Review: ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC - loved it!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 4, 2013
I have fallen in adoration for Rachael Johns. This is my first experience reading a novel written by Ms Johns and most certainly not the last. I do have a couple of other's on my to-read list, Jilted and Man Drought, which have moved up my list now. Outback Dreams was absolutely fantastic; I loved every aspect of this book and cannot wait to read the companion novels Outback Blaze and Outback Ghost (TBC). This will be one awesome series, with the characters and friendly small town quality, but also the realistic associations with family issues.Faith Forrester is thirty and attending a boarding school reunion. Everybody there is so successful and happy, or so they appear, that Faith feels jealous and alone. The girls sidle up to Faith and ask about her life. Faith is frozen, with no ring on her finger, is there anything she can say. Working on her family farm, she cannot say she is a successful lawyer or doctor and thinking quick, creates a fiancé. Faith created a fiancé in Daniel Montgomery, known to all as Monty.Not having accomplished anything in her life, Faith was determined to change it. She pledged to raise money for a charity and hope to win Alumna of the Year by raising the most money. Heading home to an unhappy house, Faith is determined to gain confidence and make a change.Monty and Faith have been friends since forever. Monty has had a dream of owning his own farm ever since his parent's sold theirs and moved to the city. Devastated by the move Monty is determined to save and work as much as possible to buy that dream farm. Monty is a jack-of-all-trades and the eldest child, his younger brother, Will has Autism and they have had to change their life in order to accommodate to Will's needs.Since Faith decided Monty was her fiancé, she has been looking at Monty in a new light. Realising how hot and wonderful he is, Faith is going to flaunt her curves. Heading to the pub to celebrate Monty's achievements towards his dreams, Faith shows up in a dress. This is highly unusual for her and everybody was shocked, but in a good way. Monty has had his sights on Ruby, recently returned to Bunyip Bay and all the blokes in town are smitten.Monty cannot remember ever seeing Faith dressed that nice before. All of a sudden he is thinking about her long legs and beautiful curves. Ruby is next to him, but he can't stop looking at Faith and puts it down to protectiveness. All the blokes are vying for her attention and Monty is worried.Monty takes Faith to check out an available farm 8 hours away and they spend the weekend camping on the property. Monty is excited to have Faith with him; she is his best mate after all. Reaching Clancy's Breakaway, they are both in awe of the homestead. Beautiful and impressive, they head in and meet the old couple that own it.Having a good time, they have a few too many drinks, with their heads fuzzy, their hearts break through and heading to bed they kiss. Things turn into more, but will this ruin their lifelong friendship?The next morning is awkward to say the least and it appears they have crossed a line. Everything in Faith's life lately has gone from bad to worse. Her Father has turned to anger now and Faith only has him as a parent, so nothing is going right.Can Monty and Faith overcome their awkwardness and discover their true feelings for each other? Will the Barking Ball charity event be a success? What will Faith decide to do with her life? Will Monty get his outback dream?This was fabulous. The characters had depth and although I got annoyed with Monty at times for his selfishness, I can understand why he held onto his resentment for so long. I loved Faith's strong will and no bars hold attitude, but with a delicate heart she shows she is still a woman. Ms Johns is remarkable; all the research into Autism and the minute detailing throughout the book really brought me into Bunyip Bay and Clancy's Breakaway. I highly recommend this to all romance readers.