It’s an absolute pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for the latest book from Maggie Christensen, and sharing my review – the first in a new series, and described as “a second chance romance to tug on your heartstrings” (which is exactly what I hoped and knew it would be!), The Restaurant in Pelican Crossing was published yesterday (9th May) and is now available for kindle (free via Kindle Unlimited) and in paperback. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to both Rachel and Maggie for my advance reading e-copy.
Mature characters who soon feel like friends, second chance romance, communities in beautifully drawn Australian settings – I’m an unashamed fan of Maggie’s writing and, if those are elements you enjoy as much as I do in the books you read, I’d really recommend you give some of them a try too. I’d grown so attached to the residents of Granite Springs (you’ll find the series link here) I thought I might find it difficult to engage with a new community – but I grew to love it even more at Bellbird Bay (series link here), feeling more at home with every story. If you’d like to read my reviews of the books in those series (and of many of the author’s other books too) just pop her name into my search box on the right hand side of the page.
On our last visit to Bellbird Bay (in Happy Ever After in Bellbird Bay – you’ll find my review of that one here), we had a rather lovely glimpse of Pelican Crossing when Mick and Cass paid a visit when looking for a second boat to grow his business – and I think it might just be another place where I’ll be happy to spend some time, as soon as I get to meet a few people and find my way around. Let’s take a closer look…
Poppy Taylor has always been content with her life in Pelican Crossing, but as she watches her youngest daughter get married, she can’t help but feel that there’s something missing. Never would Poppy have predicted the dramatic transformation that occurs as she reunites with an old love and makes a choice that will reshape everything.
Cam Mitchell has always felt a strong attraction to Poppy, and when she reveals her plans to make changes in her life, Cam sees it as his chance to finally reveal his feelings. But Cam’s hopes are crushed when he discovers Poppy’s past love is back in the picture.
Cam becomes increasingly sceptical of the man from Poppy’s past – a feeling that escalates when he uncovers his shocking plans for Pelican Crossing.
With their town now at risk, Cam and Poppy must work together to save their home and find their own happy ending. But will their feelings for each other be enough to overcome the obstacles in their way?
For fans of small-town romances and heartwarming stories of second chances, Pelican Crossing is a must-read. A captivating tale of love, loyalty, and the fight to protect what matters most.
Poppy and her husband Jack made a real success of their restaurant, Crossings, when they took it over from her parents and turned it into one of the best on the coast – and after his death five years before in a boating accident, it rather became her reason for keeping going. As well, of course, as their three daughters – all now married, making their own ways in life, and looking to start their own families, leaving her feeling the emptiness of their cliff top family home with only Angus the West Highland Terrier for company.
But she does have a close circle of three female friends, each navigating their own way through life having found themselves alone for differing reasons – I’ll look forward to getting to know them all even better – and Jack’s best friend Cam who has always been there for her too. Might it perhaps be time to think about making some changes in her life? Cam could just be the perfect partner – she doesn’t realise he’s had the same thoughts, and they’re both treading carefully in case they spoil their comfortable friendship. The appearance of an old flame gives her other options, until it becomes increasingly clear that he might just have a different – and distinctly unsettling – agenda.
We see things from Cam’s perspective too – his marriage ended, leaving him feeling inadequate in so many ways, but when his ex-wife needs his help with the complications in her own life, he has no hesitation in stepping up to the plate. Except, of course, that it puts the possibility of developing his relationship with Poppy on the back burner for a while. And when he returns and finds she’s been spending time with the visiting playboy, it makes him even keener to find out why he’s set his sights on Pelican Crossing.
The setting, as always, is perfectly drawn – somewhere I’ll be more than happy to kick back and unwind, to become part of its community while enjoying watching all the activity at the marina, joining in with the sailing, seeing how well the diving school does, eating at Poppy’s Crossings restaurant and trying out its competitors further up the coast. The tentative romance is as beautifully handled as ever – I particularly liked (and understood) Poppy’s reluctance to move on from the happy memories of her marriage and past the grief that she realises is still weighing her down. And then there are all those family complications – Cam and his ex-wife, Poppy’s daughters with their separate challenges, all so sensitively handled. But there’s also a fair bit of drama and intrigue – an edge of darkness to the story with a particularly uncertain outcome. And there is a rather lovely touch for anyone who might be missing Bellbird Bay – where else would Poppy pay a visit other than Birds of a Feather for that outfit for a special occasion?
This whole book was the perfect introduction to a new location and set of well drawn characters who I’m sure I’ll enjoy spending time with – as well as a really engaging mature romance, laced with the complications of family, and with some real drama and skullduggery that made the pages turn rather faster. And, for anyone who’d like to discover the author’s writing, is there ever a better place to start than with the first book in a new series? This really was the loveliest read, and one I’d thoroughly recommend to all.
And just a mention that the second in the series is now available for preorder, and I’ve already signed up to be part of the blog tour with another review – Secrets in Pelican Crossing will be published on 18th July.
About the author
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea – warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
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Thanks for such an awesome review, Anne 🙂