Tag Archive | Bellbird Bay

Second Chances At Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Aug1

Very Charming

Second Chances In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a very charming contemporary novel and the seventh book in the Bellbird Bay series. It warmed my heart.

Bellbird Bay is the place where a huge warm welcome awaits. Strangers quickly become friends. There is an air of community that pervades the book. Lives are lived out in the open but be ware of listening to gossip and test the source before believing all you hear or misunderstandings may arise.

Bellbird Bay is the home of second chances and new beginnings. Missed opportunities in the teenage years have the chance for a do-over as characters reach their fifties. Growing old does not mean missing out. It’s never too late for a fresh start.

We hear of the devastating effects of an earthquake in the Philippines. We witness how a hotelier drops everything to go and be part of the aid team.

All the characters are well drawn, likable and realistic. Many put family first. Bellbird Bay is a place where “people are happy and content with their lives, not always striving for more.” True happiness is found in people and not possessions.

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Escape To Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

May13

Never Too Old

Escape To Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is the sixth book in the Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone. It is such a charming contemporary novel. I love my visits to the fictional Bellbird Bay, I always feel as if I am coming home.

Maggie Christensen writes with warmth and sensitivity as she has some tough themes at times. We see the effect of witnessing domestic abuse as a child has on a character. All her life she has feared love and marriage as she equates it with bruises and pain.

Maggie Christensen shows that we are not destined to turn into our parents. Our choices do not have to mirror theirs. We are all individuals carving our own way in life.

Bellbird Bay is a place of refuge. It offers love, friendship and fresh starts. Hurting characters can heal. We see life throws some terrible, undeserved blows, but escaping to Bellbird Bay gives characters the chance to re-assess lives and decide what really matters.

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Finding Refuge In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Feb8

Coming Home

Finding Refuge In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is the most charming contemporary novel and the fifth book in the Bellbird Bay series. It can be read as a stand-alone. I thoroughly enjoyed my return visit to Bellbird Bay.

Bellbird Bay is the most delightful seaside town where hurting lives can heal. The fresh air and a warm welcome are just what a grieving heart needs. There is the space to just ‘be’, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of Sydney.

Everyone knows everyone else. They pull together and offer help when help is needed. It is a community where no one is a stranger and everyone finds a home.

Home is not just bricks and mortar. Home is the place where you find your soulmate, your friends and you feel like you finally belong.

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Christmas In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen

Nov14

Second Chances

Christmas In Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen is a beautiful contemporary heartwarming novel that will make you smile. It is the fourth book in the Bellbird Bay series but can be read as a stand-alone.

All the characters were well drawn, lovable and realistic. I loved the inclusion of a dog who definitely turns a house into a home. There was a beautiful bond between a grandmother and her granddaughter whose youthful enthusiasm was infectious.

I loved the fact that the lead characters were in their fifties. As they entered the latter years of their lives, their outlook was still young as they grabbed life with both hands.

Life is for living. Both lead characters had suffered loss. Grief is not something you ‘get over’ but something you have to adapt to and live with.

We see a marriage on the rocks and also hear of an abusive marriage in the past. There are second chances to be seized, bitterness cast aside and life to be lived again.

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