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Maggie Christensen
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The Life She Deserves (Granite Springs Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Maggie Christensen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 694 ratings


Two old friends. A new relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

Growing up in the small Australian country town of Granite Springs, Jo and Col have been lifelong friends.

Following Jo’s divorce and the death of Col’s wife, the pair find comfort in their common grief. But as they tentatively explore their new relationship, they have little idea of the challenges that lie ahead.

What they haven’t bargained for is Jo’s interfering ex, along with their three children, all of whom have their own agendas.

Can Jo ride out the storm? Will she be granted the life she deserves?

If you enjoy heartwarming second chance romance in a rural setting, you’ll love this book. Download The Life She Deserves today.

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  1. Book 1 of 9
    Granite Springs
  2. Print length
    292 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    October 9, 2019
  6. File size
    805 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"I totally adore this series - wonderful stories, the best of writing, characters who have become friends, a vividly drawn setting, a touch of tension and intrigue, a few moments of drama, real lives I always feel privileged to share." Being Anne

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07XBB5DVN
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cala Publishing
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 9, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 805 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0648522416
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 9 ‏ : ‎ Granite Springs
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 694 ratings

About the author

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Maggie Christensen

Maggie Christensen

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Maggie Christensen writes about mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives - women who have learned to live and love in later life and the heroes worthy of them, heartwarming stories of second chances. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends.

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women's fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her frequent visits to family in Oregon, USA, her home on Queensland's beautiful Sunshine Coast.

From her native Glasgow, Scotland, Maggie was lured by the call 'Come and teach in the sun' to Australia, where she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of thirty years on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them - her idea of heaven!

Sign up for Maggie's newsletter at maggiechristensenauthor.com/free-book

Visit Maggie's website at maggiechristensenauthor.com

Follow Maggie on twitter at www.twitter.com/MaggieChriste33

Join Maggie on Faceboook at www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
694 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's characters relatable and enjoyable to read, with a story that holds their interest from beginning to end. Moreover, the family dynamics receive positive feedback, with one customer noting how it explores relationships between parents and adult children, while another appreciates its true-to-life portrayal.

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9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them relatable.

"Thoroughly enjoyed how the characters were so realistic, situations not unlike many families of divorces, and depth of long friendships that occur..." Read more

"...Loved everything else about this book. Great characters." Read more

"...The characters and situations were true to life, a bit much for one family, but that made the book interesting, and ended well...." Read more

"A beautifully written story of life as it is. The characters so real, I almost felt it was written specifically with me in mind...." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a lovely read, with one customer describing it as a beautifully written story of life.

"...This story was fascinating and a great read. The family had their own ideas on how she should behave or live...." Read more

"I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely read. I did have to look some terms up on Google regarding some of the food! Lol...." Read more

"A beautifully written story of life as it is. The characters so real, I almost felt it was written specifically with me in mind...." Read more

"...I read it in one sitting. This is a new author for me and I definitely will be reading more of her books." Read more

7 customers mention "Enjoyment"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one mentioning it held their interest from beginning to end.

"...That's a major no-no with me! Loved everything else about this book. Great characters." Read more

"...were true to life, a bit much for one family, but that made the book interesting, and ended well...." Read more

"This is the first book I’ve read by this authorI love a book that whisks me away, that provides an escape to other places in the company of..." Read more

"...Oh and a new love. Enjoyed reading." Read more

6 customers mention "Story quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with one mentioning it features true stories with happy endings.

"...This story was fascinating and a great read. The family had their own ideas on how she should behave or live...." Read more

"...a bit much for one family, but that made the book interesting, and ended well. I will probably read more from this series and author." Read more

"...Bravo for true stories with happy endings! I thank you for writing this wonderful book." Read more

"Once again Maggie has written a wonderful book. I found the story easy to get into and didn’t want to stop reading...." Read more

5 customers mention "Family dynamics"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the family dynamics in the book, describing it as a good Australian family story that explores relationships between parents and adult children, with one customer noting the depth of long friendships.

"...enjoyed how the characters were so realistic, situations not unlike many families of divorces, and depth of long friendships that occur after one..." Read more

"This novel explores the relationships between parents and adult children, and the often unrealistic expectations adult children put on their parents..." Read more

"This story revolved around a family and their journey in life. Jo really did deserve a happy life...." Read more

"...It has the same family feel to it. I liked reading about Jo and her getting a second chance at love." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Engrossing
    Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Thoroughly enjoyed how the characters were so realistic, situations not unlike many families of divorces, and depth of long friendships that occur after one lives long enough to have them. Romantic moments were just that - no super erotica which often takes away the sweetness of stories. This is my first book on older middle age people I can relate to as I am a 60 yr old grandma who feels younger while hearing the "old" word thrown out now and then. A plus for me was learning some words and phrases used in Australia as I've never been there. I highly recommend the book to more mature older adults who like engaging family stories with definite touches of romance.
    One person found this helpful
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  • DAA
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Life She Deserves
    Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Jo has been divorced from Gordon for five years. She has started seeing Col after his wife died. But just as they were about to go public with their budding romance her ex decided that he wants her back. This story was fascinating and a great read. The family had their own ideas on how she should behave or live. What happens when she finally gets them all to listen to her is the best part of the story line.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sandra Wilkie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely read. I did have to look some terms up on Google regarding some of the food! Lol. There was one thing that I would change and that was when the pregnant woman knew she was pregnant and had a glass of wine. That's a major no-no with me! Loved everything else about this book. Great characters.
    One person found this helpful
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  • B J McGinnis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fast fun and easy read
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It held my interest from beginning to end, but I nearly felt drunk from all the wine they drank. The characters and situations were true to life, a bit much for one family, but that made the book interesting, and ended well. I will probably read more from this series and author.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lorinda S. Mckinnon
    3.0 out of 5 stars Main character lacked strength
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021
    I wanted to like this book. It had a promising plot, was well-written and interesting, and there were no glaring typos. But the main character was a complete doormat. I kept thinking that at some point the author would give her the courage to stop being a victim and take control. Instead, she did a lot of whining - and eventually the problems resolved themselves without her growing or taking a stand.
    Helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Maggie Christensen
    Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A beautifully written story of life as it is. The characters so real, I almost felt it was written specifically with me in mind. Bravo for true stories with happy endings! I thank you for writing this wonderful book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Sharman Reader
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting story
    Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This novel explores the relationships between parents and adult children, and the often unrealistic expectations adult children put on their parents' to make their own lives easier. Great character building, to the point I wanted to seriously tell them to back off!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ebony74
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Life She Deserves
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    As a woman of a particular age I simply could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting. This is a new author for me and I definitely will be reading more of her books.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • andrea
    5.0 out of 5 stars Middle age romance
    Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    What a great book, I could hardly put it down. I’m in my 60’s and to read about life still going on, it’s fabulous. Well written, already loaded Kay’s story.
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  • E. Roome
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Life she Deserves
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 26, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This is the first book in the Granite Springs series and it brought a whole new set of characters and the story brings each one to life and bringing realistic problems we can all relate to along with an engaging storyline. I have read quite a few of Maggie Christensen books and cannot recommend them enough and look forward to the next one in this series as they are easy reads and always has a good storyline.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Margaret Gleeson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Australia on October 15, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    What a fabulous story and so well written. Any of us over a certain age and marital status can relate. Our children thinking that we are there for babysitting convenience, them thinking they can tell us how to live our lives and who we should or shouldn’t be friends with. I just loved it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Toscana
    4.0 out of 5 stars "There's a lot going on in your family"
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 28, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Families, eh? We are so lucky to have them and love them, but they do throw up the “inevitable pitfalls”, as the heroine, Jo admits. She’s in a pickle: a divorcee, she’s fallen for one of her best friends – a widower called Col, who is also her ex-husband’s best friend…
    Two of her three children don’t like it and this leads to a threat to the lovely couple’s happiness.
    As a mother and grandmother, there is an awful lot of my own life I can identify with in this contemporary novel. It’s hard to split oneself. Having spent most of life working and bringing up children, now, in the twilight years, it’s time to grab onto the good times we’ve earned. Children find it difficult to realise that energy levels aren’t what they used to be – that we can’t manage all the babysitting requested; find it impossible to believe that a sex life might be possible for us; can’t understand we want time for ourselves and our hobbies. And we may be at fault too - because we find it hard to say no. But no is such an important word. Will Jo say no? Can she and Col find happiness? Read and find out… it’s quite a journey.
    I wondered why Col was such good friends with the awful Gordon. He even says “he’d always known his friend was devious, but this was taking it too far…” (No spoilers, but he is an unpleasant man: “He was like a bull at a gate when it came to getting his own way” …). And Jo’s daughter-in-law and even her own daughter come over as spoiled brats to me. I didn’t like them at all and I’m glad they aren’t my children.
    I’ve read a description of Maggie’s books as being like drinking a cup of tea, but I think this book is stronger than tea. A lot of wine is enjoyed in the story (and my mouth watered at some of the dishes consumed). I’d say reading Maggie Christensen’s book is more like enjoying a glass of sparkling white.
    Never having visited Australia, I enjoyed being taken there in the pictures the author painted. I even learned a few new words – and that’s always good for the little grey cells (Let’s call them silver cells, shall we?) ”Furphy”, “Tim Tams”, “fossicking” are some of these words.
    Pour yourself a glass of sparkling wine and enjoy this easy read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Lesley Mac
    4.0 out of 5 stars 2nd chances.
    Reviewed in Australia on August 21, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    While I enjoyed this book very much, my overriding emotion throughout the whole, was intense frustration! Jo, the female character whom the book is based around is a lovely, loving, loyal person. Unfortunately, 2 of her 3 offspring are selfish to the core and Jo, instead of telling them all—they are in their 30s—to grow up and mind their own business, pussyfoots her way around them, enabling them to make more ridiculous demands on her time and patience But the apples do not fall far from the tree because on top of these two charming, selfish people, there is an ex-husband who takes the cake in the selfish stakes. I could have screamed many times over!

    Still, Jo gets her happily ever after, but only after a near tragedy brings about a change in the personality of Jo's daughter and a cessation of demands from her son, who is, admittedly, led around by the nose by his overindulged wife. Luckily, Jo is immune to the blandishments of her ex-husband.

    Col, Jo's new love and Gordon's (ex-husband) partner in their legal firm, is a widower of 1 year and the two couples that were, have been best friends since their primary school days. Col's wife, Alice died after a long illness, and as both Col and Jo nursed her, she gave more than 1hint that she would be happy if her best female friend and her beloved husband were eventually to become a couple.

    Alice got her wish but only after much angst. I am obviously a much more selfish person than Jo, and my kids and their spouses would never act as Jo's children acted throughout the book, but I kept reading because I wanted Jo and Col's happy ever after.

    I took 1/2 a star off because of the mental screaming I did at Jo's soft attitude to her grown children, but that is of course my problem. The book is very well written and the fictional location of Granite Springs seems idyllic, even if, like most of Australia most of the time, it is caught in the throes of drought. But being Australia, there is also the very real potential of flash flooding in the township after devastating rains. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 and a half.
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