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Down the Track: feel-good and funny, unmissable romance, where a grumpy scientist meets a sunny pilot - new from the bestselling author of THE VET
Digging up the past isn't easy ... Sweet, funny and feel-good, the unmissable rural romance from the bestselling author of A Home Among the Snow Gums and The Vet From Snowy River.
Dr Joanne Tan is an expert in a lot of things. Love isn't one of them.
Being thirty-something, broke, divorced and in a cold war with her ten-year-old son is a lot, but Jo's handling it. Just. At least she is until her job at the Natural History Museum is put in jeopardy. An invitation to dig up dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station arrives at just the right time.
It's not her first trip to Yindi Creek, but it's not as though anyone will remember her from fifteen years ago ... And by anyone, of course, she means the pilot she had that fling with. The fling that taught her she's far safer sticking to science ...
Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable, helicopter pilot and reluctant sheep-shearer, has turned his broken heart into a secret (and successful) writing career. But running into Jo again, all these years down the track, stirs up a lot more than outback country dust.
A missing person, a fossilised legbone and a nosy country cop force Jo and Hux together and the sparks that start flying don't go unnoticed by the locals ...
Digging up the past isn't easy. Digging up the truth can be even harder.
PRAISE FOR STELLA
'Quinn's warm tone, gentle humour and all-pervasive kindness shines throughout A Home Among the Snow Gums; it's a lively gallop with endearing characters and a satisfying ending that leaves a spring in your step.' - Better Reading
'A Town Like Clarence captivated me completely with its easy charm, true-blue Aussie setting and delightful cast ... a book that filled my heart with immense happiness.' - Mrs B's Book Reviews
Dr Joanne Tan is an expert in a lot of things. Love isn't one of them.
Being thirty-something, broke, divorced and in a cold war with her ten-year-old son is a lot, but Jo's handling it. Just. At least she is until her job at the Natural History Museum is put in jeopardy. An invitation to dig up dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station arrives at just the right time.
It's not her first trip to Yindi Creek, but it's not as though anyone will remember her from fifteen years ago ... And by anyone, of course, she means the pilot she had that fling with. The fling that taught her she's far safer sticking to science ...
Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable, helicopter pilot and reluctant sheep-shearer, has turned his broken heart into a secret (and successful) writing career. But running into Jo again, all these years down the track, stirs up a lot more than outback country dust.
A missing person, a fossilised legbone and a nosy country cop force Jo and Hux together and the sparks that start flying don't go unnoticed by the locals ...
Digging up the past isn't easy. Digging up the truth can be even harder.
PRAISE FOR STELLA
'Quinn's warm tone, gentle humour and all-pervasive kindness shines throughout A Home Among the Snow Gums; it's a lively gallop with endearing characters and a satisfying ending that leaves a spring in your step.' - Better Reading
'A Town Like Clarence captivated me completely with its easy charm, true-blue Aussie setting and delightful cast ... a book that filled my heart with immense happiness.' - Mrs B's Book Reviews
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Published June 1, 2024
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About the author
Stella Quinn
35 books105 followers Drama | Romance | Mystery
Stella Quinn is a multi-award winning author.
She writes outback drama for Harper Collins HQ Fiction, and she's currently scribbling away at a small town rom-com mystery mashup in her spare time.
She loves reading GoodReads reviews so don't be shy!
Stella Quinn is a multi-award winning author.
She writes outback drama for Harper Collins HQ Fiction, and she's currently scribbling away at a small town rom-com mystery mashup in her spare time.
She loves reading GoodReads reviews so don't be shy!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 23, 2025
EXCERPT: Her last visit her had been a break day from the paddock where she'd been spending the summer. She'd come to town with a few of the other dinosaur dig volunteers to attend the local ag show. Cows, sheep, goats and jars of jam under frilly res-and-white checked fabric hadn't been the lure that had brought them into town, though; when you'd been living under canvas for weeks, eating tinned food and playing cards by the light of the kerosene lamp, an agricultural show in an actual town with flushing loos, and the prospect of dagwood dogs and a whip-cracking display and live music, was as good a day out as you could wish for. She'd bought lunch from a stall in a paddock, had drinks at the pub whose backyard formed part of the showgrounds, browsed the one and only clothing shop . . .
She'd flirted, too. With the other lure: the hottie local competing in the sheep shearing exhibition; the one she'd met a few weeks earlier at the dig site down past Winton and been flirting with ever since. More than flirted, in fact -
ABOUT 'DOWN THE TRACK': Digging up the past isn't easy . . .
Dr Joanne Tan is an expert in a lot of things. Love isn't one of them.
Being thirty-something, broke, divorced and in a cold war with her ten-year-old son is a lot, but Jo's handling it. Just. At least she is until her job at the Natural History Museum is put in jeopardy. An invitation to dig up dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station arrives at just the right time.
It's not her first trip to Yindi Creek, but it's not as though anyone will remember her from fifteen years ago ... And by anyone, of course, she means the pilot she had that fling with. The fling that taught her she's far safer sticking to science ...
Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable, helicopter pilot and reluctant sheep-shearer, has turned his broken heart into a secret (and successful) writing career. But running into Jo again, all these years down the track, stirs up a lot more than outback country dust.
A missing person, a fossilised legbone and a nosy country cop force Jo and Hux together and the sparks that start flying don't go unnoticed by the locals ...
Digging up the past isn't easy. Digging up the truth can be even harder.
MY THOUGHTS: Stella Quinn writes with warmth, humor and a down-home realism that I appreciate and enjoy.
Down the Track is a second-chance romance that develops quietly alongside the mystery of a missing man in the present time, and Hux's missing sister from the past. Hux isn't the common link here though - it's Charlie, Hux's brother-in-law and best mate. It's Charlie who is under suspicion. He dropped the man off in the middle of nowhere, ostensibly to meet someone else, but he never turned up to be collected again. It's also Charlie who, years previously, had asked Jessica to meet him but says she never turned up. She was never seen again after leaving home. She just - vanished! Now Charlie is married to another of Hux's sisters, a new baby imminent and his past and his present are colliding in a spectacular fashion.
Hux to the rescue! I'm not kidding.
Jo and Hux fell in love on her first trip to Yindi Creek, but she left without looking back to further her career overseas. Now, with her family in tatters and her career on the line she is back in Yindi Creek as a favor to her mentor to re-examine an old dig site . . . at the same time Hux has reappeared to help his brother-in-law, Charlie.
Of course Hux and Jo are going to bump into one another. But while Hux is still carrying a flame for Jo, is she ready for romance or is her career still her number one priority?
Now, just a word of warning, this will-she, won't-she, second-chance romance definitely plays second fiddle to the solving of the mystery of the vanishing man and Hux's determination to clear Charlie's name. And, to be honest, I liked it that way. It felt like a more natural progression.
I didn't always like Jo very much - I guess she could be called socially awkward - but Hux I adored. I love the way the MC from his graphic novels, Tyson, is always in his head asking questions and giving unsolicited advice. I loved Hux's integrity and his commitment to his friendship with Charlie and his family. The other stand-out character in this novel is Maggie, the publican. She's a straight-shooter and not above a bit of meddling. There are also two delightful old ladies - the Dirt sisters - Dot and Edith and, of course, the whole danged Huxtable family. Hux has five sisters. Well, four if we don't count the missing Jess, who all answer to numbers rather than names. Oh, and let's not forget Hux's heart-stealing three-legged rescue dog, Possum!
Yes, there's a lot going on in this book - a mystery, a fossil dig, family relationships, a police investigation, a reclusive writer and the possibility of a second-chance romance. While it's a busy book, it's also a relaxing read, one that charmed me and left me with a soft smile of satisfaction on my face.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DownTheTrack #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: When Stella Quinn isn’t sitting in the sun scribbling in a notebook, she can be found walking her dog, roaming her neighbourhood in search of the perfect latte, or thrashing her children at scrabble. She grew up in England, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and spent five (long!) years at boarding school in country Queensland.
Stella writes contemporary romance novels that are warm-hearted and filled with characters you want to be best friends with. She loves rural small-town settings, island settings, and everyday heroes. (Source: stellaquinnauthor.com - abridged)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Down the Track by Stella Quinn for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
She'd flirted, too. With the other lure: the hottie local competing in the sheep shearing exhibition; the one she'd met a few weeks earlier at the dig site down past Winton and been flirting with ever since. More than flirted, in fact -
ABOUT 'DOWN THE TRACK': Digging up the past isn't easy . . .
Dr Joanne Tan is an expert in a lot of things. Love isn't one of them.
Being thirty-something, broke, divorced and in a cold war with her ten-year-old son is a lot, but Jo's handling it. Just. At least she is until her job at the Natural History Museum is put in jeopardy. An invitation to dig up dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station arrives at just the right time.
It's not her first trip to Yindi Creek, but it's not as though anyone will remember her from fifteen years ago ... And by anyone, of course, she means the pilot she had that fling with. The fling that taught her she's far safer sticking to science ...
Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable, helicopter pilot and reluctant sheep-shearer, has turned his broken heart into a secret (and successful) writing career. But running into Jo again, all these years down the track, stirs up a lot more than outback country dust.
A missing person, a fossilised legbone and a nosy country cop force Jo and Hux together and the sparks that start flying don't go unnoticed by the locals ...
Digging up the past isn't easy. Digging up the truth can be even harder.
MY THOUGHTS: Stella Quinn writes with warmth, humor and a down-home realism that I appreciate and enjoy.
Down the Track is a second-chance romance that develops quietly alongside the mystery of a missing man in the present time, and Hux's missing sister from the past. Hux isn't the common link here though - it's Charlie, Hux's brother-in-law and best mate. It's Charlie who is under suspicion. He dropped the man off in the middle of nowhere, ostensibly to meet someone else, but he never turned up to be collected again. It's also Charlie who, years previously, had asked Jessica to meet him but says she never turned up. She was never seen again after leaving home. She just - vanished! Now Charlie is married to another of Hux's sisters, a new baby imminent and his past and his present are colliding in a spectacular fashion.
Hux to the rescue! I'm not kidding.
Jo and Hux fell in love on her first trip to Yindi Creek, but she left without looking back to further her career overseas. Now, with her family in tatters and her career on the line she is back in Yindi Creek as a favor to her mentor to re-examine an old dig site . . . at the same time Hux has reappeared to help his brother-in-law, Charlie.
Of course Hux and Jo are going to bump into one another. But while Hux is still carrying a flame for Jo, is she ready for romance or is her career still her number one priority?
Now, just a word of warning, this will-she, won't-she, second-chance romance definitely plays second fiddle to the solving of the mystery of the vanishing man and Hux's determination to clear Charlie's name. And, to be honest, I liked it that way. It felt like a more natural progression.
I didn't always like Jo very much - I guess she could be called socially awkward - but Hux I adored. I love the way the MC from his graphic novels, Tyson, is always in his head asking questions and giving unsolicited advice. I loved Hux's integrity and his commitment to his friendship with Charlie and his family. The other stand-out character in this novel is Maggie, the publican. She's a straight-shooter and not above a bit of meddling. There are also two delightful old ladies - the Dirt sisters - Dot and Edith and, of course, the whole danged Huxtable family. Hux has five sisters. Well, four if we don't count the missing Jess, who all answer to numbers rather than names. Oh, and let's not forget Hux's heart-stealing three-legged rescue dog, Possum!
Yes, there's a lot going on in this book - a mystery, a fossil dig, family relationships, a police investigation, a reclusive writer and the possibility of a second-chance romance. While it's a busy book, it's also a relaxing read, one that charmed me and left me with a soft smile of satisfaction on my face.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
#DownTheTrack #NetGalley
MEET THE AUTHOR: When Stella Quinn isn’t sitting in the sun scribbling in a notebook, she can be found walking her dog, roaming her neighbourhood in search of the perfect latte, or thrashing her children at scrabble. She grew up in England, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Australia, and spent five (long!) years at boarding school in country Queensland.
Stella writes contemporary romance novels that are warm-hearted and filled with characters you want to be best friends with. She loves rural small-town settings, island settings, and everyday heroes. (Source: stellaquinnauthor.com - abridged)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Down the Track by Stella Quinn for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 6, 2024
Dr Joanne Tan is a divorced palaeontologist, she's labelled a hopeless mother by her ex, her son lives at his dads and her work contract hasn’t been renewed. Jo wants to return to Yindi Creek, in the Western Plains of Queensland and if she finds the right fossil it will save her career at the Natural History Museum. Jo hires a helicopter to fly them to Corley Station, going with her are sisters Dot and Ethel and they refer to themselves as “The Dirt Girls”, and fingers crossed something looks familiar and they can remember the location of where a suspected fossilized two-legged plant-eating ornithopod with a crocodylomorphs tooth embedded in it was?
Last time she was in town, Jo had a brief fling with a helicopter pilot, Gavin Huxtable, he gave her an apple and she could resist the sight of him in a singlet taking part in a shearing completion. Jo has no idea Hux is part owner of Yindi Creek Chopper Charters, and he’s a successful published graphic novelist, she broke his heart when she left and Jo understands science and not feelings. Trying to find a fossil in the Western Queensland isn’t easy, it’s hot, prone to droughts and floods and it isn’t just the weather and climate Jo has to deal with. A man chartered a flight the day before Jo arrived in town, he’s gone missing, and the police are looking for him and they think Charlie his business partner and brother-in-law has something to do with his disappearance and poor Charlie's innocent.
I received a copy of Down The Track by Stella Quinn from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This book is different to the author’s previous novel, A Home Among the Snow Gums, I devoured them both and I really liked the mystery element to this narrative, the diverse mixture of characters, the possible links to off shore crime in Queensland and well written plot.
My favourite characters were, Jo and Hux, Sal and her stressed out husband Charlie, Maggie the publican, Dot and Ethel, Jo’s son Luke, Possum the three legged dog and writer Gavin Gunn. A hilarious, fascinating and drama filled read. Hux is a hunk and good guy, and who would've thought ancient life, fossils and how sediment forms would be so interesting. With sizzling chemistry, past history, hunting for clues, the possibility of romance and it makes for a five star read.
Last time she was in town, Jo had a brief fling with a helicopter pilot, Gavin Huxtable, he gave her an apple and she could resist the sight of him in a singlet taking part in a shearing completion. Jo has no idea Hux is part owner of Yindi Creek Chopper Charters, and he’s a successful published graphic novelist, she broke his heart when she left and Jo understands science and not feelings. Trying to find a fossil in the Western Queensland isn’t easy, it’s hot, prone to droughts and floods and it isn’t just the weather and climate Jo has to deal with. A man chartered a flight the day before Jo arrived in town, he’s gone missing, and the police are looking for him and they think Charlie his business partner and brother-in-law has something to do with his disappearance and poor Charlie's innocent.
I received a copy of Down The Track by Stella Quinn from Harlequin Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This book is different to the author’s previous novel, A Home Among the Snow Gums, I devoured them both and I really liked the mystery element to this narrative, the diverse mixture of characters, the possible links to off shore crime in Queensland and well written plot.
My favourite characters were, Jo and Hux, Sal and her stressed out husband Charlie, Maggie the publican, Dot and Ethel, Jo’s son Luke, Possum the three legged dog and writer Gavin Gunn. A hilarious, fascinating and drama filled read. Hux is a hunk and good guy, and who would've thought ancient life, fossils and how sediment forms would be so interesting. With sizzling chemistry, past history, hunting for clues, the possibility of romance and it makes for a five star read.
June 2, 2024
Gavin Huxtable - Hux to his friends - had a pseudonym. Known for his crime writing prowess, Gavin Gunn had a following. But he kept his writing name close to his chest and no one, other than his family, was aware who the writer actually was. When Hux, holed up in his writing cave, was contacted by his sister back at Yindi Creek in Queensland, he packed up and along with three legged Possum, headed for home. There was trouble afoot and Hux was determined to discover what, and stand by his family.
Dr Joanne Tan was a palaeontologist, was also divorced and in joint custody with her husband for Luke, their ten year old son. Her self confidence was at an all time low after being accused of being a terrible mother, while Luke wanted to spend more time with his father. Her job situation at the Natural History Museum was dire and unless she discovered something special in her trip to Yindi Creek, she'd be out of work and completely broke. With Luke's excitement high when he learned his favourite author of graphic novels, Gavin Gunn, was doing a library talk in Yindi Creek, Jo persuaded Luke to join her for the couple of weeks during school holidays. What would be the outcome of the meeting between Hux and Jo? And would Jo be able to sort out her future, and that of her son's?
Down the Track by Aussie author Stella Quinn is set in the vast rural outback of Queensland with the heat and dust, flies and other pests a constant. Small town Yindi Creek is the same as all rural towns in Australia, where everyone knows the other's business, most are kind to their neighbours and the isolated bush is somewhere to be wary of - especially on your own. Recommended to fans of rural romance.
With thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Dr Joanne Tan was a palaeontologist, was also divorced and in joint custody with her husband for Luke, their ten year old son. Her self confidence was at an all time low after being accused of being a terrible mother, while Luke wanted to spend more time with his father. Her job situation at the Natural History Museum was dire and unless she discovered something special in her trip to Yindi Creek, she'd be out of work and completely broke. With Luke's excitement high when he learned his favourite author of graphic novels, Gavin Gunn, was doing a library talk in Yindi Creek, Jo persuaded Luke to join her for the couple of weeks during school holidays. What would be the outcome of the meeting between Hux and Jo? And would Jo be able to sort out her future, and that of her son's?
Down the Track by Aussie author Stella Quinn is set in the vast rural outback of Queensland with the heat and dust, flies and other pests a constant. Small town Yindi Creek is the same as all rural towns in Australia, where everyone knows the other's business, most are kind to their neighbours and the isolated bush is somewhere to be wary of - especially on your own. Recommended to fans of rural romance.
With thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
June 26, 2024
What happens when paleontologist Dr. Joanne Tan arrives in the small town of Yindi Creek hoping upon hope to discover some dinosaur bones and build up her career, but what does happen is she runs into someone from her past, Gavin (Hux) Huxtable, someone who meant a lot to her fourteen years ago, there is a lot of water under the bridge now including her ten year old son Luke where will this go?
Hux has never gotten over Jo, although a helicopter pilot he is also now a writer of best -selling series Tyson Clueless Jones, he is not normally in Yindi Creek at this time of the year but when his business partner and brother in law has a problem with a missing customer, Hux arrives home to do what he can and meeting up with Jo was the last thing he expected, maybe it is time for Hux to open up to Jo.
Stella Quinn has written another witty fun and thoroughly enjoyable rural romance, this one is a busy story with lots going on, dinosaur bones, missing men, relationships between families and such wonderful characters that added so much to the story, there were many laughs and smiles reading this one as I cheered Hux and Jo through an up and down journey to happiness.
I would highly recommend this one any lover of a good rural romance.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
Hux has never gotten over Jo, although a helicopter pilot he is also now a writer of best -selling series Tyson Clueless Jones, he is not normally in Yindi Creek at this time of the year but when his business partner and brother in law has a problem with a missing customer, Hux arrives home to do what he can and meeting up with Jo was the last thing he expected, maybe it is time for Hux to open up to Jo.
Stella Quinn has written another witty fun and thoroughly enjoyable rural romance, this one is a busy story with lots going on, dinosaur bones, missing men, relationships between families and such wonderful characters that added so much to the story, there were many laughs and smiles reading this one as I cheered Hux and Jo through an up and down journey to happiness.
I would highly recommend this one any lover of a good rural romance.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital copy to read and review.
July 2, 2024
Stella has done it again. I have read several of her books and enjoyed them all. What I enjoyed most about this book was the second chance romance and the discussion of fossils. As you know I also enjoy a book about missing people , so this book covered just about all my tropes. This book is about parenting, and your past especially letting go of baggage. Told by 2 POV that being Jo and Hux. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 9, 2024
Meticulously researched, quintessentially Australian, loveable characters and a cute dog, Stella has delivered another knockout rural romance. She has perfectly captured the heat and dust of the Qld outback. It’s the perfect setting for a little mystery and romance. Love reading romance/women’s fiction with rich, deep plots. Highly recommend. Thanks to Better Reading for my early copy.
June 3, 2024
Stella Quinn perfectly captures what outback Australia is all about in this feel-good rural romance!
In this second change romance, Dr Joanne Tan is a single mum, struggling with her career and her relationship with her son. An opportunity for the paleontologist to dig a site near the outback Queensland town of Yindi Creek might be just the thing to save her career and win back the Iove and respect of her son.
What she didn’t anticipate was running into her ex, the very handsome Gavin Huxtable (Hux), helicopter pilot and writer whose heart she broke 14 years earlier. Gavin has channeled his heartbreak into a successful career, but a missing person last seen by his business partner and brother in law, draws him home to try and help save their business. It just so happens this person was last seen near Jo’s dig site.
Told from dual points of view, Down the Track is beautifully written and highlights the beauty and harshness of the Australian Outback. Stella expertly captures the essence of rural communities and the colorful characters that reside there.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Australian for a copy in exchange for an honest review. Loved this book!!
In this second change romance, Dr Joanne Tan is a single mum, struggling with her career and her relationship with her son. An opportunity for the paleontologist to dig a site near the outback Queensland town of Yindi Creek might be just the thing to save her career and win back the Iove and respect of her son.
What she didn’t anticipate was running into her ex, the very handsome Gavin Huxtable (Hux), helicopter pilot and writer whose heart she broke 14 years earlier. Gavin has channeled his heartbreak into a successful career, but a missing person last seen by his business partner and brother in law, draws him home to try and help save their business. It just so happens this person was last seen near Jo’s dig site.
Told from dual points of view, Down the Track is beautifully written and highlights the beauty and harshness of the Australian Outback. Stella expertly captures the essence of rural communities and the colorful characters that reside there.
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Australian for a copy in exchange for an honest review. Loved this book!!
June 5, 2024
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Memorable and delightful characters anchor interest and act as an investment to the overall narrative.
In the opening pages we meet Ethel and Dot and the scene that unfolds is truly delightful with the aged sisters.
Paving the way for a great read.
Dr Jo Tan returns to Yindi Creek, a place rich in fossils to unearth and a place where heart strings were once pulled.
Since her last visit she has a broken marriage and a son that has the scars of divorce.
Hux is a man of many talents and is a successful author.
Reacquainting with Jo has the town abuzz as they unite in solving a mystery and discovering bones long hidden.
Alongside other larger than life townsfolk, an adorable three legged dog and the expansive Australian outback will satisfy every sense.
A tapestry of landscape, characters, back stories and a thread of mystery ensure the reader gets a complete and heartwarming experience.
Stella always delivers and her work is eagerly devoured.
Memorable and delightful characters anchor interest and act as an investment to the overall narrative.
In the opening pages we meet Ethel and Dot and the scene that unfolds is truly delightful with the aged sisters.
Paving the way for a great read.
Dr Jo Tan returns to Yindi Creek, a place rich in fossils to unearth and a place where heart strings were once pulled.
Since her last visit she has a broken marriage and a son that has the scars of divorce.
Hux is a man of many talents and is a successful author.
Reacquainting with Jo has the town abuzz as they unite in solving a mystery and discovering bones long hidden.
Alongside other larger than life townsfolk, an adorable three legged dog and the expansive Australian outback will satisfy every sense.
A tapestry of landscape, characters, back stories and a thread of mystery ensure the reader gets a complete and heartwarming experience.
Stella always delivers and her work is eagerly devoured.
April 23, 2025
I’ve enjoyed other books, both in actual and audio format, by this author but I just couldn’t get into this one. It was an audio and I just couldn’t keep track of the characters or story or concentrate on the narrator. Other reviewers love it though so pay no mind to me!
June 1, 2024
I'm a fan of Stella Quinn's books, and Down the Track is another wonderfully written book.
Filled with lots of interesting characters quite typical of who you'd find in a small town, there are lots of little side stories to make up the bigger picture, including flash backs to when pelentologist Jo and Hux first met 15 years before digging up dinosaur bones.
Jo's now returned to outback QLD with the extra baggage of a divorce, a 10 year old son who's not talking to her and the threat of losing her job, the last thing she needs is to run into Hux again all these years later.
While Jo races against time to save her job and make a new fossil discovery, Hux is trying to keep his extended family together and save the business he's in a partnership in.
I enjoyed the tit bits of dinosaur history, it was enough to fit the story without being too much, Jo sorting out her life slowly as the story went on was nice to read along with.
Thank you Harlequin for the copy to read and review.
Filled with lots of interesting characters quite typical of who you'd find in a small town, there are lots of little side stories to make up the bigger picture, including flash backs to when pelentologist Jo and Hux first met 15 years before digging up dinosaur bones.
Jo's now returned to outback QLD with the extra baggage of a divorce, a 10 year old son who's not talking to her and the threat of losing her job, the last thing she needs is to run into Hux again all these years later.
While Jo races against time to save her job and make a new fossil discovery, Hux is trying to keep his extended family together and save the business he's in a partnership in.
I enjoyed the tit bits of dinosaur history, it was enough to fit the story without being too much, Jo sorting out her life slowly as the story went on was nice to read along with.
Thank you Harlequin for the copy to read and review.
May 21, 2024
My review:
This book is very much out of the realm of what I normally read, although the storyline was good and getting to know Hux, Jo, And the ‘dirt girls’ Dot and Ethel, and learn about them and their lives was interesting, I enjoyed the romance with Jo and Hux but found the storyline to be a little long and dragged out. I LOVED the emphasis of it be Australian. This story was a good read. I believe I would read it again in the future at some point!
🌸 small town romance
🌸 second chance romance
🌸 single mom
Would I recommend:
Yes I believe I would to the right person.
This book is very much out of the realm of what I normally read, although the storyline was good and getting to know Hux, Jo, And the ‘dirt girls’ Dot and Ethel, and learn about them and their lives was interesting, I enjoyed the romance with Jo and Hux but found the storyline to be a little long and dragged out. I LOVED the emphasis of it be Australian. This story was a good read. I believe I would read it again in the future at some point!
🌸 small town romance
🌸 second chance romance
🌸 single mom
Would I recommend:
Yes I believe I would to the right person.
August 17, 2024
A second chance of romance, for Dr Joanne Tan a single mum, struggling with her career and her relationship with her son Luke. An opportunity for the paleontologist to dig a site near the outback Queensland town of Yindi Creek might be just the thing to save her career and win back the Iove and respect of her son.
Gavin Huxtable (Hux), helicopter pilot and writer whose heart Jo broke 14 years earlier, a missing person last seen by his business partner and brother in law, brings him home to try and help save their business. It just so happens that this person was last seen near Jo’s dig site. Just loved the characters, especially the Dirt Girls - Dot and Ethel.
Great read.
Gavin Huxtable (Hux), helicopter pilot and writer whose heart Jo broke 14 years earlier, a missing person last seen by his business partner and brother in law, brings him home to try and help save their business. It just so happens that this person was last seen near Jo’s dig site. Just loved the characters, especially the Dirt Girls - Dot and Ethel.
Great read.
May 8, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from Better Reading as an advanced copy for my honest and unbiased review. Looking at others reviews I am wondering if I am missing something, mostly 5 stars from other readers, don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, I just found it a bit lacking in depth. It seemed to take such a long time to actually get to anything, lots of talking about the dig that had already happened years ago that the main character Dr Joanne Tan (Jo) wasn't aware of, she had been sent to do this, there was a tease of some big mystery as to why she was sent on the dig by her good friend, boss and mentor Jedda, why did Jedda send her to a dig that had already happened and failed??? I found the eventual answers to this question to be quite disappointing and not worthy of all the hype. I found Jo to be a bit of a bland character, I just couldn't warm to her, I did like Hux, his character was well rounded and interesting, I dubbed him hot helicopter pilot, the relationship between Hux and Jo was frustrating and I feel, rushed at the end. Maggie the Publican and The Dirt Girls Dot and Ethel were great characters and made the book. I also thought the story of the missing stranger to town who was dropped remotely by the local helicopter charter owned by Hux and his brother-in-law Charlie to be quite lacking, lots of buildup, police investigation, the help of Hux and without giving a spoiler his alter ego, but the end to the story was just not that complex. The best part of it all was the rebuilding of the relationship between Jo and her 10-year-old son. I would have liked to have seen Jo's condescending ex-husband cop some sort of blow to put him back in his place, he was a well written but very unlikeable person. I am sorry to say, this is one of those books that left me feeling that if I hadn't read it, I really wouldn't have missed out.
January 25, 2025
I loved this book by Stella Quinn, an author who has quickly become one of my favourites.
My only complaint was, I wanted to see more of Hux and Jo on the page together - they were so very good in the scenes and I just wanted more.
My only complaint was, I wanted to see more of Hux and Jo on the page together - they were so very good in the scenes and I just wanted more.
June 25, 2024
4.5 STARS
This book was kindly sent to me by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mysteries, romance and dinosaurs against the captivating backdrop of remote Queensland.
Fifteen years after her last visit to Yindi Creek in outback Queensland, paleontologist Jo Tann is back in a last-ditch effort to get her life headed in the right direction again. Her ex-husband may be a dick, her ten-year-old son may dislike her at the moment, and her job may be in jeopardy, but digging up some dinosaur bones could just be the fix. Only, the two elderly women who made the original fossil find can’t remember the location of the dig site, the police banish her from trying to find the dig site because of a missing investigation, and the helicopter pilot flying her over the outback is the fling she left behind fifteen years earlier. Gavin Huxtable had no plans of being in Yindi Creek over the summer, but when a man goes missing in the outback and the last person to see him was his business partner and brother-in-law Charlie, Gavin leaves his writing retreat on the coast behind to get back home. And to make matters worse, the one woman he has ever loved is back in town. Prehistoric and very modern history starts to intertwine as Jo and Gavin’s paths continue to cross as they reluctantly work together to tackle several mysteries, and maybe even their still-present feelings.
Stella can honestly do no wrong when it comes to rural romances! And when I say rural, I mean remote as we are transported to the vastness of outback Queenland and Australia’s dinosaur trail. I LOVE small town romances, but I love them even more when they’re Australian, and Stella has once again captured the heart and quirks of regional and rural Aussie communities, sprinkling in an intriguing mystery and second-chance romance.
Although tagged as a rural romance, the book definitely leans more in the direction of a rural mystery with a side of romance. Jo and Hux have so much chemistry, and we get to see the development of their relationship both in the past and present. But it is there present relationship that is a major slow burn to the point where they don’t get together until the end of the book. And while I enjoyed the story and how Stella crafted it, I do really wish we had seen a little more of their second chance on-page, especially when the ending and their happily ever after was a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. The story itself is very much more of a second-chance in terms of reconciling previous heartbreak to get closure while also potentially recapturing that love by making different decisions than you did the first time.
In terms of the mystery, I was captivated! I was not expecting the mystery elements of this story to be such a major player in the overall story, but I deeply enjoyed how Stella weaved the current missing person mystery into the story, and how it linked to the various past and present elements of story. I’m not someone who necessarily reached for crime and mystery novels, but this was just the right amount of mystery without getting bogged down in a dark crime storyline.
The people of Yindi Creek were an interesting bunch, and it was fun to get to learn a little about all of these characters throughout Jo and Hux’s story. Unlike Stella’s previous rural romances, there doesn’t seem to be anyone with potential to have their own book - aside from a Christmas-themed novella coming later this year - but I would definitely love to return to Yindi Creek in the future and see more of all these characters. It’s such a rich and interesting setting with lots of intriguing characters that will have you itching to make the trek to outback Queensland to
I really appreciate how much time, energy and effort that Stella clearly put into her research - if I didn’t know any better I’d think she was an actual paleontologist or archaeologist! Because while Yindi Creek is a fictional town, the nearby Winton and the dinosaur discoveries of remote Queensland and very much real and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn and experience these discoveries and history through Stella’s story. If this don’t have you wanting to explore the Australian Dinosaur Trail, I don’t know what will!
As I’ve said a million times before, rural romance is once of my favourite romances to pick up and Stella continues to deliver must-read romances filled with the heart and soul of rural Australian communities. If you’re yet to dip your toe in the rural romance pond, or if you’ve only read American cowboy romances, this is the place to start!
This book was kindly sent to me by Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Mysteries, romance and dinosaurs against the captivating backdrop of remote Queensland.
Fifteen years after her last visit to Yindi Creek in outback Queensland, paleontologist Jo Tann is back in a last-ditch effort to get her life headed in the right direction again. Her ex-husband may be a dick, her ten-year-old son may dislike her at the moment, and her job may be in jeopardy, but digging up some dinosaur bones could just be the fix. Only, the two elderly women who made the original fossil find can’t remember the location of the dig site, the police banish her from trying to find the dig site because of a missing investigation, and the helicopter pilot flying her over the outback is the fling she left behind fifteen years earlier. Gavin Huxtable had no plans of being in Yindi Creek over the summer, but when a man goes missing in the outback and the last person to see him was his business partner and brother-in-law Charlie, Gavin leaves his writing retreat on the coast behind to get back home. And to make matters worse, the one woman he has ever loved is back in town. Prehistoric and very modern history starts to intertwine as Jo and Gavin’s paths continue to cross as they reluctantly work together to tackle several mysteries, and maybe even their still-present feelings.
Stella can honestly do no wrong when it comes to rural romances! And when I say rural, I mean remote as we are transported to the vastness of outback Queenland and Australia’s dinosaur trail. I LOVE small town romances, but I love them even more when they’re Australian, and Stella has once again captured the heart and quirks of regional and rural Aussie communities, sprinkling in an intriguing mystery and second-chance romance.
Although tagged as a rural romance, the book definitely leans more in the direction of a rural mystery with a side of romance. Jo and Hux have so much chemistry, and we get to see the development of their relationship both in the past and present. But it is there present relationship that is a major slow burn to the point where they don’t get together until the end of the book. And while I enjoyed the story and how Stella crafted it, I do really wish we had seen a little more of their second chance on-page, especially when the ending and their happily ever after was a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. The story itself is very much more of a second-chance in terms of reconciling previous heartbreak to get closure while also potentially recapturing that love by making different decisions than you did the first time.
In terms of the mystery, I was captivated! I was not expecting the mystery elements of this story to be such a major player in the overall story, but I deeply enjoyed how Stella weaved the current missing person mystery into the story, and how it linked to the various past and present elements of story. I’m not someone who necessarily reached for crime and mystery novels, but this was just the right amount of mystery without getting bogged down in a dark crime storyline.
The people of Yindi Creek were an interesting bunch, and it was fun to get to learn a little about all of these characters throughout Jo and Hux’s story. Unlike Stella’s previous rural romances, there doesn’t seem to be anyone with potential to have their own book - aside from a Christmas-themed novella coming later this year - but I would definitely love to return to Yindi Creek in the future and see more of all these characters. It’s such a rich and interesting setting with lots of intriguing characters that will have you itching to make the trek to outback Queensland to
I really appreciate how much time, energy and effort that Stella clearly put into her research - if I didn’t know any better I’d think she was an actual paleontologist or archaeologist! Because while Yindi Creek is a fictional town, the nearby Winton and the dinosaur discoveries of remote Queensland and very much real and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to learn and experience these discoveries and history through Stella’s story. If this don’t have you wanting to explore the Australian Dinosaur Trail, I don’t know what will!
As I’ve said a million times before, rural romance is once of my favourite romances to pick up and Stella continues to deliver must-read romances filled with the heart and soul of rural Australian communities. If you’re yet to dip your toe in the rural romance pond, or if you’ve only read American cowboy romances, this is the place to start!
August 12, 2024
Lets visit Yindi Creek, located in Queensland's outback. Here, we will become acquainted with two long lost lovers, dig up some dinosaur bones and become involved in a missing persons case. Who ever said rural life would be dull?
Meet Dr Joanne Tan and Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable. Fourteen years ago, they shared a brief but fiery fling. But Joanne's career was calling. As a paleontology student, she was always on the hunt for something much bigger.. Yindi Creek just wasn't the right place. So the volunteering gig outside town ended and so did her romance. As for the helicopter pilot? He was left behind nursing a trampled heart.
These days, Joanne is a divorced mother of one and an expert in her field. Meanwhile, Hux has expanded his helicopter piloting, going into business alongside brother-in-law Charlie. For nine months of the year, Yindi Creek is the place to be. As for the remaining three, it's being holed up in his Sunshine Coast home secretly penning the best selling crime series, Clueless Jones. Turns out being left heartbroken unleashed some money making creative juices.
So, what happens when these two run into each other? Quite by chance, neither are supposed to be in Yindi Creek. Joanne has been invited to scope out a potential site that's gaining interest. Hux has returned home unexpectedly for family reasons. Is it possible for Hux and Joanne to forgive and forget, and to start afresh?
Down the Track was certainly something different in the rural romance category! First off, how cool is it to have a female lead who is active in STEM? Especially paleontology, which absolutely fascinates me. AND it's set in Queensland's dinosaur country!! 👏 Let's not forget Ethel and Dot AKA The Dirt Girls, our trailblazer sisters, either!
Also, I'm not sure of the term, but using a fictional character that exists solely in one's mind to impart life advice is GENIUS. Tyson must be protected at all costs.
Plus three legged doggo Possum, you're a champion. I love a book that includes furry friends. His antics often made me smile. Such a good boy.
Quintessentially Australian, from sheep stations to Lara's Vegemite scroll, Stella's latest is not to be missed!
4.75 🌟
Meet Dr Joanne Tan and Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable. Fourteen years ago, they shared a brief but fiery fling. But Joanne's career was calling. As a paleontology student, she was always on the hunt for something much bigger.. Yindi Creek just wasn't the right place. So the volunteering gig outside town ended and so did her romance. As for the helicopter pilot? He was left behind nursing a trampled heart.
These days, Joanne is a divorced mother of one and an expert in her field. Meanwhile, Hux has expanded his helicopter piloting, going into business alongside brother-in-law Charlie. For nine months of the year, Yindi Creek is the place to be. As for the remaining three, it's being holed up in his Sunshine Coast home secretly penning the best selling crime series, Clueless Jones. Turns out being left heartbroken unleashed some money making creative juices.
So, what happens when these two run into each other? Quite by chance, neither are supposed to be in Yindi Creek. Joanne has been invited to scope out a potential site that's gaining interest. Hux has returned home unexpectedly for family reasons. Is it possible for Hux and Joanne to forgive and forget, and to start afresh?
Down the Track was certainly something different in the rural romance category! First off, how cool is it to have a female lead who is active in STEM? Especially paleontology, which absolutely fascinates me. AND it's set in Queensland's dinosaur country!! 👏 Let's not forget Ethel and Dot AKA The Dirt Girls, our trailblazer sisters, either!
Also, I'm not sure of the term, but using a fictional character that exists solely in one's mind to impart life advice is GENIUS. Tyson must be protected at all costs.
Plus three legged doggo Possum, you're a champion. I love a book that includes furry friends. His antics often made me smile. Such a good boy.
Quintessentially Australian, from sheep stations to Lara's Vegemite scroll, Stella's latest is not to be missed!
4.75 🌟
May 7, 2024
Read as a preview for Better Reading Review - it was so good :) Here's my review:
‘Down the Track’ by Stella Quinn isn’t my usual reading genre, but I was excited to see why rural romance has become so popular. I was most certainly not disappointed! What a lovely, heart-warming and interesting book. The main character, Dr Joanne Tan is no swooning damsel mooning for a farmer, she is an intriguing mix of palaeontologist, independent woman and slightly awkwardly geeky.
Dr Joanne Tan is a wonderfully interesting female protagonist to read and I enjoyed her journey returning to an area of central-western Qld around Winton to re-explore both her previous research and her previous romance. It was such a descriptive setting, full of character-filled locals, amazing land formations and the equally interesting male lead of Gavin ‘Hux’ Huxtable.
This delightful book contains many strong and interesting characters with wonderful ideas, thoughts and lives being lived through the generations in a rural outback community in Australia. It was light reading and kept pulling me along through the glorious settings and characters, the off-beat romance and almost at times crime thriller storyline. I am now a firm fan of Stella Quinn and the rural romance genre. Definitely a great read!
‘Down the Track’ by Stella Quinn isn’t my usual reading genre, but I was excited to see why rural romance has become so popular. I was most certainly not disappointed! What a lovely, heart-warming and interesting book. The main character, Dr Joanne Tan is no swooning damsel mooning for a farmer, she is an intriguing mix of palaeontologist, independent woman and slightly awkwardly geeky.
Dr Joanne Tan is a wonderfully interesting female protagonist to read and I enjoyed her journey returning to an area of central-western Qld around Winton to re-explore both her previous research and her previous romance. It was such a descriptive setting, full of character-filled locals, amazing land formations and the equally interesting male lead of Gavin ‘Hux’ Huxtable.
This delightful book contains many strong and interesting characters with wonderful ideas, thoughts and lives being lived through the generations in a rural outback community in Australia. It was light reading and kept pulling me along through the glorious settings and characters, the off-beat romance and almost at times crime thriller storyline. I am now a firm fan of Stella Quinn and the rural romance genre. Definitely a great read!
August 3, 2024
Beyond expectations. So darn good, a page-turner, clever, witty and quintessentially Australian. With a handsome Aussie protagonist - love-lorn crime writer Gavin Gunn - having internal conversations with his own lead-character (Tyson Jones) - was beyond funny and often romantic. The missing person/s plot was engaging and the Huxtable family a delight. I could hear them, see them, smell Ronnie's scones and visualise the eye-rolling of Regina (number one - read it, you'll totally get this). Loved left-brained scientist Dr Joanne Tan and her search for prehistoric fossils, along with the Dirt Girls (octogenerians Dot and Ethel) and Maggie (the owner of the local pub). The small town community, the annual show (the Yakka), and the local police created a layered story that was at all times an absolute pleasure to read. I want more. And I really, really want to know what happened to Jessica. Another book in the wings, Stella Quinn?
July 26, 2024
This was exactly what I felt like reading, it is a rural romance full of wonderful small town personalities and all the adventure you can expect from a palaeontologist and helicopter pilot love story. I loved that Jo is a single mum, I loved that Hux had a whole other life as a crime writer…this was a super fun read from an auto buy author for me!
June 17, 2024
A slow burn with beautiful descriptions of an outback town and it's warm hearted people. The story ramped up and became really compelling...until the anticlimactic ending. Hux is a babe though.
June 28, 2024
I really loved this novel from Stella Quinn – in part because it’s rather genre blurring. Although nominally a romance, there’s a good whack of general drama and a nicely handled crime subplot. There’s a lot here and it’s all done well.
Dr Joanne Tan is not in a great place when she returns to Yindi Creek for the first time in over fifteen years. She’s divorced – and it wasn’t amicable – and struggling in her relationship with her son. Not only was her career derailed by motherhood to the point of dead-ending, it looks like soon she might not have a job at all.
But Jo is a paleontologist, and she loves loves LOVES her dinosaur bones and field work. So although it’s a risk, she’s willing to accept her mentor’s offer to look for dinosaur bones on a remote sheep station in Yindi Creek.
But she’s not counting on running into Hux, a helicopter pilot she had a fling with all those years ago. And she definitely wasn’t expecting that the attraction between them would still be there.
One of the hallmarks of Quinn’s work is the warmth that radiates off the page to the reader. Not only Hux and Jo are treated kindly, but also all of the more minor characters who live in Yindi Creek. Words like “gentle”, “warm”, “grounded” and “charming” come to mind when I’m talking about Quinn’s novels. She sees people’s foibles in the best possible light, and shares that with us.
There’s a nice solid plot here, with plenty of strands and characters to engage readers. There’s the romance, of course. But also Jo’s search for bones, the police search for a missing person, Hux’s big and busy family, a sad event in the past, and a host of minor characters with concerns of their own. It’s easy to follow, but feels complex and with depth. And pretty realistic, because who ever gets to worry about one thing at a time?
The crime subplot was handled really well. I liked that although Hux and his partner Charlie were caught up in it, and Jo’s dig was affected by it, they were actually kind of peripheral to the criminal activities. This is the way it would be, realistically, for most people: affected by a crime, maybe with some input to the police investigation, but not deeply involved. It felt realistic while still adding a bit of meat to the novel.
Similarly, I liked the way the subplot involving Hux’s sister was handled. I’m not saying much to avoid spoilers, but again I found it realistic: you wouldn’t forget it, if it was your sister, but it might not consume your life either. There is a lot of emotional weight to this sub plot and I just dare any reader not to be affected by it.
Quinn’s strength is undoubtedly her appealing and believable characters and the realistic interactions between them. I was able to invest whole heartedly in Hux and Jo’s relationship, and to really want a good outcome for both.
Bottom line: I loved this novel, and I think readers looking for either romance or contemporary drama will also love it.
You may also be interested in my reviews of other novels by Stella Quinn:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
Dr Joanne Tan is not in a great place when she returns to Yindi Creek for the first time in over fifteen years. She’s divorced – and it wasn’t amicable – and struggling in her relationship with her son. Not only was her career derailed by motherhood to the point of dead-ending, it looks like soon she might not have a job at all.
But Jo is a paleontologist, and she loves loves LOVES her dinosaur bones and field work. So although it’s a risk, she’s willing to accept her mentor’s offer to look for dinosaur bones on a remote sheep station in Yindi Creek.
But she’s not counting on running into Hux, a helicopter pilot she had a fling with all those years ago. And she definitely wasn’t expecting that the attraction between them would still be there.
One of the hallmarks of Quinn’s work is the warmth that radiates off the page to the reader. Not only Hux and Jo are treated kindly, but also all of the more minor characters who live in Yindi Creek. Words like “gentle”, “warm”, “grounded” and “charming” come to mind when I’m talking about Quinn’s novels. She sees people’s foibles in the best possible light, and shares that with us.
There’s a nice solid plot here, with plenty of strands and characters to engage readers. There’s the romance, of course. But also Jo’s search for bones, the police search for a missing person, Hux’s big and busy family, a sad event in the past, and a host of minor characters with concerns of their own. It’s easy to follow, but feels complex and with depth. And pretty realistic, because who ever gets to worry about one thing at a time?
The crime subplot was handled really well. I liked that although Hux and his partner Charlie were caught up in it, and Jo’s dig was affected by it, they were actually kind of peripheral to the criminal activities. This is the way it would be, realistically, for most people: affected by a crime, maybe with some input to the police investigation, but not deeply involved. It felt realistic while still adding a bit of meat to the novel.
Similarly, I liked the way the subplot involving Hux’s sister was handled. I’m not saying much to avoid spoilers, but again I found it realistic: you wouldn’t forget it, if it was your sister, but it might not consume your life either. There is a lot of emotional weight to this sub plot and I just dare any reader not to be affected by it.
Quinn’s strength is undoubtedly her appealing and believable characters and the realistic interactions between them. I was able to invest whole heartedly in Hux and Jo’s relationship, and to really want a good outcome for both.
Bottom line: I loved this novel, and I think readers looking for either romance or contemporary drama will also love it.
You may also be interested in my reviews of other novels by Stella Quinn:
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
https://otherdreamsotherlives.home.bl...
October 8, 2024
This is a colourful read set in the red dirt country of western Queensland, for the most part an inhospitable part of Australia where only the tough survive with it's scorching heat in summer and torrential flood rains from time to time.
The vibrant tapestry of emotions, weaving together the bittersweet threads of unrequited love, sometime helicopter pilot and acclaimed author Hux who has held his heart of his sleeve for Jo, when they were much younger and who left him in the lurch to follow her own dream to become a palaeontologist. Jo is recently divorced and is navigating her new life dealing with a bitter ex husband and a ten year old son.
Hux's flame for Jo has never been extinguished and for which he plays out through his alter ego character in his books and for which presents itself in his thoughts. His universe is sent slightly off kilter when Jo turns up. She had received an invitation from two eighty year old ladies who had been waiting for many years for the first dig team to return and now pushed by a former colleague Jo arrives to reinvestigate the site.
The vivid settings pulse with life, mirroring Jo’s internal journey as she grapples with her past and hopes for the future. Hux, charming yet reveals a bitterness due to his memory of how she had dumped him.
When a man goes missing after being flown to a supposed camp site, a mystery ensues, 40°c heat means that nobody can survive with as little as this man carried with him. Charlie, Hux’s partner and helicopter pilot is shattered that he didn't make more enquiries with the man, the return flight had been booked, but “a no show”. Police, emergency services all become involved and it's not until right at the end the mystery is solved.
The vibrant tapestry of emotions, weaving together the bittersweet threads of unrequited love, sometime helicopter pilot and acclaimed author Hux who has held his heart of his sleeve for Jo, when they were much younger and who left him in the lurch to follow her own dream to become a palaeontologist. Jo is recently divorced and is navigating her new life dealing with a bitter ex husband and a ten year old son.
Hux's flame for Jo has never been extinguished and for which he plays out through his alter ego character in his books and for which presents itself in his thoughts. His universe is sent slightly off kilter when Jo turns up. She had received an invitation from two eighty year old ladies who had been waiting for many years for the first dig team to return and now pushed by a former colleague Jo arrives to reinvestigate the site.
The vivid settings pulse with life, mirroring Jo’s internal journey as she grapples with her past and hopes for the future. Hux, charming yet reveals a bitterness due to his memory of how she had dumped him.
When a man goes missing after being flown to a supposed camp site, a mystery ensues, 40°c heat means that nobody can survive with as little as this man carried with him. Charlie, Hux’s partner and helicopter pilot is shattered that he didn't make more enquiries with the man, the return flight had been booked, but “a no show”. Police, emergency services all become involved and it's not until right at the end the mystery is solved.
May 14, 2024
What is something that makes you lose your reading mojo?
I’ve just had family visit me from interstate and the interruption to my usual routine played havoc with my reading. It has been ages since that has happened to me, and even longer since I’ve read a rural romance…
Jo, a palaeontologist, and Hux, a helicopter pilot, meet in a small rural town and have a fling before Jo skips town for an exciting opportunity abroad. Fifteen years later – divorced, broke and with a son she’s struggling to connect with – Jo returns to resume the search for dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station. The last thing she expects is to cross paths with her old flame again. Even more surprising is that Hux still has feelings for her after all these years. Throw in a missing person and Hux’s secret double life and you get a rural romance that’s sweet and charming with sub-plots that keep you guessing.
I mostly enjoyed this story for its endearing characters, its insight into palaeontology and its setting in my beautiful part of the world, however I found the relationship between Jo and Hux slightly frustrating and the overall story a little slow going. If you’re looking for a holiday read or something light and fun, this certainly qualifies. It’s like a Hallmark movie with a true-blue Aussie cast that combines romance and mystery for an overall feel-good experience. That said, it has left me hungry for something with more grit. I’ve chosen Candice Fox’s new page-turning thriller, Devil’s Kitchen, as my next book to really fire up my reading mojo.
What are you currently reading?
I’ve just had family visit me from interstate and the interruption to my usual routine played havoc with my reading. It has been ages since that has happened to me, and even longer since I’ve read a rural romance…
Jo, a palaeontologist, and Hux, a helicopter pilot, meet in a small rural town and have a fling before Jo skips town for an exciting opportunity abroad. Fifteen years later – divorced, broke and with a son she’s struggling to connect with – Jo returns to resume the search for dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station. The last thing she expects is to cross paths with her old flame again. Even more surprising is that Hux still has feelings for her after all these years. Throw in a missing person and Hux’s secret double life and you get a rural romance that’s sweet and charming with sub-plots that keep you guessing.
I mostly enjoyed this story for its endearing characters, its insight into palaeontology and its setting in my beautiful part of the world, however I found the relationship between Jo and Hux slightly frustrating and the overall story a little slow going. If you’re looking for a holiday read or something light and fun, this certainly qualifies. It’s like a Hallmark movie with a true-blue Aussie cast that combines romance and mystery for an overall feel-good experience. That said, it has left me hungry for something with more grit. I’ve chosen Candice Fox’s new page-turning thriller, Devil’s Kitchen, as my next book to really fire up my reading mojo.
What are you currently reading?
June 1, 2024
Who’d have thought that dinosaurs could be matchmakers…..
Welcome to outback Queensland, Yindi Creek to be exact, where the flies are plenty, the heat oppressive, and the dirt just seem to go on and on. There is not much at Yindi Creek at first glance but delve a little deeper and you soon discover that there is plenty to captivate you….and that’s exactly what it does to Dr Joanne Tan.
Jo is back to yet another dinosaur dig near Yindi Creek, but this time she is a total mess emotionally and has more baggage, but she is more experienced and ready to change her future. What she is not ready for, is for Gavin Huxtable to walk back into her life and turn it upside down.
The characters in Yindi Creek are larger than life and have a real sense of family that often comes with small outback towns. I absolutely fell in love with Maggie the mothering publican, the “Dirt Girls” Dot and Ethel, the call-it-as-it-is Phaedra and of course, who wouldn’t love everyone’s three-legged friend Possum. I even loved the endearing way that Hux’s sisters were referred to as their number.
There is no doubt that Jo and Hux are the story’s core characters, and it is from their point of views that we make our way through this second chance romance. Also weaving it’s way throughout is a police investigation to the mysterious missing person and the impact that it is having on Hux and his family.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole, and I did find that in the most part it was set up in great detail, however towards the end it seemed to be a little rushed and jumpy, making you feel a bit deprived of a fuller experience.
Down the Track will be released in a few day on 5 June 2024 and I recommend grabbing a copy and taking a trip to Yindi Creek.
My gorgeous ARC was generously gifted to me by Harlequin Australia
#downthetrack
#stellaquinn
#bonesandboys
Welcome to outback Queensland, Yindi Creek to be exact, where the flies are plenty, the heat oppressive, and the dirt just seem to go on and on. There is not much at Yindi Creek at first glance but delve a little deeper and you soon discover that there is plenty to captivate you….and that’s exactly what it does to Dr Joanne Tan.
Jo is back to yet another dinosaur dig near Yindi Creek, but this time she is a total mess emotionally and has more baggage, but she is more experienced and ready to change her future. What she is not ready for, is for Gavin Huxtable to walk back into her life and turn it upside down.
The characters in Yindi Creek are larger than life and have a real sense of family that often comes with small outback towns. I absolutely fell in love with Maggie the mothering publican, the “Dirt Girls” Dot and Ethel, the call-it-as-it-is Phaedra and of course, who wouldn’t love everyone’s three-legged friend Possum. I even loved the endearing way that Hux’s sisters were referred to as their number.
There is no doubt that Jo and Hux are the story’s core characters, and it is from their point of views that we make our way through this second chance romance. Also weaving it’s way throughout is a police investigation to the mysterious missing person and the impact that it is having on Hux and his family.
I really enjoyed the story as a whole, and I did find that in the most part it was set up in great detail, however towards the end it seemed to be a little rushed and jumpy, making you feel a bit deprived of a fuller experience.
Down the Track will be released in a few day on 5 June 2024 and I recommend grabbing a copy and taking a trip to Yindi Creek.
My gorgeous ARC was generously gifted to me by Harlequin Australia
#downthetrack
#stellaquinn
#bonesandboys
May 27, 2024
Archaeologist Jo is back in Yindi Creek to revisit a dinosaur dig. After 15 years she’s not the same person, now she's divorced and mother of an angry 10 year old. Helicopter pilot Hux remembers her and their time together. He’s not the same either, he’s a successful writer now (and still single) - he’s helping out with the chopper for his brother-in-law’s sake. Pay attention in the early chapters as we work out who is who and what’s going on. Then it’s just sit back and enjoy it all!
I won’t add more on the plot because it unfolds so delightfully, but I do want to say how much there is here to feast on. Apart from dinosaurs and digs, and meddling old ladies and local police, a missing person, some unresolved family grief, and all the texture of small-town outback Queensland, there’s also the possibility of a rekindled romance.
The best thing for me was Hux. He owned his feelings and because it’s alternate both of their points of view, we can see him pining for Jo, and trying to understand what went wrong. It’s such a great turnabout from the usual dynamic - he’s not arrogant, or dismissive, just a lovely guy who wants what he wants. It’s closed door, and a slow burn and this fits with Jo’s anxiety and how she slowly (slooooowly) gets herself together. So good!
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Stella Quinn for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
I won’t add more on the plot because it unfolds so delightfully, but I do want to say how much there is here to feast on. Apart from dinosaurs and digs, and meddling old ladies and local police, a missing person, some unresolved family grief, and all the texture of small-town outback Queensland, there’s also the possibility of a rekindled romance.
The best thing for me was Hux. He owned his feelings and because it’s alternate both of their points of view, we can see him pining for Jo, and trying to understand what went wrong. It’s such a great turnabout from the usual dynamic - he’s not arrogant, or dismissive, just a lovely guy who wants what he wants. It’s closed door, and a slow burn and this fits with Jo’s anxiety and how she slowly (slooooowly) gets herself together. So good!
Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Australia and Stella Quinn for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
December 3, 2024
4.5 rural romantic stars.
Stella Quinn's latest novel is a great blend of romance, mystery, and small-town charm. Dr. Joanne Tan, a paleontologist, returns to the quaint Australian town of Yindi Creek (outback Queensland) in hopes of unearthing dinosaur bones to boost her career. Instead, she runs into Gavin "Hux" Huxtable, a man she hasn't seen in 14 years—one who still holds a special place in her heart.
Jo's life has changed drastically since she last saw Hux, with a broken marriage and a ten-year-old son, Luke, who bears the scars of divorce. Hux, now a successful author of the Tyson Clueless Jones series, is back in Yindi Creek unexpectedly to help with a missing person case tied to his business partner. While rekindling his connection with Jo was the last thing on his mind, their reunion stirs emotions he hasn't let go of.
Quinn masterfully weaves a busy yet cohesive story filled with dinosaur discoveries, family relationships, and mystery. I loved the cast of characters—especially elderly sisters Ethel and Dot, the three-legged dog, and the townsfolk. The Australian outback is a breathtaking backdrop to this story.
Witty dialogue, requisite heartwarming moments, and a bit of a mystery make it an uplifting read. Fans of rural romance will love the charm of this read.
Highly recommended for lovers of rural romance.
Stella Quinn's latest novel is a great blend of romance, mystery, and small-town charm. Dr. Joanne Tan, a paleontologist, returns to the quaint Australian town of Yindi Creek (outback Queensland) in hopes of unearthing dinosaur bones to boost her career. Instead, she runs into Gavin "Hux" Huxtable, a man she hasn't seen in 14 years—one who still holds a special place in her heart.
Jo's life has changed drastically since she last saw Hux, with a broken marriage and a ten-year-old son, Luke, who bears the scars of divorce. Hux, now a successful author of the Tyson Clueless Jones series, is back in Yindi Creek unexpectedly to help with a missing person case tied to his business partner. While rekindling his connection with Jo was the last thing on his mind, their reunion stirs emotions he hasn't let go of.
Quinn masterfully weaves a busy yet cohesive story filled with dinosaur discoveries, family relationships, and mystery. I loved the cast of characters—especially elderly sisters Ethel and Dot, the three-legged dog, and the townsfolk. The Australian outback is a breathtaking backdrop to this story.
Witty dialogue, requisite heartwarming moments, and a bit of a mystery make it an uplifting read. Fans of rural romance will love the charm of this read.
Highly recommended for lovers of rural romance.
May 9, 2024
Down the Track by Australian author Stella Quinn is a charming, romantic rural novel that I found myself totally and happily immersed in.
Dr Joanne Tan is in her thirties, divorced, strapped for cash and her ten-year-old son is giving her grief, she is given an invitation to dig up dinosaur bones on a remote Queensland sheep station. She finds herself back in Yindi Creek hoping no one will remember her from fifteen years ago. Little does she know she will run into Gavin 'Hux' Huxtable again.
This is a charming, well-written romantic read. The characters are full of life and well developed, with distinct personalities that win you over instantly and the dialogue is sharp and distinct. The story took a few twists that I was not anticipating, which heightened my enjoyment. The romance felt natural and progressed at a good pace. The chemistry between the two leads was wonderful, and they balanced each other well. It is a journey full of angst, fun, hope, happiness, sadness, and everything in between.
Stella Quinn continues to make magic happen in her rural romance novels. Fans of sweet romances will especially enjoy this tale. Thank you, Better Reading. I highly recommend.
June 8, 2024
Set in Queensland in the outback this is the story of Joanne and her relationship with her ten year old son, and her life as a palaeontologist. She is quite focused on her job and sometimes it's hard for her to care for human relationships.
It's also about Gavin, who comes from a fairly large family and is well known in the area as an helicopter pilot. Years back Joanne and Gavin had a relationship that fizzled out. Mainly this happened because Joanne left the area with. hardly a goodbye. Gavin is also a very popular author.
The story is told from both viewpoints and most of the time I preferred Gavin's storyline. He just seemed far more likeable and interesting, although Joanne does grow and change somewhat by the end of the book.
Down the Track has a setting that feels authentic. It has some great side characters and I am thinking mainly of Maggie who runs the hotel. She dispenses wisdom where it's often needed. There is also a bit of a mystery that threads throughout the book.
The romance between Joanne and Gavin I found a little unsatisfactory, they weren't together that often! The story relied rather heavily on what had happened fourteen years before. However on the whole it was a satisfactory read.
It's also about Gavin, who comes from a fairly large family and is well known in the area as an helicopter pilot. Years back Joanne and Gavin had a relationship that fizzled out. Mainly this happened because Joanne left the area with. hardly a goodbye. Gavin is also a very popular author.
The story is told from both viewpoints and most of the time I preferred Gavin's storyline. He just seemed far more likeable and interesting, although Joanne does grow and change somewhat by the end of the book.
Down the Track has a setting that feels authentic. It has some great side characters and I am thinking mainly of Maggie who runs the hotel. She dispenses wisdom where it's often needed. There is also a bit of a mystery that threads throughout the book.
The romance between Joanne and Gavin I found a little unsatisfactory, they weren't together that often! The story relied rather heavily on what had happened fourteen years before. However on the whole it was a satisfactory read.
June 17, 2024
Set in the Winton area of outback Queensland, Down The Track combines romantic suspense with a second-chance-at-love story for paleontologist Joanne Tan and successful author Gavin Huxtable. I loved these two characters. Each has their flaws and their endearing characteristics. Jo, divorced from her husband Craig, a demeaning and misogynistic man, loves her ten-year-old son Luke but struggles to connect with him. She is passionate about her work but with her current contract ending, her self-confidence could use a boost. Gavin is a helicopter pilot based at Yindi Creek for most of the year but secretly writes under the pseudonym Gavin Gunn. He fell in love with Jo fourteen years ago and was hurt when she put her career ahead of a relationship with him. I loved watching these two growing together again while they helped Yindi Creek sisters Ethel and Dot to find evidence that a dinosaur bone found years earlier was part of something more. I was swept up in the mystery of the missing man, whose disappearance is a driving force in the secondary plot of this story. There was plenty going on throughout and I couldn’t stop reading. I always enjoy Stella Quinn’s work and this book has been a fabulous read.
September 30, 2024
I am really pleased that circumstances led me to being slow to actually read this book. Had bought it as it came out & had heard Stella speaking of it. I have now recently returned from the ‘dinosaur triangle’ in outback QLD. We didn’t visit Winton, however we did stay at both Richmond & Hughenden. These towns both have museums with huge amounts of dinosaur history, relics, exhibits etc. I have read Stella’s previous 3 books. This is quite a different take.
Jo Tan has gone out to investigate what could be dinosaur relics. This starts with an elderly lady wanting closure on an old investigation on the family property. There are no new finds, or even clear knowledge of exact location. This brings palaeontologist Jo Tan & helicopter pilot/author Gavin (Hux) Huxtable back in contact. They have prior ‘history’. Jo is in a low time in her life, likely no job, a son who hates her & an ex husband. There is quite a bit going on with the disappearance of a person who had flown on one of the choppers & now can’t be found. All this places a shadow over the helicopter company. Hux is quite a well known author now & is going to promote his book & also a TV show emanating from the series.
I am scoring this 4.75 🌟
Jo Tan has gone out to investigate what could be dinosaur relics. This starts with an elderly lady wanting closure on an old investigation on the family property. There are no new finds, or even clear knowledge of exact location. This brings palaeontologist Jo Tan & helicopter pilot/author Gavin (Hux) Huxtable back in contact. They have prior ‘history’. Jo is in a low time in her life, likely no job, a son who hates her & an ex husband. There is quite a bit going on with the disappearance of a person who had flown on one of the choppers & now can’t be found. All this places a shadow over the helicopter company. Hux is quite a well known author now & is going to promote his book & also a TV show emanating from the series.
I am scoring this 4.75 🌟
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