Paradise Valley

by Jennifer Scoullar

Ambitious country reporter Del Fisher seems to have it all. She’s just landed her dream job, along with an engagement to Nick, Winga’s most eligible bachelor and son of local mayor and mining tycoon, Carson Shaw. But Del is blindsided when a feature article and its shocking allegations about the Shaw family is published under her name.

Del and Nick’s relationship is torn apart. Devastated by the unintentional havoc she has caused, Del flees to the family farm at Berrimilla in the heart of beautiful Kingfisher Valley. Swearing that she will never write again, Del plans for a quiet life, restoring her late father’s vineyard and making peace with her estranged mother.

But when the little town is threatened by a proposed coal mine, Del steps up and leads the battle to save it. To win this fight she must enlist the support of a man who believes she betrayed him. Can Del convince Nick that she was loyal all along? And will trusting the wrong person destroy both the town and Del’s second chance at love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Romantic Suspense

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2023

About the author

Jennifer Scoullar Bio

Jennifer has always harboured a deep appreciation and respect for the natural world. Her house is on a hill-top, overlooking valleys of messmate and mountain ash. A pair of old eagles live there too. Black-shouldered wallabies graze by the creek. Eastern Spinebills hover among the callistemon. Jennifer lives with her family on a beautiful property in the mountains, that was left to her by her father. Horses have always been her passion. She grew up on the books of Elyne Mitchell, and all her life she’s ridden and bred horses, in particular Australian Stock Horses. She has nine published novels. Brumby’s Run (Penguin 2012), Currawong Creek (Penguin 2013), Billabong Bend (Penguin 2014), Turtle Reef (Penguin 2015), Journey's End (Penguin 2016), Fortune's Son (Penguin 2017), The Lost Valley (Pilyara Press 2018), The Memory Tree (Pilyara Press 2019) and Wasp Season (Pilyara Press 2020)

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The morning after investigative reporter, Del Fisher, became engaged to the love of her life, Nick Shaw, was the beginning of a horror run of events which put an end to the life Del had known and loved. The local newspaper she wrote for had published an article filled with allegations about Nick's father, local mayor, mining magnate and owner of the Westcorp mining company, Carson Shaw, and put Del's name to it. Unable to find Nick to explain, and having abuse thrown at her from all directions, Del eventually decided to cut and run, pulling out of the new job she'd just acquired with the Sydney Morning Herald, quitting journalism completely, and heading to her home town and Kingfisher Farm.

Del slowly settled into Kingfisher Farm, getting to know her estranged mother, Darby, again, as she hadn't seen her for the eight years it had been since her father died. At first she wasn't going to have anything to do with the petitions trying to stop Westcorp from expanding their mining at Mount Morgan and beyond, but Del found out something which meant full steam ahead for her and blow the consequences. Between working the farm and resurrecting her father's vineyard, Del worked alongside the locals on saving the area. But could they do it? They had a lot against them...

Paradise Valley is another brilliant read by Aussie author Jennifer Scoullar which I loved. Mystery, intrigue, corruption, lies, all with a dash of romance to the side. Del is a strong character, filled with determination, and she came into her own once she was back home, helping the Berrimilla locals. Highly recommended.

With thanks to the author for my signed ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise Valley by Aussie author Jennifer Scoullar is an outstanding novel and I loved it from start to finish. The descriptions throughout this book including the environmental theme are so well written you feel like you are right there amongst it all with the characters. Highly recommended.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Corruption and greed in a peaceful country town will test relationships, ruin careers and unravel unsavoury truths.
Unscrupulous activity sometimes has a silver lining.
Del has just become engaged to the son of the towns mayor and mining magnate.
An article she has written about the family in the local gazette has been tampered with and will cause an inflammatory reaction.
Creating a chain reaction of events that see a now single Del head home to her mum.
Back on the family farm she has some adjustments to make, as the mother daughter relationship has been strained since the death of her father.
The emotional baggage she has carried needs to be unpacked.
In addition the farm is running at a loss and needs a plan to save it.
The journalistic instinct is still rife as she discovers information on the new schemes and understands more about the blindside that gaslit her career.
Meanwhile her ex finance is discovering truths about how crooked his father is and has been in the past.
The truth always seem to surface and murky history is revealed.
What an awesome example of a good read.
It had all the small town feels, romance and farming enterprises that make this genre fantastic.
In addition the criminal suspense and the environmental topics enhanced the experience.

[Marit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer Scoullar, the author, dedicated her book to the Australian Conservation Foundation. Conservation plays a large role in this novel. Del (Adelaide) Fisher is an investigative journalist for a country newspaper and deeply in love with Nick (Nicholas) Shaw, the only son of the local mayor and mining tycoon, Carson Shaw. Del has been successful in obtaining a position at the Sydney Morning Herald. Then her life implodes and she flees to the family farm and her estranged mother, at Berrimilla, in the heart of delightful Kingfisher Valley which she learns is under threat from Carson Shaw’s mine expansion. Del is drawn into the fight although at first she was adamant about her non-involvement. Other issues are also raised including infidelity, sexual assault and abuse, suicide, mental health and deep depression, corruption at the highest level, deception as well as second chances, community spirit, the joys of a rescue dog and interesting farming techniques with Babydoll sheep and Maremma dogs. Unputdownable captivating read.

[Donna Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was such a good book , had me into the story in the first couple of pages hard to put down loved it 💕

[Lesley McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Paradise Valley , which is set in Australia, by author Jennifer Scoullar. We meet Del who is a busy investigative journalist , engaged to Nick and about to move to a new job in Sydney. But an article published under her by-line causes turmoil in her life and the community , which leads to Del heading back to stay with her mother , with whom she has been estranged since her father's death.
As a retired farmer , I enjoyed being taken to a farm in Australia and soon became absorbed into the community and its issues just as Del did.
The author has skillfully crafted a book covering issues which affect farming families as well as sensitively including modern themes around death and the choices available today.
Recommend Paradise Valley to anyone who reads romantic suspense , family drama type books

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise Valley is the story of small town fighting big business to save the countryside they love, and living in a small town that warms my heart.
There were some pretty big twists and they kept me on edge the whole way through.
The characters, for the most part, were easy to get behind and the setting was described just beautifully.
I also had to love the mention of characters and a property from an earlier novel.
Scoullar keeps getting better and her environmentalist heart shines out of every page.

[Kym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paradise Valley by Jennifer Scoullar - A great book full of suspense and twists. It was an easy book to read. Del is a top journalist who is very thorough with her research and stories always getting to the bottom of the issue and seeking out the truth. Nick is a great honest guy who has his crooked Dad on a pedestal. When Nick finally discovers what his father is capable of, with the help of Del, they set out to bring him crashing down and restore justice.

[Ann D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Jennifer Scoullar book for ages, so it was good to read Paradise Valley. A Country reporter Del goes to work one day to find her article isn't what it was meant to be and so she resigns and goes back to her country town of Berrimilla, where she plans a new life but when it is threatened by a proposed coal mine and she steps up to join the fight for her new life. I loved reading the environmental story to this book and Del's story as well worth a read.

[TJ Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this book may not be considered by some for the literary awards, I really enjoyed this book and devoured it in a matter of days. In it are characters you really care about, causes worth championing, and a living breathing world around them. It was no more and no less than it needed it be and is an easy recommendation for lovers of Tricia Stringer, Fleur McDonald, and Mandy Magro.

[Sheree Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. Lots of twists & turns, with a strong environmental theme.

[Jaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved everything about this book. The story line, the twists and emotion.

[Ali Oates · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love heart-pounding romances, set in picturesque places, with amazing animals, Jennifer Scoullar is for you!

[Kylie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some characters from "Journey's End" make an appearance.

[Sharon Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read. Will read more from this author

[Robyn Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this story and found it hard to put it down. Must say I have loved the 4 books I have read of Jennifer Schoullars. Now I'll have to see if there is anymore books from her to read.

[Lynne Stringer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Paradise Valley by Jennifer Scoullar. It's always nice to read a story set in Australia, and I liked the journey these characters went on. They were well-drawn and while some of the story was predictable (never a bad thing in a romance) other parts weren't. I felt that it fleshed the characters and the plot out well. The only real problem I had was that the conclusion was wrapped up a bit too quickly. I think it would have been great if more time had been spent on it. When I was at about 80% I was worried it wasn't going to conclude at all. But it did and although I felt it tied up all loose ends sufficiently, it would have worked to spend more time on it.
It was still an entertaining story, though, and I recommend it if you like Australian romance.