Heartland

by Cathryn Hein

A powerful, passionate and moving rural love story from the bestselling author of Promises and Heart of the Valley.

When Callie Reynolds arrives at Glenmore, the property she's recently inherited, the last thing she wants is to be saddled with a warty horse, an injured neighbour and a mad goose. Haunted by her sister's death and her fractured family, all she wants is freedom.

But Callie hasn't counted on falling for Matt Hawkins, an ex-soldier determined to fulfil his own dream of land and family. Nor could she predict the way the land, animals and people of Glenmore will capture her heart.

Callie is faced with impossible choices. But she must find the courage to decide where her future lies, even if it costs her everything she holds dear.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

344 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2013

About the author

Cathryn Hein is a best-selling author of rural romance and romantic adventure novels, a Romance Writers of Australia Romantic Book of the Year finalist with Santa and the Saddler, and a regular Australian Romance Reader Awards finalist.
A South Australian country girl by birth, Cathryn loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.
Cathryn lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.
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Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Callie received the letter from her father, she was devastated to discover her beloved Nanna had passed away a month earlier. She had missed the funeral; the guilt hit her like a punch to the gut. Callie hadn’t updated her parents on her new address when she’d moved – the family was estranged as she had walked out of home eight years earlier, after the death of her sister, Hope. She blamed herself for big sister Hope’s death, and believed her family blamed her too. Her life had been turmoil for the past eight years, moving from one place to the other, never happy, but the side of herself which she let people see was of a strong, independent woman; always okay, always fine. In reality, things were far different.

Living in Airlie Beach with flatmates Anna and Rowan for the past eighteen months was the closest she had come to being happy. But with her Dad’s letter, her life was set to change once again. For her Nanna had left Callie the family farm, Glenmore. Callie was determined not to take it – she didn’t deserve it. Packing hurriedly, she phoned her work place for leave, gave Rowan and Anna a (very) watered down version, and hit the road. The drive from Airlie Beach in Queensland to lower eastern Victoria was a long one, giving her plenty of time to think. Her determination to get in, pack up and get out again was all she could think about. She would sell Glenmore and move on again.

Her arrival at the farm was full of memories – everywhere she looked she was hit by them; Hope and herself in their childhood – Nanna and Poppy and their love for their grandchildren, and the farm. Callie knew she had to get it all done, and fast. But confronted by Honk the goose, elderly neighbour Wal and the horse he said her Nanna had bought for her, the memories of Phantom, her own horse from her childhood; she felt her courage deserting her!

And when rugged Matt Hawkins (who worked on Wal’s farm) turned up on her doorstep ready to help out, her decision making abilities became more jumbled. What was she to do? Everything had been clear in her mind; easy, simple when she was in Airlie Beach – why did it seem so hard now? What was Callie’s future to be?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Aussie author Cathryn Hein. Her characters are strong and complex, the plot deep and involved. All the characters have a passion and vulnerability about them, whether they are main players, or minor cast members. Another Aussie author has now been added to my list of Aussie’s to read! Highly recommended.

[Chloe]

A heart-warming story set in rural Australia. The plot was very predictable, but sometimes that's ok - it's nice to read the story and appreciate the complex and vulnerable characters. An easy light read by a great Aussie author.

[MarciaB - Book Muster Down Under · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please head on over to my blog - http://bookmusterdownunder.blogspot.c... to stand a chance of winning 1 of 3 copies of this memorable rural romance.


Cathryn Hein’s Heartland takes you on a bucolic journey to far western Victoria in this heart-warming tale of love, loss and new beginnings.

At 26, Callie thinks she’s living the life she was meant to in Airlie Beach, along with her two house mates and not much to concern her besides earning enough to pay her share of the rent. With her life seemingly planned out for her, it comes as a shock when she receives a distressing letter in the mail informing her that her beloved Nan has passed away, adding to the guilt which already consumes her because she never got a chance to say goodbye, thanks to her self-imposed exile after the death of her sister, Hope, and the subsequent rift between her and her parents.

Arriving at Glenmore with the intention of cleaning up, putting it on the market and getting away just as fast, Callie doesn’t count on her Nan and Pop’s former pride and joy being in such a state of disrepair, nor the onslaught of emotions for the loss of happier times which threaten to overwhelm her and, after her own melancholic re-acquaintance with what was, she’s hardly ready for a reunion with the inimitable, rather cranky and most vociferous “Honk”, the goose, whose longevity astounds her and had me laughing out loud at his antics, calling to mind some of my own encounters with the geese we once owned.

Her “joy” is short-lived when dour old Wal Graney arrives with a surprise delivery announcing in no uncertain terms that “he” belongs to her but shortly after making his announcement has an accident which has her reeling in shock. Eagerly awaiting news in the hospital waiting-room, an old acquaintance makes his appearance in the form of Matt Hawkins, Wal’s great-nephew.

Battle-scarred Matt, after doing several tours in Afghanistan, is back on his great-uncle Wal’s farm with the intention of saving and learning as much as he can from the cranky old coot so that he can one day purchase his own farmland and settle down. With his own rather complicated family dynamics, he, too has some raw memories of his childhood and, while not quite as fractured as Callie, holds a closely guarded secret which he must keep at all costs.

With thoughts of selling Glenmore still foremost in her mind, Callie enlists the assistance of the local real estate agent, Anthony, who just happens to be Matt’s cousin, but hesitates when he gleefully advises her of the possibilities for Glenmore’s future. Promising to contact him when she's ready, Callie forlornly begins assessing the amount of work which needs to be done before Glenmore can be placed on the market, and realises that her idea of a fast getaway is not on the cards. Still adamant that her happiness doesn't count, and after applying for a few jobs, she takes up employment with the local pub as a means of earning some extra cash for the task ahead of her instead of dipping into Nan’s cash reserve – after all, there’s a foundation which requires every penny of her inheritance which is essential to absolving the guilt she carries for the part she played in the tragedy surrounding Hope – or is it!

While Wal lays in a hospital bed, Callie feels responsible for the surly old codger and her time is filled up with visits to him, working at the local pub, renovations on the property, fitting in her favourite pastime of fishing and tracing the original owner of “Warty-Morty” who reminds her all too painfully of the “Phantom” she abandoned.

Still battling with the resurrection and analysis of extremely painful memories and trying to exorcise the ghosts from her past, her own war of “wrongness” wages in her heart, and as she tries to fight off her growing feelings for Matt, she attempts to deflect his attentions from her by reminding him that she won’t be around much longer and for that reason isn’t prepared to get into any kind of relationship with him. What she doesn’t realise is that Matt is just as determined as her, and the soldier in him loves a challenge!

Let it be shown, however, that, along with human intervention, spiritual (and animal) forces appear to be at play and it seems likely that there’s a conspiracy from beyond the grave when Callie suddenly finds herself helplessly drawn into her old life, experiencing unadulterated love for the animals who surround her and investing in a young girl’s fear of horses, all while encountering some steamy moments with the sexy Matt.

The first thing that struck me when I began reading this novel was the awesome sense of place which immediately transported me into Callie’s world. Cathryn so skilfully combines atmosphere with location, creating a world which offers authenticity and a full range of sensory stimuli. As I felt the sun stinging my shoulders, the red dust settling on my tongue and licked the saltwater from my lips, I was immediately pulled in by her fluid and easy writing style and a narrative which has a well thought-out pace, enabling this reviewer to live vicariously through her well rounded human (and animal) characters.

The aggravating factors, family dynamics and sexual tension are real and brilliantly devised and if you have a look at the Author Q & A which I posted earlier, I’m sure, after you’ve read this novel, what Cathryn found to be one of the most distracting parts of writing Callie and Matt’s story, will come as no surprise!

By no means “just another love story”, Heartland has a lot more to offer in a genre which is fast becoming popular. With lots of laugh-out-loud and heart-warming moments, issues of drug-addiction, themes of fear and courage apparent, this is a story that will leave you pondering the power of love, the heartache of loss, the courage to overcome it and the new beginnings which can be created if we release ourselves from self-inflicted guilt, enabling us to close one door, and open another thereby finding our heartland.

My thanks goes to the publisher, Penguin Australia, for providing me with a paperback copy of another fine Rural Romance.

If you've enjoyed this review, feel free to read an extract of Heartland here, courtesy of Penguin Australia and don't forget to go to the give-away post, here, for a chance to win 1 of 3 copies of this meaningful rural romance.

[Bree T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie has been a drifter for the past 8 years. She’s spent some time in the Northern Territory and up around the northern coast down to Airlie Beach where she lives now, tending bar and sharing a house. When a letter finally tracks Callie down to her new address, she’s devastated to learn that her beloved Nanna has passed away and has already been buried. Callie, who already feels guilty because of the tragedy she ran away from now has even more guilt. She never got the chance to say goodbye to her Nanna, to apologise for leaving. Callie and her sister Hope spent weekends and school holidays on their Nanna and Poppy’s farm and to Callie, it was like home. She’s even more shocked when she’s informed that Nanna has left her property of Glenmore to Callie.

Intending to go back to do just the bare minimum before putting the house on the market, Callie finds that there’s more work to do than she thought. Obviously Nanna wasn’t able to keep up with the workload in her later years, something that makes Callie feel even more terrible. She gets a job in the local pub and decides to stay and put Glenmore to rights as best she can with a bit of help from the neighbour, Matt Hawkins who is learning to be a farmer after several tours in Afghanistan.

Despite the deep love she has for Glenmore, Callie wants to sell it so she can funnel the money into somewhere that she thinks might finally help her be free of the guilt that has plagued her. She didn’t expect to be distracted by the property and all that came with it – a warty horse, a cranky goose – because she thought she’d be in and out within days. But now an alternative future is calling to her, one that includes the place she has always loved and now the gorgeous man next door who is helping her be happy again. But before Callie can think about her new future, she needs to let go of all those bad feelings and believe that she deserves to be happy.

This was one of my most anticipated 2013 releases. I read The Heart of the Valley, Cathryn’s previous novel last year and quickly followed that up with Promises, her debut. They appeal to me in so many ways – damaged heroine in need of some loving, a strong but gentle hero who is perfect to provide that and horses. As a young girl, I desperately wanted a horse but my parents couldn’t afford it. I’ve taken my horse fix wherever I can – at the races with my dad, at my high school best friend’s father’s horse racing stables, at pony clubs with friends who rode. Now I take my horse fix from books and ones like these are perfect.

Callie left her home and her parents in Melbourne years ago after a tragedy tore them apart. She’s borne a burden of guilt and unhappiness ever since and her relationship with her parents has dwindled down to phone calls several times a year. She’s snapped back to reality when she realises her wanderings and lack of informing them that she’s moved on has meant that she’s missed her Nanna’s funeral. And even though Glenmore, her grandparents property sings to her, and it’s where her heart lies, she vows to sell it. Because she doesn’t feel that she deserves to be happy, or that she should benefit when others she loved cannot.

I felt for Callie immediately, her grief at her loss (both her Nanna and her earlier loss) leapt off the page. She’s almost punished herself, under the guise of “travelling” remaining away from her parents, who she thinks blame her, and away from the farm that means so much to her. Callie is afraid to be happy, crushed by her guilt. Enter Matt Hawkins, who was severely injured in Afghanistan and is now learning to be a farmer. Matt, despite a less-than-perfect upbringing is embracing life, even with its losses. He wants Callie to do the same, he encourages her to do the same and oh boy are they so perfect together! I love the Hein heroes – there are no aloof bad boys here. These are genuine country boys with dusty jeans, boots and manners you can take home to your mother. And they are lovely. I get a new crush with every book of hers – first Lachie and then Aaron and now Matt! What I love so much about these books is that the female characters are almost always troubled and damaged and they’re balanced out by these strong and gentle male characters who provide support in the form of friendship (that grows into more!). The love interests are also confidants, someone who listens and often provides the voice of reason that the heroine needs to hear. Matt was such a great character – he’s scarred from an incident in Afghanistan, which he is sometimes unknowingly self-conscious about but he’s so positive and so keen to live his life. He wants his own property and he’s prepared to wait to be able to learn and live his dream. He makes no secret of the fact that he wants Callie to stay but he doesn’t pressure her. He wants her to stay as much for herself as he does for his own happiness in being with her.

Animals are always a feature of Cathryn Hein’s novels and this one is no exception. We’re treated to some horses (of course!) but this one also contains a rather cranky “guard goose”. I hate geese, they are so angry and I’ve been chased by them before as a child. However, I found myself snorting with laughter at Honk and his crowing every time he managed to hunt someone down. He added just the right touch of humour to this novel, which does have rather serious overtones. Of course it made me cry, as The Heart of the Valley did! And it kept me up until 1am and let me tell you, with 2 kids, the days that I stay up reading until the wee hours of the morning these days are few and far between. It’s easy to overhype books in your mind sometimes, which can lead to them not living up to expectation. That was definitely not the case with this one – it was everything I thought it would be and more. It’s a beautiful story of finding courage to be happy and letting go of the past but without forgetting it. Callie had such a touching vulnerability and Matt such a gentle strength but that didn’t stop it from being plenty saucy either! Another fabulous rural romance release that just proves why this genre continues to grow in popularity.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story of finding the courage to let go of the past and move forward - to allow yourself to open up to the world once again and enjoy the journey and not feel guilt because of it.

I loved Callie's journey toward finding herself again and her flirty relationship with Matt. I also have to admit to loving Honk - what a wonderful animal character he was :)

The only downside for me was the unfortunate timing in me reading this book straight after Half Moon Bay by Helene Young. Callie & Matt we very similar to Helene's characters Ellie & Nick! Both women were "mourning" the death of their sisters and both suffered guilt over their deaths. The constant moving/escaping, along with the need to heal and the need to forgive themselves and realise their sister's deaths were not their fault were strong. Both men were ex-army who served in Afghanistan and who were both coming to terms with/moving on from their own demons.

[Lauren Keegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartland is a character driven, emotionally charged novel about letting go of the past and being open to finding love and happiness.

Callie has been running since the day her older sister Hope died, she blames herself for her sister’s death and as a result has isolated herself from her family, avoided intimate relationships and left behind Glenmore, the one place she felt she truly belonged.

When she receives a letter advising her of the death of her nanna one month prior and is bequested the Glenmore estate, Callie is forced to face her past and reconnect with her country roots that have always been a part of her. Her plan is to go to the property, pack it up and sell it so she can donate the money to the charity that was created in her sister’s honour. Instead, she arrives to a home with a horse named Phantom that her nanna left for her, a goose who is a bully and a handsome neighbour who may be scarred on the outside but has allowed his inner turmoil to heal.

Matt makes his feelings for Callie clear from the outset, he’s a man who has fought in the war and he’s learnt to not waste any time. Callie is a little more reserved with her feelings, she may succumb to occasional flirty banter with her handsome neighbour and rely on him for practical support around the farm but she’s not one to wear her heart on her sleeve.

Callie really makes Matt work hard and the suspense of what her final decision would be was drawn out to the very end. I think the scene where they reconcile would have had a bigger impact if it was told from Callie’s perspective as I really wanted to know what was going through her mind at that point and how she was able to succumb to her feelings for him.

Heartland is the kind of book that draws you in and makes you not want to put it down and if you do, then the characters will haunt you until you pick it up again. Hein knows how to create characters with depth in communities that come alive on the page. This one’s definitely a keep among my rural lit shelves.

[Catherine Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathryn Hein is the mistress of warm hearted, down home romances. No fluff, lots of realistic passion, and an evocative whiff of hay and horse that will ring utterly true for anyone who's experienced actual country life, not the sanitised bucolic idyll version that never contains psycho geese and horses with warts. It's a not-so-simple love story about attachment and duty to the land and family, and how both those define our sense of self and purpose. I look forward to her next book.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually disliked the main character which made it hard to like the book. She was a whiny pathetic creature. The typical dazzlingly handsome, totally understanding and patient cowboy just waiting by to love her when she finally got over herself.
Bit too ho hum and predictable topped off by an annoying main character

[Chelsea Pinkard · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5-1.75 stars - Another one I started during the great reading slump of 2024 and only just now picked up again to finish. Started out really promising but became veeeery long and dragged for the last third or so. I was hooked by another one of those “city girl falls in love with rural Australia” which is easily becoming a favourite trope because it’s literally my life story right now, but the romance in this was not it. The amount of times Callie referred to Matt (both provoked by Matt, who is about as interesting as wet cardboard - I honestly was only interested in his ex-army backstory, and of her own accord) as an “attractive capable man” had me gagging because 1. Don’t inflate his ego babe he doesn’t need any more reason to be a wanker and if anything you’re more capable than he is and 2. Did I mention wet cardboard personality? Not to mention lying to her/omitting really important relationship-changing information and her easy forgiving his deception at the end there. Also, the character of Wal was absolutely insufferable - I know he was meant to be the grumpy gruff old man character but he was kinda just a dick to literally everyone? Like I said, started out promising but really dropped off and I had the audiobook on 1.75x speed at the end there just trying to be done with it 🤦🏼‍♀️

[Vicki Robe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very moving and emotional love story of Callie Reynolds, whose family has been fractured since the day her sister on the floor of a nightclub from a drug overdose. She moved away and has only returned now because she has inherited her grandmother's farm. Her intentions are to sell the property and return to the shared flat in Airlie Beach.

Matt Hawkins served in the army and returned home when he was injured in one of his missions. All he wants out of life is a farm and family. He is looking after Callie's property until she returns. As soon as he lays eyes on Callie there is an instant attraction he can't deny.

Will Callie stay on the farm or will she return to Queensland?

Only one way to find out and that is to read this wonderful book and be taken on an emotional journey!

[Vicki Basham · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the rivers and beaches of Victoria's spectacular south-west comes this moving love story about family, passion and where our hearts truly lie. When Callie Reynolds arrives at Glenmore, the property she's recently inherited, the last thing she wants is to be saddled with a warty horse, an injured neighbour and a mad goose. Haunted by her sister's death and her fractured family, all she wants is freedom. But Callie hasn't counted on falling for Matt Hawkins, an ex-soldier determined to fulfil his own dream of land and family. Nor could she predict the way the land, animals and people of Glenmore will capture her heart. Callie is faced with impossible choices. But she must find the courage to decide where her future lies, even if it costs her everything she holds dear.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read for me but not a great read. I liked Wal and his nephew Matt. Callie annoyed me a bit with her angsting over whether to sell or keep the property. I liked the animals, but warning one meets a very unhappy ending.

[Samantha Short · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always such a cute lovely books to read
Bit slow at the start
But other than there really enjoyed this feel good book

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not able to connect with this author. I actually didn't finish it.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart felt romance, sweet but thrilling. A really good read!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chick flick in book form, but I did enjoy reading it. Another book showing life and love on the land and love for the land.

[Monique Mulligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Australian rural fiction writer Cathryn Hein's third book Heartland is the first I've read by this talented writer, and I'm sure it won't be the last. On her website, Hein says she writes "romantic fiction featuring sexy rural men who fall hard for strong-minded women ... (who) ... have to jump a few obstacles before they reach their happily ever afters", which pretty much sums up Heartland. If reading about sexy farmers and sassy women is your thing, I'd encourage you to stock up on Hein's books. You'll thank me, even if your purse doesn't.

The phrase 'home is where the heart is' doesn't mean a lot to Callie Reynolds - for her, home is where she is ... and that changes regularly. She's been on the move since her older sister, Hope, died; guilt-ridden (and somewhat stubborn), she resists commitment, avoids contact with her parents, and allows few people to know who she really is. Her roommates in Airlie Beach think she's fun - in fact, one thinks she could do with more fun - but neither have managed to learn anything about Callie's sad past. Even her love life has been characterised by short-term flings, rather than long-term, committed relationships. When the book starts, Callie has not yet learnt the meaning of the saying, 'Wherever you go, there you are' - you might be able to run away, but you (and all your baggage) will always tag along.

When Callie inherits her grandmother's property, Glenmore, she has a fool-proof plan in mind - clean, sell and move on. It sounds so easy (and she can ease her guilt by donating the proceeds to the foundation set up in her sister's name). What Callie doesn't count on is a warty horse, a batty goose and an injured and belligerent neighbour to contend with. Or Matt Hawkins, an ex-soldier with dreams of owning his own land and, someday, raising a family. Callie remains determined to break these new, uninvited, ties and regain her freedom, but the longer things take to get sorted, the harder it is for her not to acknowledge the hold the land and Matt has on her. Should she continue to drift through life, or has Callie finally discovered where her heart is?

The 'coming home' theme is one I've come across in a number of rural romances I've read recently, such as Silver Clouds by Fleur McDonald and Currawong Creek by Jennifer Scoullar. In fact, there are a number of similarities between Heartland and Silver Clouds - the protagonists have each inherited a house/land, neither intends to stay, but the whisper of the land and the man is too strong. Both have similar sub-themes of courage, love, loss, addiction and hope, to a greater or lesser degree; both have a woman running from her past forced to face it. The 'coming home' theme is a good choice because it allows the character to undergo quite a marked change from start to finish. Heartland did this beautifully; I really believed in Callie's growth as a character - over time, she allows her vulnerabilities to surface, and, rather than remain afraid or ashamed of them, she accepted them as part of who she is.

The romance between Matt and Callie was teased out perfectly. Both have reasons to be reserved, but Callie, set on leaving Glenmore, is more so than Matt. His patience, sincerity and gentleness as he allowed Callie to work through her baggage highlighted a number of feature I find beautiful (and sexy) in a man; he was Callie's much-needed voice of reason and, having a man like that myself, it was completely obvious that he was just what she needed (I did send her mental messages throughout just in case). The two brought out the best in each other - I never doubted that they were meant to be.

What I love about rural fiction like Heartland is the strong sense that I get of the author's love for the land, animals and the lifestyle. This deep love shines through the characters, animals (when I move to the country, I want a guard goose!), the events depicted, and the, at times, poetic landscape descriptions. What I love even more is that I know when reading such books is that I know this is my country - the tastes, colours, sounds and smells of Australia leap off the page, bringing a comfortable familiarity that never fails to satisfy. Would readers in other countries love it as much? Why not? They may not completely relate to the location (then again, I've never lived in Paris, London or New York and I still love books set in those cities), but the regardless of the setting, it's still a terrific character-driven story that will hold its own against other books in the genre.

Heartland is a wonderful example of rural fiction, with engaging characters, a true-blue love story, showing readers that there is much more to our wonderful sunburnt country than beaches and cities. It made me smile, it made me teary, but most of all, it left me with the contented feeling that comes from reading a really good book. I can't wait to read more of Hein's books.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Heartland, Callie Reynolds has spent eight years avoiding her family but her grandmother's death necessitates her return to Glenmore, the property that was once Callie's childhood refuge, and which now belongs to her. Intending to simply sell up and move on, Callie's plans are quickly sabotaged by a warty horse, a mad goose, a frightened girl and her handsome neighbour, Matt Hawkins. But Callie is determined to do what she is sure is the right thing by her sister's memory, even if it breaks her heart. A delightful novel, Heartland is Cathryn Hein's third heart warming rural romance.

The tragic death of Callie's sister, Hope, has been a burden Callie has carried for almost a decade. She has avoided anything that could give her more than a fleeting moment of contentment, punishing herself due to misplaced guilt. Focused on her goal of selling the property and donating the proceeds to the foundation established in her sister's name as some kind of restitution, Callie is surprised to find herself reluctant to let go of Glenmore. I sympathised with Callie who was struggling under the weight of so much pain and self recrimination. Though fragile and vulnerable, Callie is not weak or helpless and I loved that Hein allowed Callie to find her way forward at a natural pace.

Callie's journey towards forgiving herself is supported by the relationship she develops with Matt. The romance between the emotionally crippled Callie and physically scarred Matt is written beautifully. Matt is kind and patient with an emotional strength earned from overcoming a difficult childhood and his experiences in Afghanistan. He is just the type of hero that appeals to me and I was half in love with him myself. Though their relationship is sweet and tender, there is also a delicious simmering of desire, and more importantly they are what each other needs and there is a genuine sense of respect between them.

The animals featured in Heartland have their own personalities and play an vital role in the story. Honk, the recalcitrant goose, adds hilarity to temper the more sober themes. Phantom, aka 'Warty-Morty', helps Callie overcome her fear of attachment and is instrumental in curing Lyndall's fear of horses. Patch, the puppy Callie begrudgingly accepts as a gift, assists Callie to process her guilt over the death of her sister.

With Heartland, Cathryn Hein has written a wonderful, moving story exploring the themes of grief, guilt, family and love. It will definitely be on my favourites list for 2013 and I am happy to recommend it.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathryn Hein does it again!

I loved reading Cathryn's new book Heartland. Her characters are so real and relatable I felt I could easily be friends with Callie and spend weekends on her farm. The setting of Heartland was also so familiar (didn't hurt having a mention of my hometown as well). I could total imagine where Glenmore would be if it was real. I could picture young Matt being shipped off from England to board at Geelong Grammar - counting down the days til he could spend holidays at Uncle Wal's farm.

Cathryn's writing is so real and honest and they lay their heartache and fears in the open.

Heartland made me want to move to the country with my own farmer Matt.

Can't wait to read Cathryn's next book. If you love your stories with lots of country heart do yourself and favour and grab one of Cathryn Hein's books today.

[Stacey Houllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story by Cathryn Hein I could not put it down, it is about Callie who is devastated by her sister's Hope death due to a drug overdose. Which She has been running from her home since it happened and is estranged from her family. She Lives in Arlie with two flat mates when she receives a letter from her dad telling her grandmother past away and she inherited the farm. So she leaves to go sort out the farm there she meets up again with Matt and Wal her grandmothers neighbour. Callie must learn to stop blaming herself for Hope's death and start to talk to her family again. Trust the ones who love her to be there for her as well. Also Matt tends to flirt with her as well which was great to read. I think you need to read the book yourself to get an idea what it is like and it is nice to read about rural country Australia again.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very heartwarming story Callie and Matt had been through a lot but the country farm life was calling both of them I loved this one the characters add so much to the story as Callie and Matt journey to their HEA. With a goose and horses a bushfire and the caring nature of both Callie and Matt you will fall into this one I didn't want to put it down :)and there will be tears and smiles and their sensual romance will make you smile.

[Bettina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book just proved again why Cathryn Hein is one of my favourite rural authors. Her books just always seem so real. Growing up on a farm near Warrnambool, it was nice to see Warrnambool and other local areas mentioned in this book. It felt like I could relate to the book more. Now if only guys like Matt really did exist! Sigh...

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of Cathryn Hein's books but definitely not the last. A powerfully written Aussie drama about letting an emotional past go and to live in the present. I felt a roller coaster of emotions when reading this novel and struggled to put it down to go to sleep at night. I love books like this.

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant read. The story is set in a familiar, well described Australian landscape. The plot line is fairly predictable and safe with the usual main characters for a this genre, (beautiful but damaged heroine, quirky friends, amazingly sexy, thoughtful, caring, sharing knight in shining armour etc). An easy, light read with some touching moments.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book in two days all I can say is that Cathryn Hein has well and truly proved herself to be a must watch author, one that I know I will not hesitate to purchase any future books.

Simply amazing.

Full review to come later this week

[Paula Beavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really loving Cathryn's books, this is the third I've read and again, really enjoyed it. She has a fantastic ability to hook you with the romance and the character's inner struggles that keep you reading way beyond when you should have been at work.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read but I'm finding there are too many horses in these Outback stories that just don't do it for a city slicker. They are definitely made tough in the Outback with the farming, work and the demands of the weather.

[Diane]

Loved it!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful heart warming rural romance. Very enjoyable read.

[Fiona Lowe]

Another great RuRo read.