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Meet Me in Bendigo
Small-town Australia meets You've Got Mail in this rural romantic comedy about online dating, second chances, and following your heart.
Small-town sweetheart Annalisa Cappelli has returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware store while she heals from a tragic loss. The business was hit hard by the pandemic, and now a Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. There's no way Annalisa is going to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, but she's going to need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive.
The one simple thing in her life is her no names, no complications, easy-breezy online relationship with GardenerGuy94. For now, their online flirtation is the only kind of romance Annalisa needs. Until she meets Ed Carpenter. Sexy as hell, he'd be the perfect man ... if he wasn't trying to destroy her business.
Ed Carpenter is in Wongilly to offer the owner of a small hardware store a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. What he doesn't expect is for the owner to be the woman he's been talking to online. Annalisa is beautiful and passionate, and he's sure she's the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
Small-town sweetheart Annalisa Cappelli has returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware store while she heals from a tragic loss. The business was hit hard by the pandemic, and now a Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. There's no way Annalisa is going to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, but she's going to need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive.
The one simple thing in her life is her no names, no complications, easy-breezy online relationship with GardenerGuy94. For now, their online flirtation is the only kind of romance Annalisa needs. Until she meets Ed Carpenter. Sexy as hell, he'd be the perfect man ... if he wasn't trying to destroy her business.
Ed Carpenter is in Wongilly to offer the owner of a small hardware store a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. What he doesn't expect is for the owner to be the woman he's been talking to online. Annalisa is beautiful and passionate, and he's sure she's the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
- GenresRomanceContemporary
384 pages, Paperback
Published July 28, 2021
11 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
Eva Scott
21 books67 followersEva comes from a family of storytellers and has been writing her own stories since she could hold a pencil. Growing up in a multicultural neighbourhood in Melbourne, Eva developed her wanderlust and a passion for culture and language. She travelled the world, living in Britain before coming home to Australia to study Anthropology. Wanderlust got the better of her again, so Eva packed up and headed to Papua New Guinea to live and work where she was completely in her element. Eva's passion for the Australian country is born of her large extended family, which is spread out across the land. She volunteers at the local primary schools, teaching writing and working with children to incite a love of books and reading. Eva's books explore relationships, culture, our roles in changing society, love and loss. She loves finding connections with readers over shared experiences.
If you'd like to know more about Eva, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her website: evascottwriter.com
If you'd like to know more about Eva, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her website: evascottwriter.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 8, 2021
Annalisa Cappelli ran Cappelli’s Hardware Store alongside her Nonna, which had been in the family for three generations. There were only the two of them left in the family after Annalisa’s parents had been killed when she was a child. Now she’d returned to Wongilly in Victoria from Melbourne after the tragic death of her partner. Her grief overwhelmed her at times, but with her best friend Mel, the old guys who joined her in the store every day to drink coffee and play cards, and of course her Nonna on her side, she was gradually making her way out of the mire. But the threat of the Carpenter’s Warehouse hardware superstore opening only 15 minutes away saw Annalisa determined to keep the family’s hardware store open come what may.
Ed Carpenter was the ‘black sheep’ in the Carpenter family. His siblings scorned him, despised him and gave him the jobs they didn’t want to do themselves. So saw Ed heading to Wongilly to supervise the opening of their new hardware store, and also to approach the owners of the small store in town to buy them out. He had no idea that the young woman running the shop was the recipient of the online persona he enjoyed chatting with on a regular basis. Would he be able to keep his two identities from Annalisa until he was ready to share? And when at first Annalisa didn’t realise who Ed was, she exploded with rage once she knew he was part of the hardware store. She would have nothing to do with this devil in sheep’s clothing. With lies by omission, twisted secrets and a heart that was betraying her, Annalisa and Ed were destined to fail – weren’t they?
Meet Me in Bendigo by Aussie author Eva Scott is an entertaining, heartbreaking but hopeful look at the other side of the pandemic (will we ever get there!), at second chances, at friendship and at love. This is my second book by Eva Scott and I enjoyed it. Annalisa is a strong and feisty young woman who thinks too much, but with her Nonna and Joe (one of the oldies) there to help lift her spirits and give her advice (whether she wanted it or not) Annalisa could feel happy in Wongilly. Recommended.
With thanks to HarperCollins AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Ed Carpenter was the ‘black sheep’ in the Carpenter family. His siblings scorned him, despised him and gave him the jobs they didn’t want to do themselves. So saw Ed heading to Wongilly to supervise the opening of their new hardware store, and also to approach the owners of the small store in town to buy them out. He had no idea that the young woman running the shop was the recipient of the online persona he enjoyed chatting with on a regular basis. Would he be able to keep his two identities from Annalisa until he was ready to share? And when at first Annalisa didn’t realise who Ed was, she exploded with rage once she knew he was part of the hardware store. She would have nothing to do with this devil in sheep’s clothing. With lies by omission, twisted secrets and a heart that was betraying her, Annalisa and Ed were destined to fail – weren’t they?
Meet Me in Bendigo by Aussie author Eva Scott is an entertaining, heartbreaking but hopeful look at the other side of the pandemic (will we ever get there!), at second chances, at friendship and at love. This is my second book by Eva Scott and I enjoyed it. Annalisa is a strong and feisty young woman who thinks too much, but with her Nonna and Joe (one of the oldies) there to help lift her spirits and give her advice (whether she wanted it or not) Annalisa could feel happy in Wongilly. Recommended.
With thanks to HarperCollins AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2021
*www.onewomansbbr.wordpress.com
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Meet Me in Bendigo by Eva Scott. (2021).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 28 July 2021**
Annalisa is running her family's hardware shop in small-town Wongilly after experiencing tragedy. The store was hit by the pandemic and now a hardware superstore is opening. Annalisa will need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive. Meanwhile she has been having a simple online relationship with GardenerGuy94 which is all she needs until she meets Ed Carpenter. Ed is sexy, too bad he's trying to destroy her business.... Ed has come to town to offer Annalisa a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. He didn't expect her to be the woman he's been talking to online. She is beautiful, passionate and the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
After reading a few dark and heavy novels, this one felt like a lovely fresh light spring breeze. The synopsis paints the picture pretty well: imagine an updated modern version of the movie 'You've Got Mail', set in rural Australia. Is it a likely scenario? No, not really. But is it entertaining? You bet! I can also confirm that for those who like their romances 'clean', this one will suit your needs. Annalisa and Ed are both likeable characters and there's a whole cast of side characters to enjoy. Lots of funny moments are included, and I think all readers will be cheering on their love story.
Overall: I'd highly recommend this one for anyone who enjoys rural Australian romance and/or rom-com movies; you'll be in for a treat.
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Meet Me in Bendigo by Eva Scott. (2021).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review; published 28 July 2021**
Annalisa is running her family's hardware shop in small-town Wongilly after experiencing tragedy. The store was hit by the pandemic and now a hardware superstore is opening. Annalisa will need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive. Meanwhile she has been having a simple online relationship with GardenerGuy94 which is all she needs until she meets Ed Carpenter. Ed is sexy, too bad he's trying to destroy her business.... Ed has come to town to offer Annalisa a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. He didn't expect her to be the woman he's been talking to online. She is beautiful, passionate and the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
After reading a few dark and heavy novels, this one felt like a lovely fresh light spring breeze. The synopsis paints the picture pretty well: imagine an updated modern version of the movie 'You've Got Mail', set in rural Australia. Is it a likely scenario? No, not really. But is it entertaining? You bet! I can also confirm that for those who like their romances 'clean', this one will suit your needs. Annalisa and Ed are both likeable characters and there's a whole cast of side characters to enjoy. Lots of funny moments are included, and I think all readers will be cheering on their love story.
Overall: I'd highly recommend this one for anyone who enjoys rural Australian romance and/or rom-com movies; you'll be in for a treat.
July 29, 2021
What a great story this one is, I loved meeting Annalisa and Ed and thoroughly enjoying their journey to a gorgeous HEA one that is fraught with ups and downs and friends and families helping and maybe not helping along the way, filled with witty banter this one is sure to keep you turning the pages.
Annalisa Cappelli arrived back in her small home town on Wongilly with a broken heart but ready to look to the future and run the family hardware business that was started over one hundred and sixty years ago. Things have been hard with the pandemic and now a huge new hardware warehouse, Carpenters is opening spelling doom but rest assured Annalisa is not going to let her ancestors down without a fight.
Annalisa has happily made friends with someone online GardenerGuy94 and he is always there to boost her morale and help with ideas, he is just what she needs in these trying times, then enter Ed Carpenter the man is truly handsome, sexy as but he is the enemy and here for one reason and that is to destroy Cappelli’s. Her emotions are all over the place.
Ed has arrived in Wongilly to make an offer for a payout to the Cappelli family never expecting to find that the owner is none other than the woman he has built up a friendship with online and that his feelings for her would hit him so hard. Ed has had a few ups and downs in his life and working for the family is not a happy place to be, helping Annalisa is what he wants more than ever.
I loved this story so much, it is filled with emotions, it is witty, Ed has his work cut out for him to win Annalisa’s heart in this one, and can he combine both men? He is caring, strong and loving and Annalisa is such a beautiful strong person filled with love for so many people she wants so hard to not be the one to let Cappelli’s down. This is a roller coaster ride that had me cheering them on, smiling, laughing and teary at times, beautifully written another winner and I have to say the old guys Jo, Dave and Terry are the best I loved them and Nonna all fabulous characters that added so much to this fabulous, moving and witty story that I highly recommend, it is a must read.
My thanks to Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review.
Annalisa Cappelli arrived back in her small home town on Wongilly with a broken heart but ready to look to the future and run the family hardware business that was started over one hundred and sixty years ago. Things have been hard with the pandemic and now a huge new hardware warehouse, Carpenters is opening spelling doom but rest assured Annalisa is not going to let her ancestors down without a fight.
Annalisa has happily made friends with someone online GardenerGuy94 and he is always there to boost her morale and help with ideas, he is just what she needs in these trying times, then enter Ed Carpenter the man is truly handsome, sexy as but he is the enemy and here for one reason and that is to destroy Cappelli’s. Her emotions are all over the place.
Ed has arrived in Wongilly to make an offer for a payout to the Cappelli family never expecting to find that the owner is none other than the woman he has built up a friendship with online and that his feelings for her would hit him so hard. Ed has had a few ups and downs in his life and working for the family is not a happy place to be, helping Annalisa is what he wants more than ever.
I loved this story so much, it is filled with emotions, it is witty, Ed has his work cut out for him to win Annalisa’s heart in this one, and can he combine both men? He is caring, strong and loving and Annalisa is such a beautiful strong person filled with love for so many people she wants so hard to not be the one to let Cappelli’s down. This is a roller coaster ride that had me cheering them on, smiling, laughing and teary at times, beautifully written another winner and I have to say the old guys Jo, Dave and Terry are the best I loved them and Nonna all fabulous characters that added so much to this fabulous, moving and witty story that I highly recommend, it is a must read.
My thanks to Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review.
July 25, 2021
ARC received from Harlequin Australia for an honest review
Eva Scott speaks to my 90s rom-com, Tom and Meg loving heart with Meet Me In Bendigo.
You've Got Mail meets country Australia as Annalisa and Ed find love online, only to realise that they are one and the same.
I love the old guys who hang around the store and Annalisa's nonna. I adore Annalisa's best friend, I love the small town vibe - I did the tree change to the country a while ago and boy, is it a case of you can't do anything without everyone knowing lolol
I did feel a few times that the dialogue was a direct lift from You've Got Mail, or similar enough that it seemed like it, but I may be wrong and maybe nobody else thinks this way.
I will admit to getting a little teary along with Annalisa a couple of times - I am not afraid to say I am a big ol sook at times hahah.
I really enjoyed Meet Me In Bendigo, and am wondering what we will get next
a>
Eva Scott speaks to my 90s rom-com, Tom and Meg loving heart with Meet Me In Bendigo.
You've Got Mail meets country Australia as Annalisa and Ed find love online, only to realise that they are one and the same.
I love the old guys who hang around the store and Annalisa's nonna. I adore Annalisa's best friend, I love the small town vibe - I did the tree change to the country a while ago and boy, is it a case of you can't do anything without everyone knowing lolol
I did feel a few times that the dialogue was a direct lift from You've Got Mail, or similar enough that it seemed like it, but I may be wrong and maybe nobody else thinks this way.
I will admit to getting a little teary along with Annalisa a couple of times - I am not afraid to say I am a big ol sook at times hahah.
I really enjoyed Meet Me In Bendigo, and am wondering what we will get next
a>
October 4, 2021
This book was relentlessly marketed to me on my Instagram ads because my social media algorithm seems to think I am a middle-aged woman with teenage kids and an unsatisfying marriage. Wonder why. As a joke my pals dared me to be #influenced and buy it, read it, and provide my feedback, which I now undertake to do.
The marketing tagline of this book was "'You've Got Mail' meets Australian country town." Let's just say I went in with expectations in the negative digits. But what this book lacked in imagination (and it lived up to its blurb, copying everything in the film down to the cafe scene and dog) it made up for in a charming setting (Bendigo is apparently much sexier than I'd originally thunk), cute characters, and cosy vibes. Suffice to say this book was entirely harmless fun and I enjoyed it more than I'd be willing to admit.
Much like the film, the protagonist runs a beloved but failing family business steeped in history. However, unlike Meg Ryan's charming bookstore, Annalisa runs a dinky hardware shop painted pale yellow, which is about to get elbowed out of the market by a giant Bunnings– I mean, Carpenter's Warehouse megastore opening in nearby Bendigo. Annalisa finds an escape from her sad life and financial woes in an online romance with a mysterious stranger called GardenerGuy94, who of course turns out to be Tom Hanks, only younger and way hunkier. My favourite quote of the book describes his shoulders as 'real estate you could get lost in for an hour'. Yum. But soft! What catfish through yonder iPhone screen breaks? Hot Tom Hanks is in fact the youngest son of the family who run the evil corporation Bunnings–oops, Carpenters– Warehouse that is bulldozing in to trample small businesses to dust! Annalisa must now decide whether to keep the store running to uphold her family's legacy, or admit defeat, close up shop and find something else to do with her life. To top it all off, she must choose between following her 'lustful physical chemistry' with Evil Ed Carpenter, or follow her heart and the deep, ~emotional~ connection she has with GardenerGuy94. Conveniently for her, at the end she figures out they're one and the same. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Yes, the author's writing style reminds me a lot of the Tumblr short stories I read as a teenager. Yes, it contains many half-baked, pandemic-fuelled existential crises. And yes, this book is a worse version of one of the most loved romcoms of the 90s. But you'll love it, and it'll make you feel like Kathy from Finance. Your heart will flutter at the thought of a shirtless and rain-soaked Chris Hemsworth-type kissing you passionately in a portable steel site office, just as Kathy's heart flutters. You will squirm with desire when a country town sausage roll is bitten into seductively, and you will melt in the hopes of your next shitty Hinge date being sex-on-legs Ed Carpenter pulling up in his Toyota Hilux.
So, while this story is loaded with cliches and perhaps lacking the effortless charm of its Nora Ephron source material, I honestly did not care - it scratched the romcom itch, and was sweet enough for me to overlook its flaws.
The marketing tagline of this book was "'You've Got Mail' meets Australian country town." Let's just say I went in with expectations in the negative digits. But what this book lacked in imagination (and it lived up to its blurb, copying everything in the film down to the cafe scene and dog) it made up for in a charming setting (Bendigo is apparently much sexier than I'd originally thunk), cute characters, and cosy vibes. Suffice to say this book was entirely harmless fun and I enjoyed it more than I'd be willing to admit.
Much like the film, the protagonist runs a beloved but failing family business steeped in history. However, unlike Meg Ryan's charming bookstore, Annalisa runs a dinky hardware shop painted pale yellow, which is about to get elbowed out of the market by a giant Bunnings– I mean, Carpenter's Warehouse megastore opening in nearby Bendigo. Annalisa finds an escape from her sad life and financial woes in an online romance with a mysterious stranger called GardenerGuy94, who of course turns out to be Tom Hanks, only younger and way hunkier. My favourite quote of the book describes his shoulders as 'real estate you could get lost in for an hour'. Yum. But soft! What catfish through yonder iPhone screen breaks? Hot Tom Hanks is in fact the youngest son of the family who run the evil corporation Bunnings–oops, Carpenters– Warehouse that is bulldozing in to trample small businesses to dust! Annalisa must now decide whether to keep the store running to uphold her family's legacy, or admit defeat, close up shop and find something else to do with her life. To top it all off, she must choose between following her 'lustful physical chemistry' with Evil Ed Carpenter, or follow her heart and the deep, ~emotional~ connection she has with GardenerGuy94. Conveniently for her, at the end she figures out they're one and the same. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Yes, the author's writing style reminds me a lot of the Tumblr short stories I read as a teenager. Yes, it contains many half-baked, pandemic-fuelled existential crises. And yes, this book is a worse version of one of the most loved romcoms of the 90s. But you'll love it, and it'll make you feel like Kathy from Finance. Your heart will flutter at the thought of a shirtless and rain-soaked Chris Hemsworth-type kissing you passionately in a portable steel site office, just as Kathy's heart flutters. You will squirm with desire when a country town sausage roll is bitten into seductively, and you will melt in the hopes of your next shitty Hinge date being sex-on-legs Ed Carpenter pulling up in his Toyota Hilux.
So, while this story is loaded with cliches and perhaps lacking the effortless charm of its Nora Ephron source material, I honestly did not care - it scratched the romcom itch, and was sweet enough for me to overlook its flaws.
August 24, 2021
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
Communication, family legacy, commitment and matters of the heart all collide in Meet Me in Bendigo, the latest rural romance delicacy from Eva Scott. Inspired by the classic 1990s rom com title You’ve Got Mail, Meet Me in Bendigo fuses quintessential Aussie rural fiction with an entertaining comedy of errors about online dating. Eva Scott’s new title absolutely sparkles from start to finish.
Meet Annalisa Cappelli, a hardworking young woman who is still nursing a broken heart after the shock loss of her boyfriend. The only thing that seems to keep Annalisa’s spirit alive is her family’s beloved hardware store, which has been operating in the small town of Wongilly for two hundred years. But Annalisa faces an uphill battle in trying to keep her family’s longstanding business afloat. The lethal combination of the pandemic and a new hardware business opening nearby has put the future of the shop in jeopardy. But Annalisa has also been preoccupied by an online relationship she has with a man named GardnerGuy94. This supportive and flirty relationship seems to be helping Annalisa cope with the ongoing stress of keeping her family’s business alive. But Annalisa’s heart is sent aflutter when a man named Ed Carpenter waltzes into her shop and life, but his presence only brings further complications for the struggling business owner. When Ed offers Annalisa a lifeline, a payout from her family’s dwindling business, all he meets is resistance. With Annalisa fighting against him, not for him, Ed must prove to her that he is the man of her dreams.
For those who love a good rom com 90s style, Meet Me in Bendigo will appeal. With a nice rural twist to the narrative, Eva Scott’s latest is an essential read for those who love a spin on the traditional Aussie rural romance. With our lives very much dictated by online forms of communication, Meet Me in Bendigo looks at the good and bad side of contact via messaging services. Dating has definitely taken a very different turn in recent times and Meet Me in Bendigo looks at a flirty online relationship that develops between the two leads of this tale, with an interesting complication. I enjoyed observing this new direction in terms of dating and forming relationships, it is very different to when I was last in the dating game! Although I am not in the same position as the central characters of this tale, I was surprised by how much I connected to and happily lapped up the romance side of this novel! Eva Scott is very adept in this area thanks to her previous writing experience and it shines through the love story aspect of her novel.
Another area of the Meet Me in Bendigo that really worked for me was the family legacy focus. Both Annalisa and Ed are faced with similar problems in terms of the inner struggle they face between family loyalty and personal aspirations. Eva Scott approaches this aspect of her tale with a sense of understanding and sympathy, that allows the reader to really connect deeply to the characters. Matters of the heart and finding a solution to the personal turmoil these characters face forms a significant part of Meet Me in Bendigo. I loved this component of the story and it compelled me to turn the pages of this book a little too quickly!
Scott’s setting is wonderfully presented. Wongilly is fictional creation, but Scott breathes so much life into this little community that is hard not to feel fully involved in this quaint little town. With plenty of descriptions about community life, buildings and the entertaining crowd of Wongilly, Meet Me in Bendigo is an embracing read.
Another area of this tale that I feel I must mention are the wonderful little snippets of history that are slotted into the chapters of Meet Me in Bendigo. Following a distinct timeline from the past, which travels back two centuries earlier, through to the present day, we are presented with an array of definitive events impacting Annalisa’s family. From war, the depression, births and deaths, Meet Me in Bendigo covers it all, inciting plenty of interest for the reader. This was my favourite aspect of Eva Scott’s tale and I looked forward to each yarn included in this high engaging novel.
With personable and charming Ed and resistant but loveable Annalisa, plus the surrounding crew of Eva Scott’s tale, I was won over completely by Meet Me in Bendigo. I loved the online communication and mix up of personal profiles that performed the crux of this crowd-pleasing rural romance tale. I really wanted these two deserving souls to join together and finally realise how well suited they truly are, this couple were meant to be! Eva Scott holds out the prospect of future happiness for as long as possible, it was a clever trick, but it worked!
With so much warmth to give, connection and plenty of emotional tension, Meet Me in Bendigo receives a full five-star rating from me.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Meet Me in Bendigo is book #77 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
Communication, family legacy, commitment and matters of the heart all collide in Meet Me in Bendigo, the latest rural romance delicacy from Eva Scott. Inspired by the classic 1990s rom com title You’ve Got Mail, Meet Me in Bendigo fuses quintessential Aussie rural fiction with an entertaining comedy of errors about online dating. Eva Scott’s new title absolutely sparkles from start to finish.
Meet Annalisa Cappelli, a hardworking young woman who is still nursing a broken heart after the shock loss of her boyfriend. The only thing that seems to keep Annalisa’s spirit alive is her family’s beloved hardware store, which has been operating in the small town of Wongilly for two hundred years. But Annalisa faces an uphill battle in trying to keep her family’s longstanding business afloat. The lethal combination of the pandemic and a new hardware business opening nearby has put the future of the shop in jeopardy. But Annalisa has also been preoccupied by an online relationship she has with a man named GardnerGuy94. This supportive and flirty relationship seems to be helping Annalisa cope with the ongoing stress of keeping her family’s business alive. But Annalisa’s heart is sent aflutter when a man named Ed Carpenter waltzes into her shop and life, but his presence only brings further complications for the struggling business owner. When Ed offers Annalisa a lifeline, a payout from her family’s dwindling business, all he meets is resistance. With Annalisa fighting against him, not for him, Ed must prove to her that he is the man of her dreams.
For those who love a good rom com 90s style, Meet Me in Bendigo will appeal. With a nice rural twist to the narrative, Eva Scott’s latest is an essential read for those who love a spin on the traditional Aussie rural romance. With our lives very much dictated by online forms of communication, Meet Me in Bendigo looks at the good and bad side of contact via messaging services. Dating has definitely taken a very different turn in recent times and Meet Me in Bendigo looks at a flirty online relationship that develops between the two leads of this tale, with an interesting complication. I enjoyed observing this new direction in terms of dating and forming relationships, it is very different to when I was last in the dating game! Although I am not in the same position as the central characters of this tale, I was surprised by how much I connected to and happily lapped up the romance side of this novel! Eva Scott is very adept in this area thanks to her previous writing experience and it shines through the love story aspect of her novel.
Another area of the Meet Me in Bendigo that really worked for me was the family legacy focus. Both Annalisa and Ed are faced with similar problems in terms of the inner struggle they face between family loyalty and personal aspirations. Eva Scott approaches this aspect of her tale with a sense of understanding and sympathy, that allows the reader to really connect deeply to the characters. Matters of the heart and finding a solution to the personal turmoil these characters face forms a significant part of Meet Me in Bendigo. I loved this component of the story and it compelled me to turn the pages of this book a little too quickly!
Scott’s setting is wonderfully presented. Wongilly is fictional creation, but Scott breathes so much life into this little community that is hard not to feel fully involved in this quaint little town. With plenty of descriptions about community life, buildings and the entertaining crowd of Wongilly, Meet Me in Bendigo is an embracing read.
Another area of this tale that I feel I must mention are the wonderful little snippets of history that are slotted into the chapters of Meet Me in Bendigo. Following a distinct timeline from the past, which travels back two centuries earlier, through to the present day, we are presented with an array of definitive events impacting Annalisa’s family. From war, the depression, births and deaths, Meet Me in Bendigo covers it all, inciting plenty of interest for the reader. This was my favourite aspect of Eva Scott’s tale and I looked forward to each yarn included in this high engaging novel.
With personable and charming Ed and resistant but loveable Annalisa, plus the surrounding crew of Eva Scott’s tale, I was won over completely by Meet Me in Bendigo. I loved the online communication and mix up of personal profiles that performed the crux of this crowd-pleasing rural romance tale. I really wanted these two deserving souls to join together and finally realise how well suited they truly are, this couple were meant to be! Eva Scott holds out the prospect of future happiness for as long as possible, it was a clever trick, but it worked!
With so much warmth to give, connection and plenty of emotional tension, Meet Me in Bendigo receives a full five-star rating from me.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Meet Me in Bendigo is book #77 of the 2021 Australian Women Writers Challenge
August 3, 2021
An amazing story about romance, online dating, family, second chances and following your heart. I absolutely adored this book and can't wait to read more of Eva's books.
November 1, 2021
This is a super cute "You Got Mail" retelling, but as opposed to a bookstore we have a hardware store and as opposed to NYC, we have country Victoria.
Even though this was nearly 400 pages, it was easily read/devoured in a day and was just a really nice, sweet feel good read (much like the movie).
I wouldn't say I loved it (or would read it again), but I had fun reading it to the extent that I have put a library hold on another book by this author "Lonely in Longreach" (based on Sleepless in Seattle) and I am looking forward to exploring some of the back catalogue of this (new to me) Aussie Author.
Reading Challenge
Aussie Readers 2021 November "Last Month of Spring" Challenge: Read books that titles/author initials spell out the words FlowErs (E = Eva)
Even though this was nearly 400 pages, it was easily read/devoured in a day and was just a really nice, sweet feel good read (much like the movie).
I wouldn't say I loved it (or would read it again), but I had fun reading it to the extent that I have put a library hold on another book by this author "Lonely in Longreach" (based on Sleepless in Seattle) and I am looking forward to exploring some of the back catalogue of this (new to me) Aussie Author.
Reading Challenge
Aussie Readers 2021 November "Last Month of Spring" Challenge: Read books that titles/author initials spell out the words FlowErs (E = Eva)
November 11, 2021
Meet me in Bendigo by Eva Scott
Synopsis /
Small-town sweetheart Annalisa Cappelli has returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware store while she heals from a tragic loss. The business was hit hard by the pandemic, and now a Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. There's no way Annalisa is going to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, but she's going to need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive.
The one simple thing in her life is her no names, no complications, easy-breezy online relationship with GardenerGuy94. For now, their online flirtation is the only kind of romance Annalisa needs. Until she meets Ed Carpenter. Sexy as hell, he'd be the perfect man ... if he wasn't trying to destroy her business.
Ed Carpenter is in Wongilly to offer the owner of a small hardware store a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. What he doesn't expect is for the owner to be the woman he's been talking to online. Annalisa is beautiful and passionate, and he's sure she's the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
My Thoughts /
Meet Me in Bendigo is set in the small fictional Victorian town of Wongilly in Australia and is the perfect antidote for a rainy day’s reading. Communication, family legacy, commitment and matters of the heart all collide here. This is a fun rural romance which, although gave us nothing ‘new’ in terms of content – boy meets girl/ girl doesn’t like boy/ boy goes out of his way to ingratiate himself into her heart/ girl notices/ boy captivates girl/ and finally, girl falls for boy, the end – was still a very enjoyable read. I couldn’t read too many of these back-to-back, but it’s the perfect intermission novel between heavier reads.
Annalisa Cappelli runs her family’s small-town hardware store which is situated in the Victorian Goldfields in the fictional town of Wongilly. Cappelli’s hardware has been in the town for at least three generations, but Annalisa now faces an uphill battle trying to keep her family’s longstanding business afloat. The lethal combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new hardware ‘superstore’ opening nearby has put the future of the shop in jeopardy. Trying to cope with the ongoing stress of keeping her family’s business afloat has been harder of late, as Annalisa has been preoccupied with an online friendship with someone named GardnerGuy94. GardnerGuy94’s alter ego is Ed Carpenter. The hardware superstore opening around the corner is called Carpenters….see where this is heading? Ed has been nominated by his brother and sister to sniff around the local area to scope out whether there will be much opposition to the new warehouse store opening. Basically, to head off trouble before it might begin. He has also been instructed to offer the owner of Cappelli’s a cash buy-out….see where this is heading? When Ed realises that his online ‘friend’ is the one whose business his family’s company is about to destroy…..see where this is heading?
The novel jumps between the perspectives of Annalisa and Ed, as well as the text message correspondence between their online alter egos. The chapters are short and punchy. As characters, Ed and Annalisa are nothing to write home about, but, some of Scott’s secondary characters are extremely charming. Annalisa’s grandmother, Nonna, is exactly what you would imagine a feisty, hardworking, Italian matriarch to be. I loved Joe and the rest of the guys that turn up at the hardware store every day – to play cards, chinwag, drink coffee and give Annalisa a hard time!
As a romance novel, it’s downright messy but I did love the banter of the older generations. There are also well written arguments for small town v big city; and progress v tradition which were highlighted quite well. I also enjoyed reading the way Scott presented Wongilly as a fictional creation. The author was able to breathe a life into this little community – so much so, it was hard not to feel fully involved in this quaint little town - from plenty of descriptions about community life, buildings and the entertaining townsfolk of Wongilly, it is certainly an enjoyable read.
Synopsis /
Small-town sweetheart Annalisa Cappelli has returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware store while she heals from a tragic loss. The business was hit hard by the pandemic, and now a Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. There's no way Annalisa is going to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, but she's going to need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive.
The one simple thing in her life is her no names, no complications, easy-breezy online relationship with GardenerGuy94. For now, their online flirtation is the only kind of romance Annalisa needs. Until she meets Ed Carpenter. Sexy as hell, he'd be the perfect man ... if he wasn't trying to destroy her business.
Ed Carpenter is in Wongilly to offer the owner of a small hardware store a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. What he doesn't expect is for the owner to be the woman he's been talking to online. Annalisa is beautiful and passionate, and he's sure she's the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
My Thoughts /
Meet Me in Bendigo is set in the small fictional Victorian town of Wongilly in Australia and is the perfect antidote for a rainy day’s reading. Communication, family legacy, commitment and matters of the heart all collide here. This is a fun rural romance which, although gave us nothing ‘new’ in terms of content – boy meets girl/ girl doesn’t like boy/ boy goes out of his way to ingratiate himself into her heart/ girl notices/ boy captivates girl/ and finally, girl falls for boy, the end – was still a very enjoyable read. I couldn’t read too many of these back-to-back, but it’s the perfect intermission novel between heavier reads.
Annalisa Cappelli runs her family’s small-town hardware store which is situated in the Victorian Goldfields in the fictional town of Wongilly. Cappelli’s hardware has been in the town for at least three generations, but Annalisa now faces an uphill battle trying to keep her family’s longstanding business afloat. The lethal combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new hardware ‘superstore’ opening nearby has put the future of the shop in jeopardy. Trying to cope with the ongoing stress of keeping her family’s business afloat has been harder of late, as Annalisa has been preoccupied with an online friendship with someone named GardnerGuy94. GardnerGuy94’s alter ego is Ed Carpenter. The hardware superstore opening around the corner is called Carpenters….see where this is heading? Ed has been nominated by his brother and sister to sniff around the local area to scope out whether there will be much opposition to the new warehouse store opening. Basically, to head off trouble before it might begin. He has also been instructed to offer the owner of Cappelli’s a cash buy-out….see where this is heading? When Ed realises that his online ‘friend’ is the one whose business his family’s company is about to destroy…..see where this is heading?
The novel jumps between the perspectives of Annalisa and Ed, as well as the text message correspondence between their online alter egos. The chapters are short and punchy. As characters, Ed and Annalisa are nothing to write home about, but, some of Scott’s secondary characters are extremely charming. Annalisa’s grandmother, Nonna, is exactly what you would imagine a feisty, hardworking, Italian matriarch to be. I loved Joe and the rest of the guys that turn up at the hardware store every day – to play cards, chinwag, drink coffee and give Annalisa a hard time!
As a romance novel, it’s downright messy but I did love the banter of the older generations. There are also well written arguments for small town v big city; and progress v tradition which were highlighted quite well. I also enjoyed reading the way Scott presented Wongilly as a fictional creation. The author was able to breathe a life into this little community – so much so, it was hard not to feel fully involved in this quaint little town - from plenty of descriptions about community life, buildings and the entertaining townsfolk of Wongilly, it is certainly an enjoyable read.
August 9, 2021
Looking for a feel good read? Think an Aussie version of You’ve Got Mail might fit the bill? Then look no further than, Meet Me In Bendigo by Eva Scott. This is such a fun, light rom-com that will have you grinning from ear to ear as you follow along with Annalisa and Ed’s journey. Yes, you know how it ends but it is that journey that matters as you wait with baited breath to see how the truth will be revealed.
‘Ed didn’t know how he was going to walk the tightrope between what he believed in and what he had to do, but he was willing to try. He had to get back to the man he used to be. Even if that meant bending a few rules.’
Another factor I really loved about this book was the secondary characters and small town vibe. I simply adored old Joe and his mates (they almost steal the show) with their witty barbs and comments. Her best friend Mel is also another winner. There are events throughout (apart from the obvious will they, won’t they) that made me smile - cleaning up after the kids party, the trip to protest in the minibus and the picnics in the field of flowers.
For over a hundred years Cappellis had kept this store going in one form or another. They’d faced all sorts of hardships, from rebellion on the goldfields to war and recession. What advice would they give her? What would they make of the coronavirus and online shopping? Surely they’d have some useful wisdom to impart?’
The above events brought light to the story that was in fact filled with history past and present in the making. The inclusion of the newspaper articles spread throughout were an added bonus and really gave depth to both the story of the family and the history of the store. In the present, the impact of the current pandemic is delicately woven throughout and without being a focus, assists in providing the light and shade of the tale.
‘I guess I miss me,’ he said so softly that Annalisa wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. ‘You miss you?’ ‘I feel a very long way from who I was before the pandemic started.’
I was totally in the mood for this Australian twist on the classic tale/movie of enemies to lovers. So if a light, fun filled romcom set in a rural Aussie town telling the tale of following your heart, being brave and moving on is what you are after, look no further.
‘I spent far too many years in the service of other people’s dreams. I don’t want you to end up the same way. Live for yourself for a change.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
‘Ed didn’t know how he was going to walk the tightrope between what he believed in and what he had to do, but he was willing to try. He had to get back to the man he used to be. Even if that meant bending a few rules.’
Another factor I really loved about this book was the secondary characters and small town vibe. I simply adored old Joe and his mates (they almost steal the show) with their witty barbs and comments. Her best friend Mel is also another winner. There are events throughout (apart from the obvious will they, won’t they) that made me smile - cleaning up after the kids party, the trip to protest in the minibus and the picnics in the field of flowers.
For over a hundred years Cappellis had kept this store going in one form or another. They’d faced all sorts of hardships, from rebellion on the goldfields to war and recession. What advice would they give her? What would they make of the coronavirus and online shopping? Surely they’d have some useful wisdom to impart?’
The above events brought light to the story that was in fact filled with history past and present in the making. The inclusion of the newspaper articles spread throughout were an added bonus and really gave depth to both the story of the family and the history of the store. In the present, the impact of the current pandemic is delicately woven throughout and without being a focus, assists in providing the light and shade of the tale.
‘I guess I miss me,’ he said so softly that Annalisa wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. ‘You miss you?’ ‘I feel a very long way from who I was before the pandemic started.’
I was totally in the mood for this Australian twist on the classic tale/movie of enemies to lovers. So if a light, fun filled romcom set in a rural Aussie town telling the tale of following your heart, being brave and moving on is what you are after, look no further.
‘I spent far too many years in the service of other people’s dreams. I don’t want you to end up the same way. Live for yourself for a change.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
December 25, 2021
I thought this one sounded cute. Annalisa doesn't realise that the lovely guy she has connected with online and the guy representing the big corporation that's driving her small hardware store out of business are one and the same. Recipe for an interesting romance story.
Unfortunately I just thought that Ed was a massive douche. The guy we see as GardnerGuy94 and in the chapters from his perspective, I just find really hard to reconcile with the smarmy, gaslighting, antagonistic a-hole that Ed becomes when he deals with Annalisa in person. He basically just plays games with her and then calls her "hot headed" when she's actually having a completely rational reaction of frustration to him being an awful person. Annalisa spends way too much of the book feeling guilty for giving Ed just a tiny fraction of the chewing out he deserves.
In the climax she seems to realise he's been incredibly cruel and taken advantage of her vulnerability, and then suddenly she just changes her mind and is in love with him and then boom, book over. I'm sorry, what?? I'm confused at everyone calling this cute and lovely. I don't find toxic dickheads cute. I'm starting to think this must put me in the minority.
Unfortunately I just thought that Ed was a massive douche. The guy we see as GardnerGuy94 and in the chapters from his perspective, I just find really hard to reconcile with the smarmy, gaslighting, antagonistic a-hole that Ed becomes when he deals with Annalisa in person. He basically just plays games with her and then calls her "hot headed" when she's actually having a completely rational reaction of frustration to him being an awful person. Annalisa spends way too much of the book feeling guilty for giving Ed just a tiny fraction of the chewing out he deserves.
In the climax she seems to realise he's been incredibly cruel and taken advantage of her vulnerability, and then suddenly she just changes her mind and is in love with him and then boom, book over. I'm sorry, what?? I'm confused at everyone calling this cute and lovely. I don't find toxic dickheads cute. I'm starting to think this must put me in the minority.
August 16, 2022
Must say, I'm quite enjoying Eva Scott's takes on nineties rom-coms! They sure are something different in the Aussie rural romance genre! Meet Me in Bendigo is a modern take on You've Got Mail.
Stepping in for Tom Hanks is Ed Cooper- someone who is trying desperately to get out of the family business. He's a real hottie, owns an adorable dog, and has fallen in love with goldfieldsgirl on the community forum. As the younger sibling, he's fed up with his older sister and brothers attitudes and if he could, would return to his true passion of landscape gardening.
Meg Ryan's role is played by Annalisa Cappelli, current propertier of her family's business, with a passion of creating stunning dollhouses. She's had a rough few years after the untimely death of her boyfriend. As an Italian, Annalisa values family and won't give up anything without a fight. She's also become quite smitten with GardenerGuy94- surprise surprise! He's actually Ed, her nenimis! AND SHE HAS NO IDEA AT ALL.
Instead of a major bookstore chain and independent online bookstore, we are treated to the Aussie equivalent- Bunnings esq Carpenter's Warehouse and small local family business Cappelli's Hardware. What happens when Carpenter's noses into the community and threatens a business that's been established for over a hundred years?
You get a lot of tension between two people that's what. Seriously, Ed and Annalisa really know how to rile each over up, and it's so satisfying when Annalisa continuously gets the better of him! But getting past all the arrogance, these two are so obviously attracted to one another. And it is such a slooooowwwww burn. I was kept waiting for the big reveal and to see how Annalisa would take the news that Ed is also her online crush/bestie.
I really loved Annalisa's Nonna and the card playing old men that provide so much comic relief and old fashioned advice!
Such a great read!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
Stepping in for Tom Hanks is Ed Cooper- someone who is trying desperately to get out of the family business. He's a real hottie, owns an adorable dog, and has fallen in love with goldfieldsgirl on the community forum. As the younger sibling, he's fed up with his older sister and brothers attitudes and if he could, would return to his true passion of landscape gardening.
Meg Ryan's role is played by Annalisa Cappelli, current propertier of her family's business, with a passion of creating stunning dollhouses. She's had a rough few years after the untimely death of her boyfriend. As an Italian, Annalisa values family and won't give up anything without a fight. She's also become quite smitten with GardenerGuy94- surprise surprise! He's actually Ed, her nenimis! AND SHE HAS NO IDEA AT ALL.
Instead of a major bookstore chain and independent online bookstore, we are treated to the Aussie equivalent- Bunnings esq Carpenter's Warehouse and small local family business Cappelli's Hardware. What happens when Carpenter's noses into the community and threatens a business that's been established for over a hundred years?
You get a lot of tension between two people that's what. Seriously, Ed and Annalisa really know how to rile each over up, and it's so satisfying when Annalisa continuously gets the better of him! But getting past all the arrogance, these two are so obviously attracted to one another. And it is such a slooooowwwww burn. I was kept waiting for the big reveal and to see how Annalisa would take the news that Ed is also her online crush/bestie.
I really loved Annalisa's Nonna and the card playing old men that provide so much comic relief and old fashioned advice!
Such a great read!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
July 24, 2021
Thank you Harlequin and Eva for sending us a copy to read and review.
Eva hangs on to her crown and continues her reign as rural romance royalty with another top notch story about trusting your heart.
Annalisa Cappelli runs her family’s hardware business that’s been in operation for over 100 years but with a pandemic in full force the small shop has been hit hard.
When big chain superstore Carpenters arrives in town, the small shop can’t compete but Annalisa is not going down without a fight.
The something good in her life is her online chats with GardenerGuy94 and their internet flirting is just what she needs.
Until Ed Carpenter pops up in town, tall and handsome, he’s the perfect man if he wasn’t the enemy of the opposing company.
He’s arrived to make an offer on the Cappelli business and he immediately has an attraction to the beautiful Annalisa.
Can they both get their second chance at love?
Eva has once again gravitated towards the mix of 90’s rom coms and country romance that creates a tale with a big heart.
A writer that’s made a big splash in the industry with stories with relatable characters, clever plots, tempting affairs of the heart, humour and community spirit.
What I loved about this novel was the concept as a whole, the creative idea, the swoon, the ingenious banter, subtle wisecracks and the beautiful writing.
A shout out to the trio of older guys whose witty chats are very funny.
In a field where it’s always growing, Eva is amongst the top with her fresh, classic and fun books with that 90’s romantic comedy twist.
A rural romance treat.
Eva hangs on to her crown and continues her reign as rural romance royalty with another top notch story about trusting your heart.
Annalisa Cappelli runs her family’s hardware business that’s been in operation for over 100 years but with a pandemic in full force the small shop has been hit hard.
When big chain superstore Carpenters arrives in town, the small shop can’t compete but Annalisa is not going down without a fight.
The something good in her life is her online chats with GardenerGuy94 and their internet flirting is just what she needs.
Until Ed Carpenter pops up in town, tall and handsome, he’s the perfect man if he wasn’t the enemy of the opposing company.
He’s arrived to make an offer on the Cappelli business and he immediately has an attraction to the beautiful Annalisa.
Can they both get their second chance at love?
Eva has once again gravitated towards the mix of 90’s rom coms and country romance that creates a tale with a big heart.
A writer that’s made a big splash in the industry with stories with relatable characters, clever plots, tempting affairs of the heart, humour and community spirit.
What I loved about this novel was the concept as a whole, the creative idea, the swoon, the ingenious banter, subtle wisecracks and the beautiful writing.
A shout out to the trio of older guys whose witty chats are very funny.
In a field where it’s always growing, Eva is amongst the top with her fresh, classic and fun books with that 90’s romantic comedy twist.
A rural romance treat.
July 27, 2021
Meet Me In Bendigo by Eva Scott is a gorgeous rom com, described as rural Australia meets You've Got Mail.
Annalisa Cappelli owns a hardware store, owned by generations of Cappelli's. Her life is uprooted when a chain superstore, Carpenter's Warehouse, decides to set up shop not far from her store in Wongilly. Annalisa vents to GardenerGuy94, a man she met on an online forum, about Ed Carpenter, a devil of a man responsible for bringing Carpenter's Warehouse to her doorstep. Ed Carpenter is charming, infuriating and very very attractive... And he is also GardenerGuy94. Meet Me In Bendigo follows Annalisa and Ed as they take their relationship from enemies to lovers.
I loved this book! The characters were so entertaining, and it was lovely to read about Ed and Annalisa's journey. Both characters did a lot of learning and growing, all amidst a global pandemic.
I liked the way the pandemic was weaved into the story, rather than making it a focus it was more of a subplot to explain character stories. My favourite characters were Joe and the boys, their chats and teasing was one of the best parts of the book. Joe and Annalisa's Nonna was also a lovely touch.
One of my favourite things in this book was the newspaper articles that were spread throughout. These articles gave an insight into the past Cappelli's and their experiences owning the family hardware store. This was a great addition and made you really root for the store and Annalisa.
This enemies to lovers rural romance hits all the right notes, and I loved the Australian twist on the original You've Got Mail. I highly recommend this to lovers of romance and romcoms, it is a beautifully written Australian book about following your heart and moving forward.
Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with a copy of this gem in exchange for an honest review.
Annalisa Cappelli owns a hardware store, owned by generations of Cappelli's. Her life is uprooted when a chain superstore, Carpenter's Warehouse, decides to set up shop not far from her store in Wongilly. Annalisa vents to GardenerGuy94, a man she met on an online forum, about Ed Carpenter, a devil of a man responsible for bringing Carpenter's Warehouse to her doorstep. Ed Carpenter is charming, infuriating and very very attractive... And he is also GardenerGuy94. Meet Me In Bendigo follows Annalisa and Ed as they take their relationship from enemies to lovers.
I loved this book! The characters were so entertaining, and it was lovely to read about Ed and Annalisa's journey. Both characters did a lot of learning and growing, all amidst a global pandemic.
I liked the way the pandemic was weaved into the story, rather than making it a focus it was more of a subplot to explain character stories. My favourite characters were Joe and the boys, their chats and teasing was one of the best parts of the book. Joe and Annalisa's Nonna was also a lovely touch.
One of my favourite things in this book was the newspaper articles that were spread throughout. These articles gave an insight into the past Cappelli's and their experiences owning the family hardware store. This was a great addition and made you really root for the store and Annalisa.
This enemies to lovers rural romance hits all the right notes, and I loved the Australian twist on the original You've Got Mail. I highly recommend this to lovers of romance and romcoms, it is a beautifully written Australian book about following your heart and moving forward.
Thank you to Harlequin for providing me with a copy of this gem in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2023
After having the love of her life leave her three years ago, Annalisa returned home to her small country town to take over the running of the family hardware store. Due to the pandemic and sales not being what they used to be, she is struggling to keep the store afloat, and this is made even worse when big business comes to town and takes over lead by the handsome and charming Ed Carpenter. But she is also talking online to someone she feels a close bond to. Faced with some tough decisions about life and love, Annalisa has to end up thinking of herself and her future. But which man will she choose to tackle life with? I really enjoyed this read, I found the character of Ed to be very charming and loved the to and fro dialogue between them. A brilliant read!
October 16, 2021
Cute, the Australian version of You’ve got Mail, reminded me a little of the movie Return to Me too.
December 13, 2022
I absolutely love this book. I love the film You’ve got Mail, so this was a treat to read.
July 7, 2022
What a great book. Definitely keeps youbi suspense right to the end.
February 2, 2022
'Meet Me in Bendigo' by Eva Scott was a direct pinch from the popular 1998 movie 'You've Got Mail', but transported to an Australian setting and a hardware store substituted for the bookshop. So there's no surprises here and many people will know what happens. Bt why would an author do this? I would think that being creative and original is a far better career move. Everything about this plot is the same, though where the 1998 movie tended toward the typical rom.com of being lighthearted, funny and romantic, Eva Scott's version seemed to me downright creepy. In today's world where truth and lies are close companions, emails are not the innocent novelty they were in the 90s, and online dating is fraught with horror tales, I found this story to be incredibly inappropriate. I gather from reviews that I am in a very small minority here, but I found Ed to be frustratingly annoying when he had so many chances to reveal the truth and set the story up for some real romance. But no, on and on he goes being nasty and duplicitous when face-to-face, while at the same time oozing support and comfort in his online guise. And Annalisa was always angry, impatient and dithery. (No sign of the cute Meg Ryan here.) In addition, at almost 400 pages, the book was far too long. And surely an editor should have gently suggested less cliche-driven words I thought we'd left behind years ago, such as 'The scent of him, woody with the hint of sage and sea salt...'. Sounds like text on a wine bottle. And who approved the dorky cover? But I did love the three old men.
July 28, 2021
This book was kindly sent to me from Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4.5 Stars
Regional Victoria meets You’ve Got Mail in this sweet romance about legacy and dreams.
Annalisa Cappelli has big shoes to fill running her family’s hardware store, which has been a staple in the small regional town of Wongilly for over 150 years. Her family’s legacy weighs even heavier on her in the wake of the global pandemic and a continuing decrease in sales. To make matters worse, a new hardware superstore, Carpenter’s Warehouse, is set to open in the district, which will effectively drive her out of business. The one positive in her life is her online relationship with GardenGuy94, who is the first guy she’s been interested in since the death of her boyfriend. What she doesn’t realise is that GardenGuy94 is Ed Carpenter, one of the part-owners of Carpenter’s Warehouse. Working at his family’s company after losing his own business during the pandemic, Ed would rather be elsewhere pursuing his dreams. So when he has the chance to oversee the final stages of the new store, he jumps at the chance at being able to meet up with GoldfieldsGirl. What he wasn’t anticipating was GoldfieldsGirl actually being Annalisa, the woman who he’s meant to be offering a payout to. Ed knows who Annalisa is, but she has no idea that her enemy is the guy she’s slowly been falling for online. There’s a connection both online and physically, but Ed struggles to reveal the truth when he could lose her on both fronts.
An enemies-to-lovers, online relationship, small-town romance set in Australia, inspired by an iconic 90s rom-com? Yep, definitely the makings of a super enjoyable read! This book had my name written all over it, and it certainly lived up to and exceeded expectations, delivering everything I was looking for and then some. Small-town romances are some of my favourite romances, and in particular I loved that it was Australian – not only do I really need to read more books set in Australia, but the setting of Wongilly was one I could so easily picture having grown up in a small regional community myself.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, from the old codgers who played cards in the hardware store, to Annalisa’s Nonna and her bestie Mel, and of course Annalisa and Ed themselves. They’re all characters I could so easily imagine and see in my own community, and they were also characters I definitely wanted to know more about, especially the old guys – they all had an interesting story to tell and it would be interesting to flesh out the world of Wongilly even more. Annalisa and Ed’s relationship was packed with all the emotions and they definitely hit me in the feels, both the good and the bad, throughout the course of the story.
One of the things I really enjoyed were the newspaper articles scattered throughout which told the history of the Cappelli family, and the highs and lows they experienced over the years. It made the story feel even more real, like the town of Wongilly actually existed and the Cappelli family were real people. Small towns have such a rich history, and as someone who is both passionate about history and from a small town, I really connected with Eva weaving this into the story.
I read this book in a day, which is a pretty good indication of how much I enjoyed it. It ticked all the boxes for a romance read, so if you’re a fan of Aussie romances, this is definitely a book to add to your TBR as soon as possible.
4.5 Stars
Regional Victoria meets You’ve Got Mail in this sweet romance about legacy and dreams.
Annalisa Cappelli has big shoes to fill running her family’s hardware store, which has been a staple in the small regional town of Wongilly for over 150 years. Her family’s legacy weighs even heavier on her in the wake of the global pandemic and a continuing decrease in sales. To make matters worse, a new hardware superstore, Carpenter’s Warehouse, is set to open in the district, which will effectively drive her out of business. The one positive in her life is her online relationship with GardenGuy94, who is the first guy she’s been interested in since the death of her boyfriend. What she doesn’t realise is that GardenGuy94 is Ed Carpenter, one of the part-owners of Carpenter’s Warehouse. Working at his family’s company after losing his own business during the pandemic, Ed would rather be elsewhere pursuing his dreams. So when he has the chance to oversee the final stages of the new store, he jumps at the chance at being able to meet up with GoldfieldsGirl. What he wasn’t anticipating was GoldfieldsGirl actually being Annalisa, the woman who he’s meant to be offering a payout to. Ed knows who Annalisa is, but she has no idea that her enemy is the guy she’s slowly been falling for online. There’s a connection both online and physically, but Ed struggles to reveal the truth when he could lose her on both fronts.
An enemies-to-lovers, online relationship, small-town romance set in Australia, inspired by an iconic 90s rom-com? Yep, definitely the makings of a super enjoyable read! This book had my name written all over it, and it certainly lived up to and exceeded expectations, delivering everything I was looking for and then some. Small-town romances are some of my favourite romances, and in particular I loved that it was Australian – not only do I really need to read more books set in Australia, but the setting of Wongilly was one I could so easily picture having grown up in a small regional community myself.
I really enjoyed the cast of characters, from the old codgers who played cards in the hardware store, to Annalisa’s Nonna and her bestie Mel, and of course Annalisa and Ed themselves. They’re all characters I could so easily imagine and see in my own community, and they were also characters I definitely wanted to know more about, especially the old guys – they all had an interesting story to tell and it would be interesting to flesh out the world of Wongilly even more. Annalisa and Ed’s relationship was packed with all the emotions and they definitely hit me in the feels, both the good and the bad, throughout the course of the story.
One of the things I really enjoyed were the newspaper articles scattered throughout which told the history of the Cappelli family, and the highs and lows they experienced over the years. It made the story feel even more real, like the town of Wongilly actually existed and the Cappelli family were real people. Small towns have such a rich history, and as someone who is both passionate about history and from a small town, I really connected with Eva weaving this into the story.
I read this book in a day, which is a pretty good indication of how much I enjoyed it. It ticked all the boxes for a romance read, so if you’re a fan of Aussie romances, this is definitely a book to add to your TBR as soon as possible.
July 29, 2021
“Meet Me in Bendigo” is a charming romance that follows the basic storyline of the movie “You’ve Got Mail”, giving it an Australian gloss and updating it to reflect current times.
Annalisa is the latest Cappelli to run the family hardware store, a fixture in Wongilly for over a hundred years. Times are hard. The pandemic signalled an increased shift to online expenditure; no-one local has a lot of money to spend anyway; and now hardware superstore Carpenter’s Warehouse is opening nearby. Annalisa isn’t sure her heart is in hardware, but she’s very sure she doesn’t want to be forced out of business by some anonymous mega- corporation.
That corporation suddenly gets a very clear face when Ed Carpenter comes to town. Ed’s part of the family that owns Carpenter’s Warehouses, and he initially comes to town to offer Annalisa a buyout package. The instant attraction between them takes both off guard.
But Ed has a secret. To scope out whether there was any local opposition to their proposed warehouse, he set up an anonymous account on a local message board. And in that persona, he’s been messaging a woman with whom he also feels a strong attraction. It’s a very nasty shock to him when he realises that his online friend is the woman whose business he’s about to destroy.
The original movie was predictable but enjoyable, and I guess you could say the same about this novel. There’s not much doubt about how things will end up, but there’s a lot of pleasure in getting there.
Scott has developed vivid characters with believable problems that most readers will engage with. Both Annalisa and Ed have secrets and problems and potentials; reasons to hate each other, and reasons to draw them together. I found the push and pull of their relationship credible, and was fully involved in watching it develop.
This also has a contemporary aspect with more edges than the movie ever had. It acknowledges the pandemic and its’ impact on many people. It treads lightly here, but doesn’t minimise it either. It recognises the many factors in business success or failure, and doesn’t (completely) demonise bigger businesses.
The problems that Ed and Annalisa face go beyond whether one of them squashes the other’s business. Both have a past, and things from those pasts impact on their decisions and feelings now. Both are also looking more broadly to the future, and consider things that go beyond just earning a living.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Sure, it’s a conscious retelling of a familiar movie, but Scott has given it more depth and dimensions than the movie had. And sure, I knew how it was going to turn out. But “Meet Me in Bendigo” is full of engaging characters, and I enjoyed the trip to the well advertised destination. Romance readers and those looking for a pleasant – and not too demanding – diversion will thoroughly enjoy this.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
Annalisa is the latest Cappelli to run the family hardware store, a fixture in Wongilly for over a hundred years. Times are hard. The pandemic signalled an increased shift to online expenditure; no-one local has a lot of money to spend anyway; and now hardware superstore Carpenter’s Warehouse is opening nearby. Annalisa isn’t sure her heart is in hardware, but she’s very sure she doesn’t want to be forced out of business by some anonymous mega- corporation.
That corporation suddenly gets a very clear face when Ed Carpenter comes to town. Ed’s part of the family that owns Carpenter’s Warehouses, and he initially comes to town to offer Annalisa a buyout package. The instant attraction between them takes both off guard.
But Ed has a secret. To scope out whether there was any local opposition to their proposed warehouse, he set up an anonymous account on a local message board. And in that persona, he’s been messaging a woman with whom he also feels a strong attraction. It’s a very nasty shock to him when he realises that his online friend is the woman whose business he’s about to destroy.
The original movie was predictable but enjoyable, and I guess you could say the same about this novel. There’s not much doubt about how things will end up, but there’s a lot of pleasure in getting there.
Scott has developed vivid characters with believable problems that most readers will engage with. Both Annalisa and Ed have secrets and problems and potentials; reasons to hate each other, and reasons to draw them together. I found the push and pull of their relationship credible, and was fully involved in watching it develop.
This also has a contemporary aspect with more edges than the movie ever had. It acknowledges the pandemic and its’ impact on many people. It treads lightly here, but doesn’t minimise it either. It recognises the many factors in business success or failure, and doesn’t (completely) demonise bigger businesses.
The problems that Ed and Annalisa face go beyond whether one of them squashes the other’s business. Both have a past, and things from those pasts impact on their decisions and feelings now. Both are also looking more broadly to the future, and consider things that go beyond just earning a living.
I enjoyed reading this novel. Sure, it’s a conscious retelling of a familiar movie, but Scott has given it more depth and dimensions than the movie had. And sure, I knew how it was going to turn out. But “Meet Me in Bendigo” is full of engaging characters, and I enjoyed the trip to the well advertised destination. Romance readers and those looking for a pleasant – and not too demanding – diversion will thoroughly enjoy this.
If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.
October 6, 2021
Meet Me in Bendigo by Australian author Eva Scott is a wonderfully warm, bright, squishy heart-warming hug of a romance book to escape into.
Heartbroken after the death of her boyfriend Annalisa Cappelli arrives back in the small town of Wongilly to run the family hardware store that has been a primary in the community for over 150 years. Post COVID global pandemic, she feels added pressure since sales have decreased and a new super hardware store, Carpenter’s Warehouse will be opening in the district with competitive prices. Annalisa is determined to do all she can to keep her family’s legacy alive and not be driven out of business. When she joins an online community forum discussing Carpenter’s Warehouse and the impact it will have in the community, she forms a friendship with GardenerGuy94, sharing the same work ethic, moral values and strong family ties.
Enter the very handsome Ed Carpenter, after his landscaping business collapses, he returns to work with his family establishing Carpenter’s Warehouse. When he arrives in Wongilly to make an offer on Cappelli’s Hardware he discovers that GoldfieldsGirl who he has been chatting with online is no other than Annalisa. He struggles to reveal his secret that he is GardenerGuy94 and finds it difficult weighing out what is not only right for his family’s business but also hers.
The plot is engaging, and the cast of characters are charming and authentic. I found myself chuckling over the group of elderly men that play cards in the hardware store every morning and loved how Annalisa’s dear Nonna and best friend Mel encourage her to reach beyond her own expectations. The vivid details bring the reader up close and personal within the small town and you can picture yourself being part of the community.
Annalisa is a likeable and oddly relatable character, especially to the free-spirited reader of the twenty-first century. She is forced to reach deep within herself to find the woman she never knew existed; she begins to see that her life has not been wasted but is only just beginning. Ed and Annalisa successfully pull on the reader’s emotions with the pain of loss, the worry of making tough decisions, the worry of uncertainty, and the thrill of new beginnings.
Eva Scott has delivered a sweet and, at times, humorous tale of true love and the often-bumpy road lovers may have to travel to get to their happily ever-after. This isn't a fast-paced story, but it is filled with emotion and drama with the of joy of living in a small town, from heartache and despair to love and happiness. Fans of sweet romances will especially enjoy this tale.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins Australia, for the opportunity to read and review.
Heartbroken after the death of her boyfriend Annalisa Cappelli arrives back in the small town of Wongilly to run the family hardware store that has been a primary in the community for over 150 years. Post COVID global pandemic, she feels added pressure since sales have decreased and a new super hardware store, Carpenter’s Warehouse will be opening in the district with competitive prices. Annalisa is determined to do all she can to keep her family’s legacy alive and not be driven out of business. When she joins an online community forum discussing Carpenter’s Warehouse and the impact it will have in the community, she forms a friendship with GardenerGuy94, sharing the same work ethic, moral values and strong family ties.
Enter the very handsome Ed Carpenter, after his landscaping business collapses, he returns to work with his family establishing Carpenter’s Warehouse. When he arrives in Wongilly to make an offer on Cappelli’s Hardware he discovers that GoldfieldsGirl who he has been chatting with online is no other than Annalisa. He struggles to reveal his secret that he is GardenerGuy94 and finds it difficult weighing out what is not only right for his family’s business but also hers.
The plot is engaging, and the cast of characters are charming and authentic. I found myself chuckling over the group of elderly men that play cards in the hardware store every morning and loved how Annalisa’s dear Nonna and best friend Mel encourage her to reach beyond her own expectations. The vivid details bring the reader up close and personal within the small town and you can picture yourself being part of the community.
Annalisa is a likeable and oddly relatable character, especially to the free-spirited reader of the twenty-first century. She is forced to reach deep within herself to find the woman she never knew existed; she begins to see that her life has not been wasted but is only just beginning. Ed and Annalisa successfully pull on the reader’s emotions with the pain of loss, the worry of making tough decisions, the worry of uncertainty, and the thrill of new beginnings.
Eva Scott has delivered a sweet and, at times, humorous tale of true love and the often-bumpy road lovers may have to travel to get to their happily ever-after. This isn't a fast-paced story, but it is filled with emotion and drama with the of joy of living in a small town, from heartache and despair to love and happiness. Fans of sweet romances will especially enjoy this tale.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins Australia, for the opportunity to read and review.
April 1, 2022
I throughly enjoyed reading Eva Scott's latest book Meet me in Bengdio. It is the story of Ed Carpter and Annalisa Cappelli. Annalisa has returned home to Wongilly to work in her family's hardware store arfter the tragic loss of her partner she is home not heal from this but she is trying save the family business as it hard by the pandemic, and the arrival of a new Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. She does not want let go of her famliy 's history of over 200 hundred year history go down without a fight. Annalisa wants to keep the family legacy going in Wongilly. Annalisa runs the store with her Nonna as she raised her after the deaths of her parents when she was a young girl. Her grief overwhelmed her at times, but with her best friend Mel, the old guys who joined her in the store every day to drink coffee and play cards, and of course her Nonna on her side supporting her every step of the way to save the hardware store.
She is also having an online relationship with GardenerGuy94 who she finds a connection with as she tells him her inner most thoughts and happenings in her day at the store.
Ed Carpenter turns up in Wongilly to offer the of owner Cappelli Hardware a payout but on his arrival he learns that it is Annalisa the owner and she is the person that he is chatting to online as GoldfiledsGirl. When they finally meet their is an instant attraction but Annalisa learns who he one of the owners of new wharehouse opening up so begins the fight to save the store. Ed has to find a way to help Annalisa accept the payout, admit she has feelings for him like he does and finally reveal that he is GardenerGuy94.
Meet Me in Bendigo is light hearted doesn't go into to much detail of what the pandemic was only that many people lost their business, the banter between all the characters inculding Nonna, and the old guys. I also liked how she put in the family history of the past Cappelli's. All in all a great read would read it again.
She is also having an online relationship with GardenerGuy94 who she finds a connection with as she tells him her inner most thoughts and happenings in her day at the store.
Ed Carpenter turns up in Wongilly to offer the of owner Cappelli Hardware a payout but on his arrival he learns that it is Annalisa the owner and she is the person that he is chatting to online as GoldfiledsGirl. When they finally meet their is an instant attraction but Annalisa learns who he one of the owners of new wharehouse opening up so begins the fight to save the store. Ed has to find a way to help Annalisa accept the payout, admit she has feelings for him like he does and finally reveal that he is GardenerGuy94.
Meet Me in Bendigo is light hearted doesn't go into to much detail of what the pandemic was only that many people lost their business, the banter between all the characters inculding Nonna, and the old guys. I also liked how she put in the family history of the past Cappelli's. All in all a great read would read it again.
July 27, 2021
Meet Me in Bendigo - Eva Scott
Thank you @harlequinaus and @the_real_eva_scott for sending me a copy to read and review.
Meet Me in Bendigo is a feel good romance set in the small town of Wongilly.
Annalisa Cappelli has taken over her family's hardware store. The business has suffered, due to the pandemic and in swoops the large hardware store, Carpenter's Warehouse, opening only 30 minutes away. Eva Scott introduces the issue of big businesses coming in and inadvertently closing down small, family run businesses. The way the author discusses this from all angles is insightful for the reader. This is also the first book that I have read that discusses the pandemic. It is discussed with honesty and sensitivity.
Annalisa is a loveable protagonist. Her elderly friends pop into the hardware store every morning to spend time with her and she is close to her Nonna. I particularly loved the characters and their warmth. Annalisa has experienced losses in her life that have shaped who she is today. We see her confidence and strength develop as the story progresses.
Annalisa's messages to and from GardenerGuy94, her online friend, are open, honest, thoughtful and kind. The romance between the two is sweet and Annalisa looks forward to his messages every morning. She is teased about the possibility of GardenerGuy94 being a catfisher by those closest to her. I love the messages. I also love that when Ed Carpenter walks in that Annalisa has two love interests in no time at all. She is physically attracted to Ed, yet emotionally connected with GardenerGuy94.
Meet Me in Bendigo is a lighthearted, funny and heartfelt story that speaks to our time.
Thank you @harlequinaus and @the_real_eva_scott for sending me a copy to read and review.
Meet Me in Bendigo is a feel good romance set in the small town of Wongilly.
Annalisa Cappelli has taken over her family's hardware store. The business has suffered, due to the pandemic and in swoops the large hardware store, Carpenter's Warehouse, opening only 30 minutes away. Eva Scott introduces the issue of big businesses coming in and inadvertently closing down small, family run businesses. The way the author discusses this from all angles is insightful for the reader. This is also the first book that I have read that discusses the pandemic. It is discussed with honesty and sensitivity.
Annalisa is a loveable protagonist. Her elderly friends pop into the hardware store every morning to spend time with her and she is close to her Nonna. I particularly loved the characters and their warmth. Annalisa has experienced losses in her life that have shaped who she is today. We see her confidence and strength develop as the story progresses.
Annalisa's messages to and from GardenerGuy94, her online friend, are open, honest, thoughtful and kind. The romance between the two is sweet and Annalisa looks forward to his messages every morning. She is teased about the possibility of GardenerGuy94 being a catfisher by those closest to her. I love the messages. I also love that when Ed Carpenter walks in that Annalisa has two love interests in no time at all. She is physically attracted to Ed, yet emotionally connected with GardenerGuy94.
Meet Me in Bendigo is a lighthearted, funny and heartfelt story that speaks to our time.
October 5, 2021
Thank you to Beauty and Lace Club and Harlequin Australia for my copy.
I found this book a light, feel good and very enjoyable read . Set in the present day in a small country town, it follows mostly one small family run business that is struggling to survive due to the changes bought about by the current pandemic. Also, a big hardware superstore is opening not far away which will probably be the nail in the coffin for the Cappelli family store.
The story mostly features around Annalisa Cappelli, who is the last family member left to run the business that’s been in their family for the last 160 years. The three Italian old boys that come into the shop every day to drink coffee and play cards are hilarious and witty. They are full of advice whether Annalisa wants it or not and their witty commentary is rapid fire. Annalisa’s nonna is a force to be reckoned with and one tough cookie who has Annalisa’s back. There are romantic sparks between the nonna and Joe, plus between Annalisa and her online mystery man Gardenerguy94 and also Ed Carpenter who is opening the new super hardware store. The romance was just right, not mushy or overdone.
There is enough going on in the story apart from the romantic sparks to keep me interested and it tells how businesses have to adapt, sometimes doing something completely different to survive.
Between some of the chapters there were extracts from newspaper articles from different eras of the Cappelli family business which were interesting and gave insight to the both the family and business.
I found this book a light, feel good and very enjoyable read . Set in the present day in a small country town, it follows mostly one small family run business that is struggling to survive due to the changes bought about by the current pandemic. Also, a big hardware superstore is opening not far away which will probably be the nail in the coffin for the Cappelli family store.
The story mostly features around Annalisa Cappelli, who is the last family member left to run the business that’s been in their family for the last 160 years. The three Italian old boys that come into the shop every day to drink coffee and play cards are hilarious and witty. They are full of advice whether Annalisa wants it or not and their witty commentary is rapid fire. Annalisa’s nonna is a force to be reckoned with and one tough cookie who has Annalisa’s back. There are romantic sparks between the nonna and Joe, plus between Annalisa and her online mystery man Gardenerguy94 and also Ed Carpenter who is opening the new super hardware store. The romance was just right, not mushy or overdone.
There is enough going on in the story apart from the romantic sparks to keep me interested and it tells how businesses have to adapt, sometimes doing something completely different to survive.
Between some of the chapters there were extracts from newspaper articles from different eras of the Cappelli family business which were interesting and gave insight to the both the family and business.
May 15, 2022
I'm going to say it, I 100% picked this book because of the hottie on the cover. Man in checkered shirt standing by a meadow- my kryptonite.
Far tamer than my standard romance reads, I really enjoyed this Small Town Aussie novel about finding yourself and love again, even if it's not where you expected- or with whom.
Out of the entire read, what stayed with me was how Ed juggled his feelings towards Annalisa as Ed Carpenter, whilst also keeping up charades online as GardenerGuy94. The complexity was fun to watch even if I was ready for him to come clean 20% into the story. Not only was he struggling with Annalisa he also faced struggles with his family and where he fits into his life and trying to bounce back post pandemic whilst trying to keep family promises.
Annalisa, I wanted to love but couldn't quite connect with. Perhaps that's the whole point of her character- She spent the entire novel fighting- if it wasn't Ed and the deal he was getting her to take it was between herself and her family over her future. She was at constant war and I often found myself wanting her to relax and enjoy the hook-up! (Could have also been for selfish reasons on my part 🤷♀️) she is still grieving the loss of her partner and fighting the guilt of wanting to move on which is what it all stems down to and I did find, despite all of these conflicting emotions, I was desperate for her happy ending to finally happen.
All in all, loved it! loved the character arcs, how the parallels between the characters finally collided and learning to let go when you've held on for so long.
Far tamer than my standard romance reads, I really enjoyed this Small Town Aussie novel about finding yourself and love again, even if it's not where you expected- or with whom.
Out of the entire read, what stayed with me was how Ed juggled his feelings towards Annalisa as Ed Carpenter, whilst also keeping up charades online as GardenerGuy94. The complexity was fun to watch even if I was ready for him to come clean 20% into the story. Not only was he struggling with Annalisa he also faced struggles with his family and where he fits into his life and trying to bounce back post pandemic whilst trying to keep family promises.
Annalisa, I wanted to love but couldn't quite connect with. Perhaps that's the whole point of her character- She spent the entire novel fighting- if it wasn't Ed and the deal he was getting her to take it was between herself and her family over her future. She was at constant war and I often found myself wanting her to relax and enjoy the hook-up! (Could have also been for selfish reasons on my part 🤷♀️) she is still grieving the loss of her partner and fighting the guilt of wanting to move on which is what it all stems down to and I did find, despite all of these conflicting emotions, I was desperate for her happy ending to finally happen.
All in all, loved it! loved the character arcs, how the parallels between the characters finally collided and learning to let go when you've held on for so long.
September 22, 2021
Meet me in Bendigo is an Australian rural fiction book by a new to me Australian author Eva Scott. A story where tradition beats romance in Annalisa's eyes. She is the last remaining shop holder of the Cappelli family's hardware store which has been in the family for generations. Unfortunately the big bad Carpenter chain are building a superstore nearby and she has been offered a sum of money to go away quietly!
At the same time she starts up a friendship online with GardenerGuy94 who becomes her best friend and someone who she can talk to about the predicament she finds herself in.
Ben Carpenter decides to visit the Cappelli store to talk some sense into Annalisa and there is an instant attraction between them. But she is determined not to cross to the dark side - but at what expense - her livelihood or ending up alone despite the obvious animal magnetism between them.
I really enjoyed this story and it did remind me of the film You've Got Mail but with an Australian twist. The story had a cast of side characters as well including the group of older gentleman who set up each day inside the hardware store to play cards - and complain about the fact that she had no decent coffee!!
Thoroughly enjoyable and I will look forward to reading other titles by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Harlequin Mira for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
At the same time she starts up a friendship online with GardenerGuy94 who becomes her best friend and someone who she can talk to about the predicament she finds herself in.
Ben Carpenter decides to visit the Cappelli store to talk some sense into Annalisa and there is an instant attraction between them. But she is determined not to cross to the dark side - but at what expense - her livelihood or ending up alone despite the obvious animal magnetism between them.
I really enjoyed this story and it did remind me of the film You've Got Mail but with an Australian twist. The story had a cast of side characters as well including the group of older gentleman who set up each day inside the hardware store to play cards - and complain about the fact that she had no decent coffee!!
Thoroughly enjoyable and I will look forward to reading other titles by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Harlequin Mira for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2021
Eva Scott has done it again, she has written a story that was filled with adorable characters that captured my heart. I fell in love with her work last year after reading Lonely in Longreach and when I saw this one being described as rural Australia meets You've Got Mail I was in no doubt that I wanted to read it as I was a massive fan of that movie!!
Meet Me in Bendigo was such a feel good read, a story that will definitely have you falling in love with all the characters and rooting for them.
Annalisa Cappelli is a small-town sweetheart who returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware shop, Ed Carpenter is involved with opening Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore in the district.
Annalisa doesn’t want to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, so she wants to fight to keep her family's legacy alive. Helping her along the way is GardenerGuy94 who she’s struck up an online relationship with!
I loved how Annalisa first meets Ed for the first time, before she gets to know who he really is... I also adored the old guys who’d hang out in the hardware store!
This is the first novel I have read that has references to the pandemic, I am sure it’s bound to crop up in more as it’s something that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Meet Me in Bendigo was such a feel good read, a story that will definitely have you falling in love with all the characters and rooting for them.
Annalisa Cappelli is a small-town sweetheart who returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware shop, Ed Carpenter is involved with opening Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore in the district.
Annalisa doesn’t want to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, so she wants to fight to keep her family's legacy alive. Helping her along the way is GardenerGuy94 who she’s struck up an online relationship with!
I loved how Annalisa first meets Ed for the first time, before she gets to know who he really is... I also adored the old guys who’d hang out in the hardware store!
This is the first novel I have read that has references to the pandemic, I am sure it’s bound to crop up in more as it’s something that isn’t going away anytime soon.
June 29, 2021
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Annalisa Cappelli is the last one standing - she runs the small hardware store that her family opened during the 19th century. But the arrival of a Carpenter's Warehouse, a chain hardware store, spells disaster. Why does Ed Carpenter, whose family is responsible, have to be so good looking? If only he could be more like GardenerGuy94, her online friend. Perhaps they're more alike than she realises...
Well, this book was always going to have a tough customer in me - I absolutely love You've Got Mail. But you know what? I enjoyed most of it. I'm so relieved to find a romance book that doesn't ignore or dance around the pandemic, but incorporates it into the storyline. Annalisa and Ed were great - but overshadowed by the delightful old guys and Annalisa's nonna.
Now. The big problem. Some lines of dialogue seemed to be copied and pasted straight from You've Got Mail. Mostly tweaked, occasionally verbatim. This was really off-putting to me. If I wanted to experience those scenes again, I could just watch the movie.
Meet Me in Bendigo shines the most when it stands on its own.
Annalisa Cappelli is the last one standing - she runs the small hardware store that her family opened during the 19th century. But the arrival of a Carpenter's Warehouse, a chain hardware store, spells disaster. Why does Ed Carpenter, whose family is responsible, have to be so good looking? If only he could be more like GardenerGuy94, her online friend. Perhaps they're more alike than she realises...
Well, this book was always going to have a tough customer in me - I absolutely love You've Got Mail. But you know what? I enjoyed most of it. I'm so relieved to find a romance book that doesn't ignore or dance around the pandemic, but incorporates it into the storyline. Annalisa and Ed were great - but overshadowed by the delightful old guys and Annalisa's nonna.
Now. The big problem. Some lines of dialogue seemed to be copied and pasted straight from You've Got Mail. Mostly tweaked, occasionally verbatim. This was really off-putting to me. If I wanted to experience those scenes again, I could just watch the movie.
Meet Me in Bendigo shines the most when it stands on its own.
August 19, 2021
Based loosely on the movie You’ve Got Mail, Meet Me in Bendigo is a gorgeous Australian rural romance. I loved the “mouse that roared” battle between Annalisa Cappelli with her tiny, struggling small town hardware store and Carpenters’ Warehouse, the hardware superstore that opened nearby.
Annalisa is a terrific character, who honours her forefathers, cares for her community and works herself to the bone to keep the store afloat. I loved that she is also creative as demonstrated by the intricate dollhouses she constructs.
Ed Carpenter is pretty fabulous too. He’s a tender hearted man and I thought the inner conflict he feels over his two personas, Ed and GardenerGuy94, was well written. I struggled a little with his delay in revealing himself but his explanation was plausible so I forgave him.
This story has some fantastic secondary characters too in the shape of the old guys, particularly Joe, and Annalisa’s Nonna. It’s obvious that the characters drive the story but there is also plenty of witty dialogue and a nice touch of angst. The plot is well structured and I thought that overall this was charming read.
Annalisa is a terrific character, who honours her forefathers, cares for her community and works herself to the bone to keep the store afloat. I loved that she is also creative as demonstrated by the intricate dollhouses she constructs.
Ed Carpenter is pretty fabulous too. He’s a tender hearted man and I thought the inner conflict he feels over his two personas, Ed and GardenerGuy94, was well written. I struggled a little with his delay in revealing himself but his explanation was plausible so I forgave him.
This story has some fantastic secondary characters too in the shape of the old guys, particularly Joe, and Annalisa’s Nonna. It’s obvious that the characters drive the story but there is also plenty of witty dialogue and a nice touch of angst. The plot is well structured and I thought that overall this was charming read.
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