September Moon

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 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!

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.

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!

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.