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Bella's Run
Bella Vermaelon and her best friend Patty are two fun-loving country girls bonded in sisterhood no blood could ever beat. Now they are coming to the end of a road trip which has taken them from their family farms in the rugged Victorian high country to the red dust of the Queensland Outback.
For almost a year they have mustered cattle stations, cooked for weary stockmen, played hard at rodeos and danced through life like a pair of wild tumbleweeds. And with the arrival of Patty's brother Will and Bella's cousin Macca, it seems love is on the horizon too..
Then a devastating tragedy strikes, and Bella's world is changed forever.
So she runs from the only life she has ever known. But can she really turn her back on the man she loves? Or on the land that runs deep in her blood?
For almost a year they have mustered cattle stations, cooked for weary stockmen, played hard at rodeos and danced through life like a pair of wild tumbleweeds. And with the arrival of Patty's brother Will and Bella's cousin Macca, it seems love is on the horizon too..
Then a devastating tragedy strikes, and Bella's world is changed forever.
So she runs from the only life she has ever known. But can she really turn her back on the man she loves? Or on the land that runs deep in her blood?
388 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2012
11 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 21, 2017
Bella's Run is about how two childhood friends Bella Vermaelon and Will O'Hare who had a second chance of finding love. After and working in the Australian Outback Bella Vermaelon and Patty O'Hare decided to come home to East Gippsland. Will O'Hare was Patty O'Hare brother, and Bella had a crush on him. However, before romance could bloom for Will and Bella Patty was killed in a road accident. The readers of Bella's Run will continue to follow the twist and turns in Will's and Bella's relationship. Also, the readers of Bella's Run will love the ending Bella's Run.
Bella's Run is the debut novel for Margareta Osborn, and I enjoyed reading it. I have read all the other books by Margareta Osborn, and Bella's Run has not disappointed me. The way Margareta Osborn included the twist and turns in Bella's Run ensure that I never knew what going to happen from one page to another. I love Margaret Osborn portrayal of her characters especially Bella and Will. I like Margareta Osborn descriptions of living on rural and isolated properties. While reading Bella's Run, I cried, and other times I laughed.
Bella's Run highlights the importance of providing funding to offer more flying doctors services for rural communities. The readers of Bella's Run will learn the importance of seat belts and to be careful driving in the frog.
I recommend this book.
Bella's Run is the debut novel for Margareta Osborn, and I enjoyed reading it. I have read all the other books by Margareta Osborn, and Bella's Run has not disappointed me. The way Margareta Osborn included the twist and turns in Bella's Run ensure that I never knew what going to happen from one page to another. I love Margaret Osborn portrayal of her characters especially Bella and Will. I like Margareta Osborn descriptions of living on rural and isolated properties. While reading Bella's Run, I cried, and other times I laughed.
Bella's Run highlights the importance of providing funding to offer more flying doctors services for rural communities. The readers of Bella's Run will learn the importance of seat belts and to be careful driving in the frog.
I recommend this book.
April 1, 2012
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, through my work. Once read, I will pass it on to others from work who also love to read:)
When best friends Bella and Patty decide to take a year off from their jobs in rural Victoria, they head for Queensland, for an outback trip of a lifetime! Along the way they mustered on cattle stations, cooked for weary stockmen and laughed, danced and played hard all the time.
They had a wonderful year, and in the last weeks, when Patty’s brother, Will, and Bella’s cousin Macca turned up at a rodeo they were at, things definitely looked up in the love stakes as well.
They arrived back home, with only a short while before heading back to their respective jobs. Catching up with her Mum and Dad, Bella also spent some time with her beloved Aunt Maggie, and reacquainted herself with the family farm.
But when tragedy strikes, Bella’s life and the lives of those around her, changes forever. She does the only thing she can think of to do...she runs away, into Melbourne, and away from the countryside she was born in, and grew up in.
This debut novel by Aussie author Margareta Osborn has everything, and with the friendships formed, the lessons of life, and the deep love the characters have for the land, it will make you both laugh and cry! It is full of energy, and bursting with fun, yet is a heart-wrenching love story that you won’t want to put down until the very last page.
When best friends Bella and Patty decide to take a year off from their jobs in rural Victoria, they head for Queensland, for an outback trip of a lifetime! Along the way they mustered on cattle stations, cooked for weary stockmen and laughed, danced and played hard all the time.
They had a wonderful year, and in the last weeks, when Patty’s brother, Will, and Bella’s cousin Macca turned up at a rodeo they were at, things definitely looked up in the love stakes as well.
They arrived back home, with only a short while before heading back to their respective jobs. Catching up with her Mum and Dad, Bella also spent some time with her beloved Aunt Maggie, and reacquainted herself with the family farm.
But when tragedy strikes, Bella’s life and the lives of those around her, changes forever. She does the only thing she can think of to do...she runs away, into Melbourne, and away from the countryside she was born in, and grew up in.
This debut novel by Aussie author Margareta Osborn has everything, and with the friendships formed, the lessons of life, and the deep love the characters have for the land, it will make you both laugh and cry! It is full of energy, and bursting with fun, yet is a heart-wrenching love story that you won’t want to put down until the very last page.
March 4, 2012
Bella Vermaelon is in her early twenties, a farm girl who grew up on a dairy farm deep in the Gippsland area in south east Victoria. She and her best friend Patty, also a farm girl but trained as a nurse are taking a year off from their respective jobs and travelling around Australia, working and sightseeing. They’ve worked cattle and grain farms in outback Queensland and traveled down the east coast of Australia, inland to Tamworth for the country music festival and now it’s time to go home. Everywhere they’ve been they’ve made friends (and an enemy or two) and partied and had a fantastic time. But as amazing as the adventure as all been, the girls are getting a bit homesick. They have a couple of reasons for wanting to be home – both have begun tentative relationships during their travels, Bella with Patty’s older brother Will and Patty with Bella’s cousin Macca. Everything has been perfect and Bella is deeply happy, until something terrible happens that ultimate shatters her whole world. Recovering from serious injury, she turns to the one person she thought would share and support her in her time of grief as they are grieving too – only to be rejected. Heartbroken, she leaves behind the beautiful land she loves so much for a new life in the city. But Bella is about to find out that you can’t ignore who you truly are forever – or who you truly love.
I was offered the chance to read and review Bella’s Run and jumped at it. Rural lit is gaining in popularity in recent times and there’s a slew of up coming titles due to be published soon. I think it appeals to a lot of people who dream of living on the land (but perhaps without the huge amounts of work and debt that often come with it) and this is a way to live vicariously. There’s something utterly intriguing about the idea of owning a huge spread!
Bella’s Run opens with a bang, a mysterious incident and then we go back in time a bit to when Bella and her best friend Patty were at work on a huge cattle property in Queensland. Their characters are quickly established – both are young, fun-loving, a bit wild, always up for an adventure or a good time. There’s quite a bit of drinking in this book – in fact it took me right back to my first two years at University which was a former agricultural college still running those degrees. We got a lot of rural students studying ag, equine, etc (I was doing an Environmental Management degree) and the amount of drinking some of them could do was insane. There are times when I felt queasy just reading about the drinking Bella and Patty were doing (mostly just the time they had a shot competition. Shots and I do not go well together!) They were very obviously two girls that really enjoyed life and all it had to offer them, whether it be mustering on a remote property in central outback Queensland or whooping it up at a Bachelor and Spinsters (B&S) Ball. They drive utes, they crack stockwhips, they ride horses, they love their country music. They were the sorts of girls you’d probably love being friends with because you’d know you’d have a good time whenever you hooked up with them!
Just as you settle in to the fun, the book takes a dramatic turn when a devastating event happens. The tone changes, Bella changes (her appearance and also her character) as she ends up in Melbourne working, far from her parents beloved farm. Just as Margareta Osborn captured Bella’s spirit in the first part of the novel, her vibrancy and confidence, after the tragedy, her soul-destroying grief is also expertly portrayed. Bella loses not only one person that was crucial to her world, but two in short succession and she changes. She becomes almost a shadow of her former self, but portraying a false confidence and image as she seeks to mend herself from the pain. Even after many years there are raw open wounds, when events conspire to lure her back to the rural areas she loves so much. And once she’s there, it’s like she can’t help but be free again, to be that person she was when she was younger.
Bella’s Run is more than just a story about a young girl who heads off on an adventure – it’s a story of love, amazing friendship and a deep passion for the land. A highly enjoyable debut novel that takes the reader on a wild ride from remote properties to road trips down the east coast to beautiful, quiet farmlands deep in the Gippsland (south east) area of Victoria. Bella is a likable main character, young and loving life and her freedom. Her evolution as a character over the course of the novel as she suffers heartbreak more than once and picks herself up and gets on with her life, coming out the other side stronger is very well crafted.
I was offered the chance to read and review Bella’s Run and jumped at it. Rural lit is gaining in popularity in recent times and there’s a slew of up coming titles due to be published soon. I think it appeals to a lot of people who dream of living on the land (but perhaps without the huge amounts of work and debt that often come with it) and this is a way to live vicariously. There’s something utterly intriguing about the idea of owning a huge spread!
Bella’s Run opens with a bang, a mysterious incident and then we go back in time a bit to when Bella and her best friend Patty were at work on a huge cattle property in Queensland. Their characters are quickly established – both are young, fun-loving, a bit wild, always up for an adventure or a good time. There’s quite a bit of drinking in this book – in fact it took me right back to my first two years at University which was a former agricultural college still running those degrees. We got a lot of rural students studying ag, equine, etc (I was doing an Environmental Management degree) and the amount of drinking some of them could do was insane. There are times when I felt queasy just reading about the drinking Bella and Patty were doing (mostly just the time they had a shot competition. Shots and I do not go well together!) They were very obviously two girls that really enjoyed life and all it had to offer them, whether it be mustering on a remote property in central outback Queensland or whooping it up at a Bachelor and Spinsters (B&S) Ball. They drive utes, they crack stockwhips, they ride horses, they love their country music. They were the sorts of girls you’d probably love being friends with because you’d know you’d have a good time whenever you hooked up with them!
Just as you settle in to the fun, the book takes a dramatic turn when a devastating event happens. The tone changes, Bella changes (her appearance and also her character) as she ends up in Melbourne working, far from her parents beloved farm. Just as Margareta Osborn captured Bella’s spirit in the first part of the novel, her vibrancy and confidence, after the tragedy, her soul-destroying grief is also expertly portrayed. Bella loses not only one person that was crucial to her world, but two in short succession and she changes. She becomes almost a shadow of her former self, but portraying a false confidence and image as she seeks to mend herself from the pain. Even after many years there are raw open wounds, when events conspire to lure her back to the rural areas she loves so much. And once she’s there, it’s like she can’t help but be free again, to be that person she was when she was younger.
Bella’s Run is more than just a story about a young girl who heads off on an adventure – it’s a story of love, amazing friendship and a deep passion for the land. A highly enjoyable debut novel that takes the reader on a wild ride from remote properties to road trips down the east coast to beautiful, quiet farmlands deep in the Gippsland (south east) area of Victoria. Bella is a likable main character, young and loving life and her freedom. Her evolution as a character over the course of the novel as she suffers heartbreak more than once and picks herself up and gets on with her life, coming out the other side stronger is very well crafted.
March 31, 2012
I read Bella`s Run yesterday - I was moved and riveted, but perhaps the most wonderful thing for me about Bella`s Run was Margareta Osborn handing me back the experience of complete immersion. For some time, in this jagged electronic world, I have wondered if I''d ever get my reading mojo back. My time feels jangled, charged just like the static in the city air, and as divided as the bytes I digest most information in. In the slipsteam of this digital life, of late, my soul has been feeling diminished and jaded.
When Margareta`s book found its way to me I was lucky to have an unstructured day on my hands with a massive to do list and no energy. Bookworms will probably relate to what happened next. I read as if my life depended on it and maybe, in a strange way, it does.
Margareta shows us how a good story can touch us, and make us feel more connected to our worlds by escaping into another. The characters are well crafted and three dimensional. Bella and Will are flawed romantic leads with enough heart and idiosyncrasy to drag you in to their world . This is a mature, gutsy read about real life and real love. The big surprise were the two additional characters. The landscape of Australia, from the cattle stations in the North to the dairy farms of the South. And secondly, just as crucially, the communities that live in those amazing places. I am an urban girl and that sense of continuity and belonging is not lost to me - I never had it. How refreshing to read of places where you are not reduced to what you do - where every part of you is known and if not loved, then tolerated.
I am reinspired. Hurry up Margareta and write another book - meanwhile I need to find some more to recharge my spirit. This bookworm is back!
When Margareta`s book found its way to me I was lucky to have an unstructured day on my hands with a massive to do list and no energy. Bookworms will probably relate to what happened next. I read as if my life depended on it and maybe, in a strange way, it does.
Margareta shows us how a good story can touch us, and make us feel more connected to our worlds by escaping into another. The characters are well crafted and three dimensional. Bella and Will are flawed romantic leads with enough heart and idiosyncrasy to drag you in to their world . This is a mature, gutsy read about real life and real love. The big surprise were the two additional characters. The landscape of Australia, from the cattle stations in the North to the dairy farms of the South. And secondly, just as crucially, the communities that live in those amazing places. I am an urban girl and that sense of continuity and belonging is not lost to me - I never had it. How refreshing to read of places where you are not reduced to what you do - where every part of you is known and if not loved, then tolerated.
I am reinspired. Hurry up Margareta and write another book - meanwhile I need to find some more to recharge my spirit. This bookworm is back!
February 29, 2012
Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a fast reader because i ended up starting it last night and finished 4 hours later (at 4.30am!)- couldn't put it down (starting at midnight probally not a good idea as i'm now falling asleep at work) I really enjoyed it, Bella is such a great girl - I can relate to a lot of it - especially being in the city but not really fitting in - and Geelong got a mentioned in chapter 4!lol - This book made me laugh (Taylor Swift on Will's car cd player) and cry, and I was singing along with the girls as they sung along to some great aussie music(in my head - it was very early in the morning). I didn't want it to finish. I can't wait for your next book Margareta - sure this one will be a best seller you've definately joined the ranks of our great aussie rural authors
February 29, 2012
At it's heart, Bella's Run is a contemporary romance but it is also a wonderful story set against the rugged Victorian highlands. Osborn captures the spirit of the people who call the land 'home' with warmth and humour.
Bella and Patty are two capable, fun loving young women, enjoying a year traveling and working in the Queensland outback, but happy to return home when it comes to an end, especially with Will and Macca waiting for them. Osborn paints a delightful picture of these high spirited best friends, dancing with the tumbleweeds, sinking Cock-Sucking Cowboys (liquor shots with equal parts Bailey's Irish Cream and Butterscotch Schnapps), and handling stockman whips with ease. I particularly enjoyed how Osborn wasn't tempted to stick with the more wholesome stereotype of rosy cheeked, demure country folk, the author has created genuine and roundly developed protagonists who are smart and confident. Bella and Patty, as well as their friends, work hard and play even harder on the rare occasions that they get the chance.
When tragedy strikes, it is all the more shocking that such vitality can be ended so abruptly. The novel's prologue (not a device I like, I must admit) tells of the devastation to come that changes the course of Bella's life, driving her from the land, and man, she loves.
The attraction between Will, Patty's brother, and Bella is a surprise to both of them. Sparked during a brief visit while the girls were still working in Queensland, the night of the Muster proves to them both that something special is happening between them. However the fledgling relationship is stunted by their tragic loss and the two are separated by their pain and guilt. In the years since, both have moved on, but Bella's return to Tindarra makes it clear that the two still have strong (and lusty) feelings for each other. Bella's Run is a romance, so while the road to happily ever after is complicated, in this instance by a manipulative ex-wife, a persistent fiance, an unplanned pregnancy and the general stubbornness of the pair, Will and Bella's relationship is dramatically resolved.
This debut novel proves Margareta Osborn a wonderful storyteller whose exuberant passion for rural Australia is evident on every page. Bella's Run is a delightful and engaging read that I very much enjoyed. I especially love the authenticity that the author brings to the story and her characters and I am looking forward to her second book due out in 2013.
Bella and Patty are two capable, fun loving young women, enjoying a year traveling and working in the Queensland outback, but happy to return home when it comes to an end, especially with Will and Macca waiting for them. Osborn paints a delightful picture of these high spirited best friends, dancing with the tumbleweeds, sinking Cock-Sucking Cowboys (liquor shots with equal parts Bailey's Irish Cream and Butterscotch Schnapps), and handling stockman whips with ease. I particularly enjoyed how Osborn wasn't tempted to stick with the more wholesome stereotype of rosy cheeked, demure country folk, the author has created genuine and roundly developed protagonists who are smart and confident. Bella and Patty, as well as their friends, work hard and play even harder on the rare occasions that they get the chance.
When tragedy strikes, it is all the more shocking that such vitality can be ended so abruptly. The novel's prologue (not a device I like, I must admit) tells of the devastation to come that changes the course of Bella's life, driving her from the land, and man, she loves.
The attraction between Will, Patty's brother, and Bella is a surprise to both of them. Sparked during a brief visit while the girls were still working in Queensland, the night of the Muster proves to them both that something special is happening between them. However the fledgling relationship is stunted by their tragic loss and the two are separated by their pain and guilt. In the years since, both have moved on, but Bella's return to Tindarra makes it clear that the two still have strong (and lusty) feelings for each other. Bella's Run is a romance, so while the road to happily ever after is complicated, in this instance by a manipulative ex-wife, a persistent fiance, an unplanned pregnancy and the general stubbornness of the pair, Will and Bella's relationship is dramatically resolved.
This debut novel proves Margareta Osborn a wonderful storyteller whose exuberant passion for rural Australia is evident on every page. Bella's Run is a delightful and engaging read that I very much enjoyed. I especially love the authenticity that the author brings to the story and her characters and I am looking forward to her second book due out in 2013.
November 3, 2012
It has been too long since I've read any rural-lit. I love Rachel Treasure's books but has been years since I've read one.
Then I picked up Bella's Run this week and was hooked all over again.
It's a cracking book filled with real characters and real emotion.
It's poignant, romantic and funny, seamlessly weaving rural Australia and its lifestyle into an emotional story.
I loved it!
Then I picked up Bella's Run this week and was hooked all over again.
It's a cracking book filled with real characters and real emotion.
It's poignant, romantic and funny, seamlessly weaving rural Australia and its lifestyle into an emotional story.
I loved it!
March 26, 2012
This is the first book in ages that has actually made me cry! I laughed and cried through out this whole novel. A lovely first novel by this author. Can't wait to read more of her books in the future.
June 15, 2014
Wow! I absolutely adored this book!!! Such a wonderful story... What a story with twists and turns! Love, love, loved this soooo much!!!!!!
March 7, 2021
This book was incredible. It involved everything I wanted; slow burning romance, and an outback setting. I will be sure to read another book by Margareta Osborn. Astounding.
March 1, 2019
I liked this book because I can relate to living life in country Australia. It was a light read. It kept me interested until the end.
August 15, 2012
Bella’s Run is not what you might expect when you think ‘rural romance’. The cover places it firmly in the tradition of formulaic romance fiction – a sort of Mills and Boon meets McLeod’s Daughters, where vast blue skies match the yearning blue eyes of a good looking country girl and her Wrangler-clad intended. But far from being just another cookie-cutter romance, Margareta Osborn’s novel explodes with energy from the first page, offering empowered, anarchic protagonists and a contagious affection for the outback landscape.
Bella Vermaelon and her best mate Patty are off on a road trip to remote central Queensland. Young and free-spirited, they bounce from job to job, mustering cattle and doing odd-jobs on stations, relying on no one but each other to take their adventure to its limits. When they cross paths with Patty’s brother, Will, the girls realise how much they’ve missed their Victorian mountain home and Bella, for the first time in her life, begins to flirt with the notion of settling down. But the path of true love, of course, never runs smoothly and, when tragedy strikes, Bella’s world is turned upside down.
Osborn’s novel breaks new ground in rural fiction, as well as drawing a very modern picture of the outback heroine.
An extended review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
Bella Vermaelon and her best mate Patty are off on a road trip to remote central Queensland. Young and free-spirited, they bounce from job to job, mustering cattle and doing odd-jobs on stations, relying on no one but each other to take their adventure to its limits. When they cross paths with Patty’s brother, Will, the girls realise how much they’ve missed their Victorian mountain home and Bella, for the first time in her life, begins to flirt with the notion of settling down. But the path of true love, of course, never runs smoothly and, when tragedy strikes, Bella’s world is turned upside down.
Osborn’s novel breaks new ground in rural fiction, as well as drawing a very modern picture of the outback heroine.
An extended review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
October 23, 2012
This book took a little bit for me to get into but once I did I really enjoyed the story of Bella,Patty, Will & Macca. This book has so much to offer, adventure, youth, love, lust, grief and betrayal. I laughed at so many of the girls antics, admired their love of life, family, friends and home. When their lives were changed by tradgedy I cried along with them. It is so true that people handle grief in so many different ways, some turn to those who will love and support them, others run like crazy to try and outrun their grief, bewildered and lost. Grief can also blind you to life and those around you, increasing your chances of making wrong choices. But maybe those choices are a necessary part of your journey in life.
"Sometimes the best way to figure out who you are, is to get to that place where you don't have to be anything else" Bella's Run
PS. Can't help feeling that someone should have introduced Warren & Prowsie. I think they would have been happy together.
"Sometimes the best way to figure out who you are, is to get to that place where you don't have to be anything else" Bella's Run
PS. Can't help feeling that someone should have introduced Warren & Prowsie. I think they would have been happy together.
April 29, 2012
Remarkable.
A great story of love, loss, and the life of two young girls who are inseparable. The settings in the Gippsland area and in Queensland were so real, descriptions so true.
The characters came to life, and completely immersed me in the story for hours. I couldn't put it down.
With twists along the way, there was a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes.
Loved it. One of the best reads I have had this year.
A great story of love, loss, and the life of two young girls who are inseparable. The settings in the Gippsland area and in Queensland were so real, descriptions so true.
The characters came to life, and completely immersed me in the story for hours. I couldn't put it down.
With twists along the way, there was a lump in my throat, and tears in my eyes.
Loved it. One of the best reads I have had this year.
April 22, 2012
I really loved this book! I read it very quickly because I couldn't put it down. Beautiful descriptions of the Queensland and Victorian outbacks, in contrast to the city life Bella runs away to. It had a good balance between fun times out and more serious issues and I really loved the main characters. Can't wait for her next book!
May 20, 2012
I do love a bit of chick lit and havent read too many 'country' versions, particularly not aussie ones, so this was fun and refreshing. Osborn writes well and engages you but stayed off the predictable beaten track. I enjoyed this book as a light read and recommend it as a summer beach book or winter warmer.
October 19, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. Think being a country girl I can relate to the background of these stories so easily. Margareta captures the essence of the high country and makes the reader want to visit this spectacular part of our great State and Country.
March 17, 2015
Review to come.
May 19, 2012
Excellent read, but I'm a sucker for an outback Aussie lovestory. Couldn't stop reading.
August 16, 2012
BELLA'S RUN is definitely not the sort of thing that I would normally read, but working with Margareta Osborn on her website made it nearly impossible not to notice a certain buzz around this book, which frankly, intrigued me. And every now and then, a little step away from the well worn path isn't going to kill me. Is it?
Starting BELLA'S RUN, I had no idea what to expect, and a combination of my personal disinterest in romance themes, and the amount of acclaim for the book did have me a little worried, as I am a bit of a curmudgeon who suffers from hype-hypersensitivity.
There's nothing new about romance writing being popular, and it doesn't seem like such a stretch that women, writing in Australia, who come from rural and regional areas (ie the bigger bit of the place), would be writing stories about things that they know, set in places that they inhabit, and understand and love. In fact, it's a bit of relief to find out that is happening, as it seems to makes more sense than those old bodice ripper type romances set in Regency whatever... them you'd never get me reading. No chance, no how, not even if the only other choice was a well read cornflake packet!
What immediately was obvious is not just the love of the country places and people that Osborn is writing about, but her knowledge of them both. I can't say I subscribe to any particular theories or understanding of "good" versus "bad" writing, for me what's important is whether the story being told feels authentic, the dialogue realistic and the people believable. If those three elements are present in reasonable proportion, then the occasional ham-fisted sentence or poorly crafted paragraph are neither here nor there, as far as I'm concerned. Not that I'm suggesting there's any such thing in BELLA'S RUN. On the contrary. The story flowed, the characters were engaging and real, the action nicely paced and despite the well-worn arc of love misplaced at no stage did I find myself itching to get out the editing pencil.
I'm also aware that this is fiction, and paraphrasing an author I heard once, when asked how he did his research for parts of his books... Osborn obviously makes stuff up. Having said that, I also know that some of the places, and the broad scenarios are written about from experience (not the drinking / not the swearing / I'm not sure about the canoodling with cowboys ... she did meet her husband at a High Country event ....). But it is writing from knowledge, experience and out and out passion, that really works for this type of setting, and these types of books. There's an authenticity in amongst the fictional that glows and shines.
Not so long ago, there was a bit of an Australian crime fiction phenomena that was widely read overseas (and awarded) and discussed by Crime Fiction fans from all corners of the world. I remember at the time the minority of objections were mostly along the lines of there being nothing particularly new in the themes or the style of that particular book. At the time, our argument was, be that as it may be, this is the first time these themes have been explored in our terminology, in our context, in our style, and for that alone, the book was worthwhile, frankly, down right exciting for fans of crime fiction here. In the same way, I'd suspect that part of the attraction of BELLA'S RUN and all the other rural romance books around at the moment (and there are a lot of them - so the numbers alone are telling us something) is that context, that location, that sense of place, and the story is about us and our experience - or it's an us and experience that city people dream about. Sure part of its fictionalised (I can personally attest to a decided lack of lanky, quiet, gorgeous cowboy types standing ready to sweep pretty young girls off their feet in my particular regional neck of the woods, but if I was at all that sort of romantically inclined, I'd like to dream... why not).
I can also see some justification for the us and them of the city versus the country - the seeming convenience of the city bloke being the baddie and the country blokes being the goodies. The "other" is often used as a catalyst or a threat and goodness knows I've read more than enough books recently where the opposite is the true and the country is crowded with odd "rural types" lurking behind trees threatening the poor city people. And objected at the time mostly because of the overt sense of convenience. It seems to me that what is more important, is that concept of authenticity, and in BELLA'S RUN there were feasible reasons for just about everything and a hefty dose of fair play much later in the book. But really what we have is the context of a rural girl dealing with the other / the decision / the options / the catalyst and the black and white hats seemed to get thrown in the air on quite a few occasions.
Rural romance is a genre that really seems to have struck a chord with both local and overseas readers lately. But as much as it's not my glass of whisky, opponents or disparagers of these rural romance books, could do themselves more of a disservice than they do to the writers or readers of rural romance. Just romance, set in the bush, or the frequently dreaded "chook-lit" tag might be easy ways to dismiss these sorts of books, but on the other hand, there is obviously a strong attraction here. If BELLA'S RUN and it's compatriots are calling readers to read, and writers are getting the obvious joy that I see in Margareta Osborn in writing them, then all power to the joy of reading and writing and ignore the disparagers is all I can say.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
Starting BELLA'S RUN, I had no idea what to expect, and a combination of my personal disinterest in romance themes, and the amount of acclaim for the book did have me a little worried, as I am a bit of a curmudgeon who suffers from hype-hypersensitivity.
There's nothing new about romance writing being popular, and it doesn't seem like such a stretch that women, writing in Australia, who come from rural and regional areas (ie the bigger bit of the place), would be writing stories about things that they know, set in places that they inhabit, and understand and love. In fact, it's a bit of relief to find out that is happening, as it seems to makes more sense than those old bodice ripper type romances set in Regency whatever... them you'd never get me reading. No chance, no how, not even if the only other choice was a well read cornflake packet!
What immediately was obvious is not just the love of the country places and people that Osborn is writing about, but her knowledge of them both. I can't say I subscribe to any particular theories or understanding of "good" versus "bad" writing, for me what's important is whether the story being told feels authentic, the dialogue realistic and the people believable. If those three elements are present in reasonable proportion, then the occasional ham-fisted sentence or poorly crafted paragraph are neither here nor there, as far as I'm concerned. Not that I'm suggesting there's any such thing in BELLA'S RUN. On the contrary. The story flowed, the characters were engaging and real, the action nicely paced and despite the well-worn arc of love misplaced at no stage did I find myself itching to get out the editing pencil.
I'm also aware that this is fiction, and paraphrasing an author I heard once, when asked how he did his research for parts of his books... Osborn obviously makes stuff up. Having said that, I also know that some of the places, and the broad scenarios are written about from experience (not the drinking / not the swearing / I'm not sure about the canoodling with cowboys ... she did meet her husband at a High Country event ....). But it is writing from knowledge, experience and out and out passion, that really works for this type of setting, and these types of books. There's an authenticity in amongst the fictional that glows and shines.
Not so long ago, there was a bit of an Australian crime fiction phenomena that was widely read overseas (and awarded) and discussed by Crime Fiction fans from all corners of the world. I remember at the time the minority of objections were mostly along the lines of there being nothing particularly new in the themes or the style of that particular book. At the time, our argument was, be that as it may be, this is the first time these themes have been explored in our terminology, in our context, in our style, and for that alone, the book was worthwhile, frankly, down right exciting for fans of crime fiction here. In the same way, I'd suspect that part of the attraction of BELLA'S RUN and all the other rural romance books around at the moment (and there are a lot of them - so the numbers alone are telling us something) is that context, that location, that sense of place, and the story is about us and our experience - or it's an us and experience that city people dream about. Sure part of its fictionalised (I can personally attest to a decided lack of lanky, quiet, gorgeous cowboy types standing ready to sweep pretty young girls off their feet in my particular regional neck of the woods, but if I was at all that sort of romantically inclined, I'd like to dream... why not).
I can also see some justification for the us and them of the city versus the country - the seeming convenience of the city bloke being the baddie and the country blokes being the goodies. The "other" is often used as a catalyst or a threat and goodness knows I've read more than enough books recently where the opposite is the true and the country is crowded with odd "rural types" lurking behind trees threatening the poor city people. And objected at the time mostly because of the overt sense of convenience. It seems to me that what is more important, is that concept of authenticity, and in BELLA'S RUN there were feasible reasons for just about everything and a hefty dose of fair play much later in the book. But really what we have is the context of a rural girl dealing with the other / the decision / the options / the catalyst and the black and white hats seemed to get thrown in the air on quite a few occasions.
Rural romance is a genre that really seems to have struck a chord with both local and overseas readers lately. But as much as it's not my glass of whisky, opponents or disparagers of these rural romance books, could do themselves more of a disservice than they do to the writers or readers of rural romance. Just romance, set in the bush, or the frequently dreaded "chook-lit" tag might be easy ways to dismiss these sorts of books, but on the other hand, there is obviously a strong attraction here. If BELLA'S RUN and it's compatriots are calling readers to read, and writers are getting the obvious joy that I see in Margareta Osborn in writing them, then all power to the joy of reading and writing and ignore the disparagers is all I can say.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
May 30, 2017
I loved Bella and Patty. Truely wild Aussie country girls. My first Margareta Osborn read, she nailed outback Australia, B&S Balls, and the shenanigans these fun-loving larrikins get up to.
Macca and Will are not unlike many of the blokes I know and love.
After the fatal accident, Bella and Will will break your heart. And Patty.. I want one of her whispering in my ear. Work to live, not live to work.
Will be looking for more M.O books to devour.
Macca and Will are not unlike many of the blokes I know and love.
After the fatal accident, Bella and Will will break your heart. And Patty.. I want one of her whispering in my ear. Work to live, not live to work.
Will be looking for more M.O books to devour.
September 7, 2019
I read this book many years ago as it was a Christmas gift. The gift did not last long, as once I started to read it I was hooked to the very end. I found the book today cleaning up I quickly read the blurb and the story come running back in my mind. This was a wonderful Aussie Outback story about love and friendship. It was the first time I have read anything by Margareta Osborn and would happily read her work again.
July 27, 2020
The young and carefree Bella Vermaelon and best friend Patty O'Hara leave their family farms in Gippsland to work in the Queensland outback. On the way home after 12 months they run into their young loves, Macca (Bella's cousin) and Will (Patty's brother) at a rodeo. The girls get home and go dress shopping for a B&S ball when tragedy strikes.
With nothing the same everyone's lives change and lead them on a different path. Will their lives recover and young love prevail?
With nothing the same everyone's lives change and lead them on a different path. Will their lives recover and young love prevail?
December 28, 2017
Wow wow wow!! I started reading this book and was so dissapointed but decided to give it a chance- so glad I did because it was such a great read!! I actually finished it all in one night I was that hooked on it!
I really felt connected with the characters and I kept thinking about the story all the next day.
I really felt connected with the characters and I kept thinking about the story all the next day.
September 22, 2021
It's easy to read. That's a good thing, I think.
I want to give this a three-star or more, because it's decent in character and plot regards, but I can't. Because I just don't like where the plot was going. But if you're into that, I'm sure it's good.
I want to give this a three-star or more, because it's decent in character and plot regards, but I can't. Because I just don't like where the plot was going. But if you're into that, I'm sure it's good.
November 3, 2017
I loved this book!!
The author is a master at creating emotional tension and had me in tears in several emotional points in the story.
The author is a master at creating emotional tension and had me in tears in several emotional points in the story.
January 4, 2018
Awesome book!!!!
October 12, 2019
Infidelity on the ‘heroine’s’ part is an instant turn-off. It’s a shame as otherwise the book was quite readable.
July 28, 2020
What a thoroughly enjoyable book this was!
September 18, 2020
A truly beautiful love story of 2 people who grow up together, grow apart then come back together years and many dramas later.
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