This Australian romance pushes two people together who have been damaged by life, and shows that good things can happen if you keep on going to the other side. Oliver Garret discovers a receipt in his wife's car which proves that she has been having an affair. He confronts her and then takes a break from his music production business to drive to a small house outside Melbourne, home of his late aunt, and sort out her estate. His marriage is over and he feels that perhaps his life is too, with his schnauzer dog his only friend.

Mackenzie Williams is recovering slowly from a serious car accident. She is a television producer - or was. A year after her crash her damaged hip and muscles are not so strong as they used to be, and she gets migraines and nausea. Tough exercise is helping her rehabilitation but she's had to abandon her old life for a quiet suburb, and her supposed good friend ex-husband never calls, too busy with his acting career. Her daschund keeps her company and when the new neighbour Oliver calls to introduce himself, the two dogs are delighted with new playmates. The garden fence needs mending, Oliver insists, though Mackenzie is sure her dog never strayed before, and the pair don't get off to the best start. A storm brings torrential rain and Mackenzie is surprised but thankful when Oliver comes to help her clear the drain and repel flood water early in the morning.

Oliver knows he could just be on the rebound, but Mackenzie draws his respect and he finds himself trying for common ground with her over a home-cooked meal and local wine. The woman however is stubbornly telling herself that the cynical world of television wants her back, as soon as she is well. The city beckons and Oliver, however inviting, won't be part of it.

THE OTHER SIDE OF US is very much a tale of one door shutting and another opening, both in terms of relationships and careers. Today so many people are unexpectedly redundant that I was pleased to see such a positive message. Life may be tough right now, says Australian author Sarah Mayberry, but it's a long road that has no turning. The romance was believable and the two dogs were a treat for this animal-loving reader. Pick up THE OTHER SIDE OF US and cheer yourself up.