{"title":"Mary-Anne O'Connor","description":"\u003cp\u003eMary-Anne O'Connor's novels weave rich \u003cstrong\u003ehistorical fiction\u003c\/strong\u003e with heartfelt \u003cem\u003eromance\u003c\/em\u003e, transporting readers to evocative periods filled with love, resilience, and hope. Her stories often explore the complexities of relationships set against the backdrop of momentous events, drawing readers into vivid, immersive worlds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith titles like \u003cem\u003eAt the Going Down of the Sun\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Stowaway\u003c\/em\u003e, O'Connor captures the enduring spirit of her characters, blending emotional depth with historical detail. Readers can expect poignant tales that balance passion with the challenges of the past, beautifully told through evocative prose.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-stowaway-by-mary-anne-oconnor-9781761350313","title":"The Stowaway","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn epic romantic adventure of passion and heartbreak in an age of exploration, danger and opportunity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNorway, 1828. A fiery descendant of Vikings, Elsa Ferner wasn't termed Elsa the Determined by her father for no reason. So when her mother pushes her to marry a wealthy but unscrupulous man, she seizes the opportunity to stow away and escape. Now aboard \u003ci\u003eThe Starling\u003c\/i\u003e with her ally, handsome English officer Thompson Smith, she chooses to trust her heart, following their shared destiny on the salted wind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn arriving in Iceland, it seems the pair might finally explore the possibilities of a new life together. However, a rash and catastrophic act sees Thompson taken away in chains, with Elsa the one now fighting for their future, and leading them on to new frontiers. However, tragedy strikes, and Thompson chooses to stowaway himself, this time to Tasmania, embittered yet resolved to find a new life with their son, Sven.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLittle do they know that Elsa searches for them, even to the ends of the earth, never giving up on love...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Stowaway\u003c\/i\u003e is an epic romantic adventure that whisks the reader from one end of the earth to the other, to witness sights unimagined, see places steeped in timeless beauty... and to experience passion and heartbreak in an age of exploration, danger and opportunity on a desperate quest for love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46549339144428,"sku":"9781761350313","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761350313.jpg?v=1749898055"},{"product_id":"never-to-surrender-by-mary-anne-oconnor-9781867225454","title":"Never to Surrender","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1941. A young German-Australian soldier meets a passionate Cretan girl and together they are caught up in guerrilla warfare during the brutal Nazi invasion of Crete. A heartfelt, sweeping saga of World War II, from the peaceful farmlands of NSW to the Mediterranean's glittering, dangerous shores, for readers of Fiona McIntosh, Nicole Alexander and Natasha Lester.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1939: Australian-born Carl Smith loves his country and despises fascism, but he never meant to go to war. He is training to be a doctor and wants to protect lives, not take them. But if enlisting is the only way he can save his German-born father, Dr Louis Schmidt, from an internment camp, he will.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1941: Athena Papandrakis has grown up on the island of Crete, swimming in jewelled waters and exploring ancient ruins. Now her home is under threat and she is ready to fight to defend it from the hated Nazi invaders, just as her ancestors sought to protect their island home in the past.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Carl arrives in Crete with Allied Forces soldiers evacuated from the Greek mainland, he and Athena are intoxicated by each other. Carl is not the man her traditional parents would have chosen for their daughter, however, and hiding the secret of his German heritage from Athena could further threaten their love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDecisions must be made when they find themselves in an intense final stand against the Nazis as the Allied Forces retreat and the Cretan peasants are forced into guerrilla warfare. For Carl and Athena, it becomes a desperate quest for survival ... and love, loyalty and trust will fight a battle to the last.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Arotahi Agency","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46671060336876,"sku":"9781867225454","price":32.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22381463482852.jpg?v=1752798722"},{"product_id":"christmas-joy-by-mary-anne-oconnor-9781761347979","title":"Christmas Joy","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1889 Rye, Sussex, England\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eJoy by name, joy by nature,\u003c\/em\u003e Miss Joy Parker loves nothing more than performing acts of kindness and making other people's lives brighter. Even the loss of her family's fortune and being forced to accept a job as a lady's companion to the formidable Lady Hyacinth Montague doesn't get her down. Hyacinth treats her as the lowliest of servants—until her great-nephew and heir, Earl Peter Montague, arrives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough Joy makes a disastrous first impression, Peter is soon captivated by her compassionate ways. Fireworks spark between them, and Joy finds herself unexpectedly yet heartbreakingly in love, for in the world of high society, love and marriage are considered two very different things... and Hyacinth has far grander hopes for her great-nephew than the impoverished Joy. Jointwoods Manor is filled with the cream of the upper class, with Lady Regina of Hove as the leading contender for the prize of becoming Peter's wife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eJoy is charged with organising a lavish Christmas ball, one she can hardly attend in her homespun gown. As the snow falls on this picturesque seaside town on Christmas Eve, Joy's kind heart becomes ensnared by a scandalous plot, and she is left to wonder if the games of the idle rich render love an impossibility... or if the magic of Christmas will deliver the greatest gift of all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'So breathtakingly beautiful . . . Mary-Anne O'Connor truly is the Queen of Australian Historical Romance.'\u003c\/em\u003e GOODREADS\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Historical fiction of a quality that will take you on a beguiling roller-coaster ride.'\u003c\/em\u003e BETTER READING\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46800507240684,"sku":"9781761347979","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761347979.jpg?v=1757292420"},{"product_id":"at-the-going-down-of-the-sun-by-mary-anne-oconnor-9781761344435","title":"At the Going Down of the Sun","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn epic romantic adventure of love and war inspired by true ANZAC heroes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Fans of Natasha Lester and Victoria Purman will adore...' - Better Reading\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e1914 - Brothers Thom and Archie Hogan are the best of friends who love nothing more than tinkering with their father's old biplane. They dream of one day flying over the wheatfields of their farm, but when Molly James arrives in town, matters of the heart come between them. Beautiful and headstrong, Molly captures the attention of both young men, until war strikes and the brothers rush to enlist. Molly answers the call to nurse in London, and nothing is a game any more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Middle East and Europe, war takes to the skies for the first time. There, Archie and Thom clash with legendary foes in a desperate quest for survival, even as a battle of hearts wages below. Tension between the trio looks set to implode - just as Molly is faced with a dangerous mission all on her own. At the going down of the sun, heroes will rise, hearts will soar, and ANZAC legend will be made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBased on a true story of the author's grandfather's wartime experiences in Gallipoli, \u003cem\u003eAt the Going Down of the Sun\u003c\/em\u003e explores the intense bond between soldiers and brothers fighting in war, and a love with the power to tear them apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Brilliant historical fiction set against the backdrop of the carnage of World War One. Mary-Anne O'Connor's best work yet, which is saying something.' - Goodreads\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePraise for Mary-Anne O'Connor:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A roller-coaster of emotions. One minute it will have you laughing; the next you'll be heartbroken. It's that good.' - Good Reading Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Heart-warming and heart-wrenching' - the Hoopla\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Moved us deeply' - Apple iBooks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Wins over the reader with the clarity of her characters and a strong plot' - Daily Telegraph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Will stay with you well after you have finished reading it' - QBD bookstores\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47076117283052,"sku":"9781761344435","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/2745503482815.jpg?v=1765191474"},{"product_id":"mary-christmas-by-mary-anne-oconnor-9781761347948","title":"Mary Christmas","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA charming holiday romance set in an age-old snow-covered English village.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt the most magical time of the year, will Mary choose independence or love?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt's 1909 and Mary Richards has worked hard to gain an education and become a teacher in her close-knit, picturesque village in the Cotswolds, but not everyone approves of her modern ways.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen her sister Emily becomes engaged to David Christmas, it seems fate will intervene in the form of the best man: his eligible brother Johnathon. Mary finds herself in danger of falling for this handsome, almost too perfect stranger, only married women have to give up their careers as soon as they're wed and there's no way Mary is going to sacrifice her dreams for a man.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eYet the ancient village of Bibury has a way of weaving its enchantments over them all, and as the winter snows fall and Emily's Christmas Day wedding approaches, Mary isn't immune to the romance of the season. In the end she must decide whether she's ready to embrace love or not, and if she can truly have the best of both worlds on the eve of what could well be the most magical Christmas of them all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLike any good romance, you know how this book ends, but finding out how they get there is half the fun.\u003c\/em\u003e This book is full of charm and heartwarming feelings, with beautifully-balanced characters and the perfect historical backdrop. The perfect Christmas read.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePraise for Mary-Anne O'Connor\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Mary-Anne O'Connor is historical fiction royalty.' \u003cem\u003eGOODREADS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Beautiful, engaging storytelling.' \u003cem\u003eSUNDAY TELEGRAPH\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Historical fiction of a quality that will take you on a beguiling roller-coaster ride.' \u003cem\u003eBETTER READING\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'So breathtakingly beautiful . . . Mary-Anne O'Connor truly is the Queen of Australian Historical Romance.' \u003cem\u003eGOODREADS\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48149994143980,"sku":"9781761347948","price":38.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781761347948-mary-christmas.jpg?v=1786493386"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/mary-anne-oconnor.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}