New Release Book
‘Their love was as undeniable as it was impossible’
Launching 23rd July, 2026
The making of a historical and contemporary love story
I wanted to write the kind of story I love to read, a story with heart, with characters who stay with you long after the final page. I love a dual timeline novel – it lets you step into history but leaves no room for boring bits. The similarity of themes against contrasting eras fascinates me. So much has changed, but our hearts are still the same.
Bailey Street was the culmination of three things:
1. In 2018, I read an article about the 150th anniversary of the last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, carrying Irish Fenian soldiers on board. One of them was John Boyle O’Reilly, who I fell in love with a little bit. When I learned that he had an affair with the warder’s daughter while he was stationed in Bunbury, my imagination wouldn’t let go!
2. Around the same time, I became obsessed with this tiny colonial cottage nestled within Fremantle Port, and the story of its owners refusing to sell up over the years. This became the setting that would connect the past with the present.
3. I found out I have a half-sister. Like my present-day protagonist, my sister learned that her dad wasn’t really her dad and travelled to Australia to meet her biological father – my dad. This was the final piece of the puzzle I needed to ensure my contemporary story was as compelling as the historical.
Bold, entertaining, heartbreaking, and sexy!
🪶
A masterful debut by an author to watch
🪶
Historical fiction at its finest
🪶
A richly layered delight you’ll devour
🪶
Bold, entertaining, heartbreaking, and sexy! 🪶 A masterful debut by an author to watch 🪶 Historical fiction at its finest 🪶 A richly layered delight you’ll devour 🪶
meet lynsey
Lynsey is drawn to themes of strength, resilience, home, family, and fate. A sucker for a dual timeline with strong female protagonists, this was always going to be the kind of story she would write. With a passion for stories and characters that stay with you long after the final page, Lynsey’s rich, emotionally layered narratives invite readers to step between past and present, noticing all the ways we’ve changed, and all the ways we haven’t.
reviews
“Spanning across generations and continents, Bailey Street is bold, entertaining, heartbreaking and sexy. A masterful debut told in a fresh and original voice by an author to watch!”
Tess Woods, Australian top 10 bestselling author
“While this compelling dual timeline deftly explores the importance of preserving history and understanding where we come from, Lynsey McDonnell has written a multi-layered love story as comforting as warm soda bread. Try not to swoon!”
Camille Booker, award-winning author
“This beautifully crafted narrative reveals the glimmering threads of history we all carry within us. It’s romance, but not as you know it. A richly layered delight you’ll devour.”
Anne Freeman, award-winning author
“This stunning debut sweeps readers into Australia’s past and present with a dual timeline narrative that is as illuminating as it is compelling. With prose that shimmers on the page, the author brings to life characters whose warmth and resilience linger long after the final chapter. Beautifully crafted and deeply engaging, this is historical fiction at its finest – immersive, educational, and indelible.”
Amy Harmon, New York Times bestselling author
“What an adventure! From the wilds of Southwest WA in the 1800s, to Fremantle in 2018, this is a fabulous genre blend of historical fiction, romance and a splash of mystery as a story buried by history is unravelled. Two timelines, two love stories that had me misty-eyed and feeling all the feels. Evocative and gripping. Highly recommend”
Holly Cardamone, award-winning author
“An enchanting blend of historical and contemporary fiction. I defy any reader not to fall instantly in love with – and alongside - McDonnell’s heroines. This is a story that gets the balance between fact and feeling just right.”
Emily Paull, author
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