REVIEW: His Australian Heiress by Margaret Way

In His Australian Heiress (The Australians #2) by Margaret Way, losing her parents wasn’t easy for Charlotte Mansfield, and if not for her grandfather taking her in, her life could have turned out very differently. She’s done very well for herself, following in her grandfather’s footsteps with her dream of pursuing law. Yet, the rest of her family – her aunt, uncle and cousin – are angered by the fact she became the beneficiary of her grandfather’s estate. Luckily, she has her good friend, Brendan MacMillan, to protect her from their nastiness.

”The odd thing is, he liked you, Bren.”
Brendan considered that. “I have to admit, he was relatively mellow when I was around.”
“He said that if he were a lion, you were a black panther. He told me that the last time I saw him, which was about two months ago. He also told me I had to watch out for you.”
He gave her a searching look out of his silver-grey eyes. “Do I remind you of a black panther, fanciful as it sounds?”

With this being a friends to lovers trope encompassing story and it being set in Australia, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Yet, in the end, I had mixed feelings about this story. The plot and main characters I absolutely enjoyed, but it was the secondary characters that I couldn’t handle. Charlotte’s family – her uncle, aunt and cousin – are horrible with the way they treat her.

The dialogue was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially with the old feud between Charlotte and Brendan’s families and the fact that Charlotte’s grandfather chose her to inherit the family money over the rest of the Mansfield family members. The heroine has some tough decisions to make, and I liked how she handled each situation. Such as what she was going to do with the money she inherited and what she was going to do about her family.

“Show me how much you love me. That’s the first and last time I’ll ask you.”
“Is it really?” A fire blazed in him. “A woman born to give orders.”
“Are you up to that?” she challenged.
He locked her seamlessly to him. “This is no game we’re playing, Charlotte.”
“I’m not into games, Bren.”

I really liked both Charlotte and Brendan. He’s the one person she’s always been able to rely on, and she needs someone like him in her life, especially when she finally learns the truth about a family secret. Brendan is honorable and I loved how protective he was of Charlotte. He would do anything for her, and proves it with how he puts up with the barbs her family throws her way when it comes to their relationship; barbs that he does not deserve as he works hard while supporting Charlotte’s dreams. While Charlotte, she’s hard-working and I liked how determined she was to follow her dreams. But what I liked about her most of all was how she handled her family. It was about time she finally stood up to them, instead of allowing them to continue to use her.

Overall, Ms. Way has penned a good novel where the growing relationship between Charlotte and Brendan had me engrossed, and kept me reading to find out if things would work out between them. The way this story ended was delightful, as Charlotte finally stood up to her horrible family after learning how a certain member betrayed someone she loved. I would recommend His Australian Heiress by Margaret Way, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope.

Book Info:

Publication: September 27th, 2016 | Lyrical Shine | The Australians #2

In this passionate saga set in present-day Australia, the passing of a wealthy patriarch leaves one young woman with a chance to change her life-if it doesn’t bring her world crashing down first…

After losing her parents in a tragic accident, young Charlotte was taken in by her grandfather, Sir Reginald Mansfield. Despite his tyrannical tendencies, he cherished her above all-a fact made clear by his surprising bequest. In her early twenties, she intends to follow in his illustrious footsteps in the field of law. And now she is the beneficiary not only of his vast financial assets, but of Clouds-the stunning sandstone house in New South Wales with a breathtaking view of the Blue Mountains and a bountiful garden of fragrant flowers. Unfortunately, not everyone is pleased for her.

Charlotte’s grasping aunt and uncle, as well as her controlling, entitled cousin cannot hide their fury. As rivalries simmer and naked greed roils the socially prominent clan, only Brendon Macmillan, Charlotte’s longtime friend, seems genuinely happy for her-despite the bitter, scandalous history between their families. Charlotte’s dream is to use the funds to open a shelter for abused women, and Brendon intends to support and protect her. But often, more money means more betrayals, secrets, and lies-and as Charlotte tries to determine who she can trust, she may be a woman in danger herself…