Title:
Stone Cold Kiwi (New Zealand Ever After, #2)
Amazing, Emotional, heart-stoppingly beautiful story
By Rosalind James
3/7/2020
This story features a woman on the verge of her life and marriage falling apart and handsome doctor with a Casanova-complex, some really funny secondary characters, relatives, a dog and a duck. Not necessarily in that order.
Poppy and her children, whom we met in the previous novel in the series, Kiwi Rules, is a successful entrepreneur, children's book author and illustrator, when her brother Jax - the hero in Kiwi Rules - and Karen were getting married. And at their wedding Poppy meets a handsome and unattached Maori doctor, Dr. Matiu Te Mana, a relative of Karen's side of the family.
Poppy and Matiu meet each other again in the crisis of the birth of Poppy's third baby, Isobel. She is in a very public place with her two young children and suddenly went into labor and it escalated to crisis point very quickly. My impression of Poppy were that she kept incredibly calm under the circumstances, and put her young children's needs above all else -to ensure they were not afraid and kept them safe. Dr.Te Mana comes on the scene right outside the emergency room of the hospital - on the grass where Poppy is about to give birth.
What Poppy will soon learn, just after the birth of her child, is that her husband of 8 years, and her children's father had been betraying her in the worst way, and her marriage is essentially over. The story begins with Poppy's world crashing into flames, and is all about how this woman rises out of the fire as a phoenix and overcomes her challenges, and explores a new relationship possibility - with the last person she thought she would be attracted to.
This story is so much more than a woman in a rebound situation, finding love with her doctor hero and savior. This story is so emotionally deep, complex, and rich, and becomes more symbolic of Poppy's journey towards her freedom of spirit and courage. Through this blossoming friends-to-lovers romance with Matiu - it ends up enlightening and changing him too - changing HIS views on himself and his expectations for female relationships, along with his sense of character and integrity. Matiu is a much deeper and a stronger character than he gives himself credit for.
The dynamics of the ex-husband-and the extended family members who are lovingly - or not-so-much - trying to interfere with Matiu and Poppy's emerging relationship. Some of these moments are hilarious - and some are heartbreaking as you see Poppy's inner strength develop and flourish, allowing her to stand up for herself and become the confident and bold woman she never thought she had in her. I love this vulnerability that Poppy showed-and how she overcame her internal self-doubts and self-image issues. I can sure relate to all of these issues. Poppy's story brings to light all the doubts of a new post-partum mother, with her body changes and challenges, explores her emotional responses to some very real horrific events. Ms.James really gets it right in all her descriptions of the physical and emotional exhaustion, the realities of post-birth issues, and the truths that all of us women who have been down this road instinctively know.
No cliff-hangers or other parts to buy after this story.. and though I highly recommend going back and reading the beginning of the series of books, "Kiwi Rules" (Jax and Karen's story), and check out the "Not Quite a Billionaire" series (Hemi and Hope's story).
Rosalind James is a wonderful American writer and has spent a considerable amount of time in New Zealand and Aussie-land. She shares her amazing experiences with the New Zealand culture (and imaginative, creative story-telling) with us and we are lucky indeed to enjoy the results of her work. Another great one - and possibly my new favorite (it's at least in the top 3 now). This one will check off all of your boxes for a great romantic story! A job well done!
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