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Take Two
Danielle Hawkins
Allen & Unwin
2024, 288p
Read via my local library/Borrow Box app
Blurb {from the publisher/Goodreads.com}: Sometimes you have to revisit your past to find your future. Laura and Doug were together for ages. Their breakup was just one of those things – she wanted children, he didn’t, no hard feelings – at least not until, with their relationship barely cold in its grave, he got his new girlfriend pregnant.
Now, seven years later, a polite social call to his parents lands Laura back in the family, helping Doug and his playboy younger brother to cope with a whole raft of crises. And what better time to re-evaluate your major life decisions than when you’re wrangling a farm, a bookshop, two small children, your ex’s wife in labour and his two sick parents?
I love Danielle Hawkin’s books. Chocolate Cake For Breakfast is one of my absolute favourites but I have enjoyed every single book from her. I somehow missed this one and just came across it during a random scroll of the books new to my library’s ebook platform.
Laura is in her late 30s and she’s finished up her latest government contract and is visiting a few family members and friends before going on a long hike in New Zealand. From ages 18-31 she dated Hamish Douglas (aka ‘Doug’) but they broke up because Laura wanted children and he did not. Doug immediately got his next partner pregnant within months. Upon visiting Doug’s mother she learns that Doug’s father Peter has terminal pancreatic cancer and makes an impulsive visit to see him. She’s shocked by his appearance and genuinely devastated at his prognosis. Laura was a part of their family for over a decade and it’s clear that not only do they still love her very much, she still loves them too. The fact that she’s not with their eldest son anymore hasn’t changed anything. She also sees Mick, Hamish’s younger brother and when their mother Cat breaks a leg Mick calls Laura for help. There’s Cat to take care of, Peter and his up and down days, not to mention that Doug’s wife has gone into early labour at 28 weeks and someone also needs to mind the two older kids while he tries to split his time between his farm and being at the hospital with his wife. Laura is happy to help – she loves Cat and Peter and even though the break up with Doug contained multiple layers of pain, they’re {mostly} civil. What ends up happening between Laura and Mick will definitely test that civility over the coming weeks….
Really, really enjoyed this. Loved the New Zealand setting, as I do in all her books and I loved Laura and her calm acceptance of basically, all the chaos. She steps in to do a lot – she has to look after her ex’s children with his wife (and one of them resents her enormously in the beginning) and those children are clearly confused and upset by the disappearance of their parents. Peter, her almost father-in-law is very ill, although he has his good days and bad days. He is still fragile and struggles some days, and Cat, the very capable head of the household, is laid up with a badly broken leg that at first keeps her in hospital for surgery and then definitely restricts her movement and capabilities, a source of frustration for her. She also runs a bookshop in town, which will need help and seems to volunteer for various community things. Laura finds herself cooking for shearers, dealing with overbearing relatives and when she is released from hospital, hostility from Doug’s wife who definitely isn’t happy to find Laura in residence. And then of course, there’s the complex situation with Mick.
Normally I’m not sure how I’d feel about the love interest for a character being the brother of her former long-term partner. And very long-term. Laura and Doug were together for about 13 years. So she was basically part of the family. Mick is younger than Laura by a couple of years and it does seem like he’s spent a lot of time travelling and working abroad so it’s unclear how close they were when Laura and Doug were together. However, I loved Laura and Mick in this. I felt like Mick could’ve called multiple people for help but what he wanted, was Laura’s help specifically. He seemed to appreciate her in a lot of ways and even though she’s very torn about things in the beginning, the fact is, Doug moved on. Years ago. He’s married with 2 kids and one about to arrive at any moment. I thought Mick and Laura worked well together and even though we never saw Laura and Doug together, Doug didn’t endear himself to me as a character at all. He was really sulky actually and Laura is pretty frank about the faults he has that annoyed her during their relationship, behaviour that she sees him still displaying.
I also loved Cat and Peter. So much. They were both wonderful. I loved their rapport with Laura and their relationship with each other. This book excelled in showcasing family relations, particularly through a time of turbulence. We also get some interaction between Laura and her complicated extended family that showcases that as well. But most of the action is concentrated at Cat and Peter’s farm and I loved that part of it. Despite what was happening it honestly did seem like such a lovely place to be and Laura finds endless patience for dealing with kids, helping Peter, making cups of tea, helping Cat, dealing with Doug and his attitude, his wife and hers, as well as relatives who raise their eyebrows at her returning presence. I got so invested in this family, even the kids. One of them is definitely adorable and the other one is very serious, definitely a bit standoffish at first, really not interested in Laura being caretaker but she gently perseveres and that combined with basically there being no other options, you get to see her develop a fun bond with them.
My only criticism of this one is that I do honestly feel like it was a bit short – I could’ve spent so much more time with these people! I wanted more from them, more with Laura and Mick and more just…general stuff. I never felt like I had trouble connecting with anyone but I do feel like a few more things could’ve been developed more. This is a relatively short book, it definitely could’ve easily had another 50+ pages, for me personally. This is still another excellent Danielle Hawkins book though. If only I had more to read!
8/10
Book #93 of 2024