The Girl in the Yellow Vest

by Loretta Hill

From the author of the bestselling The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots and The Girl in the Hard Hat, comes another scintillating romantic comedy, this time set on the beautiful Queensland coast.The perfect summer read!‘We can’t choose who we fall in love with. It could be our best friend ... or our worst enemy.’Emily Woods counts cracks for a living. Concrete cracks. So when her long-term boyfriend dumps her, she decides it’s time for a change of scenery. Her best friend, Will, suggests joining his construction team in Queensland. Working next door to the Great Barrier Reef seems like just the sort of adventure she needs to reboot her life…until she realises that Will is not the person she thought he was.Charlotte Templeton is frustrated with the lack of respect FIFO workers have for her seaside resort. But picking a fight with their tyrannical project manager, Mark Crawford, seems to lead to more complications than resolutions. The man is too pompous, too rude, and too damned good looking.As both women strive to protect their dreams and achieve their goals, they discover that secrets will come out, loyalty often hurts, and sometimes the perfect man is the wrong one.

Genres: Romance, Australia, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

For her bestselling novels The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots, The Girl in the Hard Hat and The Girl in the Yellow Vest, Loretta Hill drew upon her own outback engineering experiences of larrikins, red dust and steel-capped boots. She is also the author of The Maxwell Sisters, The Grass is Greener and The Secret Vineyard, and the ebook novellas Operation Valentine and One Little White Lie, which was a no.1 bestseller on iTunes.

Loretta always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she filled pages of exercise books with stories to amuse her friends. Her father, who never wasted his time on fiction, didn't see much worth in this past time and pushed her to pursue a 'sensible' career. Fortunately, she had inherited some of his talent for numbers and decided to give it a go. She graduated from the University of Western Australia as structural engineer and took her first job with a major West Australian engineering company.

Despite her career in engineering and her journey into motherhood, Loretta continued to write. Not because she had a lot of time but because it was an addiction she couldn't ignore.

Reviews

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Woods has just been dumped by her long term boyfriend, Trent. Not only has Emily been dumped by her boyfriend, but she's also unhappy in her job. Feeling in a bit of a slump her best friend, Will comes to her rescue. Will suggests that she come and work with him at Barnes Inc in Queensland. The idea of working in Queensland sounds very appealing to Emily and thinks putting space between her and Trent might be ideal.

Mark Crawford is a hard boss and not the easiest of men to approach so Will knows it's going to be a hard task putting Emily's name forward for the job vacancy. He also knows that working in a mostly male environment could be difficult on Emily and hopes she'll be able to cope.

Charlotte Templeton is the manager of Silver Silver Sea Resort. This is the resort where the workers from Barnes Inc live. The workers are are not tidy and most nights they end up drunk and Charlotte is fed with them, but will talking to Mark about the issues she has with his workers make any difference?
As well as trying to run the resort Charlotte also cares for her sixty year old mother who is suffering Alzheimer's disease. And she also looks after her fifteen year old sister who can be quite a hand full at times.

Seeing one day that Emily is being given a bit of a hard time from the other workers, Charlotte intervenes and from that day on they become friends. Having someone to share her problems with makes the world of difference to Charlotte. She not only has to deal with everyday things, but she also carries around a deep secret. But one day that secret will come out and the lives of her loved one will change forever unless she can put a stop to it.

I absolutely LOVED this book. This is the first book I've read by Aussie author Loretta Hill and it certainly won't be my last. I enjoyed all the characters especially Charlotte's mother as she had me laughing out loud. A fantastic read which I HIGHLY recommend. If you like a bit of humour, romance, and drama then make sure you read this fabulous book I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Loved the first two books in this series which I read a long time ago but still recall vividly - The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots and The Girl in the Hard Hat.

Loved The Girl in the Yellow Vest just as much if not a teeny weeny bit more.

The story starts in Perth, Western Australia and meanders over to sunny Nth QLD.

Fantastic tale about a diverse crew of FIFO workers who work on a construction site and live in a seaside resort nearby in North Queensland.

The Great Barrier Reef scenes were stunning and brought back some wonderful memories.

Two romances - one was kind of cutesy and the other was frigging hilarious, the hero, Mark, will have you hooting with laughter at the sarcastic wit that comes out of his mouth.

Compelling characters and a scrub turkey called Augustus make this book a joy to read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Woods was devastated. Five years with Trent and he’d just dumped her! With her job having turned boring and mundane, her personal life at the bottom of the pile, Emily was certainly at a crossroads in her life. So when her best friend, Will, who also happened to be Trent’s best friend, suggested she apply for a job with Barnes Inc where he worked, the idea of Queensland, the Great Barrier Reef plus new beginnings stirred her imagination. Moving from Perth in WA to Queensland was just about as far away as she could get. Now she just needed to get the job!

Mark Crawford, or Caesar as he was known behind his back, was a surly, obstinate and obnoxious boss. When Will managed to break through his barriers to have Emily start with Barnes Inc, he was shocked. But her position was assured, and after a few days, Will suddenly wondered what he had gotten her into – a place where the workers were only guys – a place where those guys hadn’t spent time with a woman in a very long time – had he made the right decision for Emily?

Charlotte Templeton was the manager of Silver Seas Resort where the workers from Barnes Inc lived. She was a determined young woman who had it tough – looking after her mother who had developed Alzheimer’s disease plus her fifteen year old sister, Zara was hard enough. But keeping up to a mob of messy, untidy, drunken men who were seemingly determined to wreck her apartments was just about the last straw…

With Emily and Charlotte becoming firm friends (they needed to support one another!) there was confusion, hurt, a devastating secret which came to light, unwelcome male attention; all this and more - but they did their best to help one another. But more was to come! Would Emily and Charlotte find happiness? Or would the rising complications threaten their very future?

I thoroughly enjoyed this second book I have read from Aussie author Loretta Hill. The Girl in the Hard Hat was my first into her work, which I also enjoyed very much. The mystery and suspense, edged with tinges of romance, the descriptions of the areas Loretta uses in her stories, everything is authentic. Mixed with humour is innocence, frustration and adventure. Loretta Hill is a great storyteller, and I have no hesitation in recommending both her as an author, and this great book.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in a loosely linked series, The Girl in the Yellow Vest is another engaging Australian contemporary romance by talented Aussie author, Loretta Hill.

Emily Woods was expecting her boyfriend of five years to propose, instead he asked her to move out and with her engineering career, stalled, she is in desperate need of a fresh start so when her best friend, Will, offers to find her work at his current project on Queensland's coast, Emily jumps at the chance. Will is excited at the prospect of Emily joining him in Mackay, for five long years he has been careful to never betray his attraction to her, but now that she is single, perhaps he will find an opportunity to tell her how he feels.

I enjoyed the change of scenery Hill provides in The Girl in the Yellow Vest. Previous books, The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots and The Girl in the Hard Hat, featured Western Australia's Pilbara region while here, Hill sets the book in Northern Queensland, based on a project she once worked at the Hay Point Wharf.

Emily and Will's transition from friends to lovers is slow but lovely, both are afraid of damaging their close friendship and admitting their mutual attraction. Will is especially wary given his long standing friendship with Emily's ex and the possibility they might make up. It takes a good while for Emily to realise that her feelings for Will have changed and their attempts to connect are plagued by miscommunication, poor timing and outside interference.

The subplot involving Barnes Inc boss, Mark Crawford and hotel owner Charlotte Templeton tends to steal the limelight from Emily and Will though. Charlotte, struggling with a failing business, a rebellious teenage sister and ill mother, and Mark, still mired in grief after the death of his wife two years previously, barely tolerate each other to begin with and the complications of their lives affects the way in which their relationship develops.

Really my only complaint about the novel is in regards to Mark, who, apart from being very similar to Dan 'Bulldog' in The Girl in the Steel Capped Boots, his speech in particular is too formal and often didn't sound 'true'.

I did really enjoy The Girl in the Yellow Vest, I love the way the author combines humour, romance and drama in an unique Australian setting. It was also lovely to be briefly reunited with previous characters (the book opens at Dan and Lena's wedding) and I look forward to catching up with these characters again in Hill's next book.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this as I have enjoyed the two previous novels. At the beginning of this story I thought that it was very similar to the previous stories (angry boss, new girl to the company) and it took me three quarters of the way through to make me think the characters were unique and interesting. But by then everything was wrapping up. Overall an enjoyable story, but it did not live up to my expectations.

[Nadiah Razali · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it is meant to be, it will be

I love the backstory of each character, the tragic story of Mark losing his wife and brother. Charlotte have to sacrifice her career to focus on keeping her family together. Will have been in love with Emily but could not even tell her how he is feeling. And Emily is in her journey in finding herself back. Sometime so many bad things happened, and we prone to lose ourselves a bit.

Just wondering how Mark and Charlotte will work their relationship , as they have so much tension and Mark has some internal issues within him.

Overall I’m happy to read such wonderful story 😍

Next, book please

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl in the Yellow Vest is about Emily Woods who after her boyfriend dumps her she needed a change of scenery. Emily gave up her work and move to Queensland to work with her mate Will. Readers of The Girl in the Yellow Vest follow the up and downs of the blossoming romance between two good friends Will and Emily and how Mark Crawford (Mr Grumby) was tamed by Charlotte Templeton.

Readers of The Girl in the Yellow Vest will laugh at times with the way Loretta Hill portrayed her characters. I love the way loretta Hill entwine the blossoming romance between Emily and Will with Charlotte and Mark growing affection for each other. Also, I like the way Loretta Hill describes the life for workers and locals on a isolated contraction site.

Readers of The Girl in the Yellow Vest will learn about the life of Fly in and Fly out workers on a mining site. Also, you learn about running a small motel in North Queensland. Reading The Girl in the Yellow Vest you will learn about the role of engineers on a construction site.

I recommend this book

[Juanita Kees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Loretta Hill. Quirky, down to earth, real life, believable characters and perfectly placed quips. Loretta Hill is a master at capturing rural Australia at its best. Set in picturesque Queensland on a construction site close to the Whitsundays, Ms Hill takes us on an emotional journey through the lives of her characters with plenty to laugh at, a little to cry over and a whole lot to love.I couldn't put it down.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl In The Yellow Vest is an entertaining and compelling read that you won’t want to put down. It’s a quirky and fun-filled narrative that will have you laughing and crying along with its batty array of characters, that is bound to leave you feeling good about life at the end. With it’s exotic location, sizzling chemistry and all around Australian Charm its not a book you’ll want to miss.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Loretta Hill’s writing; it was something akin to love at first read when I read her first book back in 2012. Since Then I’ve purchased everything she has out and will continue to do so for a long time to come. It must be said though that although I was extremely excited to read this novel (I spent most of 2013 counting down to it’s release!), I was apprehensive about it for I learnt early this year that this novel, although part of book series, was to be set in Queensland instead of the Pilbara in Western Australia. Having read the entire 380 pages in one day, I can safely say any fears I had over this book not living up to expectation where ill founded and put to rest early on. The narrative is nothing short of Hill’s trademark whit and originality, with well thought out characters, a vibrant background and rare look at a widely unknown male dominated industry.

The Girl In The Yellow Vest is slightly different to Hill’s two previous novels in a variety of ways. The most obvious being the new and exotic location of Hay Point Wharf in Queensland which just so happens to virtually back on to The Great Barrier Reef. Also different is the narrative approach of the story, for The Girl In The Yellow Vest is told through the four main characters perspectives in alternating chapters. I especially loved this change to the books, as it allowed for a greater character depth across all the characters, but also it allowed a dual love story to develop and play out simultaneously across centre stage. The narrative change doesn’t come without limitations and issues of its own however, as the perspective change meant it took me slightly longer to immerse myself in the book as I learnt who everyone was and their individual nuances. Also towards the later half of the book there is a time jump between the two distinct romance stories, which sort of threw the narrative in a small way.

As usual Hill’s characterisation is spot on, with larger-then-life characters dominating the somewhat harsh and unforgiving landscape and workforce. I particularly enjoyed the character development of Emily Woods, who we first meet as a newly single engineer who has no idea where her life is going. Having spent five years playing yes-man to the man she thought was about to propose (Trent) only to have him kick her out of his house, she has no idea what to expect from the world. Vulnerable and out of whack with the world, she jumps at the opportunity to come work with her best friend Will up in Queensland. Being one of a handful of women on site, she is forced rather quickly to grow a back bone or face the possibility of the men walking all over her. What’s more I loved her chemistry with Will’s character. The two of them has some great interactions where their personalities really shine, as did their social predicament. Both are relatable and realistic character who are easy to identify with.

Charlotte Templton is a fiery, independent woman who is desperately trying to save her family business that the mess the FIFO workers are wrecking havoc on. With a mother sliding into the depths of Alzheimer’s and a fifteen year old sister under her guardianship the last thing she wants is to have to deal with the very stubborn and stoic Barnes INC leader Mark Crawford. But deal she does. Mark’s character was the hardest to connect with due to his cold, closed off nature and angry persona. As we learn about his past however, his actions become not only understandable but almost forgiveable. That said I can’t shy away from my slight disappointment in the way in which Mark’s character and his back story is very much similar to Dan/Bulldog’s from The Girl In The Steel-Capped Boots. I would have liked to have seen a bit more originality there. Largely though as the book progressed I did come to really like Mark, especially throughout his interactions with Charlotte. The two of them sparring and their very formal way of speaking and addressing each other as both refreshing and a shining example of the pure humour and warmth Hill is renown for.

Supporting characters such as Nova, Anne and Dipper ( Will’s colleagues) and Virginia and Zara Templeton (Charlotte’s Mother and Sister) were a great addition to the already bulging cast of vibrant characters that Hill effortless creates. In fact one of my biggest praises for Hill’s work is probably centred around her ability to not only create such amazing, full of life and versatile characters, but her ability to sustain these characters in a variety of situations with true-to-life dialogue and actions.

Another welcomes surprised is the way in which many of Hill’s previous well-loved characters make cameos in this narrative. The book opens with Lena and Dan (Bulldog’s) wedding, where we also see Carl and Sharon. Later on in the novel, Chub and Annabel make an appearance, as does Fish who after getting fired from the Pilbara in the last book is now working in Queensland under Mark (Caesar’s) rule. The inclusions of these characters not only made me smile, but their early connection meant I was better able to place this book in regards to the previous stories.

The Girl In The Yellow Vest is my FAVOURITE summer read so far, and I doubt it will topped in the remaining summer months. After all what more could you ask from a good laid back summer read? Tropical exotic location? Check! Sexy hard working Men? Check! Check! Sun and Surf? Check! Good chemistry and believable connections? Check! Feel good romance? Check! Mystery and suspense? Check! I highly recommend this book to anyone whose looking for a read that’s a little bit different and a whole lot of fun.

Read as Part of my 2013 Australian Women Writers Challenge
This review was originally posted on my blog - The Never Ending Bookshelf - on December 29 2013 and can be found here: http://nevendbookshelf.wordpress.com/...

[Bree T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engineer Emily counts cracks for a living. Whilst her friends from university have all moved onto exciting projects, she spends her days counting cracks in the concrete of a building in Perth. It’s mindnumbingly tedious but at least she has her relationship to fall back on. They’ve been together for years and Emily thinks he might be about to propose – instead he tells her that he needs “space” and breaks up with her.

Emily’s best friend Will suggests she apply to come and work on the project he’s working on in far north Queensland. Emily decides that she needs a fresh start in everything: job, surrounds, the whole works. She finds herself up near the Barrier Reef working with a team supervising the installation of a new shiploader and the work is far more exciting and interesting than counting cracks. She’s beginning to fit in with the crew on site although they’re mostly men and seem hell bent on trying to be the first to get a date with her. However Emily is surprised when it’s none other than Will that captures her interest. She and Will have been best friends for years and she’s never had these sorts of feelings for him before. She’s not quite sure what to do about them.

Charlotte Templeton is a little sick of the engineers and construction workers treating her seaside resort like a donga. They track mud in to the rooms (which they then trash), they leave their beer cans and bottles lying around outside around the pool and their raucous partying and language means that she and her teenage sister need to give them a wide berth. Charlotte’s sister is young and impressionable and Charlotte definitely doesn’t want her hanging out with the older crew of workers. Charlotte has a lot on her plate: she’s struggling to keep herself afloat financially and so she desperately needs the FIFO cheques so she can’t ask them to leave. She’s been a mother to her sister for years, despite only being in her thirties and she cares for their mother who has Alzheimer’s and spends most days thinking it’s 30 years ago and that Charlotte is a receptionist. She approaches the project manager Mark Crawford (known to everyone on site as “Caesar”) about possibly setting down some rules about respect for property and finds herself given the brush off every time. Charlotte is incensed by his rudeness and makes up her mind to teach him some manners….but she’s about to discover that Mark might not be one for socialising or politeness but he’s someone she can truly count on in a crisis.

The Girl In The Yellow Vest is Loretta Hill’s third book in a very loosely connected series that revolves around young engineers working on large projects. I really enjoyed both the previous books which were set on the same project in northern Western Australia and for this book we switch to Queensland. Emily went to university with Lena (from The Girl In Steel-Capped Boots) and she’s watched her graduating class all go on to fun and exciting jobs whilst her career has stalled, her crack-counting a source of amusement to her friends. If ever there was someone in need of a change, it’s Emily but she has remained tethered to her unexciting job because it keeps her in Perth with her boyfriend. When he decides he isn’t ready to settle down, there’s nothing keeping here there anymore.

Watching Emily adjust to her new job and surroundings is a great part of this book as she comes into her own and gets the confidence to do her job and make decisions. She’s not used to really doing much other than counting cracks and although she’s slow to find things to do, once she finds her groove, it’s all about preparing for the arrival of the shiploader. Her friendship with Will is so cute and although he’s had feelings for her for a long time, Emily has almost always been in a relationship and now that she’s out of one she’s also coming to terms with her growing feelings for her ‘best friend’. It’s a very cute kind of story. There’s lots of them finding the other attractive but thinking the other person isn’t interested, lots of misunderstandings about Emily’s former boyfriend (especially because Will is also great friends with him and he’s telling Will things that don’t really add up with what Will is also hearing from Emily, etc). However:

It’s actually almost dwarfed by the story of Mark and Charlotte. Mark is more of a Bulldog type: he’s stand offish, rude, he’s got a known reputation on site and most people stay the hell out of his way as much as they can. Charlotte barges in with all the tact of a sledgehammer to talk about him keeping his FIFO workers a little more in line with regards to the accommodation and sparks fly between them even as Mark is shoving her back out the door, brushing her off, running away and basically doing whatever it is to get rid of her. I thought Mark’s reasons for being the way he was were genuine and believable and it was interesting reading about a man in his position and how he felt about it and the heartbreak and later awkwardness of receiving his list of challenges and the determined way in which he goes about fulfilling every item. Mark definitely had hidden depths and he became my favourite character in the book. I really loved the way we were drip fed information about him that changed the reader’s perceptions and Hill put him in so many uncomfortable situations!

As long as Loretta Hill keeps writing these, I’ll definitely keep reading them

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that the story was about two couples and I equally liked both storylines.

[Sally906 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening lines: ‘…The head bridesmaid, a brunette in a long blue gown, rose from her chair and walked unsteadily to the dais with the studied clumsiness of someone who was completely wasted but trying very hard not to show it…’

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW VEST is the third book in a loosely linked romance series each based on a female engineer, this time though we leave Western Australia and come to sunny Queensland. When I say loosely linked, the girls all went to university and studied engineering together but each story is a stand-alone. The women are also linked in the fact that they all work in the fly in fly out (FIFO) mining industry which I can totally relate to as one of my son-in-laws works for a company in Queensland and it is pretty tough work. Also I work with two ladies here at work whose spouses also work on a FIFO basis. FIFO is a method of employing people in remote areas rather than the expense of relocating a whole family and provided the support services required, companies set up temporary cabins and fly the workers in for couple of weeks nonstop 12 hour days for two weeks and then the workers are flown back home for a week’s break before once again returning. It is tough on relationships because phone conversations and emails just don’t replace a physical person at your side, however the money is good. The girl who wears the yellow vest is Emily and a long-time friend called Will gets her a job on a construction site where a ship loader is being built located on the mainland next to the picturesque Great Barrier Reef in Queensland; the FIFO workers are housed at a seaside resort run by the second heroine of the story, Charlotte. Will has loved Emily for years but his best friend Trent was the one she ended up in a relationship with. Trent has now dumped Emily and so as she is in a dead end engineering job in Perth Will arranges with his Boss, Mark, to offer Emily a job; will the smitten Will get a second chance with Emily? Mark is a widower and still dealing with his wife’s death, and his brother’s before that. He is a cranky, solitary man and abrupt to the point of rudeness. This is going to change with the help of a letter from his dead wife and a Bush Turkey called Augustus. Charlotte has her own problems, her mother has Alzheimer’s and her half-sister is insisting on finding her father but her most immediate problem is trying to convince the immovable mark that his men are out of control after hours and something has to be done.

THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW VEST is a brilliant read with fantastic and believable characters, and real depth to the various sub plots going on. Despite the seriousness of the various issues such as bereavement, Alzheimer’s, depression and a custody battle, author Loretta Hill was able to put in a load of humour to break up the tension. There are plot twists and misunderstandings and that Bush Turkey pops up as the perfect sounding board – with feeling of his own. Each of the main characters take turns in telling their part of the story, and the story flow segued well ensuring I was never confused as to who was telling the story and at what point of the story I was at. The settings are lovely and beautifully descriptive whether the readers are taken down to the loading dock, out diving on the Barrier reef, or being a loan female engineer lounging in the resort pool in a bikini with a load of male workers peering over the fence! Drama, action, romance and humour THE GIRL IN THE YELLOW VEST has it all and I thoroughly recommend it, you should also read the other two books ‘The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots’ and ‘The Girl in the Hard Hat’.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in "The Girl" series is The Yellow Vest. The book starts with Lena's wedding and coming up for the wedding is a group of her engineering friends from college. One of those friends is Emily. Her engineer dreams haven't been as exciting as she wished and she now officially has no life as her boyfriend of five years has dumped her and she is in a job she wishes she could quit as really, all she is doing is counting cracks in surfaces. A job that any dummy could do. At the wedding , Emily is re-introduced to her college best friend Will who we can see that beneath the surface there is a bit of unrequited love going on. The story then begins with Emily getting a new direction on her life and moves to the outback and takes a job where Will is working. Meanwhile at the site where Will works we meet the big boss Mark aka Casear - he is grieving for his dead wife and is awful to work for but what will happen when he meets the owner of the motel units that his guys rent out - Charlotte ? She is someone who will not back down and Mark finds her a challenge. Can these two overcome the personal problems shadowing in the background that is forcing them to hold themselves back ? Will Emily find her Prince Charming in Will or when Trent returns with a "I made a big mistake and will you marry me" speech - will she choose him ?
If you love Rural Australian Fiction and Strong "Real" female characters , then check out Loretta Hill's "The Girl" series.

[Cookie1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Loretta Hill's book and loved them. When I started this one and realised it wasn't set in the Pilbara with the loved characters I was disappointed. However as I read I began to enjoy the new characters and the different setting.
The book shows a good knowledge of the mining industry which makes it even better. Loretta Hill uses her knowledge of it well and combines it with a great story.
If you are looking for something deep and meaningful then don't read this. It is light and enjoyable, a good read.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this and briefly being reunited with a couple of the characters from the previous book(s) in the series.

I enjoyed the developing romances (yes two), however the storyline also brought to the forefront the sad realities of Alzheimer's/dementia and rape :(

[Sammarks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surprisingly really enjoyed this light hearted romance. Easy to read, and very Australian down to some 'choice' vocabulary & picturesque locales. There was even a few laugh out loud moments.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very easy read which I really enjoyed.

[Stacey Houllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emily Woods had been dump by her boyfriend Trent of five years, her job as an engineer was to count cracks in buildings. Her best friend Will encourages her to come and work with him in Brisbane for Barnes Inc together. Emily jumps at the chance and applies for the job. Unknowing to her that Will is secretly in love with her. A bet is done by the men on site of Whether Will or Dipper another worker on site.
Charlotte Templeton the resort owner who cares for her mother who has Alzheimer's and sister Zara. The resort where the workmen stay including project manager Mark Crawford (Mr Grumpy) who is dealing with the deaths of his brother and wife and has cut everyone from his life until his wife sends him a video with a letter of a to-do list 2 years after her death.
Emily slowly discovers she has feelings for Will but will not share his feeling because her ex-being his best friend Trent there are misunderstandings between them before they admit their feelings.
Charlotte has her own problems to deal with her mum, the resort, her Sister Zara who father raped their mum and tries to gain custody of her. MARK Crawford slowly begins to open up to her about his past after he learns from Emily she is trained, a psychologist who has written books to help people when she suggests Charlotte help with workers behaviors.
This is a book of friendship, letting go of the past and finding love.

[Vicki Robe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about newly single engineer, Emily Woods, wanting a change in her life after breaking up with her long-time boyfriend. After talking to her friend Will he suggests that she do FIFO work with him and he arranges a position for her.

Charlotte Templeton has an aging resort where the FIFO workers board and she is annoyed that they don't respect her property by having parties all the time. She goes to see the project manager, Mark Crawford in regards to the problems only to be met by a rude and egotistical male that half the time doesn't listen.

Both of these women find love where they least expect it.

A must-read romance with a very interesting range of in-depth characters.

[Eden High · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Girl in the Yellow Vest is easily the better read of the three books in this trio, which includes The Girl in Steel-capped Boots, the Girl in the Hard Hat.

After reading the previous two in this series, I had to go hunt for The Girl in the Yellow Vest, finally getting it through eBay. It was worth the hunt and the read.

Once again Hill's knowledge of life and conditions on mining sites and their living areas added so much depth to her story.

Her writing style and techniques are more developed and stronger than in the previous two books.

Whilst the outcome was obvious from the beginning, the journey to get there was interesting and engrossing.

This was a good read, I enjoyed it.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found parts of this book hilarious. But we did see into the trials and tribulations of the characters.

Sadly that was the last book in the series. I can't find any others. So I'm assuming it finishes here.

[CL · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[Tien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute pairings. Easy to read. I skimmed all the engineering bits but appreciate the author's work researching these ;p

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book I have read of Loretta Hill’s. Am loving them. Such great characters you fall in love with. Light holiday reading

[Lucy]

Same as her previous books except doesn't follow on much from the last ones which is a shame.

Great to have a double storyline in this one, telling you two peoples life story really.

[Jessica Dilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this one best out of the three. Who doesn't love a Darcy dynamic?!

[John Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful Book, and that damned Turkey! Hilarious at times, you just have to read it. I definitely will read all three of the series again.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new Loretta Hill book is a must buy for me – I love her writing. The characters are funny and realistic; situations are both emotional and action packed and she demonstrates a genuine love for the Aussie bush. The Girl in the Yellow Vest is no exception – in fact, I think it’s Hill’s most technically complex book to date. Even better, it works brilliantly to create an ensemble cast, full of drama, romance and touching moments.

You may think that as the book’s title starts with ‘The Girl in the…’ it’s a continuation on from Loretta Hill’s second book, The Girl in the Hard Hat. But no, this book is predominantly set in northern Queensland. It does still feature an engineering setting (this time the Barnes Inc. crew is building a ship loader for a new bay on a wharf) but the majority of the characters are new. For those who want to know more about Dan, Lena, Wendy and Gavin, the book opens with a wedding and introduces Lena’s friend, Emily. Emily was one of the gang from uni – now, she feels stifled and a failure because she doesn’t have such exciting responsibilities as the others. She counts cracks in buildings in preparation for a new city tunnel while her best friend Will is part of the ship loader team in Queensland. To top it off, her almost-fiancé has dumped her.

With Will’s help (meaning a mention to his boss); Emily gets a job at the Barnes Inc. site in Queensland. Like Lena and Wendy before her, Emily has a few things to learn about being one of few women on site (Rule 1: never lounge by the pool in a bikini alone). In general though, the crew are helpful and pleasant. Especially when there’s a bet laid on who will win Emily’s heart…

Oblivious to this, Emily befriends the owner of the resort where the FIFO (fly in, fly out workers) live. Charlotte doesn’t have it easy – she’s a full time carer for her mother and her sister. In between, she’s trying to lay down the rules for the men (like pick up your beer cans) but getting nowhere with the boss, Mark (or Caesar as his employees call him). Mark is shut off, temperamental and abrupt (think Mr Darcy at his worst). Underneath his strict routine and cold-blooded demeanour, there’s a grieving man underneath. It might just take a letter from the past and a turkey to heal him…

What I loved about The Girl in the Yellow Vest is that alternating chapters are told from each character’s point of view, so the reader really gets into their heads. It’s not strictly Emily, Will, Mark, Charlotte and repeat – Hill has the knack for knowing exactly who the reader is dying to hear more about! The characters are also quite different, which is refreshing. There’s the overly serious Mark and Charlotte, who’s barely hanging on but doesn’t want to let others see. Emily and Will are sweet in their uncertainty, but Will demonstrates a moral backbone that makes him just a little too nice at times. They also had many layers that were gradually revealed throughout the novel, Mark in particular. (Who knew?) I also liked the contrast between the two relationships – both Emily and Mark are starting again, but their relationships are worlds apart – perhaps because of age, perhaps because of the degree of hurt.

Hill also sets up some beautiful scenes in the surrounding areas, from a dive on the Great Barrier Reef to fancy dinners in Mackay and Brisbane. The whole narrative has a lovely Australian feel, celebrating the beauty and freedom of our country. There’s also some great drama that unfolds throughout the novel – I honestly wondered at how it would all be solved. Hill has a talent for writing funny scenes – the section on Mark and Charlotte at the Great Barrier Reef was wonderfully funny, as were the missed opportunities between Emily and Will. I think this book could work really well as a television series!

With drama, action, romance and humour, The Girl in the Yellow Vest is a definite summer must read!

Thank you to Random House Australia and Net Galley for the eARC.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book so far at the beginning is an interesting mix of four people’s lives and how they connect to one another.
First you have the two best friends and engineer’s Emily Woods and Will Steward. They went to the University together with four of their other friends. Yet, Emily and Will had a special bond, never dated just friends. Will in fact was dating Sasha when they met and since they were having problems thought about dropping her for Emily but never did. His loss because he took Em to a party and Will’s best friend since grade school, Trent asked her out. It was first love for the both of them. A dagger to Will’s heart but he had waited too long to make a move.
Will loved Em enough to continue to be her BFF to the point where she thought that anytime now she thought that Trent would be popping the question. So was teasing Will about being his maid of honor. Then at Lena and Dan’s wedding when all the Uni friends were together he could tell something was bothering her. Trent wasn’t there yet that wasn’t unusual since he was a lawyer and he missed a lot of events. Emily was slowly getting hammered with hardly touching her meal. Will sees her go out by the pond and he follows. When he asks what’s wrong and she says nothing he then ask if she is ready for dessert she says no then he knows something is wrong. And asks again…
Finally she tells him about how Trent took her to dinner two weeks ago not to pop “The Question” but to break up with her. Saying it’s not her it’s him. More freedom to date, so now she is single again after five years. Not to mention that he asked her to move out so now she is living with her parents, she is slightly overweight and she hates her job.
Will throws her a bone and says he will try and give her an in for an engineer position that they have at his job site but he couldn’t promise anything. That just made her day. Not to mention he gave her what for because she was calling herself overweight. He thought she looked wonderful and told her so.
Now the other two the story revolves around is Charlotte Templeton and Mark Crawford. Charlotte went to Uni and became a psychologist. Giving her the ability to read the signs of why Mark had his aggressive behavior. It was always triggered by something: abuse as a child, trauma in adulthood, loss, guilt, suffering so the tightness of his responses belied those truths. Therefore, she was not fearful of Mark like everyone else. Aggravated sometimes sad for but not mad. She did however find him sexy but with her family’s business just barely making it, raising her 15 yr. old sister and caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s who has time for dating.
As for Mark, everyone on the job site behind his back called him Caesar. He is more of a ruler than a boss. He is a cold blooded bastard to everyone. You either feared him or hated him no in between. No one knows since he still wears his wedding ring that his wife passed away 2 years ago from breast cancer and that’s where most of his anger comes from. But like reaching out from the grave Kathryn had her lawyer send him a package 2 years after her death. There was a DVD from him to watch and a list to follow exactly of things to do. She knows he is grieving and it’s time to move on and she had wanted to make sure he did.
This is where each of their journeys begins but definitely not the end. This story is stacked with so much going on behind each sub story you get totally engulfed in the complicated lives of these four that you don’t realize you are totally invested. The characters are multilayered in who they are and what they are about.
Will, is so simple that Emily misses all the signs of what is going on. Then there is Mark, he is so extremely complicated that Charlotte with her PHD can’t help but dig into his mind and heart. Even if it hurts them both. Then add all the other characters and WOW! Loved it!!!
Provided by netgalley.com

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

* 4.5 stars

The port of Hay Point in Queensland, Australia, is the unique setting for the book The Girl in the Yellow Vest. The Author, Loretta Hill, gives depth and authentic insight into working life on a wharf of a coal mining terminal, drawing from her own experience as a young engineer. The book opens in Perth, Western Australia, where we meet Emily Woods who is attending a wedding of a college friend. Emily is at a crossroads in her life and is longing for change after breaking up with her boyfriend and realising her engineering job in Perth is going nowhere. Her best friend Will, who also happens to be her ex boyfriend’s best friend too, offers Emily an opportunity to work with him. Desperate to escape her downward spiralling life in Perth, Emily heads to Queensland as a fly in fly out (FIFO) worker and joins the Barnes Inc construction team with Will. As Emily settles into her new life in Queensland, she begins to rethink the nature of her relationship with Will. In addition to Emily and Will’s story, we are introduced to a cast of secondary characters with their own storyline. Mark, Emily’s boss who is grieving from his wife’s death two years ago and Charlotte, who owns the seaside resort where the construction workers reside. Charlotte and Mark’s story is full of secrets, family issues and a little romance.
This is the third book I have read from Australian contemporary rural fiction writer Loretta Hill. Again, I was impressed by Hill’s ability to deliver the perfect combination of drama, romance and humour under a distinctive setting. I always feel I have gained a great deal of knowledge about an industry and area I know very little about after reading Hill’s books. I greatly admire Hill’s heroines, particularly Emily, in taking the plunge and working in a traditionally male dominated industry. Hill should be commended on her ability to make her characters believable and authentic. I was invested in all four character’s journeys and I thoroughly enjoyed the format of the narrative alternating between each character for a chapter. After reading Hill’s previous two books, I was also delighted to catch up, even briefly, with the memorable cast of characters who appeared in the previous two books. In all, I loved how this book was able to balance of serious issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and bereavement with moments of pure humour and two sweet but slightly complicated love stories.