REVIEW: Home Truths by Louise Forster

Home Truths by Louise Forster is a tale about family, secrets, and love, set in a small town in Australia, where everyone knows not only your name and but also the names of the skeletons in your closet. Jennifer Dove works and lives in London, England, having fled Australia to get away from her controlling parents. She has returned, briefly, she hopes, in order to attend the funeral of her beloved Uncle Bob who cared for her, her sister Sofie and her brother Bret far better than their parents ever did. Jennifer, Sofie, and Sofie’s daughter Claudia arrive in Tumble Creek, a five hour drive from Sydney, where Uncle Bob had his home and pharmacy, after a 40-hour plane flight from London. In an exhausted sleep-worn daze she meets a handsome cowboy checking to make sure everything is well. When Jennifer, Sofie, and Claudia enter Uncle Bob’s pharmacy, they are surprised that it’s totally empty, which leaves them to wonder if their uncle was ill and just never told them. Bob lived above the shop, and they go up to his home, where Jennifer decides to stay while Sofie and Claudia sleep at a nearby motel. In the bathroom, they find a nightgown with the name “Veronica” on it and a pair of fluffy pink stilettos. Veronica is the name of Uncle Bob’s girlfriend who they never met, but heard a lot about from their uncle.

Simultaneously, a large Russian man named Nickolay is trying to get into Uncle Bob’s home. He breaks in, but Jennifer hears him, and coincidentally the police also show up, curious while on patrol why the garage door was open. Calum McGregor, the handsome cowboy, also appears, since he is a member of the neighborhood watch. Still dazed after the long trip, Calum sees that she is cold and puts his leather jacket around her, and then orders take-away for everyone. Even completely exhausted, Jennifer can’t help being attracted to Calum:

Calum’s throaty, sexy laugh echoed through the empty shop. She could hardly believe it, but there was not stopping it, his laugh sent a quiver straight to her belly and beyond, hitting the sweet spot between her thighs. She held her breath and crossed her legs, praying no one noticed.

While they wait, the nice officers search around and Calum offers to turn on the hot water. Meanwhile, Nickolay is trapped in the kitchen and manages to avoid the police, sneaks out and escapes. After being warned that the electricity is very bad in the house, Jennifer, Calum and the officers sit down to have their meal, and Jennifer manages to fall asleep on the couch.

In the morning she wakes up to two elderly women knocking on the door. One is Calum’s grandmother Connie, and the other is her uncle’s housekeeper Shirley. They are bringing her a huge basket of food and let her know that many of the arrangements for her uncle’s funeral have already been take care of since he was beloved in the town. Jennifer then accidentally sets the wiring on fire after turning on an old toaster. Although she puts out the fire on her own, the town fire brigade comes to rescue her. Jessica is mortified, but a good sport, and lets them carry her out of the window for practice, still dressed in her Veronica get-up.

The day, and the week, go on in a similar vein. Jennifer and Calum continue to get to know each other, Jennifer and Sofia learn what they have inherited from Uncle Bob, and Bret, the absent brother, is discovered to be held by thugs for ransom. The mysterious Russian continues his efforts to break and enter into Uncle Bob’s home. And the biggest mystery of all—who is Veronica and where is she?

“Home Truths” is a very different kind of book. It’s a romance, a mystery, and a suspense novel all in one. The romance part is excellent. The chemistry between Jennifer and Calum cannot be denied, and they are very sweet together. Calum’s extended family with his teenage sister and his grandmother work well together and are very supportive and loving people. Sofie and Claudia are fantastic characters, especially Claudia as a rebellious goth teenager. The color and depth that they add is great, and I’d love to see a book about Sofie getting her HEA. Jennifer has a few moments of insecurity that add tension and there are times when it seems that the romance is in jeopardy. In general, that area of the book is well done.

However, the mystery and suspense parts feel like they should belong to another novel. They aren’t very mysterious or suspenseful, and are so easily resolved that they feel a little bit like a waste of time. It felt a like there were two books going on at the same time, which is shame, because it’s really such a nice romance. Additionally, the writing is quite good, and descriptions of the town of Tumble Creek and landscape are very well done. So if you’re looking for a nice light contemporary novel, don’t get too invested into the meandering side plots and enjoy the romance!

Book Info:

Published June 1st 2014 by Escape Publishing

A small-town romance about secrets, community and the family we make for ourselves.

London-based chef Jennifer Dove loves her exciting, fast-paced life and she has every intention of returning to it ASAP. This trip to Tumble Creek — middle-of-nowhere Australia — is just a blip, a trip out of time, to visit her sister and niece and farewell her beloved Uncle.

But barely hours into her stay, she disturbs an intruder in her uncle’s house, is questioned by police, and finds a pair of fluffy pink stilettos in the bedroom. Things are not all they seem in Tumble Creek, and much as she tries not to, Jennifer is sucked in to the mystery surrounding her uncle. Who is his girlfriend Veronica, and why is she not here? What are the locals hiding? And why can she not get sexy local Calum McGregor out of her mind?

All is not what it seems in this sleepy, small town, and as Jennifer unravels its mysteries, she might just be tying herself to Tumble Creek forever.