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Return to Tuckarimba
As soon as Nonie heard that her beloved old childhood home, Tuckarimba, was for sale, she made up her mind to buy it and make it into a home for herself and her young sister, Pru.
But Jacey Lomax, the present owner, thought otherwise -- and so the battle was on!
But Jacey Lomax, the present owner, thought otherwise -- and so the battle was on!
- GenresHarlequin Romance
189 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1975
38 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 3, 2018
Trigger warning: suicide.
This story packed an unexpected punch. Written in the 1960's - the poverty and desperation of the heroine's family is not glossed over. Heroine has quite a backstory. Her father died (she later finds out it was suicide) when she was 8. They lived at Tuckarimba and the heroine remembers her childhood there with fondness. Her mother re-married and the heroine took her stepfather's last name. Then her mother died in childbirth and her stepfather died soon after, leaving the teenage heroine her half sister to care for.
When the story opens the heroine happens to meet the man who used to deliver the mail to Tuckarimba, he tells her that her old house is for sale. Heroine decides her eight year-old sister should have a glorious childhood there rather than in a Sydney boarding house. So she quits all of her jobs and the two of them travel to her old house.
To the heroine's dismay, it is occupied. The hero (who has built a new house up on the hill) is introduced when the overhears her fiercely telling her sister not to cry or she'll "whip" her. The hero immediately takes the heroine to task for threatening violence against a child. It's not a pretty scene. Heroine is exhausted and despairing. Hero wants to help but the heroine keeps rejecting him.
This is the dynamic that plagues these two characters through the rest of the story. The heroine decides to stay in a town and work at a pub/hotel to earn more money to buy the house when the hero finally decides to sell. But she works so many hours that she ends up neglecting her sister who is skipping school.
The hero offers the heroine a job at her old house. His (recently) paralyzed brother and his fiance are living there and they need a chaperone. Hero also thinks the little sister will raise his brother's spirits. So they move in and this is where it got triggering to me.
The heroine looks out the window and has a sudden memory of looking out the same window and seeing her father's body being brought back from creek (he drowned). It freaks her out, since she realizes she's been repressing a lot of really bad memories. That this place isn't the paradise she thought it was.
So she works harder and won't talk to the hero - even though he's figured out that the heroine is the daughter of the man who died there. (Only he knows her connection) The OW (who is the neighborhood socialite) talks about the heroine's father and speculation about his suicide in front of the heroine and the heroine completely loses it. The hero follows her and tries to get her to talk. It's then it becomes completely clear to the reader the depth of the hero's feelings for the heroine. But heroine can't see it.
There are two turning points at the end of the story: one about the heroine's father's death and one that heals the hero's brother and shows the hero's feelings for the heroine.
I'm leaving out all kinds of twists and turns with the minor characters and the OW who never gives up. The heroine truly had a difficult life and she never would have lifted herself out of her grinding poverty without the hero. No sugar-coating here. Not only did the hero rescue the heroine, but her sister as well. That poor kid had nothing.
This was a very emotional story - but the heroine's backstory was so heavy that the HEA was colored by it. I would have liked an epilogue with the H/h at peace and the little sister thriving and the OW married to a pet food tycoon in New Zealand.
This story packed an unexpected punch. Written in the 1960's - the poverty and desperation of the heroine's family is not glossed over. Heroine has quite a backstory. Her father died (she later finds out it was suicide) when she was 8. They lived at Tuckarimba and the heroine remembers her childhood there with fondness. Her mother re-married and the heroine took her stepfather's last name. Then her mother died in childbirth and her stepfather died soon after, leaving the teenage heroine her half sister to care for.
When the story opens the heroine happens to meet the man who used to deliver the mail to Tuckarimba, he tells her that her old house is for sale. Heroine decides her eight year-old sister should have a glorious childhood there rather than in a Sydney boarding house. So she quits all of her jobs and the two of them travel to her old house.
To the heroine's dismay, it is occupied. The hero (who has built a new house up on the hill) is introduced when the overhears her fiercely telling her sister not to cry or she'll "whip" her. The hero immediately takes the heroine to task for threatening violence against a child. It's not a pretty scene. Heroine is exhausted and despairing. Hero wants to help but the heroine keeps rejecting him.
This is the dynamic that plagues these two characters through the rest of the story. The heroine decides to stay in a town and work at a pub/hotel to earn more money to buy the house when the hero finally decides to sell. But she works so many hours that she ends up neglecting her sister who is skipping school.
The hero offers the heroine a job at her old house. His (recently) paralyzed brother and his fiance are living there and they need a chaperone. Hero also thinks the little sister will raise his brother's spirits. So they move in and this is where it got triggering to me.
The heroine looks out the window and has a sudden memory of looking out the same window and seeing her father's body being brought back from creek (he drowned). It freaks her out, since she realizes she's been repressing a lot of really bad memories. That this place isn't the paradise she thought it was.
So she works harder and won't talk to the hero - even though he's figured out that the heroine is the daughter of the man who died there. (Only he knows her connection) The OW (who is the neighborhood socialite) talks about the heroine's father and speculation about his suicide in front of the heroine and the heroine completely loses it. The hero follows her and tries to get her to talk. It's then it becomes completely clear to the reader the depth of the hero's feelings for the heroine. But heroine can't see it.
There are two turning points at the end of the story: one about the heroine's father's death and one that heals the hero's brother and shows the hero's feelings for the heroine.
I'm leaving out all kinds of twists and turns with the minor characters and the OW who never gives up. The heroine truly had a difficult life and she never would have lifted herself out of her grinding poverty without the hero. No sugar-coating here. Not only did the hero rescue the heroine, but her sister as well. That poor kid had nothing.
This was a very emotional story - but the heroine's backstory was so heavy that the HEA was colored by it. I would have liked an epilogue with the H/h at peace and the little sister thriving and the OW married to a pet food tycoon in New Zealand.
July 1, 2022
The h has an air of underlying sadness and defeat for much of the book, and even though the H is very caring of her, it makes me feel like she'll need constant shoring up. St. Margaret's review gives a really good recap of exactly why.
Upon reread, I am adding a 1/2 a star for the scene where the increasingly-desperate OW is exposed.
Upon reread, I am adding a 1/2 a star for the scene where the increasingly-desperate OW is exposed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2014
I could not put this one down. It wasn't the best in romances, but it was a great entertaining story with some mystery behind interconnecting relationships and the truth behind her father's death. The secondary characters were very strong and there was a delicious OW who enjoyed bringing havoc to everyone's life.
The heroine could have been stronger, but the author linked her inefficiencies to her childhood issues so that it felt very credible and actually added to the story.
I enjoy how this author brings the Australian Outback to life without boring me with endless travelogues.
The heroine could have been stronger, but the author linked her inefficiencies to her childhood issues so that it felt very credible and actually added to the story.
I enjoy how this author brings the Australian Outback to life without boring me with endless travelogues.
September 29, 2014
4.5 stars
I remember how much I liked Wenona despite her insecurities. Jacey was the perfect man for her. Delphine, the malicious OW made the story much more interesting.
I remember how much I liked Wenona despite her insecurities. Jacey was the perfect man for her. Delphine, the malicious OW made the story much more interesting.
June 19, 2022
H is a lovely man, h is strong and independent and never dreams of or realizes the bond she forms with H. She’s not one of those annoying heroines who spend the whole book whining about how no one loves them, she simply has no idea that the prickly awareness she feels is love or that H is falling for her. T
The OW has some redeeming qualities when she’s not trying to get the h to vamoose. That’s a nice touch when so many OW are portrayed as near sociopaths.
The OW has some redeeming qualities when she’s not trying to get the h to vamoose. That’s a nice touch when so many OW are portrayed as near sociopaths.
September 6, 2024
The heroine was okay, damaged by her upbringing and rather sweet really, especially to her sister. The hero was also okay, but he kept seeing the OW, taking her out for his birthday, driving her places, etc and yet supposedly he had been in love with the heroine all along (yet weeks went by when he never tried to see her), so why did he keep taking the OW out? At no point did he ask the heroine on a date and yet expects her to know he only loved her? Not very well thought out.
August 11, 2020
3.5. Needed an explanation re OW.
September 10, 2023
As soon as Nonie heard that her beloved old childhood home, Tuckarimba, was for sale, she made up her mind to buy it and make it into a home for herself and her young sister, Pru.
But Jacey Lomax, the present owner, thought otherwise -- and so the battle was on!
But Jacey Lomax, the present owner, thought otherwise -- and so the battle was on!
January 27, 2017
A favorite that I have read several times with an OW that is fun to hate.
May 23, 2020
I read this many years ago. I loved it at the time. This was the US Harlequin book cover.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews