Toni Jordan – författare

'A moving and intelligent comedy about finding love without losing yourself.' GRAEME SIMISON'Toni Jordan is always a special pleasure' LIANE MORIARTY'A sweet, charming and romantic book' BBC RADIO 2'An engaging romantic comedy' THE TIMES'Witty and entertaining' IRISH TIMESGrace Lisa Vandenburg counts. The letters in her name (19). The steps she takes every morning to the local café (920). The number of poppy seeds on her orange cake, which dictates the number of bites she'll take to eat it. Grace counts everything, because that way there are no unpleasant surprises.Seamus Joseph O'Reilly (also a 19) thinks she might be better off without the counting. If she could hold down a job, say. Or open her cupboards without conducting an inventory, or leave her flat without measuring the walls.Grace's problem is that Seamus doesn't count. Her other problem is . . . he does.As Grace struggles to balance a new relationship with old habits, to find a way to change while staying true to herself, she realises that nothing is more chaotic than love.A laugh-out-loud, romantic and uplifting read for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Cactus and Me Before You.

'Jordan is a kind of Australian Marian Keyes, combining pace and humour with a razor intelligence' Sydney Morning Herald'A funny and smart family drama' Weekend Australian'Taps into the humour and pathos of ordinary life in a way that has you nodding with recognition . . . while at the same time laughing out loud' PIP WILLIAMSAs the eldest child in a single-parent family, Kylie's always had more important things on her mind than smiling for random strangers. Controlling her job, her home, her romantic life and - most importantly - her family takes all her concentration. She's always succeeded, though, because that's just who Kylie is.When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it's up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags and moves in, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie's carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?'Jordan is a kind of Australian Marian Keyes, combining overdrive pace and throwaway humour with a razor intelligence and a deft, illuminating touch on darker subjects and themes . . . A sharp-eyed, engaging, endearing, ultimately optimistic story' Sydney Morning Herald'Hilarious . . . Told with Toni's signature observational humour and wit on ordinary life' Woman's Day'I just loved this very smart, very funny and at times moving novel' SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM'No one does smart-funny quite as well as Toni Jordan' ArtsHub'Fabulous' Who Weekly'A magic mix of domestic drama, self-doubt, self-discovery and learning to laugh in the face of mayhem' Adelaide Advertiser'Such a clever book . . . Prettier if She Smiled More is a life manual for us all' Living Arts Canberra'Pitch perfect with just the right amount of humour . . . Jordan brings all her well-honed creative skills to the fore with this delightful tale' Good Reading

'I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel!' LIANE MORIARTY'This is the book to beat in 2022. Flawless book. A pure joy. Full of humour, lovable characters, wit and surprises'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review'Brilliant, funny and uplifting'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review.......................You can marry into them, but can you ever really be one of them?Things haven't gone well for Simon Larsen lately. He adores his wife, Tansy, and his children, but since his business failed and he lost the family home, he can't seem to get off the couch.His larger-than-life in-laws, the Schnabels - Tansy's mother, sister and brother - won't get off his case. To keep everyone happy, Simon needs to do one little job: he has a week to landscape a friend's backyard for an important Schnabel family event.But as the week progresses, Simon is derailed by the arrival of an unexpected house guest. Then he discovers Tansy is harbouring a secret. As his world spins out of control, who can Simon really count on when the chips are down?Life with the Schnabels is messy, chaotic and joyful, and Dinner with the Schnabels is as heartwarming as it is outrageously funny........................Praise for Dinner with the Schnabels:'Told with great humour and pathos. It is a tonic and a delight' PIP WILLIAMS'Toni Jordan at her finest - brilliantly observed and highly entertaining. I inhaled her words then snorted them out laughing!' JOANNA NELL'Smart, tender, wise and hilarious. This is a dinner I didn't want to leave' KATHRYN HEYMANPraise for Toni Jordan:'Laugh-out-loud funny' The Australian Women's Weekly'Crisp and clever' Saturday Paper'A moving comedy' Who Weekly'An emotionally rich domestic drama' The Australian'Pitch-perfect blend of intelligence, compassion and humour' The Guardian

'Jordan is a kind of Australian Marian Keyes, combining overdrive pace and throwaway humour with a razor intelligence and a deft, illuminating touch on darker subjects and themes . . . A sharp-eyed, engaging, endearing and ultimately optimistic story' Sydney Morning Herald'Taps into the humour and pathos of ordinary life in a way that has you nodding with recognition . . . while at the same time laughing out loud' PIP WILLIAMS'I just loved this very smart, very funny and at times moving novel' SOPHIE CUNNINGHAMOne perfect life. One disastrous week. The brand-new novel from bestselling, acclaimed and beloved author Toni JordanAs the eldest child in a single-parent family, Kylie's always had more important things on her mind than smiling for random strangers. Controlling her job, her home, her romantic life and - most importantly - her family takes all her concentration. She's always succeeded, though, because that's just who Kylie is.When her fiercely independent mother breaks an ankle and needs help, it's up to Kylie, as usual, to fix things. She reluctantly packs her bags and moves in, but back in her childhood home, things start to unravel. Could it be that Kylie's carefully curated life is not so perfect after all?Prettier if She Smiled More will make you laugh and make you cry. Is it ever too late to start over?'Hilarious . . . A funny take on menopause, caring for an ageing parent, perfectionism and midlife crises told with Toni's signature observational humour and wit on ordinary life' Woman's Day'A magic mix of domestic drama, self-doubt, self-discovery and learning to laugh in the face of mayhem . . . A sensitive, amusing read' Adelaide Advertiser'A funny and smart family drama' Weekend Australian'Fabulous' Who Weekly'Such a clever book . . . The author has used both quiet wry humour and laugh aloud moments to speak about the nature of family and of love . . . Prettier if She Smiled More is a life manual for us all' Living Arts Canberra'Pitch perfect with just the right amount of humour . . . Jordan brings all her well-honed creative skills to the fore with this delightful tale' Good ReadingPraise for Dinner with the Schnabels:'I loved every page of this funny, warm, delightful novel!' LIANE MORIARTY'Told with great humour and pathos. It is a tonic and a delight' PIP WILLIAMS'A smart, funny novel about love, marriage and family' Weekend Australian'A contemporary comic masterpiece. Practically every page boasts lines redolent of humour, wit and sarcasm that will make you snigger if not laugh out loud' ArtsHub

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ABIA LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ABA ADULT FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR'Tenderfoot is magnificent. Deeply moving. Beautiful. Powerful' TRENT DALTON'This is a writer at the top of her game, telling a story that only she can tell' ABC ONLINE, BEST BOOKS OF 2025'Extraordinary . . . the makings of an Australian classic' THE GUARDIANLuminous, aching, exhilarating - a coming-of-age novel like no other, from the bestselling, award-winning author of Addition.Wait for the boxes to open, wait for the race to begin. Wait, and your greyhound will cease to be the dog you know and become an entirely different kind of animal.Brisbane, 1975: Andie Tanner's world is small but whole. Her mum is complicated, but she adores her dad and the kennel of racing greyhounds that live under their house. Andie is a serious girl with big plans: finish school with her friends, then apprentice to her father so she can become a greyhound trainer, with dogs of her very own.But real life rarely goes to plan, and the world is bigger and more complicated than Andie could imagine. When she loses everything she cares about - her family, her friends, the dogs - it's up to Andie to reclaim her future. But she'll need all her wits to survive this new reality of secrets, half-truths and addiction.'Magnificent . . . One of my favourite books of the year' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN'Incredible . . . It kept me up all night' THE AGE'Tenderfoot is a breath of fresh air in Australian literature, for its compassion, its wisdom and its humour' EMILY BITTO'The book is gently gripping. It's hard to put down' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Compelling and heartwarming with a cast of unforgettable characters' INGA SIMPSON'A feat of delicate foreshadowing and reflection. Tenderfoot is about the clarity of hindsight, the necessity of forgiveness' THE CONVERSATION'A total triumph' CAROLINE OVERINGTON

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 MILES FRANKLIN LITERARY AWARDSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ABIA LITERARY FICTION BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2026 ABA ADULT FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR'Tenderfoot is magnificent. Deeply moving. Beautiful. Powerful' TRENT DALTON'This is a writer at the top of her game, telling a story that only she can tell' ABC ONLINE, BEST BOOKS OF 2025'Extraordinary . . . the makings of an Australian classic' THE GUARDIANLuminous, aching, exhilarating - a coming-of-age novel like no other, from the bestselling, award-winning author of Addition.Wait for the boxes to open, wait for the race to begin. Wait, and your greyhound will cease to be the dog you know and become an entirely different kind of animal.Brisbane, 1975: Andie Tanner's world is small but whole. Her mum is complicated, but she adores her dad and the kennel of racing greyhounds that live under their house. Andie is a serious girl with big plans: finish school with her friends, then apprentice to her father so she can become a greyhound trainer, with dogs of her very own.But real life rarely goes to plan, and the world is bigger and more complicated than Andie could imagine. When she loses everything she cares about - her family, her friends, the dogs - it's up to Andie to reclaim her future. But she'll need all her wits to survive this new reality of secrets, half-truths and addiction.'Magnificent . . . One of my favourite books of the year' WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN'Incredible . . . It kept me up all night' THE AGE'Tenderfoot is a breath of fresh air in Australian literature, for its compassion, its wisdom and its humour' EMILY BITTO'The book is gently gripping. It's hard to put down' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY'Compelling and heartwarming with a cast of unforgettable characters' INGA SIMPSON'A feat of delicate foreshadowing and reflection. Tenderfoot is about the clarity of hindsight, the necessity of forgiveness' THE CONVERSATION'A total triumph' CAROLINE OVERINGTON

Remember the rules. Rule one is easy. Never ask for money.Since she was a child, Della Gilmore has been taught how to con people. Today she's attempting to pull off the biggest coup of her career. Her family is depending on her.It all looks good on paper. With a pair of glasses and a sheaf of impressive papers she's:Ella Canfield, a highly qualified evolutionary biologist seeking funding for an unorthodox research project.And her mark is:Daniel Metcalf, a handsome millionaire who donates money to offbeat scientific projects.What could go wrong? The problem is Della has never met someone like Daniel before. She knows he shouldn't trust her. But can she trust him?As the plan begins to unravel and Della finds her feelings interfering with the job, she begins to wonder if you can put a price on deceit and love.

The tiniest things - a coin, a pendant, a photograph, a lie - can make or ruin lives.It is 1939. Deep in the working-class Melbourne suburb of Richmond Kip Westaway, failed scholar and stablehand, is about to live through the most important day in his young life as Australia hovers unknowingly on the brink of war. What happens that day is the catalyst for momentous events strung across eight more moments in time; love and deception, near-misses and misunderstandings, all centred around the terrible thing that happens to a young girl and the repercussions it will have on the lives of her family, even those not yet born..