more than your own immediate flesh and blood.
Two sweet and subtle romances weave through this story of acceptance and moving forward. Young love is instant and all consuming, as it often is, and has a Romeo and Juliet-ish feel. The other couples feeling are slower to develop and more wary to open up to each other. I thought both romances were realistic and well executed.
I could go on and on but no one wants a long wordy review so I will suffice to say that Close to Home is a story about family, relationships, community, new friendships, new beginnings, love lost and love found. And a great read!!
*I received a copy from the publisher
Close to Home starts with a short prologue featuring a teenaged Alice and it was good to get an insight into this young, fun Alice before she grew to be the proud and proper 80 year old we see in the following story.
Close to Home centres on two strong women, both matriarchs of their large families. Heartbreak features strongly in both their lives. Whilst Alice's is an old wound that she can't seem to let go of and it still shapes her decisions and attitudes, Lucienne's is fresh and soul destroying however she knows to move forward she must heal. I did feel one was more superficial than the other but to these two women the hurt was equal.
When the circus comes to stay in Nyringa the wariness of newcomers is raised and judging people before getting to know them which can often happen in small towns where change is feared. I loved all the circus details, how circuses had changed over the years and the love and commitment the performers have for what they do. I think this will have many readers on a nostalgic trip back to their childhood.
Gover redefines family with Alice and her large hoard of nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and Lucienne declaring that every performer in her circus is part of her family. Family is more than your own immediate flesh and blood.
Two sweet and subtle romances weave through this story of acceptance and moving forward. Young love is instant and all consuming, as it often is, and has a Romeo and Juliet-ish feel. The other couples feeling are slower to develop and more wary to open up to each other. I thought both romances were realistic and well executed.
I could go on and on but no one wants a long wordy review so I will suffice to say that Close to Home is a story about family, relationships, community, new friendships, new beginnings, love lost and love found. And a great read!!
*I received a copy from the publisher
April 4, 2021
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Close to Home by Janet Gover. (2021).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 3 February 2021**
Aunt Alice loves her small Australian town; she has rarely left it, knows everyone and is related to most of them. All she wants is to keep her family safe and the town running the way it always has (her way). But when an exotic French artiste comes to town, her hold weakens...
Lucienne has come to town to settle her circus family after a tragic loss. She comes with her grandson Simon who is recovering from an injury so damaging he can't perform. Lucienne fears he'll never embrace his future until she notices sparks between him and the new schoolteacher Meg...they just need a push.
Both grand dames think they know what's best and peace looks unlikely. Then a relationship between Alice's rebellious great-niece and a teenage acrobat sets the two communities on a collision course...
I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked this novel considering I disliked main character Alice. She grew on me a bit by the end but I tell you what, for me she was the stereotypical old lady who is basically a pain in everyone's back side but you put up with her because she's related to you. The worst thing about her was that she seemed to acknowledge she was super annoying but didn't care, in fact she enjoyed it. Aaaargh! Thankfully by the end she had softened and also it was very clear she truly loved her family and wanted what was best for them (albeit, what she thought was best haha). Whereas I found Alice's new nemesis Lucienne to be open minded, kind to all, and caring about others even while suffering from a recent heartbreaking tragedy. I really enjoyed the intense young love romance between Finn and Jenny, à la a modern Romeo and Juliet. I also appreciated the budding light romance between Simon and Meg who both had some serious recent trauma holding them back.
Overall: a contemporary domestic drama fiction set in a small town with a sprinkling of romance, I think this novel would be enjoyed by a lot of readers.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Close to Home by Janet Gover. (2021).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 3 February 2021**
Aunt Alice loves her small Australian town; she has rarely left it, knows everyone and is related to most of them. All she wants is to keep her family safe and the town running the way it always has (her way). But when an exotic French artiste comes to town, her hold weakens...
Lucienne has come to town to settle her circus family after a tragic loss. She comes with her grandson Simon who is recovering from an injury so damaging he can't perform. Lucienne fears he'll never embrace his future until she notices sparks between him and the new schoolteacher Meg...they just need a push.
Both grand dames think they know what's best and peace looks unlikely. Then a relationship between Alice's rebellious great-niece and a teenage acrobat sets the two communities on a collision course...
I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked this novel considering I disliked main character Alice. She grew on me a bit by the end but I tell you what, for me she was the stereotypical old lady who is basically a pain in everyone's back side but you put up with her because she's related to you. The worst thing about her was that she seemed to acknowledge she was super annoying but didn't care, in fact she enjoyed it. Aaaargh! Thankfully by the end she had softened and also it was very clear she truly loved her family and wanted what was best for them (albeit, what she thought was best haha). Whereas I found Alice's new nemesis Lucienne to be open minded, kind to all, and caring about others even while suffering from a recent heartbreaking tragedy. I really enjoyed the intense young love romance between Finn and Jenny, à la a modern Romeo and Juliet. I also appreciated the budding light romance between Simon and Meg who both had some serious recent trauma holding them back.
Overall: a contemporary domestic drama fiction set in a small town with a sprinkling of romance, I think this novel would be enjoyed by a lot of readers.
April 16, 2021
An Aussie rural romance and so much more! A circus troupe, a new teacher, the town's favourite Aunt and teenagers finding love for the first time. It is a story of love, of new starts, of family and regret.
Nyringa is a small town in rural NSW. "Aunt" Alice Dwyer has lived there all her life, she knows everybody and they know her. She likes things a certain way and doe not deal well with change. So when a former circus performer Lucienne and her grandson Simon move to town to retire, Alice is not happy. She tries her best to get rid of them, telling anybody that will listen that they are bad for the small town. But when Lucienne opens up her land for her circus to setup camp and rehearse it is the last straw. She wants them gone.
Alice was not a very likeable character at all. She is rude and obnoxious but I think that was the whole point. She is stuck in her ways and the prologue, set 60 years earlier gives some clues as to why. Along with Lucienne and the new teacher Meg, they all try to find their feet in town, all hiding something from their pasts and scared to open up to anybody.
It was a lovely read, I loved the circus scenes in particular.
Thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy of this book to read.
Nyringa is a small town in rural NSW. "Aunt" Alice Dwyer has lived there all her life, she knows everybody and they know her. She likes things a certain way and doe not deal well with change. So when a former circus performer Lucienne and her grandson Simon move to town to retire, Alice is not happy. She tries her best to get rid of them, telling anybody that will listen that they are bad for the small town. But when Lucienne opens up her land for her circus to setup camp and rehearse it is the last straw. She wants them gone.
Alice was not a very likeable character at all. She is rude and obnoxious but I think that was the whole point. She is stuck in her ways and the prologue, set 60 years earlier gives some clues as to why. Along with Lucienne and the new teacher Meg, they all try to find their feet in town, all hiding something from their pasts and scared to open up to anybody.
It was a lovely read, I loved the circus scenes in particular.
Thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy of this book to read.
March 4, 2021
I really enjoy small town stories and Janet Gover does them so well, in this one we meet two matriarchs, both very different but both strong woman, Alice Dwyer known as Aunt Alice to everyone who lives in Nyringa and Lucienne Chevalier owner of a circus who has travelled the world but now is making her home in Nyringa, both these woman are stubborn but family is everything to them, I do hope you will pick this one up and see the battle of wills and see how all turns out.
Aunt Alice has lived in Nyringa all of her life, she is content and the whole town is related to her in some way and she rules, but underneath that tough exterior sits a girl who lost her heart many years ago when a circus came to town and when a circus family buy a property in her town those old feelings from years past come to the surface.
Madame Chevalier was a fabulous performer in the circus all of her life she travelled Europe as a young girl, and when the family came to Australia from France many years ago Lucienne carried on the tradition with her family, you don’t have to be blood related to be family, but when tragedy strikes Lucienne decides it is time to change her life and with her grandson Simon they move to Nyringa and run the circus from their home base and have a place for the people of the circus to have a break between seasons.
Adding to this story are the other characters we get to know Simon, who has been injured in an accident is still healing physically and mentally and performing is something that he will not be able to do anymore, and Meg the new school teacher in town who is trying to cope after being hurt badly, her and Simon meet while running and soon their friendship grows, then we have young Jenny Harden, Aunt Alice’s great niece, she is strong willed and can be a little rebellious especially when she meets young Finn an acrobat in the circus, Finn wants so much to please his father and look for new acts but things don’t always go the way you want them to.
When a problem arises it is time for the two matriarchs to come together and get things sorted as only they can. This is a fabulous story about family, community and love and how people can and should help each other there was lots of cake and pastries in this story that made me want to visit Nyringa and have tea with Aunt Alice and Lucienne and meet all of the wonderful people who live there. This is a story that I do highly recommend.
My thanks to Harlequin Mira for my copy to read and review
Aunt Alice has lived in Nyringa all of her life, she is content and the whole town is related to her in some way and she rules, but underneath that tough exterior sits a girl who lost her heart many years ago when a circus came to town and when a circus family buy a property in her town those old feelings from years past come to the surface.
Madame Chevalier was a fabulous performer in the circus all of her life she travelled Europe as a young girl, and when the family came to Australia from France many years ago Lucienne carried on the tradition with her family, you don’t have to be blood related to be family, but when tragedy strikes Lucienne decides it is time to change her life and with her grandson Simon they move to Nyringa and run the circus from their home base and have a place for the people of the circus to have a break between seasons.
Adding to this story are the other characters we get to know Simon, who has been injured in an accident is still healing physically and mentally and performing is something that he will not be able to do anymore, and Meg the new school teacher in town who is trying to cope after being hurt badly, her and Simon meet while running and soon their friendship grows, then we have young Jenny Harden, Aunt Alice’s great niece, she is strong willed and can be a little rebellious especially when she meets young Finn an acrobat in the circus, Finn wants so much to please his father and look for new acts but things don’t always go the way you want them to.
When a problem arises it is time for the two matriarchs to come together and get things sorted as only they can. This is a fabulous story about family, community and love and how people can and should help each other there was lots of cake and pastries in this story that made me want to visit Nyringa and have tea with Aunt Alice and Lucienne and meet all of the wonderful people who live there. This is a story that I do highly recommend.
My thanks to Harlequin Mira for my copy to read and review
February 21, 2021
What a wonderful, easy to read book that had everything you want from a good read.
The story of family, small towns, fears, heartache and even a bit of love. As I am not a huge fan of love stories I was surprised with this book as it had so much more than a typical love story.
The characters brought so much to the story as each one was different from the next and they all had their own problems, fears, heartache and stories to tell. The way the story evolved and entwined the needs of not only the people but the town and the communities made me want to keep reading. You could see the Big Top, the circus and the people, you could feel the atmosphere and you felt as if you were there amongst it all.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone as it is a book that can be read by all.
Thank you Harlequin Australia and Harper Collins Publishers
Close to Home
Janet Gover
The story of family, small towns, fears, heartache and even a bit of love. As I am not a huge fan of love stories I was surprised with this book as it had so much more than a typical love story.
The characters brought so much to the story as each one was different from the next and they all had their own problems, fears, heartache and stories to tell. The way the story evolved and entwined the needs of not only the people but the town and the communities made me want to keep reading. You could see the Big Top, the circus and the people, you could feel the atmosphere and you felt as if you were there amongst it all.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone as it is a book that can be read by all.
Thank you Harlequin Australia and Harper Collins Publishers
Close to Home
Janet Gover
June 22, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
A story of family issues, community, relationships, love, romance, judgements and the past, Close to Home is the latest release from Janet Gover. Close to Home is about finding your place in the world, gaining a sense of belonging and moving on from the past through the act of falling in love. Tender, caring and wise, Close to Home is a book to embrace with all your heart.
Janet Gover’s Close to Home travels to the fictional NSW based township of Nyringa. One of the residents of Nyringa is Alice Dwyer, a staunch matriarch, who is the pillar of the local community. Alice is a woman who cares a lot about her local town and the people that populate this tight knit township. With many of the local residents of Nyringa either related directly to Alice, or acquainted with this long-standing citizen, Nyringa is a part of Alice. But when a newcomer arrives to Nyringa, this French artiste comes under Alice’s critical gaze. Alice realises that she might not have such a strong grip on the town, as the local community are drawn to the exotic newcomer. Gradually, secrets begin to spill out in regards to Nyringa’s new residents. Lucienne is recovering from a heartbreaking loss, which has resulted in her sabbatical from circus performing. Meanwhile, Lucienne’s grandson is also taking a much-needed rest from the circus business, after a terrible injury that has damaged his physical as well as mental ability to perform. But Simon’s burgeoning friendship with a local teacher offers a ray of light, can these two lost souls help each other through the tough times? Tension and concerns arise for Alice when her granddaughter becomes involved with an acrobat from the travelling circus. It sets alarm bellis ringing for this strict matriarch. But it seems as if this blossoming romance is hard to extinguish and Alice may have to accept what is happening to the people she loves.
It is abundantly clear that author Janet Gover loves writing about rural communities and the business of falling in love featuring larger than life women. Close to Home is another wonderful book by an author who never falters in her ability to deliver a cracking rural yarn. I enjoyed living it up in Nyringa community for the duration of this story.
I really loved the opening prologue of Close to Home, it definitely set the scene and it gave me a direct insight into a rather thorny character! I have to be brutally honest and express my ire with the character of Alice. This town matriarch was quite the battler, but her narrow-minded attitude, bossy nature, stubborn acts and piercing judgement didn’t always sit well with me at all. However, I kept taking my mind back to prologue which helps to illuminate why Alice was such a negative and domineering force, set in her ways. Gover does a good job with the character of Alice, even though I didn’t like her! Likewise, we are lucky to be gifted with a set of really great supporting cast members. I very much connected to the new local teacher taking her posting in Nyringa and the residual trauma that came with her journey. I appreciated Simon’s physical and mental barriers in revisiting his very successful circus career. I also adored the sweet romance that flourishes between Alice’s great niece and a local acrobat. Close to Home is a story generous in the romance department and it will send your heart aflutter.
What I admired the most about Close to Home was the circus angle, I think this was a unique side storyline to a traditional rural fiction read. I also liked how all the little side storyline threads moved around the overarching circus theme. This approach allows Gover to explore a number of different scenarios, involving the majority of her cast. Lucienne was a standout in terms of interesting past stories, I loved delving into her past and current preoccupations. When Lucienne and Alice face up to one another I found it to be very entertaining. Added to the mix are a few mouth watering baking segments featuring some of my favourite treats, lamingtons and pastries. I was very taken with this aspect of the story!
Love knows no rules or bounds in this delightful new story from a generous storyteller. I am happy to recommend Janet Gover’s novel as an anytime read – it is a great pick me up if you are feeling a little blue.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Close to Home is book #57 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
A story of family issues, community, relationships, love, romance, judgements and the past, Close to Home is the latest release from Janet Gover. Close to Home is about finding your place in the world, gaining a sense of belonging and moving on from the past through the act of falling in love. Tender, caring and wise, Close to Home is a book to embrace with all your heart.
Janet Gover’s Close to Home travels to the fictional NSW based township of Nyringa. One of the residents of Nyringa is Alice Dwyer, a staunch matriarch, who is the pillar of the local community. Alice is a woman who cares a lot about her local town and the people that populate this tight knit township. With many of the local residents of Nyringa either related directly to Alice, or acquainted with this long-standing citizen, Nyringa is a part of Alice. But when a newcomer arrives to Nyringa, this French artiste comes under Alice’s critical gaze. Alice realises that she might not have such a strong grip on the town, as the local community are drawn to the exotic newcomer. Gradually, secrets begin to spill out in regards to Nyringa’s new residents. Lucienne is recovering from a heartbreaking loss, which has resulted in her sabbatical from circus performing. Meanwhile, Lucienne’s grandson is also taking a much-needed rest from the circus business, after a terrible injury that has damaged his physical as well as mental ability to perform. But Simon’s burgeoning friendship with a local teacher offers a ray of light, can these two lost souls help each other through the tough times? Tension and concerns arise for Alice when her granddaughter becomes involved with an acrobat from the travelling circus. It sets alarm bellis ringing for this strict matriarch. But it seems as if this blossoming romance is hard to extinguish and Alice may have to accept what is happening to the people she loves.
It is abundantly clear that author Janet Gover loves writing about rural communities and the business of falling in love featuring larger than life women. Close to Home is another wonderful book by an author who never falters in her ability to deliver a cracking rural yarn. I enjoyed living it up in Nyringa community for the duration of this story.
I really loved the opening prologue of Close to Home, it definitely set the scene and it gave me a direct insight into a rather thorny character! I have to be brutally honest and express my ire with the character of Alice. This town matriarch was quite the battler, but her narrow-minded attitude, bossy nature, stubborn acts and piercing judgement didn’t always sit well with me at all. However, I kept taking my mind back to prologue which helps to illuminate why Alice was such a negative and domineering force, set in her ways. Gover does a good job with the character of Alice, even though I didn’t like her! Likewise, we are lucky to be gifted with a set of really great supporting cast members. I very much connected to the new local teacher taking her posting in Nyringa and the residual trauma that came with her journey. I appreciated Simon’s physical and mental barriers in revisiting his very successful circus career. I also adored the sweet romance that flourishes between Alice’s great niece and a local acrobat. Close to Home is a story generous in the romance department and it will send your heart aflutter.
What I admired the most about Close to Home was the circus angle, I think this was a unique side storyline to a traditional rural fiction read. I also liked how all the little side storyline threads moved around the overarching circus theme. This approach allows Gover to explore a number of different scenarios, involving the majority of her cast. Lucienne was a standout in terms of interesting past stories, I loved delving into her past and current preoccupations. When Lucienne and Alice face up to one another I found it to be very entertaining. Added to the mix are a few mouth watering baking segments featuring some of my favourite treats, lamingtons and pastries. I was very taken with this aspect of the story!
Love knows no rules or bounds in this delightful new story from a generous storyteller. I am happy to recommend Janet Gover’s novel as an anytime read – it is a great pick me up if you are feeling a little blue.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Close to Home is book #57 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
February 3, 2021
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
An Aussie rural fiction with a big dash of romance, two matriarch rivals and the essence and mood of a family community small town.
Aunt Alice Dwyer has always lived in Nyringa and always will.
She knows everyone and most of the town folk is related to her.
But when the circus arrives her hold on everything begins to crumble.
Lucienne Chevalier was once the darling of the circus and has travelled wide but now it’s time to hang up her feathers and settle down.
After a tragedy and with her grandson who needs rest after a accident they set up a home in the town.
Soon the two bump heads and there’s love in the air for many and when French pastry’s start to take over the local bakery, the feud really begins.
A clan drama, a country living story and the importance of family, letting go of the past and mending and rebuilding relationships.
I did find Aunt Alice incredibly hard to like.
She was self centred, rude, bossy, very stuck in her ways and full of regret, however I can see why see was the way she was.
Like the warmth of a cup of tea and the atmosphere of smells from the cake baking this story will fuse all the senses and bring a smile to the face.
With the great descriptions of life in the circus it adds a new dimension to a heartwarming outback tale.
A great addition to the rural fiction / romance genre and one I endorse.
An Aussie rural fiction with a big dash of romance, two matriarch rivals and the essence and mood of a family community small town.
Aunt Alice Dwyer has always lived in Nyringa and always will.
She knows everyone and most of the town folk is related to her.
But when the circus arrives her hold on everything begins to crumble.
Lucienne Chevalier was once the darling of the circus and has travelled wide but now it’s time to hang up her feathers and settle down.
After a tragedy and with her grandson who needs rest after a accident they set up a home in the town.
Soon the two bump heads and there’s love in the air for many and when French pastry’s start to take over the local bakery, the feud really begins.
A clan drama, a country living story and the importance of family, letting go of the past and mending and rebuilding relationships.
I did find Aunt Alice incredibly hard to like.
She was self centred, rude, bossy, very stuck in her ways and full of regret, however I can see why see was the way she was.
Like the warmth of a cup of tea and the atmosphere of smells from the cake baking this story will fuse all the senses and bring a smile to the face.
With the great descriptions of life in the circus it adds a new dimension to a heartwarming outback tale.
A great addition to the rural fiction / romance genre and one I endorse.
December 30, 2020
Rural New South Wales, Australia.
A Circus.
Family secrets.
French pastries.
Love lost.
Love found.
Sounds like ingredients for a great Australian rural romance. This one certainly delivered.
Initially when I started reading Close to Home by Janet Gover I thought I was reading a historical fiction but it's the prologue to the here and now of the book. And what a prologue it is. Alice is a young woman smitten with a young man, holding out hope of romance and a future. They are both captivated by a visiting circus which was to be a special date for both of them.
Fast-forward 60 years or so and Alice is the pillar of Nyringa (a fictional town as far as I can tell) in northern New South Wales, Australia. Most of the small community is related directly or through marriage to Alice. There's not much that goes on that Alice doesn't know about, or hasn't given approval for.
Within the context of the small town there are some new residents. A teacher called Meg, who is escaping an incident of violence in her past. She's looking for peace and tranquility. She's teaching many of the young impressionable students (including Alice's granddaughter Jenny). There's also Simon, a man who has moved to town with his grandmother Lucienne. They are "circus folk" and are wanting to settle in town to build a retreat of sorts where other circus workers can train, or call home during their time between towns or seasons. The stories of all these characters are entwined in rich detail. Some are preferring to live in the past, begrudging the world moving forward. Others are needing to put the past behind them, in order to forge a future.
There are a couple of blossoming romances, some miscommunication, secrets, intrafamilial violence, and domestic drama. This made for a wonderful enchanting read. Overall it's a book heavy on sentiment in the right places and very bittersweet. I would have loved a little more intensity in one of the romances as the buildup was lovely!
This was a lovely way to round out my reading for 2020.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing me an e-copy of this book to read and review. The book will be published on 3 February 2021!
A Circus.
Family secrets.
French pastries.
Love lost.
Love found.
Sounds like ingredients for a great Australian rural romance. This one certainly delivered.
Initially when I started reading Close to Home by Janet Gover I thought I was reading a historical fiction but it's the prologue to the here and now of the book. And what a prologue it is. Alice is a young woman smitten with a young man, holding out hope of romance and a future. They are both captivated by a visiting circus which was to be a special date for both of them.
Fast-forward 60 years or so and Alice is the pillar of Nyringa (a fictional town as far as I can tell) in northern New South Wales, Australia. Most of the small community is related directly or through marriage to Alice. There's not much that goes on that Alice doesn't know about, or hasn't given approval for.
Within the context of the small town there are some new residents. A teacher called Meg, who is escaping an incident of violence in her past. She's looking for peace and tranquility. She's teaching many of the young impressionable students (including Alice's granddaughter Jenny). There's also Simon, a man who has moved to town with his grandmother Lucienne. They are "circus folk" and are wanting to settle in town to build a retreat of sorts where other circus workers can train, or call home during their time between towns or seasons. The stories of all these characters are entwined in rich detail. Some are preferring to live in the past, begrudging the world moving forward. Others are needing to put the past behind them, in order to forge a future.
There are a couple of blossoming romances, some miscommunication, secrets, intrafamilial violence, and domestic drama. This made for a wonderful enchanting read. Overall it's a book heavy on sentiment in the right places and very bittersweet. I would have loved a little more intensity in one of the romances as the buildup was lovely!
This was a lovely way to round out my reading for 2020.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing me an e-copy of this book to read and review. The book will be published on 3 February 2021!
February 22, 2021
Close to Home, by Janet Gover, is set in a small Australian town with a close-knit community. When Lucienne and her grandson Simon arrive the people are excited, apart from Aunt Alice who is not enthusiastic about 'carnies' moving in. Lucienne wants to have a property in which her circus family can enjoy in the times when they are not away performing. Aunt Alice is concerned for her family and does not trust the circus performers.
Along with Lucienne and her family, Meg, the new school teacher arrives. Meg has been through a horrific incident in her life, as has Simon and in time they get to know each other. The two romances in the novel kept me on the edge of my seat. The young love between Jenny and Finn is also very sweet. I fell in love with many of the characters in this novel.
The circus comes alive on the pages. I could visualise the characters' daring acts. Gover returns to the past incident which has torn Lucienne and Simon's world apart. These moments are terrifying, emotional and heartfelt.
I also loved the carousel that Simon works on. I wanted to ride on it myself. Sometimes there is something in a novel that binds characters together along with the reader. This was it for me. As Simon and Meg work on the carousel they begin to understand each other. Carousels rotate on a centre pole. The carousel soon becomes a symbol of the town. Although the characters are spinning in their own worlds they are connected by the love of the town. When needed the townspeople are there for one another.
Lucienne brings a lot more than French pastries to this town. Her presence challenges and changes this small town community in ways they had never imagined. I love Lucienne - her elegance and big heart.
This is a story about relationships and the tender care we must give one another and ourselves when we grieve and are suffering. Janet Gover is an author who brings the reader close to her characters. What a beautiful story and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you @harlequinaus for sending me a copy of Close to Home ♥
www.chapterichi.com www.instagram.com/Chapter_Ichi
Along with Lucienne and her family, Meg, the new school teacher arrives. Meg has been through a horrific incident in her life, as has Simon and in time they get to know each other. The two romances in the novel kept me on the edge of my seat. The young love between Jenny and Finn is also very sweet. I fell in love with many of the characters in this novel.
The circus comes alive on the pages. I could visualise the characters' daring acts. Gover returns to the past incident which has torn Lucienne and Simon's world apart. These moments are terrifying, emotional and heartfelt.
I also loved the carousel that Simon works on. I wanted to ride on it myself. Sometimes there is something in a novel that binds characters together along with the reader. This was it for me. As Simon and Meg work on the carousel they begin to understand each other. Carousels rotate on a centre pole. The carousel soon becomes a symbol of the town. Although the characters are spinning in their own worlds they are connected by the love of the town. When needed the townspeople are there for one another.
Lucienne brings a lot more than French pastries to this town. Her presence challenges and changes this small town community in ways they had never imagined. I love Lucienne - her elegance and big heart.
This is a story about relationships and the tender care we must give one another and ourselves when we grieve and are suffering. Janet Gover is an author who brings the reader close to her characters. What a beautiful story and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you @harlequinaus for sending me a copy of Close to Home ♥
www.chapterichi.com www.instagram.com/Chapter_Ichi
August 9, 2021
Good light read
February 18, 2021
“Close to Home” is a lovely warm novel that looks at love and loss, change and moving forward. An appealing cast of characters in a small Australian town will catch readers’ attention, and soon have you wishing good things for them.
In Nyringa, Aunt Alice Dwyer is related to half the town, all of whom leap to do her bidding. Alice is old fashioned in some ways, and very set in her ways, but her kind heart is appreciated by many (if not her sharp tongue and bossy ways).
However, Aunt Alice has an irrational dislike of the Circus, and when retired performer Lucienne Chevalier comes to town, she’s outraged. She can’t prevent her buying an extensive property, and can’t prevent her bringing her circus there for rest periods. But she can do her very best to make Lucienne, her grandson Simon, and the circus folk in general as unwelcome as possible.
The trouble is, not many people agree with Aunt Alice. The bakery starts making croissants and other French treats. The new school teacher invites the performers to visit the school and demonstrate. And worst of all, some of the young people start making eyes at the younger members of the circus.
Alice is not having it. And when she realises that Lucienne is considering match making her sad and injured grandson, Simon, with the new school teacher – who’s also recovering from a trauma – the stage is set for a battle royal. Because Lucienne hasn’t been an outstanding performer and successful circus owner for decades without learning a thing or two about getting her own way.
This is a lovely novel, combining both the romance of the wandering circus life and the stability of small town life where little seems to change. It highlights both the good and bad of small town life, and to a lesser extent, does the same for circus life.
What really drew me into the novel was the characters. I didn’t necessarily expect to like the warring grand dames, but both are in fact very empathetic characters. Alice takes longer to reveal herself than Lucienne, but she’s also perhaps the more understandable. Their differing points of view – and the fact that both have some validity – are skilfully presented.
Simon (Lucienne’s grandson) and Meg (the school teacher) are very different people, dealing with very different traumas and injuries. But they too are highly sympathetic, and for most readers, will be the first characters they engage with. Their growing relationship is touching and real.
Young love isn’t forgotten either, with some of the pains and pleasures and ups and downs of teenage relationships canvassed as well. Although less of a focus of the novel, they’re sympathetically and kindly woven through the other stories.
This isn’t a tear jerker, but the characters will find their way into your heart. It’s a warm and gentle novel, ultimately focused on the good in people, while acknowledging the bad. Although it would be hard to slot it neatly into a genre, it’s a lovely novel that should appeal to readers who enjoy strong characterisation and want to avoid the harshness of, say, a crime novel.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
In Nyringa, Aunt Alice Dwyer is related to half the town, all of whom leap to do her bidding. Alice is old fashioned in some ways, and very set in her ways, but her kind heart is appreciated by many (if not her sharp tongue and bossy ways).
However, Aunt Alice has an irrational dislike of the Circus, and when retired performer Lucienne Chevalier comes to town, she’s outraged. She can’t prevent her buying an extensive property, and can’t prevent her bringing her circus there for rest periods. But she can do her very best to make Lucienne, her grandson Simon, and the circus folk in general as unwelcome as possible.
The trouble is, not many people agree with Aunt Alice. The bakery starts making croissants and other French treats. The new school teacher invites the performers to visit the school and demonstrate. And worst of all, some of the young people start making eyes at the younger members of the circus.
Alice is not having it. And when she realises that Lucienne is considering match making her sad and injured grandson, Simon, with the new school teacher – who’s also recovering from a trauma – the stage is set for a battle royal. Because Lucienne hasn’t been an outstanding performer and successful circus owner for decades without learning a thing or two about getting her own way.
This is a lovely novel, combining both the romance of the wandering circus life and the stability of small town life where little seems to change. It highlights both the good and bad of small town life, and to a lesser extent, does the same for circus life.
What really drew me into the novel was the characters. I didn’t necessarily expect to like the warring grand dames, but both are in fact very empathetic characters. Alice takes longer to reveal herself than Lucienne, but she’s also perhaps the more understandable. Their differing points of view – and the fact that both have some validity – are skilfully presented.
Simon (Lucienne’s grandson) and Meg (the school teacher) are very different people, dealing with very different traumas and injuries. But they too are highly sympathetic, and for most readers, will be the first characters they engage with. Their growing relationship is touching and real.
Young love isn’t forgotten either, with some of the pains and pleasures and ups and downs of teenage relationships canvassed as well. Although less of a focus of the novel, they’re sympathetically and kindly woven through the other stories.
This isn’t a tear jerker, but the characters will find their way into your heart. It’s a warm and gentle novel, ultimately focused on the good in people, while acknowledging the bad. Although it would be hard to slot it neatly into a genre, it’s a lovely novel that should appeal to readers who enjoy strong characterisation and want to avoid the harshness of, say, a crime novel.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
February 1, 2021
Aunt Alice is the matriarch in a small country town who is used to everyone doing what she wants and has a mistrust of circus folk after a betrayal when she was younger. This causes issue when Lucienne and her grandson Simon make a base for their family circus in her home town. Thrown into the mix are Alice’s great niece Jenny and her teacher Meg who has experience her own trauma. I loved this storyline and the writing just flowed beautifully. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and their back stories that helped shape their present.
May 3, 2021
I picked up this because I thought the cover looked lovely and that it might be just the sort of read to get into – something familiar, almost comforting even though I haven’t read this author before.
And for the most part, that’s pretty much what I got! Close To Home is set in the (fictional) small town of Nyringa in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, not too far from Glen Innes. It’s an area I’m vaguely familiar with as I had relatives living in Glen Innes for a while and I’ve been to Armidale a couple of times. In the beginning we get a glimpse of Alice at 15 and the dreams she has of her future before skipping forward to the present day where Alice is in her 80s, a widow and with a vast amount of relatives surrounding her, ready to do her bidding whenever she requires it. Alice is thrown into remembering things she’d rather forget when Lucienne Chevalier buys a local property to use as a base for her circus – somewhere they can rest and practice new routines. With her comes her grandson Simon, who has some healing of his own to do. For Alice, the circus in town can only be bad news and cause pain and she fears for one of her great-nieces, still a teenager, when one of the boys from the circus catches her eye.
Alice is a tough old character, who often comes across as demanding! She seems to secretly enjoy playing games with her relatives, graciously bestowing the honour of taking her to church of a Sunday or having her over for tea on random people and watching their reactions. At times she’s abrasive but there’s a lot of layers to her and there’s an age old pain and regret colouring her life too. She does tend to have people’s best interests at heart, even if the way she goes about things sometimes, ends up alienating them rather than drawing them closer to her. She quite enjoys the feistiness of one of her many great-nieces Jenny, a teenager of 15, which is why she’s concerned when Jenny and Finn, a boy of 16 from Lucienne’s circus, find a mutual attraction. For Alice, such a connection could only end in heartbreak for Jenny and she desperately wants to protect her from that.
Alice is determined not to like Lucienne, a woman of similar vintage and wants her gone from the community. Lucienne is ready to retire and she knows that things will be easier, especially for her grandson Simon, if she’s accepted by the locals and makes some friends. At first it’s definitely quite a frosty reception from Alice, she might be ‘polite’ but it’s definitely in a way that says she wants to keep her distance. Lucienne is quite undaunted though and I really enjoyed her as a character. Both she and Simon are still in the throes of early and quite deep grief – and on Simon’s part there’s quite a lot of guilt too even though what happened was at his fault. It doesn’t stop the nightmares though or the thoughts and when he meets Meg, the new schoolteacher in Nyringa, they are kind of kindred spirits. Meg had something awful and traumatic happen to her and in a way she’s been running ever since. Nyringa however, is helping her heal as she settles back into teaching and becoming a part of the small community. She finds herself somewhat of a confidant for young Jenny and she keeps bumping into Simon as well.
I enjoyed this. It was a lovely way to pass a morning, getting to know this community and the people that live in it. I ended up liking Alice, although she’s a bit much at times – the sort of relative you’d probably avoid occasionally in real life, lest she get busy passing judgement on some aspect of your life that she didn’t approve of. She had a lot in her life that I think she hadn’t dealt with and that she’d allowed to really colour her opinion of things and it took the events that happen later in the book to help her move past that. I also liked the burgeoning friendship between Simon and Meg and enjoyed Finn and Jenny stumbling their way through a first relationship and learning to make mature decisions and how to help each other in times of need. I thought the circus stuff was quite fun and interesting too, including the inclusion and acknowledgement of how circuses have changed over the years.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
And for the most part, that’s pretty much what I got! Close To Home is set in the (fictional) small town of Nyringa in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, not too far from Glen Innes. It’s an area I’m vaguely familiar with as I had relatives living in Glen Innes for a while and I’ve been to Armidale a couple of times. In the beginning we get a glimpse of Alice at 15 and the dreams she has of her future before skipping forward to the present day where Alice is in her 80s, a widow and with a vast amount of relatives surrounding her, ready to do her bidding whenever she requires it. Alice is thrown into remembering things she’d rather forget when Lucienne Chevalier buys a local property to use as a base for her circus – somewhere they can rest and practice new routines. With her comes her grandson Simon, who has some healing of his own to do. For Alice, the circus in town can only be bad news and cause pain and she fears for one of her great-nieces, still a teenager, when one of the boys from the circus catches her eye.
Alice is a tough old character, who often comes across as demanding! She seems to secretly enjoy playing games with her relatives, graciously bestowing the honour of taking her to church of a Sunday or having her over for tea on random people and watching their reactions. At times she’s abrasive but there’s a lot of layers to her and there’s an age old pain and regret colouring her life too. She does tend to have people’s best interests at heart, even if the way she goes about things sometimes, ends up alienating them rather than drawing them closer to her. She quite enjoys the feistiness of one of her many great-nieces Jenny, a teenager of 15, which is why she’s concerned when Jenny and Finn, a boy of 16 from Lucienne’s circus, find a mutual attraction. For Alice, such a connection could only end in heartbreak for Jenny and she desperately wants to protect her from that.
Alice is determined not to like Lucienne, a woman of similar vintage and wants her gone from the community. Lucienne is ready to retire and she knows that things will be easier, especially for her grandson Simon, if she’s accepted by the locals and makes some friends. At first it’s definitely quite a frosty reception from Alice, she might be ‘polite’ but it’s definitely in a way that says she wants to keep her distance. Lucienne is quite undaunted though and I really enjoyed her as a character. Both she and Simon are still in the throes of early and quite deep grief – and on Simon’s part there’s quite a lot of guilt too even though what happened was at his fault. It doesn’t stop the nightmares though or the thoughts and when he meets Meg, the new schoolteacher in Nyringa, they are kind of kindred spirits. Meg had something awful and traumatic happen to her and in a way she’s been running ever since. Nyringa however, is helping her heal as she settles back into teaching and becoming a part of the small community. She finds herself somewhat of a confidant for young Jenny and she keeps bumping into Simon as well.
I enjoyed this. It was a lovely way to pass a morning, getting to know this community and the people that live in it. I ended up liking Alice, although she’s a bit much at times – the sort of relative you’d probably avoid occasionally in real life, lest she get busy passing judgement on some aspect of your life that she didn’t approve of. She had a lot in her life that I think she hadn’t dealt with and that she’d allowed to really colour her opinion of things and it took the events that happen later in the book to help her move past that. I also liked the burgeoning friendship between Simon and Meg and enjoyed Finn and Jenny stumbling their way through a first relationship and learning to make mature decisions and how to help each other in times of need. I thought the circus stuff was quite fun and interesting too, including the inclusion and acknowledgement of how circuses have changed over the years.
***A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of an honest review***
March 14, 2021
Central to this story are two strong-willed matriarchs. Aunt Alice has ruled Nyringa, her small north-western NSW town with a velvet fist for more than sixty years and she is less than impressed when circus owner Lucienne Chevalier buys a nearby property and sets it up as a place where members of her circus can come in their downtime. Caught up in the middle of Alice’s fight to close the circus down is her fifteen year-old great niece Jenny, who dreams of leaving Nyringa and who falls for sixteen year-old Finn Whelan, an acrobat with the circus. Also central to the story is schoolteacher Meg Walker, who has fled the city for a quieter place to live after a vicious knife attack left her physically and emotionally wrecked. Lucienne’s grandson Simon Coates, who has his own mental and physical issues to deal with, has moved to Nyringa with her and is the last of the key characters in this story.
This book is complex. Relationships between Alice and Lucienne, Meg and Simon, and Jenny and Finn offer plenty of interest. The two old ladies do battle in their own style, Alice determined to drive the circus out and Lucienne just as determined to integrate into the community. Meanwhile Meg and Simon are helping each other to heal and Jenny and Finn are hiding their feelings for each other from their respective families.
I loved the way food, particularly cakes and pastries, was so much a part of the rituals being played out on the pages of this book. I also loved the characters, who seemed so real as the went about their business. There is a lot more to love that I haven’t touched on. Suffice to say this is a captivating book that drew me in on many, many levels.
This book is complex. Relationships between Alice and Lucienne, Meg and Simon, and Jenny and Finn offer plenty of interest. The two old ladies do battle in their own style, Alice determined to drive the circus out and Lucienne just as determined to integrate into the community. Meanwhile Meg and Simon are helping each other to heal and Jenny and Finn are hiding their feelings for each other from their respective families.
I loved the way food, particularly cakes and pastries, was so much a part of the rituals being played out on the pages of this book. I also loved the characters, who seemed so real as the went about their business. There is a lot more to love that I haven’t touched on. Suffice to say this is a captivating book that drew me in on many, many levels.
February 21, 2021
4.5 stars
Thank you to @harlequinaus for sending me a copy of this book!
The book begins with a young Alice out greeting the circus coming to her small country town with her boyfriend, however when her boyfriend is overly taken by a young circus performer on a horse, she is gutted. Fast forward many years, Alice is the matriarch in her small country town and is furious to learn that a vacant property has been purchased by circus performers.
Meg has also recently moved to town, taking a teaching position at the local school as she tries to put a traumatic experience behind her. As the circus performers and the townspeople’s worlds collide there are both tensions and friendships that are formed as a number of the characters are trying to recover from past traumas.
Although I guess this book would be classified a rural romance, this is a ‘romance’ I am totally on board with as there are so many other interesting things going on, that romance is only one aspect of it. The circus storyline is fun and interesting as is the storyline about the rather frosty relationship between Alice and Lucienne, the circus matriarch.
The characters are engaging as is the small town community vibe, where you feel like the characters are actually people that you know. This was a quick and entertaining read about family, loss, change and friendship that I really enjoyed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
Thank you to @harlequinaus for sending me a copy of this book!
The book begins with a young Alice out greeting the circus coming to her small country town with her boyfriend, however when her boyfriend is overly taken by a young circus performer on a horse, she is gutted. Fast forward many years, Alice is the matriarch in her small country town and is furious to learn that a vacant property has been purchased by circus performers.
Meg has also recently moved to town, taking a teaching position at the local school as she tries to put a traumatic experience behind her. As the circus performers and the townspeople’s worlds collide there are both tensions and friendships that are formed as a number of the characters are trying to recover from past traumas.
Although I guess this book would be classified a rural romance, this is a ‘romance’ I am totally on board with as there are so many other interesting things going on, that romance is only one aspect of it. The circus storyline is fun and interesting as is the storyline about the rather frosty relationship between Alice and Lucienne, the circus matriarch.
The characters are engaging as is the small town community vibe, where you feel like the characters are actually people that you know. This was a quick and entertaining read about family, loss, change and friendship that I really enjoyed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
July 15, 2021
Alice Dwyer has lived in Nyringa all of her life and is related in one way or another to everyone in it. She runs the town her way and has everyone at her beck and call. That is until a farm comes up for sale and is bought by circus owner Lucienne Chevalier. She has bought the property so she can retire and her circus family have somewhere to go in the off season to have a break and do maintenance work.
When the two ladies butt heads and are as stubborn as they come times get interesting. Lucienne and her grandson Simon are also trying to mend their broken hearts from a circus accident that took their granddaughter and twin sister from them. Lucienne worries that Simon will never get over it, until she notices that there is chemistry between he and the new fill-in school teacher who has just arrived in town with issues of her own.
Add to this a young romance between one of the young acts in the circus and Aunt Alice's niece Jenny and expect fireworks and for anything to happen which it does.
A fabulous insight into circus life, family dynamics, romance, and tragedy. This was a fantastic read with plenty of action between some well written interesting characters. Well worth the read!
When the two ladies butt heads and are as stubborn as they come times get interesting. Lucienne and her grandson Simon are also trying to mend their broken hearts from a circus accident that took their granddaughter and twin sister from them. Lucienne worries that Simon will never get over it, until she notices that there is chemistry between he and the new fill-in school teacher who has just arrived in town with issues of her own.
Add to this a young romance between one of the young acts in the circus and Aunt Alice's niece Jenny and expect fireworks and for anything to happen which it does.
A fabulous insight into circus life, family dynamics, romance, and tragedy. This was a fantastic read with plenty of action between some well written interesting characters. Well worth the read!
March 27, 2021
From author Janet Gover comes her latest release, Close To Home. My first book by the Australian author was set in Nyringa, N.S.W, using multiple points of view. Alice Dwyer, Lucienne Chevalier, Meg, Simon, Jenny and Finn were all unique individuals that readers can relate to and Gover utilises them to explore a variety of issues. Country life, the circus, matriarchs, family, domestic violence and food are just the beginning of what Gover addresses in her character driven plot that will leave fans feeling cosy.
Alice Dwyer and Lucienne Chevalier are the elderly matriarchs of two unique families. Alice lived in the country town of Nyringa, where she was held in high esteem and greatly respected. Alice was very religious and coming from a religious background myself, I could relate to the importance it played in her life. Alice is also fortunate to be part of an extended family, something that I have often wished was an element of my own life. Yet despite knowing who Alice was and how she came to be, it took a long time for me to warm to the woman. The choices Alice made as a young woman certainly set the course for her life. She was manipulative, using old age to get what she wanted and, small minded. This was never more evident than when the circus literally ‘comes to town.’
Of the two matriarchs, Lucienne was definitely my favourite. Lucienne was the opposite in many ways to Alice. While Alice lived in the country, Lucienne travelled the world with her circus. I found reading about life under the big top in a bygone era and being a horse whisperer fascinating. While seeing the world had moulded Lucienne into a kind tolerant soul who had a passion for life, tragedy still snuck into her life. One of Lucienne’s grandchildren had been killed in an accident that she, and her grandson Simon, were still coming to terms with. With retirement beckoning, Lucienne chooses Nyringa to be the place where she will settle and to be the base for other travelling circuses.
Simon and Meg were the love story of the novel. Starting out as friends, I was rooting from the start for the young couple to get together. With their heartbreaking histories that they were deeply affected by, they had so much in common. The pair were able to recognise the pain they saw in one another and with their kind patient natures, make a deep connection. I also made a connection with Meg. Like her, I’m a teacher and enjoyed reading about teaching in a country school. It’s not something I aspire to but, I admire teachers who make this career choice.
The last points of view were from Jenny and Finn. Through the two, I was taken back to my first crush as a teenager. From two different worlds, Jenny was a Nyringa native and, Finn one of the circus performers. While Jenny came from a loving family, Finn was not as fortunate. Gover sensitively dealt with domestic violence and I admired the strength she instilled in Finn. Here was a teenager on the verge of adulthood who wanted to change his future. Finn and Jenny take a chance of life and love but can they truly be together?
Filled with warmth, love and hope, Close To Home is a testimony to family.
Alice Dwyer and Lucienne Chevalier are the elderly matriarchs of two unique families. Alice lived in the country town of Nyringa, where she was held in high esteem and greatly respected. Alice was very religious and coming from a religious background myself, I could relate to the importance it played in her life. Alice is also fortunate to be part of an extended family, something that I have often wished was an element of my own life. Yet despite knowing who Alice was and how she came to be, it took a long time for me to warm to the woman. The choices Alice made as a young woman certainly set the course for her life. She was manipulative, using old age to get what she wanted and, small minded. This was never more evident than when the circus literally ‘comes to town.’
Of the two matriarchs, Lucienne was definitely my favourite. Lucienne was the opposite in many ways to Alice. While Alice lived in the country, Lucienne travelled the world with her circus. I found reading about life under the big top in a bygone era and being a horse whisperer fascinating. While seeing the world had moulded Lucienne into a kind tolerant soul who had a passion for life, tragedy still snuck into her life. One of Lucienne’s grandchildren had been killed in an accident that she, and her grandson Simon, were still coming to terms with. With retirement beckoning, Lucienne chooses Nyringa to be the place where she will settle and to be the base for other travelling circuses.
Simon and Meg were the love story of the novel. Starting out as friends, I was rooting from the start for the young couple to get together. With their heartbreaking histories that they were deeply affected by, they had so much in common. The pair were able to recognise the pain they saw in one another and with their kind patient natures, make a deep connection. I also made a connection with Meg. Like her, I’m a teacher and enjoyed reading about teaching in a country school. It’s not something I aspire to but, I admire teachers who make this career choice.
The last points of view were from Jenny and Finn. Through the two, I was taken back to my first crush as a teenager. From two different worlds, Jenny was a Nyringa native and, Finn one of the circus performers. While Jenny came from a loving family, Finn was not as fortunate. Gover sensitively dealt with domestic violence and I admired the strength she instilled in Finn. Here was a teenager on the verge of adulthood who wanted to change his future. Finn and Jenny take a chance of life and love but can they truly be together?
Filled with warmth, love and hope, Close To Home is a testimony to family.
March 24, 2021
The points of view of six characters (two women of about 80, two people of about 30 and two teenagers) alternate to tell this story: Alice, the eldest member of a large family settled in a small town where those who are not related to them are a minority; Lucienne, a retired horse dancer who's just bought a large property where her circus will stay between tours; Meg, the local school's new teacher; Simon, Lucienne's grandson; Jenny, one of Alice's numerous great-nieces, and Finn, son of the circus's ringmaster. Having personal reasons to dislike circus people, Alice takes Lucienne's arrival as a personal insult and disapproves of any interaction between the two communities but, of course, friendships and romances start anyway. That might have made Alice unlikable but I still couldn't help liking her, as well as all the others. And I really enjoyed their story, including its setting in an Australian town, the circus acts... and the cakes (because yes, there's enough cake in the story to explain the one on the cover).
February 1, 2021
Aunt Alice is the matriarch in a small country town who is used to everyone doing what she wants and has a mistrust of circus folk after a betrayal when she was younger. This causes issue when Lucienne and her grandson Simon make a base for their family circus in her home town. Thrown into the mix are Alice’s great niece Jenny and her teacher Meg who has experience her own trauma. I loved this storyline and the writing just flowed beautifully. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and their back stories that helped shape their present.
February 7, 2021
⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.5)
This book is set in a small country town where everyone knows each other that well they're pretty much family.
The 2 female lead characters have the same traits when it comes to looking after their nearest and dearest. One's a conservative that has never left her hometown and the other is a well travelled circus owner that has lived an extraordinary life.
Stereotyping and judging a book by it's cover is what I thought the message was in this story and how we base our opinions of others from personal experiences.
Whilst it's not a genre I'd normally read it was good for a change.
This book is set in a small country town where everyone knows each other that well they're pretty much family.
The 2 female lead characters have the same traits when it comes to looking after their nearest and dearest. One's a conservative that has never left her hometown and the other is a well travelled circus owner that has lived an extraordinary life.
Stereotyping and judging a book by it's cover is what I thought the message was in this story and how we base our opinions of others from personal experiences.
Whilst it's not a genre I'd normally read it was good for a change.
March 8, 2025
Love Auzzie based books with all the elements of small country towns. History is repeating itself, when the aristocrat of the Circus World buys a local property and the Circus truly does come to town - but there is already someone Alice who feels she is the queen of the town and battle lines are drawn between the two - with Alice being the one building fences. When two teenagers disappear, Lucienne and Alice are thrown together and the barriers fall away as Alice reveals her reason why she hates the circus.
January 27, 2024
I have only recently discovered Janet Gover's books and now I can't get enough of them. Full of strong characters, an interesting plot, and a compelling story, this book taught me so much about the inside workings of a circus—with all it's quirky, talented and interesting characters. Tragedy opposes new love and opportunities and the author shares this in spades. I loved the small town community with all its prejudice and real-life residents. Highly recommended.
February 27, 2021
A multi-layered story, so much more than a rural romance. Set in a fictional country town in northern New South Wales near Armidale it features strong women coming to term with old age, a circus and its effects on the inhabitants, French pastries, grief, abuse and assault and the slow unfolding of love. A great read.
September 14, 2021
A delightful read about a small country town and their community and well established family. One day a new family arrives and this brings back an unfortunate memory of the town’s Matriarch, Aunty Alice. She does not like the change this brings to her family and tries to clean her town of the Circus people. But the Matriarch of the circus is also a force to be reckoned with. Very engaging story
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July 8, 2021A sweet read featuring a circus in the small town of Nyringa in rural New South Wales.
Two strong-willed matriarchs, Aunt Alice and Lucien (circus owner) go head to head.
Enjoyed the teen romance too between Finn and Jenny, so cute.
Two strong-willed matriarchs, Aunt Alice and Lucien (circus owner) go head to head.
Enjoyed the teen romance too between Finn and Jenny, so cute.
July 11, 2022
A thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters were likeable, each with their own issues, and the two matriarchs were wonderful. I liked the exploration of life in a country town, and the problems with young love. It was a kind book.
November 1, 2025
I’m really enjoying Gover journeys. There is something quite distinctly Janet Gover flavoured about these rural romance mysteries which appeals to me. I’m always sad to finish a tale and especially when I haven’t anymore to read yet.
February 21, 2021
As usual Janet Gover has written another great book. Highly recommend.
March 28, 2021
An absolute delight to read. Loved how Janet has written so sensitively about the characters in this book which I found emotional and full of feeling. Great description of circus life too!
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