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Lost in Kakadu
WINNER: Romantic Book of the Year
Together, they survived the plane crash. Now the real danger begins.
Socialite, Abigail Mulholland, has spent a lifetime surrounded in luxury… until her scenic flight plummets into the remote Australian wilderness. When rescue doesn’t come, she finds herself thrust into a world of deadly snakes and primitive conditions in a landscape that is both brutal and beautiful. But trekking the wilds of Kakadu means fighting two wars—one against the elements, and the other against the magnetic pull she feels toward fellow survivor Mackenzie, a much younger man.
Mackenzie Steel had finally achieved his dreams of becoming a five-star chef when his much-anticipated joy flight turned each day into a waking nightmare. But years of pain and grief have left Mackenzie no stranger to a harsh life. As he battles his demons in the wild, he finds he has a new struggle on his hands: his growing feelings for Abigail, a woman who is as frustratingly naïve as she is funny.
Fate brought them together. Nature may tear them apart. But one thing is certain—love is as unpredictable as Kakadu, and survival is just the beginning…
Lost In Kakadu is a gripping action-adventure novel set deep in Australia’s rugged Kakadu National Park. Winner of the Romantic Book of the Year in 2014, this full-length, stand-alone novel is an extraordinary story of endurance, grief, survival and undying love.
Together, they survived the plane crash. Now the real danger begins.
Socialite, Abigail Mulholland, has spent a lifetime surrounded in luxury… until her scenic flight plummets into the remote Australian wilderness. When rescue doesn’t come, she finds herself thrust into a world of deadly snakes and primitive conditions in a landscape that is both brutal and beautiful. But trekking the wilds of Kakadu means fighting two wars—one against the elements, and the other against the magnetic pull she feels toward fellow survivor Mackenzie, a much younger man.
Mackenzie Steel had finally achieved his dreams of becoming a five-star chef when his much-anticipated joy flight turned each day into a waking nightmare. But years of pain and grief have left Mackenzie no stranger to a harsh life. As he battles his demons in the wild, he finds he has a new struggle on his hands: his growing feelings for Abigail, a woman who is as frustratingly naïve as she is funny.
Fate brought them together. Nature may tear them apart. But one thing is certain—love is as unpredictable as Kakadu, and survival is just the beginning…
Lost In Kakadu is a gripping action-adventure novel set deep in Australia’s rugged Kakadu National Park. Winner of the Romantic Book of the Year in 2014, this full-length, stand-alone novel is an extraordinary story of endurance, grief, survival and undying love.
Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
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About the author
Kendall Talbot
81 books454 followersKendall Talbot is a thrill seeker, hopeless romantic, virtual killer, and award-winning author of stories that’ll have your heart thumping from the action-packed suspense in exotic locations and the swoon-worthy romance.
Kendall has sought thrills in all 46 countries she’s visited. She’s abseiled down freezing waterfalls, catapulted out of a white-water raft, jumped off a mountain with a man who spoke little English, and got way too close to a sixteen-foot shark. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying wine and cheese with her crazy friends, and planning her next thrilling international escape.
She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her very own hero and a fluffy little dog who specializes in hijacking her writing time. Meanwhile, Kendall’s two sons are off making their own adventures – look out world.
Kendall’s book, Lost in Kakadu won the acclaimed title of Romantic Book of the Year 2014, and her books have also been finalists for Best Romantic Suspense, Best Crime Novel, Best Continuing Series, and Best New Author.
I love to hear from my readers!
Find my books and chat with me via any of the contacts below:
Website: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/
Email: kendall@universe.com.au
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Or you can follow me on any of the following channels:
Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/Kendall-Talbot...
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Kendall has sought thrills in all 46 countries she’s visited. She’s abseiled down freezing waterfalls, catapulted out of a white-water raft, jumped off a mountain with a man who spoke little English, and got way too close to a sixteen-foot shark. When she isn’t writing, she’s enjoying wine and cheese with her crazy friends, and planning her next thrilling international escape.
She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her very own hero and a fluffy little dog who specializes in hijacking her writing time. Meanwhile, Kendall’s two sons are off making their own adventures – look out world.
Kendall’s book, Lost in Kakadu won the acclaimed title of Romantic Book of the Year 2014, and her books have also been finalists for Best Romantic Suspense, Best Crime Novel, Best Continuing Series, and Best New Author.
I love to hear from my readers!
Find my books and chat with me via any of the contacts below:
Website: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/
Email: kendall@universe.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KendallTalbo...
Or you can follow me on any of the following channels:
Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/Kendall-Talbot...
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kenda...
Newsletter: http://www.kendalltalbot.com.au/newsl...
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 203 reviews
July 27, 2013
3.5 stars. Why yes, I was a fan of LOST. Of course my mind was going to go there.
Survival of the
What is it about survival books which fascinates me? If I had to take a guess, it would probably be the ingenuity of people when push comes to shove. All of a sudden, a socialite (LMAO, on my first type, I wrote socialist by accident) and a chef are becoming team MacGuyver and rigging up plane wreckage and extra luggage to serve as a shelter and hunting gear (the bra slingshot was epic).
I know that I would have eaten the wrong foliage and poisoned myself. Guess it's a good thing the survivors had a set of passenger notes on plant life in the area (how convenient!).
For those of you who've read On the Island...Who here was pleasantly surprised by how much they came to love the unconventional romance in that story? Well, you're in luck with Lost in Kakadu, I suppose. There's also a very unconventional romance which blooms from Lost in Kakadu, but it's not quite as much of a grabber. While I did come to eventually appreciate the long-awaited romantic aspect, it didn't resonate the same way with me that the one in On the Island did. However, I did get a chuckle out of Abi noticing Mackenzie's glistening pubic hair. Yeah...I don't quite get the fascination in mentioning more than once how someone's pubic hair glistened or shone.
But it's all good, because the strengths of this story truly were with the survival aspect. I was right there wanting to know what would become of these characters, one of which I didn't even like for most of the story (okay, maybe I didn't actually warm to any of them)! That is how riveting the survival angle of the story was to me.
Although, I have the feeling that a lot of other people will like this slow-to-build romance. It's hard not to start rooting for the characters at some point along the way, no matter how you felt about them at the start. How crappy of a person would I have been if I didn't want to see them succeed and find happiness again after surviving through so much personal loss?
This is probably one of the better-researched tales of survival outside of a general fiction. I didn't expect as much detail in a romance book, and I think the reader is going to be pleasantly surprised at how much thought the author put into every aspect of survival, which was quiet a bit more than we even saw in On the Island (and I had no big complaints with that telling). I love it when authors don't allow us to assume that people are doing what they need to do, but instead choose to tell us what they're actually doing, and manage to find a way to do so which is entertaining.
The half star point deduction is pretty much for my dislike of Abi. She showed a lot of growth toward the end, but I disliked reading through her eyes for a good portion of the book.
This book provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2019
This was another easy audio read. I find it easier than listening to literary fiction, which I mostly seem to find through my public library. I didn't think this was romance, more contemporary women's fiction. Abby is a socialite who finds herself enroute to Kakadu National Park with her sleazy husband, he is not faithful to her and they don't seem to have the best relationship. Leaving behind their ungrateful fifteen year old daughter they head off for their Kakadu trip. Disaster strikes and the plane crashes. Abby is a bit of a train wreck in this situation, still wearing heels and applying make up when the majority of the passengers were fatally injured. This is where your imagination has to do all the work, it is not overly realistic in terms of survival but it was a lighthearted read. Can Abby gain strength of character to survive in the relentless Australian bush? It is quite interesting the journey she and the other survivor, Mackenzie take. This was an enjoyable, quick and easy read.
October 4, 2016
Abigail Mulholland and her husband Spencer were about to board a small plane for their flight to Kakadu – the week was something Abigail had no desire to do, but she had no illusions about what would happen should she let Spencer go alone. Leaving their fifteen year old daughter Krystal at home was a given – Abigail was sad at the broken relationship between her daughter and herself, but knew she couldn’t do anything about it.
Midway through the flight and above some of Australia’s densest bushland in Kakadu, their small plane lost altitude and plummeted to the ground. The horrors of the following few hours was shattering. With the help of fellow survivor Mackenzie Steel, Abigail prepared for rescue as best she could. They built a fire so the smoke would be seen above the tree canopy; foraged for items which might be helpful and expected rescue within hours, if not a couple of days. But rescue didn’t come…
As days turned to weeks, grief was a constant companion as they had both lost their partners. But Abigail and Mackenzie formed an unlikely bond – through necessity they did everything together. But would they survive? The harsh bush was unforgiving – their courage and optimism trembled now and then, but didn’t wane. But was it enough?
Wow! An absolutely stunning suspense in a highly unusual setting, Lost in Kakadu was brilliant. Aussie author Kendall Talbot has hit the nail on the head with this one, and I wish I’d read it sooner. I will say the cover gave me a false impression of the contents as I expected a mostly romance novel. Not so – yes there’s romance but suspense is the bulk of the book! I thoroughly enjoyed Lost in Kakadu and recommend it highly.
Midway through the flight and above some of Australia’s densest bushland in Kakadu, their small plane lost altitude and plummeted to the ground. The horrors of the following few hours was shattering. With the help of fellow survivor Mackenzie Steel, Abigail prepared for rescue as best she could. They built a fire so the smoke would be seen above the tree canopy; foraged for items which might be helpful and expected rescue within hours, if not a couple of days. But rescue didn’t come…
As days turned to weeks, grief was a constant companion as they had both lost their partners. But Abigail and Mackenzie formed an unlikely bond – through necessity they did everything together. But would they survive? The harsh bush was unforgiving – their courage and optimism trembled now and then, but didn’t wane. But was it enough?
Wow! An absolutely stunning suspense in a highly unusual setting, Lost in Kakadu was brilliant. Aussie author Kendall Talbot has hit the nail on the head with this one, and I wish I’d read it sooner. I will say the cover gave me a false impression of the contents as I expected a mostly romance novel. Not so – yes there’s romance but suspense is the bulk of the book! I thoroughly enjoyed Lost in Kakadu and recommend it highly.
December 4, 2013
Full disclaimer - I only got 18% into this book.
The book blurb describes the main female characters as a "pretentious socialite." That's polite. She's a bitch, judgmental, weak, cowardly, and idiotic. Below are some of her finer moments.
They've just been in a plane crash. Abigail (the female MC) and Mackenzie (the male MC) are the only - apparent - survivors.
W.T.F? There's no sympathy or empathy for anyone else - it's all about her. Fuck you.
Here's a conversation with Mackenzie - who just lost his partner in the crash:
Fuck you, again.
Here we go with Mackenzie making her some coffee (though for the life of me I can't figure out why he keeps trying to be nice to her):
Maybe it did taste awful; coffee made over a campfire, in an empty bean tin can, isn't going to taste great, but get over yourself. She couldn't figure out why he was so angry, after she's been incredibly needy, ungrateful and bitchy the entire 2 days? Whatever.
So previously she'd eaten the only food they had (a Snickers bar), and then after the coffee she drank an entire bottle of water and BURNED the bottle (WTF?) so now they have significantly less water and one less container to capture and contain more water in. Idiot.
Really? Seriously? She's a bratty teenager and you think that's a reason to completely forget your DAUGHTER?? Self-centered much?
It's really no wonder where the daughter gets it from. This is Krystal finding out that her parent's plane has gone missing from a business associate of her father's (this is what made me give up - I can't deal with nothing but women who are assholes right now):
Charming isn't she? Love how much she cares. But wait - here's some emotion from her when she finds out her father's made plans in case anything happens to him and his wife:
Then she runs away and calls her father's mistress:
When I started and found out Abigail was married (to an asshole) and had a kid, I was really curious as to how the hell the author was going to make me believe in a romance while she's lost in the wilderness with some other guy. How could she not be concerned with getting herself back to her kid? How could she get over the emotional abuse her husband doled out for years so quickly to develop a healthy relationship? I shouldn't have worried about that because apparently she's forgotten her kid and her abusive husband already - it is, after all, all about her. To be honest, I'm bored and I'm irritated as hell with these women.
The book blurb describes the main female characters as a "pretentious socialite." That's polite. She's a bitch, judgmental, weak, cowardly, and idiotic. Below are some of her finer moments.
They've just been in a plane crash. Abigail (the female MC) and Mackenzie (the male MC) are the only - apparent - survivors.
"I have pain all down my back from that stupid girl."
Mackenzie glared at her. "She's dead, you know."
"Well, she should have put her seat belt on instead of flopping around like a bloody rag doll."
Mackenzie was lost for words...
W.T.F? There's no sympathy or empathy for anyone else - it's all about her. Fuck you.
Here's a conversation with Mackenzie - who just lost his partner in the crash:
(Mackenzie) "Hey, where'd we put that Snickers bar?"
(Abigail) "I, um...ate it."
"You what?"
"You gave it to me."
"No, I didn't. I offered to share it with you."
"I was hungry. I didn't think you'd mind."
"Why wouldn't I mind?"
"Well, you people are so conscious of--"
"People? What people?"
"You know...gay."
Fuck you, again.
Here we go with Mackenzie making her some coffee (though for the life of me I can't figure out why he keeps trying to be nice to her):
(Abigail) "Thank you." The hot liquid stung the inside of her mouth and she forced it down. "That's bloody awful!"
He glared at her. "Well, I'm sorry. The cappuccino machine is broken."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"You're so ungrateful."
...Replaying the conversation in her mind, she couldn't work out why he was so angry at her. She gave up, convinced she'd done nothing wrong.
Maybe it did taste awful; coffee made over a campfire, in an empty bean tin can, isn't going to taste great, but get over yourself. She couldn't figure out why he was so angry, after she's been incredibly needy, ungrateful and bitchy the entire 2 days? Whatever.
So previously she'd eaten the only food they had (a Snickers bar), and then after the coffee she drank an entire bottle of water and BURNED the bottle (WTF?) so now they have significantly less water and one less container to capture and contain more water in. Idiot.
...she jumped when Mackenzie spoke. "So do you have any kids?"
"Oh God, I forgot about her."
Mackenzie gasped. "How could you forget your daughter?"
She sighed. "Krystal and I don't get on..."
Really? Seriously? She's a bratty teenager and you think that's a reason to completely forget your DAUGHTER?? Self-centered much?
It's really no wonder where the daughter gets it from. This is Krystal finding out that her parent's plane has gone missing from a business associate of her father's (this is what made me give up - I can't deal with nothing but women who are assholes right now):
(Krystal): "What do you want?"
(Thomas): "I need to talk to you."
"So talk."
..."Your parent's plane has disappeared....They didn't arrive...and are currently listed as missing."
"So what? You know what Dad's like. He probably did it on purpose just to scare Mum."
"There's been no contact with the plane for two days."
"This's nothing! Dad went missing or over a week in the Amazon."
"I hope you're right."
"You can go now."
Charming isn't she? Love how much she cares. But wait - here's some emotion from her when she finds out her father's made plans in case anything happens to him and his wife:
(Thomas): "Actually, I'm here to take you to your grandmother's."
..."There's no way I'm going to live with that bitch."
Then she runs away and calls her father's mistress:
"Tina...have you heard?"
"I know, it's horrible. They don't know where he is."
"Dad'll be okay. I'm talking about me. They're sending me to Grandma Mulholland."
"Oh. Well, they have to follow--"
"I can't live with her. Tell them you'll look after me."
"I can't...They won't let me."
"You bitch."
When I started and found out Abigail was married (to an asshole) and had a kid, I was really curious as to how the hell the author was going to make me believe in a romance while she's lost in the wilderness with some other guy. How could she not be concerned with getting herself back to her kid? How could she get over the emotional abuse her husband doled out for years so quickly to develop a healthy relationship? I shouldn't have worried about that because apparently she's forgotten her kid and her abusive husband already - it is, after all, all about her. To be honest, I'm bored and I'm irritated as hell with these women.
August 27, 2021
1.5 Stars
I felt sure with its high ratings and a survival story set in the Australian wilderness, I’d be all set but I’m sorry to say, it was a miss. I have a list of gripes as long as my arm but my main issues were:
😡 insufferable h
🙄 unrealistic
🤨 one dimensional characters
🤔 unbelievable romance (can’t believe this won an award)
🥴 corny dialogue
😤 editing issues
😕 a depressing/unsatisfying side plot
😴 predictable and abrupt ending
Whilst I couldn’t bear reading anything to do with the h, I was strangely compelled to see it through to the end, curious as to her redemption. The last 25% was better, but even though she did recognise her many faults, I still didn’t like her (her change in personality largely consisted in her willingness to stop applying make up, admire her new physique, and giggle, a LOT - she was 40 for crying out loud)!!! Sadly, I guess this author just isn’t for me 🤷🏻♀️
I felt sure with its high ratings and a survival story set in the Australian wilderness, I’d be all set but I’m sorry to say, it was a miss. I have a list of gripes as long as my arm but my main issues were:
😡 insufferable h
🙄 unrealistic
🤨 one dimensional characters
🤔 unbelievable romance (can’t believe this won an award)
🥴 corny dialogue
😤 editing issues
😕 a depressing/unsatisfying side plot
😴 predictable and abrupt ending
Whilst I couldn’t bear reading anything to do with the h, I was strangely compelled to see it through to the end, curious as to her redemption. The last 25% was better, but even though she did recognise her many faults, I still didn’t like her (her change in personality largely consisted in her willingness to stop applying make up, admire her new physique, and giggle, a LOT - she was 40 for crying out loud)!!! Sadly, I guess this author just isn’t for me 🤷🏻♀️
May 6, 2021
4.5 stars
Oh, I loved this! Totally wild.
Packed with action and adventure… edge of your seat stuff.
Mackenzie was awesome, quite resourceful, a real MacGyver.
Fascinating reading about the challenges the survivors faced in an inhospitable and unforgiving place.
The Kakadu setting is spectacular. The scenery and the bush food details are fantastic. Each scene was so vivid I thought I was traipsing lost in the Aussie wilderness alongside the characters.
Can’t wait to explore Kakadu. It’s on the bucket list. (Not travelling by plane though lol)
A must read if you’re into Aussie wilderness survival stories.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #25 - A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
Oh, I loved this! Totally wild.
Packed with action and adventure… edge of your seat stuff.
Mackenzie was awesome, quite resourceful, a real MacGyver.
Fascinating reading about the challenges the survivors faced in an inhospitable and unforgiving place.
The Kakadu setting is spectacular. The scenery and the bush food details are fantastic. Each scene was so vivid I thought I was traipsing lost in the Aussie wilderness alongside the characters.
Can’t wait to explore Kakadu. It’s on the bucket list. (Not travelling by plane though lol)
A must read if you’re into Aussie wilderness survival stories.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2021: #25 - A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
January 12, 2014
Being a socialite is never a bad thing, if you can handle the pressure. But when it changes you into pure brat material let's face it no one is going to like you very much, you might even be disliked to the point where your husband cheats on you, and that is saying a lot.
But as in most cases in life there is always something that happens to open up the gates and a chance to leave behind the brat and bring out the real woman. In this read from author Kendall Talbot the opening of the gates happens for socialite Abi and leaves her with not only a chance to bring out the real her, but also a chance at survival in one of the most unlikely places and certainly not where she thought she would ever be.
Abi travels with her husband but the plane crashes and Abi finds herself trapped with another survivor Mac. Mac has lost his partner in the crash and is very torn up about the loss, however as the fight for survival in the middle of nowhere grows so does the chemistry between Abi and Mac, only letting go of the past fully and looking towards the future is always easier said then done and first things first they need to get out of there alive.
The character of Abi was fascinating to read , I have read others reads about socialites that are the typical brats but not written so intensely as by this author. Now as we all know there is always a reason behind the icy cold heart, either the pressure of being perfect, the pressure of never letting the true person you are shining through for fear of rejection, no matter the reason is always there .
I adored how the author let Abi unfold and eventually the true Abi shined through in vivid detail. She was a very real character for me as I could link her back to real life and the fact that most of us have this image we believe is important to uphold or a secret to protect and we defend our actions by hiding behind a icy façade or actions that is simply not the true us, yet we cling and cling to it until it changes us forever and not always for the best.
The character of Mac was rather unconventional and not what I usually expect in a romantic read. However the author made him work. A tortured hero yes, yet a life so sad that the more I read about him the more I was thinking so sad or tortured just plain heartbreaking and I wanted to fix the man somehow. I loved how the author lets him also face his past but at the same time lets him stay focused, a lot of men of his type would completely go batty over the lost situation, yes worse than most woman would.
I simply adored how the author let Mac and Abi not only build each other up from broken to healing but that she also lets them both find inner strength they never knew they had and not only through each other but also through individual acts, they both change into stunning remarkable people.
The backdrop settings were extremely well written by the author and I could with vivid detail picture the surroundings and after reading this book I have to get lost in Kakadu just to be able to truly see it all!
The dialogue was romantic, emotional, understanding, passionate, intense and humorous, yes all in one. I was kept on the edge of my seat not only rooting for these two to find happiness but also to get out of there! The survival elements used by the author was simply fascinating, I honestly cannot tell you what I found most captivating the blossoming relationship between Mac and Abi, them both changing, the power of death or the fight to survive or the descriptions of being lost, no wait I can, I loved it all!!
I'm taking away a message of when we reach a point of being truly lost and having to fight to get out alive, it is life trying to tell us we are on the wrong path and we need to take a detour before it is too late or we might find ourselves lost to the world forever.
The read does start out a little slow but builds to one heck of a ride or is that flight, either way you will not be disappointed. Mystery, secrets, adventure, love and truth setting them free.
I highly recommend this read for fans of romance but romance with more that just a few twists, the author delivered something new and fresh on each and every page. A thrilling, captivating, deep, adventurous and and very memorable read.
5/5 star review
"Hearts lost and happiness found"
January 1, 2015
I enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure what to expect but it won the Ruby award in Australia for a readers choice and was offered free a month or so ago, and I thought: why not?
I thought the editing was really good. Description of Kakadu was good and I liked the growth in both characters after their plane crashes and they become the sole survivors. I also liked the secondary plot to do with Charlie and his daughter.
The pacing kept me turning the pages all the way through, and I finished it in a couple of days with a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Well done Kendall Talbot.
I thought the editing was really good. Description of Kakadu was good and I liked the growth in both characters after their plane crashes and they become the sole survivors. I also liked the secondary plot to do with Charlie and his daughter.
The pacing kept me turning the pages all the way through, and I finished it in a couple of days with a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Well done Kendall Talbot.
January 29, 2019
I found this not a bad story, but not really my cup of tea. However I can see how many readers might love it as an escapist read or in the hope that their lives might also change dramatically, as the characters in this story. I thought the main plotline a bit too contrived and predictable and sometimes felt the author didn't sound very "Australian", rather using Americanisms, such as "college" instead of uni. Perhaps that was intentional though, for the USA market.
November 19, 2014
I bought this when it was on sale, thinking that a good plane crash romance would hit the spot. After finishing it, I would say that the spot was not exactly hit, much in the same way that the destination spot was not exactly hit by the crashed airplane. Ha!
We first meet Abigail in some rural Australian airport as she’s going on a trip with her husband. Abigail has recently learned that her husband has been sleeping around on her. She’s a rich society woman who pretty much hates the great outdoors, but she’s going on the trip to save her marriage.
Mackenzie is going on the trip with his gay lover because they’ve always wanted to travel to Kakadu, which is a big jungle-like park in the middle of Australia.
Then the plane crashes because of reasons, and Abigail and Mackenzie appear to be the only survivors. Abigail is wearing five-inch heels, her nails are regularly manicured, and she does not leave the house without her makeup. She spends the first moments/days after the crash complaining about her appearance and asking Mackenzie why they haven’t been rescued yet. Did I like her? Nope. I kept waiting for her to redeem herself somehow, and I waited some more.
Mackenzie is quite resourceful. He was a chef back in the real world, and he can do magical things with their supply of beans, flour, vegetable oil, and random jungle plants. He makes pots and pans out of airplane parts and learns how to kill various animals. For her part, Abigail eats the food.
This story as a whole was kind of interesting, in the way that any survival story is interesting. But the writing style was overly narrative, a lot more telling than showing. I didn’t feel like I was deep in the moment very often. It did keep the timeline of the story moving along, though. Mackenzie and Abigail are lost in the jungle for over a year, and reading about every monotonous — or even suspenseful — day would have made for a long book.
The POV switches between the characters, and occasionally goes to visit Abigail’s spoiled-little-rich-girl daughter Krystal who has to move in with her grandmother. I wasn’t a fan of Krystal, either.
Because of the length of time, Abigail does eventually become a better person. She happened to travel with her journal, so she’s able to read about her old self and recognize that she used to be a horrible person. She admits this to herself and to Mackenzie, and vows to never be that person again.
Oh, and by the way, Mackenzie is bisexual. Thank heavens for that, although the revelation is late and the sex isn’t very exciting. Again, that’s because the book rarely went into the deep emotions of the characters, so the moments didn’t connect with me.
The scope of the story was pretty epic. Abigail spent a lot of time admiring her new muscular body. They both became sort of super humans because of their ability to survive and even thrive. I won’t give away the ending, but I will say that it was happy, and then it was happier, and then it was happiest. At least for the characters. I was just kind of glad it was over.
Rating: C-
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/11/review...
We first meet Abigail in some rural Australian airport as she’s going on a trip with her husband. Abigail has recently learned that her husband has been sleeping around on her. She’s a rich society woman who pretty much hates the great outdoors, but she’s going on the trip to save her marriage.
Mackenzie is going on the trip with his gay lover because they’ve always wanted to travel to Kakadu, which is a big jungle-like park in the middle of Australia.
Then the plane crashes because of reasons, and Abigail and Mackenzie appear to be the only survivors. Abigail is wearing five-inch heels, her nails are regularly manicured, and she does not leave the house without her makeup. She spends the first moments/days after the crash complaining about her appearance and asking Mackenzie why they haven’t been rescued yet. Did I like her? Nope. I kept waiting for her to redeem herself somehow, and I waited some more.
Mackenzie is quite resourceful. He was a chef back in the real world, and he can do magical things with their supply of beans, flour, vegetable oil, and random jungle plants. He makes pots and pans out of airplane parts and learns how to kill various animals. For her part, Abigail eats the food.
This story as a whole was kind of interesting, in the way that any survival story is interesting. But the writing style was overly narrative, a lot more telling than showing. I didn’t feel like I was deep in the moment very often. It did keep the timeline of the story moving along, though. Mackenzie and Abigail are lost in the jungle for over a year, and reading about every monotonous — or even suspenseful — day would have made for a long book.
The POV switches between the characters, and occasionally goes to visit Abigail’s spoiled-little-rich-girl daughter Krystal who has to move in with her grandmother. I wasn’t a fan of Krystal, either.
Because of the length of time, Abigail does eventually become a better person. She happened to travel with her journal, so she’s able to read about her old self and recognize that she used to be a horrible person. She admits this to herself and to Mackenzie, and vows to never be that person again.
Oh, and by the way, Mackenzie is bisexual. Thank heavens for that, although the revelation is late and the sex isn’t very exciting. Again, that’s because the book rarely went into the deep emotions of the characters, so the moments didn’t connect with me.
The scope of the story was pretty epic. Abigail spent a lot of time admiring her new muscular body. They both became sort of super humans because of their ability to survive and even thrive. I won’t give away the ending, but I will say that it was happy, and then it was happier, and then it was happiest. At least for the characters. I was just kind of glad it was over.
Rating: C-
This review was originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/11/review...
August 12, 2013
Living only a couple of hours from Kakadu National Park, and having often camped there, I was drawn to LOST IN KAKADU like a moth to a flame (I know – cliché!). Kendall Talbot does a really good job of re-creating the conditions Abigail and Mackenzie had to survive in. Although LOST IN KAKADU is touted mainly as a romance, this is not light and fluffy and it actually gets quite gritty in spots – there is depth. Not sure how I would cope in the same situation and I am not spoilt and rolling in money as Abigail is. But she survived, and as she survived she grew as a character so that the Abigail that appears on the first page is totally different to the Abi that appears on the last. In fact, for me, how they survive is what makes the book, making it more action and adventure rather than just a romance. Abigail complains about everything, she wears make-up and inappropriate clothing and just did not get the concept of rationing water. However as days turn into months there is real growth, such as using her bra as a slingshot, and towards the end she is slaughtering a snake for dinner. Snake was a step up from baked beans – all I could think of was that the result of so much bean eating in the beginning probably broke down the shyness barriers as they both dashed for the nearest tree and trumpeted in the gloom of the rainforest!! My only gripe is that there is more than one mention of a kookaburra laughing. While the NT does have a kookaburra it is a Blue-winged Kookaburra and does not laugh. Overall LOST IN KAKADU is an action adventure novel with great survival tactics in a very isolated and tough part of Australia. There is plenty of humour, and a romance that takes it time to develop; they’re not at it from page 1. The main focus for me was the survival aspect and the adventure which was very good. This is a debut novel and I am looking forwards to more from this author.
April 13, 2019
I loved this romantic-lost-in-the-jungle adventure.
I wished more authors would write stories like this.
I wished more authors would write stories like this.
February 13, 2025
Reading the whole thing in less than 24 hours should sum up what a page turner this was! Whoa.
September 19, 2013
This book had two things going for it shortly after I began reading it. First, I knew it would be a survivor story and second, I was going to see some amazing character development take place. At least, I was hoping like mad that I saw some character development because the heroine was not a very likeable lady in the beginning. It was all good and the reader is meant to despise the person at the beginning, sweat tears with her in the middle and adore her by the end. It was all the stuff that I wasn't ready for that took it from a good story all the way to amazing.
The story opens in the airport with Abigail and her husband, Spencer, departing on a trip of rugged adventure to Kakadu National Park. They are not what they seem because in truth they nearly loathe each other. Abigail not only has strained relations with her husband; she has them with her teenage daughter too. Everything about the trip she is to take with Spencer has her worked up, but she is determined to go nonetheless. They board a small prop plane with a handful of other passengers and set forth.
Somewhere over the jungles of Kakadu, the plane has trouble and they crash land. Mackenzie wakes up to a nightmare. He started out the trip with the man he loves for an adventure vacation and ends up being one of two survivors. The woman, Abigail, is a selfish snobby Queen B. They have to not only learn to get along, but learn to survive. Burying their dead is only the beginning of their harrowing experiences when they realize that no one is coming for them right away. The plane sheered in half in the crash and they locate a third survivor, Charlie, who is barely hanging in there due to his injuries which he eventually succumbs to leaving behind the legacy of his field journal which will help them find edible plants and his letters to his family which tell a poignant story in their own right.
When days stretch into weeks and weeks into months, Abi and Mackenzie have become true survivors. They are remaking themselves especially Abi, but resources are running out and they must eventually discover if they can learn to survive the long trek back to civilization.
The plot on this one has a few layers to it. Its an adventure, its a 'lose yourself to find yourself', and its a romance. I have to point out right away that I loved how this story is rough and gritty around the edges both in the backdrop and the characters. This isn't a glossed over and watered down version of a story. It's very descriptive of what it might really be like, deprivations and emotional swings and all for someone who is lost and presumed dead in a jungle hundreds of miles from civilization.
It is also the story of normal flawed people. Mackenzie has a past that he has kept buried only telling the man he was in a relationship with and Abigail- wow, yeah- Abi, this woman might have all the outward fixings of the good life, but her life was messed up. I loved seeing her start out such a miserable selfish woman who Mackenzie would just assume drop kick off a cliff to someone who was a dependable partner. Mackenzie was like this awesome MacGuyver-like person who rocked the resourceful skills. He could find dinner and cook it. He could salvage things from their plane and turn it into a useful object. And he was someone with a strong enough character to take on Abigail in the beginning and give her chance after chance. Abigail wasn't as skilled as Mackenzie which caused her no end of frustration at first, but eventually she showed that she wasn't useless. I really enjoyed watching this two-some slowly come together not only as partners, but lovers. Mackenzie finds love for a second time and Abi learns what love is for her first time. They were really great together.
I probably should point out that ever once in a while the story would slip away from Abi and Mack's perspectives to what was going on with Abi's daughter back home. This was also a story of growth and survival in its own way.
Truthfully, I know my review doesn't do the story justice. I would encourage those who would a enjoy survival-style adventure romance that is a little on the spicy side pairing a bi-sexual man and an older woman to give this a try.
My thanks to the author for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
The story opens in the airport with Abigail and her husband, Spencer, departing on a trip of rugged adventure to Kakadu National Park. They are not what they seem because in truth they nearly loathe each other. Abigail not only has strained relations with her husband; she has them with her teenage daughter too. Everything about the trip she is to take with Spencer has her worked up, but she is determined to go nonetheless. They board a small prop plane with a handful of other passengers and set forth.
Somewhere over the jungles of Kakadu, the plane has trouble and they crash land. Mackenzie wakes up to a nightmare. He started out the trip with the man he loves for an adventure vacation and ends up being one of two survivors. The woman, Abigail, is a selfish snobby Queen B. They have to not only learn to get along, but learn to survive. Burying their dead is only the beginning of their harrowing experiences when they realize that no one is coming for them right away. The plane sheered in half in the crash and they locate a third survivor, Charlie, who is barely hanging in there due to his injuries which he eventually succumbs to leaving behind the legacy of his field journal which will help them find edible plants and his letters to his family which tell a poignant story in their own right.
When days stretch into weeks and weeks into months, Abi and Mackenzie have become true survivors. They are remaking themselves especially Abi, but resources are running out and they must eventually discover if they can learn to survive the long trek back to civilization.
The plot on this one has a few layers to it. Its an adventure, its a 'lose yourself to find yourself', and its a romance. I have to point out right away that I loved how this story is rough and gritty around the edges both in the backdrop and the characters. This isn't a glossed over and watered down version of a story. It's very descriptive of what it might really be like, deprivations and emotional swings and all for someone who is lost and presumed dead in a jungle hundreds of miles from civilization.
It is also the story of normal flawed people. Mackenzie has a past that he has kept buried only telling the man he was in a relationship with and Abigail- wow, yeah- Abi, this woman might have all the outward fixings of the good life, but her life was messed up. I loved seeing her start out such a miserable selfish woman who Mackenzie would just assume drop kick off a cliff to someone who was a dependable partner. Mackenzie was like this awesome MacGuyver-like person who rocked the resourceful skills. He could find dinner and cook it. He could salvage things from their plane and turn it into a useful object. And he was someone with a strong enough character to take on Abigail in the beginning and give her chance after chance. Abigail wasn't as skilled as Mackenzie which caused her no end of frustration at first, but eventually she showed that she wasn't useless. I really enjoyed watching this two-some slowly come together not only as partners, but lovers. Mackenzie finds love for a second time and Abi learns what love is for her first time. They were really great together.
I probably should point out that ever once in a while the story would slip away from Abi and Mack's perspectives to what was going on with Abi's daughter back home. This was also a story of growth and survival in its own way.
Truthfully, I know my review doesn't do the story justice. I would encourage those who would a enjoy survival-style adventure romance that is a little on the spicy side pairing a bi-sexual man and an older woman to give this a try.
My thanks to the author for sending me a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
September 27, 2013
I have never watched the TV show Survivor or Lost nor read a book called On the Island, (I saw the mentioned a lot in other reviews) so when I picked this book up, I wasn't set on comparing it to anything. I just wanted to get lost in a story...and holy moly, did I!
Frankly, I'm surprised I liked it as much as I did, because I don't normally dig male POV, but I really really liked this hero and in the end, it worked.
I devoured this in two days because I could not put it down. Once you get immersed in the story, you're not going to want to stop. It's just too exciting. It's not the kind of book you pick up occasionally and just read bit by bit.
It had a rough start. We meet a cast of really unlikable people on a plane...even the heroine isn't too likable. Then they crash...and from that point on...just OMG. Wow! The author doesn't gloss over the details of surviving in the wilderness. She gives us the perfect blend of MacGuyver-style surviving--turning airplane bathroom cubicles into bathtubs, making hammocks of parachutes, bras becoming slingshots; foraging for food and learning to hunt--crocodile eggs, caterpillars, frogs; and enough life-threatening, heart pounding moments--I really felt as though I was in the cave and panic was clutching at my throat as they each tried to find their way out. And the description--not too much, not too little.
The romance was really well done--slow, as it should be, considering what they've gone through and the losses they've faced. There was character growth (the heroine becoming a better person, the hero healing from his childhood), bonding, tears and humorous banter. The sex is excellent. I was slightly worried about how it would be as the characters aren't in a position to bathe regularly, but the author kept it short, sweet, and didn't have them doing anything that seemed disgusting in their situation.
I also really really appreciated the side story of the man's letters to his daughter. I loved that. Also of note is the moral about love--that love doesn't discriminate. Some fabulous words came from the hero about that. I wish now that I'd highlighted them, but I was so eager at all moments to find out what happened next... I confess I doubted they would make it.
I loved this story of adventure, surviving, and love. My only quibble (and I'm just being nit-picky) is I could have done without the heroine's bratty teenage daughter. I didn't feel she was relevant to the story and her attitude in the end...it didn't match what I was expecting from her. So since she WAS in the story, some more character development there was needed. I just didn't buy it--her easy acceptance of the twist of events, because she came across as just a pure demon spawn to me in the beginning and middle.
But this story was not only a wild ride; it also made me think about how we need to just forget what others think of us and just...live and be ourselves...cause you never know what could happen next.
And hey, guess what, I contacted the author and she agreed to share her how-to guide for turning your bra into a slingshot. Come find out how! http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
Frankly, I'm surprised I liked it as much as I did, because I don't normally dig male POV, but I really really liked this hero and in the end, it worked.
I devoured this in two days because I could not put it down. Once you get immersed in the story, you're not going to want to stop. It's just too exciting. It's not the kind of book you pick up occasionally and just read bit by bit.
It had a rough start. We meet a cast of really unlikable people on a plane...even the heroine isn't too likable. Then they crash...and from that point on...just OMG. Wow! The author doesn't gloss over the details of surviving in the wilderness. She gives us the perfect blend of MacGuyver-style surviving--turning airplane bathroom cubicles into bathtubs, making hammocks of parachutes, bras becoming slingshots; foraging for food and learning to hunt--crocodile eggs, caterpillars, frogs; and enough life-threatening, heart pounding moments--I really felt as though I was in the cave and panic was clutching at my throat as they each tried to find their way out. And the description--not too much, not too little.
The romance was really well done--slow, as it should be, considering what they've gone through and the losses they've faced. There was character growth (the heroine becoming a better person, the hero healing from his childhood), bonding, tears and humorous banter. The sex is excellent. I was slightly worried about how it would be as the characters aren't in a position to bathe regularly, but the author kept it short, sweet, and didn't have them doing anything that seemed disgusting in their situation.
I also really really appreciated the side story of the man's letters to his daughter. I loved that. Also of note is the moral about love--that love doesn't discriminate. Some fabulous words came from the hero about that. I wish now that I'd highlighted them, but I was so eager at all moments to find out what happened next... I confess I doubted they would make it.
I loved this story of adventure, surviving, and love. My only quibble (and I'm just being nit-picky) is I could have done without the heroine's bratty teenage daughter. I didn't feel she was relevant to the story and her attitude in the end...it didn't match what I was expecting from her. So since she WAS in the story, some more character development there was needed. I just didn't buy it--her easy acceptance of the twist of events, because she came across as just a pure demon spawn to me in the beginning and middle.
But this story was not only a wild ride; it also made me think about how we need to just forget what others think of us and just...live and be ourselves...cause you never know what could happen next.
And hey, guess what, I contacted the author and she agreed to share her how-to guide for turning your bra into a slingshot. Come find out how! http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
June 4, 2022
excessive homophobia for no reason.
October 14, 2014
This book has the worst heroine I've read in a long time! She's a selfish, spoiled socialite who forgets about her own daughter for days after a plane crash and gets angry with a dead person. There's a lot of gore and awfulness in the beginning. I really liked the hero, however, as well as the strong writing and well-researched setting. I love survival stories. If you don't, or prefer nice heroines, you might want to skip.
It reminded me of The Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves. The hero is bisexual, and younger. He loses his partner in the crash and he's a good-hearted interesting person. 4 stars for him, 4 stars for the story, 2 stars for the heroine. She went from terrible to perfect over time and it wasn't the most compelling transformation. But all in all an enjoyable jungle adventure with a sweet hero.
3.5
It reminded me of The Island by Tracy Garvis-Graves. The hero is bisexual, and younger. He loses his partner in the crash and he's a good-hearted interesting person. 4 stars for him, 4 stars for the story, 2 stars for the heroine. She went from terrible to perfect over time and it wasn't the most compelling transformation. But all in all an enjoyable jungle adventure with a sweet hero.
3.5
April 20, 2022
You Made Me Feel Like I Was There!
The best thing about this book was that every day my sister would ask what's happening in your story now? It started when I just had to describe a scene in my book and she plugged her ears "la-la-la, I don't want to hear about your gory story!" So I skipped to one of the characters reactions and my sister got hooked. As I was reading it, I would google Kakado and read about the UNESCO Park Preserve and then finally read the history of the aboriginals who lived there so long ago. Absolutely fantastic and well-written!
The best thing about this book was that every day my sister would ask what's happening in your story now? It started when I just had to describe a scene in my book and she plugged her ears "la-la-la, I don't want to hear about your gory story!" So I skipped to one of the characters reactions and my sister got hooked. As I was reading it, I would google Kakado and read about the UNESCO Park Preserve and then finally read the history of the aboriginals who lived there so long ago. Absolutely fantastic and well-written!
August 5, 2013
It is Abigail’s worst nightmare when the small plane she and her husband are on crashes somewhere in the Kakadu National Park. The pampered socialite had shoehorned herself into this trip to be with her husband Simon after being confronted with evidence of his infidelity. Now Simon is dead – nearly everyone from the plane is dead except for Abigail and Mackenzie.
Mackenzie and his partner Rodney were taking a holiday but now Rodney is gone. It is up to Mackenzie to take the lead and ensure that he and Abigail survive. One look at the privileged princess is all he needs to know that he’s going to have to take charge. A chef by trade, Mackenzie is able to make the most of their meager supplies, hoping that they’ll only be stuck in the jungle for a few days at most before rescue comes. But a surprising discovery in the cargo hold has him questioning their pilots motives and their course and he begins to wonder if rescue is even coming at all.
The time ticks by and Abigail and Mackenzie find themselves more and more drawn to each other. Their very different backgrounds give them plenty of reason to clash but their strength and determination to survive also gives them plenty of opportunity to be drawn closer together. In their beautiful but wild surroundings, both are tempted by an opportunity to heal from their hurts and lost loves and move forward in a new way.
Lost In Kakadu turned out to be very different from what I expected when I first requested it from NetGalley. I love stories that have people stranded in the wilderness by some form of accident (was a huge Lost fan in its early days) and so I was drawn to this one immediately. I’ve never been to Kakadu – I’m not really your wilderness type of girl. And if I’d been in Abigail’s situation, I’d probably have been at least as annoying as she was in the weeks after the crash. She complains about everything and she’s incredibly precious, wearing make up and heels in the rain forest for heaven’s sake. I got frustrated with her at times but then I thought about myself. All they have to eat at first is cans of baked beans and I hate hate baked beans. I’d probably complain too. Also, eating all of those baked beans can’t have made for a pleasant time in the jungle, surely….
Both Abigail and Mackenzie are on the plane with their respective partners – Abigail’s husband Simon, who is a giant tool and probably not all that missed other than by the legions of women he was apparently cheating on her with, and Mackenzie’s partner Rodney, by all accounts a good guy with a terribly unfortunate name. Abigail demonstrates some hilarious belief in stereotypes about “the gays” of which Mackenzie actually isn’t, because this is a romance novel and there are basically only two people left. He’s bisexual. Which Abigail has a hard time understanding even though it’s a very simple concept.
Thankfully the narrative jumps in time – they’re still stranded but it’s a couple of months later and Abigail has abandoned her heels and make up and is now much more relaxed and has adapted as best she can to her situation. She and Mackenzie are getting on much better and that continues as they actually begin to notice each other as attractive people that they are interested in. It’s been a long time, they spend 24 hours a day every day together, the inevitable was bound to happen. A large portion of this book (maybe half?) goes by without a whisper of chemistry and then all of a sudden, there it is. This sort of works because both were grieving and also because Abigail doesn’t really know what bisexual means for a while but it does seem like the first half of the book drags because nothing happens except them eating baked beans and burying dead people. Then all of a sudden they’ve made themselves a little hut, they bathe in a lovely oasis and they catch wild food and cook it up with Mackenzie’s chef skills. It’s like Survivor meets Blind Date. But they know that they’re obviously not going to get rescued where they are and they have to leave their little haven and attempt to find their own way out, back to some form of civilisation. Given Kakadu is the size of a small European country, this is not going to be an easy feat, especially with what Abigail discovers along the way.
I think for me, the strongest aspect of this story was the way in which they adapted to their situation. The journal of a botanist on the plane proved to be invaluable in helping them identify the many plants and animals found in Kakadu that they could consume and Mackenzie’s career obviously came in handy. He could take very few ingredients and turn them into something and they were brave (or hungry) enough to eat all manner of bush food. I think Abigail’s personal growth is another successful point, she really does come to realise a lot of truths about herself and her former life and how shallow some things were that she had deemed crucial in the past. She also reflected a lot on her relationship with her daughter, which she realised she has passively allowed to slip away from her. Mackenzie was an okay character, it was interesting to see a bisexual character in a relatively straightforward romance that wasn’t erotica or BDSM etc but ultimately it didn’t really make a huge difference to the core story. Theirs is one relationship where after I finished the book, I did wonder how they’d go in the “real world” back among people and in the long term.
Mackenzie and his partner Rodney were taking a holiday but now Rodney is gone. It is up to Mackenzie to take the lead and ensure that he and Abigail survive. One look at the privileged princess is all he needs to know that he’s going to have to take charge. A chef by trade, Mackenzie is able to make the most of their meager supplies, hoping that they’ll only be stuck in the jungle for a few days at most before rescue comes. But a surprising discovery in the cargo hold has him questioning their pilots motives and their course and he begins to wonder if rescue is even coming at all.
The time ticks by and Abigail and Mackenzie find themselves more and more drawn to each other. Their very different backgrounds give them plenty of reason to clash but their strength and determination to survive also gives them plenty of opportunity to be drawn closer together. In their beautiful but wild surroundings, both are tempted by an opportunity to heal from their hurts and lost loves and move forward in a new way.
Lost In Kakadu turned out to be very different from what I expected when I first requested it from NetGalley. I love stories that have people stranded in the wilderness by some form of accident (was a huge Lost fan in its early days) and so I was drawn to this one immediately. I’ve never been to Kakadu – I’m not really your wilderness type of girl. And if I’d been in Abigail’s situation, I’d probably have been at least as annoying as she was in the weeks after the crash. She complains about everything and she’s incredibly precious, wearing make up and heels in the rain forest for heaven’s sake. I got frustrated with her at times but then I thought about myself. All they have to eat at first is cans of baked beans and I hate hate baked beans. I’d probably complain too. Also, eating all of those baked beans can’t have made for a pleasant time in the jungle, surely….
Both Abigail and Mackenzie are on the plane with their respective partners – Abigail’s husband Simon, who is a giant tool and probably not all that missed other than by the legions of women he was apparently cheating on her with, and Mackenzie’s partner Rodney, by all accounts a good guy with a terribly unfortunate name. Abigail demonstrates some hilarious belief in stereotypes about “the gays” of which Mackenzie actually isn’t, because this is a romance novel and there are basically only two people left. He’s bisexual. Which Abigail has a hard time understanding even though it’s a very simple concept.
Thankfully the narrative jumps in time – they’re still stranded but it’s a couple of months later and Abigail has abandoned her heels and make up and is now much more relaxed and has adapted as best she can to her situation. She and Mackenzie are getting on much better and that continues as they actually begin to notice each other as attractive people that they are interested in. It’s been a long time, they spend 24 hours a day every day together, the inevitable was bound to happen. A large portion of this book (maybe half?) goes by without a whisper of chemistry and then all of a sudden, there it is. This sort of works because both were grieving and also because Abigail doesn’t really know what bisexual means for a while but it does seem like the first half of the book drags because nothing happens except them eating baked beans and burying dead people. Then all of a sudden they’ve made themselves a little hut, they bathe in a lovely oasis and they catch wild food and cook it up with Mackenzie’s chef skills. It’s like Survivor meets Blind Date. But they know that they’re obviously not going to get rescued where they are and they have to leave their little haven and attempt to find their own way out, back to some form of civilisation. Given Kakadu is the size of a small European country, this is not going to be an easy feat, especially with what Abigail discovers along the way.
I think for me, the strongest aspect of this story was the way in which they adapted to their situation. The journal of a botanist on the plane proved to be invaluable in helping them identify the many plants and animals found in Kakadu that they could consume and Mackenzie’s career obviously came in handy. He could take very few ingredients and turn them into something and they were brave (or hungry) enough to eat all manner of bush food. I think Abigail’s personal growth is another successful point, she really does come to realise a lot of truths about herself and her former life and how shallow some things were that she had deemed crucial in the past. She also reflected a lot on her relationship with her daughter, which she realised she has passively allowed to slip away from her. Mackenzie was an okay character, it was interesting to see a bisexual character in a relatively straightforward romance that wasn’t erotica or BDSM etc but ultimately it didn’t really make a huge difference to the core story. Theirs is one relationship where after I finished the book, I did wonder how they’d go in the “real world” back among people and in the long term.
Read
September 7, 2022DNF halfway through - couldn’t get into it or connect with the characters
January 9, 2023
Kendall Talbot, ‘Lost in Kakadu’.
As an ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily wrote an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 5 (of 5 stars).
In general: Surviving a plane crash.
Main characters:
- Abigail Mulholland (ca. 45).
She joins her husband during his trip to Kakadu, although she doesn’t trust the safety of the little plane they board.
- Spencer Mulholland
Abigail’s cheating and disrespectful husband. He wanted to visit for a five days journey the Kakadu National Park in the middle of Australia. The park is a cultural landscape shaped by the ancestors of the Aboriginals.
And indeed the plan crashed in the middle of the jungle. Abigail and two others survived. All three are wounded. The lightly wounded Abigail has to bury her husband, Spencer; Mackenzie Steel mourns the death of his gay lover boyfriend Rodney and the third is an older man, Charlie a heavy injured botanist. With his knowledge of edible plants he wrote down and the supplies from the plane the three people try to survive in the jungle. But after a few days Charlie dies and the totally different Abigail - a spoiled society lady - and Mackenzie - a boy from the street - develop a relationship struggling to survive in the jungle.
The author, Kendall Talbot, then describes how they live in the jungle and learn to adept to their new circumstances. It’s a fascinating story of two people discovering their real personalities, their relationships and finding ways to survive. The book is a suspenseful page turner. For me difficult to stop reading.
R.J. Huiszoon.
As an ARC reader I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily wrote an honest review. Here it is.
Rating: 5 (of 5 stars).
In general: Surviving a plane crash.
Main characters:
- Abigail Mulholland (ca. 45).
She joins her husband during his trip to Kakadu, although she doesn’t trust the safety of the little plane they board.
- Spencer Mulholland
Abigail’s cheating and disrespectful husband. He wanted to visit for a five days journey the Kakadu National Park in the middle of Australia. The park is a cultural landscape shaped by the ancestors of the Aboriginals.
And indeed the plan crashed in the middle of the jungle. Abigail and two others survived. All three are wounded. The lightly wounded Abigail has to bury her husband, Spencer; Mackenzie Steel mourns the death of his gay lover boyfriend Rodney and the third is an older man, Charlie a heavy injured botanist. With his knowledge of edible plants he wrote down and the supplies from the plane the three people try to survive in the jungle. But after a few days Charlie dies and the totally different Abigail - a spoiled society lady - and Mackenzie - a boy from the street - develop a relationship struggling to survive in the jungle.
The author, Kendall Talbot, then describes how they live in the jungle and learn to adept to their new circumstances. It’s a fascinating story of two people discovering their real personalities, their relationships and finding ways to survive. The book is a suspenseful page turner. For me difficult to stop reading.
R.J. Huiszoon.
October 3, 2013
Lost in Kakadu is Australian author Kendall Talbot’s debut novel with Escape Publishing. This novel defied my expectations at every turn. The synopsis leads the reader to believe that it’s an ‘action adventure novel’- but it’s not. It also indicates it’s a romance… and for most of the book, it’s not really. I actually had to go back and read the synopsis and a few reviews when I was 20% in just to remind myself this was a romance title. I hadn’t expected the heroine to already be married. I hadn’t expected the hero to be bisexual. And I certainly hadn’t expected the gritty, dark circumstances to which Abigail and Mackenzie are thrown together.
But somehow it all worked. The author skilfully managed to endear me to a heroine who I initially despised. At the outset, Abigail Mulholland is a selfish, immature woman whom I could not relate to at all. She behaved in a way I’d have expected of her sixteen year old daughter but not that of a 39 year old woman. I was surprised after the plane crash when she actually didn’t even think about her daughter until Mackenzie mentioned her. I couldn’t help but think she was a terrible, selfish mother!
Fortunately, Lost in Kakadu is a character-driven novel and there’s a remarkable arc of growth in Abi and Mackenzie. I was glad the story pushed forward from the first week following the crash until a couple of months later as they continue to survive in the wilderness. This allows the romantic development to be believable following a period of grief over the loss of their loved ones. I was empathetic toward Mackenzie and his difficult childhood and even more challenging adolescence. He evolved from a man who had depended on his ex-partner to a man that exuberated masculinity, sensitivity and perseverance. While the start of their journey placed them at worlds apart, this unlikely duo form a strong emotional bond and passionate relationship.
I also enjoyed the voice of Charlie, who continues to live on after the plane wreck through his journal and the letters he’d written to his daughter. He’s a secondary character that plays an important role in this story, even though he’s not physically present.
Though the story wasn’t as fast-paced and suspenseful as I’d hoped, the character-driven Lost in Kakadu managed to win me over with a well-developed hero and heroine that overcome adversity with love and determination. I also loved the Aussie jungle setting!
But somehow it all worked. The author skilfully managed to endear me to a heroine who I initially despised. At the outset, Abigail Mulholland is a selfish, immature woman whom I could not relate to at all. She behaved in a way I’d have expected of her sixteen year old daughter but not that of a 39 year old woman. I was surprised after the plane crash when she actually didn’t even think about her daughter until Mackenzie mentioned her. I couldn’t help but think she was a terrible, selfish mother!
Fortunately, Lost in Kakadu is a character-driven novel and there’s a remarkable arc of growth in Abi and Mackenzie. I was glad the story pushed forward from the first week following the crash until a couple of months later as they continue to survive in the wilderness. This allows the romantic development to be believable following a period of grief over the loss of their loved ones. I was empathetic toward Mackenzie and his difficult childhood and even more challenging adolescence. He evolved from a man who had depended on his ex-partner to a man that exuberated masculinity, sensitivity and perseverance. While the start of their journey placed them at worlds apart, this unlikely duo form a strong emotional bond and passionate relationship.
I also enjoyed the voice of Charlie, who continues to live on after the plane wreck through his journal and the letters he’d written to his daughter. He’s a secondary character that plays an important role in this story, even though he’s not physically present.
Though the story wasn’t as fast-paced and suspenseful as I’d hoped, the character-driven Lost in Kakadu managed to win me over with a well-developed hero and heroine that overcome adversity with love and determination. I also loved the Aussie jungle setting!
April 4, 2019
I was given this book in a Goodreads lunch exchange. As I grew up in the part of the Northern Territory where it was set I thought I would enjoy a story set in a location I knew and even though I am not a big romance reader I thought it would make a good location for something of this genre.
I am not sure if the author has ever been to the locations she purports to describe but if so it must have been the briefest of visits from a guided tour or something of the like as there is almost nothing true or realistic in her telling of the setting.
I won't list all the factual errors and misdescriptions, they would take pages and I accept that in a novel total accuracy of the place is not essential - but there were errors by the score in landscape, geography, aboriginal history, seasons, climate, vegetation and animals and time taken to get from place to place which were really disappointing. Its a pity she did not do some proper background research before she launched into the story as most of the errors would be easily fixed with just a small bit of local knowledge.
About the only things she got right were that it was hot most of the time and rained some of the time, plus there were a couple plants that she got right. And yes she had some crocodile bits but they were the wrong species in the wrong places.
Added to that I thought the romantic story was fairly weak and mostly predictable with little real drama or suspense.
I find it interesting that this book has won a major romance prize and gets so many five star reviews - its not that I expect readers from other places to pick up on all the detail but it is surprising that this dubious authenticity has not been seriously raised.
Anyway each to their own - it was not totally terrible but well below par for what I expected.
I am not sure if the author has ever been to the locations she purports to describe but if so it must have been the briefest of visits from a guided tour or something of the like as there is almost nothing true or realistic in her telling of the setting.
I won't list all the factual errors and misdescriptions, they would take pages and I accept that in a novel total accuracy of the place is not essential - but there were errors by the score in landscape, geography, aboriginal history, seasons, climate, vegetation and animals and time taken to get from place to place which were really disappointing. Its a pity she did not do some proper background research before she launched into the story as most of the errors would be easily fixed with just a small bit of local knowledge.
About the only things she got right were that it was hot most of the time and rained some of the time, plus there were a couple plants that she got right. And yes she had some crocodile bits but they were the wrong species in the wrong places.
Added to that I thought the romantic story was fairly weak and mostly predictable with little real drama or suspense.
I find it interesting that this book has won a major romance prize and gets so many five star reviews - its not that I expect readers from other places to pick up on all the detail but it is surprising that this dubious authenticity has not been seriously raised.
Anyway each to their own - it was not totally terrible but well below par for what I expected.
August 25, 2013
After their tourist plane crashes, Abigail Mulholland and Mackenzie Steel struggle to survive in the middle of the Australian bush. She's lost her cheating husband in the crash; he's lost a gay lover he adored. Reading the first 10 or 15 pages of this book was a chore. I'm American, so I have no idea where Kakadu is or even the location the plane was departing from, so felt lost. I wanted to know what country, general geography, etc. Also, Abigail was about the most selfish jerk I've ever seen in a read and that and the locational chaos almost made me put the book done.
Once the crash happened, the author really got in her groove. Wondering how they'd survive their predicament kept me reading. It was really fun to see a character who seemed to have no potential grow, although occasionally it bugged me how rarely Abi thought about her daughter, who at the outset seemed to be every bit as spoiled and bratty as Abi and would have no one to care for her. Once I got into the book, I found it hard to put it down. I felt like the author very skillfully crafted the release of important information about the characters and the difficulties they had to endure to survive. I also enjoyed reading how they grew to love each other over time - they became best friends first, then lovers, it was so different from what I normally see in romance and it worked for me. I'm glad I stuck with the story - it was a great read.
Once the crash happened, the author really got in her groove. Wondering how they'd survive their predicament kept me reading. It was really fun to see a character who seemed to have no potential grow, although occasionally it bugged me how rarely Abi thought about her daughter, who at the outset seemed to be every bit as spoiled and bratty as Abi and would have no one to care for her. Once I got into the book, I found it hard to put it down. I felt like the author very skillfully crafted the release of important information about the characters and the difficulties they had to endure to survive. I also enjoyed reading how they grew to love each other over time - they became best friends first, then lovers, it was so different from what I normally see in romance and it worked for me. I'm glad I stuck with the story - it was a great read.
June 2, 2024
Got this free for Kindle and thought a romance novel about a plane crash would be perfect to read on a flight.
It was crazy-sauce from the beginning and while I quickly no longer wanted to read it, I did want to see just how crazy it would get.
Here's what I got, under a spoiler tag in case for some reason you wanted to read it:
Yep.
It was crazy-sauce from the beginning and while I quickly no longer wanted to read it, I did want to see just how crazy it would get.
Here's what I got, under a spoiler tag in case for some reason you wanted to read it:
Yep.
July 7, 2014
I was provided with an ARC of this book by Escape Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5
Wow, but this be different! Pardon the poor grammar, but Lost in Kakadu is not like many books I have read. To some people, different = bad. To me, different = bring me all the different, all the time!! Pour them out onto a plate and give them to me to devour.
Lost in Kakadu is just incredible! This August 2013 release from Escape Publishing is author Kendall Talbot’s debut novel, and I tell you, my darling readers, if there is more like this to come from Kendall, she will be installed for all eternity on my Kindle!
The rest of this review, and the rest of my reviews can be found at My Written Romance.
5 out of 5
Wow, but this be different! Pardon the poor grammar, but Lost in Kakadu is not like many books I have read. To some people, different = bad. To me, different = bring me all the different, all the time!! Pour them out onto a plate and give them to me to devour.
Lost in Kakadu is just incredible! This August 2013 release from Escape Publishing is author Kendall Talbot’s debut novel, and I tell you, my darling readers, if there is more like this to come from Kendall, she will be installed for all eternity on my Kindle!
The rest of this review, and the rest of my reviews can be found at My Written Romance.
April 12, 2022
Lost in Kakado
If you read nothing else this year, read this book. You wont be disappointed.
It starts with a plane crash in the jungle with 3 survivors. The planes GPS was disabled so their whereabouts is unknown.
Ultimately their survival depends on hunting food and finding a way home. Adventure, drama, endurance and love all play a part in this riveting story. More than 5 stars!!
If you read nothing else this year, read this book. You wont be disappointed.
It starts with a plane crash in the jungle with 3 survivors. The planes GPS was disabled so their whereabouts is unknown.
Ultimately their survival depends on hunting food and finding a way home. Adventure, drama, endurance and love all play a part in this riveting story. More than 5 stars!!
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