Sophie Green’s New Novel Set in Terrigal Hair Salon

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Australian author Sophie Green has released her latest novel, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon, which was published by Hachette Australia on July 30, 2025. The book is now available across Australia in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. Set in the coastal town of Terrigal, New South Wales, during the 1980s, the novel tells the story of four women whose lives intersect in a local hair salon as they navigate friendship, relationships, and personal change.

Green will discuss her new work and creative process during an author talk at Erina Library on Thursday, August 21, starting at 10:30 a.m. The event is free, though bookings are required through the Central Coast Libraries website or by phone.

In a statement about the book, Green shared that the idea came together naturally, even though she does not usually write romance-centered fiction. “It was a story that wrote itself once I had the characters and the setting in place,” she explained. She added that the salon setting offered a natural environment for conversations and connection.

Green selected Terrigal as the location for the novel because of her personal ties to the area. Her grandparents moved to the Central Coast in the 1980s, and she spent much of her childhood visiting them. She described the region as scenic and community-focused, making it an ideal backdrop for a character-driven story.

The book’s 1980s setting was inspired in part by Green’s interest in music and entertainment from the era. She cited listening to Girlhood by Queensland singer-songwriter Hayley Marsten and watching classic comedy routines by American performer Casey Dressler as influences on the book’s tone and atmosphere.

Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon is Green’s seventh novel. Her previous titles include The Bellbird River Country Choir and Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society. Her debut, The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club, was a top-ten Australian bestseller and was shortlisted for several major book awards, including the ABIA General Fiction Book of the Year in 2018.

Green is known for writing relatable characters and emotionally grounded stories. She often develops detailed character profiles and outlines but allows for flexibility as the writing progresses. She believes that readers connect most strongly with realistic dialogue and familiar emotional experiences.

Building on the success of her previous novels, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon reflects Sophie Green’s consistent presence in the Australian fiction market, known for emotionally resonant storytelling and relatable characters.