Book: Take Me Home

Summary: It was a straightforward request. Take her gran home to her beloved Scotland. In the space of a few days, Elle loses her job and her home and faces moving back in with her parents-where she knows she'll hear a lot about how she is wasting her life, unlike her three siblings . . . Then Gran's will is read and everything changes. It seems simple: a road trip across Scotland, a country Gran loved, to locate the family castle; meet some long lost cousins; oh, and work out what she wants to do with the rest of her life before returning home. Not a problem. That is unless the family castle is a ruin that has pretty much been lost in time; the family Elle has never met seem to be hiding a mysterious secret; her over-achieving parents are breathing down her neck, and she's running out of time to make a decision about her future. What I Thought: Really enjoyed this - lovely read.

Book: Something Like This

Summary: Jason Weaver just wants to be left alone. It was a tough transition from his army days to civilian life, and he's looking forward to settling into a solitary life. Tilly Hollis is working two jobs to save for her dream career: running an equine therapy program. Tilly loves her horses more than anything, and after losing her husband and business partner just a few years earlier, she's determined to make it work on her own. When Jason walks into the cafe where Tilly works, they're immediately drawn to one another. But can they overcome their pasts to find a future together? What I Thought: Another easy rural read.

Book: Fool Me Once

Summary: Farmer Georgie Henderson manages a cattle property in the New England region of New South Wales, but her dream has always been to buy back her family farm, Tamban.

When an unlikely meeting with Michael Delacourt at a rowdy B&S Ball sends them on a whirlwind romance, Georgie can't believe it's possible for life to be this good. For the first time ever, her dream of buying back Tamban takes a backseat to her happiness.

But her world shatters when she discovers the shocking secret Michael has been trying to keep from her.

Can Michael convince her they still have a future? And after having her heart so thoroughly broken, can Georgie ever trust anyone again?


What I Thought: Loved this - nice easy read. My fav kind of book :)

Book: Return to Stringybark Creek

Summary: When Hadley Callahan returns to Stringybark Creek without her husband, Mitch Samuals, she plans to tell her parents one major piece of news while determinedly hiding another even more explosive secret.

For Oliver Dawson, the Callahans' neighbour, Hadley's celebrity wedding two years ago had killed any hopes he'd nurtured that one day they might end up together.

With Mitch putting pressure on Hadley and the secret she's keeping causing her great anguish, Hadley's developing feelings for Ollie take her by surprise. But with her life thrown into so much chaos at the moment, what future could they possibly have together?




What I Thought: Great (but sad) topic to explore. Really enjoyed this conclusion.

Book: Mr Right Now

Summary: Griffin Callahan and Olivia Dawson were inseparable. Everyone in town knew it. But when Griff went off to Ag College, Liv told him it was over and fled her family's farm to study law. Griff had never understood her reasons, but eventually accepted that first loves don't last. Until now.
Currently back on the farm to help her twin brother with the harvest, Liv is the same gorgeous, laughing, hazel-eyed girl he'd always loved. Yet Griff can sense a difference, an uncertainty playing beneath the surface, that wasn't there before.
Amid crossed wires, drunken declarations, and families on a mission, will Griff and Liv finally have a second chance? Or will the old saying - if you love someone set them free - become their reality?


What I Thought: Loved this! Bring on book 3.

Book: The Wrong Callahan

Summary: It had been two long years since Lincoln Callahan had stood in front of the gates to Stringybark Creek. He was in the army then - a lifetime ago. Linc had always been the unsettled Callahan, looking for danger, the one who couldn't wait to leave the family farm.

Linc's little brother, Griffin, was the dependable son, the one who stayed at home, the one who did the right things. And, now, the one who has feelings for rebellious city girl, Cash Sullivan.

When Linc locks eyes with Cash at a family dinner, their swift attraction floors him. But Cash is his brother's girlfriend ... what is he thinking?

As Linc, Griff and Cash form an uneasy triangle, each of them have personal demons to face before they can open their hearts.


What I Thought: Loved it but it lacked substance.

Book: Someone like you

Summary: When bestselling author, twenty-nine year old Hayley Stevens, walks in on her husband, Paul, and her best friend in bed together, she knows her life will never be the same again. One year later, Hayley stowed her last bag in her much-loved Audi Coupe and said goodbye to the city. She was excited to be heading west to Lochway, a small colonial village sitting on the beautiful Macdonald River. Wanting peace and quiet, Hayley had impulsively bought a cosy sandstone cottage there surrounded by lush rose gardens, with a small overseer's cottage - ideal for a writer's retreat.

What she didn't expect was the almost immediate 'gift' of a very noisy donkey named Errol. Nor did Hayley expect to meet her handsome new neighbour, Luke Mason, when she was covered in mud trying to drag Errol out of Luke's dam. The strange thing was though that Luke seemed very familiar to her. As Hayley slowly gains acceptance into her small community and starts writing again she becomes almost afraid of the inexplicable visions she sees. What does it all mean? And why does Luke refuse to listen to her?


What I Thought: I enjoy these books. Simple and not too deep. The right mix of escapism!

Book: Six Ways to Sunday

Summary: When city naturopath Rilee Summers meets gorgeous farmer Dan Kincaid, sparks fly. A whirlwind romance follows, and the next thing Rilee knows she's married and living on her husband's family property in a small rural community.

Never one to shy from a challenge, Rilee is determined to win over her in-laws and the townsfolk of nearby Pallaburra, but her city ways and outspoken views only seem to alienate her further.

Opening her own naturopathy practice has always been her dream. Although Pallaburra isn't Sydney, and despite the fact she's not exactly inundated with new clients, she's not ready to give up. Things get even worse for Rilee when she champions the issue of teen pregnancies in the deeply conservative town.

Worn down by the ill-will towards her and what she sees as Dan's lack of support, Rilee flees the station to think about the future. Can her marriage survive - or is she destined to leave Dan and move back to the city?


What I Thought: Loved this - an nice easy read with a fierce independent woman!

Book: If Wishes Were Horses

Summary: Already struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of her husband, Sophie Bryant nearly loses her own life while attending a domestic dispute as a paramedic. Diagnosed with a mild form of post-traumatic stress disorder, Sophie decides to accept a posting to the remote township of Hilsons Ridge.

Soon after her arrival, Sophie decides on a whim to buy an old house on the outskirts of town. There, she discovers the diary of a light horse trooper from the First World War, which she finds fascinating.

Local vet, Zac Conway, is also struggling in the wake of losing his life partner. So when Sophie brings an abandoned horse to him for treatment and they get to know each other, Zac is surprised to feel emotions he never hoped to experience again.

The peace and tranquillity of living in her new community sees Sophie gradually recovering from her trauma and grief. As she discovers more about her farm's history, she realises that the past and the present are irrevocably connected and, just like love, it waits for the right person to come along to unlock its secrets.

What I Thought: A nice sweet little book. Enjoyable.

Book: Third Time Lucky

Summary: After a disastrous marriage, December Doyle has returned to her home town to try to pick up the pieces of her life and start again. She’s also intent on helping breathe new life into the Christmas Creek township, so the last thing she needs is trouble.

Bad boy Seth Hunter has also returned to Christmas Creek, and trouble is his middle name. Wrongly convicted of a serious crime in his youth, Seth is now a successful businessman, but he’s intent on settling some old scores.

As teenagers, December and Seth were madly in love, and seeing each other again reawakens past feelings. But will Seth be able to overcome his destructive anger about the past, and can December conquer her fear of heartbreak to make their relationship third time lucky?




What I Thought: Loved this - even though I had read the novella version of this story this sucked me in and I was hooked.

Book: Second Chance Town

Summary: Single mother Lucy Parker loves the quiet historical charm of her hometown of Bundah. Raising her teenage daughter Belle can be challenging and, in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, it's even more daunting than usual.

Newcomer Hugh Thompson is determined to put his chequered history behind him. Excited by the potential he sees in Bundah, he buys a rundown pub with big plans for a fresh start. But not long after Hugh's arrival, a spate of teenage drug overdoses starts to divide the locals and there are whispers they might be connected to the reclusive new publican who has a somewhat dark and mysterious past.

When Belle suddenly starts hanging out with the wrong kids and experimenting with alcohol, Lucy becomes fearful that drugs will be next. The very last thing she needs is for a man like Hugh to come along and disrupt her life. But it seems fate has other ideas . . .

What I Thought: Loved this one - so many books - so little time. 

Book: December's Wish

Summary: Christmas Creek is a small town struggling to stay alive but December Doyle has a plan that will breathe life back into the rural community once more. Seth Hunter holds nothing but contempt for Christmas Creek. After being framed and sent to jail in his youth, he returns to town a wealthy businessman with plans of his own for the town… he plans to destroy it along with everyone that ever looked down on him, including, December’s father, Jack Doyle. Revenge brought him back, but he soon discovers that old insecurities die hard in a place that holds so many painful memories, and all the years he’d spent orchestrating his big plan hadn’t taken into account that December still owned his heart. A story of lies, betrayal and revenge in the Australian high country.


What I Thought: A nice little novella.

Book: Burnt

Summary: Sebastian Taylor and Rebecca Whiteman were country town high school sweethearts dreaming of a future together when an accident one night forever changed their destiny...

Eighteen years after the tragedy, newly divorced Rebecca returns to the small town she left behind, to start a new life. Seb, now an elite SAS soldier in the Australian Army, arrives home to his farm, injured and grieving, to face a town that hasn’t forgotten and a father who has never understood him.
Rebecca has enough problems of her own without adding Seb Taylor to the mix: a failed marriage, two children to support and a persistent mysterious caller. The last thing she needs is her first love making a sudden reappearance in her life. Seb doesn’t want to get mixed up in Rebecca's life. He came home to heal his wounds, both old and new, but can he do it without getting burnt?




What I Thought: I enjoyed this - it got a bit lost at the end but still a great read :)

Book: Tallowood Bound

Summary: When Erin Macalister leaves the city to take care of her beloved grandmother, she's relieved to be escaping the remnants of her broken marriage.

Arriving in the small rural community she grew up in, Erin finds nothing much has changed - including Jamie McBride, who is still as ridiculously good looking as he was when they were seventeen and madly in love.

Leafing through old photo albums evokes vivid memories for her grandmother of a soldier she once loved. Erin's curiosity about this mysterious soldier deepens when she finds an engagement ring he once gave her grandmother.

Meanwhile, Jamie seems intent on rekindling his relationship with Erin, even though she's not at all sure she wants to risk heartache again.


What I Thought:  A nice book although it was very similar (Townsville/war etc.) to another one released at the same time from a different publisher. Would've loved it more if I read them further apart...

Book: Gemma's Bluff

Summary: Smart and reliable, Gemma Northcote has always done what's expected of her. So it's not surprising that after uni she defers to her father's wish that she join the family business.

Gemma's best friend, Jasmine, is a different personality altogether. She thrives on spontaneity, is unpredictable and has generally pursued her own path.

When Gemma and Jasmine decide to spend a working holiday on a large rural property, their friends and family are surprised. Neither has any experience of country life (unless you count Jasmine's love of McLeod's Daughters) and they're not exactly farming types.

Away from her family, Gemma feels liberated. The longer she's away the more she questions what she really wants to do with her future. Ultimately, she realises she needs to choose between duty and what's right for her in life - and love.


What I thought: Loved it. Hooked from page 1. Got my reading mojo back :)

Book: Poppy's Dilemma

Summary: Poppy Abbott seems to have it all. Bright, successful and attractive, she lives in a beautiful apartment with sweeping views of Sydney. However, since the recent death of her beloved grandmother, she's been struggling to come to terms with her grief.

Feeling nostalgic one evening, Poppy decides to sort through her grandmother's belongings, which she hasn't been able to face before. She's hardly started when she comes across an old leather diary with the name 'Maggie Abbott' written in the front. It's not long before she's drawn into Maggie's life and her fears for her soldier boyfriend during the First World War.

As her interest in Maggie's diary intensifies, Poppy decides to spend some time at her grandmother's house in the country. Away from the city, Poppy begins to wonder if all the things she's always valued so much are what she really wants out of life. And then love intervenes...

What I thought: Loved it. Great rural romance.

Book: Bridie's Choice

Summary: Bridie Farrell and Shaun Broderick come from opposite sides of the tracks. But unlike Bridie's family, who are perennial strugglers, the Brodericks are the wealthy owners of Jinjulu - one of the most prestigious properties in their local district. All her life Bridie has longed to leave the small town she grew up in. But time afer time family responsibilites have kept her anchored there. Meanwhile, Shaun's dream of taking over the namagement of Jinjulu is dashed by his dictatorial father who tries to rule Shaun's life both on and off the farm. The Brodericks are dismayed when Shaun falls in love with 'that Farrell girl', whom they deem unsuitable. And they don't just make their feelings clear to Shaun but to Bridie as well. Faced with a choice, Bridie must decide whether to turn her back on her heart or her dreams in order to make the biggest decision of her life... From the author of the bestselling rural saga North Star and Morgan's Law, this absorbing novel is about alternative destinies and the power of love.


What I thought: I enjoyed this book. Not her best one but still a nice read.

Book: Morgan's Law

Summary: High flying advertising executive, Sarah Murphy, heads to a small town to fulfil a mysterious last wish of her late grandmother. Her journey leads her to love and greater understanding of both herself and her grandmother.  When Sarah Murphy returns to Australia she desperately needs a break from her high-powered London life. And though mystified by her grandmother's dying wish for her ashes to be scattered under 'the wishing tree' on the banks of the Negallan River, she sets out to do just that.

While searching for the wishing tree, Sarah stays in the small township of Negallan. It's there that she finally has some time to relax and unwind, there that she finds herself drawn to a handsome local farmer, and there that she discovers her enquiries about her grandmother are causing disquiet within the powerful local Morgan family.  Will the Morgans prevent Sarah from discovering the truth about her grandmother? And should she risk her glittering career in the UK for a simpler existence in the country, and the possibility of true love?



What I thought: Once again I was swept away in this fabulous story.  Couldn't wait for the kids to be tucked up in bed and asleep so I could jump back in to where I had left off. Just loved it!

Book: North Star

Summary: Since her divorce a year ago, Kate Thurston feels like she's lurched from one disaster to another. Her teenage daughter, Georgia, seems to have morphed into a monster overnight, and her son Liam breaks her heart with his sad brown eyes.
When Kate receives news that her grandfather has bequeathed her North Star, the vast property that has been in her family for generations, it feels like the perfect opportunity to flee the hectic pace of city life for a calmer rural existence.
As soon as she arrives at North Star, however, Kate realises she's going to need every ounce of determination to restore the rundown homestead to its former glory and fulfil her dream of turning it into a bush retreat. And as for the farm, well it's in utter disarray. As she starts to make headway with the homestead's restoration, and falls for a local bloke, Kate finally feels like life is going right for her. Then her ex-husband comes to town and triggers a series of events that will change her life forever ...

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED. Awesome trashy country romance! Can't wait for more from this author!