'Fiona Lowe's ability to create atmosphere and tension and real relationship dynamics is a gift.' - Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Mother In Law

'Absorbing' - The Townsville Eye

When a lethal bushfire tore through Myrtle, nestled in Victoria's breathtaking Otway Ranges, the town's buildings - and the lives of its residents - were left as smouldering ash. For three women in particular, the fire fractured their lives and their relationships.

Eighteen months later, with the flurry of national attention long past, Myrtle stands restored, shiny and new. But is the outside polish just a veneer? Community stalwart Julie thinks tourism could bring back some financial stability to their little corner of the world and soon prods Claire, Bec and Sophie into joining her group. But the scar tissue of trauma runs deep, and as each woman exposes her secrets and faces the damage that day wrought, a shocking truth will emerge that will shake the town to its newly rebuilt foundations...

With her sharp eye for human foibles, bestselling author Fiona Lowe writes an evocative tale of everyday people fighting for themselves, their families and their town - as only this distinctively Australian storyteller can.

Praise for Fiona Lowe:

'A book that delivers numerous shocks and is one that cannot be put down.' GLAM Adelaide

'Fiona Lowe is the queen of Australian country town fiction' Canberra Weekly

'A great grassroots yarn.' Woman's Day

'Lowe is a master at painting believable characters ... an addictive read.' The Weekly Times on Birthright

'Distinctly Australian with its power to evoke grit and tenderness, joy and bleakness, tragedy and comedy, all at once.' Better Reading on Birthright

'A sweeping Australian novel of lost love and tangled family secrets.' Australian Country on Daughter of Mine

When your world falls apart the only person you can depend on is your sister.

The three Chirnwell sisters are descended from the privileged squattocracy in Victoria's Western District – but could a long–held secret threaten their family?

Harriett Chirnwell has a perfect life – a husband who loves her, a successful career and a daughter who is destined to become a doctor just like her.

Xara has always lived in Harriet's shadow; her chaotic life with her family on their sheep farm falls far short of her older sister's standards of perfection and prestige.

Georgie, the youngest sister and a passionate teacher, is the only one of the three to have left Billawarre. But is her life in Melbourne happy?

All three sisters have a different and sometimes strained bond with their mother. Despite this, they come together to organise a party for her milestone birthday – the first since their father's death. But when Edwina arrives at her party on the arm of another man, the tumult is like a dam finally breaking. Suddenly the lives of the Chirnwell sisters are flooded by scandal. Criminal accusations, a daughter in crisis and a secret over fifty years in the making start to crack the perfect facade of the prominent pastoral family.

A thought provoking novel about family expectations, secrets and lies.

Is an inheritance a privilege or a right?

Does it show love? Margaret, the matriarch of the wealthy Jamieson family, has always been as tight–fisted with the family money as she is with her affection. Her eldest daughter, Sarah, is successful in her own right as a wife, mother and part owner of a gourmet food empire. But it's not enough to impress her mother. Always in the shadow cast by the golden glow of her younger brother, Sarah feels compelled to meet Margaret's every demand to earn her love.

Does it give security? After a poverty–stricken childhood, Anita has claimed the social status she's worked so hard to achieve by marrying Cameron Jamieson. Although they have a comfortable life, she's never able to fully relax, fearing everything could change in a heartbeat.

Or does it mean freedom? Ellie, the youngest, has lived a nomadic and – according to her siblings – a selfish life, leaving them to care for their ageing mother. For her, freedom means staying far away from the strings attached to her inheritance, but she needs to consider her young son's future as well.

As their mother's health deteriorates, will long–held secrets and childhood rivalries smash this family into pieces?

An addictive and page–turning story of the relationships between siblings and of deceit, betrayal and revenge.

Liane Moriarty meets Jodi Picoult in this tensely negotiated story of family ties, betrayal and sacrifice.

Every family has its secrets...

Alice Hunter is smarting from the raw deal life has thrown her way: suddenly single, jobless and forced to move home to her parents' tiny seaside town. And now she faces an uncomfortable truth. She wants her twin sister Libby's enviable life.

Libby's closest friend Jess Dekic has been around the Hunter family for so long she might as well be blood. She's always considered herself a sister closer to Libby than Alice ever could be...

Libby Hunter has all of life's boxes ticked: prominent small-town doctor, gorgeous husband and two young daughters. But when she is betrayed by those she loves most, it reveals how tenuous her world is...

For Karen Hunter, her children are a double-edged sword of pain and pride. She's always tried to guide her girls through life's pitfalls, but how do you protect your children when they're adults?

As the family implodes, the fallout for these four women will be inescapable...

Bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe wields a deft hand, creating utterly addictive storytelling that will have you questioning your own perceptions of what family is.

PRAISE:

'Fiona's insight into the fickle nature of life, the way relationships evolve, what a tough gig parenting can be and how best intentions can so easily come undone makes it simple to identify with her characters and lends an authentic resonance to this roller-coaster story.' - Australian Country

'Fiona Lowe weaves an extraordinary story of loss, love, and forgiveness.' - GLAM Adelaide

'If you loved Big Little Lies, you'll want to devour Fiona Lowe's Just an Ordinary Family next.' - Mamamia

'Drama, upheaval and family secrets feature in the latest novel by Fiona Lowe, the undisputed queen of Australian small-town fiction...a moving character-driven tale that steadily draws you into itsthrall.' -Canberra Weekly

A picturesque small town, a cosy community garden, a facade of tolerance and acceptance - but when three women with wildly different loyalties come together, what secrets and lies will be revealed? A timely novel exploring prejudice and privilege, from bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe.

Tara Hooper is at breaking point. With two young children, a business in a town struggling under an unexpected crime wave, and her husband more interested in his cricket team than their marriage, life is a juggling act. Then, when new neighbours arrive and they are exactly the sort of people the town doesn't want or need, things get worse.

Life has taught Helen Demetriou two things: being homeless is terrifying and survival means keeping your cards close to your chest. Having clawed back some stability through her involvement in the community garden, she dares to relax. But as she uncovers some shady goings-on in the council, that stability turns to quicksand.

For teenage mother Jade Innes, life can be lonely among the judgement of the town and the frequent absences of her boyfriend. A chance encounter draws her into the endangered community garden where she makes friends for the first time. Glimpsing a different way of life is enticing but its demands are terrifying. Does she even deserve to try?

Can such disparate women unite to save the garden and ultimately stop the town from tearing itself apart?

A timely novel exploring prejudice and privilege, from bestselling Australian author Fiona Lowe.

PRAISE FOR FIONA LOWE:

'The undisputed queen...' Canberra Weekly

'Fiona's insight into the fickle nature of life ... and how best intentions can so easily come undone makes it simple to identify with her characters and lends an authentic resonance to this roller-coaster story.' - Australian Country

'Fiona Lowe weaves an extraordinary story of loss, love, and forgiveness.' - GLAM Adelaide

'If you loved Big Little Lies, you'll want to devour Fiona Lowe's Just an Ordinary Family next.' - Mamamia

The Most Magical Gift Of All – Fiona Low

Dr Jack Armitage can't wait to spend the Christmas holidays on a beach sipping cocktails. But his much–deserved vacation is delayed when an unexpected gift is left on his doorstep…a little girl! Reformed bad–boy Jack is great with kids, but only when they're his patients.

Dr Sophie Norman is Jack's temporary replacement, but this single gal didn't expect her new duties to involve being a stand–in mum! Jack needs all the help that Sophie can give him. While doing their best to ensure this little girl has a magical Christmas, they find the most magical gift of all – a family.

In Her Husband's Image – Vivienne Wallington

Rugged wildlife photographer Zac Hammond returned from the jungles of Africa to his family home in the outback as soon as he heard of his twin brother's death. And it took only one look into young widow Rachel Hammond's eyes for old and forbidden desires to spark to life. But Rachel was hiding something…

Rachel had married the wrong brother. But her love–starved marriage had ended with her husband's recent death. Now, the resolute beauty was running her husband's cattle station and raising her young son alone. Yet she still found herself thinking back to the one night she'd felt true passion – in Zac's arms. Their feverish loving had come with a price – one that had changed her life forever…

They once had a summer of passion… But is it too late to walk down the aisle?

Lauren Fuller hasn't seen Charlie Ainsworth since he unexpectedly left Horseshoe Bay twelve years ago and burst their bubble of love. Now he's back, and working together at her GP practice is torment – their chemistry reminds Lauren how good they were together. And when she learns the tragic truth that drove him away, can it finally reunite them forever?

They may have sworn off romance…but could wedding bells be on the horizon for these couples?

In A Wedding in Warragurra, widow Kate and single dad Baden fight their feelings for each other. In The Surgeon's Chosen Wife, Sarah is intrigued by her gorgeous new neighbour, enigmatic surgeon Ryan—who's also a blast from her past! In A Woman to Belong To, Tom is on a quest to discover his past—but will he also find his future…with Bec? In The Playboy Doctor's Marriage Proposal, nurse Emily is vowing she'll never fall for her playboy boss, Linton.

Discover how these couples get their happy ever afters, as Fiona Lowe welcomes you into warmhearted small communities in stories packed with plenty of emotion and sparkling, feel-good romance!

Career Girl In The Country – Fiona Lowe

Dynamic city surgeon Poppy Stanfield is at the top of her game and can't believe she's been sent to work in a rural outback town! Her colleague brooding emergency doctor Matt Albright seems to thrive on the small–town solitude. But Poppy knows he's hiding from something and she's determined to draw him out of his shell and make him face his secrets.

The One That Got Away – Kelly Hunter

Evie's life is on a pretty even keel at the moment – she has a good job and just bought a new apartment but there is one thing missing. A man with an edge to keep things interesting!

Enter Logan Black. Tortured, distant and sexy, Logan has edge written all over him. He's also the man who tipped Evie 'over' the edge a few years back – she gave him everything, but he didn't know when to stop taking. Leaving Logan was the hardest thing Evie's ever done. Until now. Because Logan's back, the chemistry is as blistering as ever and this time he's not going anywhere...

In the latest in the wildly successful Secret Confessions series from Escape Publishing, the women of Down & Dusty invite you into their lives - and their bedrooms.

All seven stories together for the first time!

Welcome to the heart – and heat – of Australia…

They say that no one has secrets in a small town – these women prove them wrong.

Seven stories from some of Australia's hottest writers in Australia's hottest genre. From the bar stools of the local pub to the wide open plains of the biggest stations in the world, these tales travel the dusty roads to the heart of Australia and the women who understand how to work hard – and play even harder.

Reading Order:
Casey – Rachael Johns
Lucky – Cate Ellink
Kelly – Fiona Lowe
Clarissa – Mel Teshco
Skye – Rhyll Biest
Maree – Elizabeth Dunk
Frankie – Jackie Ashenden

A month in his hometown is Leo's worst nightmare, but to pass the time he's helping out in Abbie's hospital. Secretly he hopes that a no–strings affair will help him outrun the ghosts of his past, but Abbie doesn't do flings if she's going to open her heart to Leo, she wants it to be forever!

Single Dad's Triple Trouble

Dr Gabe Lewis is a single dad...to triplets! But Gabe's adorable tots are triple the trouble and when it comes to simple things like babies' bath time, this brilliant doctor meets his match.

He knows someone who could help, someone really special who has recently re-entered his life. But Gabe once broke Dr Elly Ruddock's heart in two - can he perform another miracle by mending it again, with the help of his mischievous trio?

Her Miracle Baby

Surviving a plane crash in the alpine forests of Australia sparks the beginning of a real connection between Dr Will Cameron and nurse Meg Watson. A connection they delight in strengthening when Will finds himself helping Meg in her understaffed outback nursing centre.

But Meg knows that she has no chance of a future with Will. He wants what she is unable to give him - children. Then after one passionate night together, a miracle happens...