Kate Reed and her brother, Pete, had been raised in their family homestead, Darnleigh, in Australia but now they are being forced to sell. After their mother was killed in a plane crash, their father had drunk himself to death leaving them heavily in debt. Matt Thornton, their neighbour on Grey Gums, offers to buy the property, but Kate deeply resents him because he had been the pilot of the plane in which their mother died. But, finally, when Kate returns home, she is forced to confront six years of resentment and her real feelings about Matt.
Australian author, Noelene Jenkinson, writes rural and small town romance and romantic suspense. Her latest release is ROADHOUSE MYSTERY Book #4 Wimmera Series. She has also written historical fiction in A GENTLEMAN'S BRIDE and PEACOCKS ON THE LAWN, set in Australia's pastoral era and released a junior chapter children's novel, THE HAUNTED GARDEN. She has a backlist of 24 books all available in ebook and print. Her latest books are also available through libraries in large print and audiobook.
I found Outback Hero an interesting love story with a somewhat clueless but very attractive male rancher owner, Matt and a beautiful photo journalist, Katie with lots of hang-ups from losing her mother in as a teenager. I liked his coming back to talk out the problems and giving her time to think about the deeply hurtful issues between them. I loved the romantic ending when Matt and Katie finally got it right. The descriptions of the outback and the danger of the fire made it interesting and exciting in turn. I found the Australian dialect added to the story and helped fit it all together.
Matt? Pretty sure his name is Mark. Mark Thornton, to be precise. Anyways, DNF, basically skimmed and then stopped. This is how I feel from the parts I have read. First, as much as the heroine’s trauma and pain are valid, I also can’t stand her and found her hatred (for the hero) obnoxious. Couldn’t connect with her, rather I feel like she has a desire to play victim to another victim. Basically, her whole childhood was unhappiness filled, and with the loss of her beloved mother, she became bitchy bitter. Mark and her unloving father are to blame for her past, present, and future…
As Mark told her that she wasn’t looking at the whole picture. He was suffering, too. His father also died in that crash. He indeed feels guilty about everything. He was the only survivor, found injured and now has a limp. Once more, Mark try to get the heroine to see that her father was fighting his own demons, too. But this girl, somehow, only saw her pain first. I think she can use some vulnerability and sensibility. It’s not like she didn’t know Mark before the accident. He was her crush/neighbor/friend. It was a tragic accident, no??? Her pain and cognitive process definitely missed the “mark.”