Return to Roseglen in Aussie Readers

Feb 20, 2018 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, aussie-authors, sent-by-publisher, 5000-books, reviewing-by-request, 2018-release, arc, own-read, family

Wow! From one of the masters of the romantic suspense genre, Aussie author Helene Young has changed direction, producing an outstanding family/contemporary fiction novel which I devoured!

Ninety-three-year-old Ivy Dunmore was frail and needing her walker more each day. Living on her own on Roseglen since her husband Charlie had died, she had her son Ken nearby and friend Mitch close; but her daughters were further away. Georgina was a pilot and in various parts of the world while Felicity was in ...more

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Jul 26, 2018 Helen rated it it was amazing

Where do I start with this amazing story, its wow, it’s fabulous and one thing I can say is, it is a must read this truly is a book not to be missed, MS Young has dug deep into the emotions and secrets of an old family from outback Queensland one that is steeped in history through the years and now the time has come for Ivy the matriarch the oldest member left from the Dunmore’s to somehow make things right, so sit back, make sure you have a box of tissues and a drink and get lost in this poigna Where do I start with this amazing story, its wow, it’s fabulous and one thing I can say is, it is a must read this truly is a book not to be missed, MS Young has dug deep into the emotions and secrets of an old family from outback Queensland one that is steeped in history through the years and now the time has come for Ivy the matriarch the oldest member left from the Dunmore’s to somehow make things right, so sit back, make sure you have a box of tissues and a drink and get lost in this poignant, heart-rending story.

Ivy Dunmore is ninety three years old and she wants God to take her back to her beloved husband Charlie, she has been running the cattle station Roseglen now for years living on her own, yes she has three children a son Ken and two daughters Georgina and Felicity, the drought has hit hard but with her neighbour and best friend Mitch Trethowan doing what he can to help Ivy is coping, she is getting pressured from her son Ken who owns the neighbouring station Arran Downs to do things that Ivy doesn’t want to do.

Felicity is just about to turn fifty and she is probably closest to her mother so when she is trying to cope with a crisis herself she goes home to help her mother, Georgina Ivy’s eldest daughter has never been close to her mother she is in her sixty’s now and a pilot she has travelled the world and has decided that it might be time to mend bridges with her mother, time for her to go home to Roseglen just when she is needed.

There is so much happening in this book, so many emotions people hurting each other jealousy, greed but there is strength and caring as well, there are secrets that really need to be out in the open after all of these years and there is love to be found, oh I cried am still teary, I don’t want to give too much away, only that this is such a well written story it takes into account the a problem that happens more than we would like to think. I loved the characters all except one and I could have thumped him these people came to life they became friends I felt their pain, their love and their hope for the future as surely Roseglen will prosper. MS Young this is a story that I am not going to forget (still teary) thank you, this is one that I highly recommend.
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Jul 31, 2018 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-reads, australian, contemporary, rural-lit, family-saga

Return To Roseglen is a bit of a departure for Helene Young, who has long enjoyed the title of Queen of Australian Romantic Suspense. This book revolves around the Dunmore family, championed by matriarch Ivy who still lives on the family property of Roseglen despite her advancing age. Lately Ivy has been getting a bit confused here and there which unfortunately makes her ripe for the picking by her eldest son Kenneth. He lives nearby on another property but daughters Felicity and Georgina are fu Return To Roseglen is a bit of a departure for Helene Young, who has long enjoyed the title of Queen of Australian Romantic Suspense. This book revolves around the Dunmore family, championed by matriarch Ivy who still lives on the family property of Roseglen despite her advancing age. Lately Ivy has been getting a bit confused here and there which unfortunately makes her ripe for the picking by her eldest son Kenneth. He lives nearby on another property but daughters Felicity and Georgina are further afield, Felicity in Brisbane and Georgina wherever her work as a pilot takes her. When Felicity discovers her husband in a compromising position, she decides that she will head home to Roseglen. That will allow her to assess Ivy and see if she needs any assistance and if so, determine what that might be too. Georgina decides to return as well, which sets the three siblings on a collision course as the tensions erupt.

Recently I have read several books where the main characters are women who are slightly older than what I would consider the ‘norm’ for what I read. Not old – just older. Felicity is about to turn 50, Georgina is probably close to 60 and I think Ivy is getting on towards 90. And so there’s a whole bunch of issues and problems that can be explored that women in these age ranges face. For example, Felicity faces starting over, having worked her whole life towards paying off a mortgage and enjoying a comfortable retirement. That’s likely not her future after she discovers her husband’s lack of fidelity and that not only has their mortgage not really decreased all that much but also property prices are falling. Instead of heading into her later working years ‘winding down’ so to speak, she may need to work harder than ever to secure her future after divorce. It can be difficult to start over at any age but there are added stresses when you are coming towards the end of your working life and know that your capacity to earn and secure a comfortable future is limited.

And then there’s Ivy herself…..having lost her husband years ago, Ivy knows she’s coming to that end stage of life. Her worries are different, more about worries for the future of the family property, for her children. I have to admit, I did find the character of Ivy slightly inconsistent at times because everyone kept saying how forward she was, bit of a battle-axe. But she shows significant weakness around her only son and real reluctance to confide in her daughters about what had been going on in recent times and I wasn’t really sure why she kept putting off telling them. I know Ivy had her own plans going on and she was willing to take steps to secure the family property but it just seemed so odd that she kept thinking to herself ‘oh I have to tell them’ and then never actually doing it. I understand the challenge and the responsibility of an ailing parent. My father has recently had to assume full legal and financial responsibility for his mother, who is getting to the stage where her mind is becoming confused and forgetful and she will not be able to live independently any longer. She frequently forgets to eat at meal times, or thinks she has when she hasn’t. It’s a huge deal and it leaves people ripe to be taken for a ride, if the trustee is not 100% vigilant and responsible with the task. There are many who see opportunity and will take what they can get (what they believe is ‘owed’ to them) no matter if there are other siblings, or even if it inconveniences or disadvantages the actual person they are supposed to be caring for. Ken is definitely one such person, a self-entitled, odious man who thought only of himself and how he could use others to fix his own mistakes.

I enjoyed the complicated family relationships in this story – especially the sister dynamic between Georgina and Felicity. They haven’t been particularly close (there’s a significant age gap I think) but when they both come home to Roseglen they definitely find themselves being able to find some common ground, especially considering the fact that the two of them seem to have similar ideas about the property and against the rein of terror of Ken. I also liked Felicity’s friendship with Mitch, the farmer ‘next door’ which dates back to their years as children. Mitch is the one that ‘got away’ but now they are both single and even though Felicity isn’t looking for anything and she’s still dealing with the ending of her marriage, Mitch is there and they fall back into an easy friendship. Mitch also has a very special relationship with Ivy and has always done his best to make sure she was okay through the hard years of drought. I loved the relationship between Mitch and Ivy, it was so sweet and benefited them both so much emotionally.

There’s a mystery here as well, buried deep in the pages. I guessed a small part of it but much of it was an unexpected twist and I thought that played out very well. I’d have liked to have seen a little bit more devoted to Ivy and Georgina though, just to really attack the meat of that relationship. I feel as though it could’ve carried a little bit more of the story. But apart from that, I definitely enjoyed Helene Young’s foray into new territory. I hope she doesn’t completely leave behind romantic suspense but I’ll happily read anything she writes. ...more

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Nov 26, 2018 Janine rated it it was amazing

Return to Roseglen is the first novel I've read by Helene. I thoroughly enjoyed this story which covers some very serious subjects within - Elder abuse, friendship, divorce, menopause, sibling rivalry to name a few.

Ivy is in her 90's and knows her time is coming to leave this earth and join her beloved Charlie. She has three children Ken, Georgina & Felicity who are coping with their own issues. Her property hasn't seen a drop of rain for ages and if it wasn't for her neighbour Mitch who she ref ...more

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Jun 09, 2022 Catsalive rated it liked it

Shelves: aww, 2022

3.5*
A very entertaining tale about life, family & ageing set on a station in Far North Queensland. Ivy Dunmore is in her 90s & has been pressured by her son to sign papers to mortgage Roseglen as he needed the money. He is selfish, self-absorbed & appears to care little for his mother. Her daughters are not happy about this situation & both gravitate back to the family farm.

There are themes of elder abuse, sibling rivalry, domestic violence, PTSD, the pressures that family can bring to bear & th ...more

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