by Jenn J McLeod
RRP $24.99
Bequeathed a century-old house, four estranged friends return to their home town, Calingarry Crossing, where each must stay for a season at The Dandelion House to fulfil the wishes of their benefactor, Gypsy.
But coming home to the country stirs shameful memories of the past, including the tragic end-of-school muck up day accident twenty years earlier.
Sara, a breast cancer survivor afraid to fall in love; Poppy, a tough, ambitious journo still craving her father’s approval; Amber, a spoilt socialite addicted to painkillers and cosmetic procedures Caitlin, a doctor frustrated by her controlling.
At The Dandelion House, the women will discover something about themselves and a secret that ties all four to each other and to the house – forever.
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!
What an interesting and well written book!
I truly enjoyed and I found hard to put it down.
Many thanks to Beauty and Lace as well as to publishers Simon & Schurster.
The author Jenn J McLeod clearly defined each character. The four women had a past of sadness and frustations. Their lives were strangely linked to that house and the two characters that played such crucial role in their teenager years Gypsy( an eccentric and warm loving woman) and her daughter, the fragile and sweet Willow.
I am planning to read more books from this author.
This book portrays the life of four young women. All of them had issues to face and solve. The Dandelion House played a crucial role in thir lives as teenagers.
The book captivated my interest and attention, the way each character is described.
I wanted to know a bit more about Gypsie, probably the author could have given more insight on her.
However, I truly enjoyed reading this novel.
I agree with the other posts which have adequately described the positive features of this noveI. Personally,I enjoyed reading Sarahs story and would have liked a whole novel dedicated to her character, so I was slightly annoyed when Poppy entered the picture. Overall an interesting and thought provoking read with a believable story and well defined characters.
Firstly, thank you Beauty and Lace and the publishers, Simon & Schuster Australia, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!
Four childhood friends return separately to their hometown in the country and are forced to face their past and consequently, their “demons”. Each woman’s story is told in a separate chapter with only some parts of the mystery unravelled at the end.
I enjoyed reading Sara’s chapter the most and started to really “feel” her character. The same can not be said for Caitlin as I didn’t get to know her well enough. I actually found Poppy’s character annoying and quite confusing as I’m not sure how the mystery of her “seeing her father” ties in with the rest of the story. Amber’s chapter was also quite annoying. I tried to understand how she grew from a bratty child into a responsible young woman but that just seemed too miraculous to happen overnight.
I would have loved to have met Gypsy and Willow but there wasn’t much substance to any of the other minor characters except for Cheryl.
However, I did enjoy the setting and felt an attachment to Callingary Crossing and the Dandelion House and I did want to continue reading to discover how each of the friends were connected. It is evident from Jenn J McLeod’s writing that she is fond of country life and I quite liked that.
This is a book for light reading and it was okay, but unfortunately, not one of my favourites.
House for all Seasons was an interesting and enjoyable read.
The book follows the lives of four childhood friends whom after a tragic event leave Callingarry Crossing and take very different directions in their lives.
After being bequeathed a house they are bought together again after twenty years, against; their wishes. The house owned by Gypsy and her daughter, Willow who once played significant roles in all their lives.
I thought the notion each character must return and spend one season each in the house was a lovely and clever way for them to reconnect again with their past and the parts of themselves they had long ago shut down.
Each character was featured separately. This gave me insight into their fears and the complexity of their lives. They had each suffered alot of pain, loss, confusion and heartbreak which had shaped
the direction in their lives.
I enjoyed how the experiences each character had whilst staying at the house gave them the courage to start facing and accepting the truth within themselves.
I agree with other readers that Sara’s character was written in great detail whilst Caitlin was very little and you didn’t get to really know her.
I didn’t expect the ending at all. It was a lovely twist and I thought their decision for the house was a wonderful way to honour Gypsy and their histories.
It was great to see the characters grow and finally find the peace and happiness they deserved.
I loved Jenn J McLeods’s debut book, “House for all Seasons”. To me it had a supernatural or magical, aspect. I felt that thepeople they met at Dandilion House knew more about them than they could have normally been expected to. The pairings were Sara and Will, the fanasy love of her teenage years, Poppy and Eli, who was a close friend of her estranged father, Amber and her estranged mother and Cait and Alex, both medicos.
It seemed as if Gypsy was still present orchastrating things from beyond the grave. Willow was a shaddowly character, who was never fully explained.
I loved the colloquisms, found parts very funny, other parts mysterious.
I did not find the end belivable. It was too contrived and rushed.
Jenn could easi;y make this the first of a trilogy. I would certainly look for more of her work
I loved ths book and have already passed it on to a friend to read. I enjoy reading these kinds of stories. A group of freinds brought back together again after having gone their separate ways.To meet and understand each character separately and learn about what had shaped their lives. I loved Sarah’s story and like the other readers, felt it was because the writer spent more time on her. Overall a fantastic and enjoyable read. Congratulations Jenn J McLeod on a wonderful debut novel! Thank you Beauty and Lace for allowing me to read and review this onderful book.
Firstly, I’d just like to say, the blurb of this novel doesn’t do the interior justice. It makes the characters seem simplistic, and the plot juvenile by mentioning the term ‘muck up day’, sadly I don’t think this will bring the book the right audience for such a well written storyline; the blurb certainly didn’t get me excited to read the book.
However, once I had started to read A House For All Seasons, I was hooked. I didn’t put it down all day and finished it soon after. It was easy to read and remained intriguing all the way through.
I felt myself relate to each of the characters in a small way and I’m not sure if I read the book at a peak of my own emotional time but I cried & laughed to my hearts content with this book, firstly with Sara’s hardships and then with Poppy’s haunting loss experience.
After the first two seasons and characters had their share though, the book seemed to rush through the other two women. Amber’s chapter felt like it just stopped suddenly, and Caitlin’s chapter was seemed like it had a lot less to do with her rather than simply her role of bringing together the other women.
I loved the caretakers and characters chosen with each season, and I felt like Gypsy was such a unique character who really planned out to the T, everything to do with the Dandelion House.
Overall, well done to Jenn J McLeod for writing such a wonderful story and despite little things here and there I could pick on, overall I did enjoy reading the novel & I believe others could enjoy it just as I have too.
First of all, thank you Beauty & Lace and Jenn J McLeod for allowing me the opportunity to read & review this amazing story. The cover photograph is beautiful & perfect for this new season & I love the raised title font on the cover which I found my fingers going over & over as I read…
This book was a nice length, not too short or too long and the font was a good size & a easy to read style. I found it easy to get started & get lost in the book as I got to know each of the characters quickly. As the book progressed I learned more & more about each of them and intrigued me to continue reading.
An easy read book that you could take with you anywhere & enjoy. I could relate to the characters in some parts but no so much in others. Although this kept my mind going & I really enjoyed the ending & would love to see more books like this one or even a sequel to this one too, I think would be pretty awesome! 🙂
Very well written & explained in detail.
Thanks again I look forward to reading & reviewing more in the future!
Firstly like to thank Beauty & Lace for giving me the opportunity to read and review ‘House for all Seasons’.
I liked the four female characters, and the stories they each had to tell. I could relate to the characters in some parts but no so much in others.
The author managed to effortlessly introduce the characters, revealing just enough to keep you intrigued and make you keep reading on. I was addicted to reading from the first page, I was intrigued to know more and could not put it down.
It was an easy to read book and an interesting storyline, and I enjoyed the mix of humour, sadness, friendship, and love.
The book did drag on in some parts, but overall House for All Seasons was an interesting read, and I really wanted to read on to find out what happened to the four major characters. I would recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable light read.
Not the easiest book to read.
I found parts a little long winded and others I though abolutely brilliant. At times it seemed like there was more than one person
writing this book!
Having said that, I did still enjoy it overall.. and would give it 3/5 if I had to rate it 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity to review.