Synopsis:
Angie Edmonds is content with life in her small town. Being alone doesn’t bother her. Really. Until Liam Smythe, the man who broke her heart, shows up at her vet clinic with an injured puppy. Unfortunately, he’s just as irresistible as she remembers. In an attempt to prove to him that she’s moved on, somehow a little white lie begins…
When Liam returns to help run the family farm, his enjoyment of the slow life in Spring Downs surprises him. After all, he’s used to the thrill of chasing the next big story. Running into the girl he’s never been able to forget is unexpected, and he’s shocked to learn she’s getting married–to someone who’s not him. She’s off-limits, but Liam can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous vet and what could have been. But convincing her he’s changed will be harder than finding a needle in a haystack.
Review:
Her Outback Surprise is a sweet, second-chance romance set in–you guessed, it–the Australian Outback. It’s second in its series, but if you haven’t read the first book yet ( Her Outback Cowboy ) no worries; the bits you absolutely need to know about it are explained here too (why Liam and his cousins come back to the family farm, and what their plans for the future are, more or less) though the fact that this is the second book does make for a somewhat awkward start to this one with a bit of jumping around time-wise.
Overall I liked Angie and Liam, and it wasn’t hard to root for them to (finally!) be together in the end. The flashback bits felt a bit superfluous, though (especially since their important bits were usually recapped through a character’s thoughts and/or conversation a minute or two after) and this was definitely an example of a story whose main conflict could have been resolved with one decent conversation between the MCs, which was definitely frustrating. Liam especially was guilty of being exceptionally dense for about 90% of the book, and Angie tended toward the wishy-washy side of the spectrum more often than I would have liked–still, this was a pleasant way to spend a cozy fall afternoon reading.
Plus, there was a cute puppy and a newborn baby in the mix, so–win-win! 🙂
Rating: 3 1/2 stars / C+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
