Book: The Baby Doctor

Summary: Sienna Wilson is living her dream in the city – a rewarding obstetrics job in a leading hospital, an apartment with a view, and handsome Sergeant McCabe on call whenever she needs him. The last thing she wants is a posting to a remote outback town to investigate a medical mystery. But on arrival in Spinifex, Sienna is brought to life in new and exciting ways. In a community riddled with secrets, she meets troubled young barmaid Maddy, and tough publican Alma, both with their troubles to hide. As they draw strength from each other, new friendships, new loves and new babies are born, proving that when strong women join forces, they can overcome even the greatest odds.


What I Thought: Enjoyable but didn't suck me in like her last ones have.

Book: Come Rain or Shine

Summary: Nearly a year into her marriage with farmer Dan, and now pregnant, she is proud of her ability to feed shearers, bake a pastie and fix a fence while still running her accountancy business from home. With a wedding to plan, the farm to run and neighbours to help out, life is busy but good. But there are clouds on the horizon. Dan is increasingly tired and distant. He promised he would always tell her the truth, so why is he being so mysterious about his late father's will? And why is his abrasive Aunt Rowena suddenly so interested in the sex and due date of Paula's baby? As bushfires rage, Paula makes a discovery that shocks her and threatens all she holds dear.




What I Thought: Really enjoyed this sequel. Not sure I'd be a good farmer's wife though! Hope she does a book 3 in the series.

Book: Song of the Bellbirds

Summary: All young Lizzy wants to do is sing, ride the boundaries of her family's Queensland property and dream of one day performing on stage. But when a freak storm hits the area, wreaking havoc and bringing tragedy, she swears never to sing another note.
Lizzy, however, has a voice as uplifting as the pure beauty of the song of the bellbirds, and others are not quite so willing to let her remarkable talent go to waste. There is the loving but ambitious Sister Angelica, a natural teacher; the vibrant and dangerously attractive Maestro Leonard Rominski, whose charms Lizzy finds irresistible; and the irrepressible Gran, whose love sustains Lizzy through thrilling highs and crushing lows.
But it is Lizzy alone who will ultimately decide if the price she must pay to sing is too high.




What I Thought: This one was ok - a bit too musical/overseas for my liking. Prefer to read about the Australian bush.

Book: Moment of Truth

Summary: Alexis Brown was thirteen when her parents were killed. The police labelled it a murder–suicide, but Alexis has grown up believing her loving father could never have hurt her mother. So when, seventeen years later, Alexis receives an anonymous note telling her the police were wrong and her parents were both murdered, she’s determined to return to Blue Ridge and find out the truth.
When Alexis arrives at the newly renovated cottage hoping to awaken her lost memories, she can’t help but notice how strong and handsome her childhood friend Ethan King has become. But she’s not here for love. As soon as the truth is uncovered she has to return to her life, and falling for him would only leave her with a broken heart.
For Ethan, getting to know the resilient woman that Alexis has blossomed into leaves his world upside down. But as they spend the days together and with their mutual love for horses, it doesn’t take long for Alexis and Ethan to discover their friendship is much more than they’d first thought … But will it all be threatened by a shocking secret from all those years ago?


What I Thought: Loved this - hooked from the beginning!

Book: The Maxwell Sisters

Summary: All families have their problems. No more so than the Maxwells of Tawny Brooks Winery. Situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this world-renowned winery was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe. Today all three women are enmeshed in their city lives and eager to forget their past - and their fractured sibling relationships. Until Phoebe decides to get married at home . . . Now the sisters must all return to face a host of family obligations, vintage in full swing and interfering in-laws who just can t take a hint. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice. But old wounds cut deep. Somehow, the Maxwell sisters must find a way back to one another or risk losing each other forever.


What I Thought: A nice read - I prefer her earlier works but still enjoyable.

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: Death Mask

Summary: When the victim of a violent gang rape accuses five premiere athletes of being her attackers, she has no idea that her suffering has only just begun. It's a scandal that rocks a nation of sports fans. But, in spite of a huge amount of evidence, no one seems to believe the girl.  So when Dr. Anya Crichton, with her forensic and sexual assault expertise, is asked to get involved, albeit on behalf of the team managers, she knows she can't say no. But as she investigates further, she realises that the scandals, violence, and abuse run much deeper, and much further into the past, than she could ever have imagined.




What I Thought: Loved this - second of her books I've read and they are really enjoyable. I don't mind a little crime in amongst the rural romance!

Book: Diamond Sky

Summary: The remote Matsu diamond mine in the Kimberley is the perfect place for engineer Dru Porter to hide. Her insignificance in that vast and rugged landscape helps her feel invisible. And safe. Surely the terror she left behind in Dubai will never find her here.
Security specialist Connor Kirk knows from experience that beautiful women are capable of treachery. When he arrives at Matsu to investigate a diamond theft, he immediately suspects the reclusive but obviously capable Dru Porter. He knows she's hiding something.
As Connor's investigation deepens and Dru's past catches up with her, their instant, mutual dislike threatens to blind them to the true danger lurking in the mine, one which could leave them both at the mercy of the desert...




What I Thought: Loved it. Hooked. Have enjoyed the 3 in the series. So many amazing places to explore in Australia.

Book: Suddenly One Summer

Summary: When Brianna Donahue was three years old, her mother mysteriously disappeared while farming in Merriwell Bay, Western Australia. Her body has never been found. Brianna works the same land with her father Russell, while almost single-handedly raising her two children as her husband Caleb works as a fly-in fly-out criminal lawyer in Perth.

One scorching summer's morning, her son Trent goes missing and, while frantically searching for him, Brianna must come to terms with the fact that her marriage has large cracks in it.

Over two thousand kilometres away in South Australia, Detective Dave Burrows receives a phone call reporting stolen sheep from an elderly farmer. When he and his partner Jack arrive at the farm, it's clear that Guy has early signs of dementia. Following a conversation with his wife Kim, Dave becomes intrigued with Guy's family history. Was there a sister, or was there not? No one seems to know.

So how will Dave's investigation impact Brianna's world? While battling the threat of bushfires back in Merriwell Bay, Brianna is faced with challenges that test her relationships with those she loves most. Suspenseful and incendiary, Suddenly One Summer is an intriguing and heartfelt story of the unlikely connections of life on the land.         


What I Thought: Totally sucked in. Read in a day - loved it.

Book: Wayward Heart

Summary: Jasmine Thomas should feel safe in her cosy cottage at Admella Beach after finally putting an end to an ill-advised romance. But her perfect sanctuary is shattered with the arrival of hand-delivered threatening notes. Someone has discovered her secret.
When the notes escalate to vandalism, Jasmine's anxiety rises. But in such a small place, telling the police would mean the whole town finding out.
Digby Wallace-Jones is stumbling through the motions of life, wrapped in a fog of grief since his fiancee Felicity died. Withdrawn from his family, Digby doesn't care about anything beyond his loss. But in a chance meeting with Jasmine, his sister's best friend who he's known forever, even he can see the tension she carries. Worried and feeling protective, he continues to drop by, but it's more than that. Jasmine soothes him; and, unlike the rest of his family, he can talk to her about his pain without fear of judgement. But as much as he likes Jasmine, Digby's enduring love for Felicity means he has nothing left to give and he pushes Jasmine away.
Jasmine knew they were supposed to stay friends 'with excellent benefits' but she can't help her wayward heart from falling for this tortured, kind and sexy man. How can she ever loosen the grip Felicity's memory has on Digby's soul and remind him he still has a life ahead of him?




What I Thought: Another enjoyable rural romance although I think the series is done. You can only read so much about the same little town.

Book: Breaking the Drought

Summary: When Jenna McLean gets roped into attending a matchmaking ball in a small country town, she holds no illusions of meeting the man of her dreams.  A no-nonsense magazine editor, Jenna doesn’t believe in leaving love to chance, which is why she’s developed Marriage Material – a fool-proof framework for husband hunting. Shearers and farmhands need not apply.
Sheep grazier Luke Tanner has met women like Jenna before, and knows not to waste his time. With the drought dragging on and bushfire season around the corner, the last thing he needs is a spoiled city girl like Jenna adding to his problems. He'll help out with the ball because it's good for the community, but he won't dance, he won't flirt, and he definitely won't be matched.


What I Thought: A nice easy read to start the year and end my holidays.

2017 - Books in Review

In 2017 I had an excellent reading year with 57 books read. Probably close to my best ever.


So a quick breakdown:

Non-fiction - 4
Teen - 7
Rural Romance (I can't get enough of this) - 42
General Fiction - 4

 So 2018 is here and I will aim again for 52 books - fingers crossed I get there - just so many other competing demands :)

Book: No Job for a Girl

Summary: Leah Jackson leaves behind everything familiar, taking a job as the resident safety advisor and nurse in a construction fly camp in the remote South Australian outback. Everyone has told her that it's no job for a girl, but this isn't the first time she's had to prove her mettle.
Project supervisor Alex McKinley is happy to be as far away from the city as he can get. Recently divorced, he's reassessing where he went wrong. Alex has nothing against women specifically. He'd just rather they weren't working on his construction site, sharing his office, invading his space.
In the close confines of the desert camp, anything can happen, and Leah soon finds herself the centre of attention - from bothersome bureaucrats to injured workers and hordes of isolated men. But it is one man in particular who pushes her to her limits ... in more ways than one.


What I thought: Ripped through this on holidays in a day.

Book: The House at the Bottom of the Hill

Summary: The mysterious death of her mother has left Charlotte Simmons on edge and off-balance for too long. The only way to move forward is to get answers, and those answers can only be found in one place. So Charlotte buys a Bed & Breakfast establishment in Swallows Falls, a small town in Australias Snowy Mountains, as a ploy to get close to the man who might have the answers. Shell jazz up the old place, flip it, get her answers, and be gone in two-months max. What she doesnt count on is opposition from the dogmatic and slightly eccentric members of the town council, and the hotshot owner of Kookaburras Bar & Grill and his two-hundred-squats-a-day physique whose mouth offers to act as mediator, but his eyes promise something so much more. Easy-going Daniel Bradford knows progress is slow in Swallows Fall. Hes finally about to put his plans into place to upgrade the hotel when a prim-and-proper, citified redhead blows into town, putting everyone on edge. The only way to contain the trouble shes about to cause is to contain her but he knows trouble when he sees it, and soon it becomes very clear that theres absolutely nothing containable about Charlotte, or the way he feels about her.


What I Thought: Enjoying this little series.

Book: Shadows of Hunters Ridge

Summary: Ebony Blakely has her life nearly exactly where she wants it. She's a country vet with a successful business in Hunters Ridge, a town that she loves, and has a close group of friends. The only thing missing is romance. Unfortunately, the man she wants treats her as a good friend, and no matter how much she tries to change that perception, he just won't get it.
Lee Dalton is an ex-cop with a chip on his shoulder about his past. He's determined to make a success of his building business  –  and keep his thoughts away from his best friend's sister, Ebony. But seeing Ebony every day as he works on her surgery renovation makes that almost impossible and soon their hidden feelings begin complicate their friendship.
When it becomes apparent Ebony's life is in danger, she is scared but determined not to run. But following an earlier encounter Lee knows what these monsters are capable of and is forced to use everything he's ever learnt as a policeman to keep her safe.
Because these monsters are serial killers, and they'll stop at nothing to claim their prize.


What I Thought: Got sucked in to this - enjoyed this second in the series and now off to read book 3. Bit far fetched but still enjoyable.

Book: Along Country Roads

Summary: Matilda Denver seeks the sanctuary of sleepy Moonstone Valley where she hopes to heal and make a fresh start. But her plans go awry when the vehicle breaks down and she’s stranded at the side of a deserted country road.
Ryan Hunter, after working himself into the ground at his interstate truck-driving job since his sister’s death, is making his last run before a well-earned month off. On the last stretch home, he happens across a beautiful woman and scraggy dog hitchhiking. It’s not long before he connects Matilda’s bruises to her past and what she’s on the run from. He instinctively wants to protect Matilda and offers her a place to stay at his property, Heartsong.
Although both battling their own demons, they start to discover how much they have in common – and soon they’re also battling the strong desire to fall hard for each other. But when Ryan tries to help by organising for the four-wheel drive to be fixed, he unwittingly gives away Matilda’s location and now her life may be on the line. Can Ryan find her before it’s too late?


What I Thought: Really enjoyed this as a work of fiction but it could've dug deeper to deal more with domestic violence - surface level only really.

Book: Finding Jennifer Jones

Summary: The long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed LOOKING FOR JJ. Kate Rickman seems just like any other nineteen-year-old girl. She goes to university, she dates nice, normal boys and she works in her local tourist office at the weekend. But Kate's not really normal at all. 'Kate' is in fact a carefully constructed facade for a girl called Jennifer Jones - and it's a facade that's crumbling fast. Jennifer has spent the last nine years frantically trying to escape from her horrifying past. Increasingly desperate, Jennifer decides to do something drastic. She contacts the only other girl who might understand what she's dealing with, breaking every rule of her parole along the way. Lucy Bussell is the last person Jennifer expects any sympathy from, but she's also the last person she has left.

What I Thought: I was hesitant to read this after the thinking the first book was brilliant but this didn't disappoint. Still had me gripped. A powerful book.

Book: The Greatest Gift

Summary: Radio host Harper Drummond lives for her glamorous career. Every day she meets fascinating people doing extraordinary things, but has begun to wonder whether there’s something more for her out there. She’s financially secure, happily married and loves her job — what more could she want from life? An interview with a childless couple prompts Harper to think about whether she could make a contribution. She and her husband, Samuel, know they don’t want a child in their lives, but could she help someone else become a mother?


The childhood cancer that left Claire Beggs infertile doesn’t matter to her husband, Jasper. He loves her unreservedly, and they are passionate about their thriving hot air balloon business in the Hunter Valley. Despite their contentment, Claire is desperate to have a child — she knows Jasper would be a brilliant father and doesn’t want him to regret choosing her over a family in the years to come. An egg donor seems to be Claire and Jasper’s only chance of a happy family.


Can they find someone who will give them the greatest gift?


What I Thought: Wow - what a book. Brilliantly written. So moving and so so sad. Not sure I agree that this would happen in reality but it is fiction after all! A really fab read.

Book: Australian Midwives

Summary: Sweet, funny and sometimes sad, these stories share what it is to be an Australian midwife in remote areas where resources are limited. A moving and celebratory collection of tales that brings you close to the drama and wonder of birth.


What I Thought: Always enjoy these short non-fiction stories. Read over a few months. We are so lucky to have the services we do where I live and it's amazing how these remote nurses work. 

Book: Critical Condition

Summary: After years working as a paramedic in Sydney and living the bachelor life, Liam has had enough. He’s convinced himself, and everyone else, that he’s moved home to Birrangulla for a slower pace of life, but what he’s really looking for is the woman of his dreams.
From the outside, emergency nurse Poppy McDonald lives a charmed life. Unfortunately, when she moved to the other side of the world to escape her family, all she did was swap one controlling environment for another. After Poppy’s father dies, she returns to Australia to face her past. And her mother. But she has no intention of staying, and definitely not in Birrangulla.
When Liam and Poppy meet, there’s an instant spark. Liam knows Poppy is the one even though she’s carrying more than her share of baggage. But can he gain her trust and get her to look beyond her past? Or will the man Poppy left in the US return and ruin everything?




What I Thought: Loved revisiting these characters. really enjoyed it. A shame the series is over.