Title: The Life She Finds (Granite Springs #4)
Author: Maggie Christensen
Published: June 9th 2020
Publisher: Cala Publishing
Pages: 271
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
RRP: $25.00
When Lyn Hudson takes early retirement, her plan is to fulfil a lifelong dream to travel the world. But news of her father’s death forces her back to Granite Springs; the town she fled when she was eighteen. While she has fond memories of roaming the paddocks with her childhood friend, Ken, life on the land was definitely not for her.
Ken Thompson, cheated out of his inheritance in the family property after an argument with his father, has built up a successful business in Granite Springs as a realter and stock and station agent. When the son he intended to inherit his business returns to work on the family property, his plans for the future are shattered and family relations further strained.
Thrown together by circumstances, the pair discover the spark which they denied forty-five years earlier is still smouldering. But time has passed. They are different people.
Is it possible they’ll find common ground and start afresh, or will Lyn once again follow her dreams and abandon Granite Springs and their chance at happiness?
Review:
‘There would be a lot to work out, plans to change, an entire life to unpick, but Lyn knew what she’d found here in Granite Springs was worth all the disruption that might entail.’
The lure of the small Australian country town of Granite Springs is enough to convince Lyn Hudson, the lead of The Life She Finds, to reset her retirement plans and settle in this appealing locale. The Life She Finds is the fourth book in Maggie Christensen’s contemporary domestic fiction series. With a lost love rekindled, family politics, grief and plenty of everyday drama filling the pages of this novel, readers will enjoy following this continuing series.
In this latest issue of the Granite Springs series, it is time for Lyn Hudson to tell her story. A recently retired headmistress, Lyn has big plans to see the world as soon as she says goodbye to her career. But Lyn’s plans are derailed when her father passes away and her ageing mother requires her care back in Lyn’s home town of Granite Springs. Lyn hasn’t lived in Granite Springs since she was eighteen, she moved way leaving her childhood friend Ken heartbroken. When Lyn returns to Granite Springs she reconnects with Ken, a man who faces plenty of life and family troubles. Ken’s set plans for his own future retirement have been hampered by difficult family issues. Together, these two lost souls bond over their shared problems. New plans are made and love is renewed in this brand new tale from Maggie Christensen.
Poor Lyn, I really felt for this retired headmistress from the opening of The Life She Finds! No sooner has Lyn made plans to travel and see the world when she is hit smack bang with the death of her father and the care of her elderly mother. What a disappointment for this hard working woman! But Lyn is a good spirit and she genuinely cares for her family. Consequently, Lyn puts a hold on her hopes of travelling abroad to return home to the country township of Granite Springs. With things out of Lyn’s control, all she can do is try to make a go of things in her former home. Once Lyn returns to Granite Springs, the events in the novel move at a fairly good pace. There are twists, turns, dramas, personal relations, problems, decisions to make and matters of the heart to contend with. Both leads, held my interest throughout and we see the events of the novel unfold from each of them. We are also privy to their innermost thoughts and feelings thanks to the style of narration adopted by Christensen.
I have been following the Granite Springs series from the beginning so I feel like a piece of the furniture now. In the Granite Springs novels, new faces are fused with old friends from the previous issues in the series. It is always nice to see how these familiar characters are faring and I enjoyed their interactions with the central protagonists of The Life She Finds. Some of the background cast are endearing, while others are not so agreeable! However, this is common aspect of all small town communities, there are much loved personalities and those you would rather not spend any time with if you can help it! This time around Maggie Christensen pits her protagonists around a range of common life issues and some angst in the love department. There was plenty of sentiment and understanding that came from these experiences.
I have no doubt that fans of Maggie Christensen’s work will value this latest contribution to the Granite Springs series. The Life She Finds can be read as a standalone, or it could be read alongside the other books in the series. If you have been thinking about giving this series a go and you haven’t yet delved in, perhaps a binge read of the first four books is in order!
The Life She Finds by Maggie Christensen was published on June 9th 2020 by Cala Publishing. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
For more information on Maggie Christensen, check out her website here.
*I wish to thank the author, Maggie Christensen, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Life She Finds is book #91 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge
