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Heart of the Valley

by Cathryn Hein (Goodreads Author)

4.43 of 5 stars 4.43 · rating details · 54 ratings · 9 reviews

Brooke Kingston is smart, capable and strongwilled – some might even say stubborn – and lives in the beautiful Hunter Valley on her family property. More at home on horseback than in heels, her life revolves around her beloved 'boys' – showjumpers Poddy, Oddy and Sod.

Then a tragic accident leaves Brooke a mess. Newcomer Lachie Cambridge is hired to manage the farm, and Bro...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published April 26th 2012 by Penguin Australia

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May 02, 2012 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: australian, aww2012, contemporary, romance, rural-lit

Brooke Kingston lives her dream life working and training her equestrian hopefuls and running her racehorse-training family’s spelling and crop property, Kingston Downs in the beautiful Hunter Valley. Not one for the city and schmoozing the owners at Royal Randwick, Brooke is content to stay in the country, at peace with nature and her beloved trio of eventers, Poddy, Sod and Odd.

On the way home from a show, tragedy strikes and changes Brooke’s world forever. She can no longer do something that’...more Brooke Kingston lives her dream life working and training her equestrian hopefuls and running her racehorse-training family’s spelling and crop property, Kingston Downs in the beautiful Hunter Valley. Not one for the city and schmoozing the owners at Royal Randwick, Brooke is content to stay in the country, at peace with nature and her beloved trio of eventers, Poddy, Sod and Odd.

On the way home from a show, tragedy strikes and changes Brooke’s world forever. She can no longer do something that’s crucial to the running of Kingston Downs and she finds herself replaced. Her brother Mark, the family’s business accountant hires a manager for the property, relegating Brooke to basically useless. It’s all a ploy so her mother can get her back to Sydney and look after her, thinking that Brooke can only get the help she needs there. Brooke refuses to leave the property though. Kingston Downs is her home.

Lachlan Cambridge didn’t count on the owner’s daughter being still in residence when he took the job. Lachie is a qualified agronomist who needs this job to get some much needed funds together for his big future plans. Expecting a spoiled brat with a silver spoon in her mouth, Lachie can’t help but eat his words when he actually meets Brooke. What he sees is a broken girl, devastated by her tragedy, passionately dedicated to the property and determined to try and fix herself and atone for what happened. She cares so deeply for her horses and carries a crippling guilt that saps her confidence and makes her a quivering wreck. Lachie thinks he might be able to help her – he wants to help her. And slowly, bit by bit, Brooke is letting him.

Lachie and Brooke find a common ground – they both want the best for Kingston Downs, they’re both smart and interested in farming practices and they both care for animals. They didn’t expect to like each other but they come to do so, a slow simmering attraction builds between them, despite the complications of Brooke’s friends Andrew and Chloe – the former in love with her, the latter with her eye on Lachie. But it’s hard to see a future…after all, Brooke wants the manager’s position back one day and Lachie has big plans to move on and take over his ailing family farm. Both of them have very strong ideas about what they want out of their future and where their ‘home’ lies.

Heart Of The Valley is a wonderfully warm and inviting novel about overcoming adversity, finding strength and believing in yourself and letting go and embracing the love that comes along. I have to admit, this one kicked me right in my little girl heart. I adore horses. I always have. I wanted one badly when I was a child. My father is a former bookmaker and when I was in high school my best friend’s father was the most prominent horseracing trainer in our area – still is in fact, although I now live some 1500kms away from there. So immediately this novel was going to get a big tick from me for including equestrian and racing. But it earned a lot more than those two!

Brooke is bubbly, confident and driven when we first meet her but a tragic accident changes all of that. She’s a psychological mess in the aftermath, grieving and guilt-ridden and the pressure placed on her family to either ‘get better or get out’ doesn’t seem to help. She’s terrified of being shunted off the property and given her father’s stable appears to be going through a lean patch, she’s even more terrified the spelling and crop property will be offloaded for a nice chunk of change. When Lachie arrives it’s like a classic misunderstanding – he believes her to be a spoiled brat because she hasn’t left, she sees him as an interloper who has her job, albeit no fault of his own. She’s quite short with him which fuels his opinion of her as uppity but what I really liked about these two is that they’re both quick to let go of their first impressions and move on, especially Lachie.

Oh, Lachie. How I adored him! He was everything that a rural lit hero should be – strong but also gentle, intelligent but good with his hands and just an all round nice guy. He devotes himself to helping Brooke through her trauma, supporting her in ways that her family really don’t, he ‘gets’ her. He understands her need to stay on the property, to heal herself. It is through his support and encouragement that Brooke finds the strength to deal with yet another tragedy and also how to go about taking that next step towards getting better and overcoming her fears. I really enjoyed their evolving relationship – from resignation at the situation to wary acceptance to mutual respect and trust and then ultimately into something much deeper. I think it was extremely well written and very realistic – these were two people who actually got to know each other before anything happened at all.

Heart Of The Valley is an excellent addition to the ever-growing rural lit genre – it showcases a beautiful area, contains wonderful, well thought out characters that I really, really enjoyed and I felt the story was rounded and well paced. I felt for Brooke throughout the whole novel – I thought what she went through was terrible and I well understood her trauma. I’m not afraid to say this book made me cry hard at one stage. The animals are a beautiful addition, personalities of their own and they become characters in their own right, particularly the cranky Sod and Lachie’s little Jack Russel terrier Billy. I think they both served to showcase a side of Brooke and Lachie and also to help establish a connection between the two of them. Lachie cannot ride as Brooke does but he forms a lovely bond with the bi-polar Sod and Billy finds a big fan in Brooke who proves that she’s always around for belly scratches.

This is one of those books that has snuck on to my ‘re-reads’ shelf, perfect for one of those days where you want something familiar that you know you like, when you’re not quite up to meeting and getting to know strangers and taking a chance.(less)

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Apr 26, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that I loved, and had me reaching for the tissues - not metaphorically speaking either. I really did need them.
I am off to write my review now, which will be available at Beauty and Lace later in the week.

Definitely worth the read.

Heart of the Valley is the childhood fantasy of every young girl who grew up wanting a pony, until it turns into a nightmare anyway.

Rural Romance seems to be the genre of the moment and Cathryn Hein has written a beautiful novel that fits perfectly on t...more

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May 06, 2012 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: provided-by-publisher

Heart of the Valley is a heartwarming rural romance by Cathryn Hein, whose debut novel, Promises, made the Australian romance best seller list.
Brooke Kingston has proved herself an excellent manager of the family property in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, until the aftermath of a tragic accident interferes with her ability to fulfill her duties. Yet Brooke resists the pressure to join her concerned family in the city, determined to remain with her beloved horses and work hard to o...more Heart of the Valley is a heartwarming rural romance by Cathryn Hein, whose debut novel, Promises, made the Australian romance best seller list.
Brooke Kingston has proved herself an excellent manager of the family property in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, until the aftermath of a tragic accident interferes with her ability to fulfill her duties. Yet Brooke resists the pressure to join her concerned family in the city, determined to remain with her beloved horses and work hard to overcome her issues. Despite her objections, Brooke's brother appoints Lachlan Cambridge to take her place, Brooke is devastated but refuses to leave Kingston Downs, and her precious 'boys', Sod and Poddy. Brooke views Lachie as an unwelcome intruder but the quiet, competent and handsome farmer proves to be Brooke's staunchest ally as she faces her fears, and the one man that may heal her broken heart.

While at its core Heart of The Valley is a romance, Brooke's journey to free herself of her fears is a feature of the story. When we first meet her, Brooke is a confident, happy young woman but when tragedy strikes she is left distressed and depressed and with a real phobia that adversely affects her life. I couldn't help but be sympathetic to her anxieties, despite her stubborn refusal of help, and understood Brooke's determination to regain control of her life on her own terms.
Hein sensitively and authentically portrays Brooke's challenges, and her slow recovery.

Lachie's physical description makes him just my type and his personality is equally as appealing. Despite being a physically intimidating man, Lachie proves to be gentle, respectful and intelligent though undoubtedly masculine. Lachie has endured his own trials, he has a complicated relationship with his father that saw him leave the family farm he loves and he needs the job at Kingston Downs in order to support his younger brother at University. Initially Lachie expects little from Brooke, making assumptions based on his recent experiences with his ex girlfriend, but he doesn't hesitate to reach out to Brooke when she needs him.

The romance between Brooke and Lachie progresses naturally which I very much enjoyed, from the initial spark of attraction, grows mutual respect and friendship. The romantic tension builds slowly but surely even as their relationship is complicated by a number of factors, including their positions at Kingston Downs and Brooke's emotional vulnerability. I felt that Brooke and Lachlan complemented each other wonderfully as they worked to navigate their own dreams and desires.

Hein chose the Hunter Valley as the setting for her book as a way of paying homage to the happy years she spent in the region. As an agricultural consultant, she spent a lot of time visiting the farms in the region and her experience shows in the details - particularly as Brooke and Lachie discuss the farm's crops and day to day routine. Even though some of the information is superfluous it does add to the authenticity of the story.
Hein's participation in pony club, eventing and dressage provides the backdrop for Brooke's love of, and work with, the horses of Kingston Downs. Brooke's horses, Sod, Poddy and Oddy have personalities of their own, and they, as well as Lachie's puppy Billy, find their way into your heart. It's a rare girl that didn't dream of owning her own horse as a child and Heart of the Valley taps into this longing, creating a strong connection between Brooke and the reader.

Heart of the Valley is a novel about letting go and moving forward that mixes tender romance with heartfelt drama. I finished Heart of the Valley with a contented sigh for a story well told and a longing for a horse of my own. Cathryn Hein has joined my ever growing list of must read Australian women writers.

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Apr 27, 2012 Lauren Murphy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aww2012, aussie-author, rural-lit, romance

4.5 stars
Brooke Kingston thrives on her family’s property in the Hunter Valley surrounded by the strong beautiful horses that are her passion. But when a serious accident interferes with Brooke’s ability to fulfil her duties on the farm she loves to run, her family place pressure on her to move back to Sydney with them and seek professional help.

Brooke is strong-willed and determined to overcome her anxiety and phobias that have overwhelmed her since the accident to pursue her dream of continuin...more 4.5 stars
Brooke Kingston thrives on her family’s property in the Hunter Valley surrounded by the strong beautiful horses that are her passion. But when a serious accident interferes with Brooke’s ability to fulfil her duties on the farm she loves to run, her family place pressure on her to move back to Sydney with them and seek professional help.

Brooke is strong-willed and determined to overcome her anxiety and phobias that have overwhelmed her since the accident to pursue her dream of continuing to run the farm. In particular, her older brother Mark is really hard on her and ends up convincing the family to hire a manager to take over the farm. Brooke is crushed by this and her family who are trying to help her inadvertently make her more depressed by their decision. She refuses to move to Sydney and so moves out of her cottage in preparation for the manager and into a small barn on the property, determined to continue working with her horses.

Lachlan (Lachie) Cambridge arrives at Kingston Downs hoping for a new start, to save up money, to learn new skills with the dreams of hopefully taking over his family farm one day. A long-standing feud with his father keeps him at bay. The last thing he expects when he accepts the job is to be sharing the property with the smart, attractive young Brooke who is also an emotional mess. Recovering from a broken-heart, the last thing Lachie wants is to get involved with another woman.

But the attraction between them from the outset is clear and Lachie offers his gentle, non-judgemental support to Brooke to help overcome her fears. They are both confused by their feelings for each other and the dilemma that this brings. If Brooke recovers then Lachie will be out of a job and in turn Brooke will lose the one person who has been there for her unconditionally.

Brooke and Lachie both have vulnerabilities and strengths and a strong connection to the land and it is this drive that brings them together and ultimately may drive them apart. I really enjoyed learning about each of these characters and loved how they complimented each other. Brooke’s fears were very real and at times moving. I could understand her resistance to professional help and how Lachie in many ways becomes quite therapeutic for her, scaffolding her slow recovery. Brooke’s passion for her horses also really stands out for me and there are many ups and downs throughout the story where I felt quite empathic for her. When it begins to feel like her life is falling apart and she is all alone, Lachie comes along and helps her find her way again.

The Heart of the Valley is quite a moving love story about passionate, strong characters who are vulnerable in their own ways. A lovely addition to the rural romance genre in Australia. I will definitely be checking out Cathryn Hein’s first novel, Promises.
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Dec 29, 2012 Jenny Schwartz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, authors-i-know, romance

If I didn't know Cathryn Hein is a lovely person, I'd think she makes me cry on purpose!

"Heart of the Valley" is a wonderful, intensely emotional read. Brooke and Lachie are real people. Not perfect, but genuinely nice, and as a reader I really, really wanted their happy ever after.

The country setting is as real as the characters, and described with just as much love.

You'll adore the story, but keep the tissues handy :)

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Jul 10, 2012 Juanita Kees rated it 5 of 5 stars

Last November I introduced you to the amazing Cathryn Hein and her book PROMISES. Today I want to tell you about her equally awesome second release, HEART OF THE VALLEY.

Read the review over at Mission Romance:
http://mission-romance.blogspot.com.a...

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Aug 06, 2012 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Loved every word!!!

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Jul 01, 2012 Bettina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cathryn's books just keep getting better and better. Do guys like Lachie really exist? If so, send him my way! Although I think it's too good to be true. Can't wait for this author to release more books.

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Jun 18, 2012 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

another great read, slow to begin but then couldn't put it down.

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About Cathryn Hein

Cathryn Hein was born in South Australia's rural south-east. With three generations of jockeys in the family it was little wonder she grew up horse mad, finally obtaining her first horse at age 10. So began years of pony club, eventing, dressage and showjumping until university beckoned.

Armed with a shiny Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) from Roseworthy College she moved to Melbourne and...more

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