What do you think?
A Chance Of Stormy Weather
City girl Paula married her lovely farmer, the only problem is he comes with a farm… Another heart-warming rural romance from the queen of Australian story-telling, Tricia Stringer.
Self-reliant Sydney girl, Paula, is looking forward to a new life in the country. Just married to sheep farmer Dan Woodcroft she can’t wait to escape her protective family and exchange her busy existence for a new life down on the farm in rural South Australia.
But life on the farm proves rather different to what she was expecting. Why does everyone talk about the weather all the time? Why does no one seem worried by the mice plague? And how is she supposed to feed all those shearers?
With Dan’s brusque Aunt Rowena to contend with, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend showing up with a grudge, and communication between her and Dan breaking down, Paula begins to question whether she can cope — is the life of a farmer’s wife is really for her? Forecast: stormy weather.
[No 1 in Wood Dell series]
[First published as Changing Channels in 2004, with a sequel Due Date in 2008.]
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2016
About the author
Tricia Stringer
25 books474 followersTricia Stringer is a bestselling and award-winning author. Among others, her books include commercial fiction titles Table For Eight, The Model Wife and The Family Inheritance, the rural romances A Chance of Stormy Weather and Come Rain or Shine and historical sagas Heart of the Country, Dust on the Horizon and Jewel in the North, set in the 19th Century Flinders Ranges. Tricia lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region of South Australia, often exploring Australia's diverse communities and landscapes, and shares this passion for the country and its people through her authentic stories and their vivid characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
December 16, 2016
After a rushed three days in Sydney for their honeymoon, Paula and her new husband Dan Woodcroft headed for his family farm in rural South Australia. Dan had been raised by his Aunt Rowena after both his parents had died when he was young – the home Dan brought Paula to was the old farmhouse his grandparents had previously lived in and it had been uninhabited for a long time. Paula was aware it needed renovations and was happy Dan had had their bedroom prepared before their arrival.
Dan’s hours on the farm were long – the seeding had just started so he was on the tractor from sun up to sun down leaving Paula to her own devices. And Paula’s first shock was the mice. Plague proportions had her shuddering, but with the help of the quiet and shy Tom, they slowly eradicated them from inside the house. Aunt Rowena was a brisk, unsmiling woman who didn’t seem at all happy to see Paula; but Jane was a lovely woman who quickly became a friend. And she found herself getting on well with Dara – so why was she feeling the way she was? Was it possible Paula had made a mistake in thinking she could go from being a high flying executive in Sydney, to a sheep farmer’s wife deep in the Australian bush – even with her deep love for Dan?
A Chance of Stormy Weather is another satisfying, emotional rural romance by Aussie author Tricia Stringer which I thoroughly enjoyed. My favourite character was the crusty old Uncle Gerald and his continual prediction that there was “a chance of stormy weather”… I really enjoy this author’s work, and am glad I still have a couple on my huge “to be read” list left to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Harlequin Mira for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
Dan’s hours on the farm were long – the seeding had just started so he was on the tractor from sun up to sun down leaving Paula to her own devices. And Paula’s first shock was the mice. Plague proportions had her shuddering, but with the help of the quiet and shy Tom, they slowly eradicated them from inside the house. Aunt Rowena was a brisk, unsmiling woman who didn’t seem at all happy to see Paula; but Jane was a lovely woman who quickly became a friend. And she found herself getting on well with Dara – so why was she feeling the way she was? Was it possible Paula had made a mistake in thinking she could go from being a high flying executive in Sydney, to a sheep farmer’s wife deep in the Australian bush – even with her deep love for Dan?
A Chance of Stormy Weather is another satisfying, emotional rural romance by Aussie author Tricia Stringer which I thoroughly enjoyed. My favourite character was the crusty old Uncle Gerald and his continual prediction that there was “a chance of stormy weather”… I really enjoy this author’s work, and am glad I still have a couple on my huge “to be read” list left to read. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Harlequin Mira for my copy to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2019
Three and a half stars.
After a brief time getting to know each other and falling in love, Paula marries her farmer Dan Woodcroft. She is looking forward to her life on a farm in rural Adelaide. But she is not quite prepared for the run down place her new husband brought her to or the proliferation of mice that inhabit it. But at least Dan has made a start on fixing the place up. The bedroom has been lovingly renovated. Paula figures she will soon get around to the rest. What she isn’t prepared for is the long hours that Dan would be occupied seeding. Nor is she thrilled about the way Rowena, Dan’s aunt who raised him after the death of his parents, seemed to intrude on so many areas of their lives. She is thankful though for the acceptance and friendship of Jane and Dara. Their friendship and support helps her through the loneliness and various disasters that occur. But what is the connection between the solicitor Katherine and Dan? Why does she feel she has some claim on Dan?
I enjoyed this rural read. The incidents with the mice plague had me both shuddering and laughing at the same time. Paula is likeable and has some interesting ides to try and help Dara and Chris with their business. She has a lot of adjustments to make and I felt she sometimes didn’t get the support from Dan she should have. Especially when he goes off with the guys, leaving her alone, and comes home more than a few sheets to the wind. My other reservation was that much of the misunderstanding surrounding Dan’s secret and Katherine could have been resolved with communication. But then I guess we wouldn’t have a story.
What the story does show is how hard life on the land is and how much farmers are at the mercy of the weather. I’m happy to share life on the land vicariously through books such as this. A lot of the attitudes struck me as sexist. But it still didn’t stop me enjoying this novel. Just not quite as much as I expected to.
After a brief time getting to know each other and falling in love, Paula marries her farmer Dan Woodcroft. She is looking forward to her life on a farm in rural Adelaide. But she is not quite prepared for the run down place her new husband brought her to or the proliferation of mice that inhabit it. But at least Dan has made a start on fixing the place up. The bedroom has been lovingly renovated. Paula figures she will soon get around to the rest. What she isn’t prepared for is the long hours that Dan would be occupied seeding. Nor is she thrilled about the way Rowena, Dan’s aunt who raised him after the death of his parents, seemed to intrude on so many areas of their lives. She is thankful though for the acceptance and friendship of Jane and Dara. Their friendship and support helps her through the loneliness and various disasters that occur. But what is the connection between the solicitor Katherine and Dan? Why does she feel she has some claim on Dan?
I enjoyed this rural read. The incidents with the mice plague had me both shuddering and laughing at the same time. Paula is likeable and has some interesting ides to try and help Dara and Chris with their business. She has a lot of adjustments to make and I felt she sometimes didn’t get the support from Dan she should have. Especially when he goes off with the guys, leaving her alone, and comes home more than a few sheets to the wind. My other reservation was that much of the misunderstanding surrounding Dan’s secret and Katherine could have been resolved with communication. But then I guess we wouldn’t have a story.
What the story does show is how hard life on the land is and how much farmers are at the mercy of the weather. I’m happy to share life on the land vicariously through books such as this. A lot of the attitudes struck me as sexist. But it still didn’t stop me enjoying this novel. Just not quite as much as I expected to.
October 8, 2017
A Chance of Stormy Weather is about young City girl Paula who falls in love with a country boy Dan Woodcroft. On a quick visit to Sydney, Dan Woodcroft met Paula. After a short courtship, they got married and moved to South Australia. However, Paula did not know what to expect living on a farm. Readers of A Chance Of Stormy Weather will continue to follow Paula and Dan to see what happens.
I enjoy reading A Chance of Stormy Weather. Tricia Stringer knows how to engage her readers in the way she portrays her characters. Also, the way Tricia Stringer describes the plot and the interaction between Paula and Dan. I am not sure of my feelings about the way Tricia Stringer describes the mice plague. However, it was well done by Tricia Stringer.
Readers of A chance of Stormy Weather will learn about running a rural farm in South Australia. Also, readers of A Chance of Stormy Weather will start to understand the difficulties city girls have when they move to live on a farm for the first time. A Chance of Stormy Weather will highlight the importance of having two-way communications on farms to communicate with each other and neighbours.
I recommend this book.
I enjoy reading A Chance of Stormy Weather. Tricia Stringer knows how to engage her readers in the way she portrays her characters. Also, the way Tricia Stringer describes the plot and the interaction between Paula and Dan. I am not sure of my feelings about the way Tricia Stringer describes the mice plague. However, it was well done by Tricia Stringer.
Readers of A chance of Stormy Weather will learn about running a rural farm in South Australia. Also, readers of A Chance of Stormy Weather will start to understand the difficulties city girls have when they move to live on a farm for the first time. A Chance of Stormy Weather will highlight the importance of having two-way communications on farms to communicate with each other and neighbours.
I recommend this book.
December 3, 2016
A Chance of Stormy Weather is a novel that I whipped through in under a day. To me, this always signals a sensational novel. Tricia Stringer’s latest novel definitely comes highly commended by this reader.
What I found enlightening about A Chance of Stormy Weather was the acknowledgements page. Here I learnt that Tricia Stringer, an author I have admired since my introduction to her writing in 2013, originally self published this book in 2004. Furthermore, another interesting fact about this novel was that it worked to provide an essential guide of sorts, offering city come country women some valuable words of advice on their new way of life. I found this absolutely fascinating, what a great idea to support newly ordained farmer’s wives!
Onto the story, in a nutshell, A Chance of Stormy Weather does initially appear as a predictable city girl becomes country girl rural romance story. However, I urge any reader that opens this book to look deeper into the story at hand. Tricia Stringer vividly brings to life the story of Paula, a young city and career based woman, who has just come out of a bad relationship. She attends a wedding and falls head over heels in love with country boy Dan. The romance is frenetically paced, with the end result being a quick walk up the aisle for Paula and Dan. Paula soon packs up her apartment in the city, quits her job and wholeheartedly immerses herself in her new life based at Dan’s farm. It isn’t long before the harshness of farm life leads Paula to learn a few tough life lessons hard and fast. These include numerous cringeworthy mouse plague scenes, kitchen disasters through the demands of farm based cooking, the long working hours, distance to basic amenities and sheer isolation of these districts. Added to the story is an intriguing secret that Dan withholds from Paula, until near the close of the novel. This part of the narrative kept the pages turning for me, along with Paula’s emotional transformation into a true blue farmer’s wife. Populating the pages of A Chance of Stormy Weather are some cracking secondary characters. These include; staunch Aunt Rowena, villain Katherine, kindly Jane, welcoming Dara and the loveable rogue pet pup Tarzan. Each and every one the characters in the novel, as well as the many locals who offer the new couple a hand or simply gossip about them, are well formed by Stringer. On the whole, as a non rural dweller, I found Stringer’s depiction of life in a rural community in this particular novel, a highly enriching experience.
Established readers to Stringer’s work, such as myself, will be sure to lap up another addictive rural fiction read from this engaging storyteller. For new readers, A Chance of Stormy Weather is the perfect novel to lose yourself in for a weekend. I’m pretty sure if you are not a fan of rural romance prior to reading A Chance of Stormy Weather, this one will convince you to try more from this genre, as well as Stringer’s impressive backlist.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty and Lace. To read the original review on the Beauty and Lace website visit here: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
What I found enlightening about A Chance of Stormy Weather was the acknowledgements page. Here I learnt that Tricia Stringer, an author I have admired since my introduction to her writing in 2013, originally self published this book in 2004. Furthermore, another interesting fact about this novel was that it worked to provide an essential guide of sorts, offering city come country women some valuable words of advice on their new way of life. I found this absolutely fascinating, what a great idea to support newly ordained farmer’s wives!
Onto the story, in a nutshell, A Chance of Stormy Weather does initially appear as a predictable city girl becomes country girl rural romance story. However, I urge any reader that opens this book to look deeper into the story at hand. Tricia Stringer vividly brings to life the story of Paula, a young city and career based woman, who has just come out of a bad relationship. She attends a wedding and falls head over heels in love with country boy Dan. The romance is frenetically paced, with the end result being a quick walk up the aisle for Paula and Dan. Paula soon packs up her apartment in the city, quits her job and wholeheartedly immerses herself in her new life based at Dan’s farm. It isn’t long before the harshness of farm life leads Paula to learn a few tough life lessons hard and fast. These include numerous cringeworthy mouse plague scenes, kitchen disasters through the demands of farm based cooking, the long working hours, distance to basic amenities and sheer isolation of these districts. Added to the story is an intriguing secret that Dan withholds from Paula, until near the close of the novel. This part of the narrative kept the pages turning for me, along with Paula’s emotional transformation into a true blue farmer’s wife. Populating the pages of A Chance of Stormy Weather are some cracking secondary characters. These include; staunch Aunt Rowena, villain Katherine, kindly Jane, welcoming Dara and the loveable rogue pet pup Tarzan. Each and every one the characters in the novel, as well as the many locals who offer the new couple a hand or simply gossip about them, are well formed by Stringer. On the whole, as a non rural dweller, I found Stringer’s depiction of life in a rural community in this particular novel, a highly enriching experience.
Established readers to Stringer’s work, such as myself, will be sure to lap up another addictive rural fiction read from this engaging storyteller. For new readers, A Chance of Stormy Weather is the perfect novel to lose yourself in for a weekend. I’m pretty sure if you are not a fan of rural romance prior to reading A Chance of Stormy Weather, this one will convince you to try more from this genre, as well as Stringer’s impressive backlist.
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
*Please note that a free copy of this book was provided to me for review purposes through Beauty and Lace. To read the original review on the Beauty and Lace website visit here: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
November 25, 2025
3 ⭐️s
Easy read.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Kate Hooking
Duration: 11 hrs 14 min. 1.25x Speed
Easy read.
Audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Kate Hooking
Duration: 11 hrs 14 min. 1.25x Speed
January 3, 2023
A pleasant, easy-reading tale about a city girl having trouble coming to terms with life as a farmer's wife.
I have to say that Paula Woodcroft didn't strike me as terribly self-reliant, as the blurb would have it, she came across as quite pathetic most of the time. Naturally, such change wouldn't be easy, you'd hardly expect her to cope with such a massive upheaval without difficulty, but you'd think someone with her supposed business nous would be able to work things out or ask for help. Instead, she didn't do things that should have been done, nor did she ask questions that needed asking, allowing problems to escalate & resenting people who did get things done.
New husband Dan was flat out keeping the farm going & helping his neighbours, as was usual, & too busy a lot of the time to notice Paula was struggling. As a newlywed he could have paid more attention, perhaps, but whenever he asked, Paula didn't tell. Definitely a failure to communicate, without which we wouldn't have had a story - I know :0)
I thought Rowena was great, but it might have been an idea for her to sit her sister-in-law down & tell her some of the realities & expectations inherent in Paula's new position. I didn't see the point of Uncle Gerald except to frequently repeat the title, & anyone else could have done that.
Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the book & I do like this author.
I have to say that Paula Woodcroft didn't strike me as terribly self-reliant, as the blurb would have it, she came across as quite pathetic most of the time. Naturally, such change wouldn't be easy, you'd hardly expect her to cope with such a massive upheaval without difficulty, but you'd think someone with her supposed business nous would be able to work things out or ask for help. Instead, she didn't do things that should have been done, nor did she ask questions that needed asking, allowing problems to escalate & resenting people who did get things done.
New husband Dan was flat out keeping the farm going & helping his neighbours, as was usual, & too busy a lot of the time to notice Paula was struggling. As a newlywed he could have paid more attention, perhaps, but whenever he asked, Paula didn't tell. Definitely a failure to communicate, without which we wouldn't have had a story - I know :0)
I thought Rowena was great, but it might have been an idea for her to sit her sister-in-law down & tell her some of the realities & expectations inherent in Paula's new position. I didn't see the point of Uncle Gerald except to frequently repeat the title, & anyone else could have done that.
Despite these criticisms, I did enjoy the book & I do like this author.
April 20, 2022
There’s something about Tricia Stringers writing that just gets you in! A superb rural romance set in sheep country in south Australia. As well as the romance she described what life can be like living in a small community with limited resources around the house and the problems with weather and mice!
I’ve not read a book by Tricia that I haven’t enjoyed immensely - a wonderful writer.
I’ve not read a book by Tricia that I haven’t enjoyed immensely - a wonderful writer.
April 10, 2018
Highly forgettable. The main characters are annoying, unsympathetic, and with little chemistry between them, as are the minor characters. Throughout the book I kept wanting to tell them both to JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER, but if that had happened there would be no story.
December 1, 2016
3.5 stars
This was pretty good, though I didn't love it as much as some of Stringer's other books. I liked that it was about the romance after the marriage - sorting through the adjustments and issues of newly married life, when you've had to move to a completely environment and don't have a handle on all of the unspoken expectations.
What I disliked about this book was the "just TALK to each other!" side of things. Virtually all of the issues in the book could have been readily dealt with if only people spoke with one another. It's not my favourite romance obstacle, this trope. The other thing that niggled a little was how utterly gender-segregated this farming world was, with no challenge within the book, from any quarter, to the gendered division of labour on the farms. After Stringer's terrific Queen of the Road, I expected a little more in this department.
However! This is still a very readable book about the vagaries of being newly married to a farmer.
ETA: And only now have I discovered that this was in fact her very first self-pubbed book, way back in 2004. As a debut novel, its flaws make so much more sense to me! And I've discovered there's a sequel, in stock at my library.
This was pretty good, though I didn't love it as much as some of Stringer's other books. I liked that it was about the romance after the marriage - sorting through the adjustments and issues of newly married life, when you've had to move to a completely environment and don't have a handle on all of the unspoken expectations.
What I disliked about this book was the "just TALK to each other!" side of things. Virtually all of the issues in the book could have been readily dealt with if only people spoke with one another. It's not my favourite romance obstacle, this trope. The other thing that niggled a little was how utterly gender-segregated this farming world was, with no challenge within the book, from any quarter, to the gendered division of labour on the farms. After Stringer's terrific Queen of the Road, I expected a little more in this department.
However! This is still a very readable book about the vagaries of being newly married to a farmer.
ETA: And only now have I discovered that this was in fact her very first self-pubbed book, way back in 2004. As a debut novel, its flaws make so much more sense to me! And I've discovered there's a sequel, in stock at my library.
May 19, 2017
Love Tricia's easy reading style of writing but did not enjoy the characters Dan and Rowena. Both had 1950s housewife views on married life, expecting Paula's every move to revolve around Dan and his meals. (I'm a farmers wife myself and this is certainly not the case these days. Most farmers wives have their own careers and many husbands can make their own sandwiches). To read in the acknowledgements that it's a 'manual' for new farmer's wives disturbed me with its outdated viewpoints. Dan was a selfish man - the comment about not being able to pick his wife up from hospital because he 'had a full day of spraying' scheduled was the point where I lost any respect for him.
Overall the writing style is fantastic but the characters (and lack of communication) were annoying.
Overall the writing style is fantastic but the characters (and lack of communication) were annoying.
March 15, 2017
Truthfully? I didn't like this at all.
The chemistry is lacking between our newly weds and for the most part I couldn't understand what the hell Paula was doing there, and why Dan had married the city girl only to bring her home to the farm and ignore her?
Most of the small-town locals are a$$holes. None of these characters were likeable and the misunderstandings just ridiculous.
Sorry Tricia Stringer, but I just didn't like it.
The chemistry is lacking between our newly weds and for the most part I couldn't understand what the hell Paula was doing there, and why Dan had married the city girl only to bring her home to the farm and ignore her?
Most of the small-town locals are a$$holes. None of these characters were likeable and the misunderstandings just ridiculous.
Sorry Tricia Stringer, but I just didn't like it.
August 8, 2019
A Chance of a Stormy Weather
I will always appreciate the hard job an author has to go through to come up with entertaining emotional loops that needle the imagination and leave the reader gripped to a piece of paper like it is dear life.
One thing I know about myself is that I am a very tolerant person and it would take a lot for me to hate on something. This book kept me reading, but there was a high chance of me throwing it at the wall during different reading sessions.
The writing style was smooth and Tricia did a great job in describing the rural style of living in a subtle, non-invasive way. This allows the reader to carve his understanding of the countryside with his own imagination and feel like they also belong.
The story line, I mean was there any? My idea of storytelling is not that of observing your mother doing daily house chores and typing them in on paper. The book missed substance, and action and life events.
No doubt that Paula and Dan are traditional in their love story I would have to say. They fell in love and as soon as the heart fluttered, they wed and off went the bride and groom on their short lived honeymoon in Sydney. After the wedding they moved into their new country home in Adelaide where Paula began to experience the reality of being a farmer’s wife.
The mice plague
The mice and how to get rid of them took around seven chapters of this book. I am sure that the author could have invested more time describing characters or rural lifestyle instead. Or simply get Dan to explain how things are done on the farm to his dumbfounded wife; maybe we could learn a thing or two from this conversation. Surely there are other creatures besides mice that could have been scary for a city girl such as spiders, snakes to name a few.
Dan
I just couldn’t love the poor man because I knew nothing about him or his character. He was the silent character throughout the majority of the book and lacked a personality.
Dan called his wife when they had been on a break from their relationship and her ex-boyfriend answered the phone, wouldn’t you question that or get jealous? There were no signs of jealousy from his part or resentment towards the idea of Marco answering Paula’s phone.
How could a man allow another woman to kiss him on the lips in front of the entire village, including his wife, and not have that addressed appropriately to redeem his wives dignity? To me this was just so off putting in his character. How would Paula shy off from questioning him about something that could potentially tarnish her self respect?
He was constantly working and that only made him feel like a cold secondary character to me. What I know of farmers is that they have a lot of depth in their characters because they see life from a different point of view. A view that is simpler, purer and more meaningful because they hold more value to creatures and humans then they do towards materialistic stuff. His respect, time and effort were poured onto his aunt, and all his hard work was to shut Katherine up. The neglect that Paula felt was only to serve Dan’s secret, which wasn’t as significant as he made it out to be. Is he totally oblivious to the number of people marrying to indebted or problematic partners?
Paula
Paula reminds me of a confused child who does not know where to go with herself. The author did make her into a very efficient housewife running errands, who still needs a few cooking lessons to strike perfection. But was that the whole purpose of the story?
Up until she got a call from Jim to help out at the office, Paula was only doing housework, wondering what to make for lunch or tea and eating Dara’s delicious soups. That aggravated me! Her part time job could have been the perfect place to erupt all the action the story had clearly lacked. I must say that besides the shearing which was informative to me, there was no growth from this book.
To someone who lives in a country side village with minimal access to standard amenities, the book lacked excitement and events. For a business woman Paula lacked personality, she was so afraid of being herself and saying things the way they are. On several occasions, Paula would put her fingers over Dan’s lips to shut him up because she couldn’t talk about topics that put their relationship in first gear. Arghhh! The way she kept saying how much she wanted Dan “all to herself”, all this was just too repetitive and infuriating.
Rowena
I initially picked up the book because I was at a state of depression over my husbands’ aunt constantly interfering in our lives. I thought that this book might have content that could help let out some embedded steam or that I could relate to, but I was disappointed. Rowena was a helpful aunt. She was being there for her nephew and his new wife. Rowena was aware of Paula’s incapability as a new comer to the countryside. In my opinion, she was not forceful she did not criticize, she did not mock or belittle or stop Paula from doing what she wanted to do. Rowena was supportive, helpful and spoke kindly of other members in the community even Katherine. She was just a woman who had suffered and sacrificed in bringing up her nephew. More importantly, she did not compare herself or her works to Paula. She was being herself minus the competition that could always have presence between in-laws.
If you want a smoothly written easy book to read by the fireplace with cup of hot beverage to accommodate, this might be a good read that suits your fancy. This was just not for me.
I will always appreciate the hard job an author has to go through to come up with entertaining emotional loops that needle the imagination and leave the reader gripped to a piece of paper like it is dear life.
One thing I know about myself is that I am a very tolerant person and it would take a lot for me to hate on something. This book kept me reading, but there was a high chance of me throwing it at the wall during different reading sessions.
The writing style was smooth and Tricia did a great job in describing the rural style of living in a subtle, non-invasive way. This allows the reader to carve his understanding of the countryside with his own imagination and feel like they also belong.
The story line, I mean was there any? My idea of storytelling is not that of observing your mother doing daily house chores and typing them in on paper. The book missed substance, and action and life events.
No doubt that Paula and Dan are traditional in their love story I would have to say. They fell in love and as soon as the heart fluttered, they wed and off went the bride and groom on their short lived honeymoon in Sydney. After the wedding they moved into their new country home in Adelaide where Paula began to experience the reality of being a farmer’s wife.
The mice plague
The mice and how to get rid of them took around seven chapters of this book. I am sure that the author could have invested more time describing characters or rural lifestyle instead. Or simply get Dan to explain how things are done on the farm to his dumbfounded wife; maybe we could learn a thing or two from this conversation. Surely there are other creatures besides mice that could have been scary for a city girl such as spiders, snakes to name a few.
Dan
I just couldn’t love the poor man because I knew nothing about him or his character. He was the silent character throughout the majority of the book and lacked a personality.
Dan called his wife when they had been on a break from their relationship and her ex-boyfriend answered the phone, wouldn’t you question that or get jealous? There were no signs of jealousy from his part or resentment towards the idea of Marco answering Paula’s phone.
How could a man allow another woman to kiss him on the lips in front of the entire village, including his wife, and not have that addressed appropriately to redeem his wives dignity? To me this was just so off putting in his character. How would Paula shy off from questioning him about something that could potentially tarnish her self respect?
He was constantly working and that only made him feel like a cold secondary character to me. What I know of farmers is that they have a lot of depth in their characters because they see life from a different point of view. A view that is simpler, purer and more meaningful because they hold more value to creatures and humans then they do towards materialistic stuff. His respect, time and effort were poured onto his aunt, and all his hard work was to shut Katherine up. The neglect that Paula felt was only to serve Dan’s secret, which wasn’t as significant as he made it out to be. Is he totally oblivious to the number of people marrying to indebted or problematic partners?
Paula
Paula reminds me of a confused child who does not know where to go with herself. The author did make her into a very efficient housewife running errands, who still needs a few cooking lessons to strike perfection. But was that the whole purpose of the story?
Up until she got a call from Jim to help out at the office, Paula was only doing housework, wondering what to make for lunch or tea and eating Dara’s delicious soups. That aggravated me! Her part time job could have been the perfect place to erupt all the action the story had clearly lacked. I must say that besides the shearing which was informative to me, there was no growth from this book.
To someone who lives in a country side village with minimal access to standard amenities, the book lacked excitement and events. For a business woman Paula lacked personality, she was so afraid of being herself and saying things the way they are. On several occasions, Paula would put her fingers over Dan’s lips to shut him up because she couldn’t talk about topics that put their relationship in first gear. Arghhh! The way she kept saying how much she wanted Dan “all to herself”, all this was just too repetitive and infuriating.
Rowena
I initially picked up the book because I was at a state of depression over my husbands’ aunt constantly interfering in our lives. I thought that this book might have content that could help let out some embedded steam or that I could relate to, but I was disappointed. Rowena was a helpful aunt. She was being there for her nephew and his new wife. Rowena was aware of Paula’s incapability as a new comer to the countryside. In my opinion, she was not forceful she did not criticize, she did not mock or belittle or stop Paula from doing what she wanted to do. Rowena was supportive, helpful and spoke kindly of other members in the community even Katherine. She was just a woman who had suffered and sacrificed in bringing up her nephew. More importantly, she did not compare herself or her works to Paula. She was being herself minus the competition that could always have presence between in-laws.
If you want a smoothly written easy book to read by the fireplace with cup of hot beverage to accommodate, this might be a good read that suits your fancy. This was just not for me.
December 17, 2016
I enjoyed reading a romance which is a change in my genre preference. Tricia Stringer writes in a style that is very true to the landscape, people and situations faced by farmers across Australia. I enjoyed the read and would probably read another of her novels.
July 13, 2020
Very enjoyable
Excellent story with all the right elements to make a great romance: man and woman, madly in love, distrust, a predatory female and lack of communication.
A Chance of Stormy Weather also gives a glimpse of life on a sheep farm in southern South Australia which was very interesting. Paula (Sweet pea) thought she would be able to tackle life on the farm, but she had to start behind the 8 ball; she had to contend with a house that desperately needed painting, the floors polished, an oven that didn't work, and the lack of central heating. Then there was the mouse plague!
Paula does too much listening around corners and getting the wrong end of the stick, but Dan made a big mistake that should have been aired before the marriage took place.
Poor Paula was introduced to life on the farm with a baptism of fire, but she had determination on her side as well as love for her husband. I do find it hard to believe though, that an intelligent woman would make some of the mistakes that Paula did: like putting great packages of meat in the freezer without labelling the packs and dividing them up into portions to accommodate 2 people...surely this is common sense.
So if you can suspend disbelief for a while regarding some of Paula's mistakes, this book is very enjoyable.
4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Excellent story with all the right elements to make a great romance: man and woman, madly in love, distrust, a predatory female and lack of communication.
A Chance of Stormy Weather also gives a glimpse of life on a sheep farm in southern South Australia which was very interesting. Paula (Sweet pea) thought she would be able to tackle life on the farm, but she had to start behind the 8 ball; she had to contend with a house that desperately needed painting, the floors polished, an oven that didn't work, and the lack of central heating. Then there was the mouse plague!
Paula does too much listening around corners and getting the wrong end of the stick, but Dan made a big mistake that should have been aired before the marriage took place.
Poor Paula was introduced to life on the farm with a baptism of fire, but she had determination on her side as well as love for her husband. I do find it hard to believe though, that an intelligent woman would make some of the mistakes that Paula did: like putting great packages of meat in the freezer without labelling the packs and dividing them up into portions to accommodate 2 people...surely this is common sense.
So if you can suspend disbelief for a while regarding some of Paula's mistakes, this book is very enjoyable.
4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
February 6, 2023
A Chance of Stormy Weather
by
Tricia Stringer
A Chance of Stormy Weather was my first Tricia Stringer book and hopefully not my last. I loved this yarn as it was something to which I could easily relate. I married a city girl and experienced a mice plague while wool classing in the Riverina Region of New South Wales for ten seasons; waking up one night to a mouse sharing my pillow.
However, not all goes as expected for Paula on the farm. The house she and Dan have moved into is old. One or two rooms have been fixed up; however, this does not deter the mice.
Dan’s auntie, Rowena, a partner on the farm is a kind but domineering personality.
Paula has no interest in the weather yet it still dominates the conversation at all local gatherings. Why?
I loved A Chance of Stormy Weather and could relate to each and every one of Paula’s problems whether it was mice in the house or not knowing her way around.
I have to credit narrator Kate Hosking for her wonderful job of narrating A Chance of Stormy Weather.
I rated A Chance of Stormy Weather as a five-star audiobook
At the time of writing my review, other Goodreads readers have rated A Chance of Stormy Weather an average of 4.28 stars, from 428 ratings and 47 reviews.
by
Tricia Stringer
A Chance of Stormy Weather was my first Tricia Stringer book and hopefully not my last. I loved this yarn as it was something to which I could easily relate. I married a city girl and experienced a mice plague while wool classing in the Riverina Region of New South Wales for ten seasons; waking up one night to a mouse sharing my pillow.
However, not all goes as expected for Paula on the farm. The house she and Dan have moved into is old. One or two rooms have been fixed up; however, this does not deter the mice.
Dan’s auntie, Rowena, a partner on the farm is a kind but domineering personality.
Paula has no interest in the weather yet it still dominates the conversation at all local gatherings. Why?
I loved A Chance of Stormy Weather and could relate to each and every one of Paula’s problems whether it was mice in the house or not knowing her way around.
I have to credit narrator Kate Hosking for her wonderful job of narrating A Chance of Stormy Weather.
I rated A Chance of Stormy Weather as a five-star audiobook
At the time of writing my review, other Goodreads readers have rated A Chance of Stormy Weather an average of 4.28 stars, from 428 ratings and 47 reviews.
September 12, 2018
Listened to the audio book. The narrator was very good. The book was an enjoyable light read. Although this is classified as a romance book there is much more going on and I wouldn't even say that romance is the main focus of the book. In my opinion, the main focus of the books is a city woman's adjustment to a life in the countryside. This was really interesting and influenced by the different things that were happening in the main characters life. I really enjoyed it.
However, there was a bit of telling not showing going on. Not in every aspect of the book and the characters, but with two main aspects. Firstly the relationship between the main character and her husband. Secondly the main character's love of country life. The author kept telling us how much she valued and loved both, but it was never shown why. I wish we could have seen more of that. It would have explained why she was willing to go through all that she did and continue to pursue it as a long-term life and relationship for herself.
However, there was a bit of telling not showing going on. Not in every aspect of the book and the characters, but with two main aspects. Firstly the relationship between the main character and her husband. Secondly the main character's love of country life. The author kept telling us how much she valued and loved both, but it was never shown why. I wish we could have seen more of that. It would have explained why she was willing to go through all that she did and continue to pursue it as a long-term life and relationship for herself.
October 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, which I read on my e-reader, which isn't my preferred source but it is often convenient. It's a light, easy read dealing with an incredibly complex situation of a city girl who knows very little about the real life of a farmer, marrying one and moving to the country. The first major issue she has to deal with is a plague of mice! The book was true to the subjects with the genuine love between the city girl and her farmer shining through.
Both Paula and Dan's expectations of the difficulties associated with the huge changes in lifestyle are unrealistic but understandable. Neither really have any real understanding of the difficulty the other one has with the incredibly different life style but they are both prepared to work together for the best outcome.
Based on real experience from Tricia Stringer's own Mother, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the follow on.
Both Paula and Dan's expectations of the difficulties associated with the huge changes in lifestyle are unrealistic but understandable. Neither really have any real understanding of the difficulty the other one has with the incredibly different life style but they are both prepared to work together for the best outcome.
Based on real experience from Tricia Stringer's own Mother, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to the follow on.
July 6, 2024
City girl Paula married her lovely farmer, the only problem is he comes with a farm… Another heart-warming rural romance from the queen of Australian story-telling, Tricia Stringer.
Self-reliant Sydney girl, Paula, is looking forward to a new life in the country. Just married to sheep farmer Dan Woodcroft she can’t wait to escape her protective family and exchange her busy existence for a new life down on the farm in rural South Australia.
But life on the farm proves rather different to what she was expecting. Why does everyone talk about the weather all the time? Why does no one seem worried by the mice plague? And how is she supposed to feed all those shearers?
With Dan’s brusque Aunt Rowena to contend with, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend showing up with a grudge, and communication between her and Dan breaking down, Paula begins to question whether she can cope — is the life of a farmer’s wife is really for her? Forecast: stormy weather.
Self-reliant Sydney girl, Paula, is looking forward to a new life in the country. Just married to sheep farmer Dan Woodcroft she can’t wait to escape her protective family and exchange her busy existence for a new life down on the farm in rural South Australia.
But life on the farm proves rather different to what she was expecting. Why does everyone talk about the weather all the time? Why does no one seem worried by the mice plague? And how is she supposed to feed all those shearers?
With Dan’s brusque Aunt Rowena to contend with, his gorgeous ex-girlfriend showing up with a grudge, and communication between her and Dan breaking down, Paula begins to question whether she can cope — is the life of a farmer’s wife is really for her? Forecast: stormy weather.
July 27, 2017
I liked it - 3 stars
Kate Hosking, the narrator, does a great job. I must admit, even as an Aussie myself, it took me a while to get used to the accent as most books I listen to are read by American narrators.
I found the story interesting but I would have like greater interaction between the hero and heroine. While I understand that the book deliberately showed the struggle of maintaining a relationship when one partner is so often absent - in this case, out farming the land - I didn't feel as great as a connection between the main characters as I would have liked.
If you're after a slice of Australian farm life in your reading pleasure, this will tick the box. Although romance fans may feel somewhat cheated.
Kate Hosking, the narrator, does a great job. I must admit, even as an Aussie myself, it took me a while to get used to the accent as most books I listen to are read by American narrators.
I found the story interesting but I would have like greater interaction between the hero and heroine. While I understand that the book deliberately showed the struggle of maintaining a relationship when one partner is so often absent - in this case, out farming the land - I didn't feel as great as a connection between the main characters as I would have liked.
If you're after a slice of Australian farm life in your reading pleasure, this will tick the box. Although romance fans may feel somewhat cheated.
July 11, 2021
This was a pretty solid book. I got a bit bored at times, but overall it was fine.
I do think that Dan and Paula weren't great for each other. In my personal opinion - Dan kinda used Paula as a mother. She cooked and cleaned and looked after him. Which I thought was a bit 1950 of them. Like this man isn't capable of making his own lunch ever? Is this what country life is like? If so, I'd like to be a country lesbian instead (I feel like the work would be more evenly split). But otherwise with the sometimes different POVs you could tell they did really love (or at the very least like) each other, even if it didn't always seem like it.
I do think that Dan and Paula weren't great for each other. In my personal opinion - Dan kinda used Paula as a mother. She cooked and cleaned and looked after him. Which I thought was a bit 1950 of them. Like this man isn't capable of making his own lunch ever? Is this what country life is like? If so, I'd like to be a country lesbian instead (I feel like the work would be more evenly split). But otherwise with the sometimes different POVs you could tell they did really love (or at the very least like) each other, even if it didn't always seem like it.
January 23, 2022
Many city women marry farm men and adapt to a totally different life. The author does justice to the changes these women experience..
Sydney born Paula is looking forward to moving from Sydney to her new husband's farm in rural South Australia. The challenges she subsequently faces give the reader a deeper understanding of daily rural life and the struggles associated with it for many women.
Throw in an ex girlfriend and a mice plague plus the aunt who reared her husband Dan and helps him run the property, and Paula has a lot to contend with.
The book is a rural romance and a light, enjoyable easy read.
Sydney born Paula is looking forward to moving from Sydney to her new husband's farm in rural South Australia. The challenges she subsequently faces give the reader a deeper understanding of daily rural life and the struggles associated with it for many women.
Throw in an ex girlfriend and a mice plague plus the aunt who reared her husband Dan and helps him run the property, and Paula has a lot to contend with.
The book is a rural romance and a light, enjoyable easy read.
September 20, 2025
Easy to read and while it was enjoyable it also wasn’t brilliant.
I really struggled with the main character Paula who is written as a self-reliant, capable, strong city woman who moves to the country and then seemingly becomes completely useless and a little pathetic.
It also seemed a little unrealistic with the whole non-communication storyline and how far it persisted, the struggle through the book wasn’t me just going ‘bloody talk to each other’ was infuriating.
Loved Rowena’s character and found her fascinating, wish there was more of her
I really struggled with the main character Paula who is written as a self-reliant, capable, strong city woman who moves to the country and then seemingly becomes completely useless and a little pathetic.
It also seemed a little unrealistic with the whole non-communication storyline and how far it persisted, the struggle through the book wasn’t me just going ‘bloody talk to each other’ was infuriating.
Loved Rowena’s character and found her fascinating, wish there was more of her
December 19, 2016
A Chance of Stormy Weather was originally self-published in 2004 by Australian, rural romance writer, Tricia Stringer. It was also one of her most requested books, as some readers thought it was good at distilling what life in the country is really about. This fictional story is not Stringer’s best work but it is still a well-written and pleasant-enough novel.
To read the rest of this review please visit: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
To read the rest of this review please visit: http://bookgirl.beautyandlace.net/boo...
June 30, 2017
I struggled at first to get started reading especially as they were dealing with a mice outbreak (thankful its a story and I only deal with mice when the weather turns cold in smaller numbers). I've often thought about people's chooses of living in towns or on farms the lifestyle that includes. I guess I'm a townie n like having near neighbours. Paula n Dan's story could very well be someone's real story dealing with changes in relationships, community, family history.
January 14, 2018
I met Tricia at an author event at my local library. I bought myself a signed edition of the paperback but ended up listening to the audiobook. The narrator was fabulous and brought more depth to the story.
This book was originally published several years ago under a different title and has been revised with updated technology. Just as many mice, though. A great rural romance set on a sheep farm in South Australia.
This book was originally published several years ago under a different title and has been revised with updated technology. Just as many mice, though. A great rural romance set on a sheep farm in South Australia.
December 28, 2017
'A Chance of Stormy Weather' by Tricia Stringer is an Australian rural romance about a city girl trying to adjust to life in the country. The descriptions of farm life are realistic and the characters are well-drawn, but the plot involves secrets (his) and poor communication (hers) which seems to be a staple of this genre. So nothing new here, but a good escapist yarn nonetheless.
April 5, 2020
I found many similarities between myself and the main character, Paula. The story really resonated with me. City girl goes country and the challenges in her relationship aren’t exclusive to country life, but hard all the same. Well worth a read, as are the three other Stringer books I have read so far. Onto the next one now.
September 20, 2022
A new bride from the city arriving on a sheep property. Little idea of the land. Mice plague starts the problems. A capable city girl finding herself inadequate on the land. Parental interference, a past lover (on both sides), a maiden aunt to the new husband & farmer. These & more come together to create an enjoyable read,
I give this book 4.5.
I give this book 4.5.
December 30, 2023
Typical city girl who moves to the country and tries to adjust to a new life style and there's some past that her new husband is entangled with. I was a bit freaked out with the mice running through the house but it is the country after all!
May 13, 2017
very well written book again a fun read about mice, city girl and life on a farm, this could lead to another book to from where it was left off
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