Third Time Lucky
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley December 2, 2016
Author Karly Lane
Distributor: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 9781760291822
Publisher: Allen & Unwin/Arena
Release Date: December 2016
Website: http:/www.allenandunwin.com
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Betrayal, ambition, love and a traditional storyline are all the ingredients to set the scene for the latest heart-warming romance from the much loved Australian author Karly Lane, as she takes us to the small town of Christmas Creek; a town that is doing it tough since the abattoir closed, a large hardware store opened up in a neighbouring, larger town and the price of beef cattle is none too good.
December Doyle arrives back in her home town a lot wiser, older and in considerable debt after her marriage failed, wondering what to do next and how to pay off the debt she has been left with on the death of her philandering husband.
She also wonders what is in store for the town that was once a vital and bustling town, but is now slowly closing down with the townspeople, many of whose families have lived there for generations, becoming more and more despondent.
There does seem to be something going on in the township that is causing a great deal of interest; someone is buying up tracts of land and building new homes, not using and of the townsfolk to carry out the work and there is also gossip that the abattoir is about to reopen, but once again the staff are being bought in from outside the township.
This is all very well, but December’s biggest issue at the moment is to try and gather support to reconstruct the once much love Christmas Festival, which drew in crowds of tourists from near and far, bringing in much needed money to the town.
It is not until a sleek new model Jaguar is noticed parked in the driveway of the old Hartman House, which has also been undergoing restoration, begins to unravel the fabric of the town, when it is discovered ‘bad-boy’ Seth Hunter is the man restoring the house, and that he is possibly planning to return to Christmas Creek on a more than semi-permanent basis.
Seth Hunter and December Doyle had been far more than an item during their youth, vowing to love each other eternally, but when things start to go badly wrong for the boy from the ‘wrong side of town’, Seth finds himself in jail for something he did not do, leaving December heartbroken, eventually marrying Daniel McPherson and moving to Melbourne.
When they meet up once again they both realise what they once felt for each other, the strong attraction they once held dear, is as real now as it was when they were young. They begin to get to know each other as older, mature adults. As they do their love blossoms, so too does the controversy, as only it can in a small town. The worst part is most of the problems seem to be coming from December’s beloved father Jack and her brothers.
Can the issues buried deep in the past be resolved or will the township close its heart to the Seth Hunter once again.
This lovely story set in Christmas Creek with a heroine named December, will make the ideal gift for giving and wonderful way to spend a few hours relaxing under the shade of tree, as you enjoy the Christmas season.