What does a small town mechanic have in common with a hot shot lawyer from the city? At first glance, probably not much, but some times fate knows better, no matter how much we try to fight it.
Kylie Summers is trying to get her business up and running in the small town of Hanrahan in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains. She knows that her mother isn't happy with her choice of career. Mum would much rather her be working in a much more feminine career, at least up until she gets married and starts having kids. The thing is, Kylie knows what she is looking for when it comes to love. She wants a farmer type, and she wants to stay in the country. She also knows that there is no one in the surrounding area who fits the bill. Whoever she ends up meeting will also need to know that there is a special place in her heart for her tractor, Trev! She has many deep and meaningful conversations with Trev!
When Damon Johns rocks into town, it's obvious that he has no plans to stick around. Damon is a very successful lawyer in the city. What his friends and colleagues can see, but he cannot, is that he is dangerously close to burning out. After a run in with a judge about his behaviour, and then getting picked up for drink driving, Damon does a runner.
He ends up in Hanrahan because his mother has inherited a property from a relative that her sons did not know about. Mum has an aversion to reading her emails and so when Damon arrives at the property he is not prepared for the frustraton induced anger that is directed towards him. The property has a contract to provide afternoon tea for tourists. The idea is that they catch a paddle steamer across the lake, have scones, jam and cream, and then head back to town. It sounds like my kind of activity. Suddenly, Damon finds himself serving hungry tourists alone knowing that he is the one who needs to make the scones until such time as he sells the property.
Damon needs a driver and Kylie needs some cash and so they start spending time together. Damon also needs help sorting out the property ready for sale. When she finds a shed full of old tractors and machinery on the farm, Kylie is very excited. Tractors help her maintain an emotional link to her dead father. What Damon doesn't need is to be attracted to Kylie as he isn't going to be sticking around. He also doesn't need his estranged brother to turn up to complicate matters even more.
I loved Kylie's determination. She is being bullied by another mechanic who operates outside of town, so she starts to come up with ideas on how she can differentiate herself and keep herself afloat. Along the way, she brings together other women who run businesses in the town so that they can support each other, and then this also extends to community wide activities that involve everyone in town
Damon is pretty arrogant when he first arrives, but gradually he begins to see that maybe he isn't okay, and that he does need to look at his life and make some changes. Could that include living in the country in the future?
Oh, and I can't forget to mention Alfie the Labrador who steals everyone's hearts.
This book is not labelled as being a series but there were clearly other stories that had been set in Hanrahan and I am curious now to go back at some point and read some of them. Stella Quinn was one of the authors at the book club retreat I went to a few weeks ago. She did mention that the next time she writes another story set in Hanrahan it is likely to feature Damon's brother which should be fun. Stella was hilarious at the retreat, and stole the show at the final debate. You can see this humour in this story too.
I don't read that much rural romance any more. I am not really sure why as I enjoy them when I do read them. It might be because many of the authors who I read regularly have transitioned into other genres and I have followed them. I am definitely curious to read more of the Hanrahan series at some point.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews.
Rating 4/5
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