I have read the other three Bennett books, so it was clear to me, that I wanted to read this fourth installment too. But unfortunately, it wasn´t as good as the former two volumes have been. This fourth is too quiet, too pale at some points, and too much alcohol during some scenes. Though it was nice to see Kat and all the other characters again, even when they weren´t as active as they used to be in other volumes of this series. But I missed the special wit, the Bennetts books usually contain. Not here.
by Lilian Kaliner
Firefly Creek Series #4
Publisher Fischer TB on January 25, 2023
Genre Novel
Pages 336
Format Paperback
Source Fischer TB
Goodreads
✶✶✶½
Finally, holidays! How Anne looked forward to visiting her best friend Ethan Bennett and his family in tranquil Firefly Creek. There's just one thing she didn't expect - that Ethan's brother River looks delicious. However, he is a few years younger than Anne and exactly the type of man she has sworn off forever: messy, charming, and a little too wild. When River kisses her out of the blue, it's finally over for Anne. But soon she has to go back to Sydney, far away. Your relationship would have no future anyway - or would it?
Story
Anne is happy to visit Ethan and his family to become his daughter's godmother. But she also knows instantly, that living in Firefly Creek is no option for her. She needs some culture in her life, the ability to visit a museum, walk into a gallery or even just do a bit of shopping without having to drive for hours to do so. And River knows by instinct, that Firefly Creek can´t be everything he has ever seen in his life. So when Anne makes it clear to him, that she won´t be staying, no matter how hot the sex with him is, he has to make a decision. One that will change his life forever.
Style
On the one hand, it was very nice to be part of the turbulent everyday life of the Bennetts again. On the other hand, this time it was too quiet for me, both in terms of tone and action level. Too dignified. That certain something was missing. Admittedly, it was a kind of reading pleasure during some scenes and dialogues, but unfortunately, that didn't last for the entire novel.
It's a shame because the author has remained true to her gentle writing style. The only thing that didn't convince me was the change in River. He was stuck somewhere between an alcoholic and a child's head and hasn't changed there either. Should that be so? Should he be remembered for the rest of the series as a childish alcoholic man? Hope not.
Characters
The author didn't pull any breathtaking characters out of a hat here. Ethan's former town friend comes to Firefly Creek as his daughter's godmother but doesn't really stand out from the crowd of characters. She was too pale and insipid for me, although sympathetic in a way. River, on the other hand, is a hothead, a complete slob, and drinks far too much alcohol for my liking. Should he become an alcoholic or even represent one? If so, I don't think so at all.
What I found good, on the other hand, was the fact that one finds happiness off the beaten track and normal rules and lives it. However, the mother of the twins did not convince me. Neither in terms of their description nor their behavior. In my opinion, she was miles away from a hippie.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, the novel didn't quite convince me at the end. As I said, I was missing that certain something. Sure, it was nice to see the Bennetts again. But the cheeky humor, the quirky charm that was felt in the last two volumes was missing here. And unfortunately, the author couldn't compensate for that with her landscape scenes and sometimes wonderful dialogues. A pity. A real shame. Maybe in the next volume?
Happy reading
*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. The book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.
Stil
Einerseits war es sehr schön, wieder am turbulenten Alltag der Bennetts teilzuhaben. Auf der anderen Seite war es mir diesmal aber sowohl vom Tonfall als auch vom Actionlevel her zu ruhig. Zu gediegen. Das gewisse Etwas hat gefehlt. Zugegeben, es war auf eine gewisse Art Lesevergnügen während einiger Szenen und Dialoge, aber über den kompletten Roman hat das leider nicht gehalten.
Schade, denn ihrem sanften Schreibstil ist die Autorin durchaus treu geblieben. Nur war für mich die Wandlung bei River nicht überzeugend. Der hing irgendwo zwischen Alkoholiker und Kindskopf fest und hat sich da auch nicht verändert. Sollte das so sein? Soll der für den Rest der Serie als kindischer dem Alkohol verfallener Mann im Gedächtnis bleiben? Hoffe nicht.
Charaktere
Die Autorin hat hier keine atemberaubenden Figuren aus dem Hut gezaubert. Die ehemalige Stadtfreundin von Ethan, kommt als Taufpatin seiner Tochter nach Firefly Creek, sticht aber nicht wirklich aus dem Reigen an Figuren heraus. Sie war mir zu blass und zu fade, wenn auch auf eine gewisse Weise sympathisch. River hingegen ist ein Hitzkopf, kompletter Chaot und trinkt für meinen Geschmack viel zu viel Alkohol. Soll der zum Alkoholiker werden oder einen gar darstellen? Wenn ja, finde ich das überhaupt nicht gut.
Was ich hingegen gut fand, war die Tatsache, dass da einer sein Glück abseits der gewohnten Pfade und normalen Regeln findet und es auch lebt. Allerdings hat mich die Mutter der Zwillinge nicht überzeugt. Weder was ihre Beschreibung angeht noch ihr Verhalten betrifft. Von einem Hippie war die meiner Ansicht nach meilenweit entfernt.
Resultat
Leider konnte mich der Roman am Ende nicht ganz überzeugen. Wie schon gesagt, mir fehlte das gewisse Etwas. Sicher, es war schön, die Bennetts wieder zu erleben. Aber der freche Humor, der knitze Charme, der in den letzten beiden Bänden zu spüren war, der hat hier gefehlt. Und mit ihren Landschaftsszenen und teilweise herrlichen Dialogen konnte die Autorin das leider nicht auffangen. Schade. Wirklich schade. Vielleicht beim nächsten Band?
Lilian Kaliner
Lilian Kaliner, born in 1984, lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and lots of chicken in a small town near Freiburg. With her current husband, she traveled through Australia in an ancient camper van. They picked cherries at just under forty degrees to finance the trip, stayed on lonely beaches, were surprised by the cold in Tasmania – and got married shortly afterward. When she got the idea for a series of novels with a turbulent extended family, it was clear that she would be set in Australia.
