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The Bookdragons Den, Mandurah (2026)

03/09/2026

✨ REVIEW ✨

Louise Nealon’s Everything That is Beautiful is a lovely exploration of love, family and community, delving into the nuanced complexities they bring. It centres on a three female characters, examining the events that have shaped the women into who they are today.
 🐦‍⬛For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate - all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player.  Now, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. With a family wedding looming, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen and Kate might just bring them back together again. 
🐦‍⬛ I enjoyed the Irish setting, learning about the sport Hurling/Camogie and the everyday families and their messy,complex lives that we follow. It’s sensitive, intimate and community focused.

However, the movement between past and present felt a little jarring at times, and when teamed with the host of characters we are introduced to, it did get busy and confusing in places.

Overall though, I found it to be an enjoyable read centering around the events that shape us and the people we become after picking up the pieces.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for a copy to review.

28 July 2026 | AU RRP: $34.99 | 304 pages

❓This story is centred in Ireland…what is a country you’d love to visit one day? I’d love to visit Norway.

03/09/2026

✨ REVIEW ✨

The Followers is the debut novel of Australian author Maree Spratt. It is an authentically Australian coming of age story, with a focus on childhood peer pressure, the dominant personality in the friend group and bullying. It is told from the perspective of Teresa’s character who is one of the ‘followers’.

✨ Swipe for the full synopsis ⬅️

I think my expectations based on the cover and synopsis didn’t match the story I read. I thought there would be more adult reminiscing about how their childhood shaped adulthood, but for the majority of the story we followed the girls through their schooling years. I felt the linkages of schoolyard dynamics translating to social media was more of a side story wrapped up at the end rather than the main focus of the storyline.

The writing style was enjoyable, and I liked the representation of how the person behind the social media (ie influencer) is not an accurate representation of the person they are in real life. It does give Mean Girl’s vibes in the teenage years, but overall I wasn’t pulled in to the story like I was hoping to.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for a copy to honestly review.

❓What book did you start September reading? How are you enjoying it?

01/09/2026

✨ AUSSIE AUGUST WRAP UP ✨

My gosh! How fast did go 😱

Firstly a HUGE thank you to everyone who joined in reading books by Australian authors for the month. I appreciate you all so much 💕 I loved seeing your posts, reviews and the genuine support for our fantastic authors!!!!

I hope that with all of the posts and reels floating around that we’ve inspired you to pick up at least one book by an Australian author to try ☺️

I managed to read 20 books for the month and tick a few books off my own personal tbr…finally!

A big thank you to the authors and publishers who sent some books my way to read this month 💜 I’m so grateful and those I just couldn’t fit in, I will be prioritising this month, so there’s still lots of Aussie recommendations to come (as always with my bookish account 💛💚)

❓What was your favourite read for August?

30/08/2026

✨ TOP 100 AUSTRALIAN BOOKS ✨

Radio National’s Top 100 Books Countdown returns in 2026 to celebrate the Top 100 Australian Books (of all time!)

Last year, more than 250,000 votes were cast. Let’s beat that voting record this year!!!

Voting has officially opened this morning…31 August… and closes on 1 October.

The final countdown will be broadcast live on Radio National on 17 and 18 October 👏

📚HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE:

Head to the Top 100 Books website (link is in my bio) and follow the links to the voting page.

If you need some inspiration swipe across and see some of my fav Aussie books or view a list on the website 💕

If your fav book isn’t listed, don’t worry…you can manually add it ☺️

❓Do you have a favourite Aussie book? Let me know in the comments!

30/08/2026

✨ REVIEW ✨

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Sage Street in Kate Beattie’s new novel Head to Head. This is the second book in the series and it’s a delightful and heartwarming slow-burn romance. It releases on September 1st.

🧡 When a back injury reunites newly single mum Demi with Physiotherapist Ben, they strike a deal: Demi will help Ben host a fun run to raise money to start his dream business, and in return he will find her and her daughters somewhere affordable to live.

But where Demi wants sparkle, Ben wants results. Working together might launch the clinic, but could it also force them to see past their differences? Or will they always go head to head?

🧡 This was such a delicious slow-burn romance, where opposites definitely attract. Ben falls first and falls hard, while Demi has walls erected and her fears leading her decision making.

I really liked Ben and Demi’s characters. They were mature and weren’t afraid to make compromises for each other. To me that made them both relatable and the storyline feel authentic.

While Head to Head makes for a good standalone read, I recommend reading book one, Eye to Eye, if you’d like some background on some of the side characters that feature in this book.

This is a great one to add to your September tbr if you love a good contemporary closed door romance set in Melbourne. I can’t wait to see where book three takes us!!

Thank you to Kate Beattie and Love & Lore PR for a copy to read in advance.

❓When reading a romance do you prefer closed door, fade to black or do you like it spicy and the door wide open? I’m somewhere in the middle…I don’t mind a bit of spice here and there, but I want a solid storyline and plot more than the spice.

29/08/2026

✨ CURRENTLY READING ✨

I’m hoping to squeeze in one last book for and I’ve picked The Extraordinary Florence Stoker by Karen Brooks Author to start reading this evening ✨

Firstly this cover is up there as one of my favourite of 2026 to date 😍 it’s absolutely gorgeous! And secondly…Dracula 🧛‍♂️

The Extraordinary Florence Stoker is a compellingly realised story of an enigmatic figure, the beautiful 19th century muse and brilliant social powerhouse Florence Stoker, whose life, in spite of her many gifts, was overshadowed by one of the most abiding and terrifying of contemporary culture’s monsters, the vampire Dracula - her husband’s creation.

✨ Releasing on September 1 and at chunky 592 pages I can’t wait to start reading it. It sounds so good!!

Thank you to HQ Books for a copy to read! I’ll let you all know my thoughts on the other side ☺️

❓Would you prefer to meet a ghost, a vampire or a werewolf?

28/08/2026

✨ THE MILES HIGH CLUB ✨

Friends…I’ve entered my TL Swan era this month as part of and I have zero regrets 🩵🩷

This was a case of buying a whole series of pretty books (swipe to see the gorgeous sprayed edges 😍) without knowing anything about them or even looking at reviews. I just liked the look of the books 😂

I’ve read two books out of the five book series that centres around four billionaire brothers. While I loved that book one, The Stopover, features an Emily as the main female character…I think The Takeover is my favourite so far!

Both books have humour and fun woven into the narrative. There’s also great banter, strong characters and open door spice 🌶️🔥 I definitely recommend listening to the audio if that’s your thing as the narrators for both were great!

❓Have you ever purchased a book (or books) based on the cover or sprayed edges?

27/08/2026

✨ BEAUTIFUL BOOKMAIL ✨

A huge thank you to Penguin Books Australia and Aussie author Margot McGovern for this gorgeous bookmail celebrating the upcoming release of Our Dark Unravelling on September 8 💜🩷

✨ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Jude Sinclair is killed in a hunting accident, Lyssa and George feel like their lives have been upended. George is angry – she and Jude have unfinished business – while Lyssa is bereft, unable to accept that he’s gone.

In the wake of his death, Lyssa’s behaviour becomes strange. She disappears at night and seems increasingly exhausted and sick. When George questions her, Lyssa confides that she’s spending her nights with Jude, and an escalating series of disturbing events convinces their classmates that Jude has returned.

George assumes Lyssa is responsible for the ‘hauntings’ and decides to follow her at night. She is horrified about what she learns and knows that if it continues, it’s sure to cost Lyssa her life. . .

💜 Darkly haunting, Our Dark Unravelling is a perfect blend of gothic, dark academia and horror, where the ghosts of the past become entangled with the complexity of grief.’ Lyndall Clipstone, critically acclaimed author of Tenderly, I am Devoured

✨ How good does this book sound!!!! I can’t wait to read it.

❓Have you set yourself a reading goal in 2026? If so are you on track to reach it?

26/08/2026

✨ REVIEW ✨

Joanna Jenkins’s new release Bad Neighbours is my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last. It’s a twisty and fun murder mystery set in a Sydney apartment complex where every resident is a suspect!

👀 Ruth Dawson finds her ideal living space in an Art Deco building in Potts Point. Close to her office it’s perfect until Ben, the homeless guy, dies under the corrugated iron lean-to in the garden.

The residents of The Lumen do little to hide their relief. They can cease their half-hearted attempts to find an acceptable solution to ‘the Ben problem’, and return to more important issues. But it appears Ben was poisoned, and it’s clear one of her neighbours knows what happened…

👀 I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were eclectic, intriguing and each had a clear motive. The writing style would lead me in one direction only for a red herring to make me think it was someone else. Jenkins kept me guessing right up until the reveal.

It is a slow burn mystery, where the first part of the book sets the scene, the characters and the complexities of an owners corporation, before the pacing and tension picks up in the second half.

Ruth was a great protagonist and I enjoyed her relationship with Charlie and Jack. Ruth does feature in Jenkins prior two books, but I didn’t feel like I had missed anything not having read them. So absolutely this works as a standalone book.

This was an entertaining read with enjoyable twists and turns.

Thank you to Allen & Unwin and Joanna Jenkins for a copy to review.

4 Aug 2026 | AU RRP: $34.99 | 400 pages

❓Predictive text: The bad neighbours…
Mine is: The bad neighbours have been in the same room for over an entire week now!

25/08/2026

✨ REVIEW ✨

Amy Andrew’s Where the Wattles Bloom is a beautiful addition to the Australian rural romance genre. It’s a heartwarming story about starting over and second chances which releases on September 1 💛

🌾 Nurse Rowena Murray meets farmer Lachlan McCabe on the side of a deserted road when saving the life of the town’s beloved baker. It’s not the kind of meet-cute anyone would ask for, but sparks fly. They’re both twice-divorced so a casual fling suits them perfectly.

But when a miracle offers an unexpected second chance they’d both thought impossible, Rowena and Lachlan must decide if they will be sharing life as co-parents or true partners.

🌾 Andrew’s is a master at putting emotion into the narrative and I was on an emotional rollercoaster right from the start with this book. While it was light and fun, it also tackled some heavy themes such as anxiety disorders, heart disease and fertility issues.

I was really drawn to Lachy’s character. He was warm, gentle, understanding and the calm to Rowena’s more anxious personality. He made for a fabulous book boyfriend!! I also thoroughly enjoyed the welcoming Acacia Junction community and found family elements woven throughout.

Where the Wattles Bloom is a beautiful rural romance about finding yourself, love and the unexpected when you least expect it. It’s a book that lingers long after turning the last page.

Thank you to HQ Books and Amy Andrews for a copy to review. Where the Wattles Bloom is available to pre-order now ✨

1 Sept 2026 | AU RRP: $32.99 | 368 pages

❓What is your go to genre when you want a comfort read? For me it’s always a small town/rural romance 💕

The Bookdragons Den

03/09/2026

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

30/08/2026

30/08/2026

29/08/2026

28/08/2026

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

25/08/2026

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