Tricia Stringer has certainly tackled some big topics in this book. Set in a very small country town, the reader is introduced to several very different women and some interesting men. As the story unfolds, each woman is revealed with their flaws and strengths. Tricia Stringer is not afraid to confront the big issues, Homosexuality and acceptance, drugs, single motherhood, farm succession, dying communities and infidelity, yet all are handled with grace and dignity. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and would whole heartedly recommend this to lovers of Australian fiction..

I must admit that it took me a little while to settle into this book, but when I did, I thoroughly loved the storyline.

Families intertwining with love and secrets opens up a pandora box of questions and acceptance from one generation to the next with a different way of life of seeing and understanding life.

In the end love and a strong community brings everyone together!

A wonderful read!

This was an enjoyable small town country read. This is the type of book that's perfect for a winters day laying on the couch listen to the rain.
First time trying/hearing of this author and I would definitely read another of her books

Life in a rural country town can be restrictive with privacy hard to maintain. We could all relate to one of the many vivid characters and the personal embarrassment felt when life is not working according to general community expectancies. Everyone tries to keep their own family problems and issues restricted.

The truth will eventually surface on buried secrets. The friendships and camaraderie of the women reflect the goodness in life.

It was hard to put the book down. I was submerged in this community with its humor, gossip and wisdom.

Tricia Stringer brings to life the tiny town of Bedara in South Australia, and its inhabitants.
Marion has recently retired as a teacher, and finds her days empty. She turns her energies to organising an exercise class in the town's tiny hall which is in need of repair.
She cajoles her cousin Briony to attend, and other residents Jean and Gloria. New comer Paige also turns up and, eventually, the reclusive Sarah.
Each of the women has particular family problems which sets the novel very much in today's world.
To raise funds for refurbishing the hall the women decide to hold a Back to Bedara Festival, but this may involve uncovering secrets that will tear apart, rather than bind, the community together..
Tricia Stringer captures the secrecy, the loyalty, the feuds and the caring of small towns perfectly.
Each woman develops a better understanding of herself, her family andvtheirutual community.
I was engrossed in this book and was sorry to leave the characters behind.

Excellent story and characters.
Written very well, you really get the feel of the people and the town of Badara.
Everyone seems to be related, as you most likely are in a small rural town, as Paige soon learns.
Paige is a single mother of three, new to Badara, and Lo and behold, her three children have all different dads. That’s not going to go down to well, where everyone knows your business and some are still stuck in the ice age.
Paige joins an exercise group for the local ladies, and boy are they so different.
I really love how the story flowed, and that the women were very helpful and kind to Paige, although Paige did think they were nothing but sticky beaks.
We have a lovely novel of friendships made and friendships broke, some set in their ways that they don’t even realise the consequences of their actions.
Very enjoyable read, and I loved the way it ended. really different.
Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for this EARC

It took a few chapters for me to get into this, but once I did, I didn’t want to put it down. And I kind of wished it hadn’t ended. Badara seems like the kind of town I’d love to live in. Small and supportive.
Paige is a strong character. A dedicated mother to her three children and not ashamed of their parentage. Her friendship with Dane is genuinely cute to read.
Marion and Briony are as similar as they are different and the book wouldn’t be the same without them. Briony got on my nerves a little with her reaction to her sons news, but the more that is revealed about her, the more her reaction makes sense and the more empathetic I feel toward her.
Sarah is lovely. She seems like a soft character who keeps her head up regardless of what happens to her.
Jean and Gloria aren’t featured as much, but are pivotal to the essence of the story.
I found enjoying this way more than I thought I would.
I received a copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

I have not read many books by Tricia Stringer but I must say I enjoyed this one and loved that the topic is so relevant in todays society. It is a book about acceptance and friendship and it really does hit the mark.

When you first start reading you think it is about a select few people which in a way it is but more importantly it is about a community and how small towns can be tough places to live but can also be a great source of friendship, fun, support and even love.

The story revolves around a group of women in a town called Badara. You learn about this group of women, their lives, there hardships, their friendships and their families. Each person (and their families) have parts of their lives they don't want to share as they feel they will be judged and talked about, and they will, but the hard part is learning to accept, to support and to love.

And although I do feel it was a little bit predictable in some parts it is still a great book and a story that should help us all learn understanding, acceptance and the fact we are all different yet we are all the same.

A great read and I do highly recommend it as a book that you will love and enjoy.

Well-drawn characters and an intricate web of interpersonal relationships. Loved the way the settings served the story, and so much of the small town life in this story resonated with me - right down to the invisible but very sturdy wall that divides those who were born there, and those who are trying to settle there (and fit in). A very easy and enjoyable read, with lovely insights into rural life to keep you entertained and keep you reading. What I really appreciated about this story is it's compassion or kindness. It shows you all these wonderful, flawed individuals - all guarding secrets, How bringing those secrets out into the open can free you from the burden of them, and how understanding and acceptance of others' flaws can come easily to any of us - for we are all flawed. I was sorry when the story ended. I could have followed the lives of these truly memorable characters for several more hours without tiring of them! Now I am off to make a batch of sausage rolls and do some exercise!

PS: Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this uncorrected story in exchange for an honest review.

Badara is a small country town in South Australia, where everyone is distantly related and knows each other’s business. Single mother of three Paige Radcliffe moves to the tiny town, she looking to escape the city and hide.

Paige doesn’t know anyone in Badara, she’s lonely and she joins the local exercise class at the town hall. Paige is nervous about going, people tend to judge single mothers and it makes her feel uncomfortable. The ladies at the class are older, they have lived in Badara for years, and they bombard Paige with gifts. At first Paige assumes they feel sorry for her, but in a small town people often share excess fruit and baked goods and it’s one of the many benefits.

Marion Addicot and Briony Hensley are sister-in-law’s, their husbands are farmers and Marion has recently retired. Marion can come across as rather curt, and Briony is rather proper and likes to do things perfectly. Briony isn’t prepared when her married daughter Chelsea moves home and her son Blake returns from London and reveals a big secret. Briony and Vince have their three adult children back in Badara, Vince looks at the situation differently to his wife, he thinks the family are reconnecting and Briony feels everything has changed, not for the better and she doesn’t handle it well.

Marion is horrified when they start talking about holding a back to Badara weekend, in the 1970’s they had a similar celebration, a time capsule was buried and Marion wants it to stay in the ground. A sixteen year old Marion and her friend wrote down what they thought about people at the time and local gossip.

Marion’s letter is found, read out during exercise class and feelings are crushed. Marion is ashamed of what she wrote, how can she repair the damage she’s done and apologize. Marion hides at first, then she sets about making amends for her hateful letter, she bakes batches of her famous sausage rolls and starts delivering them. This causes a tidal wave of change, slowly her friends forgive her and they all experience a revelation? Women put a lot of pressure on themselves, they juggle too many things, keeping up the appearance they have everything under control and they don’t need any help.

I received a copy of Keeping Up Appearances by Tricia Stringer from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. Small Australian rural towns usually have a hall, church, primary school, a football and netball club. Life revolves around these things, most of all it's about sharing community spirit, friendship, support, a feeling of belonging and camaraderie. Ms. Stringers descriptions and characters in her latest novel were simply perfect, I laughed and cried while reading the narrative. It was honest, raw, tender, funny, a sisterhood and a bond was formed between the five women and five stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for graciously allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This wonderful novel brings small-town Australia to life, complete with engaging characters, a crumbling hall, and the interwoven histories and dynamics that can be found in country towns anywhere.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read and the characters likeable. It dealt with social issues that occur everywhere, not just “the big city”. Having just moved to a small town in Australia myself, it was interesting reading!

Maybe it's because I live in a regional town, in South Australia, but I really understood the dynamics of a country town and how welcoming these communities are to new residents. Tricia made the small town of Badara ,and the community she painted with strong and memorable characters, real for her readers . It doesn't often happen these days that I have trouble putting a book down, but I read Keeping Up Appearances in two sittings - good job it was a weekend! and was sad when I'd finished.
The dynamics of a small town, where many are related to each other, and where secrets are often kept to the detriment of the holders, was expertly described by Tricia, who immersed us in her story and the lives of the town's folk. I could see the old bakery, smell the neglect of the post office and appreciate the creaking floors and falling plaster of the local hall.
I am motivated to bake sausage rolls and take an exercise class - at least for today (I'm not much of a baker, nor an exerciser!)
I don't want to give away any of the story, but do read the book for yourself. Overall it is kind - it's a book which helps you understand that people are flawed but can, at the same time, be so uplifting in their management and acceptance of flaws. It shows us how some secrets need to be aired and shared and when they are finally in the light they cease to be a burden on the holder. It's a book about the importance of remembering and celebrating and compassion and understanding and growth.
Like I said before, I found it hard to put the book down, was sad when I finished that there wasn't more - and what can be better and more satisfying for a reader than that!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader's copy of Keeping Up Appearances by Tricia Stringer in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely story of a small rural community discussing issues that could impact any family.
Cast includes old stalwarts of the town and a couple of newcomers.
Marion has some old secrets hidden away in the time capsule from when she was a teenager.
She desperately wants these to remain concealed.
Paige has newer secrets that she doesn't want to divulge to the people she's just getting to know.
Briony will do almost anything to stop her families secrets from getting out.
But secrets have a way of escaping and maybe we just need to learn that do less harm out in the open.
I found this a light enjoyable feel good read. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for a preview copy of this book.

I made a big mistake in trying to read this book. It is definitely not to my taste. The writing is in the category of ‘what they ate for breakfast’, there is minimal plot and nothing significant seems to happen. Those interested in the family saga genre might gain something from it.

Once again Tricia Singer has written a wonderful novel with a great storyline. A glimpse of life at its best and worst in the small Australian country town of Badara. Giving and taking, happiness and sadness, seriousness and humour, and most of all secrets bring this novel together for a great read. Recommended read and well worth five stars.

Tricia Stringer, Keeping Up Appearances, Harlequin Australia, 2022.

Thank you, NetGalley and harlequin Australia for providing me with this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

Reading an Australian author is so often an experience of Australian landscape, geographical as well as cultural. Tricia Stringer brings a small country town, with a nearby larger coastal town, to life in this story of family, friends, secrets, and gossip. And, never far from the action, are the sausage rolls and freshly baked biscuits shared with tea and coffee over tables in various homes, the hall after an exercise class, at the beach, and in the bush.

Families are linked through long term residency in Badara, marriage, friendships and biology. Some family links are peripheral to the town but provide the impetus in developing friendships in the town. These and relationships within the families living in Badara create tension that, while uncomfortable at times, readers of Stringer will know will be resolved. Family links do not always mean that friendships flourish, quite often they are testy and difficult, harbouring problems that must be solved for the tenor of the community to continue.
Manoeuvring around difficulties created by family relationships that do not meet expectations is an important part of the novel, and familiar problems such as dealing with single parenthood, teenage motherhood, drugs, sexuality and past indiscretions, as well as attempting to keep up appearances are raised. The title embraces more than the stock character whose attempts to cover up her family’s lifestyle and behaviour create tension in the immediate and extended family. The newcomer, whose story is the focus of the novel, is also adept at covering up, attempting to keep up appearances, even though these largely revolve around her financial hardship.

This novel is an easy read, with characters that are engaging, and resolutions to problems that are woven nicely through country town events. The exercise classes are undertaken to music and language that resonates with anyone who has experienced such programs. The proposed Badara festival dances are familiar as typical of country town dances. Empty buildings repurposed as homes would also be familiar in towns where business and population has diminished. Young people learning to drive on the farm, bush walks and coastal picnics are familiar. The desperation to maintain privacy in a small community is also familiar, and is at the hub of this novel. So, too, is the wise advice that times have changed and what would have been a source of gossip in the past may well not be in the present. And if it is, a supportive family is one bulwark; the other is an understanding that seeming insurmountable obstacles have solutions. By the end of the Keeping Up Appearances even the most troubled character knows that this is so.

Tricia Stringer always brings the goods when she tells a story and Keeping Up Appearances is no exception.

A cast of eclectic characters come together in the small town of Badara, a small town with a long memory and quite the number of scandals. A small town where it seems the family connections are strong, and many, with newcomers always struggling to try and piece together where everyone fits.

Keeping Up Appearances is an apt title for a story filled with characters that have a lot going on, fuel for the gossips.
Stringer's characters are relatable, well-rounded and believable; especially if you have ever lived in a small town.

An engaging read that captured me from the beginning and kept me curled up long after I should have been attending to my own housewifely duties.