Book: Rocking Horse Hill

Summary: Ever since she was a little girl, Emily Wallace-Jones has loved Rocking Horse Hill. The beautiful family property is steeped in history. Everything important in Em’s life has happened there. And even though Em’s brother Digby has inherited the property, he has promised Em it will be her home for as long as she wishes.
When Digby falls in love with sweet Felicity Townsend, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Em worries about the future. But she is determined not to treat Felicity with the same teenage snobbery that tore apart her relationship with her first love, Josh Sinclair. A man who has now sauntered sexily back into Em’s life and given her a chance for redemption.
But as Felicity settles in, the once tightly knitted Wallace-Jones family begins to fray. Suspicions are raised, Josh voices his distrust, and even Em’s closest friends question where Felicity’s motives lie. Conflicted but determined to make up for the damage caused by her past prejudices, Em sides with her brother and his fiancée until a near tragedy sets in motion a chain of events that will change the family forever.

What I thought: A lovely easy read. Still cant decide if I like how the Felicity story ended though...

Book: Animal Farm

Summary: It is about a group of animals who rebel against the humans from the farm they live on and run it themselves with hopes of being equal, free, and happy. In the end, however, the new rule becomes a cruel tyranny of its own led by the pigs.

What I thought: Bloody brilliant! I loved it but not for the political (Stalin) story behind it just for the story itself. 

Book: Handle with Care

Summary: Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe's daughter, Willow, was born with brittle bone disease, a condition that requires Charlotte to act as full-time caregiver and has strained their emotional and financial limits. Willow's teenaged half-sister, Amelia, suffers as well, overshadowed by Willow's needs and lost in her own adolescent turmoil. When Charlotte decides to sue for wrongful birth in order to obtain a settlement to ensure Willow's future, the already strained family begins to implode. Not only is the defendant Charlotte's longtime friend, but the case requires Charlotte and Sean to claim that had they known of Willow's condition, they would have terminated the pregnancy, a statement that strikes at the core of their faith and family.

What I Thought: I was hooked from the beginning. Loved it (though not the ending). 

Book: Ride with the Wind

Summary: Joanna Kingsford is passionate about horses. The scent of leather, sweat and hay, the clatter of hooves – this is the world she shares with her father, the champion trainer Charlie Kingsford.  Jo couldn't be less like Nina, her socialite mother. Nina wants Joanna to pursue more ladylike interests, like modelling and finishing school; Jo can't think of anything more unlikely, or more dull. But a tragic accident changes everything and Nina sees to it that Jo is kept away from the horses that she loves. Heartbroken, Jo is determined to prove she has what it takes to succeed as a champion trainer. In England, amid the winter frosts and the northern skies, her career blossoms and she soon finds love. But what of Jo's long-held dream of following in her father's footsteps back in Australia? Can the land and skies of home be so easily forgotten?

What I Thought: Loved it. It was a little slow at times but still a great read.

Book: Girl in the Yellow Vest

Summary: Emily Woods counts cracks for a living. Concrete cracks. So when her long-term boyfriend dumps her, she decides it's time for a change of scenery. Her best friend, Will, suggests joining his construction team in Queensland. Working next door to the Great Barrier Reef seems like just the sort of adventure she needs to reboot her life…until she realises that Will is not the person she thought he was.

Charlotte Templeton is frustrated with the lack of respect FIFO workers have for her seaside resort. But picking a fight with their tyrannical project manager, Mark Crawford, seems to lead to more complications than resolutions. The man is too pompous, too rude, and too damned good looking.

As both women strive to protect their dreams and achieve their goals, they discover that secrets will come out, loyalty often hurts, and sometimes the perfect man is the wrong one.

What I Thought: Enjoyed this one. Not my favourite rural romance author but still good :) 

Bookgroup: Catcher in the Rye

Summary: The first-person narrative follows Holden's experiences in New York City in the days following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a fictional college preparatory school in Pennsylvania.



What I Thought: Loved it and loathed it. Sometimes just wanted to slap him but it also touched on some great teenage angst moments.

Book: Time Will Tell

Summary: Emily Oliphant has made some major changes in her life. After leaving an abusive husband, moving house and starting her own business, things are looking up. And when she receives an offer to purchase the property she's renting, Emily feels herself taking another step in the right direction. She's unsure where the money will come from, but the offer is too good to refuse. Unbeknown to her, the button jar – a gift from her late Granny Mayfair – could contain the solution to all her problems ...
But just when things are finally beginning to go Emily's way, everything takes a turn and Emily must draw on her inner strength to overcome once again.

What I Thought: Brilliant sequel - love it. Can't wait for the final book in the series. Rural romance rocks!

Book: Pieces of Blue

Summary: At the age of six, Kerry McGinnis loses her mother. Her father, left with four young children to raise, gathers up his family and leaves the city to go doving. For the next fifteen years, the McGinnis clan travels the continent, droving, horse breaking and living off the land. Kerry grows up in the harsh outback, and the animals that inhabit the land are her closest friends.With the memory of her absent mother ever present, Kerry begins her difficult journey into young womanhood.

What I Thought: An amazing story which was set in rather recent times really. Boy I have an easy life! Looking forward to reading the follow up eventually.