Customer Reviews

September Moon

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once in a great while, you discover a wonderful new writer that makes you remember why you wade through all that other trash. Candice Proctor is such a writer. I was so excited when I started reading this book, the language was so vivid, the characters so memorable, the story so captivating. And my pleasure only increased. OK, so I fell in love with O'Reilly, but what woman wouldn't? All the characters are people you feel like you've come to know. And the setting is so vividly drawn--Ms Proctor has a wonderful way of making a place and a time period come alive, without overdoing it. A wonderful writer, a wonderful book. I can't wait for Candice Proctor's next book.

As an Australian, I think it's wonderful to read not only a story set in my country, but one that is authentically set. The descriptions of the outback are so real that I can smell the dust. Ms Proctor is a wonderful writer and something that is even more rare, sensitive to the way we thin-skinned Aussies view others writing about our country. Add to that vivid characters, a believable plot, and you have a very, very fine story. I can't recommend this author highly enough.

When I first read The Bequest by Candice Proctor, I knew immediately that this author had a tremendous talent! SEPTEMBER MOON was an extremely charming love story between an English governess and an Australian farmer.

Amanda Davenport had high hopes of returning to her beloved England, a place where she calls home, after working for 4 years as a secretary in Australia. But when her empolyer suddenly falls ill the night before the ship sets sail, Amanda faces a desolate situation. She ends up missing the ship and losing her job at the same time. With no more money and feeling desperate and very much alone, she applies for a job as a governess for the O'Reilly family. Faced with a challenge with three hellions whose mother abandoned them, she slowly begins to understand and feel compassion for them, as well as falling hard for the children's handsome father, Patrick O'Reilly. Patrick O'Reilly who is still bitter at his wife, who left him and the children (even though it has been 6 years), has no room for any more romance, especially with a prim and *English* governess. But soon he starts to see Amanda's passionate side, a deeper character hidden in her, that he starts having romantic feelings for her. After much teasing and practical jokes, and getting used to the harsh living conditions, both discover a love that could last a life time if only they would allow it to work.

Ms. Proctor's writing is outstanding. I immediately fell in love with the children, Hannah, Liam and Missy. This story is so sweet that it will make you laugh and cry. You may think "Oh no! Not another of those romances with a guy falling in love with his governess storyline," but Ms. Proctor writes it so well that you won't even notice it. You'll be too caught up with the romance between Amanda and Patrick. Trust me on this! You'll love it, after reading this I went and bought all of Ms. Proctor's books.

This is one of those books you'll want to read over and over again, it's that good. The characters are so wonderfully drawn--not just Amanda and O'Reilly, but all the memorable secondary characters, too. And it's so refreshing to read a story that's DIFFERENT--if you're tired of the same old worn-out scenes in romance novels, then this book is for you. The hilarious ant scene, the unexpected twist to the didgeridoo scene, the rainmaking scene, the shearing shed dance--I would be hard put to pick my favorite. Candice Proctor is such a wonderful writer--her images are so striking and memorable, she brings 19th century Australia to life. But most importantly, this is a wonderful LOVE STORY. The emotion is so well done, the writing so outstanding, this isn't just a good romance, it's a GREAT BOOK. Since reading SEPTEMBER MOON, I've ordered her other books, as well, and they're all outstanding. If you haven't yet discovered this wonderful new Australian-American writer, you're really missing something!

I loved Whispers of Heaven, but this book is a dud. An English governess in Australia falls in love with her Australian employer. What's so interesting about that? There isn't much of a plot, unless you count a drought that kills some sheep. The dialogue is atrocious. The supposedly tough Australian has a tendency to sound like a licensed therapist, counseling the uptight (on the outside, of course) governess to "be the woman she really wants to be, the woman she is on the inside." The heroine is also a therapist, and in just a few short weeks has diagnosed the dysfunctions of O'Reilly's family and devised various healing recipes for his relationship with his children. We are supposed to believe that our heroine, who began the book longing for her home in England, gradually discovers that she is a wild Australian at heart and at the same time wins the respect of O'Reilly and his family by proving that she's tough enough to "take anything this land throws at her." As far as I can tell, she did nothing whatsoever to prove herself, nor could I find any particular reason for O'Reilly to love her. Other than O'Reilly's frequently bare chest, I'm not even sure what she saw in him. But it was a romance novel, so they fell in love and whispered all the appropriate (and often out of character) sweet nothings to each other and then dutifully lived happily ever after. Overall, it was just weak.

Amanda Davenport has missed her ride home, and is struggling to feed herself as she awaits another ship bound for England. As time passes her funds run low and she is forced to take the job as a governess for three wild children who want nothing to do with another governess. Amanda's hate for Australia doesn't help matters any, especially since she soons finds herself falling in love with her employer, one Mr. O'Riley who is far from the man she thought she would one day find and love.

This is a wonderful book. It is refreshing in the fact that is a historical romance that is set in Australia which is a place that I have seldom encountered in novels. I was amazed at Ms. Procter's ability to describe the landscape well enough for me to picture it, and of course her romances are noever lacking excitment, strong personal conflict or passion.

This author ranks up there with the best in the genre. Smart writing, but light and fun with emotional resonance. As soon as I finished reading SEPTEMBER MOON, I went back to the bookstore and bought her earlier titles, NIGHT IN EDEN and THE BEQUEST. They were much darker, but definite keepers!

As in her first novel "Night in Eden" I was totally engrossed in the story and characters.I began reading in the morning and read all through the night. My life was put on hold until I could find out how the lives of Amanda and Patrick would come together. Candice Proctor is definitely a first class writer who can weave a spell on you with her vivid places and unforgettable characters.The last time I responded with such emotion was when I read "Keeper of the Dream" by her sister Penelope Williamson. Such wonderful talent from one family!

I love books set in Australia and this one does not disappoint. With a rugged and sensual leading man and a feisty yet irresistable female lead, this novel packs some intense chemistry. The sexual tension was palpable as two wonderful characters come together in a fabulous story that puts author Candice Proctor at the top of my list of favorites. If you like Brenda Joyce or Shannon Drake, try one of Ms. Proctor's novels. I can't wait until she comes out with her next one!

This book begins with a colorful setting and a promise of much more than it ever delivers. Amanda and O'Reilly never seem to develop into persons that the reader can care about, nor does the chemistry between them appear genuine. The storyline was so boring and pedictable, even for a historical romance novel. I suggest Barbara Bickmore's "The Back of Beyond" for a real taste of Australian history and romance.