Birdie Song Books In Order

Publication Order of Somerville Downs Books

Birdie Song is a writer of optimistic novels, novellas and short stories. An animal lover and avid gardener, she lives in temperate Perth, Western Australia where the summers are hot and the winters are as pleasant as anyone could hope for. She stays in touch with her readers through her email newsletter (available through birdiesongauthor.com), where she talks about writing, books, gardening, birds in her area, and the local weather.

Birdie was born in Southeast Asia and immigrated to Australia with her family. Although English was her first language, she still struggled with cross-cultural challenges while growing up as a naturalised Australian. This sometimes serves as inspiration and research for her work, though she does not set out to write cultural commentary fiction. Quoted from Three Things I Learned Writing The Guy from the Internet (via Romance Writers of Australia blog), Birdie says, “It took me a long time to accept that I didn’t have to [represent everyone‘s experience in my writing]. There’s often a big perception gap between the problems we‘re expected to have and the problems we actually do have. And the only way to fix this is through more diverse representation.”

Birdie Song is best known for her Somerville Downs books, a series of sweet romance short stories, novellas and novels taking place in the fictional “suburban small town” of Somerville Downs. Somerville Downs is a town (municipality) made up of four suburbs – Greenmount, Lakelands, Marlee and Sylvia – though some books also include fictionalised settings around the Perth Central Business District and the Perth Hills. The town of Somerville Downs was inspired by places around Perth where Birdie Song has lived.

The Guy from the Wedding is the longest book in the Somerville Downs series. Categorised as a sweet contemporary enemies-to-lovers workplace romance, it centres on protagonists Katrina Lee and Liam Donovan. Katrina is still rebuilding her life and sense of self, one year after leaving an ex-boyfriend who took her for granted. She works at her sister’s wedding planning business doing marketing, social media, and event setup after having left a mediocre job at a mid-range technology company. Liam has moved to Perth after a devastating breakup, and meets Katrina under less than dignified circumstances at a mutual friend’s wedding. This book has been described as “cosy” and “emotional” with both tender moments and complicated character conflict present on the page.

The Guy from the Internet is a novella that blends romance and family drama. Holly Chee is an aspiring professional artist who feels like a disappointment to her family. Her only comforts are her supportive best friend Jedda and online boyfriend Florian who may not be what he seems. This book contains the most cultural content in the Somerville Downs series and includes a glossary of words for newcomers to Southeast Asia’s multilingual patois.

Books in Birdie Song’s Somerville Downs sweet romance series occur around a single Perth summer, sometimes stretching out into autumn and winter. Books can thus be read in any order without missing important story events.

(Thanks to Birdie for the bio!)