Talk about a birthday ending in zero, this is it! Lisa Trumpeton Katz knows at breakfast that her hubby, Jake, has forgotten it is her special day. She decides to have her own private birthday, doing all the things she never gets to do. A visit to a museum, lunch, shopping, nails and a pedicure, she returns home exhausted. A terrific surprise awaits her as her son, Ted, flew in from Australia, her daughter, Portia, from Venice Beach, California and her sister Maxine and her husband, Gordon, also from Australia, all there. Corks pop and Jake is starting a testimonial to his wife of over 20 years when someone knocks on the door. Ted answers it and returns with a magnificent basket overflowing with red, long stemmed roses. Lisa reaches for the card as Jake tries to grab it first. "To my darling, Belle, cannot wait until we are together forever so I can bury my head in your thighs every night. All my love, Jake. " All hell breaks loose as Lisa throws the flowers in his face and orders him "out." So much for a happy birthday, Lisa.

Alone in her New York apartment, her children gone, divorce proceedings near, Lisa needs to finish her second book about the Bronte sisters. She makes the decision to return to Australia where she was born. Her son and sister are there. Perhaps she can finish her book and start a new chapter in her life. TUMBLEDOWN MANOR is a sweet tale of coming home, discovering her roots, fortifying her relationships with her family and perhaps finding a new love? Discovering the dilapidated ancestral manor that belonged long ago to her grandfather is for sale, she buys it and begins to restore it to its former beauty. Despite a flood, fire, dark family secrets, Lisa continues rebuilding the former Trumpeton Manor trading her City clothes to jeans and sturdy work boots.

I enjoyed the appearance of a feral one eyed cat, MOJO, that sneaked into Lisa's heart and mine too. Not to be excluded in the action is KIWI, the injured cockatoo that learns to fly after hurting his wing. Also sneaking into Lisa's heart, slowly but surely, is the handsome, landscape/designer Scott who is sweet, patient with a irresistible grin and a sense of humor that I find very appealing.

TUMBLEDOWN MANOR is truly a lovely story that has it all. It unfolds with lots of humor, present day social issues, and a description of a country I need to visit and needs to go to the top of my Bucket List. Well written, you have a new fan, Ms. Helen Brown. Thank you for such a sweet treat. It is delicious!

Book Summary

From New York Times bestselling author Helen Brown comes a witty, uplifting novel about a woman who discovers that it's never too late to build the home--and the life--you've always longed for…

The windows rattle. The roof leaks. Every surface cries out to be stripped, painted, or polished. But for writer Lisa Trumperton, the dilapidated manor house that once belonged to her great-grandfather is far more than the sum of its battered parts. It's the chance for a new start on her own terms.

The fact that it's in the Melbourne countryside of her Australian homeland, far from the deceitful ex-husband she just left behind in New York…well, that's a bonus.

Lisa sets to work refurbishing Trumperton Manor, assisted by her son, his friends, and a "Gray Army" of retired handymen. But it's not just her ancestral home that's being transformed. As she trades her chic Manhattan clothes for jeans and work boots, Lisa is changing and fortifying her relationships with her family and her sense of self.

There are floods, fires, and catastrophes, but there are new allies too, including a one-eyed cat, a stubborn cockatoo, and a rugged landscaper with an irresistible grin. Piece by piece, the house is pushing Lisa beyond her old limits, daring her to embrace something bigger, braver, and more rewarding than she ever dreamed.