Right As Rain

by Tricia Stringer

Mackenna Birch thinks she's met the man of her dreams while on holiday in New Zealand. Adam Walker is funny, kind and loving but he walks out on her, or so she thinks...

Hiding from a broken heart, Mackenna returns to the family farm in Australia. Then, out of the blue Adam returns. He’s made the trip Down Under to visit his sick grandfather and to track down Mackenna.

When he turns up on her doorstep to profess his love and find out why she ran out on him, Mackenna finds herself questioning his love for her...

Genres: Romance, Australia

387 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2013

About the author

Tricia Stringer is a bestselling and award-winning author. Among others, her books include commercial fiction titles Table For Eight, The Model Wife and The Family Inheritance, the rural romances A Chance of Stormy Weather and Come Rain or Shine and historical sagas Heart of the Country, Dust on the Horizon and Jewel in the North, set in the 19th Century Flinders Ranges. Tricia lives in the beautiful Copper Coast region of South Australia, often exploring Australia's diverse communities and landscapes, and shares this passion for the country and its people through her authentic stories and their vivid characters.
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Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5★s

Mackenna Birch had enjoyed her holiday in New Zealand and meeting up with Adam Walker had topped it off. But when he disappeared without a word one morning, Mack cut her stay short by a few days and returned home to South Australia. She was in disbelief, but her shock at learning her father was in hospital in Adelaide after a heart attack was much worse.

After Lyle returned home, and with her younger brother Patrick on the farm plus a worker who seemed rather cocky and sure of himself, Mack could feel undercurrents of discontent rippling through everyone, especially her mother Louise. She wasn’t sure why – other than her father’s health – but she continued on with her work on the sheep farm and tried her best to work alongside Patrick and Cam.

As the days turned into weeks, tensions mounted. Mack’s old friend Hugh was supportive; Patrick was irritating, and Cam – well Mack had serious doubts about him. But then out of the blue Adam turned up. What was happening to Woolly Swamp Farm; the farm Mack loved; her life-long home? Would everything be “right as rain”, just as her father always predicted?

Right as Rain by Aussie author Tricia Stringer was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I love this author’s work, and this one was no exception. There was romance, tension, mystery and intrigue – a great mixture which kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

While on holiday in New Zealand Mackenna Birch teamed up and fell in love with Adam Walker. But then he left one morning without a word. Heartbroken, Mackenna returns unexpectedly to Woolly Swamp her family’s farm in Australia, where she finds her father has had a heart attack. Her mother is scheming and has her own views of what Mack’s future should look like. As if that is not enough, Mack’s younger brother Patrick is home plus a new worker, Cam, has been hired and Mack is not convinced about him at all. He is too cock sure for her liking. Mack and her father had always been allies and Mack had great plans for Woolly Swamp Farm that she wants to put into action. But certain family members seem to have other ideas. Her father always insists everything will be, ’right as rain.‘ But will it? Mack also reconnects with her old friend Hugh who is carrying a heap of guilt for events that happened in the past.
The characters of Mackenna and her father Lyle are well drawn and likable. I disliked Mack’s mother Louise with her attitudes. It really bugs me when parents try and map out their adult children’s lives instead of trusting them to know and do what is right for themselves. Hugh’s mother Mary was similar for part of the book, though she was never as blinkered and annoying as Louise. I liked the interactions between characters and the sub plot that occurs with Cam later in the book.
While I enjoyed this story, some things did seem a little contrived at times as people refused to enter into discussions about issues. And when it came to the Gatehouse, everyone seemed to conveniently have the necessary skills to pitch in and help. But those quibbles aside this was another strongly readable and entertaining slice of rural Aussie fiction, although there were times I learnt more about sheep than I ever cared to know. I also thought it was a shame Alfie the alpaca didn’t feature more.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I’ve been wanting to read a Tricia Stringer book for a long time, I have quite a few of her other novels on my TBR shelf but an opportunity never presented itself for me to grab one from my collection until now owing to a reading challenge I’m participating in.

Mackenna Birch adores working on her families farm ‘Woolly Swamp’ and believes she’ll inherit the farm one day, but after her return home from a trip to New Zealand everything has changed and has left her discombobulated- she learns of her dad’s heart attack, her brother is running the farm and there’s also a new hired farmhand. Adam Walker, the guy she met on her travels in New Zealand and thought he is ‘ the one’ walked out on her, a few chapters in he turns up on their doorstep and Mackenna is more confused than ever.
I was a tad annoyed as the storyline progressed: Mackenna kept avoiding having conversations with Adam whenever he wanted a word with her, then Adam left without either of them having any kind of discussion concerning their relationship and it was at this point I decided this will only be a 3 star rating because I seriously thought the author was leaving it there to concentrate on the other characters and ditching Adam. Oh, how wrong I was. This magnificent story came together just beautifully. I enjoyed reading about most of the characters but Louise, Mackenna’s mother, I disliked right from the start, she was just awful, and unkind to her daughter for no apparent reason. Her attitude and very old fashioned views regarding the passing down of ‘Woolly Swamp,’ insisting it goes to the eldest son left a bad taste in my mouth.

Lyle, Mackenna’s father was such a great character, he treated Mackenna as as equal and I thought it was super that after his heart attack it didn’t keep him confined to bed too long and just got on with things and using his catch phrase I’ll be ‘right as rain’ throughout the book was endearing.

My mouth watered each time Mackenna prepared and served her ‘paddock to table’ cuisine at the Gatehouse - sampling woolly swamp lamb and locally grown produce. A fantastic concept I enjoyed reading about as I’m sure the readers mouths will salivate too when perusing these scenes.

A gorgeous tale with an interesting plot.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right As Rain is Tricia Stringers fourth novel for adults, the second to be published with Harlequin after the success of Queen Of The Road.

This engaging rural fiction is a story of love, family and farming set in South Australia. Licking her wounds after a holiday fling goes wrong, Mackenna Birch returns home a few days early to her beloved 'Woolly Swamp', her family's sheep farm. Looking forward to discussing the ideas she has developed during her trip for the farm with her father, she is shocked to discover her brother, a city marketing executive, is managing the farm in the wake of her father's heart attack and her mother seems determined to thwart Mackenna's attempts to keep the farm on its feet. While Mackenna struggles with the changes at home, her life is further complicated when Adam, her holiday lover, follows her home and Hugh, a lifelong friend, returns.

Of major importance to the story is the tradition of succession. In this day and age it seems so archaic to insist the eldest son is the only one with the right to inherit, especially when there is another sibling far more passionate about taking on the farm. Mackenna's mother obviously never warmed to farm life, resenting the constraints it places on time and money, and she doesn't want her daughter to be tied to the land. Though I can respect her feelings about it, her disregard for what her children want, and her underhand manipulations, didn't sit well with me at all. Despite Mackenna's forays away from home, all she has ever wanted has been to work the farm, and doesn't feel as if there is any sacrifice to make.

At times the romance element seemed to be more of a distraction than anything, with Adam and Hugh often absent from the storyline, or even close proximity to Mackenna. I would have liked Adam in particular to have a larger and more active role in the story, I felt in some ways that he was an awkward addition to the tableau rather than an integral part of the story.

There are also several secondary subplots to follow in the novel, one has to do with Hugh's reluctance to be back in his hometown, the second involves Patrick who is keeping a secret from his family and the third relates to the suspicious behaviour of new station hand, Cam, introducing a frission of mystery and danger. Additional interest stems from Mackenna's passion for breeding genetics and her concept of a farm to table tasting/restaurant venture.

Right As Rain is an engaging read and Tricia Stringer another talented author bringing rural Australia to life on the page. I enjoyed it and look forward to the opportunity to read Queen of the Road, and the next book.

[Shylah Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable, but an easy holiday read.

[Anthea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yawn..... This book is boring. The main character (Mackenna) is interesting, but all the other characters are so lame. I considered binning it... But opted for the skim read option, just to confirm my own theory that the ending would be so predictable. I wouldn't waste your time with this chic-lit.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute feel good story.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read a Tricia Stringer book.
Thoroughly enjoyed it. A great light read and it held and kept my interest.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty-year-old Mackenna Birch is on her first holiday in years, a trip to New Zealand to research sheep breeding programs. A chef who grew up at Woolly Swamp, a sheep farm in South Australia, Mackenna has been working with her dad, Lyle, to remake the farm into a real boutique meat business. She even has plans to turn the old, uninhabited homestead into a gatehouse restaurant and tasting room, to showcase the Woolly Swamp lamb. But the trip has brought an extra unexpected pleasure for Mackenna when she meets Adam. Another chef, though an itinerant one, Adam is the first man Mackenna has really, truly clicked with in a long time, melding friendship with passion.

So when she wakes up after their first night together to find him gone with no explanation, she feels angry, upset, duped, foolish. She cuts her trip short and heads home, intending to put the whole thing behind her and concentrate on her plans for the family farm.

Yet nothing's quite right when she gets home. The place is deserted - or almost so. She meets Cam, the man her parents have hired to help with all the farm work, treating the house like his own and with a smug, cocky grin to go with it. Her brother, Patrick, is there too - eight years younger and with a successful job in Adelaide and no interest in farming, she's surprised to see him there, until he explains that their dad had a heart attack.

Lyle's sudden health change has had an impact on his wife Louise, too. She takes them to get new wills made, and overrides Lyle's objections to how she wants the property left. Because even though Mackenna is the one who is passionate about the farm and knows how to work it, Louise has decided that it must be left to Patrick, that it is his right as the son to inherit the land, that he can learn to be a farmer if he's given the chance. Louise's conviction about what is best for her children extends to meddling in Mackenna's love life.

Mackenna's old childhood friend and neighbour, Hugh, is back in the area, staying with his parents while he takes a temporary job in town. He doesn't intend to stay, though: he's already accepted a job in Canada to work on a special research project, and is just filling in time. But both his mother and Mackenna's are hoping the two will be more than friends. So much so that, when Adam arrives out of the blue, having tracked Mackenna down, Louise does what she can to discourage the relationship between them.

As Mackenna works hard to get the Woolly Swamp Gatehouse up and running, with Adam often helping her in the kitchen to make the group dinners a success, certain things about her family and what's going on at the farm begin to sink in. Her suspicions about Cam grow, but her understanding of her parents' plans for the farm that she loves so much come as a complete shock, and threaten to destroy everything she's worked for.

I am learning not to expect romance from these novels set in rural Australia, published by the big romance publisher, Harlequin. This is an imprint, Mira, and Mira doesn't do "bodice rippers"; they publish everything from historical fiction to fantasy. If you're expecting a romance from Right as Rain, you will be disappointed. There is a romantic relationship woven into the plot, but it's not central to the story as it would be in a Romance novel; in fact, it's almost - almost - superfluous to the plot. This is very much a story of one woman's love for the land, and her struggle against gender stereotypes and out-of-date traditions that only make people unhappier than before. As such, it was a highly successful story and a real pleasure to read.

Mackenna is close to her father, and knows how to run a sheep farm just as much as she knows how to run a kitchen and prepare a four-course meal. She's a skilled chef with a vision, a strong, hard worker with close ties to the family property, and she has no idea her mother wants to "set her free", as it were, of the burden of living on a farm. Louise, like most people who meddle, thinks she's doing what's best for her children but is blind to the obvious fact that Patrick doesn't want the farm and Mack does. This rather callous machination on Louise's part definitely adds tension to the story, far more so than any other plot development: from almost the beginning you read this book waiting, waiting for the blow-up, for the day when Mack finds out. The tension exists not because of the anticipated family blow-up, but from the scarier possibility that Lyle (and Louise) might die before Mack finds out, before the wills can be changed.

While the novel might lack a more traditional plot structure and focus - it's not about Mackenna finding love, it's not about a mystery or a crime or anything so concrete - it was a nice change to read a story that felt more true-to-life than one that was more tightly plotted and (possibly) predictable. I was never quite sure where the story was going, or if one thread among several would resolve into the main plot. It was, instead, a slice of life on a farm, rich with realistic detail and vibrating with life in all its complications. Having grown up on a sheep farm myself (albeit a much smaller one), the setting was familiar and comforting - I do love reading stories that involve sheep! I don't know half of what Mackenna knows, of course; like Patrick, I love the land and I enjoy helping but I couldn't take on a whole farm and be a farmer.

Mack's perspective isn't the only one we get in this story, though. We also get Louise's perspective, and Hugh's. This has an interesting effect on the overall story and how we read it. Louise's perspective gives us great insight into her thought processes and motivations, her convictions and her reasons, which really helps to round out the story and flesh out the family dynamics. The inclusion of Hugh's is perhaps a bit more odd, but actually it works quite well. If we didn't get Hugh's chapters, the character wouldn't have been superficial and obscure. As it is, having Hugh's perspective not only helps to flesh out his character, but helps to flesh out the town and the overall setting, too. It adds an extra dimension to the whole neighbourhood, and Mack's history. I grew very fond of Hugh. (Incidentally, it was amusing to find the two love interests in this book were called Adam and Hugh - my husband is Adam and my son is Hugh!)

Perhaps because he doesn't get to share his perspective, Adam is a bit of an unknown entity in comparison. Giving Hugh his own voice makes him seem a stronger contender for romantic interest, while leaving Adam less well fleshed-out makes him harder to get to know. Yet, I didn't mind it all. I liked the sense of mystery that clung to Adam a bit longer, and I found his character fleshing out enough to make his chemistry with Mack believable. Too much delving into Adam's character and backstory would have made the whole book over-crowded and really lack focus. Instead, the novel concentrates on Mack: she is the pivotal centre around which everything else rotates.

There are some lovely digs at traditional stereotypes in this book. I loved what Stringer did with the character of Yasmine, Patrick's girlfriend. When she turns up, Mack sees a thin woman wearing layers of black, who doesn't eat meat and seems too fragile and soft to handle the realities of farm life. And for quite a while, this mostly baseless pre-judgement seems to hold true, until Mack learns the truth and her assumptions about Yasmine are turned completely on their head.

And of course the tradition of leaving land and property in general to the eldest son is put under the microscope, in satisfying ways. The family dynamics and the sense of building mistrust - encouraged by Cam covering up his mistakes by pointing the figure at Patrick, which in turn encourages Mack to see him as almost incompetent on the farm - add to the building tension and the sense that something is terribly wrong. Out of balance. Just not right. I've always thought that blindly following traditions for the simple reason that they are tradition, is rather stupid and sometimes even harmful. Ah the benefits of an education that teaches you to question and critique things! Makes it hard for me to understand the comfort (I suppose it is comfort) others find in doing things a certain way, simply because that's "how it's done." Stringer successfully makes Louise both believable and understandable: even though I couldn't condone her actions at all, I could understand, even empathise with her reasoning. She is using her own experiences, and an unspoken resentment, to justify her motives.

And then there is Cam. Another character whom we never learn all that much about, which makes us much more suspicious about him than Mack is. In fact, I was surprised at Mack's naiveté in general. She doesn't pick up on her mother's plans, that I can understand since she's not privy to Louise's thoughts like we are. But interestingly, she doesn't make assumptions about Cam like she does about Yasmine, for instance. She's mildly puzzled about him and where he fits in, but even when he keeps "borrowing" the farm truck to do jobs on the weekend, with ready excuses as to why he can't use his own ute, she doesn't think much of it. Maybe it's just me, but alarm bells rang in my gut as soon as he appeared on the scene. He creeped me out. Which was perfect really: the story wouldn't have been as solid or entertaining if the Cam angle hadn't been included. It tied in neatly with the Patrick story-line, and the way the action played out at the end helped wake Mack up to her feelings for Adam. As my husband would say, "Well played. Well played."

This was the first time I'd read a book by Tricia Stringer, but I don't think it will be the last. The story may not be as tightly plot-driven or as fast-paced as it could have been, and the romance angle may come across as a bit last-minute, but I still really enjoyed it, especially once I stopped expecting it to be a romance. Or a romance in the traditional sense. Right as Rain provides fascinating insight into the running of a family farm, and explores the constraints of honouring traditions and gender stereotypes and their affect on people. It has all that rich detail and fleshing-out that I love in stories, and a strong sense of place. But it is the characters and their complex dynamics that really makes this story both interesting and emotionally engaging.

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.

[Stacey Houllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read of young woman trying to run the family after her dad's heart attack. She returns back home from after a holiday to New Zealand meeting a man she thought felt the same way about her but he left her without a word. She is also trained chef as well. Her brother works away from the farm and has a girlfriend her also returns her mother believes that her brother should inherit the farm. Where is he not interested this causes conflict between them. The man she met in New Zealand returns explains why he left her and he has feelings for her. There is also farmhand who is upto no good and is interested in her. I not giving you the names of the characters so you build your own thoughts on the story and i think everyone who likes a rural romances will like this one.

[Fiona Brodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable but good to read.

Mackenna Birch thinks she's met the man of her dreams while on holiday in New Zealand. Adam Walker is funny, kind and loving but he walks out on her, or so she thinks...

Hiding from a broken heart, Mackenna returns to the family farm in Australia. Then, out of the blue Adam returns. He’s made the trip Down Under to visit his sick grandfather and to track down Mackenna.

When he turns up on her doorstep to profess his love and find out why she ran out on him, Mackenna finds herself questioning his love for her

[Hari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I discovered Tricia Stringer through her current releases and proceeded to devour them, this appears to be one of her earlier efforts from 2013. Quite disappointing if you’re used to her recent richly nuanced novels.

This is basic chick lit with predictable characters although set in her vivid rural landscapes. My main problem was that I couldn’t stand the mother and the plot rests on her manipulations. I really hope these prehistoric rigid gender stereotypes die out in the future.

First one of her books I’ve skimmed through to get to the obvious conclusion.

[Angie Flanagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok this was my first book that I’ve read from Trisha. I loved it! I love the storyline, the characters, and everything that happened along with the twists and turns. However, Mack did great on my nerves a little bit because she is so mean to Patrick. I get sibling rivalry, but she took it to the extreme. I really did love Adam, and how he grounded her as well. Made her realise what she has is amazing. I also like how Louise came around in the end. What a grub Cam was too!

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed all the Tricia Stringer books I have read so far and this one is no exception. I liked the intrigue between guys and it kept me turning pages right to the end. Great light holiday read that actually deals with some heavier topics in it such as succession planning for family business.

[Vicki Robe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. At times I wasn't even game to pre-empt what was going to happen but in the end everything worked out "Right as rain"!

[Rita Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read about love, romance and managing an Australian sheep property. Throw in a chef, a dodgy employee and a photographer and this book will delight you to the end.

[Diane Hropic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging storyline with well developed characters. Enjoyed learning a bit about farm life.

[Vicki Basham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed his book, great story set in Australia, about he struggle of a woman to convince her family she can run the family farm

[Lorraine Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story. Enjoyed it immensely with lots of twists and turns. Great read.

[Kathy Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read

[Andrea Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, I was glad that it was the followup book to come rain or shine, it finished the story ofd

[John Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant story

[Kellie Noble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light easy read

[Kiana Kai · Rating 2 out of 5]

First time reading a book from Tricia S. I found myself often getting bored with some of the pages as it drags on slightly, but wasn't the worst in the world. Maybe it's just me. And I found the chemistry between characters just didn't feel right 🤷🏽‍♀️

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

As you’ve probably guessed, my reading tastes vary rather wildly. Sometimes it’s in relation to other commitments (I can’t read heavy, sombre books when I have exams or am doing extra shifts for example) and sometimes you just want a read that looks after you. Right as Rain by Tricia Stringer is one of those comforting, solid reads that entertains you and holds your attention without making unreasonable demands. I should have known from the start that this was going to be an enjoyable read, as Stringer won the RUBY Romance Writers of Australia award for her first book, Queen of the Road.

As you may have guessed by the cover, Right as Rain is an Aussie rural romance – but with so much more to it. There’s almost a love triangle (three men who initially all seemed like suitable choices) but the heart of the book is family. Mackenna loves working on the farm with her father – she’s got a life she enjoys. Taking some time out for a great overseas trip, she meets Adam in Queenstown, New Zealand. Adam seems like the kind of guy she’d be happy to settle down with – until he leaves unexpected on his motorbike. Mackenna returns home early, a little worse for wear, to find that chaos has disrupted the household. Her father’s had a heart attack, there’s a new workman living with them and her mother is acting strangely. Her brother Patrick has even taken time out from his beloved marketing job to help at the farm. Things are completely different and it takes some time to get things sorted…

I found that Right as Rain was very true to farm life – it’s a constant demand that doesn’t allow time off just because you’d like it. Stringer explains enough about crutching and drenching for readers to understand farm life, but doesn’t make it boring for those who are already familiar with the scene. The accounts, gates and sheds all made it a realistic trip down memory lane for me. I really liked how Stringer told it how it is on a farm. The subplots involving theft and Mackenna’s dream of a small restaurant at the farm were interesting, particularly the restaurant. It’s not something you see paired with rural farming fiction! The thief was fairly obvious to me but it was fun watching the characters work it out.

As for characters, Mackenna is a heroine who knows what she wants, but has a feminine softness underneath so she doesn’t seem too harsh. I really liked her and was eagerly awaiting her to make her choice of men! The three all had unique characteristics: Adam turned out not to be a complete rogue, Hugh was sensible and steady and Cam was a wildcard. Hugh gets quite a few pages devoted to his own problems – is there another book in the series? In contrast to the other male characters, he had many more scenes from his point of view.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that I liked Mackenna’s mother, Louise. I feel that Stringer drew her to be clueless and unpleasant. She has the outdated attitudes of a chauvinistic male and she really can’t express her feelings, preferring to clamp her mouth in distaste. Her actions towards Mackenna gravitated from the baldly nasty to cruelly calculating. Her big revelation at the end didn’t really make me warm to her – Louise is an unhappy woman, determined subconsciously to make her daughter the same way.

This book would be a sound introduction into the world of rural fiction. Give it a go.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy of this book.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am hooked on Australian rural books at the moment and thought I would pick up my first Patricia Stringer novel. The premise was very intriguing with Mackenna meeting the one in New Zealand, but then being walked out on. My favourite character would be Hugh and I feel horrible for all the drama that he has had to endure. I look forward to reading more from Ms Stringer, with Dreamboat Point due out in December.

Mackenna Birch (Mack) is a thirty-two year old that has escaped the farm life and gone off around the world on a six week holiday. Towards the end, she visits New Zealand and meets Adam Walker, a chef that travels around for work. They hit it off immediately and Mack thinks he is the one. Spending a whole week together doing the touristy thing, Mack is in love. Until one morning, she wakes up with no Adam beside her, no message or notes, just gone.

Mack returns home early and her family is surprised but nonetheless happy to see her back. Although farm life will be changed now after her father had a heart-attack. Mack is still confused as to what is wrong with her mother; she’s giving Mack the cold shoulder and trying to get her to leave the farm life to use her chef qualifications.

Hugh McDonald is also back in town, back with his parents and helping around the district as an Agricultural Consultant. He has three older brothers that all have wives and children, but Hugh has been hiding from them all and his past. Hugh, Mack and Carol all grew up and went off to college together; now though, Hugh rarely comes home and hasn’t seen Mack for years.

Mack’s parents have hired a farm hand, Cam Martin and she’s concerned Cam isn’t farm material. Mack’s parents have changed their plans and want Mack to have a life away from the farm, they don’t want her tied to the farm her whole life; they want her to have a family. It’s a man’s job and they want her brother, Patrick to take over.

Mack is hurt by her parent’s plans and knows that Patrick hasn’t ever been interested in running the farm that has always been Mack’s dream. Mack has big dreams and ideas for the farm, but now what will happen?
How will Mack convince her parents that she wants to take over the farm? What happened with Hugh for him not to want to be back in the district? Why did Adam really leave Mack that morning? Does Patrick really want to run the farm?

Adam turns up on their doorstep and Mack is confused, but won’t give him the time of day. Cam is giving Mack the creeps and Yasmine is introduced. I loved Yasmine, she was so fun and surprising. Right As Rain certainly was entertaining, mysterious and a very good read.

[Lauren Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Right as Rain is Tricia Stringer’s second novel, coming off the back of her popular Ruby Award Winner romance, Queen of the Road (which I absolutely loved).

In this story, we meet Mackenna Birch who awakens to find her holiday fling, Adam Walker, riding off into the sunset, leaving her confused and alone in her hotel in New Zealand. Feeling despondent, Mackenna returns home early to Australia to her family farm, only to find that there’s been a lot of change in the past six weeks since she’s been gone. Her city slicker brother has moved back home making a claim on the farm, he’s acting secretive, her father is recovering from a heart attack and there’s a new bloke working on the farm that Mackenna isn’t sure she can trust.

Mackenna’s dream has always been to run the family farm and to incorporate her chef background into creating an innovative exclusive restaurant style service on the property that showcases her meat products that they produce on the land. But Mackenna’s in a bit of a mess when it comes to the men in her life. Her best mate Hugh kisses her, the new workman Cam seems to be putting the moves on her and then Adam Walker turns up at her family farm claiming he never intended their holiday romance to be just a fling… he wants more.

I really liked Mackenna, she’s a strong and determined young woman but when it comes to men I felt just as confused as her in Right as Rain. As a rural romance I must admit, I found the romance storyline a little messy. There were three guys introduced and I didn’t actually feel a connection with any of them in the beginning. Both Adam and Hugh have POV scenes which made it confusing for me as a reader to know who I was supposed to connect with. Hugh’s POV tends to dominate over any of the other men in the novel; however he doesn’t take on the hero role in this love story- that just didn’t make sense to me. To be honest I felt a little suspicious of each of these three men, and so the romantic path Mackenna does take just didn’t feel realistic, nor was the romantic development very strong in this story.

I did really enjoy the secondary story of Mackenna’s brother Patrick and the growth he undertakes in the novel. There were times I really felt sorry for the way he is treated by the family but I liked how he stood up for what he wanted in the end.

I really wanted to like this story more than I did, because I loved Stringer’s last novel, but unfortunately Right as Rain didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It certainly won’t turn me off picking up another Stringer novel in the future though.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mackenna (Mack) loves working on the family farm with her father, she has put all her passion and love into it. She had spent time away training to be a chef but as soon as she qualified her love for the land pulled her back. She is now ready to expand the business by using her Chef talents and opening a tasting room and small restaurant on the property to promote their own sheep. As the book opens Mack is on holidays in New Zealand, she has taken up with a hot hunk of a man named Adam but a misunderstanding causes her to return to Australia alone and to find her brother and a new creepy yardman running the farm and her father is in hospital recovering from a heart attack. To her dismay her mother seems to be encouraging her brother to take more interest in the farm and pushing Mack out. Not long after Adam turns up, and an old childhood friend, Hugh, returns to town making for some interesting sexual tensions. On top of this Mack starts to get suspicious that the new yardman is not all that he makes out to be. All these story threads combine to make a very in depth story that kept me glued to the book.

I did not like Mack’s mother. I disliked her from the very beginning and even when her motivation was revealed I still didn’t think it excused her behaviour towards her daughter. What a nasty, underhanded, uncaring and manipulative woman she was. And all done with a smile, without discussion, and with a mother knows best attitude. This just demonstrates what a good writer Tricia Stringer is that she was able to arouse emotions that I am still mulling over a few days after I closed the book. Still there is nothing like a bit of conflict, some danger and a lot of sexual tension in a romance book to make the eventual happy ever after all the more sweet!

RIGHT AS RAIN is a story of love, misunderstandings, family dynamics and following your dreams despite obstacles. This is the first book I have read by Tricia Stringer

[Rowena Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right as Rain is rural romance with a message from award winning writer, Tricia Stringer. It is an emotion-filled tale of how the best intentions can so easily lead to misunderstanding and heartache if dreams give way to the demands of others.

Fresh from her working holiday in New Zealand, and nursing a newly broken heart, Mackenna Birch returns to her family property, Woolly Swamp Farm, to find her place usurped by an errant brother and a shifty farmhand. Her plans to save the farm fall on deaf ears: her father, once a close ally, seems disinterested and her mother shoots down every suggestion. Yet Mac is determined. She pushes through adversity and begins to see her dream take shape. Then a visitor arrives – Adam, the man who broke her heart. As Mac begins to flail under the pressure of saving the farm and her dream, she must guard her heart and her property.

Mac is a strong character and as the story unfolds the author keeps us guessing about her romantic interest. As she faces down opposition, Mac must deal with her wounded heart, confusion about her family’s behaviour and the antics of the new farmhand. The mother’s actions, rational from her perspective (which we know) but baffling to Mac, provide a visceral sense of frustration as we are pulled into Mac’s emotional journey. The author knows this world and there is a reasonable degree of description about a working sheep farm, but like the tasting plates Mac serves in her fledgling Gatehouse restaurant these are delivered in digestible portions.

Right as Rain is certainly a satisfying romance. Yet this is also the story of the struggle faced by a farming community and one woman’s fight to save the property she loves.

[Ceri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really seem to have jumped on the Australian rural romance bandwagon, although perhaps a lot later than most, and as they say, 'better late than never!' I am yet to find a rural romance that has disappointed me and I am happy to say Tricia Stringer's 'Right as Rain' has kept this streak running.
There seems to be a talent among the Australian rural romance authors of capturing the essence of country Australia and transporting into written form and Tricia Stringer is no exception. The Birch family's sheep farm, 'Woolly Swap' is portrayed beautifully, you can almost picture the sheep grazing in the paddocks and feel the anticipation of waiting for the rain. I loved the 'Gatehouse.' The whole paddock to table situation and being able to sample produce in the place where it is grown is seriously a winner. I know vineyards have been doing it or decades, but meat, vegetables and even fruits, what a great idea. Seriously if these places exist (and maybe they do and I have just been living under a rock!) someone please let me know!
Don't be fooled by the wonderful setting though, the best part of this novel is the dynamics between the characters. The tension between Mackenna and her family as they try to decide the fate of the family farm, the close bond between Mackenna and her childhood friend Hugh and the friction created by the unexpected appearance of the man who broke Mackenna's heart, Adam, make 'Right As Rain' a great read.
'Right As Rain' is a story of love, family and having the strength to stand up for yourself and your dreams. A fantastic read, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.