New Release Book Review: Snowy Mountains Daughter by Alissa Callen

It was great to pick up this new series by Alissa Callen, even though it’s a new town with new people to get to know, I instantly felt like they were old friends.

Both Clancy and Heath were great main characters, both hiding their feelings from the other, which I have to say I wanted to yell at them ‘just tell him/her’. But eventually, they get their.

Heath has kept many things from Clancy and carries a lot of hurt from the way his father treated him in the past and continues to treat him. I really felt for Heath, his father was full of hate towards him, but as things become clearer and secrets are uncovered, the reasons behind his behaviour come to the fore. Heath really struggles with what he wants and what he thinks he deserves and can actually have.

I loved Clancy’s character and I love the idea of having a flower farm, what could be better than being surrounded by flowers, but it’s hard work, just like any farming, it is highly reliant on the weather and a storm can destroy everything that has been worked for.

Bundy, the free-spirited Kelpie was definitely another main character, one who pulled all the characters in the story together, seeming to know exactly where he should be at any given time, providing support to all who need him.

There were some really great side characters, Clancy’s brother, Rowan, was great and I think we will be seeing him again, he provided some humour, getting into some sort of trouble whenever Clancy spoke to him and playing matchmaker between Clancy and Heath. Clancy’s best friend Brenna, was an awesome friend and I know we will see her again, she like Rowan still has to find her one true love.

The other characters in the community were wonderful to meet and I really look forward to catching up with them again in the future.

A story about love, friendship, families and secrets and the damage those secrets can cause, as well as taking a chance on happiness.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

New Release Book Review: Home From the Hill by Susanne Bellamy

Home From the Hill is book 4 I the Home to Lark Creek series. This was however, my first visit to Lark Creek, but I’ll be going back and revisiting with the first three books.

I liked this romantic suspense novel, about an older couple who have plenty of baggage behind them, but who are now tentatively taking steps to start again.

I thought Susanne Bellamy did a good job of portraying the PTSD and the claustrophobia that Graham was suffering. I felt quite sad that he’d spent so much of his life alone on the hill. Janice was a good character, and I enjoyed how she found her backbone against her ex-husband as the story progressed, though I wish she’d found it a bit earlier.

I enjoyed Jack, the lawyer, Rick, and the other secondary characters that played important roles in this story. There was plenty of tension created surrounding Janice’s ex and also the markers on the hill and I wondered how it was all going to come together. A really enjoyable read.

#AWW2020 33/50

New Release book review: The Round Yard by Alissa Callen

The Round Yard by Alissa Callen was a totally enjoyable rural romance read set once again in the town of Woodlea. This is the 4th book in this series and though they can be read as standalone I highly recommend reading them in order as many of the characters from previous books are part of the series.

In The Round Yard we meet newcomer Neve, who with her quiet and gentle way starts a reaction in loner Tanner that challenges everything he thought he wanted or needed. Tanner is gorgeous but broken and Alissa has you wishing desperately for him to allow Neve to help him heal. Neve is also in a bad space due to losses of her family she has suffered and you just know that Tanner would be perfect to help her overcome her issues too.

I loved the characters of Bassie and Dell, Neve’s rescued donkey and pony, they caused me to laugh several times with their antics and Bassie especially had such attitude.

I also loved revisiting the characters from book 1 & 2 and seeing what they were doing and how their relationships were going. I really appreciated the mystery that causes Tanner and Neve to work together, being a big fan of historical fiction, this small element of the story was one I found really interesting. A great read and I hope there is more to come in this series.

About the book: A heartfelt story about finding where you belong. A new Woodlea rural romance by bestselling Australian author Alissa Callen.

For only child Neve Fitzpatrick, family is everything. When she loses her mother, she heads to the bush to rent a farmhouse near her grandmother’s family home. To keep herself busy and her grief at bay, she offers to look after two little redheaded cowgirls and adopts a sassy pony and sweet donkey in need of a refuge.

Drover and horse trainer Tanner Callahan may have just found his mother, but he’s resolved never to let anyone too close. Abandonment has cursed him all his life, and he won’t let it happen again. Only two things unnerve him: children and small-town matchmaking. Then he meets occupational therapist Neve. Warm-hearted and unforgettable, she represents all that Tanner feels will forever remain out of reach.

But when an old iron key unlocks family secrets from the Second World War, Neve needs help only Tanner can give. As the threads of the past unravel, and locusts threaten to suffocate the land, Neve and Tanner must make a choice. Will fear keep them running or is the home each yearns for already within grasp?

Woodlea Small Town Series

Book 1: The Long Paddock

Book 2: The Red Dirt Road

Book 3: The Purple Hills

Book 4: The Round Yard

Buying links

HarperCollins

Amazon AU

About the author; Alissa Callen is a former teacher and counsellor. She was raised on a farm and still favors remote areas, small towns, historic homesteads, and country gardens. She is inspired by the countryside, and people’s life journeys. She is the author of Town of Windmills series, Wildflower Ranch series, and Outback Dust series. She won the 2017 Australian Romance Readers Awards, for Strongest heroine with her book, The Long Paddock (Town of Windmills series).

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