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Australian Trilogy #2
Wild Land, Wild Love
Determined to survive on her own in untamed 1812 Australia, high-spirited Kate McKenzie meets her match in former convict Robin Fletcher, who would win her heart. Original.
443 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
6 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Connie Mason
140 books534 followersConnie Mason or Cara Miles is the best-selling author of more than fifty historical romances and novellas. Her tales of passion and adventure are set in exotic as well as American locales. Connie was named Story Teller of the Year in 1990 by Romantic Times and was awarded Career Achievement award in the Western category by Romantic Times in 1994. Connie makes her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida with her husband Jerry.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 25, 2023
2 stars
Steam, yes. Romance, not really, overall Wild Land, Wild Love is a serviceable, if basic historical romance romp, aiming for soap opera level plotting and overly hysterical characters. Unfortunately, the obnoxious heroine/hero and the lack of meaningful narrative progression kind of eradicated what could've been at least a silly fun time.
The heroine got off on the wrong foot immediately, coming across extremely entitled and judgemental; I was anticipating a forthcoming character growth, alas none came to fruition. The hero was tolerable at first, until the author repeatedly having him sexed-up the heroine to terminate a fight or disagreement. This lust-first interaction would've made for a decent 'guilty pleasure' read, if the chemistry was convincing—but at no point did I understand their mutual attraction, and the heroine's perpetual bitterness towards the hero was so surface-level and stagnant, it became very pointless when at page 300+ we were still arguing over the same thing as in page 100+.
For me, the best part of Wild Land, Wild Love is its cover art. Between the dull romance, blatantly obvious villains (I'll admit the outcome for one of the villains did surprise me!), and the dated depiction of the Indigenous Peoples, the only redeeming values are the Australian setting, and the countless steam; but none of these would elevate the novel to an unmissable title. Also, where are the kangaroos?
***Historical Hellions Book Club | June 2023 Selection***
Steam, yes. Romance, not really, overall Wild Land, Wild Love is a serviceable, if basic historical romance romp, aiming for soap opera level plotting and overly hysterical characters. Unfortunately, the obnoxious heroine/hero and the lack of meaningful narrative progression kind of eradicated what could've been at least a silly fun time.
The heroine got off on the wrong foot immediately, coming across extremely entitled and judgemental; I was anticipating a forthcoming character growth, alas none came to fruition. The hero was tolerable at first, until the author repeatedly having him sexed-up the heroine to terminate a fight or disagreement. This lust-first interaction would've made for a decent 'guilty pleasure' read, if the chemistry was convincing—but at no point did I understand their mutual attraction, and the heroine's perpetual bitterness towards the hero was so surface-level and stagnant, it became very pointless when at page 300+ we were still arguing over the same thing as in page 100+.
For me, the best part of Wild Land, Wild Love is its cover art. Between the dull romance, blatantly obvious villains (I'll admit the outcome for one of the villains did surprise me!), and the dated depiction of the Indigenous Peoples, the only redeeming values are the Australian setting, and the countless steam; but none of these would elevate the novel to an unmissable title. Also, where are the kangaroos?
***Historical Hellions Book Club | June 2023 Selection***
July 6, 2023
3.5 stars! Wild Land, Wild Love is part of Connie Mason’s Australian trilogy and this one was more entertaining than I originally thought it would be! 😅 This is my second time reading one of her older historical romances and I’ve come to just expect adventurous, bonkers times!
The story starts off introducing Kate and her father traveling from England to Australia. After a family member’s death left behind a sheep farm, Kate’s father decided to go take it over and bring along his 26-year old daughter Kate. After setting sail, her father became desperately ill and near death many times in the first 5 months. Her father knows Kate won’t be capable of running the sheep farm on the penal colony all on her own and is determined to find a way to help her without him.
We see Kate and her sick father make it to New South Wales and meet Robin Fletcher, a former convict. Robin was originally convicted of poaching, which is how he got transported to New South Wales. He did earn his freedom, but then lost it again when he helped out a friend by aiding in an escape of an escaped convict. Kate is immediately judgmental, naive, and unfair when it comes to her thoughts on convicts and people living in Australia. Which she surprisingly does admit to herself about 15% into the story. She comes to learn she judged many wrongly.
As for the romance, we see super early on that Robin falls fast and hard for Kate. She puts up more of a fight of her feelings towards him. But with her father’s impeding death he sets them up in a marriage of convenience situation. There is a lot of push and pull between Robin and Kate, lots of jealousy over others getting in between them, lots of believing other people, OW drama, lots of fleeing/running away, getting separated, adventures around Australia, lots of steammmy times, and just lots of over the top drama in general. But I was entertained! I legit went in expecting this to not be the best but came out having a good time with it. 😅
The story starts off introducing Kate and her father traveling from England to Australia. After a family member’s death left behind a sheep farm, Kate’s father decided to go take it over and bring along his 26-year old daughter Kate. After setting sail, her father became desperately ill and near death many times in the first 5 months. Her father knows Kate won’t be capable of running the sheep farm on the penal colony all on her own and is determined to find a way to help her without him.
We see Kate and her sick father make it to New South Wales and meet Robin Fletcher, a former convict. Robin was originally convicted of poaching, which is how he got transported to New South Wales. He did earn his freedom, but then lost it again when he helped out a friend by aiding in an escape of an escaped convict. Kate is immediately judgmental, naive, and unfair when it comes to her thoughts on convicts and people living in Australia. Which she surprisingly does admit to herself about 15% into the story. She comes to learn she judged many wrongly.
As for the romance, we see super early on that Robin falls fast and hard for Kate. She puts up more of a fight of her feelings towards him. But with her father’s impeding death he sets them up in a marriage of convenience situation. There is a lot of push and pull between Robin and Kate, lots of jealousy over others getting in between them, lots of believing other people, OW drama, lots of fleeing/running away, getting separated, adventures around Australia, lots of steammmy times, and just lots of over the top drama in general. But I was entertained! I legit went in expecting this to not be the best but came out having a good time with it. 😅
July 27, 2018
Kate McKenzie (cousin to Mercy from book 1) arrives in Australia with her sick father to live at McKenzie Station. Robin Fletcher has been managing McKenzie Station in the absence of any owner and managing it well. Kate comes and makes a lot of unfair and uneducated assumptions about Robin, Dare, and Casey.
Practically before Kate can blink she finds herself married to Robin not entirely willingly. Robin unfailingly loves Kate from first sight.
The path to happiness is paved with problems (mostly caused by Kate) but other women, other men, bushrangers, and even Kate herself can't stand in the way of true love.
Practically before Kate can blink she finds herself married to Robin not entirely willingly. Robin unfailingly loves Kate from first sight.
The path to happiness is paved with problems (mostly caused by Kate) but other women, other men, bushrangers, and even Kate herself can't stand in the way of true love.
July 27, 2024
Wild Land, Wild Love (1992), the second book in the series is a sizzling action packed story that perfectly fits the title. It’s full of riveting scenes, vivid purple prose, and countless sex scenes.
🐪 1812, Kate McKenzie, 26 year old spinster arrives in Australia with her gravely ill father who has inherited the McKenzie station (background in the first book). She’s haughty, willful and independent… her father spoiled her. Robin Fletcher who manages the farm arrives in Sydney to take them there. He’s a former convict and Kate is incensed … horrified that they have to interact with someone who was a criminal.
🐪 From that moment on Kate hates Robin … even tho she’s attracted to him. He wants her right from the beginning and right away he’s kissing her. The story revolves around their travails… she doesn’t trust him, especially because his former lover still wants him. There’s horrific events, misunderstandings and tragedy. When together Robin’s definitely into satisfying Kate with oral sex… all. the. time. 🔥
🦘 The writing is straightforward… not particularly complex but the story is WILD..., it feels raw, just like the newly settled country. Mason’s style is distinctive… focusing on the action and passionate sex scenes. It’s interesting to read about actual events that happened in the settlement of Australia. Now onto the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🐪 1812, Kate McKenzie, 26 year old spinster arrives in Australia with her gravely ill father who has inherited the McKenzie station (background in the first book). She’s haughty, willful and independent… her father spoiled her. Robin Fletcher who manages the farm arrives in Sydney to take them there. He’s a former convict and Kate is incensed … horrified that they have to interact with someone who was a criminal.
🐪 From that moment on Kate hates Robin … even tho she’s attracted to him. He wants her right from the beginning and right away he’s kissing her. The story revolves around their travails… she doesn’t trust him, especially because his former lover still wants him. There’s horrific events, misunderstandings and tragedy. When together Robin’s definitely into satisfying Kate with oral sex… all. the. time. 🔥
🦘 The writing is straightforward… not particularly complex but the story is WILD..., it feels raw, just like the newly settled country. Mason’s style is distinctive… focusing on the action and passionate sex scenes. It’s interesting to read about actual events that happened in the settlement of Australia. Now onto the next book in the series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 18, 2023
I think this setting in this time period in Australia is a first for me. This was a marriage of convenience but Kate did get on my nerves quickly. Not sure if I liked the whole Serena bit either. I don't have any desire to read the other 2 in this trilogy. Thats how much I didn't care about the other characters.
February 21, 2017
Like the only other reader to write a review this book so far, I could cheerfully have strangled Kate. However, that is where the comparison ends, because for the time in which this book takes place, I am sure there were women just like this one. In fact, in some ways, she bore a strong resemblance to my own Mother, who was VERY Victorian, and trust me, as difficult for my Dad and I to deal with as Kate! I actually enjoyed this book a bit more than the first one, perhaps because Kate's traits seemed so familiar, but I think more because Kate was not so much a victim of her surroundings as Casey was. I remember feeling furious and frustrated with what Casey had to put up with before she found her happiness, and although Kate had a lot to deal with too, much of it was due to her own stubborn nature. I am truly enjoying this series and can't wait to start the final book in the trilogy. Recommend to anyone who loves historical romance, and enjoys an author who can take you inside her book within minutes of starting to read!
July 8, 2023
The book has one amazing cover (those kangaroos!). Unfortunately, the book isn’t as good as its art, but it definitely matches the cover in the crazy department. It was originally published back in 1992, and it shows. The heroine is, frankly put, a snob, and I never warmed to her. So it didn’t make sense to me why the hero was willing to put up with this woman. Add to it other-women complications, multiple variations of bad guys, fathers on deathbeds, bushrangers robbing and pillaging (and no, I’m not covering everything that’s in this book), and you have a genuinely nutsy ride. There is a cast of secondary characters that covered the gamut from endearing to annoying, and many of them on the more positive side are people I look forward to revisiting in the third book. But that heroine started off on the wrong foot with me and never really entered a right place.
September 18, 2025
This is not my favourite in this trilogy.
Kate is quite spiteful, stubborn, and nasty for the first half of this book. Her character improves towards the second half. Robin is such a dreamy character, but I'm put off when he assumes Kate (his wife) who is pregnant with their first child will move to another part of Australia with him, and help to raise his child from another woman that he thinks he got pregnant whilst still married to Kate.
Also, i don't think the behaviour of some of these young unmarried girls is in keeping with the times back then (sleeping around with men), like, I thought girls were chaperoned everywhere they went and 'kept themselves' until they were wed!
Kate is quite spiteful, stubborn, and nasty for the first half of this book. Her character improves towards the second half. Robin is such a dreamy character, but I'm put off when he assumes Kate (his wife) who is pregnant with their first child will move to another part of Australia with him, and help to raise his child from another woman that he thinks he got pregnant whilst still married to Kate.
Also, i don't think the behaviour of some of these young unmarried girls is in keeping with the times back then (sleeping around with men), like, I thought girls were chaperoned everywhere they went and 'kept themselves' until they were wed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2017
I didn't love either of the main characters. Kate was obnoxious and I'm not sure why Robin fell in love with her. It was a typical love triangle...bad girl scheming to get the guy. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was because the love scenes were pretty hot.
March 6, 2023
I thought the setting was interesting, but I was frustrated with the hero and heroine. They were repetitive in their arguments, and I feel like there was minimal growth.
July 12, 2025
2.5 stars
January 5, 2021
Never hated a female lead like I did Kate. She made one dumb decision after the other. Annoying
March 30, 2016
I've never disliked a female lead more than in this book. She is unreasonable and idiotic for lack of better words. She can't seem to see when something is her fault and holds a grudge even then. Not once was she given to redeeming herself. As a result I could not understand why or how the hero fell in love with her. The reason for my 2 stars is the setting and the hero. They were a waste in this book and could have been very interesting if given a better context. Shame.
March 30, 2012
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews