Posts with the custom taxonomy term Australia

When the Curlews Call by Joanne Markey

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1939 – Australia

Some say all Sophia Randall thinks of are romance novels and dance frocks…

That may have been true once, but when war broke out, reaching even to our isolated corner of the bush, my priorities changed. I now read news from afar and dance but rarely.

Only my love for the Almighty God, for family and friends, for the man who captured my heart, for the bush, and for the call of the curlew haven’t changed. Especially the call of the curlew.

Some say it’s mournful—even sinister—but I’ve always delighted in that lonely cry heralding the end of another day. And when Kenny went off to war, it became a promise—a reminder of his love and determination to return.

When the unthinkable happens, my prayers become listless. New challenges surface. Ghostly footsteps join the coal trucks rumbling through town. Dingoes lurk in the shadows. Valuables vanish. A… presence chases me through the bush. Burdens weigh me down, and I forget to remember.

But is all lost? Would the pain in my heart be easier to bear if I stopped to listen for the curlews’ call?

Carry Me Close by Dorothy Adamek

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Carry Me CloseGoodreads ~ Amazon

1879 – Australia

Coming first won’t ruin you. Longing for it will.

Born to replace the little girl her parents lost, feisty Australian botanical artist, Viola Buckley, knows the impoverishment of being loved in the shadow of the darling who came before her. Only a first-place win for her art will secure freedom from the heartaches of a second-place childhood.

When Viola’s mother requires seaside therapy, they retreat to Phillip Island’s Blue Wren House for Rest Cure, a cruel Victorian Era remedy promising restoration at a price Viola cannot afford… or ignore. Neither can she ignore visiting American, woodworker, Silas Swift.

Widowed, quick-witted yet guarded, Silas will lose his family carpentry business unless he reclaims a long-abandoned treasure, hidden in the pieces of a kit home, now fashioned into the island guesthouse. He’s not hunting romance, no matter how beguiling his entanglements with Viola.

And she will not be burned twice, by falling into a heart that’s already loved another. Still, Phillip Island holds more than healing winds and buried treasures. For brave souls willing to face the firestorms of love, it offers second chance

Carry Me Away by Dorothy Adamek

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1877 – Australia

Inspired by the incredible true story of an Australian shipwreck and those who survived to tell the tale.

When the Black Swallow sinks off the Australian coast in 1877, Australian midshipman Tom Darley rescues English passenger Ada Carmichael from the disaster that claims her entire family. News of the only two survivors enchants the world, but Ada needs to hide before secrets and old foes find her. Tom is chasing big dreams of a crumbling house he will convert into a small hotel ~ but the promising start he’s acquired now sits at the bottom of the sea.

Inexplicably entangled, Ada and Tom lean upon each other to make sense of the tragedy that’s displaced them. But when scheming journalists observe their affection they drag Tom into life-altering riches and a news-worthy romance he cannot resist. So he arranges for Ada’s protection where only he might find her ~ the quiet Phillip Island farm of his friends Shadrach and Finella Jones.

And that’s where real trouble finds them. When heroic promises fail to shelter, and love refuses to be silenced, only surrender will pluck Ada and Tom from where life has wrecked them.

Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek

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1875 – Australia

Finella Mayfield hates two things: liars and thieves. And she’s determined to marry a man who’s neither. Chasing her dead father’s dreams, the twenty-year-old English bride arrives in Australia in 1875 for an arranged marriage. Anticipating her future as village preacher’s wife, she records her thoughts in her Everlasting journal.

But instead of her fiancé, Finella is met by Shadrach Jones, a poor farmer sent to collect her from the busy Melbourne pier.

This is not what her father planned. And it’s only the beginning of the unraveling of Finella Mayfield ~ the bride with no groom.

All Shadrach Jones longs for is rows of mustard and chicory. He’s busy growing a farm near the Phillip Island fishing village of Cowes, and caring for Molly, his simple sister. Far from the brutal life they remember with their ex-convict father, Shadrach’s building something new.

But he’s also made a promise to a dying friend. To collect and marry the English girl destined to never be a preacher’s wife.

Can Shadrach convince Finella she has a future with a farmer? Can he convince himself, knowing his family secrets will haunt their future?

Henry’s Run by Amanda Deed

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Henry’s Run (Jackson’s Creek Trilogy)henrysrun

1855 – Australia

Rupert Foxworth has made too many wrong decisions. He may be able to cast the blame on others, but ultimately he must face the consequences of his actions. With murder hanging over his head, can he make some drastic changes to his life before it’s too late? Will he be able to find the lasting love he has yearned for in his pretty cousin who has come to visit? Emily Harrison has some secrets of her own. Can she lay aside her past and learn to love a man who seems bent on destruction? She will discover that things are not always as they seem.

Black Forest Redemption by Amanda Deed

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1854 – Australia

A man resigned to a life without fulfilment or purpose.A woman desperate for adventure.Set against the tumultuous times of the Eureka uprising in Ballaarat, 1854, the two find themselves victims of an abduction. To escape could mean death. To hope for rescue is not an option.

Together they must find a way to survive in an untamed land where bushrangers, dense forest and wild animals are only some of the dangers they must face. Can he find the courage to succeed? Can she realise her dreams of freedom? Will the ordeal forge a bond of love between them, or drive them apart? And above all, will they find their way home?
Amanda Deed is the award-winning author of The Game, and Ellenvale Gold. 

Ellenvale Gold by Amanda Deed

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Ellenvale Goldellenvalegold

1854 – Australia

It is the time of Australia’s harsh rogue-filled goldrush of the 1850s when Miss Penelope Worthington suddenly finds herself orphaned, isolated and alone. With a large sheep station to run single-handedly, she has little option but to enlist the aid of a mysterious, but sinister stranger. But who is the more treacherous? Gus-the scruffy, trespassing, ex-convict who co-incidentally shows up looking for work just when she desperately needs a farmhand or Rupert-the handsome, wealthy neighbour who would willingly marry her at the drop of a hat and solve her apparent dilemma? Repeatedly, her faith is tested as she faces the unforgiving elements, deceit, lies and uncertainty. But where and how will it all end? But…is it the end? Will vengeance return or will Penny’s faith prevail?

Enduring Love by Bonnie Leon

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enduringloveEnduring Love

1807 – Australia

Just when things seem to be looking up for John and Hannah Bradshaw, their world is turned upside down. Years ago, John was in prison when he was told his first wife, Margaret, died. So how is it that she shows up in Sydney Town looking to pick up where they left off?

Her marriage now null and void, Hannah is distraught. But she and John feel they must separate to allow John’s first marriage to continue. But is Margaret hiding something after all? And just what will she do to get what she wants?

This conclusion to the Sydney Cove trilogy will draw readers in with its suspenseful, romantic, and tender narrative.

Longings of the Heart by Bonnie Leon

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longingsoftheheartLongings of the Heart (Sydney Cove Series #2)

1800s – Australia

It’s the early 1800s and the wondrous land of Australia is full of possibilities as settlers stake their claims. Hannah and John are settling some land in New South Wales and hoping to start a family. But their bright hopes for the future are clouded with trouble. As they try unsuccessfully to have a baby, Hannah suffers from guilt over her past. Now this haunts her and her relationship with John–she’s never told her husband about this chapter of her life.
Full of the kind of emotional longings romance readers crave, Longings of the Heart is the heart-rending second book in the Sydney Cove series. Established and new Leon fans alike will finish this story wanting more. 

To Love Anew by Bonnie Leon

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toloveanewTo Love Anew (Sydney Cove Series #1)

1800s – Australia

Hannah Talbot has no one. Forced to leave the only home she’s ever known, she works for a cruel employer who brutally takes the one thing she has left–her dignity. When she is banished from London, she is certain God has turned his back on her. John Bradshaw was a successful businessman whose untamed spirit sometimes wanted more. When he is betrayed by those closest to him, he loses everything–his wife, his business, even his freedom. John’s and Hannah’s paths are about to cross. Aboard a ghastly, nineteenth-century prison ship from London to Australia, John and Hannah must keep hope alive and trust God’s unconditional love.

For the Love of the Land by Bonnie Leon

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1872 – Australia

Nearly a year after moving to Queensland, Australia, Rebecca Thornton has learned to love her new home and the sometimes unforgiving land. But living in the Outback has its challenges. A drought has settled on Thornton Creek, and Douloo Station has been hit hard. A visit from Aunt Mildred and the birth of Rebecca’s first child have kept Rebecca busy, but she still wishes she could be more help to her husband as he tirelessly struggles to save the family home. As the drought continues, Rebecca can only pray for peace for her husband and for the much-needed rain on which their survival depends.

The Heart of Thornton Creek by Bonnie Leon

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1871 – Australia

After falling for a handsome young Australian named Daniel Thornton, Rebecca Williams gives up her life in high society Boston and follows him to his father’s cattle station deep in the bush country of late 1800s Queensland.
As she acclimates herself to her new surroundings and her new family, Rebecca is unpleasantly surprised to find that Daniel’s father, Bertram, not only runs the prosperous cattle station, but also runs his son’s life. And his influence doesn’t stop there. It seems to Rebecca that Bertram oppresses his wife, his servants, his ranch hands, and even the rest of the townsfolk in Thornton Creek!
Can Rebecca adjust to her awkward surroundings? Will she ever be able to get along with Bertram’s bullying? Or will he drive Rebecca and Daniel apart once and for all?