Review: Appealing Australian historical romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2014
I’ve said it before – I’m not much of a fan of romance stories, but there’s something about Ms. Tanner’s historical romances that keep me reading more.  For one thing, the ones I’ve read were set in Australia during the war, and the realism she manages to insert into the stories is just fascinating to me.  In this one, Harriet (Harry) pretends to be a boy in order to land a job with her brother as outback riders.  Her brother, Gil, has come back from war a broken man with mental and physical injuries, and she is determined to help him heal.  In the process, she falls in love with her boss, and has to fight more than her own deceptive masquerade to win his heart.The characters are well-drawn, even if you want to shake them sometimes.  Gil’s PTSD is overwhelming, Harry’s feistiness is often annoying, and Ross’ simpering adoration of his previous girlfriend is exasperating.  The settings were beautifully painted and the historical aspects were well-researched and described.  There were a few typos, but not enough to detract from the story.  Another fine job!