Book: White Horses

Summary: Following the disappearance of her mother when she was just a young child, Drift has been raised by her father, growing up to work alongside him as an itinerant cattle drover along the beautiful coastline of remote Western Australia. It's a tough life, but nurtured and taught by two wise women - Wilma, a gentle travelling librarian and straight-talking Charlie, the legendary mobile saddler - Drift grows up to become a confident, idealistic young woman. But the world Drift lives in can be ugly and brutal. After a frightening assault, Drift meets a handsome young stockman, but he is not all that he seems and she is drawn into a baffling world of lies and mysteries, centering on a lushly beautiful property called The Planet, run by a wealthy American woman. When Drift's father is hospitalised following a tragic accident and the young man she loves disappears, Drift has to find the courage to make her own way in the world. Drawing upon the deep well of women's wisdom taught her by Charlie and Wilma, Drift has to overcome heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness and pain in order to forge her path, own her truth, and create the kind of world that she wants to live in.

What I Thought: I did enjoy this but it was all a bit too preachy for me. Too much holistic farming, too much "guided by the universe", too much "we are all bad/sinful/ignorant people". And didn't tie up loose ends properly like the rape... A bit unrealistic where everything worked out for everyone and that just isn't real life.

Book: Down the Dirt Roads

Summary: Country girl and bestselling novelist Rachael Treasure seemed to have it all, a long-dreamed-of lifestyle on her own patch of dirt in Tasmania's rugged and beautiful wilderness. But through the breakdown of her marriage, Rachael lost her family farm and, in her words, lost her way in life. Discovering an all-new compass to live by, she took her two kids and her dogs and left the beaten path. Mass production, intensive farming, men on the land and women in the home - everywhere Rachael looked she saw ongoing harm to the soil and the foodchain. By going down the dirt roads and getting back to grassroots, she discovered another set of stories about country life in Australia, and a different way to live on the land. From her rebel granny to pioneering farmers and passionate animal handlers, Rachael became inspired by fresh ways to do things.


What I Thought: ooh - it just didn't do it for me. I felt it was so judgmental and felt lectured to. Very tough situation and I hope this book helps her deal with the loss of her farm etc. (I can't believe they let her ex stay and not her) but I am looking forward to getting back into her juicy fiction novels.

Book: Cleanskin Cowgirls

Summary: On the surface Elsie Jones, country music superstar, has it all. But a brush with death forces her to re-evaluate her life.

Growing up a misfit in the dying wheatbelt town of Culvert, her only friend is chubby Tara Green. At sixteen the girls escape in a rust-bucket ute with a nearly-dead dog, a mop and bucket, a guitar and $74.85. What could possibly go wrong?
While the road leads them to the outback scrub mustering cleanskin cattle, there's just one problem. Elsie and Tara have left their hearts in Culvert with their childhood sweethearts, eccentric inventor twins Zac and Amos Smith, who are hiding an incredible secret in their farm shed.
After a devastating betrayal, the girls are led on very different journeys. Can they find their way home again or is their friendship lost forever?


What I thought: I was unsure about this as I've gone off Rachael Treasure the last few books. this one was really good though. Not keen on the scenes in the USA but otherwise I really enjoyed it.

Book: Farmer's Wife

Summary: She got her fairytale ending - but life had other plans ... The Deniliquin Ute Muster had always been on Rebecca's wish list, but with the farm and babies, she'd never managed to make it. Tonight, she decided to reclaim herself. After ten years being married to larrikin Charlie Lewis and living on her beloved property, Waters Meeting, Rebecca is confronted by a wife's biggest fear, a mother's worst nightmare and a farm business that's bleeding to death. Can Rebecca find the inner strength she once had as a young jillaroo, to save everything she cherishes? Or is life about to teach her the hardest lesson: that sometimes you simply have to let go.

What I thought:  Hmm. I was very skeptical about reading this which is why it took me so long to finally getting around to it. I loved Jillaroo and wasn't keen on a sequel and that was the book that started it all for me and my love affair with rural chick lit romances. I knew she broke up the main characters and made Charlie out to be a bastard but she could have simply changed the names and made it a separate book. I know she got divorced in real life and I felt (hope) that this is here release book from her marriage. Her first 4 books were awesome then there was a couple of short story books then this. Her new book is out in a month or so and I am praying that it is back to the Rachael of old... In saying that this book was ok. There were some really good bits and some really bad bits. But overall I did enjoy it.

Book: Fifty Bales of Hay

Summary: Come have a roll in the hay with one of Australia′s leading rural fiction authors, Rachael Treasure, in her romping, rollicking first-ever collection of romantic stories, celebrating the sexy side of rural life. Guaranteed to get your tractor revving, FIFTY BALES OF HAY is an honest and imaginative exploration of everyday men and women getting down and dirty on the land.


From the dairy shed to the Royal Agricultural Show pavilion, Treasure′s cheeky satirical humour and wicked imagination offers up a dozen fun-filled, and sometimes poignant, tales of dust and lust. This collection will have you clamoring for a stock whip, a saddle and a jackaroo.

What I thought: Hit and miss. Really hope her next full length book is good as I'm not into short stories and there are heaps of great rural chick lit authors out there now.

Book: The Girl and the Ghost-Grey Mare

This was a selection of short stories from Rachael Treasure. I love Rachael's novels and she is by far one of my favourite authors. Not too keen on short stories though. This was ok. Some were good, some were average. Can't wait for her next full length novel to be released.

Rachael Treasure talk

Back at the start of October I was lucky enough to go to one of our local bookshops to see Rachael Treasure talk about her latest book. She is one of my all time favourite authors. She writes about farms, outback and rural romances. Just love her work. It's all very Aussie which I love. Anyway, she has just published a short story collection which I am currently reading now. I love listening to authors read their own words and just listening to them discuss how they got into writing, why they write, when they write etc. The bonus of going was that I also got to be a groupie and get her to sign all my books that's she's written!