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Outback Husbands
Her Outback Man by Margaret Way
Logan Dangerfield, head of one of Australia's most affluent families, doubted that Dana's relationship with his stepbrother, Tyler, had been purely platonic. To his mind, she was a scheming opportunist and, since Tyler's tragic death, the rumors had only intensified.
Dana Barry knew she had her work cut out trying to prove that Logan was wrong about her. If it hadn't been for wanting to offer comfort to Tyler's bereft young daughter, Dana wouldn't have gone near Logan's cattle station. But the longer she stayed the harder it was to hide the fact that Logan was the only Outback man she had ever loved.
Bush Doctor's Bride by Marion Lennox
Dr Sophie Lynton was determined that even if Kevin's work meant cancelling the wedding she was still going to Australia for their honeymoon, where he would join her later. But her arrival was not without drama, which brought her into closer contact with Dr Reith Kenrick than she's expected - or wanted! As the only doctor, Reith was clearly overworked, so how could Sophie refuse to help, particularly when it meant mothering a small child before her adoption? All of which made Sophie reassess her relationship with Kevin....and her growing feelings for Reith.
Logan Dangerfield, head of one of Australia's most affluent families, doubted that Dana's relationship with his stepbrother, Tyler, had been purely platonic. To his mind, she was a scheming opportunist and, since Tyler's tragic death, the rumors had only intensified.
Dana Barry knew she had her work cut out trying to prove that Logan was wrong about her. If it hadn't been for wanting to offer comfort to Tyler's bereft young daughter, Dana wouldn't have gone near Logan's cattle station. But the longer she stayed the harder it was to hide the fact that Logan was the only Outback man she had ever loved.
Bush Doctor's Bride by Marion Lennox
Dr Sophie Lynton was determined that even if Kevin's work meant cancelling the wedding she was still going to Australia for their honeymoon, where he would join her later. But her arrival was not without drama, which brought her into closer contact with Dr Reith Kenrick than she's expected - or wanted! As the only doctor, Reith was clearly overworked, so how could Sophie refuse to help, particularly when it meant mothering a small child before her adoption? All of which made Sophie reassess her relationship with Kevin....and her growing feelings for Reith.
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 4, 2002
About the author
Margaret Way
617 books165 followersMargaret Way was born and educated in the river city of Brisbane, Australia. Before her marriage she was a well-known pianist, teacher, vocal coach and accompanist, but her hectic musical career came to a halt when her son was born and the demands of motherhood dictated a change of pace.
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
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September 18, 2018
I took this home for free from the bookshop I volunteer at, because it was a discard. I was really excited to read this. It looked like a cute romance book set in Australia, which are rare.
I had forgotten, or hadn't realized this was two separate stories, which I don't like, because they're usually too short for things to unfold at a natural pace. I was less excited to read this then.
Her Outback Man:
185 pages.
The dialogue sounded like it was from the 1800s, certainly not like a 19 year old speaks.
"I have a warm feeling towards him as befitting someone who is to marry my cousin."
"Why ever are you saying that?"
"It makes me sick with dismay."
"We mightn't be compatible but he doesn't hate me."
Some of the writing was just weird. I never understand why words are capitalized that don't need to be.
'She was Dana. She was Woman. She was Fantasy.'
'She wanted him as badly as he wanted her, both of them wholly dependent on the other to reaffirm Life.'
I read straight through to page 55, and then started scanning because this just wasn't good. The writing is so dramatic. The conversations confusing. There was no ping pong to the dialogue, no flow. It goes in weird directions.
'He found her in the master bedroom, or rather in the shower of the ensuite, eyes closed, head tilted back as the water ran in rivers over her exquisite woman's body.' What other body would Dana have? It doesn't need to be said it's a woman's body.
This author didn't capture a man's voice at all: '"You're obviously not as reckless as I am." And what a glorious risk!'
Their conversations just went in circles, they'd be getting along, then someone would say something that got them arguing. The conversations took unexpected turns, with someone saying something that didn't even go along with what the person said before.
This is an example from Pg80 of their weird, hard-to-follow conversations:
'"You remind me of a prowling tiger."
"Good," he said shortly. "Now you just might walk more carefully around me."
"Surely I've always done that?"
"That's interesting." He turned on her. "Tread carefully yet lure me on at the same time?"
"Is that how it looks to you?" Dana spread her hands, looked down at her ringless fingers.
His eyes gleamed. "Damn right! Only I'm not good at playing games."
"Really?" Their fragile truce was splitting wide open. "You don't hesitate to step over the edge."
"Only with you, Dana, he said very quietly.'
I didn't like when she said she's 26, she wants what every woman wants, which was a husband, children, and a home. Then follows it up saying she wants purpose in life, and to push the boundaries of self-development as a woman and human being. She speaks like she didn't even have a photography career doing what she loves. I'd say a career is more purposeful than having kids. Also, not every woman wants kids, a husband or a home to take care of. It was almost like she could give up photography very easily, for a husband and kids, like she'd just dump her career and stop 'play time' when real life happened, as in having a family and home.
'Sexual hostility' was a phrase used more than once, that doesn't sound like something that's a good thing. It just showed how savage and crazy their 'love' was.
This is from Pg138, and is an example of how almost abusive Logan could be.
'"I won't hurt you if I can help it," he gritted from behind clenched teeth.
She grabbed for his hand and struggled to keep hold of it. "Then start believing in me," she begged, a pulse pounding away in her throat.
"I'm not the damn fool you think I am," he said angrily, pulling his hand away, his eyes in the lamplight blazing like sapphires.
"Okay," she said miserably, feeling utterly defeated. "I'm leaving. I mean that."
His dynamic face hardened to granite. "If I don't want you to leave, Dana, you don't."
"You think you can keep me a prisoner?" she said bitterly, trying to sit up.
"You know I can."
And so he could. "I've always been afraid of you, Logan," she said, feeling the cold steel of him.
"I guess I've always been afraid of you, too. With good reason."
-I wouldn't say Logan being afraid of her is even remotely like her being afraid of him. He almost came off as abusive there.
Alice was some kind of punishment, chaining Dana to Mara ranch, something Logan constantly threw in her face that she had to take care of, as if it's her responsibility. She is not responsible for taking care of that child.
"Anyway, Alice needs you. Don't you remember? Her beautiful angelic Dana. Not the Dana who inflames men."
"Tomorrow I thought we might put up the Christmas tree. For Alice, of course. At least we both love her."
Logan had to hear from Melinda that she lied to him about Dana hooking up with his brother Jimmy for him to believe in Dana's innocence. At least he admitted in doubting her he didn't deserve her.
The characters were always bitter, harsh, desperate. No one joked or spoke lovingly. Their love was brutal and not desirable at all. It looked miserable.
I only read the scenes Dana and Logan were in together. I didn't even get the beauty of Australia. If it wasn't in their scene then I missed it.
No one sounded Australian or used Australian phrases.
The MC was too perfect, with no faults, besides being TSTL about her cousin. Her love with Logan left much to be desired. Her cousin & daughters story took up the entire plot. Idl a book where the plot is about someone else,& the MC's take a backseat. It's not even about them.
What exactly did Logan do? Everyone said how busy, dedicated he was, but what exactly did he do on the ranch? Even her photography wasn't exciting. I didn't like Alice, & Melinda is probably the worst character that ever lived. She was truly horrendous. Idt anyone in real life would be like that.
Dana was very childish and also old sounding. One sentence was "i don't want to say this, but she's a liar." What are you 5 years old? Of course your cousin is a liar. You're not mean for saying that, you idiot. One time when someone said something to her she said "that was mean," like a little kid would say.
The dialogue was truly bizarre. At one point I felt the beginning stirrings of a headache from trying to keep up with all the back and forth with her and Logan.
I wish he had believed her word instead of having to finally hear from Melinda that she was lying to believe in Dana. He didn't apologize enough,& didn't feel as guilty as he should have. Their HEA was sudden.
I don't like short stories and I don't like harlequin. I want my sex scenes detailed. Don't skimp on that stuff.
This story changed perspectives suddenly, and it was confusing at times.
This could have been good. They had a history together, Logan had feelings for Dana. Although I don't like when heroes think the heroine had an affair with someone. That's just gross and twisted, especially since he always thought Dana had an affair with his brother. This was just too twisted and miserable. Their relationship sucked.
I didn't care about the kid one bit. I think she was actually bratty, although she was supposed to be so sweet. I absolutely hated the cousin.
The writing was bad, the conversations confusing and hard to follow. They were frankly headache-inducing. The love was typical in older romance books, where the hero is actually an abusive, domineering jerk. That is not romantic to me.
Their sudden HEA wasn't believable, and I don't think their relationship will last. They'll keep getting into arguments and hating/loving each other. Good luck with that.
1 star.
Bush Doctor's Bride:
186 pages.
The hero made a bad first impression, treating her poorly because she's a tourist and almost hit the koala. When the koala pees he says "I agree. Tourists!"
She should get props for stopping and checking on it. Many tourists would probably just keep driving without checking on it. She did the right thing by stopping to make sure it was ok. But Reith didn't see it that way.
The wording was a little off in places:
'It was the first time Sophie Lynton had cried for years.' It should be in years.
'How dared he make her want to weep still more...?' It should be how dare he?
"Now you're supposed to be being married."
I didn't like that he said "look, I'm not planning to rape you, lady" as if that's something to be callous about, when a lone woman has every right to fear that with a strange man on a deserted road. He was so out of line in saying "I don't want your thanks. In one sentence you infer I'm intending rape and in the next you thank me nicely. You're not making sense. So just move, lady."
'Sophie felt the first twinge of conscience. She'd sounded dreadful--exactly the sort of tourist he so obviously thought she was. He'd helped her and she'd been so frightened that she's been obnoxious. She was in a strange country--she'd expected the worst and she'd made her distrust obvious.'
This struck me as so wrong. Why would she feel bad about being scared of a strange man who could have been a rapist or murderer or mugger? She has every right to be scared.& he should feel bad about his attitude. He was rude from the get go, treating her like a dumb tourist, being sarcastic knowing she's legitimately afraid of him.
'As he'd put the phone down Sophie has imagined she had heard the sound of a woman's voice in the background, softly laughing.
Kevin...
He was a high-flyer. He always would be, Sophie knew.'
I didn't know what high-flyer meant, but if that was code for a cheater, then Sophie lost major points for wanting to marry someone like that.
Sophie talked with ellipsis too frequently. Sounded like she could never complete a thought.
"I don't...I don't care."
"Then...I'll..."
"I behaved...yesterday I behaved..."
"I...maybe I have."
"Why...why did you do that?"
"I guess...I guess I'm starting to know you."
I don't like characters that are doctors, so I didn't like hearing of them treating the baby. Or Reith saying "she won't settle until she's on the breast."
Hearing a grown man say "Stephanie is not to wear anything more than a nappy and singlet from now on" was just wrong.
It was a nice surprise to find Reith painted like his dad, but he used soft watercolors instead of the harsh paintings his dad did.
I know Reith was cynical and didn't believe in love, but he has no way of even knowing her fiance, Kevi,n to say he's just convenient, that Kevin isn't exclusive and just has a bank balance, lifestyle, and ego that matches hers. He said she didn't love him exclusively or her body wouldn't betray her, which he did have a point then.
It was so sudden when she realized she loved Reith. She said it herself: 'how could she love a man she had known for less than a week?" I don't believe in that, and I don't like instalove in books.
'What was she? Some sort of wanton hussy, making love to this man with a passion that matched his?' No, if you're a wanton hussy it's because you're going to make love to him when you're engaged.
This was one paragraph with so many ellipsis, it was painful to read: 'I don't want marriage, Reith Kenrick. Believe it or not, I want you. And if you think that tomorrow there'll be nothing then...then you're right. In the morning...in the morning I'd have known I'd done the wrong thing. So...so I'm engaged to another man, Reith Kendrick."
This was similar to the first story in that there's a troubled kid in here too. I had had it with the troubled kids.
She very suddenly wants to marry him and live in the bush. It happened too fast.
'Bush bride...that was what she wanted to be. I could do better than Reith's mother, she told herself.'
The expressions 'His mobile eyebrows' and 'His dark eyes creased' became repetitive. It's also a weird way to say someone's eyebrows went up, and your eyes can't crease. Your forehead can crease, but not your eyes.
There was a woman in the background on the phone during her call with Kevin just to make it ok that Sophie kissed Reith. I really don't like that. It's just a cop out, a way to make things ok that the heroine cheated. No one ever tackles cheating the heroine does that hurts her boyfriend, and ruins the relationship, because the boyfriend always ends up being a jerk, or he cheats himself, so it makes her cheating ok.
Sophie stuttered a lot. Even other characters did.
Sophie could really sound pathetic at times. "I'm not c-crying."
"D-don't."
"P-please..."
Things became really dramatic and ridiculous: 'her body was his body, and his body hers.'
'This was her man and she was Reith's woman as surely now as if he had placed a wedding band on the third finger of her left hand.'
She became bizarre: "I wouldn't go. You'd have to drive me with a whip and even then I'd cling and cry. So, you see...you'll just have to make love to me, my love...whether or not you want to."
That's ridiculous, saying you won't leave and they have to make love to you.
'This woman working sabotage as though her life depended on it?' She said it as if it was a good thing. Sabotaging someone for sex is ridiculous.
'"And if I make you pregnant?"
There would be nothing but joy, Sophie thought, to carry Reith Kenrick's child.
"I'm protected," she told him, and her voice held a trace of regret.'
Wow, that was pathetic. You wanna have some guy's baby that clearly doesn't want marriage or commitment, so you'd end up raising it alone, but you'd love it just because it was Reith's baby?
I was so annoyed when yet another person needed help. Sophie's about to leave and someone crashes their hang glider. She was finally seeing the sites in Australia, and was finally gonna leave. I was hoping she'd leave so Reith could go after her.
'He drifted in and out of consciousness during the day, calling for his mother.
A big, macho male, Sophie thought ruefully, with his car and his motorbike and his hang-glider.' That was insensitive considering he's injured.
The language got way too sappy and gross at the end, & didn't fit a guy like Reith at all. In two pages there were 3 'my love's', 3 'my Sophie', she said 'my Reith.' Reith has never talked like that, so it didn't fit him at all. And I don't find over the top, sappy dialogue romantic.
Overall this story was ok. Wish it hadn't had so many patients in need of help in here and focused more on the MC's. I wanted more sight-seeing, and to know the story was in Australia. Wish the side characters had been better,& in a better town. They were in too remote of a place. I didn't like it out there in the boonies.
I wanted Reith to go after Sophie in England. It sounded like they got married the very next day. It didn't even say how long after the wedding took place.
Although I know Reith thought she'd died, the transformation from not believing in love to calling her 'my love' and wanting to get married was too sudden.
Reith's name was unique, but it paired with his last name Kenrick kept making me call him Keith.
At least this one was actually readable, unlike the first. The writing was definitely better in here, like a regular story.
Like the first story, other people were the focus of the book, and the MC's weren't, which I don't like. I want the story to focus on them. The plot was mostly just taking care of a bunch of patients, which I got tired of. The MC's didn't even really connect. They barely know each other, and didn't have any real, meaningful, deep conversations in order to get to know each other.
2 stars.
I had forgotten, or hadn't realized this was two separate stories, which I don't like, because they're usually too short for things to unfold at a natural pace. I was less excited to read this then.
Her Outback Man:
185 pages.
The dialogue sounded like it was from the 1800s, certainly not like a 19 year old speaks.
"I have a warm feeling towards him as befitting someone who is to marry my cousin."
"Why ever are you saying that?"
"It makes me sick with dismay."
"We mightn't be compatible but he doesn't hate me."
Some of the writing was just weird. I never understand why words are capitalized that don't need to be.
'She was Dana. She was Woman. She was Fantasy.'
'She wanted him as badly as he wanted her, both of them wholly dependent on the other to reaffirm Life.'
I read straight through to page 55, and then started scanning because this just wasn't good. The writing is so dramatic. The conversations confusing. There was no ping pong to the dialogue, no flow. It goes in weird directions.
'He found her in the master bedroom, or rather in the shower of the ensuite, eyes closed, head tilted back as the water ran in rivers over her exquisite woman's body.' What other body would Dana have? It doesn't need to be said it's a woman's body.
This author didn't capture a man's voice at all: '"You're obviously not as reckless as I am." And what a glorious risk!'
Their conversations just went in circles, they'd be getting along, then someone would say something that got them arguing. The conversations took unexpected turns, with someone saying something that didn't even go along with what the person said before.
This is an example from Pg80 of their weird, hard-to-follow conversations:
'"You remind me of a prowling tiger."
"Good," he said shortly. "Now you just might walk more carefully around me."
"Surely I've always done that?"
"That's interesting." He turned on her. "Tread carefully yet lure me on at the same time?"
"Is that how it looks to you?" Dana spread her hands, looked down at her ringless fingers.
His eyes gleamed. "Damn right! Only I'm not good at playing games."
"Really?" Their fragile truce was splitting wide open. "You don't hesitate to step over the edge."
"Only with you, Dana, he said very quietly.'
I didn't like when she said she's 26, she wants what every woman wants, which was a husband, children, and a home. Then follows it up saying she wants purpose in life, and to push the boundaries of self-development as a woman and human being. She speaks like she didn't even have a photography career doing what she loves. I'd say a career is more purposeful than having kids. Also, not every woman wants kids, a husband or a home to take care of. It was almost like she could give up photography very easily, for a husband and kids, like she'd just dump her career and stop 'play time' when real life happened, as in having a family and home.
'Sexual hostility' was a phrase used more than once, that doesn't sound like something that's a good thing. It just showed how savage and crazy their 'love' was.
This is from Pg138, and is an example of how almost abusive Logan could be.
'"I won't hurt you if I can help it," he gritted from behind clenched teeth.
She grabbed for his hand and struggled to keep hold of it. "Then start believing in me," she begged, a pulse pounding away in her throat.
"I'm not the damn fool you think I am," he said angrily, pulling his hand away, his eyes in the lamplight blazing like sapphires.
"Okay," she said miserably, feeling utterly defeated. "I'm leaving. I mean that."
His dynamic face hardened to granite. "If I don't want you to leave, Dana, you don't."
"You think you can keep me a prisoner?" she said bitterly, trying to sit up.
"You know I can."
And so he could. "I've always been afraid of you, Logan," she said, feeling the cold steel of him.
"I guess I've always been afraid of you, too. With good reason."
-I wouldn't say Logan being afraid of her is even remotely like her being afraid of him. He almost came off as abusive there.
Alice was some kind of punishment, chaining Dana to Mara ranch, something Logan constantly threw in her face that she had to take care of, as if it's her responsibility. She is not responsible for taking care of that child.
"Anyway, Alice needs you. Don't you remember? Her beautiful angelic Dana. Not the Dana who inflames men."
"Tomorrow I thought we might put up the Christmas tree. For Alice, of course. At least we both love her."
Logan had to hear from Melinda that she lied to him about Dana hooking up with his brother Jimmy for him to believe in Dana's innocence. At least he admitted in doubting her he didn't deserve her.
The characters were always bitter, harsh, desperate. No one joked or spoke lovingly. Their love was brutal and not desirable at all. It looked miserable.
I only read the scenes Dana and Logan were in together. I didn't even get the beauty of Australia. If it wasn't in their scene then I missed it.
No one sounded Australian or used Australian phrases.
The MC was too perfect, with no faults, besides being TSTL about her cousin. Her love with Logan left much to be desired. Her cousin & daughters story took up the entire plot. Idl a book where the plot is about someone else,& the MC's take a backseat. It's not even about them.
What exactly did Logan do? Everyone said how busy, dedicated he was, but what exactly did he do on the ranch? Even her photography wasn't exciting. I didn't like Alice, & Melinda is probably the worst character that ever lived. She was truly horrendous. Idt anyone in real life would be like that.
Dana was very childish and also old sounding. One sentence was "i don't want to say this, but she's a liar." What are you 5 years old? Of course your cousin is a liar. You're not mean for saying that, you idiot. One time when someone said something to her she said "that was mean," like a little kid would say.
The dialogue was truly bizarre. At one point I felt the beginning stirrings of a headache from trying to keep up with all the back and forth with her and Logan.
I wish he had believed her word instead of having to finally hear from Melinda that she was lying to believe in Dana. He didn't apologize enough,& didn't feel as guilty as he should have. Their HEA was sudden.
I don't like short stories and I don't like harlequin. I want my sex scenes detailed. Don't skimp on that stuff.
This story changed perspectives suddenly, and it was confusing at times.
This could have been good. They had a history together, Logan had feelings for Dana. Although I don't like when heroes think the heroine had an affair with someone. That's just gross and twisted, especially since he always thought Dana had an affair with his brother. This was just too twisted and miserable. Their relationship sucked.
I didn't care about the kid one bit. I think she was actually bratty, although she was supposed to be so sweet. I absolutely hated the cousin.
The writing was bad, the conversations confusing and hard to follow. They were frankly headache-inducing. The love was typical in older romance books, where the hero is actually an abusive, domineering jerk. That is not romantic to me.
Their sudden HEA wasn't believable, and I don't think their relationship will last. They'll keep getting into arguments and hating/loving each other. Good luck with that.
1 star.
Bush Doctor's Bride:
186 pages.
The hero made a bad first impression, treating her poorly because she's a tourist and almost hit the koala. When the koala pees he says "I agree. Tourists!"
She should get props for stopping and checking on it. Many tourists would probably just keep driving without checking on it. She did the right thing by stopping to make sure it was ok. But Reith didn't see it that way.
The wording was a little off in places:
'It was the first time Sophie Lynton had cried for years.' It should be in years.
'How dared he make her want to weep still more...?' It should be how dare he?
"Now you're supposed to be being married."
I didn't like that he said "look, I'm not planning to rape you, lady" as if that's something to be callous about, when a lone woman has every right to fear that with a strange man on a deserted road. He was so out of line in saying "I don't want your thanks. In one sentence you infer I'm intending rape and in the next you thank me nicely. You're not making sense. So just move, lady."
'Sophie felt the first twinge of conscience. She'd sounded dreadful--exactly the sort of tourist he so obviously thought she was. He'd helped her and she'd been so frightened that she's been obnoxious. She was in a strange country--she'd expected the worst and she'd made her distrust obvious.'
This struck me as so wrong. Why would she feel bad about being scared of a strange man who could have been a rapist or murderer or mugger? She has every right to be scared.& he should feel bad about his attitude. He was rude from the get go, treating her like a dumb tourist, being sarcastic knowing she's legitimately afraid of him.
'As he'd put the phone down Sophie has imagined she had heard the sound of a woman's voice in the background, softly laughing.
Kevin...
He was a high-flyer. He always would be, Sophie knew.'
I didn't know what high-flyer meant, but if that was code for a cheater, then Sophie lost major points for wanting to marry someone like that.
Sophie talked with ellipsis too frequently. Sounded like she could never complete a thought.
"I don't...I don't care."
"Then...I'll..."
"I behaved...yesterday I behaved..."
"I...maybe I have."
"Why...why did you do that?"
"I guess...I guess I'm starting to know you."
I don't like characters that are doctors, so I didn't like hearing of them treating the baby. Or Reith saying "she won't settle until she's on the breast."
Hearing a grown man say "Stephanie is not to wear anything more than a nappy and singlet from now on" was just wrong.
It was a nice surprise to find Reith painted like his dad, but he used soft watercolors instead of the harsh paintings his dad did.
I know Reith was cynical and didn't believe in love, but he has no way of even knowing her fiance, Kevi,n to say he's just convenient, that Kevin isn't exclusive and just has a bank balance, lifestyle, and ego that matches hers. He said she didn't love him exclusively or her body wouldn't betray her, which he did have a point then.
It was so sudden when she realized she loved Reith. She said it herself: 'how could she love a man she had known for less than a week?" I don't believe in that, and I don't like instalove in books.
'What was she? Some sort of wanton hussy, making love to this man with a passion that matched his?' No, if you're a wanton hussy it's because you're going to make love to him when you're engaged.
This was one paragraph with so many ellipsis, it was painful to read: 'I don't want marriage, Reith Kenrick. Believe it or not, I want you. And if you think that tomorrow there'll be nothing then...then you're right. In the morning...in the morning I'd have known I'd done the wrong thing. So...so I'm engaged to another man, Reith Kendrick."
This was similar to the first story in that there's a troubled kid in here too. I had had it with the troubled kids.
She very suddenly wants to marry him and live in the bush. It happened too fast.
'Bush bride...that was what she wanted to be. I could do better than Reith's mother, she told herself.'
The expressions 'His mobile eyebrows' and 'His dark eyes creased' became repetitive. It's also a weird way to say someone's eyebrows went up, and your eyes can't crease. Your forehead can crease, but not your eyes.
There was a woman in the background on the phone during her call with Kevin just to make it ok that Sophie kissed Reith. I really don't like that. It's just a cop out, a way to make things ok that the heroine cheated. No one ever tackles cheating the heroine does that hurts her boyfriend, and ruins the relationship, because the boyfriend always ends up being a jerk, or he cheats himself, so it makes her cheating ok.
Sophie stuttered a lot. Even other characters did.
Sophie could really sound pathetic at times. "I'm not c-crying."
"D-don't."
"P-please..."
Things became really dramatic and ridiculous: 'her body was his body, and his body hers.'
'This was her man and she was Reith's woman as surely now as if he had placed a wedding band on the third finger of her left hand.'
She became bizarre: "I wouldn't go. You'd have to drive me with a whip and even then I'd cling and cry. So, you see...you'll just have to make love to me, my love...whether or not you want to."
That's ridiculous, saying you won't leave and they have to make love to you.
'This woman working sabotage as though her life depended on it?' She said it as if it was a good thing. Sabotaging someone for sex is ridiculous.
'"And if I make you pregnant?"
There would be nothing but joy, Sophie thought, to carry Reith Kenrick's child.
"I'm protected," she told him, and her voice held a trace of regret.'
Wow, that was pathetic. You wanna have some guy's baby that clearly doesn't want marriage or commitment, so you'd end up raising it alone, but you'd love it just because it was Reith's baby?
I was so annoyed when yet another person needed help. Sophie's about to leave and someone crashes their hang glider. She was finally seeing the sites in Australia, and was finally gonna leave. I was hoping she'd leave so Reith could go after her.
'He drifted in and out of consciousness during the day, calling for his mother.
A big, macho male, Sophie thought ruefully, with his car and his motorbike and his hang-glider.' That was insensitive considering he's injured.
The language got way too sappy and gross at the end, & didn't fit a guy like Reith at all. In two pages there were 3 'my love's', 3 'my Sophie', she said 'my Reith.' Reith has never talked like that, so it didn't fit him at all. And I don't find over the top, sappy dialogue romantic.
Overall this story was ok. Wish it hadn't had so many patients in need of help in here and focused more on the MC's. I wanted more sight-seeing, and to know the story was in Australia. Wish the side characters had been better,& in a better town. They were in too remote of a place. I didn't like it out there in the boonies.
I wanted Reith to go after Sophie in England. It sounded like they got married the very next day. It didn't even say how long after the wedding took place.
Although I know Reith thought she'd died, the transformation from not believing in love to calling her 'my love' and wanting to get married was too sudden.
Reith's name was unique, but it paired with his last name Kenrick kept making me call him Keith.
At least this one was actually readable, unlike the first. The writing was definitely better in here, like a regular story.
Like the first story, other people were the focus of the book, and the MC's weren't, which I don't like. I want the story to focus on them. The plot was mostly just taking care of a bunch of patients, which I got tired of. The MC's didn't even really connect. They barely know each other, and didn't have any real, meaningful, deep conversations in order to get to know each other.
2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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