I started this but got to about 25% and could not finish. It didn't draw me in, and perhaps just the topic just was not for me. I appreciated what I did read, as it was atmospheric and built a good picture.

I started it and could not get into it. I skimmed and saw where it was going but could not give it my full attention and focus so have opted not to continue read so will notreview.. Thank you for the opportunity. (DNF)

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Headline : Mining a rich seam of human feelings
Stars : 4
An interesting collision between two damaged people both attracted and repelled by others at the same time. Outwardly easy going Evan has a history of being unable to sustain relationships and Addie turn up to fill a void.
Addie though has her own issues which eventually lead to high drama. The thread throughout of a search for gold and the eventual bittersweet success in this echoes the love story of Evan and Addie.
This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Note :
I reviewed this book on Amazon when it was released on 11 July 2019

There's gold in them there hills of New Zealand? - yes who knew! Well the author obviously and there is some excellent description about the Southern Alps where apparently geographically there wouldn't be gold as such but other minerals.So the location isn't exact but then why should it be it's about the main characters. Evan Cadwallader knew nothing about his drunk father but starts to unravel some of his past when he dies and Evan goes to visit the old cottage in the foothills and then receives from a stranger the deeds to pan for gold in a 'claim'. Retreating from his own emotional traumas with his newly aquired dog Viva Evan seeks refuge.
When he and the dog discover a woman, near to death,her impact on his life will be immense.
Drawing closer together and slowly trying to uncover Addie's past Evan is perhaps naive in believing everything the young woman tells him. But perhaps he wants to create his own idyllic partnership in this seclusion?
The scenery is evocatively described with its bleakness in winter but its lush greenery and bountiful abundance when the sun comes out. The descriptions of life in the cottage as the two grow closer and make a life for themselves and the journeys to uncover more gold amongst the rocks and streams are wonderful.
At times it feels as if the story is set a long time ago, but is is contemporary mentioning the Christchurch earthquake in 2011. The remoteness of much of New Zealand serve to make it seem of an earlier age and reminded me of the film 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople' where those that want to be lost from the real world can easily achieve this in the countryside.
Overall the plot takes a little time to get going and the significance of what Addie has brought to Evan is slowly revealed with a dramatic ending. The relationship becomes dependent not on their love for each other but really for their deceit that they chose to believe. Interesting to learn more about this aspect of New Zealand and the writing has much to recommend it.

This was a well-written book, but I found it very slow, and overly-descriptive in places. It was pretty obvious to me from early on how things would turn out, and on the whole I found this book a bit disappointing.

The Claim by David Briggs was an atmospheric story sent in New Zealand.
Evan is staying at a ramshackle cottage in the Southern Alps left to him by his father and he is prospecting for gold. This has been his retreat from his home in Christchurch for quite a few years and he loves the solitude and the land.
During a storm he finds a young woman Addie injured and almost unconscious and rescues her. He takes her back to the cottage and tends to her wounds and slowly brings her back to health. As the weeks go by Evan begins to have feelings for Addie and falls in love with her. His luck is changing and he is happy and wonders if there can be a future for them.
Evan was a great character and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and the land.
At the beginning of the year I spent six weeks traveling round New Zealand and visited many of the towns and areas mentioned in this book and this helped me to visualised the places in the story.
I really enjoyed this book and will be looking out for more work from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Red Door Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.