Cherry Season in Aussie Readers

Nov 28, 2015 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-version, netgalley, arc, rural-lit, romance, aww2015

Recently I picked up one of Trish Morey’s earlier novel, Stone Castles as a free read on iBooks when I was browsing. I’ve never read any of her books before but I knew I had this one in my TBR and so I thought I’d add Stone Castles just in case I loved this one. That turned out to be a good decision because I really enjoyed this book and now I can’t wait to read more Trish Morey!

Lucy is a drifter, always has been. Her mother never stayed long in one place and Lucy has followed in her footsteps, Recently I picked up one of Trish Morey’s earlier novel, Stone Castles as a free read on iBooks when I was browsing. I’ve never read any of her books before but I knew I had this one in my TBR and so I thought I’d add Stone Castles just in case I loved this one. That turned out to be a good decision because I really enjoyed this book and now I can’t wait to read more Trish Morey!

Lucy is a drifter, always has been. Her mother never stayed long in one place and Lucy has followed in her footsteps, winging her away around the world on little more than a feeling. She leaves behind the room she’s been renting in Melbourne, intending to head to Sydney only things don’t turn out quite that way. Instead she finds herself on a truck to Adelaide belting out country songs. She is told she should head up into the hills rather than to the beach – it’s picking season and there’s bound to be some work.

Dan is everything Lucy is not. Where Lucy lives her life wild and free with never a plan, Dan lives his life by the schedule of the fruit seasons. Cherries, apples, pears, raspberries. It’s a full time job and the orchard has been in his family for generations. At 37, Dan’s three sisters and his grandparents would love to see him settled and happy, maybe well on the way to bringing about the next generation to take over. Dan doesn’t disagree that he needs a wife and he thinks he knows exactly what he needs. Someone smart, grounded, someone who will stick around because being an orchardist is a lifetime job. The last thing he needs is a drifter with a tattoo and a nose ring….even if she is beautiful.

Dan and Lucy are so fun. I really do love a good opposites attract story and this is definitely one of those. Lucy certainly doesn’t live life tied down, she’s originally American but she’s lived in many places and has never felt the urge to be tied down before. She’s picked fruit before but not cherries and the chemistry between her and Dan is obvious from the get-go. They’re very different but I think essentially they want the same thing. Lucy might enjoy her life traveling but it doesn’t take long for the orchard -and Dan- to get under her skin. The two of them bicker and Dan probably fires her about three times but Lucy seems made for the orchardist life. And Dan.

Dan was a bit frustrating at times – some of his views are decidedly 1950s, especially about tattoos and piercings and at one stage in the book he’s pretty savage to Lucy. It’s borne out of fear and loss but what he says is very cruel and Lucy isn’t much better. Dan was pretty close-minded, still equating tattoos and piercings with irresponsibility and rebelliousness even though a vast majority have either or both these days, from all walks of life. Both Dan and Lucy want the same thing from each other but both of them are too afraid to put themselves out there and ask for it – Dan because he assumes Lucy will always move on and Lucy because she feels that Dan doesn’t have a permanent place for her in his life because she doesn’t fit his ‘ideal’ wife. Dan is extremely uptight in the beginning of the book but Lucy manages to bring out the best in him, including a sense of humour.

There are a few orchards not too far from us and we’ve been fruit picking a couple times before as they’re open to the public at certain times. Their cherry season just started as I was reading this book and they were posting for people to come and pick some. There’s nothing better than being able to pick your own fruit – it always tastes so much better and having been to a few orchards, I was sort of able to picture what it might’ve been like. I really enjoyed the setting – it’s the first book I’ve read set around orchards. I’ve read plenty around vineyards but not fruit trees. And the best thing is, this book is the first in a four book ‘series’ of sorts where Dan’s three sisters will also get a story. Having met them all in this book, I can only imagine how fun they’re going to be in their own starring roles!

This is a perfect summer story and I can’t wait to get to Stone Castles now ...more

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Oct 30, 2015 Helen rated it it was amazing

This is a beautiful story in an amazing setting the story of two very opposite people who could start a fire with the electrical spark that shoots between them on their first meeting. The journey to a HEA is one that has a few ups and downs that will have you laughing smiling and shedding some tears as well.

Lucy Mariano is a gypsy travelling around the world to where ever takes her fancy she has done this since she was a child with her mother she has had painful times and many happy times and ha ...more

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Jan 01, 2017 Donna marked it as to-read

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Sep 24, 2020 Kellie Schache marked it as to-read

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Dec 09, 2018 Monica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

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