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Walking the Line

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For how long can secrets stay buried?

Country-loving Dallas Armstrong is a hard-as-nails bull rider, who dreams of becoming Australian champion, just like his father, Mick, was. But when he discovers a shocking secret about his father on the same day Mick dies in a car accident, Dallas’s world is turned upside down. Now it’s up to him to protect his mother from the truth, and to keep the family farm Rollingstone Ridge afloat. And he will do everything in his power to do so.

Charlize Dawson is a successful city journalist whose marriage is in tatters. Begrudgingly sent to the country to write about Dallas, she is surprised to find that he isn’t the arrogant cowboy she’d assumed he’d be. Instead she and Dallas and share an intense chemistry and deep connection that lead to a stolen kiss at the Rodeo Ball.

But when Charlize’s research for her article puts her on the path of uncovering Dallas’s secret, he demands she stop or lose him forever. Dallas or her career, which should she choose? How can she turn her back on the people who have welcomed her into their lives with open arms, all in the name of her job? Her career is all she has left, and she has worked so very hard to be where she is. But how can she reveal what she knows, if it means losing the love of her life?

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 21, 2016

20 people are currently reading
151 people want to read

About the author

Mandy Magro

39 books334 followers
Mandy Magro lives in Cairns, Far North Queensland, with her daughter, Chloe Rose. With pristine aqua-blue coastline in one direction, and sweeping rural landscapes in the other, she describes her home as heaven on earth. A passionate woman, and a romantic at heart, she loves writing about soul-deep love, the Australian rural way of life, and all the wonderful characters that live there.

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5 stars
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129 (35%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,100 reviews3,021 followers
November 10, 2016
Journalist from a top Sydney newspaper, Charlize Dawson was going through many stages of grief after finding her beloved husband had been cheating; their marriage a sham. But then her boss who was also a good friend, decided to send Charlize to Grenfell, deep in the country near Parkes in New South Wales. His idea was for Charlize to have some time to clear her mind and think about her future, plus combine it with an assignment to interview Dallas Armstrong, champion bull rider keen to become the Australian champion. Reluctant though she was, Charlize knew the break away would help; and her career wouldn’t suffer either.

Dallas lived on Rollingstone Ridge, the family farm which had been his home from birth. His father had been killed several months before in a terrible car accident, only a matter of hours after Dallas had discovered a secret he had been hiding; his determination to protect his mother Katherine and Gramps Reg from learning the truth had him struggling with a combination of grief and guilt.

On learning of the imminent arrival of the journalist, Dallas was angry. He didn’t want this – the risk of secrets being uncovered had him concerned. But helping the family farm survive was a priority – he was sure he could handle it and send the journalist on her way. As Charlize settled quickly into country life, loving it which surprised her immensely, she found Dallas’ family friendly and welcoming. The townsfolk of Grenfell were the same – all except for one person. Who was this bitter, nasty piece of work who seemed to want to do nothing more than cause trouble? And what would Charlize do when she discovered something she really didn’t want to know?

Walking the Line is another excellent rural romantic suspense novel by Aussie author Mandy Magro. Set in the vast depths of country Australia, the descriptions of the bush and rural life, along with the struggles of the farmers are authentic. The mystery and intrigue are high; the pages, especially toward the end, just raced by while I kept reading until late to discover what had happened. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Jenny.
2,342 reviews73 followers
March 30, 2017
Walking the Line is another great book from Mandy Magro. Walking the Line is about country boy Dallas Armstrong who wants to win the Australian Rodeo Championships, keep his farm going after his father death and raise funds for the drought-stricken farmers by developing a calendar. However, Dallas entirely focuses world was turned upside down when his mum invited Charlize Dawson a journalist from Sydney to stay with them to write a story about him, and his the charity calendar. Both Charlize and Dallas have secrets and a rocky start, however, this do not stop them from falling in love. Walking the Line continues to explore Dallas and Charlize romance entwine with Charlize investigation into Dallas father's death.

Walking the Line is a romantic, suspenseful story, however, at times readers will not be able to stop laughing. Mandy Magro did a beautiful portrayal of her characters and how the entwine with each other. The readers of Walking the Line will learn about the Australian Rodeo industry and the passion that riders have for their animals. Also, the readers will enjoy the way Mandy Magro describes the problems and issues that face drought-stricken Australian Farmers.

I recommend this book.
Profile Image for Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews.
2,245 reviews332 followers
December 31, 2025
There are a great line up of female Aussie writers in the popular and ever expanding rural romance genre and Mandy Magro, author of Walking the Line, is a solid fixture on this genre.

Magro’s eighth and latest novel, Walking the Line, combines journalism with country life and professional bull riding. The book opens with a cracking prologue, delivering a secret and a line of suspense that runs throughout the bulk of the novel, guaranteed to keep the pages turning. It involves the hero of the story, Dallas, who uncovers a shocking secret about his Father. Unfortunately, the very same day, Dallas’ Father tragically dies in a car crash. This secret is not divulged to the reader, which kept me invested in the storyline, until the big reveal at the close of the novel. Naturally, Dallas and his family are consumed by grief but they still need to keep their farm afloat. To raise much needed funds for their property, Dallas and his Mother agree to an interview written by a city journalist. In this article, the journalist delves into Dallas’ life as an aspiring bull riding champion. Dallas and some locals are also raising funds for drought relief by posing for a naked calendar. When city girl Charlize comes to cover the story, she gets more than she bargained for. The news article ends up taking a very different direction and sparks immediately fly between the still married Charlize and the sworn off city girls Dallas.

Walking the Line immediately struck me as a rural fiction novel heavy on the romance, which really worked for me as a reader. I was in the mood for a light, undemanding, somewhat formulaic read from my favourite genre and this is what I got from Ms Magro. There are some gentle messages of love and different takes on love (and lust) in this book. These range from a heart-warming story thread involving the main character Dallas’ Grandfather, Dallas’ Mother’s devoted marriage to Dallas’ Father and the lusty love that sparks between Dallas and Charlize. It doesn’t matter which guise love takes in the book, I found each one endearing.

Magro’s female protagonist Charlize, undergoes the typical fish out of water transformation from city to country girl that occurs in many other popular rural romance efforts. Despite this part of the book being fairly run of the mill, I still enjoyed Charlize’s journey immensely. I also appreciated the humour that came from these sections of the narrative.

Magro always excels at bringing a slice of the country life alive, for the reader to appreciate. Walking the Line is no exception, it is brimming with great descriptions of the struggles and hardships of Australian farm life. The novel also exudes the strength of rural community and the rich beauty of the land. Added to Walking the Line is the focus on the rodeo circuit, which I knew little about prior to reading this book. I found this both highly interesting and enlightening. The bull riding theme certainly gave a sense of danger to the main character of Dallas, adding further appeal to this protagonist. Finally, no Mandy Magro book would be complete without a trademark reference to country music, fans will be pleased to know this is briefly included in Walking the Line.

Walking the Line was the perfect holiday binge read for me, it was romantic, suspenseful in places and featured a readable narrative that had me gently turning the pages until the end. It will appeal to a wide audience, as well as diehard fans of the rural romance genre.

*I wish to thank Beauty and Lace for providing a copy of this book for review purposes.
Profile Image for Anne Peachey.
190 reviews18 followers
December 15, 2016
I received Walking the Line by Mandy Magro from Beauty and Lace Book Club to read and review.
Walking the Line is another great read by this talented writer.
City girl travels to the country to write an artical she hopes will get her the promotion she has worked hard for years towards.
She is doing an piece on a cowboy who is striving towards wining the Australian Bullriders Campionship. As did his father.
The father had a dark secret that his son Dallas is doing his best to keep it that. A secret.
While Charlize is reporting on what makes Dallas tick, the sparks fly between them.
City girl – Country boy.
Charlize unwittingly uncovers the secret that will rip Dallas family apart.
Reveal the secret, lose the man.
Keep quiet on the secret, potentially lose her job.
Magro has written supurb descriptions of the scenery, country living, mateship, love, lust, betrayal, life on a property and the Rodeo Circuit.
Great read for lovers of Rural Romance and this book will appeal to many.
Profile Image for Sue Gerhardt Griffiths.
1,234 reviews84 followers
December 31, 2025
4.5 ⭐️s


This book was beyond wonderful in so many ways.

I don’t know why it takes me forever to pick up a Mandy Magro book as I can’t wait to get lost in another one of her breathtaking stories. I can only assume it’s because I love her books so much I want to pace myself, linger, savour… as I don’t want to run out of her existing bibliography.

Charlize … Dallas … seriously, they’re the cutest.
Profile Image for Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves .
1,070 reviews
December 22, 2016
On my continuing crusade to discover Aussie female writers in the increasingly popular rural romance category, I am happy to report that Mandy Magro provided a solid performance with her tale, ‘Walking the Line’. As she writes in her acknowledgements, it’s about forgetting ‘the dreaded housework, (keeping) you up until the wee hours of the morning (which it did! - and making) you laugh out loud, as you reach for the tissues, leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling at the end.’

“His mother screamed the most heart-wrenching cry.”

The prologue threw you in right from the start, I found myself tearing up in the first few pages! For the remainder of the novel, that powerful prologue had started a journey, as the secret is slowly unfurled, with intrigue keeping you turning the pages. I thought it might be a predictable secret but it had the necessary twist that I did not foresee, which I was relieved with, as it was constantly alluded to.

‘Was it just her feeling the sexual energy around them, or did he feel the sparks too?’

Yes, this is a rural romance, so if you are seeking that kind of fix, then you won’t be disappointed. It’s light, with a tried and true formula, that will prove an engaging read. There are many forms of love throughout the generations - grandparents faithfulness, parents loyalty and lustful sparks for the two main leads. I liked many of the secondary characters and what mother could not love Dallas for the way he wanted to protect and care for his mother:

‘Katherine Armstrong’s big beautiful heart was already broken enough and it was his job to protect her, and to make her life happy again.’

Walking the Line is a perfect holiday read with it’s romance and suspense. It will appeal to a wide audience, especially fans of the rural romance genre. So give yourself a break and escape to the country for a breath of fresh air:

‘Country air has a way of revitalising you from the inside out and making you see things from a completely different angle.’

http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
Profile Image for Linda Phillips.
60 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2016
Mandy Magro has emerged as one of the best Australian rural romance writers, confirmed with this latest novel, a must read. And, btw, I bought my copy to read, unlike the previous two reviews, as I'm a fan of her writing.
Profile Image for Deb Bodinnar.
443 reviews3 followers
January 14, 2017
I really enjoyed reading Mandy's latest novel. I find myself wanting to find a rodeo to go to and watch these crazy bull riders. Good job Mandy Magro.
Profile Image for A Reader's Heaven.
1,592 reviews28 followers
January 17, 2018
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Country-loving Dallas Armstrong is a hard-as-nails bull rider, who dreams of becoming Australian champion, just like his father, Mick, was. But when he discovers a shocking secret about his father on the same day Mick dies in a car accident, Dallas’s world is turned upside down. Now it’s up to him to protect his mother from the truth, and to keep the family farm Rollingstone Ridge afloat. And he will do everything in his power to do so.
Charlize Dawson is a successful city journalist whose marriage is in tatters. Begrudgingly sent to the country to write about Dallas, she is surprised to find that he isn’t the arrogant cowboy she’d assumed he’d be. Instead she and Dallas and share an intense chemistry and deep connection that lead to a stolen kiss at the Rodeo Ball.
But when Charlize’s research for her article puts her on the path of uncovering Dallas’s secret, he demands she stop or lose him forever. Dallas or her career, which should she choose? How can she turn her back on the people who have welcomed her into their lives with open arms, all in the name of her job? Her career is all she has left, and she has worked so very hard to be where she is. But how can she reveal what she knows, if it means losing the love of her life?


Another week, another Australian rural romance novel. You could be forgiven for thinking that, by now, all these stories would be the same but I can promise you that this novel stands alone in the RR stakes. Sure, it is a romance novel, set in the rural areas of Australia, but there is a certain "something" that makes this one of the more memorable ones...

Even the story sounds familiar - big city girl comes to the country to do a story on a local hero, trying to get a promotion she has worked so long for. He has a secret that he desperately wants to keep hidden. During her research, she stumbles on said secret. And develops feelings for the guy. So she is stuck - tell him she knows the secret and he will walk away from her, or keep the secret and maybe lose her job...

But what it is that makes this book fantastic is the quality of the writing. Every detail about the landscape is perfect, the characters come to life in every scene, the dialogue sounds as Australian as you could want it. Not just that, but the "secret" was well thought out, and had consequences. That was really appreciated. The romance certainly had its moments - some would call it swoon-worthy - but it was well contained within the story and never got too sweet or unbelievable.

Overall, a really, really solid book and one that should be high on people's TBR piles!


Paul
ARH
Profile Image for Tyler Smith.
134 reviews
September 11, 2024
Not as fun at The Country Mile was but there is hope.

The comments on a character not being able to be gay cause they were a ‘man’s man’ was actually crazy.
Profile Image for Susan.
271 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2017
A really beautiful story. Loved that it took my thoughts away from every stresses where I found myself thinking about the characters during my work day. Big thanks MM 😘
Profile Image for Talking Books.
870 reviews4 followers
November 21, 2016
Walking The Line by Mandy Magro was blissful reading. Loved Charlize and Dallas' rather awkward, defensive introduction with his down to earth gramps looking on :) So many likeable aspects to this story and its share of left turns. Author Mandy Magro wrote the characters with so much heart, credibility and genuine likeableness (well the nice characters :) ), this reader could and would go back to, and read the story again with gusto. The story had many hilarious moments (one word - calendar :) ) and so many heartfelt ones with some surprises throughout the read. An all round enjoyable story that was a pleasant surprise from the first to last scorching chapter.
Review copy received from Harlequin Australia via Netgalley
Profile Image for Bettina.
363 reviews2 followers
May 19, 2019
My first Mandy Magro book that I’ve read in a couple of years, and I don’t know why I waited so long to read another. Absolutely loved this book!

This book reminded me of The Longest Ride and I pictured Dallas as Scott Eastwood.

Being a country girl at heart, but now living in the city, nothing beats that tight knit community feeling. I guess every town has a villain though, and Vivien played that part well. There were so many loveable characters in this book. Will definitely be reading another Mandy book soon!
Profile Image for Kate O'Leary.
Author 3 books64 followers
June 27, 2017
Oh my stars I loved this book! I haven't devoured a book like this in a scarily long time. The MC was full of personality and the cow boy swoon worthy! What a delicious read and totally fun and enjoyable! I will absolutely be reading more of this authors work!
114 reviews1 follower
February 16, 2017
Love this story line, it felt so real and made you feel apart of the story.. Loved it..
7 reviews
Read
May 1, 2019
I'm totally in love with this great genre, to read great stories in my own 'language' or close to it, as a regional woman in Australia.
The book... loved it. a great story, with a believable romance and some great twists, but not so many they get annoying. Loved the characters too. Also I appreciate the peek into the rodeo industry, and learning how much fun is had by all, including the animals.

So glad Mandy Magro's out there writing!
Profile Image for Jessy.
137 reviews
October 4, 2017
This is the first book I read from this Author. Like her style of writing.

Excellently written story just capturing you right from the beginning until the end. The story has a lovely and inspirational message to people are in a violent relationship or to those who are victims of domestic violence, that there is always a second chance in life , love and a peaceful life . Looking forward to reading more of her books.
111 reviews3 followers
August 30, 2020
An entirely different storyline again, covering relevant topics, with interesting characters with just enough detail to hint at a particular direction of the story....but does it?...really? Not to forget great romantic gestures, hints of hot and raunchy feelings....Aah...Mandy Magro...you've done it again. I started reading it on 30th Aug 2020 at around 3.00pm and finished at 6.00am on 31st Aug 2020. Another great read from an absolute cracker of an author.
Profile Image for Kat Ashworth.
214 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2019
Mandy Magro posses a captive style in her writing. Her ability to bring the Australian bush alive, rich with the authenticity of Australian characters is a delight to read. The sparks and electricity of two kin souls meeting drives the story along bound by the tension of secrets being brought into the open.
321 reviews
December 30, 2016
Hard hitting raw intensity of life on the rodeo circuit, can't believe Charlize left it so long to come to grips with cheating husband who was too busy for her by screwing around with his secretary. Why do such beautiful, intelligent women doubt themselves and fall for such dickheads.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sharon.
1,302 reviews10 followers
August 24, 2017
Great book, so far all the Aussie rural romances have not let me down.
This book does lose 1 star though just for the fact they made me wait until the end for the steamy sex scene, but boy was it worth the wait.
Profile Image for Jaye.
106 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2017
I want a Dallas! Wow, loved this book from start to finish. Chemistry plus!
273 reviews
November 12, 2020
Another great story about Austalia,even better that it was set in Grenfell N.S.W, which is a small town close to where I live In Young N.S.W
Profile Image for Rowlie.
329 reviews2 followers
December 28, 2020
Another great Mandy Magro country romance. Couldn't put this one down.
18 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2022
I loved reading this story . Coming from a farming / rodeo background myself , I felt connected to the story , and imagined myself being there . The story flowed well , and I couldn’t put the book down . 💕
Profile Image for Vicki Robe.
408 reviews2 followers
January 2, 2017
Loved this book. I couldn't put it down until I knew the end! Just wondering where I can pick up Driftwood and Country at Heart as I haven't read those yet??
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews

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