Making Peace by Fiona McCallum

Making Peace Reviews

• 
  Brenda

  Hannah Ainsley had spent the past year in a fog - the grief over losing both her parents and her husband in an accident on Christmas Day was something she didn't think she'd ever recover from. But slowly her life started to come together. Her adoption of Holly and her kittens, Lucky and Squeak had had a lot to do with that. The unconditional love from those three furry critters went a long way to helping Hannah heal.
  
  Working with her artistic best friend Sam, who was going through troubles of her own, as well as sorting out her confused and unsettled mind once back at work had Hannah's emotions frequently up and down. But it was the meeting of someone connected to the past which had the most profound effect on her life, and the lives of Hannah's dearest friends. What would the future be for Hannah? Would she be able to move forward?
  
  Making Peace by Aussie author Fiona McCallum is an emotional look at grief and the various ways people cope. The support of friends is vital; the attitude of the grieving person has a great impact on how that person comes out the other side. Making Peace also shows a lot about forgiveness, empathy and friendship and while it is a follow on from
  Finding Hannah, it has been written to be read as a stand alone. It is a two book series - The Finding Hannah series - finishing with Making Peace. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended. I also love the cover :)
  
  With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read and review.
• 
  Dale Harcombe

  Two and a half stars.
  A year has passed since Hannah’s husband and parents died in a car accident on Christmas morning. Despite her grief she has worked to try and get her life back into some sort of order. Her friends have helped. But now it seems her best friend, Sam is facing her own crisis. This time Hannah needs to be her support. How can she help her artist friend Sam? But that is not all that is happening. When a chance meeting with the man who was driving the truck that killed her family, Hannah sees that the tragedy has affected his life, his employment and his family situation as well. Is there anything she can do to help both of them move on?
  I liked the theme of this book, which is about kindness and helping others. The cover is gorgeous. I liked Hannah, who despite the pain life had handed her, is able to care about others. As a reader I could see she is a generous, warm hearted person. What I did not need was to be told continually by all and sundry characters that she is, ’special, incredible, remarkable etc.’ It really started to grate. Each time it came up I felt, ’Oh here we go again. I got that already.’ Even though I am an animal lover, the other thing that annoyed me was the constant fuss about the cat and kittens. It was over the top and drove me nuts. These two factors spoiled what could have been a very good story, with a lot going for it. As a result I did not enjoy this story near as much as I expected to. It ended up just an okay read.
  
• 
  Claire Louisa

  3.5 *** This was a nice story. I do have to say I found all the characters too nice, too helpful, too understanding, it started to get on my nerves, but that might be me, but in my experience no one is as nice as all these characters were. The story itself was enjoyable, I hadn't read the first book, Finding Hannah, but I don't think that spoiled this book in any way.
  
  Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin (Australia), TEEN / MIRA for a copy in return for an honest review.
• 
  Theresa Smith

  Making Peace is such a comforting novel to sink into. The main character, Hannah Ainsley, is such a beautiful soul, I really enjoyed spending time with her. The power of kindness cannot be overestimated and I have really begun in recent years to champion kindness above all else; with my children at home and with the students I encounter in my day job working at a high school, as well as in my professional capacity within the book industry. So many good things can come from simply being kind, the ripple effect is pretty much never ending, so to read a novel that has this as its central theme, well, it really gave me a lot of joy. I relished it, every page, and looked forward to getting back to it as soon as I could each time I had to put it down.
  
  
  
  Hannah has pretty much been treading water for the year since tragedy struck and she lost her parents and husband in an accident. I admired Hannah so much. Here was a character who had every reason to feel bitter and disengaged with life; in losing her husband she also lost the future she had planned. An orphan and a widow in one hit. It’s overwhelming to even contemplate. When we meet her in Making Peace, she seems to be at a point where she’s consciously made a decision to live her life in the best way that she can, perhaps as an honour to the family she lost, and I loved that so much, such a powerfully positive message. She’s appreciative of her friends and conscious of them having supported her through her grief so she’s making attempts to pay this forward to them at every opportunity. There was a risk with all of this ‘kindness’ that Hannah may have come off as ‘too nice’ and not reflective of a woman grieving, but I feel Fiona has struck that balance well, testimony to her skill as an established writer. Hannah still felt frustrated, sad, adrift, tired and overwhelmed; she was still grieving, but she was also trying really hard to harvest happiness, and that’s something to be admired. Her well of empathy was deep and her capacity to accept the things that can’t be changed is humbling and I feel certain there will be many readers who will draw comfort and strength from Hannah, as I did.
  
  
  
  I enjoyed the supporting crowd within this novel that made up Hannah’s circle of friends. I had particularly sympathy for Sam though and I really felt that her husband Rob was giving her a raw deal. His reasons for leaving the marriage were one thing, and it happens that way sometimes and I totally understand where he was coming from, but I felt as though he was playing the family, especially Sam, neither here nor there but just jetting off overseas to run away and live as single man, checking in everyday as though he hadn’t just blown Sam’s world apart and left her to deal with the fall out. He was a bit weak in my eyes, but that also made Sam all the more stronger as well, so again, we see evidence of Fiona applying a deft hand to her characters and the situations she steers them into. I like the way this all panned out in the end for Sam, but Rob certainly angered me a fair bit before I reached this contentment.
  
  
  
  Making Peace is a lovely novel, a true comfort read to curl up with to while away the hours. A good one for book clubs too as there is plenty of material to explore and discuss. Making Peace is the follow up to Fiona McCallum’s Finding Hannah, and while it is a sequel, readers can be assured that you can also enjoy it as a standalone if you have not yet read Finding Hannah, but really like the sound of this one.
  
  
  
  Thanks is extended to HQ Fiction for providing me with a copy of Making Peace for review.
• 
  Janine

  This was a lovely, uplifting book with a happy ending.
• 
  Bree T

  This is the sequel to Finding Hannah but it could probably stand up well enough read alone in most ways. It’s been a year since the tragic incident that changed Hannah’s life – a year of grieving intensely and now it seems that Hannah is ready to put a foot forward and although she’ll never forget what happened to her or those she lost, her life must go on. She’s still very young (32 I think) and has a lot of opportunities ahead of her.
  
  Hannah finds herself caught up in her best friend Sam’s crisis and I think she probably embraces the fact that now it gets to be her that is the strong one. Sam and some of Hannah’s other friends provided strong shoulders for Hannah to lean on during her tragedy and now she gets to repay that in a way, by being there for Sam and helping her out. Not only does Hannah be a sounding board for Sam and a support base but she’s also a motivator. Sam is a gifted artist but lacks confidence in her own work. Hannah and their other friend Jasmine get to really push Sam, trying to make her see her talent and embrace it, wield it with confidence. She could really make something of it, if only she could believe in herself and her abilities. But Sam’s self-esteem has taken a pretty severe beating and that seems to be leaking into all areas of her life so Hannah has to take it upon herself to step up for Sam and help encourage her and push her to live up to her potential.
  
  One thing that really came through in this book for me was the whole “build your tribe” thing. It’s become a bit of a hashtag on social media etc but it’s an idea I’ve always liked. Hannah had some of her tribe taken from her but she still has some other real core members, such as Sam and Jasmine (the wife of her boss). In this book, Hannah finds more people and befriends them, building relationships with them and bringing them into her tribe. It creates a group of women who are unfailingly supportive of one another, who would drop anything when one of them needed something and who can always be counted on for a sympathetic ear (but also a bit of a kick in the pants when required) or a good catch up. Hannah has an incredibly forgiving nature, something which is expanded upon greatly in this book. She has a capacity to see the whole picture, even when it’s about something that altered her entire life and her generous heart is definitely a huge part of this story. It probably also greatly enhances her ability to be able to move forward and begin to heal, even as she’ll never forget. Hannah does occasionally feel a bit too forgiving….in ways where she gets a bit too involved with things that don’t really concern her…but it all seems to work out very well. This is a very positive book in that pretty much all of the interactions and events are beneficial and there are not any real conflicts or setbacks, other than the one that Sam experiences, which even though she is a victim of, it’s not really about her as such. It’s part of the other main component of this novel, which is the ripple effect.
  
  I did struggle a little with Finding Hannah and the quietness of the story, I kept looking for more. But with this one I thought I was more aware of how the story would go so I didn’t have those expectations and I was able to enjoy this a lot more. It’s a journey of healing and friendship and creating your own destiny. Hannah is obviously a much more confident person in this book, time has helped her even though what occurred is always going to leave a permanent scar. It was good to see Hannah providing support for others and strengthening her circle of friends, creating her own family. The title of this book is very apt.
• 
  Christy

  
  Fiona McCallum has got another amazing story to share. Her love of writing and storytelling is apparent in this beautiful book.
  
  Making Peace is the sequel to McCallum’s Finding Hannah, but may be read as a standalone novel.
  
  It’s been a year since Hannah Ainsley lost her husband and parents in a tragic Christmas Day car accident. She has spent the last year still reeling from that loss, yet supported by an amazing group of friends, and her new pets Holly and her kittens Lucky and Squeak.
  She has started back to work at a job she loves, and the adoration for her boss is unwavering. However, it seems the job has lost some of the appeal and she doesn’t feel the same connection to it. Meanwhile, Hannah’s best friend and most staunch supporter Sam, is struggling with issues of her own and is desperate need of help. Hannah is determined to return the compassion she received from Sam and so badly wants to help her friend, but isn’t quite sure how. Then she meets someone who will help her understand that kindness is worth its weight in gold. Keeping busy and focusing on new issues seems to be just what Hannah needs to feel her own worth. Is there really a light at the end of the tunnel of grief?
  With all the change in her life, there is one thing that remains constant – a supportive group of friends. I absolutely loved how this book read, and I’m ready to move to Melbourne to insert myself in this group of friends. The message of kindness is so sweet and simple, yet so vital to all of us.
  
  I highly recommend this book!!
  
  Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin AU for the ARC of this lovely book.
  
• 
  Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves

  3.5* Full review at:
  
  
  https://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogsp...
  
  
  ‘Making Peace’ is the follow up to Fiona McCallum’s ‘Finding Hannah’ (which I have not read) and while it is a sequel, you can be assured that you will enjoy this as a standalone. This novel picks up one year after Hannah Ainsley lost her husband and parents in a tragic Christmas Day car accident. Hannah has spent the past twelve months moving through the process of grief, supported by her special group of friends.
  
  This is the story of how Hannah has reached a point in her life where she attempts to move on. Her loss will always be felt in her heart, however, she is making a conscious decision to move on with life. You can therefore understand that this is a tale of dealing with grief and how people cope with it. Given the circumstances of Hannah’s tragic loss, I believe the central theme of this tale revolves around the capacity to forgive as the first step in moving on. The need of strong, supportive friendships is also presented as being essential. Fiona tries to stress what she calls the ‘ripple effect’ in how kind acts can be repaid over and over in others lives.
  
  ‘I think it’s good that people, especially those you care about, are using what’s happened as a catalyst for change in a good way’
• 
  Jeanette

  A relationships read, as is the title, about forgiveness, relationships and moving on. The main character Hannah loses her parents and husband in a car accident. The loss to anyone would be soul destroying, however Hannah is just one of those people who seems to find rainbows from anything negative. Sadly, I was bored to tears and I felt I was in a TV soap. For those who read this genre it will be a nice wet day read
• 
  Monique Mulligan

  Making Peace, Fiona McCallum's sequel to Finding Hannah, is a tender, heartfelt story about friendships (new and old) and making peace with the past. In the mood for something comforting to curl up on the lounge with, this story hit the spot. Although it can be read as standalone story, it works best if you read it after Finding Hannah because you see Hannah's continued growth in the face of pain - and she learns that she doesn't have to fix everyone to be a good person. A gentle reminder about kindness and the benefit of good friends (and a cat or three), without quite reaching the tear-jerking heights of Finding Hannah, this book is the perfect curler-upper. Just make sure you have chocolate or your fave drink on hand so you can settle down for a long, uninterrupted read. 
• 
  Jessica

  Loved it!! I couldn't put it down!!
• 
  Tracy

  Disappointing. This is the follow on book to Finding Hannah. I usually like this narrator but in this case there are quite a few characters and she has literally no voices in her repertoire so there was a lot of “he said , she said , she said , he said ” it was annoying.
  Cats cats cats!! So much dedicated to cats. Why? Touch in the fact that she now likes them and leave it.
  If you’re sitting in a plane or the beach and need to pass a few hours go for it otherwise pass.
• 
  Em

  This type of book is something I would not normally read. It was recommended to me by my grandmother who loves it, but I really struggled to get through the book.
  
  I could not relate to any of the characters, particularly the main character, Hannah, whom I found very frustrating with the over-the-top politeness, constant apologising for everything, and the repeated mention of how her new cats had pretty much saved her life. Even the death of her family is rainbows and sunshine for her, with her seeing positives from every situation, but in an abnormal, unrealistic way. There is no character growth, she is annoyingly kind from the start to the end of the book. And you won’t forget it, with those around her constantly telling her how great she is (and of course, her downplaying it every time, because ‘everyone deserves kindness’).
  
  Half the book was constant reassurance of Hannah’s artist friend, Sam. She was always saying how she wasn’t good at art, and Hannah was always reassuring her about how great she was. It was very annoying. I just had no emotions towards any of the characters and did not honestly care what happened to them.
  
  Most characters are younger (30ish years old), but talk like they’re very old ladies. Most of the book consists of conversations between characters, including the most boring chat about what their plans are for the day, and how they will get to this place or another. The conversations included a lot of dull “Hmm” and “ok” remarks from the characters, adding nothing of value, and making the characters even more boring. The story was predictable, although in saying that, I feel like there was barely a story there. The few times anything went wrong, it was all rainbows and sunshine for the characters again. Followed by more talk of how Hannah’s cats make life worth living.
  
  It seemed the author managed to even spruik her apparent views on anti-religion and anti-horse racing completely randomly in the middle of a conversation with the characters. All of a sudden nearing the end of the book, we learn all the female characters are animal rights activists and eco-friendly. It was completely random, with no mention of any of this before, and nothing in their prior actions to reflect this. This all didn’t really match the characters’ boring personalities.
  
  2 stars because I’ve read worse, and I managed to finish this one.
• 
  Jodie (Sunshinejode) W

  This is a beautiful tale of loss, love and and friendship, of just how powerful reaching out to someone can change a life.
  
  "Making Peace" is the second book about Hannah Ainsley who in the first book "Finding Hannah" lost her beloved Husband and parents in a car accident on Christmas Day. Making Peace is a year later, I thought I would find it hard as I had not read the first book but I it was so well written that you were able to continue with this novel as it was able to be read independently,but I will now definitely read the first one.
  
  I found the story line beautiful and it was a very heart warming tale that made me think of my own beautiful friends and the support they give me and how important they are. It also reminded me that acts of kindness can be so life changing for both the giver and the receiver.
  
  I will now be adding Fiona McCallum to my ever growing collection of favourite Australian Authors that grace my bookshelves. Perfect feel good read that touches your heart and makes you feel glad you were able to immerse yourself in Hannah's life.
  
  Thank you Harlequin Books and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read this beautiful book.
• 
  Deb M

  Fiona McCallum has written a lovely, heart-warming book about a young woman Hannah Ainsley who is recovering after the tragic loss of her husband and parents. Hannah is experiencing all-encompassing grief and it is with the support from a close knit group of friends that she is trying to rebuild her life.
  
  I found this novel to be a lovely, easy read but also found it to be very saccharin sweet in some places. The regular description of the cats was just a tad immature, a bit frustrating really. The relationships with her friends is lovely and it was nice to hear of Hannah helping others and reciprocating the friendship and support she had received.
  
  I didn't realise this was a sequel until after I had finished and happily read this as a standalone book.
  
  Thank you to Beauty and Lace Bookclub and Harlequin Australia for the opportunity to read this book.
• 
  Bec

  I was lucky enough to win a copy of Fiona McCallum's 'Making Peace', and I absolutely loved it. A touching, feel good novel about forgiveness, family, friends, love and acceptance. I read this as a stand alone novel, as I am yet to read the previous story, 'Finding Hannah'. I wasn't in the dark with this book though, as it definitely holds its own. All the characters are lovable and without drama, set in a slightly predictable, perfect world. I did love reading this, and must admit it strongly held me captive for the two days it took to read. I look forward to enjoying more of Fiona's novels.
• 
  Lyn Richards

  It's been a year since losing her parents and husband in a tragic car accident and Hannah is doing her best to get on with things. She wonders what the universe has in store for her. Through a series of events Hannah finds herself face to face with the truck driver in the same accident as her parents. The story unfolds from here. Does time heal all wounds, can Hannah forgive such a tragic event?
  
  This is a well written and captivating story and the audio version is brilliantly narrated.
  
  
• 
  Rebecca Rutland

  Quite a nice book. I didn’t realise until after I’d started it that it was a sequel to “Finding Hannah” as there was no reference to this on the cover or blurb. There were no real peaks in this story, just a nice story of Hannah moving on after the tragedy she’d endured. A good read, but not a great read.
• 
  Vicki Robe

  This was the perfect continuation to Finding Hannah and was a very enjoyable easy reading story of Hannah Ainsley's life after a tragic accident impacted her life and how things turned around for her and her friends, and also some newly made friends as a result of the accident. A great read, highly recommended.
• 
  Tim Arundell

  Fiona McCallum’s sequel to ‘Finding Hannah’ was a great read and also therapeutic. It demonstrated the power of forgiveness through the main character: Hannah’s ability to move on from her grief and rediscover herself through work and her personal relationships. It was quite inspirational as the characters around Hannah also found their true potential.
• 
  Shelley Kinash

  I enjoy reading this author’s books, but was so disappointed in this one. I just couldn’t keep going. The language and character development was sickly-sweet fairy floss. There was too much sickly sweet superficiality - adorable cats and kittens and people repeatedly described as “dear and kind” instead of allowing personalities to reveal themselves.
• 
  Sherryle

  Fiona your more than an author in my eyes. Your absolutely fantastic story has left me in tears, a tightened chest & so full of love from this story it's so great. I want more. Thanks so very much for "Making Peace" a brilliant book ❤️❤️❤️
• 
  Dianne Vandenhurk

  I didn’t realise that this was the sequel to a book I had already read, choosing it to read more by Fiona McCallum. It was great to read what happened next & I think I liked it even more than Finding Hannah.
• 
  Mary Ladrick

  A lovely feel good relaxing book!! This is the follow up book to Finding Hannah (which I have not read). Hannah has a big heart, a beautiful person and very forgiving after deep sadness. Lovely characters in this one - an enjoyable read! I am interested in reading Finding Hannah down the track.
• 
  Joslin

  It wasn’t until I started that I remembered I’m not a huge fan of this authors writing style. I like the stories but there’s too much unnecessary detail and so much focus on the cats! As well as the female characters always being portrayed as such vulnerable self deprecating woman.