Posts Tagged ‘Lisa Heidke’
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Book Review: Stella Makes Good by Lisa Heidke
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Summary (Allen &Unwin)
Can mother-of-two, Stella forge a new life for herself after the end of her marriage? A funny and insightful novel about love, friendship and the quest for happiness.
Stella Sparks is on good terms with her ex-husband, Terry, despite the fact he left her for another woman. Stella’s philosophical – the marriage had run its course, they remain friends and the wellbeing of their kids is central to both of them.
Stella’s two closest friends, Carly and Jesse, envy her togetherness and wish they could emulate it. Jesse’s husband, Steve, is a control freak who’s driving her crazy, but she has two small children and can’t see a way out. Carly, meanwhile, suspects her husband is having an affair and isn’t sure what to do about it.
Stella’s life takes a distinctly upward turn when she meets a handsome, apparently single – no ring, anyway – father at her son’s school speech night. For Carly and Jesse, however, the search for happiness and fulfilment proves more elusive…
With a healthy dose of humour and romance Stella Makes Good is about the games we play, the secrets we keep, the unpredictable nature of life and the importance of female friendship.
Comments
I have been looking forward to reading Lisa Heidke’s latest book and it didn’t disappoint. Her characters are always women that I can relate to – women trying to balance home and personal commitments, trying to rediscover a sense of purpose in their lives and/or someone simply trying to find a way to fulfil some of their own dreams while also supporting their children, partner, parents and friends.
I enjoyed the multiple perspectives in the novel. Stella is written in first person and is the official central character, although her life is probably the least troubled. She shares the limelight with Jesse, Carly and Louisa, however, and I like the depth this adds to the story, especially given the focus on keeping secrets and making decisions. The different perspectives give much better insight into the way each woman is thinking as she makes the choices that she does.
Stella Makes Good was a fun way to get my 2012 reading underway. There were plenty of scenes that made me smile (Stella’s mother-in-law is particularly entertaining) and others that made me think about friendship and secrets and the truths that we hide from others and, sometimes, from ourselves.
Book details
Title: Stella Makes Good
Author: Lisa Heidke
Publisher: Arena, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-74237-867-1, 312 pages
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Related Links
- My review of Stella Makes Good at Suite101.com
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Book Review: Lucy Springer Gets Even by Lisa Heidke
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Summary (Allen & Unwin)
Lucy Springer thinks she’s got it tough. She’s living through renovation hell, her two kids seem more challenging than ever, and her once successful acting career has been reduced to the odd commercial.
Then Max, her husband, absconds to Bali with an unknown companion and things go from bad to disastrous.
But Lucy doesn’t give up easily. Juggling increasingly chaotic building dramas, bewildered children, her crazy best friend-slash-agent Gloria, her ever helpful’ mother and chasing after Max, Lucy Springer is determined to get her life onto an even keel and more.
This delightful new novel is an often hilarious account of triumphing over adversity, following your dreams and listening to your heart.
Comments
Lucy Springer is a fun, light-hearted and entertaining read. I have enjoyed all three of Lisa Heidke’s chick-lit novels for the, ahem, slightly older woman – protagonists in their mid to late 30s with children, mortgages and the kinds of everyday life concerns that I am familiar with, but with a wonderful humorous twist.
I confess I was hooked from the second page where Lucy was reviewing the evidence that her husband’s departure during dinner the night before stating ‘I’ve had enough’ was possibly more serious than him simply being overfull after their Thai takeaway. I loved her chaotic life and her sense of humour amidst the dramas of home renovations, a marriage breakdown, a pushy best friend/agent and her attempts to revive her acting career.
There is enough substance beneath the humour to prevent the story from simply being flippant and trivial. Lucy Springer Gets Even definitely gets two thumbs up as an ideal beach read or fun, enjoyable story for those moments when you simply want to read to relax and escape everyday life for a few hours. Lisa Heidke’s other novels, What Kate Did Next and the recently released Claudia’s Big Break, have a similar appeal and I can highly recommend all three books.
Review Copy Details
Title: Lucy Springer Gets Even
Author: Lisa Heidke
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-74175-583-1, 376 pages
Genre: Contemporary women’s fiction
Related links: Suite101 reviews – Lucy Springer Gets Even, Claudia’s Big Break, What Kate Did Next
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Book Review: What Kate did Next by Lisa Heidke
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Summary (Allen & Unwin website)
Her husband’s a workaholic, her kids are growing up – now it’s time for Kate to follow some of her own dreams …
This is the often hilarious but also wry account of the life of mother of two, Kate Cavendish. It seems like only yesterday that Kate was one of the most well-regarded photographers in town. So how, she wonders, did her life come to consist of so much drudgery, not to mention dealing with a recalcitrant, eye-rolling teenage daughter and an often-absentee husband. And why oh why did her young son have to score such a distractingly gorgeous soccer coach?
We follow Kate’s journey as she dips her toes back into the workforce and starts to fantasise about getting her life back, including some of the glamour and fun.
Comments
I really enjoyed this Chick Lit-style novel, probably because the protagonist Kate was much closer to me in age and life situation that the usual stiletto-wearing upwardly mobile 20-something central character.
I loved Kate as a character. She was intelligent and entertaining and I enjoyed reading her amusing observations of her friends and extended family which provided a nice balance to her more naval-gazing moments as she worried about her career, marriage and parenting abilities. The secondary characters provided a nice ensemble of quirks as well, with Kate’s children, mother and sister particularly enjoyable.
While there were some very real issues for Kate to deal with, particularly with her daughter and some unresolved issues from her parents divorce, the sense of fun and humour was never far away. The scenes set at the office and on location, where Kate was working temporarily as a photographer for a food magazine, were particularly entertaining.
This is a great feel-good novel, ideal for lounging by the pool or snuggling up under a warm blanket on a rainy day. I am now tracking down a copy of Heidke’s other novel, Lucy Springer Gets Even, which I’m hoping will be just as enjoyable and I’ve just found out that Heidke’s third book, Claudia’s Big Break, will be released in January 2011. Can’t wait.
Review copy details
Title: What Kate Did Next
Author: Lisa Heidke
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, 2010 (313 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-74175-933-4
Genre: Chick Lit/Hen Lit
