What do you think?
Rate this book
Outback Babies #4
Lola and the Single Dad
When love comes to town…
Artisan blacksmith Ned Harrow lost his wife and gained a son, all in the space of a day. Since then, he’s been caring for his son, Ollie, and working to rebuild his business. When his neighbour’s visiting goddaughter offers to help, she’s a lifeline and so much more. Ned knows the beautiful and fun-loving Lola isn’t staying long, but she’s impossible to resist and his heart is cracking wide open.
Actress Lola Darcy has never hit the big time and she’s beginning to wonder if she ever will. She’s in-between auditions when she visits her godmother in Wirralong. The country life and adorable baby she can sing to is a balm to her heart that’s been wounded by so many rejections. Lola loves caring for the sweet babe next door, and his eye candy father makes the visit even better.
As Lola and Ned become friends and perhaps more, the part of a lifetime beckons. Should she follow her dream or create new ones in Wirralong?
Artisan blacksmith Ned Harrow lost his wife and gained a son, all in the space of a day. Since then, he’s been caring for his son, Ollie, and working to rebuild his business. When his neighbour’s visiting goddaughter offers to help, she’s a lifeline and so much more. Ned knows the beautiful and fun-loving Lola isn’t staying long, but she’s impossible to resist and his heart is cracking wide open.
Actress Lola Darcy has never hit the big time and she’s beginning to wonder if she ever will. She’s in-between auditions when she visits her godmother in Wirralong. The country life and adorable baby she can sing to is a balm to her heart that’s been wounded by so many rejections. Lola loves caring for the sweet babe next door, and his eye candy father makes the visit even better.
As Lola and Ned become friends and perhaps more, the part of a lifetime beckons. Should she follow her dream or create new ones in Wirralong?
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2022
24 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Hunter
288 books423 followersAustralian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 5, 2022
Kelly Hunter really knows how to write a fabulous story, this one is witty, fun and emotional and ticks all of the boxes for a beautiful romance, I loved it so much getting to know Lola, Ned and Ollie was pure joy and of course I do love my visits to Wirralong, come along for the journey.
Ned Harrow long term resident of Wirralong and fabulous artisan blacksmith lost his wife on the day their son was born, he is coping well as a single dad and getting his business back to where it was with the help of friends as babysitters. When his neighbour Rosa’s goddaughter arrives Ned’s life as he knows it is upended in a most delicious way but there are many emotional hurdles to cross.
Lola Darcy is an actress not yet scoring the big roles but slowly, slowly as she says, she is bright bubbly and moves at fast speed, she has arrived at her godmothers to surprise her for her birthday, this brings her in contact with the most gorgeous of men, a blacksmith and father of the most adorable Oliver and Lola steps in to help with babysitting and it is not long before Lola’s heart is finding Ned in it, is there any chance of a future.
Two most unlikely people become friends there is laughter, joy and the worry of a future but Ned’s past and Lola’s vulnerability cause a few bumps along the way, I truly smiled and shed a few tears reading this one as I also cheered them on, Lola is the most beautiful of heroines her heart of gold and her bounding energy and love are just what Ned needs and Ned what can I say, what he has been through would break many a man but not Ned with the love of Lola they fly to the future.
Another must read in this awesome series, I really loved it and can highly recommend it, Wirralong is the place to be and I do hope that there will be many more stories set there.
My thanks to the author and publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
Ned Harrow long term resident of Wirralong and fabulous artisan blacksmith lost his wife on the day their son was born, he is coping well as a single dad and getting his business back to where it was with the help of friends as babysitters. When his neighbour Rosa’s goddaughter arrives Ned’s life as he knows it is upended in a most delicious way but there are many emotional hurdles to cross.
Lola Darcy is an actress not yet scoring the big roles but slowly, slowly as she says, she is bright bubbly and moves at fast speed, she has arrived at her godmothers to surprise her for her birthday, this brings her in contact with the most gorgeous of men, a blacksmith and father of the most adorable Oliver and Lola steps in to help with babysitting and it is not long before Lola’s heart is finding Ned in it, is there any chance of a future.
Two most unlikely people become friends there is laughter, joy and the worry of a future but Ned’s past and Lola’s vulnerability cause a few bumps along the way, I truly smiled and shed a few tears reading this one as I also cheered them on, Lola is the most beautiful of heroines her heart of gold and her bounding energy and love are just what Ned needs and Ned what can I say, what he has been through would break many a man but not Ned with the love of Lola they fly to the future.
Another must read in this awesome series, I really loved it and can highly recommend it, Wirralong is the place to be and I do hope that there will be many more stories set there.
My thanks to the author and publisher for my digital copy to read and review.
June 27, 2022
I sort of knew this book would be a risk for me given the current american political climate (mildly unfair since this book takes place in Australia), but most of it was fine until the at the end of the book. I GET why that had to be a conflict, it almost couldn't have NOT been given the hero's past, but wasn't what I needed to read about this weekend. Still mostly liked it, but I probably should have waited.
June 21, 2022
I received this arc of Lola and the Single Dad from Tule Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This is the final book in the multi author series, Outback Babies. This final book is by Kelly Hunter. This was a wonderful book that I enjoyed immensely. The whole series was very entertaining and I’m glad this group of authors has continued to write the multiple series that all take place in Wirralong with characters that cross over. In this story we meet Lola Darcy, the goddaughter of a Wirralong resident, Rosa. Lola is an aspiring actress who is in between jobs and has come to surprise her godmother for her birthday. Unfortunately Rosa has fallen and must be taken to the hospital. She is watching the baby for her neighbor so Lola steps in to help. She meets the very handsome neighbor Ned Harrow, father of baby Ollie.
Ned lost his wife in childbirth nearly a year earlier and is still grieving. He is a blacksmith with his shop and home next door. Rosa helped him out by watching Ollie a few times a week. Now that she’s injured, Lola offers to watch him with Rosa watching. Lola offers to stay and take care of Rosa as she’s unable to do it for herself. Ollie is an adorable little baby that Lola is quite enamored with. Initially Ned is not welcoming of Lola as he is afraid of his true feelings for her. He feels it is too soon. Ned is well liked in town and his products are sought out. He is originally from Wirralong and he spends time with his parents.
We learn that Lola’s parents were not nurturing or reliable but for a couple of years she lived with Rosa and went to school there in Wirralong. Her parents didn’t really want to parent so after that she was sent to boarding school. They wouldn’t let her stay with Rosa and she thought Rosa didn’t want her either. She’s an actress looking for her big break. She sees all the times she is not chosen for a part as being a rejection like in her childhood. She starts having feelings for Ned and Ollie and worries about getting her heart broken. She knows he’s not ready and she doesn’t know what the future holds for her. She is starting to question her career choice as she has no roots or home of her own.
As time passes and Lola is turned down for other acting roles, she starts to think about staying in Wirralong and getting her own home. Then, the dream role shows up and she isn’t sure what to do. There is a lot of angst as both Ned and Lola reflect on what is important and what each one wants to do. Both Ned and Lola are warm and genuine and Kelly has done an amazing job with their chemistry. There are some surprises and lots of sweet romance. I loved the book and highly recommend it, giving it 5 stars.
Ned lost his wife in childbirth nearly a year earlier and is still grieving. He is a blacksmith with his shop and home next door. Rosa helped him out by watching Ollie a few times a week. Now that she’s injured, Lola offers to watch him with Rosa watching. Lola offers to stay and take care of Rosa as she’s unable to do it for herself. Ollie is an adorable little baby that Lola is quite enamored with. Initially Ned is not welcoming of Lola as he is afraid of his true feelings for her. He feels it is too soon. Ned is well liked in town and his products are sought out. He is originally from Wirralong and he spends time with his parents.
We learn that Lola’s parents were not nurturing or reliable but for a couple of years she lived with Rosa and went to school there in Wirralong. Her parents didn’t really want to parent so after that she was sent to boarding school. They wouldn’t let her stay with Rosa and she thought Rosa didn’t want her either. She’s an actress looking for her big break. She sees all the times she is not chosen for a part as being a rejection like in her childhood. She starts having feelings for Ned and Ollie and worries about getting her heart broken. She knows he’s not ready and she doesn’t know what the future holds for her. She is starting to question her career choice as she has no roots or home of her own.
As time passes and Lola is turned down for other acting roles, she starts to think about staying in Wirralong and getting her own home. Then, the dream role shows up and she isn’t sure what to do. There is a lot of angst as both Ned and Lola reflect on what is important and what each one wants to do. Both Ned and Lola are warm and genuine and Kelly has done an amazing job with their chemistry. There are some surprises and lots of sweet romance. I loved the book and highly recommend it, giving it 5 stars.
June 18, 2022
Lola and the Single Dad by Kelly Hunter, book four in the Outback Babies series is a beautiful and heart-warming story set in Wirralong a outback Australian town where people get an unexpected second chance in life and find the love that they thought they would never get. This is a story about finding happiness when you least expect it; a story about opening one’s heart and realizing that dreams change and usually for the better.
Lola Darcy is an actress whose has yet to get that break out role come . She is questioning her career and decides to visit her godmother in Wirralong; never expecting to find her unconscious on the floor and a baby crying. Ned Harrow long term resident of Wirralong and fabulous artisan blacksmith lost his wife on the day their son, Ollie, was born. He is coping well as a single dad and getting his business back to where it was with the help of friends as babysitters. When his neighbor Rosa’s goddaughter arrives Ned’s life as he knows it is upended in a most delicious way but there are many emotional hurdles to cross. Two most unlikely people become friends and their lives are changed forever, with that meeting.
Ms Hunter wrote a wonderful story containing laughter, joy and the worry of a future but Ned’s past and Lola’s vulnerability cause a few bumps along the way. In this not to be missed tale she provided a tale rich with friendship, magnetic attraction, chemistry, a supportive community, and charming characters giving Lola and Ned a chance to discover they are perfect for each other and creating a family with Ollie I highly recommend Lola and the Single Dad to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Lola Darcy is an actress whose has yet to get that break out role come . She is questioning her career and decides to visit her godmother in Wirralong; never expecting to find her unconscious on the floor and a baby crying. Ned Harrow long term resident of Wirralong and fabulous artisan blacksmith lost his wife on the day their son, Ollie, was born. He is coping well as a single dad and getting his business back to where it was with the help of friends as babysitters. When his neighbor Rosa’s goddaughter arrives Ned’s life as he knows it is upended in a most delicious way but there are many emotional hurdles to cross. Two most unlikely people become friends and their lives are changed forever, with that meeting.
Ms Hunter wrote a wonderful story containing laughter, joy and the worry of a future but Ned’s past and Lola’s vulnerability cause a few bumps along the way. In this not to be missed tale she provided a tale rich with friendship, magnetic attraction, chemistry, a supportive community, and charming characters giving Lola and Ned a chance to discover they are perfect for each other and creating a family with Ollie I highly recommend Lola and the Single Dad to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
May 31, 2022
I have enjoyed this series and this latest book is one of my favorite ones.
Lola Darcy is an actress whose “big break” has yet to come . She is questioning her career and decides to visit her godmother in Wirralong. Never expecting to find her unconscious on the floor and a baby crying.
From that moment on her life changed forever , especially when she meets widower dad and artisan blacksmith, Ned Harrow and his son. Ned is a man that is still grieving his wife’s death.
This is a story about finding happiness when you least expect it. A story about opening one’s heart and realizing that dreams change and usually for the better.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Tule Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Lola Darcy is an actress whose “big break” has yet to come . She is questioning her career and decides to visit her godmother in Wirralong. Never expecting to find her unconscious on the floor and a baby crying.
From that moment on her life changed forever , especially when she meets widower dad and artisan blacksmith, Ned Harrow and his son. Ned is a man that is still grieving his wife’s death.
This is a story about finding happiness when you least expect it. A story about opening one’s heart and realizing that dreams change and usually for the better.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Tule Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
June 17, 2022
Another wonderful read in this must read series this isn't the first series set in Wirralong but it has the same lovely small town country feel that all of the series has but this one has something special babies each of the stories revolves around a baby belonging to one of the main characters In this case it is Oliver the baby son of blacksmith Ned who lost his wife at the birth of his son He is slowly getting his life back together with the help of family and friends Then a whirl wind in the shape of Lola Darcy arrives she is an aspiring actress in Wirrlong to visit her godmother There are instant sparks between these two and she soon connects with Oliver as she baby sits him. But can two such opposites have a future You will have to read to see
June 18, 2022
I love Kelly Hunter’s books, and this story, the fourth in the multi-author Outback Babies series, is utterly delightful from the first page. While it is an enjoyable stand-alone novel, it is also a superb conclusion to an excellent series. The story is filled with thoroughly relatable characters and starring the gorgeous Lola, who is not only a talented showgirl but also a caring and thoroughly decent human being. Lola’s love interests, Ned Harrow and his one year-old son Oliver—because how could you fall in love with one and not the other as well—also own the page whenever they appear. The story is packed with Kelly Hunter’s tongue in cheek humour, tender and emotionally engaging scenes and a lovely sense of family, community and belonging.
June 18, 2022
Lola and the Single Dad, the fourth Outback Babies book is a delightful read. By Kelly Hunter this beauty after ashes read will touch your heart. It has the power to break it one moment and lift it the next. Artisan blacksmith Ned Harrow and struggling to make it actress Lola Darcy will win you over soon as you read the story but it is little Ollie who will completely and totally steal your heart.
A true romance that also covers the dynamics of family, acceptance in family and found family. As you can see family is a big theme in this story. So is pursuing your dreams, rebuilding your lifa and opening yourself up to love. Recommended read.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A true romance that also covers the dynamics of family, acceptance in family and found family. As you can see family is a big theme in this story. So is pursuing your dreams, rebuilding your lifa and opening yourself up to love. Recommended read.
An ARC of the book was given to me by Tule Publishing which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 29, 2025
Well this had all the feel goods of the series but also hit you in the chest heartbreak, wow. Weirdly I love my romance with some tears so this would have to be my favourite of the series even though I was reluctant, nanny and the single dad and all. Ned is gruff care of a heartbreaking story and Lola is sunshine as a result of hers but together they are delightful. Rosa and Ollie are wonderful side characters. I could have done with a bit more, I didn’t feel quite finished with this couple. I’m also a bit sad to continue with Wirralong I have to go backwards, never my preference. A useful reminder to thoroughly check before starting a book that I’m not accidentally jumping in part way through
June 17, 2022
I always love this author’s books. She has a unique voice and creates very real, very relatable characters. Lola and Ned are such an adorable couple and watching the slow growth of their relationship and the resolution of serious, credible issues to achieve their happy ever after was an absolute joy.
Ned lost his wife in childbirth and is still grieving. Lola is an aspiring actress and has to deal with the feeling that her parents never really wanted her.
I enjoyed every word of this beautifully crafted story and it is of course, always a joy to visit this special Australian town.
Ned lost his wife in childbirth and is still grieving. Lola is an aspiring actress and has to deal with the feeling that her parents never really wanted her.
I enjoyed every word of this beautifully crafted story and it is of course, always a joy to visit this special Australian town.
June 16, 2022
This is a wonderful addition to this series. For me it was a very emotional read. Ned was a wonderful man. He is still grieving for his wife. Lola is so happy and full of life but she is at a crossroads. These two become friends when Lola comes to visit her godmother. Then their friendship starts to shape itself into something more. Are either of them ready to open their hearts? A really heartwarming read. I voluntarily reviewed this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2022
Lola-LOLA, a showgirl- crashes into Ned's life bringing the grieved widower unexpected liveliness and sunshine, He does not know what to do with her; his almost one son does-enjoy her, engage her, love her. A wonderful, lovely and fun novel, easy to read and oh so enjoyable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 26, 2022
I voluntarily read a advanced reader's copy of this book for a honest opinion.
A great addition in the Outback Babies series. Loved everything about it the characters, setting,
dialogue and storyline. I hope there will be more books with these characters in the future.
A great addition in the Outback Babies series. Loved everything about it the characters, setting,
dialogue and storyline. I hope there will be more books with these characters in the future.
June 11, 2023
Kelly Hunter is my 5 star go to!
No romance author is as reliably over the top wonderful as Kelly! Her characterization is wonderful! Lola and Ned have a lot of obstacles to overcome… I ❤️ all of her contributions to the Wirralong series! Read them all!
No romance author is as reliably over the top wonderful as Kelly! Her characterization is wonderful! Lola and Ned have a lot of obstacles to overcome… I ❤️ all of her contributions to the Wirralong series! Read them all!
July 6, 2023
Lola & the blacksmith ❤️
Kelly writes with such passion.
I think everyone needs a blacksmith in their life!
This book is happiness and sunshine combined with a sadness that may require tissues.
You'll keep the pages turning to find the happy ever after.
Kelly writes with such passion.
I think everyone needs a blacksmith in their life!
This book is happiness and sunshine combined with a sadness that may require tissues.
You'll keep the pages turning to find the happy ever after.
November 27, 2023
great characters!
I could not put this book down. The repartee between the characters really had me chuckling. I hated to see it end. The lines were so sharp and the characters were engaging. What more can you ask for? Good storyline? Yup, it’s got that, too. Enjoy!
I could not put this book down. The repartee between the characters really had me chuckling. I hated to see it end. The lines were so sharp and the characters were engaging. What more can you ask for? Good storyline? Yup, it’s got that, too. Enjoy!
June 27, 2022
This is a amazing read!
Read
July 12, 2022not enough baby, too much mental turmoil
February 1, 2026
The book was easy to listen to but the narrator of the audio book was very disappointing, very breathy and this was so distracting.
June 29, 2022
Made to be a family
What a wonderful story about a grieving widower and baby son finding love in the most unexpected place. Little did Ned think when meeting Lola that she was the one for him. They were made to be a family.
What a wonderful story about a grieving widower and baby son finding love in the most unexpected place. Little did Ned think when meeting Lola that she was the one for him. They were made to be a family.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews