Lonely in Longreach

by Eva Scott

In the red heart of Queensland, two teenagers playing matchmaker are about to turn more than one life upside-down.

Widower Sam Costello has no time for love. When he's not working on his farm, he's trying to figure out how to connect with his teenage son Levi.

But Levi is about to finish high school, and he has big plans to move to Sydney for University with his best friend Maddie. If only he didn't feel so guilty about abandoning his dad. Maddie has her own reasons for wanting to go to Sydney and she's not going to let Levi's dad ruin her future happiness. Mr Costello needs a girlfriend and, with her talent for matchmaking, Maddie is the girl to make it happen. By the time Mr C figures out what she's done, surely he'll be too in love to be angry.

Journalist Sarah Lewis has a good job, a nice boyfriend and a safe life in Sydney. Though sometimes she wonders if life has more to offer than nice and safe. When she starts working on an article about finding love in the outback she finds herself asking whether journalists should become this invested in their research. But there's just something about Lonely in Longreach. Could it be that the man behind the dating profile is the key to the passion she has been looking for?

Sleepless in Seattle meets rural Australia in this fresh romantic comedy about optimism, online dating and love at first sight.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Australia

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2020

About the author

Eva comes from a family of storytellers and has been writing her own stories since she could hold a pencil. Growing up in a multicultural neighbourhood in Melbourne, Eva developed her wanderlust and a passion for culture and language. She travelled the world, living in Britain before coming home to Australia to study Anthropology. Wanderlust got the better of her again, so Eva packed up and headed to Papua New Guinea to live and work where she was completely in her element. Eva's passion for the Australian country is born of her large extended family, which is spread out across the land. She volunteers at the local primary schools, teaching writing and working with children to incite a love of books and reading. Eva's books explore relationships, culture, our roles in changing society, love and loss. She loves finding connections with readers over shared experiences.

If you'd like to know more about Eva, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her website: evascottwriter.com

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Costello had been widowed for seven years and still missed Michelle every day. His fifteen-year-old son Levi, and Levi’s best friend Maddie decided Mr C needed a relationship so he wouldn’t be lonely. When the two teenagers finished school in a couple of years, they planned to go to uni in Sydney so wanted Levi’s dad to be happy. Longreach in Queensland was a hot, dry place where everyone knew everyone, and not many young people stayed in town. With Maddie well and truly in her fourteen-year-old element, Lonely in Longreach was born.

Sarah Lewis was a journalist for the magazine, Seriously Sydney, who enjoyed her job and had a boss who approved her idea of a series of articles on finding love in the outback. Finding Lonely in Longreach and replying as Solitary in Sydney, plus receiving an email from a student in Longreach had Sarah believing in fate. What would be the outcome when Sarah travelled to Longreach for the research for her article?

Lonely in Longreach is my first by Aussie author Eva Scott and I quite enjoyed it. It was light, entertaining and an easy read, especially after the heaviness of a couple recently. Maddie and Levi were ingenuous teens who were heading for trouble, but their hearts were in the right place. The author’s word paintings of Longreach and surrounds were such that I could visualize it all. I could tell she loves the Australian bush 😊 Recommended.

With thanks to HarperCollins AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to read a book by this author. Lonely in Longreach by Aussie author Eva Scott is an easy well written light read and I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first page through to the last page. A feel-good story with likeable characters and a great setting, what more could a reader want? I’m now looking forward to reading her backlist of books and I’m sure I’ll enjoy them as much as this book if not more. Recommended

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Lonely in Longreach by Eva Scott. (2020).

**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free advance readers copy of this novel; published 2 September 2020**

Widower Sam has no time for love when he has his farm to work on and is busy trying to connect with his teenage son Levi. Levi and his best friend Maddie are busy thinking about their future plans to move to Sydney after high school graduation in two years. But Levi is worried about his dad being alone so Maddie decides to play matchmaker...
Journalist Sarah has a good job, a nice boyfriend and a safe life in Sydney but feels there's more to life. After seeing a dating profile for 'Lonely in Longreach', she starts working on an article about finding love in the outback. Could the man behind the dating profile be the key to the passion she's been looking for?

I always find myself hesitant to pick up a rural romance, I'm not sure why... because there really is so many quality Australian rural romances and this one is definitely included in that. I read this one in a few hours because it was just so easy to read and engaging: if it was a movie, you'd call it a rom-com for sure. Levi and Maddie are highlights in the story; classic teenagers with good intentions but clearly not thinking forward as to how it would play out in reality haha. Sarah and Sam were both super likeable and I think all readers will be cheering them on with their love story.
If you are looking for a light-hearted modern romance then this one is definitely for you!

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lonely in Longreach is billed as Sleepless in Seattle meets Farmer Wants a Wife and I was intrigued. I am not a lover of reality TV but I liked the sound of this story as something different. Once I picked it up I found it hard to put down and I read most of this in one night. It is a sweet, modern story of finding love in the outback with a cast of real characters.

Sam Costello has been a widow for 7 years now and his son Levi thinks it is time for him to find a girlfriend. He is 15 and along with his best friend Maddie they hatch a plan to find him a woman. Creating him a profile on an online dating site without his knowledge.. this could be a car crash or it could work out beautifully.

Sarah Lewis is a journalist in Sydney. She has a great job and a nice boyfriend but she is not happy. While researching a story on finding love in the outback she comes across Lonely In Longreach and she becomes infatuated and has to meet him.

Fans of Farmer Wants a Wife will love this book. It is heartwarming tale that shows that love at first sight might actually exist. Of course things are not always easy and you will become quite invested in this relationship.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read.

[Renee Hermansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lonely in Longreach is a rural romance with a difference, a modern twist.
Two teenagers Levi and Maddie decide Levi's dad needs love in his life as they are heading off to uni soon. As Sam is a widow they are worried about him being lonely in the small town of Longreach.
The two plot a scheme to set up an online profile on a dating site to lure a young lady from Sydney to the outback. Of course their plan has flaws but it is a good read. Easy to follow with great characters portrayed throughout. I love that it was set in places I know so it felt realistic.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of romance.

Thanks to romance.com.au for this book I won in a competition, Harlequin and Eva Scott for an enjoyable read.

[Maya Linnell]

Eva Scott is a newcomer to the paperback rural romance scene and I fell head over heels for her sweet story Lonely in Longreach. The quirky news articles scattered throughout the story made me grin, as did meddling teenage matchmakers and the rugged outback setting. Eva writes with a fantastic fluency and humour that will make her a big hit with fans of this genre.


Thanks to Harlequin for the review copy of this new book (out September 2) and providing two giveaway copies for my newsletter.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great story, it is fun and witty as two fifteen year old teenagers Levi and Maddie decide that it would be a good idea to play matchmaker to find love for Levi’s father Sam Costello, you will need to read this one and see how everything turns out, you are sure to be left smiling.

Maddie and Levi live on neighbouring farms and go to school together they are best friends, Maddie has plans for the future that must include Levi, but Levi is reluctant to leave his widowed father alone on the farm, Maddie comes up with this brilliant plan that she picked up watching the movie Sleepless in Seattle and decides that online dating is the way to go, surely they will find someone who is perfect for MR C and he will have fallen in love so he won’t be to angry but Levi worries all the same.

Sarah Lewis is a journalist for Sydney magazine Seriously Sydney, and is starting to feel that her nice boyfriend and she are not suited to each other, although she has always lived in Cities she has a yearning to be a country girl. She is doing a piece for the magazine about finding love in the outback and starts looking at online dating sites, she comes across the most gorgeous guy who is known by Lonely in Longreach and feels so drawn to him that she answers and they have a great connection with their emails and Sarah has decided that she needs to get out to Longreach and get her story done and meet Sam.

Sam has been widowed for eight years now and has been happy working on his farm and looking after Levi, although not looking for love it might be time he gets back out in the world, and when he meets Sarah the journalist who has been invited to talk at the school he is hit with a feeling he has never had before, like an instant joining. Levi is acting strangely these days and he puts it down to his first love interest maybe, never realizing what is happening.

This is my first Eva Scott story and wow it is a beauty, I loved it from start to finish, so well written it has lots feelings running through this one, Maddie and Levi what wonderful teenagers they made me smile a few times, Sam and Sarah well what can I say do you believe in love at first sight? Of course when the truth comes out, well things turn a little pear shaped, can Sam and Sarah work out their love for each other? This is a story that I highly recommend, a must read one for the keeper shelf.

Thank you Eva Scott and Harper Collins AU for my copy to read.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look out rural romance writers we have a contender racing to grab your reign.
Eva Scott is about to steal the crown.
A story of second chances, love at first sight, family, country living and online dating.
I absolutely loved this gentle, fun and mischievous outback romcom.
In the town of Longreach, Sam Costello lives and works on the family farm with his son Levi.
Life is busy and lonely for Sam and he thinks it’s about time to start dating again after the passing of his wife.
About to finish high school, teenager Levi and his best friend Maddie have made a plan to depart the town and live and study in busy Sydney.
But first they concoct a plan to make sure Sam will not be on his own when Levi leaves.
Putting an ad on an online dating site titled “Lonely in Longreach”, they think that will attract a suitor for Sam.
Journalist Sarah Lewis has a good life, great job, great boyfriend but sometimes wonders if there’s more out there.
When she begins a series of articles about love in the outback she scans the internet for research and dating online.
She comes across Sam’s profile and the passion in her awakes.
Could these two really find love after two teens interfere with destiny?
A well written and crafted drama with witty experiences and humorous situations to wet the rural appetite.
A bunch of loveable characters, a hero and heroine who are meant to be together by fate, two teens whose antics mean no harm and a support cast of fun and an amusing crowd who add to the authenticity of this pleasing novel.
Fans of this genre and newbies should grab a copy and gobble up this delightful read.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Alyce Caswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you believe in love at first sight? Sarah doesn't - but then she finds the dating profile of Lonely in Longreach and can't stop thinking about him. She has to meet Sam. The problem? Sam has no idea he has a dating profile. His son and a friend set it up to make sure he won't be lonely anymore. This might work brilliantly - or blow up in everyone's faces.

This is a delightful 21st-century Australian take on Sleepless in Seattle and I found myself feeling a little bereft at the end of this book, since I really became quite fond of the characters. Maddie and Levi are such a pair - and at times outshone the adults.

All in all, a fun bit of escapism. Your enjoyment will vary depending on how much you can tolerate teen shenanigans.

[TheMadHatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

This is another super cute rural romance by Aussie Author Eva Scott. The first book I read of hers was a re-telling of You Got Mail called Meet Me In Bendigo. This book is a re-telling of Sleepless in Seattle with a modern twist. Given I am a sucker for Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movies these books were always going to be winners with me.

While I really liked the first half of the book, I did struggle with the second half a little more when it just became a bit over the top in dramatics (especially with the teenage drama and over the top reactions when the deceit all comes out in the open) and a bit wooden in dialogue. However, I loved the first part and I loved the concept and I read it in a day - so all up it is one I would recommend for people looking for a little light in their day.

Ms Scott introduced the most wonderful family of characters in this book and I am only sad that we only got one scene with them near the beginning. I would have absolutely loved to see how they reacted to Sam as an epilogue. A missed opportunity as I think the cast of our heroine's family members was the highlight of the book.

A fun, light read that showcases a beautiful part of Queensland.

Reading Challenge
Aussie Readers 2021 December Challenge: Read a book where the author's first and last initials are found in 'sausage sizzle' (ES)
Aussie Readers 2021 Summer Challenge: Read book that have titles/authors' initials that spell out TOWEL (L = Lonely)

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Harlequin Australia for sending me this amazing book to review. Look out Australian Rural Romance here comes Eva Scott!!! I absolutely adored this book, I couldn't put it down. I have a lot of favorite Australian Authors and Eva is definitely added to the list. Looking forward to reading a lot more from this talented author.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

In romance, more than any other genre, it’s about the journey rather than the destination. “Lonely in Longreach” is a delightful journey, with some extra pleasures for fans of the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”.

In Longreach widower Sam Costello is raising his teenage son Levi. Longreach is a small town, and there aren’t many opportunities to meet new people or to find love. Levi is worried; in a couple of years he’ll finish high school and move to Sydney to go to university. He doesn’t want to leave his father all alone.

Levi’s best friend Maddie is even more committed to their plan to move to Sydney. So she sets out to remove the biggest obstacle she sees: if she can matchmake Sam, Levi won’t hesitate to leave home. A rom com fan, Maddie takes her cues from “Sleepless in Seattle”, with a modern twist: instead of calling a radio show, she and Levi create an online dating profile for Sam.

In Sydney journalist Sarah Lewis has a nice life that’s all going well: a job she loves, a good friend in her flatmate, a steady boyfriend. She has an uneasy feeling that something might be missing, but is reluctant to look too closely. Until she starts researching an article on finding love in the outback. Should she really be this attracted to Lonely in Longreach?

The major plot points of the novel hew very closely to those of the movie “Sleepless in Seattle”. So for most readers, there aren’t going to be a lot of surprises, plot-wise. This is telegraphed so early in the novel that it doesn’t really matter – the ride is still fun.

Maddie and Levi are very typical teenagers – they think they are far more mature and knowing than they actually are. Like most teenagers, they drive their parents mad quite frequently, but are nevertheless pretty decent people. Their mistakes are a little more dramatic than those of some teens, but they’re not really too horrible either.

The characterisation is strong, and quite different to the movie it’s modelled on. Yes, the basic situation of the two leads is similar, but Sam and Sarah are otherwise very different. It’s a little frightening to realise that “Sleepless in Seattle” is 27 years old. Although the movie still remains highly relatable and entertaining, a lot of the world around it has changed. For a start, instead of snail mail, email rules.

However, both leads are very empathetic, people that we can understand, and they’re both pleasant and engaging. It’s not hard to hope for the best for them, and there’s a kind of warmth to knowing that they will end up together. (Given the pattern it’s following, there’s never really much doubt about that for the reader.)

An aspect of the novel that I particularly enjoyed were the little vignettes from people that Sarah interviews for her story on finding love. They’re ordinary, almost banal sometimes, but so human and real that you can’t possibly resist them.

Overall, then, this is a delightful romance that I thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, the plot is entirely predictable – but as I noted, that’s deliberate. It’s very real, it’s fun, and the characters are appealing. It’s not deep, but pretty much anyone who calls themselves a romance fan will enjoy it. And most likely a few hardened non-romantics will too.

If you’ve enjoyed this review, please visit my blog at www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog for more reviews.

[Victoria Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS
Sleepless In Seattle meets the Australian outback in this sweet rural romance.

Longreach sheep and solar farmer Sam Costello has been widowed for seven years and it’s about time he found love again, according to his fifteen year old son Levi that is. More specifically according to Levi’s bestie Maddie, who has big plans for the duo when they graduate high school and move to Sydney, and Maddie doesn’t want Levi to worry about his dad being lonely when he leaves. With eligible newcomers to Longreach few and far between, the pair find inspiration in 90s rom-com Sleepless In Seattle to find Sam a girlfriend. Enter journalist Sarah Lewis who is coming to terms with the fact that her stable, two-year almost passion-less relationship might be coming to an end. When she pitches a story focusing on love in the outback, she comes across Sam’s profile - ‘Lonely In Longreach’ - and can’t help but be drawn to him. It’s not long before she finds herself in Longreah for article research, a high school presentation, and a chance to see if Lonely in Longreach is everything she’s wanted and more.

Move over Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan because there’s a new swoony romance in town! I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again - Eva not only knows how to write fabulous rural romance, but how to put a rural Australian spin on classic 90’s rom-coms! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve watched Sleepless In Seattle (and actually, I don’t even know if I’ve watched the entire film), but I thoroughly enjoyed the story that Eva crafted with the influence of the original story – you definitely don’t need to have any knowledge of the films that inspire Eva’s books because they’re just that good on their own!

From the get-go, Sam and Sarah had fantastic in-person chemistry and I adored following their relationship blossom. It was sweet and swoony, with a lot of heart and charm. And Sam and Sarah’s romance wasn’t the only one we followed in the book, with Levi and Maddie’s perspectives also giving us a treat of first crushes and highschool romance, which was a really nice touch that I wasn’t expecting. In fact, I really enjoyed having all four perspectives throughout the book and seeing the events unfold through everyone’s eyes.

Throughout the book, Eva sprinkles in transcripts of Sarah’s interviews with those who have found, or are looking for, love in the outback which was a sweet little touch. While super short, these add so much more heart and soul to the whole story, even the stories that weren’t so successful. They’re definitely a real reflection on how those living in regional and rural communities find their soul mates.

I’ve yet to meet one of Eva’s books that doesn’t instantly draw me into the lives of these characters and the community they live in. I adore her writing style and falling in love with the characters she’s created. Although I might be biased because I’m not only Australian but also live in a regional community that is so effortlessly reflected in the people and communities that Eva focuses on.

Whether you’re a 90s rom-com fan, love rural Aussie romances, or maybe a bit of both, this is definitely the book for you! You’ll be wanting to sign-up to OutbackSingles in order to find your own swoony farmer to fall madly in love with.

[tara_l · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded down.

This is an Outback romance based on the plot of Sleepless in Seattle, about city girl Sarah finding her true love in the small Outback town of Longreach with farmer Sam.

The reason it’s only 2.5 stars? This entire book is superficial and lacks personality. The characters are bland and one-dimensional. The plot is “meh” at the best of times. Every character, from the vegan bodybuilder boyfriend, to the people in the town felt like tropes and stereotypes.

There is a LOT of insta-love and love at first sight, but then with very little supporting interactions after that initial meeting between characters to make me as the reader feel invested in or buy into their chemistry or their romance.

Sam and Sarah don’t even interact until well into the second half of the book.

The teenager plot line is tedious and did not interest me. I would have preferred reading about Sam and Sarah actually getting to know each other and appreciate each other rather than half a book of teenaged melodrama.

As for the setting of the Outback… I have never been to Australia, but in reading this, I didn’t feel like there was one thing in it that I couldn’t have imagined or made up on my own just by Googling some facts about Outback towns. I would have loved to feel more sense of place. In fact, it felt like if you swapped out “Outback” and specific place names, it could be any generic small country farming town anywhere in North America or Australia.

Also for making such a big deal about Sam being a “hot farmer”… he does no actual farming and just seems to have a lot of time to hang out. What exactly does he do? (Oh right he “farms sunbeams”… *eyeroll*)

The book is not offensive or anything, and I wouldn’t actively avoid it, I just wouldn’t ever recommend it to anyone looking for a good country love story.

[Beccabeccabooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝙳𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝?

Two lonely singles, both looking for love. One is a widowed solar farmer with a teenage son in Longreach. The other is a journalist in Sydney, who's trapped in a relationship that's going nowhere. They meet on a dating website and start chatting. Pretty soon, their messages lead to a first meeting.

And neither knows that they've been set up by two scheming teenagers.

It's quite clear that Sarah Lewis falls quite hard when she sees 'Lonely in Longreach's' dating profile. And despite not knowing who she is, Sam Costello feels an instant connection as soon as he sees Sarah for the first time. Meanwhile, Sam's son Levi and his best friend Maddie are cackling away with a job well done. Find Dad a girlfriend so he's not alone when Levi leaves home? EASY AS.

There's only one flaw in their well meant plan though!

That the truth will eventually come out. And it's real fun waiting for that exact moment to happen. WHAT A MESS. Oopsies Levi and Maddie! You're busted! How are you going to fix this, then?

The real stars of the story have to be Levi and Maddie though. These two have been besties since childhood, and now everything is just so confusing. Levi is crushing hard on Maddie, and Maddie is inadvertently friend zoning him. Oh, to be a teenager again. NOT. Add in a whole range of angsty teen problems, and you have something that would make an awesome YA novel.

I laughed at the obvious mentions of Farmer Wants a Wife and Home and Away. As cute as it seems, Farmer Goes a Courting really doesn't have the same ring to it, do you agree? Still, a clever way to avoid copyright infringement!

Such a delight to spend a few hours lost in this book!

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫/5

[Shelagh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice twist on the classic movie Sleepless In Seattle, Lonely in Longreach is teenage farm boy Levi Costello’s bid to find love for his widowed father Sam. Levi and Maddie set up an online dating profile for his dad Sam and Lonely in Longreach is born, all without Sam’s knowledge.
Enter Solitary In Sydney, aka journalist Sarah, who is writing a piece on love in the outback and creates her own profile as part of her research. What she didn’t expect was to develop feelings for Sam without ever meeting him and what neither of them knows is that it is Maddie and Levi who are writing Sam’s responses to Sarah. Of course the plot is set for some fireworks when their subterfuge is revealed.
This story has all the feels. There’s the loneliness that both Sam and Sarah feel and the sense that their lives are just not complete. There’s the joy and the sense of connectedness they discover when they finally meet and go on a date as well as the heartache when things go pear-shaped. Author Eva Scott has written these characters so well you sense that you’re just watching it all play out in front of you. The teenagers with their teenage hang-ups, hormones and misconceptions offer a lovely secondary romance as Sam and Sarah’s story plays out. I also loved the quirky little romantic side stories thrown in as Sarah’s series of articles take shape. This has been a thoroughly delightful read.

[Vicki Basham · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the red heart of Queensland, two teenagers playing matchmaker are about to turn more than one life upside-down.

Widower Sam Costello has no time for love. When he's not working on his farm, he's trying to figure out how to connect with his teenage son Levi.

But Levi is about to finish high school, and he has big plans to move to Sydney for University with his best friend Maddie. If only he didn't feel so guilty about abandoning his dad. Maddie has her own reasons for wanting to go to Sydney and she's not going to let Levi's dad ruin her future happiness. Mr Costello needs a girlfriend and, with her talent for matchmaking, Maddie is the girl to make it happen. By the time Mr C figures out what she's done, surely he'll be too in love to be angry.

Journalist Sarah Lewis has a good job, a nice boyfriend and a safe life in Sydney. Though sometimes she wonders if life has more to offer than nice and safe. When she starts working on an article about finding love in the outback she finds herself asking whether journalists should become this invested in their research. But there's just something about Lonely in Longreach. Could it be that the man behind the dating profile is the key to the passion she has been looking for?

Sleepless in Seattle meets rural Australia in this fresh romantic comedy about optimism, online dating and love at first sight.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lonely in Longreach is a lovely rural romance by Eva Scott. Widower Sam Costello had no time to find love again after his wife died. Sam Costello son Levi and his girlfriend Maddie decided to help him finding love because Levi was worried about him being on his own when he went to University. Maddie and Levi placed a profile on OutbackSingles.com, where Journalist Sarah Lewis saw it while researching an article and decided to answer. The readers of Lonely in Longreach will continue to follow Sam and Sarah to find out what happens.

Lonely in Longreach is the first book I have read of Eva Scott. I enjoyed reading this book, so I differently read another book by Eva Scott. I love Eva Scott's portrayal of her characters and how they intertwine throughout this book. Lonely in Longreach is well written and researched by Eva Scott. I like Eva Scott's description of Lonely's settings in Longreach that allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.

The readers of Lonely in Longreach will understand the problems farmers have in finding love in rural communities. Also, the readers of Lonely in Longreach will learn about online dating and some of the pitfalls that you can encounter.

I recommend this book.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice story that’s easy to read. The characters are all likeable & well defined (although I did find Levi & Maddie’s characters a little annoying at first, Maddie particularly was a little full on, and I can’t say I was a fan of them making fun of the Sleepless in Seattle age group either ;p

Sam & Sarah were great though, you definitely want them to work out & all of the characters were believable. I liked that Sarah’s family played a part at the start too.

The story was well written and definitely kept me interested. It was a fun story, with a few funny moments which made me grin, though I can’t think of anything specific now!

I liked how it alternated between Sam, Sarah & the kids’ pov, and also enjoyed the inclusion of interview snippets from Sarah’s research every now & then as I thought they added a nice touch. I also liked seeing the little envelope gifs used throughout :)

Finally, true to the rom-com theme it was based on, it had the ending we were expecting...

As my first Eva Scott book, I am going to have to look up her others!

[Vicki Robe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic easy-reading book with a great storyline.

Sarah Lewis, a journalist in Sydney has decided to do a story on "Love in the Outback" and starts to look online for some country contacts and comes across the profile of Sam Costello. She is immediately taken with him and decides to contact him.

Unbeknownst to Sam Costello he has a profile on a dating website thanks to his son, Levi, and his friend, Maddie. They put the profile up to try and find him a partner as his dad had not dated since losing his wife 7 years ago. Levi and Maddie have plans to go to Sydney to Uni in the next couple of years, and Levi would feel better if his dad had a companion and wasn't lonely.

This is a disaster waiting to happen when Sarah and Sam meet, but with some elaborate planning from the two teenagers meet they do!

It is well worth the read to discover how the plan explodes and changes everyones lives.....

[Jem McCusker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sleepless in Seattle meets rural Australia in this fresh romantic comedy about optimism, online dating and love at first sight.

Eva Scott's latest novel, Lonely in Longreach was an absolute pleasure read. Sam Costello and Sarah Lewis are couple goals and I love the way Eva has masterfully recreated Sleepless in Seattle in a rural Australian setting. Levi and Maddie, are two trouble making teenagers, despite having the best of intentions. They gave me so many laugh out loud moments.

Beautiful setting, a wonderful cast of characters, romantic comedy gold. Loved it!

[Alli Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Such a great story with a wonderful cast of characters who I engaged with and really wanted good things to happen to them. It's a beautiful read set in a lovely part of the world and I was so sad when I finished as I wasn't ready to leave them just yet! If you enjoy books with romantic storylines and characters who will stay with you, then this is the book for you!

[Marit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet rural romance set mainly in Longreach, with Sydney also a location. Evocative descriptions of the landscape add interest to the story of two creative meddling teenagers trying to play matchmaker. Small country town living plays an important role as does family relationships. Very sweet and pleasant enough to read.

[Malvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story featuring a widowed farmer with a teenage son and a Sydney journalist who visits, of course, Longreach. Half the fun of this book is the son Levi and his best friend from school, Maddie, who plot and hatch up romantic plans - which go awry, to their distress. A charmer.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet heart-warming romance story. Such an easy read with relatable characters, from the city bound heroine settling for life to the country hero doing his best to get by, this is a story that you could only hope ends well for everyone.

[Faye Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two teenagers Levi and Maddie are on a quest to find a lady love for Levi’s widowed dad. They set up an online profile and we sit back amazed to see what they get up to. This plot has been done before but this one is hilarious, even tearful.

[Kaye Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; probably because the geography was a little familiar. A nicely paced story that had romance and a bit of adventure. I will be on the lookout for this author’s other offerings.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it very slow to start and didnt really capture my attention to power thru it. Once i got 3/4 i was invested and it did get better but would have liked more of sarahs writing story to be included and less Greg