User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
It was 1934 and Stella Booth reveled in her newfound independence as she left her home in Mount Perry, for the first time, heading to Mackay in Queensland for a new job and new life. But the accident on the way north saw her life change its direction and surprisingly, her future happiness was secured. Arriving in Mackay with Jens Kristensen, a complete stranger who was making sure she arrived safely, Stella found work at the local post office while her accommodation was at a nearby boarding house where she befriended Valerie along with her landlady. Would her life change any time soon?
When Bethany Kristensen, skipper of
Lady Stella 2, arrived at the dock in Mackay, her thoughts were on the slight financial crisis which she knew was heading her way. It was 2019 and she and her brothers owned
Lady Stella 2, while Beth had been on or in the sea since she could walk. She knew all there was to know about boats, repairing them, financials, contracts and charters, but when she saw her mother walking along the pier toward her, her heart stumbled. And when she learned her beloved Gramps had passed away, Beth was in shock. Her devastation was complete – how would she cope without the most important man in her life anymore?
After the funeral Beth was successful in a tender with Dr Peter Brooks, a scientist researching the reef out at Osprey. She was excited as it would be a boost financially, and the three day charter for Peter to check out
Lady Stella 2 and ascertain if she would be what he needed was a time for Beth to get on top of the problems she’d been having. But would she? Could she? But it was after the charter when she was helping with the clearing out of Gramps’ house, that her discovery had Beth believing a long ago mystery might be solved…
Osprey Reef by Aussie author Annie Seaton is a breathtaking read set in two timeframes and covering portions of two strong, independent women’s lives. Tense and exciting, the lead up to the conclusion was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed both Stella and Beth’s characters, their families and what brought them all together. Ms Seaton has included the bleaching of the coral reefs around Australia and the issues of climate change are lightly touched on.
Osprey Reef is one I highly recommend for those who love suspense and mystery, mixed with light romance and intriguing history.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
This is the seventh book I have read by this author and the first where I cannot hit the four star button and say it was great. For some reason I could not become invested in either the characters or the story. Maybe I was having a bad day.
The setting of course is beautiful. Annie Seaton knows her Australia really well and picks the prettiest bits for her novels. The cover picture and the story made me long to be able to visit Queensland again soon! There was a mystery, a surprise ending, quite a lot of romance and two stories, one past and one present.
In fact everything was there but apparently it was not what I needed today. This does not affect in any way my keenness to read more of the author's books!
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book
Rating: really liked it
2019: Bethany Kristensen is the skipper of her family’s charter boat and her two brothers Andrew and James both have shares in the business. The Stella two, is a sixteen cabin boat, Bethany hires it out for events and fishing charter trips and she can be at sea for as long as two weeks. Of course she needs a crew to help her, she employ’s four people and she’s feeling the financial pressure. The Riley brothers are her main rivals, they undercut her prices, make up stories about her boat not being seaworthy and question her qualifications.
Bethany's approached by Peter Brooks, he’s looking for a boat to hire for his scientific program for the South Queensland Marine Institute and it would solve her financial problems. Peter’s impressed by the Stella two, Bethany runs a tidy ship, and how quickly she delivers the charter estimate. They will be traveling to a beautiful area called Osprey Reef, doing vital research into coral spawning and preserving the Great Barrier Reef for future generations. A series of odd incidents has Bethany worried, and she wants everything to run smoothly when Peter and his team are aboard the Stella two.
1934: Stella Booth leaves her home in Mount Perry, and she moves to Mackay, and by accident she meets Captain Jens Kristensen. Jens was making his final trip on his old boat, he’s purchased a block of land near the new harbor development in Mackay, and he plans on building a new house and boat. He and Stella fall in love, they marry and he names his new boat after his bride. When he fails to return from a sea voyage in 1939, rumors are rife, and Stella knows Jens wouldn’t have done a runner and left her with a baby on the way.
Osprey Reef is a story about Stella and her great granddaughter Bethany Kristensen. Despite living decades apart, they are linked together by Lars, Stella’s son and Bethany’s beloved grandfather, and the house her great grandfather Jens built, what’s been stashed away in her grandfather’s cupboards for years and secrets hidden deep in the beautiful blue Queensland ocean.
Osprey Reef is the first book I have read by Annie Seaton, I loved the dual timeline story set in sunny Queensland and it's two independent and strong female characters, and five stars from me.
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Rating: really liked it
Osprey Reef by Australian author Annie Seaton is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be my last. This truly is a beautifully written book and captivating story with a dual timeline that will capture the hearts of her readers. With detailed descriptions of the landscape combined with romantic suspense, strong characters and family drama this book was a sure winner for me. And of course, I must also make mention of the gorgeous cover which is very eye-catching. I look forward to reading more by this author and from what I’ve seen it looks like I have quite a few to catch up on.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review. Highly recommended.
Rating: really liked it
I fell into this fabulous story in the most beautiful of settings The Great Barrier Reef, it is a story of two strong woman one from 1934 Stella and one from 2019 Bethany, this is a must read story as we unravel a past mystery and see love bloom on the high seas and fortunes change, I do hope you come along for the journey it is well worth the trip.
1934 and Stella Booth is determined to get away from her small town and make a life for herself in Mackay but fate has other ideas when an accident in the harbour at Rockhampton puts her in the path of handsome sea captain Jens Kristensen and he is smitten instantly with this beautiful young woman. It is not long before together they are making a future and running a successful shipping company with their boat The Lady Stella, they do have many ups and downs but their love is so strong and beautiful.
2019 and Bethany Kristensen is now running the family chartering company and skippering The Lady Stella 2, there are problems with a rival company and they are not doing as well as Bethany thinks they should be but nothing is going to stop her from going forward. When she wins the tender for a group of scientists to take them out to the reefs to research the coral Bethany has no idea that this will change her life forever.
Bethany is devastated when her Gramps passes away, they were so close he taught her so much about the sea and boats but with the tender for Dr Peter Brooks and his team coming she knows Gramps would want her to keep moving and the trip is successful even if there were a few problems that had Bethany very worried, but her and Peter seem to have an attraction to each other and things are moving very nicely.
On their second trip with Peter and his team things take a couple of turns it looks like they may have found the answer to the Kristensen family mystery but sabotage turns to danger, can they get out of this and will the Kristensen family finally get closure on the past concerning Stella and Jens?
This really is an awesome read it takes in some issues that are really important to the environment at the moment, the location is totally awesome and the characters are just the best so true to life they were fabulous to get to know. It is a fast paced story that has everything a reader needs to keep then enthralled another keeper from a fabulous author, Annie Seaton, this is one that I would highly recommend.
My thanks to Harlequin AUS for my copy to read and review.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you Harlequin and Annie for sending us a copy to read and review.
A mysterious reef, a town filled with intrigue and family secrets are the breathtaking backdrop for Annie’s latest sensational read.
2019, Bethany Kristensen heads the family charter business and at times it has its challenges.
A rival business tries anything to mess with their reputation.
Beth is one day introduced to Peter, who is looking for a boat for his team to assist in a secret research program.
Soon danger is among them all.
1934, Stella Booth is escaping a life she dreads to embark on independence.
But a unfortunate accident sends her in a different direction, one with love on the horizon.
Both stories will collide, secrets will be revealed and the mystery of the sea will confess all.
A dual timeline saga that awards the reader an interesting and irresistible plot as well taking you on a fascinating history journey.
With a shrewd and sharp woven storyline, a bunch of savvy characters, a dazzling setting and cryptic atmosphere this great novel will be flying off the shelves.
I always look forward to a new book from this celebrated author as I’m always highly entertained from the very first page until the end.
A crisp original addition to her impressive catalogue of work.
Fans of Annie’s destination fiction tales are in for a fabulous treat as this is another compelling winner.
Rating: really liked it
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‘I’m looking forward to Osprey,’ Shane said. ‘I’ve taken a few trips out there and it’s the most awesome diving. The coral is still untouched by the issues that impact it closer to the coast.’
A tale of adventure, retaliation, family values, passion and an intense pursuit for a puzzle that lies at the core of Australia’s majestic Great Barrier Reef, Osprey Reef is the latest release from Annie Seaton. An atmospheric, intriguing and situational family saga, Annie Seaton’s new novel was a great story to complete my summer school holiday reading sojourn.
Fusing together two engrossing storylines in one cohesive and engaging narrative fold, Osprey Reef takes the reader to 2019 in the company of Bethany Kristensen. Bethany is in the fight of her life when the story begins. This young woman must summon all the courage she can to take over the all-important skipper duties of her family’s boat charter business. Bethany faces problems and setbacks all the way. From relentless business rivals to cost cutting measures, the Kristensen family business is only just managing to stay afloat. When the business secures a vital and lifesaving tender to conduct a research trip on the outer banks of the Great Barrier Reef, Bethany knows this is her only chance to save the business. But plenty of threats to this expedition surface, from deliberate treachery and destruction, Bethany walks a dangerous line. Turning the clock back to 1934, Osprey Reef closely follows the life of Stella Booth, a woman who challenges the expectations of her time to seek an autonomous life away from her small town. But Stella is unprepared for what adventures await her in her new home and it will ultimately send her life in a surprising direction, with far reaching implications. How are Stella and Bethany’s lives inexplicably linked and how will they each make their mark on Australia’s renowned Great Barrier Reef?
Osprey Reef by Annie Seaton was the perfect way to cap off the summer school holiday period. In fact, I think this latest release from Annie Seaton was an essential poolside accessory. Romantic, intriguing and mysterious, it was great to surrender myself completely to this book over a weekend.
Setting wise, Osprey Reef dazzles and blinds you quite literally with the sheer beauty of the north east coast region of Queensland. In a wonderful tribute to the place author Annie Seaton now resides, the breathtaking landscape of the Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding lands come alive thanks to Seaton’s vivid prose. For those who have not had the chance yet to visit this must-see destination, Osprey Reef allows the reader to experience this awe-inspiring locale in page form. What an amazing literary escape Osprey Reef offered. Annie Seaton certainly puts on a memorable and impressive show landscape wise.
In terms of the narrative, Osprey Reef is divided into two clear time frames. Situated in 1934 and 2019, Seaton crosses each time frame well so that they flatter one another with ease. I never felt a sense of division or separation between these two different storylines, they always worked in unison, offering the reader a generous page-based experience. With plenty of thrills, unexpected eventualities, romance, emotion, connection, memories, regrets, leaps of faith and matters of the heart presented along this fulfilling journey, the reader is completely entertained from page one. I lapped up the family saga component of this tale and I loved the addition of the family tree in the book, along with an accompanying map. These were great extra flourishes gifted to the reader to enhance the overall reading experience of the book.
Seaton’s characters are a fine bunch. I really warmed to the leading hands in both the past and present storylines. Both were brave, determined and independent women. However, Bethany and Stella were afraid of their own strength at times, which made both leads incredibly interesting to follow. Seaton allows her prime protagonists time to grow, change and set sail as the story gradually unfurls. It was great to be a part of their evolution process so to speak! Tying in love interests and supporting cast to their respective pathways made Osprey Reef an absorbing tale.
With an insightful glimpse into the environmental issues at the heart of one of our nation’s most treasured locations, combined with some fascinating history, compelling family relations and an equivocal adventure mystery, Osprey Reef has it all. Hurrah Annie Seaton!
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
Rating: really liked it
I have always enjoyed Annie Seaton 's books but I absolutely loved her latest novel - Osprey Reef. It’s set in the Whitsundays and Mackay, with a dual timeline and a story that has interesting twists and turns, making it hard to put down. Wonderful realistic characters and historic places and events that have been thoroughly researched.
What I loved the most was the history of Queensland in the 1930s and the lifestyle of those who lived in regional and northern Queensland at that time.
Highly recommend! For me, this is the author's best book yet.
Rating: really liked it
Osprey Reef is the first of Annie Seaton’s books that I’ve read – but it certainly won’t be the last.
It’s got all the goods that I look for in a can’t-put-down-read. Osprey Reef is a multi-generational tale, each story has strong and lovable characters, a beautiful love story intertwined with the lives, challenges and successes of the Kristensen family.
The story commences in 2019, introducing us to Bethany Kristensen, skipper of Lady Stella 2, working out of Mackay, Queensland as a tour guide, fishing charter. On returning to Mackay Bethany learns of the passing of her much loved Gramps, and is heartbroken.
Peter Brooks is a research marine scientist, looking to conduct research on the outer Great Barrier Reef, and arrives in Mackay looking to find a boat and skipper to collaborate with.
In 1934, young Stella Booth leaves her family home to work and live as a housemaid for the Mayor of Mackay – but before she embarks on the final leg of her journey from Rockhampton to Mackay, Stella is in an accident, saved by Captain Jens Kristensen, master of cargo vessel Delphinus and so begins a beautiful love story. Jens and Stella settle in Mackay, and Jens returns to a life on the ocean, whilst Stella embarks on her own career. Tragedy strikes however, and life doesn’t go as planned for Stella.
Intertwined with the tale of Stella and her challenges, the story develops around the work of Peter and Bethany and the love that blossoms between them. As the pilot trip for the research project gets underway, Bethany is faced with many challenges, but the capable and resourceful skipper, with the support of her crew and family overcome these.
A surprise find when clearing out Gramps’ home adds an element of mystery and intrigue to this wonderful story, set on the backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef.
I really loved this book, loved the characters and the strong storylines and am grateful to Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Osprey Reef is a dual timeline which is definitely not a favourite trope of mine, but despite this, the author Annie Seaton managed to keep me wanting to know what happens to both of the MCs.
Our present day heroine is Bethany who is the skipper of boat that can be chartered for fishing or sea trips. Bethany and her brothers bought the business off their father so he could retire - the brothers are basically silent partners while Bethany is the face of the business. As the story opens business has been slow and there is an opposition business that is constantly opposing her, bad mouthing her business and generally trying to undermine her at every opportunity. She suspects he has been responsible for some minor sabotage. Bethany meets an environmental scientist called Peter who wants to charter a boat so he can conduct scientific research out at Osprey Reef. She takes the job as it will really help them financially.
Our heroine from the past is Bethany’s great-grandmother, Stella. Stella leaves home in 1934 and moves to Mackay for work. There events lead her to meeting, and falling in love with, Captain Jens Kristensen. The two marry and life is wonderful until Jens doesn’t return from a sea trip leaving Stella grieving and pregnant. Many people say Jens has done a runner but Stella doesn’t believe this for one minute.
Peter and Bethany set out to the reef and gradually the two time lines come together as secrets are revealed. Osprey Reef has much going for it - there is conservation of natural resources, how climate issues are effecting nature. Then there is mystery, romance and danger. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the two strong heroines who lived life their way. I am looking forwards to her next release
With thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia/Mira for my copy to review
Rating: really liked it
A beautiful book by Annie Seaton and set in one of my most favourite places in the world in Queenland, Australia.
The story revolves around the Kristensen family in the present time and goes back and forth to the past and the first Lady Stella.
We are introduced to the wonderful Kristensen family and especially Bethany who now skippers Lady Stella 2, her determination to run the Charter boat and the problems she has keeping it running without the help from her family.
There are some twists and turns, troubles, surprises and loving friendships that kept me interested throughout the book. I enjoyed the characters, the loving family environment that Annie Seaton creates, and the fierce determination that Bethany shows in not letting anything drag her or her business down.
A 5* read for me and one I will definitely be recommending and buying for my bestie who has now come to love the beautiful stories that Annie Seaton gives to us.
Thanks to Netgalley, Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non Fiction, YA) & MIRA, Mira and Annie Seaton for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book. A definite 5* for me.
Rating: really liked it
What a magnificent journey this story took me on. I haven't been up the coast to these places since the mid 80s and I'm sure a lot has changed. I feel like I've just had not only a geography lesson but a history one too.
The characters were wonderful both past and present as the story intertwined between modern day and her great grandparents' lives around 80 years before. A mystery to solve brought us back to today and a wonderful discovery.
Beth is a competent, experienced skipper, the sea runs through her veins from generations past. Greed, crime and sabotage had me reading faster and faster to work out who was causing this.
I was teary a few times and anxious towards the end, who will survive?
If you love a great mystery, suspense and not to mention love then I highly recommend this tale of intrigue.
Rating: really liked it
Beautifully researched and written, the many layers of this story captivated and intrigued me. The author's love of the Whitsundays and Coral Coast shone through, with the dual timeline adding depth to the story. I read the last twenty percent in one gulp as I could not put it down. Well done Annie Seaton.
Rating: really liked it
Gosh, this book made cry a bit. Not a full on sob but definitely felt my eyes hot quite a number of times and some tears did manage to escape. This is not something I expected to happen at all when I picked up this book. There were just many touching situations and cry-baby-me just couldn't help myself.
Strong storyline, great themes, lovable protagonists - what else can you ask for?! I do wonder though just how much of this 'research' was made up and how much is real, especially about the sea cucumber; very curious. Oh, and uh, red herrings abound and guess who swallowed them all... That doesn't happen very often. And I really did not expect that twist! Enjoyed the read immensely and looking forward to another Annie Seaton's soon.
Rating: really liked it
Set in the gorgeous Whitsunday Passage off the north Queensland coast, Osprey Reef is a dual timeline maritime romance that unravels an eighty year old mystery. It’s clear that author Annie Seaton knows that area well. Her descriptions are spot on. This story is well developed with nicely rounded characters. I particularly liked strong female lead Bethany Kristensen, a skilled mariner and charter boat captain, whose common sense approach to one situation after another set her apart. I respected her work ethic although it was nice to see some romance develop. Bethany’s great grandparents Stella Maree and Jens were also characters that I quickly grew to likened respect. This story was intriguing and kept me guessing until the last few pages.
