Breaking The Drought

by Lisa Ireland

When a smooth-talking, sophisticated city girl comes striding into town on her stiletto heels, he's the last person who wants to notice...

When Jenna McLean gets roped into attending a matchmaking ball in a small country town, she holds no illusions of meeting the man of her dreams. A no-nonsense magazine editor, Jenna doesn’t believe in leaving love to chance, which is why she’s developed Marriage Material – a fool-proof framework for husband hunting. Shearers and farmhands need not apply.

Sheep grazier Luke Tanner has met women like Jenna before, and knows not to waste his time. With the drought dragging on and bushfire season around the corner, the last thing he needs is a spoiled city girl like Jenna adding to his problems. He'll help out with the ball because it's good for the community, but he won't dance, he won't flirt, and he definitely won't be matched.

It's been a long dry season, but everyone knows when it rains, it pours.

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Australia

175 pages, ebook

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Lisa Ireland is an Australian writer of contemporary women’s fiction. After working for many years as a primary school teacher, Lisa is a now a full-time writer.

Her novel, Feels Like Home, is an Australian Bestseller. In 2015 Lisa was one of the Top Ten Debut Fiction Authors in Australia. She has five books published to date, and her sixth novel, THE SECRET LIFE OF SHIRLEY SULLIVAN, will be released in MAY 2020.

When she’s not writing, Lisa can be found running (okay, shuffling), drinking coffee at her favourite cafes, or perusing the shelves of her local bookstore.

She loves eating but not cooking, is an Olympic class procrastinator, and (most importantly) minion to a rather large dog.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna McLean works as a magazine editor in Melbourne and there is no mistaking that she is a true city girl. After her fiancé left her for someone else the last thing she felt like doing was attending a matchmaking ball in the small country town with her friend Brooke, but Brooke wouldn’t take no for an answer.

When Jenna and Brooke arrive in the country town of Barlow, Jenna is immediately out of her comfort zone and she couldn't wait to get back home. But could all of that change when she meets Luke Tanner. Luke is a sheep grazier who has no interest or time in having a relationship, but when he meets Jenna he finds her attractive, but he knows only too well that getting involved with a city girl never works out.

Breaking the Drought by Australian author Lisa Ireland was a very enjoyable and delightful book to read. This book had quite a lot going on and it kept me very interested to know how it would end. Once again Lisa Ireland has done an excellent job in writing another fabulous story which I know has been and will continue to be enjoyed by her readers. Highly recommended.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
I am going back to where it all began for a favourite author of mine, Lisa Ireland. After dazzling me with her 2017 release The Shape of Us and blowing me away with The Art of Friendship most recently, I decided it was high time to catch up on Lisa’s debut novel, Breaking the Drought.

Breaking the Drought takes Jenna, a self confessed city girl with a love for stiletto heels to the country as part of a matchmaking ball. She does not intend on finding the love of her life in a place that is in the back of beyond. In fact, she has devised a careful plan, on what is considered ideal ‘marriage material’. No way does a farmer or a sheep shearer fall into this category. That is until Jenna meets country boy through and through, Luke Tanner. However, Luke knows it is best to steer clear of women like Jenna, city girls bring nothing but trouble! But, when these two people from opposite sides of the tracks meet, undeniable sparks fly! While Luke continues to deal with some personal issues, along with drought, bushfire threats and the decline of the community base in which he resides, love plays second fiddle. Or, will Jenna win over this true blue Aussie farmer?

What an absolute delight Breaking the Drought proved to be, for me, it was such a comforting and feel good read. While I love the direction of Lisa Ireland’s latest life lit books (The Shape of Us and The Art of Friendship), it is interesting to see where Lisa Ireland started her writing journey. Breaking the Drought falls into my favourite reading category, Australian rural romance. I couldn’t help but be reminded of an all time favourite rural romance novel of mine, Man Drought, by Rachael Johns, while I was reading this fun novel!

I loved the initial concept of Breaking the Drought, taking a strong heroine out of her comfort zone and placing her in unfamiliar territory. I can never get enough of these city come country girl tales and this one is no exception. Ireland presents her reader with a highly engaging story, complete with some very well rounded characters.

Ireland’s approach to her setting is marvellous. I liked the full representation of the small country community in which the action of the novel plays out. Ireland does a superb job of putting the limelight on the issues at the very core of these small bush based communities. She draws our attention to the impact of drought, the constant dangers of Mother Nature – including bushfires, the downfall of community resources in dwindling towns and the lack of social opportunities for both sexes. Ireland pairs these issues with authentic community members and problems, which are sure to strike a chord with all readers.

There is a fair amount of drama and emotion attached to Breaking the Drought. Ireland throws some curveballs at the reader so we are kept entertained for the duration of the novel. The romance in Breaking the Drought shifted from fun and light, to serious as the past catches up with the leads. I did wonder sometimes that the leads, Jenna and Luke, seemed to bicker so much in the first moments of their possible relationship that perhaps they may have been better off abandoning ship earlier on in the piece! However, the attraction and sizzle is so strong that Ireland chooses not to break their bond! I was pleased with the final status of this couple’s relationship and the significant character growth each displayed in the process.

It is with a happy heart that I very much endorse Lisa Ireland’s debut novel, Breaking the Drought, to fans of the rural romance genre. It is a classic Australian rural fiction title that is well worth your time to seek out!

Breaking the Drought is book #54 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge

*Book ‘I’ of the a-z author challenge 2018

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking The Drought is the story of Jenna McLean and Luke Tanner who are having trouble in finding someone to love them. One night Jenna McLean was out with her friend Brooke when they decided to go to the "The Barlow Bush Blokes' Ball". Maggie Tanner decided to save the small town of Barlow by organising "The Barlow Bush Blokes' Ball", and she ropes in her brother-law Luke to help out with the festivities and be one of the Bachelors for the night. At first sight, Jenna and Luke clashed. However, this changed. The readers of Breaking The Drought will continue to follow to see what happens to Jenna and Luke.

I enjoyed reading Breaking The Drought. I have not read a lot of Lisa Ireland books, but I am going to change that. I love Lisa Ireland writing style and the way Lisa Ireland describes her plots that ensures her readers to engage with the story from the first page. I love Lisa Ireland portrayal of her characters especially Jenna.

The Readers of Breaking The Drought will learn about what happens to a small community suffering from a drought and shrinking population. Also, the readers of Breaking The Drought will learn about what you do during bushfires.

I recommend this book.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna McLean’s dreams of marriage to the delectable Simon had crashed and burned – Jenna was having trouble moving forward so when her best friend Brooke told her they were going to the Barlow Bush Blokes’ Ball in the small rural township some hours from Melbourne, Jenna initially refused. But Brooke was adamant and within a matter of days the two girls were pulling up outside the pub in Barlow, surrounded by like-minded people, dust and cowboys (Jenna’s description!) Jenna was a true city girl, sophisticated and posh, editor of a top gossip magazine in Melbourne. She had no idea what she was going to do in the country town of Barlow where there was no mobile service and no internet coverage.

Luke Tanner was a sheep grazier – his property of Tandarra along with his pregnant sister-in-law Maggie was his responsibility – he had no time for city girls; any girls really, and wished he hadn’t promised he’d help Maggie with this ball. But he wasn’t a man to go back on his word and it was only for the weekend after all. What could possibly go wrong? Combine the town’s visitors, especially Jenna - with the intense heat of summer, bushfire season and a severe drought – there were plenty of potential problems…

Breaking the Drought by Aussie author Lisa Ireland was a light and entertaining rural romance which I raced through in a matter of hours. Jenna was a superficial character by design (I suspect) of the author – she portrayed that well. Luke on the other hand was a complex character and his secrets and grief were real. Breaking the Drought is a quick, easy read which I recommend to fans of this genre.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think everyone knows by now that rural romance is my favourite subgenre when it comes to romance. This is a bit odd as I’ve spent my adult life in the city and I don’t plan on changing any time soon. But I do love to read fish out of water stories and Breaking the Drought is a brilliant story in this vein. Another one of my favourite fiction tropes is stories set in media. So this book is double crack for me – a magazine editor fish out of water heroine going to a bush ball.

The story opens with an editor’s letter from our heroine, Jenna, describing her marriage list. She openly acknowledges that her friends think she’s crazy and when the man who ticked loads of boxes on it dumps her and gets engaged in quick succe3ssion, Jenna is thinking she may need to revise things. That’s when her friend Brooke decides to book them both in for a weekend of bush fun with eligible country bachelors in the tiny town of Barton. Jenna is firmly a city girl with no interest in the country or country men, but she goes along with Brooke, rather reluctantly. From the moment she puts her Jimmy Choos into the dust, Jenna’s got a chip on her shoulder. Not only are they not staying in the town’s one and only hotel, but they’re staying with the Tanners out on a property with no mobile reception and broken internet connection. How will Princess Jenna cope?

Fortunately, Jenna begins to join in, half-heartedly at first but more so after Luke Tanner catches her eye. When she’s forced to stay in town longer than she expected, she and Luke start up a ‘no strings’ romance but multiple factors have them pulling away. Add in country drama and it seems neither of them will want to realise that they are looking for something more…

This is an incredible debut by Lisa Ireland. It’s warm, funny and assured. Both Jenna and Luke are well drawn characters with an interesting backstory that adds so much to the narrative. Jenna’s princess like antics (how does she not know that red dust and Choos don’t go together – can she not Google?) stopped at just the right moment for me. I realised that it was all just a front to hide her awkwardness and I warmed to her as a character. Luke’s backstory was much more interesting for me as it was revealed in such tiny titbits I just had to keep on reading. The supporting characters were also lovely – Brooke, Jenna’s friend was the voice of reason. Maggie was a font of wisdom and strength and Lottie, the local reporter, should get her own story!

Breaking the Drought also celebrates rural life and the sense of community in small towns in a lovely way. When disaster struck the town, it was inspiring to see the townspeople coming together to help each other out. There were also several nerve-wracking pages where I wasn’t too sure if the characters were all going to make it. The tension got to me and I simply had to stay up to finish the book! There are a lot of events happening in this book and you won’t want to miss a single word.

If you’re looking for a read that draws you into the atmosphere of Australian rural life with genuine characters that will stay with you beyond the last page, Breaking the Drought is your book.

Thank you to Escape Publishing for the eBook. My review is honest.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful engaging story that kept me awake until the early hours of the morning. There was no way I was going to put this book down. I was totally engrossed. Loved it. I would have given it ten stars, but unfortunately, it only goes up to five. lol

I love it when a story can captivate me so much that the characters are very true to life people. The author drew me into the world of Jenna and Luke and I stayed there until their new beginning. No not the ending as I didn't want it to end. 

Jenna has a fool-proof framework for husband hunting. Not. I guess we all have some type of list, but it doesn't always work out as Jenna found out.

Jenna and Luke were meant to be together. Loved their interaction, loved the subplots. This piece taken from the blurb is spot on.
It's been a long dry season, but everyone knows when it rains, it pours.

If you like a good romance, this one will have you tearing up, as it did me. It's a type of novel that I'd re read in the future. Like an old movie that never gets tired of being replayed leaving you to think about the characters long after it's finished.

[Roz ~ My Written Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 out of 5

First things first, I was meant to post this review on Friday. But thanks to a combination of sick toddler, lack of sleep and having to catch public transport, I forgot to load it on to the website. My apologies for its late arrival, Lisa!

Now to the important stuff. Breaking the Drought is a lovely, sweet romance about looking past the surface to find the reality beneath, and maybe just then finding love where you least expect to. I'm a big sucker for fish-out-of-water romances, and there are definitely moments of that in this.

This is a fabulous debut from Lisa Ireland, and I am very much looking forward to seeing what else she has locked away in her imagination.

Read the full review (and all my others) at My Written Romance .

I was provided with an advance reader copy by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions expressed in this review are mine alone. I received no financial incentives to review this book.

[Shirley Wine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming story

Lisa Ireland has a gift of drawing the reader into the heart of the story making you care about the characters and the problems they face. Luke Tanner thought he'd lost everything the night his father and brother were killed, his dream of being a country doctor... He considered it his duty to put aside his dreams and aspirations to care for his widowed sister-in-law And his unborn nephew... His penance for the part he played in the death of his father and brother...he wasn't prepared for the explosion of city girl Jenna into his life at a Bushman's Ball held to try and revive the struggling rural town of Bowden...Jenna has her own rigid ideas about what she requires in a mate ... These are cut and dried and Luke barely meets any of the requirements she has on her list of suitable qualities...yet despite so much stacked against this unlikely pair the chemistry between them sizzles ... A great way to while away a pleasant afternoon reading.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening line: ‘…”Jerk alert at twelve o clock”…’

Jenna McLean is a city girl through and through; and as editor of a glossy women’s magazine she is more at home with Jimmy Choos than horse shoes. So it is a sign of her close friendship with her best girlfriend that she allows herself to be dragged out of the city and into the bush for a Batchelor’s Ball. Jenna is not looking for romance, in fact she is not looking for love at all after recently being dumped by a man who ticked all the boxes on her ‘what to look for in a perfect husband’ list. Country boys need not apply; and practicality should pick a mate not chemistry. Then she meets Sheep grazier Luke and practicality flies out of the window as chemistry flies in. Luke doesn’t tick one box on her list – and he thinks she is a spoilt city girl and not worthy of his attention, but boy oh boy does he make her toes curl. BREAKING THE DROUGHT wouldn’t be a romance if it didn’t have two opposites attract, and practicalities, like one loving the city and the other the country, seemingly insurmountable, overcome. Both Luke and Jenna have issues, and Luke’s are only revealed gradually, set against a small country town their relationship grows as it sways between passion and dislike until the ultimate crunch time when they realise that they can’t live apart and someone has to make a compromise so they can be together. If you are a fan of the TV show ‘The Farmer Wants a Wife’ you will understand what challenges the city girls face when they hit the bush, some take to it like a duck to water some run screaming in horror back to the city – and others take time to see the allure of life in the bush. Life is hard but the rewards can be amazing – Jenna survives snakes, drought, bushfire and childbirth and makes wonderful friends along the way. The characters are very believable, life in the bush town is depicted perfectly – I heartily recommend this book.


B – Great. I really enjoyed reading it and it is a book I will be recommending to all my friends who like this genre.


With thanks to Escape Publishing and the author via Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

[Georgina Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly sweet story. Loved it to pieces. I've still got the warm and fuzzies:)

Jenna and Luke are fantastic characters and Ms Ireland manages to do a fish out of water tale without having the fish turning into an elephant to fit into the story. Jenna is a hard working, fashion conscious city girl who finds herself in the country on a friend's insistence they check out a Bachelors' Ball Weekend. There she meets Luke, a farmer who's dealing with a whole lot of guilt over his brother's death and who doesn't see himself as a love prospect for any lady.

What I loved about this story was the characters' authenticity. At no stage did the romance feel forced and the conflicts felt very real. The resolution was fantastic and left me with that good book glow.

Oh, and Ms. Ireland's description is fantastic. I'm a country girl and she really took me back to country Australia. There was one scene where she described a shearing demonstration and I really felt like I was there. Simply brilliant. Looking forward to the next.

[Delwyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaking the Drought is a fantastic novel with a great deal of heart. Jenna is a fish out of water (though a classy fish with a great wardrobe and designer shoes) and the rural way of life is real culture shock for her. But as Jenna learns more about these people and their lives she begins to see there is much more under the surface than she thinks.
Luke isn’t looking for a relationship. He has family obligations and they’ve taken him over almost without him realizing it. When Jenna bowls into town he’s forced to confront his attraction to her, and to take stock of where his life is and what he wants for his future.
Ms Ireland has created interesting and endearing characters and has set them in a landscape so beautifully crafted you can smell the dust and feel the heat of the sun on your skin.
This is an accomplished, engaging debut novel and I’m looking forward the second book.

[Robyn Koshel · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Breaking the drought” is such a lovely read. It makes true the saying “opposites attract”. Jenna is the typical city girl and Luke is the country boy; and they sure do clash.

While researching “marriage material” Jenna goes to a country match making dance to see if there is some sort of formula to the matches.

At the start, Luke and Jenna have a love/hate thing going on but the hot Australian sun soon heats things up.

Luke is a troubled character, and Lisa Ireland portrays him with such warmth and soul – making him truly irresistible.

Breaking the drought is a wonderful heart warming romance that will leave you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenna is convinced by her friend Brooke to come away for the weekend and attend a bachelor's ball in the country. Jenna has just broken up with her fiancee Simon, who cheated on her and decides why not!! Because they are late to the party all the accommodation in town has been taken and therefore they are housed with Maggie and Luke on a property on the outskirts of town. Jenna is immediately taken with Luke and thinks that Maggie is his wife, so why is he hitting on her?? Jenna is a city girl and life in the country is very different, but Maggie is the perfect hostess and despite being 8 months pregnant makes their stay very nice. Luke is hiding something about the past but can't deny his attraction to Jenna.

I can't believe that this was Lisa Ireland's first book. The writing is great, the story is very enjoyable with enough little twists and turns to make me keep turning the pages. Is it any wonder Lisa is now a full time writer, she knew then how to write a good book. A lovely rural romance/

[Bree T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melbourne magazine editor Jenna McLean is a city girl, no doubt about that. So when she gets roped into attending a matchmaking ball in a small country town by her best friend, it’s very reluctantly. Having just learned that her ex is engaged, Jenna could do with some distraction. However she knows she won’t meet the man of her dreams in the country. Jenna is not really cut out for farm life. And cowboys and farmers definitely don’t gain a good score on her Marriage Material scoresheet.

Luke Tanner is hosting Jenna and her best friend for the weekend and although he finds her attractive, he’s met city girls like her before and it never ends well. They can’t wait to get back to their apartments and lattes and aren’t interested in the land or the problems surrounding working it. Luke is helping out with the ball and willing to do whatever it takes to make it a success to help their dying local community. And also, he owes it to someone very close to him to make sure that everything goes smoothly from here on in.

But the attraction between Jenna and Luke becomes more powerful each time they are together. Despite the fact that Jenna can’t see herself trading in her city lifestyle for the farm and Luke has an obligation to his property, they can’t deny that they both feel it. But with bushfire season on the way and many other obstacles hindering their path, can two people living totally different lifestyles find a happily ever after?

Breaking The Drought is a fun novel that takes a city girl totally out of her comfort zone and places her in a small country farming town that is slowly dying for a multitude of reasons. Local woman Maggie Tanner has been instrumental in planning the matchmaking ball and trying to get women into the town to hopefully bring business and maybe even make a connection with one of the local men. Jenna is talked into attending by her friend Brooke, even though Jenna knows that none of the men she meets will be for her. She has a strict set of criteria that designates men husband material. Although to be honest, that didn’t work out so well with her previous boyfriend, who scored excellently on her Marriage Material sheet but turned out to be a prize jerk.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Luke and Jenna which is almost immediate although it is complicated by an amusing misconception that Jenna makes – kind of an understandable one. I do enjoy the whole opposites attract thing even though deep down, this novel isn’t quite about that as it appears at first glance. Jenna is a very stereotypical city girl though, I find – all about Jimmy Choos and an inner-city lifestyle and she does display a pretty high degree of ignorance about country life. Given so much of Australia is rural, I did find this a bit unusual. I found Jenna’s best friend much more down to earth and aware. Her enthusiasm for the weekend in the country was really fun and she embraced it obviously in the way in which it was intended. I liked Brooke, at times she was a much more palatable character than Jenna who started off the novel whining about basically everything in the country town. However thankfully Jenna at some stage, did sort of “suck it up” and begin to appreciate what was around her and she really did dig in and help when a dangerous situation occurred.

I do have to say that there is quite a lot of drama packed into this book – there are several life threatening situations and nothing is straightforward at all. It did get a bit much as the second half of the book does feel quite crammed full with so many things happening and it’s almost like a race to the finish line after a much more sedate first half. There’s only so much drama and unexpected events I can take in so much time! But I did like the way that Jenna pulled herself together and really did kind of stand up and be counted when the time came. I think it served to show her the uncertainty of living in the bush, the sort of thing that these people can face everyday, threats which you don’t really have to worry about living in the inner-city. I liked Jenna’s evolution as a character and the way in which she came to realise what was important – without that arc of growth I’m not sure she would’ve been deserving of Luke. I really liked his character, he was very protective and caring and he had sacrificed much in order to right a wrong that he felt he had committed. He had to come to terms with his past and let it go in order to be able to embrace his future.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved The Shape of Us so thought I would check out Lisa Ireland's back catalogue. This book hit the spot as holiday fare - city chick, country lad, romance ensues.

[Holly Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenna McLean is a magazine editor in Melbourne and a true city girl. When she learns that her ex is engaged, her best friend talks her into attending a matchmaking ball in a small country town. She knows that farmers aren't marriage material and is under no illusion that she will be meeting the man of her dreams in the country.

Luke Tanner is helping his brother's wife, Maggie, with the ball and willing to do whatever it takes to make it a success to help their dying local community. When Jenna and Luke meet, the attraction is instant, but Jenna assumes that Maggie is Luke's wife and instantly dislikes him. Luke has tried to date city girls before and it never turns out well. When Maggie announces that the Tanners will be housing Jenna and her best friend for the weekend, Jenna and Luke are pushed together more than either of them expected.

The attraction between Jenna and Luke becomes more powerful each time they are together, but what can come of it other than a fling? Jenna is a city girl and Luke s connected to the farm. When things start to feel resolved, everything is thrown out the window when Jenna's best friend is injured, Maggie goes into labor and bushfire season rears its ugly head.

I really enjoyed the immediate chemistry between Luke and Jenna. Jenna's assumption about Maggie is understandable, but added an interesting spin. Jenna did get on my nerves at several points. I'm not a fan of country music either, but seeing her reaction to Luke on stage wasn't pleasant. Luke and Jenna made their own barriers when all they really needed to do was talk to each other. I liked Maggie's interference and pushing.

As an American, I can't understand why Jenna's best friend was hospitalized for so long. I am not sure if this is standard for Australia, but I was shocked at the need to keep her in hospital for a week for pretty minor injuries. This was a hmmm moment for me. It did seem like quite a bit was going on at the end and it felt chaotic.

I appreciated the way Jenna's character was redeemed a bit in the end. She stepped up and did what was needed. I really liked Luke. He was hardworking, protective and caring the entire book. His back story was pretty interesting and he sacrificed a lot to make up for his "mistakes". The same way that Maggie needed to emotionally evolve, Luke let go of his past in order to have a future.

Reviewing on behalf of The Book Reading Gals Blog – check us out at http://www.thebookreadinggals.com/.
Complimentary copy provided for honest review.

[Tash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunkering down for a storm here in WA, I drifted upon my iBook library to find something to read (really there was no shortage) my wondering eye caught ‘Breaking the Drought’ by Lisa Ireland. The irony isn’t surpassed that whilst the wind gusts and rain poured outside my window, a storm of passion and drought in it’s own kind was forming in main characters Jenner & Luke. The charming city-girl-meets-country-bloke narrative steaming was full of wit, heart and emotion.

Luke; a charming Australian outback sheerer whose heart was full of the agony of the recent tragedy not forgotten meets a charming magazine editor/country-town ball tourist; Jenner and from the very beginning an ensue of flirtatious and will the heart or head lead in a quest for love flows. I loved how Ireland, used third person. I usually am not a lover of third person because I don’t feel the connection as much, but this book definitely kept me reading because the characters flaws and building of the relationship enticed me to.

The vulnerability in Jenner after holding strong for so long and the built walls of stone that crash down in Luke’s heart all bring together a masterful piece of writing that I enjoyed reading. I love a country book and this definitely was a great read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story I love the setting in country Australia where everyone knows everyone and the town pull togther, Jenna is an editor for a womans magazine in Melbourne and has recently been dumped by her fiance for someone else even though he had scored well on her list for potential husbands lust and love should not come into it she had learn't the hard way through her mother and the regular step fathers and special friends she had had. Luke come from the samll country town of Barlow in Victoria and has had a lot of heartache in his life that makes him take a career change and take over running the family farm. When the town organizes a match making ball to help build the town up reluctantly Jenna and her friend Brooke go and nothing turns out like Jenna expected with bushfires and births and especially falling in love with Luke. This is an emotional story that will have you grabbing for tissues and smiling with Jenna and Luke all the characters are great and add a lot to the story and I enjoyed this one very much I finished it in two sittings :)

[Amanda Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luke and Jenna, and the other characters filling the pages of Lisa Ireland's debut novel Breaking the Drought remind you of what it means to be a good and decent soul...

With all the 'must have's' of a compelling rural read, Lisa Ireland shows us a glimpse of Luke and Jenna's hearts, souls and so much more without the reader even knowing it! You can't help but want to drink in more of the scarred but spunky Luke and find out why Jenna so very much more than a word-smithing, Jimmy Choo wearing fashionista...

From the gritty dust, hay bales and flies to the stunning silky dresses, smooth hair and stiletto clad feet, the chemistry between the city girl and country boy leaves you not wanting to put this down...

AND if you like a heart-in-mouth, heart thumping ending that makes you spill your tea so you can turn the page faster - then this is the book for your next read!!!!

[Rebecca Raisin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this book. As a city girl myself, it made me want to pack a bag, and head out to the bush, snakes and all! I loved the way the characters developed in this story. I found myself really understanding Jenna's reactions, as I felt I'd feel the same as her when faced with certain situations. And then there's Luke. I'd move to the country just for him!
I'm kind of new to reading rural romance, but this has made me a fan. There's nothing like country people and country friendships, and this brings back all those feelings of belonging in a place, and to the place. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going there'd be another twist, and I wondered where we'd go next. Lots of drama, great pacing, and people that will melt your heart. I particularly loved the ending, and again, it was something unexpected

[Talking Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

City meets country. A read full of grief, heartbreak and second chances. The meeting of Jenna and Luke has it's own humerus moments that secures the readers attention and makes for some pleasant fireworks throughout the story. The way the characters interact and the happenings of the small town have the reader completely absorbed in the book. A few surprises and an ending that leaves the reader felling content with the story. Community spirit, friendship and family, Breaking The Drought by Lisa Ireland was both a joy to read and entertaining from the start of the book, through to the ending of the story.
*ARC Received from the Publisher for an honest review

[Paula Beavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this story, read it in one sitting. Unputdownable. Believable characters doing believable things in believable circumstances. An absolute winner and I'll be keeping an eye out for this author's future books.

[Nicki Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fabulous book. Very believable (and likeable) characters and a terrific storyline. There was a bit more "raunch" than I prefer in my romance novels, but it was tastefully written and didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. I am looking forward to reading more from Lisa Ireland.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Complete review to come

[Sarah Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness I loved this. What an epic story. Had me crying my eyes out in parts, but is essentially a warm uplifting tale.

[Tatum Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, enjoyed the Australian scenery a captivating read!!

[Jessica Habraken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

This book has all the highs and lows that a romantic novel needs. Would recommend it to all those romantics out there.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in a single session on the beach. This time I made sure I had plenty of sunscreen...

[Vivienne Darden · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable.story.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a good love story. Both people realised their dreams and enacted on them and their lives.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

After discovering the brilliance of Lisa Ireland via The Shape of Us and The Art of Friendship, I figured it was time to go back to her debut novel and see where it all began.

Breaking the Drought is the story of Jenna, who agrees to go to a weekend in the country to meet farmers as part of matchmaking endeavour. There, she meets Luke who is everything she thinks she doesn't want, yet can't help denying she is drawn to.

Look, it's light and fluffy and if you go in not expecting anything too serious it's an enjoyable little book. For me, it was the perfect thing to read whilst sitting poolside on holiday. It doesn't have the depth and intricacies of her later novels, but that's to be expected.