Heartland in Aussie Readers

Apr 01, 2013 Brenda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rural, romance, aussie-authors, 2013-release, own-read, autographed-book

When Callie received the letter from her father, she was devastated to discover her beloved Nanna had passed away a month earlier. She had missed the funeral; the guilt hit her like a punch to the gut. Callie hadn鈥檛 updated her parents on her new address when she鈥檇 moved 鈥� the family was estranged as she had walked out of home eight years earlier, after the death of her sister, Hope. She blamed herself for big sister Hope鈥檚 death, and believed her family blamed her too. Her life had been turmoil When Callie received the letter from her father, she was devastated to discover her beloved Nanna had passed away a month earlier. She had missed the funeral; the guilt hit her like a punch to the gut. Callie hadn鈥檛 updated her parents on her new address when she鈥檇 moved 鈥� the family was estranged as she had walked out of home eight years earlier, after the death of her sister, Hope. She blamed herself for big sister Hope鈥檚 death, and believed her family blamed her too. Her life had been turmoil for the past eight years, moving from one place to the other, never happy, but the side of herself which she let people see was of a strong, independent woman; always okay, always fine. In reality, things were far different.

Living in Airlie Beach with flatmates Anna and Rowan for the past eighteen months was the closest she had come to being happy. But with her Dad鈥檚 letter, her life was set to change once again. For her Nanna had left Callie the family farm, Glenmore. Callie was determined not to take it 鈥� she didn鈥檛 deserve it. Packing hurriedly, she phoned her work place for leave, gave Rowan and Anna a (very) watered down version, and hit the road. The drive from Airlie Beach in Queensland to lower eastern Victoria was a long one, giving her plenty of time to think. Her determination to get in, pack up and get out again was all she could think about. She would sell Glenmore and move on again.

Her arrival at the farm was full of memories 鈥� everywhere she looked she was hit by them; Hope and herself in their childhood 鈥� Nanna and Poppy and their love for their grandchildren, and the farm. Callie knew she had to get it all done, and fast. But confronted by Honk the goose, elderly neighbour Wal and the horse he said her Nanna had bought for her, the memories of Phantom, her own horse from her childhood; she felt her courage deserting her!

And when rugged Matt Hawkins (who worked on Wal鈥檚 farm) turned up on her doorstep ready to help out, her decision making abilities became more jumbled. What was she to do? Everything had been clear in her mind; easy, simple when she was in Airlie Beach 鈥� why did it seem so hard now? What was Callie鈥檚 future to be?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Aussie author Cathryn Hein. Her characters are strong and complex, the plot deep and involved. All the characters have a passion and vulnerability about them, whether they are main players, or minor cast members. Another Aussie author has now been added to my list of Aussie鈥檚 to read! Highly recommended.
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Mar 19, 2013 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, australian, rural-lit, romance, aww2013

Callie has been a drifter for the past 8 years. She鈥檚 spent some time in the Northern Territory and up around the northern coast down to Airlie Beach where she lives now, tending bar and sharing a house. When a letter finally tracks Callie down to her new address, she鈥檚 devastated to learn that her beloved Nanna has passed away and has already been buried. Callie, who already feels guilty because of the tragedy she ran away from now has even more guilt. She never got the chance to say goodbye to Callie has been a drifter for the past 8 years. She鈥檚 spent some time in the Northern Territory and up around the northern coast down to Airlie Beach where she lives now, tending bar and sharing a house. When a letter finally tracks Callie down to her new address, she鈥檚 devastated to learn that her beloved Nanna has passed away and has already been buried. Callie, who already feels guilty because of the tragedy she ran away from now has even more guilt. She never got the chance to say goodbye to her Nanna, to apologise for leaving. Callie and her sister Hope spent weekends and school holidays on their Nanna and Poppy鈥檚 farm and to Callie, it was like home. She鈥檚 even more shocked when she鈥檚 informed that Nanna has left her property of Glenmore to Callie.

Intending to go back to do just the bare minimum before putting the house on the market, Callie finds that there鈥檚 more work to do than she thought. Obviously Nanna wasn鈥檛 able to keep up with the workload in her later years, something that makes Callie feel even more terrible. She gets a job in the local pub and decides to stay and put Glenmore to rights as best she can with a bit of help from the neighbour, Matt Hawkins who is learning to be a farmer after several tours in Afghanistan.

Despite the deep love she has for Glenmore, Callie wants to sell it so she can funnel the money into somewhere that she thinks might finally help her be free of the guilt that has plagued her. She didn鈥檛 expect to be distracted by the property and all that came with it 鈥� a warty horse, a cranky goose 鈥� because she thought she鈥檇 be in and out within days. But now an alternative future is calling to her, one that includes the place she has always loved and now the gorgeous man next door who is helping her be happy again. But before Callie can think about her new future, she needs to let go of all those bad feelings and believe that she deserves to be happy.

This was one of my most anticipated 2013 releases. I read The Heart of the Valley, Cathryn鈥檚 previous novel last year and quickly followed that up with Promises, her debut. They appeal to me in so many ways 鈥� damaged heroine in need of some loving, a strong but gentle hero who is perfect to provide that and horses. As a young girl, I desperately wanted a horse but my parents couldn鈥檛 afford it. I鈥檝e taken my horse fix wherever I can 鈥� at the races with my dad, at my high school best friend鈥檚 father鈥檚 horse racing stables, at pony clubs with friends who rode. Now I take my horse fix from books and ones like these are perfect.

Callie left her home and her parents in Melbourne years ago after a tragedy tore them apart. She鈥檚 borne a burden of guilt and unhappiness ever since and her relationship with her parents has dwindled down to phone calls several times a year. She鈥檚 snapped back to reality when she realises her wanderings and lack of informing them that she鈥檚 moved on has meant that she鈥檚 missed her Nanna鈥檚 funeral. And even though Glenmore, her grandparents property sings to her, and it鈥檚 where her heart lies, she vows to sell it. Because she doesn鈥檛 feel that she deserves to be happy, or that she should benefit when others she loved cannot.

I felt for Callie immediately, her grief at her loss (both her Nanna and her earlier loss) leapt off the page. She鈥檚 almost punished herself, under the guise of 鈥渢ravelling鈥� remaining away from her parents, who she thinks blame her, and away from the farm that means so much to her. Callie is afraid to be happy, crushed by her guilt. Enter Matt Hawkins, who was severely injured in Afghanistan and is now learning to be a farmer. Matt, despite a less-than-perfect upbringing is embracing life, even with its losses. He wants Callie to do the same, he encourages her to do the same and oh boy are they so perfect together! I love the Hein heroes 鈥� there are no aloof bad boys here. These are genuine country boys with dusty jeans, boots and manners you can take home to your mother. And they are lovely. I get a new crush with every book of hers 鈥� first Lachie and then Aaron and now Matt! What I love so much about these books is that the female characters are almost always troubled and damaged and they鈥檙e balanced out by these strong and gentle male characters who provide support in the form of friendship (that grows into more!). The love interests are also confidants, someone who listens and often provides the voice of reason that the heroine needs to hear. Matt was such a great character 鈥� he鈥檚 scarred from an incident in Afghanistan, which he is sometimes unknowingly self-conscious about but he鈥檚 so positive and so keen to live his life. He wants his own property and he鈥檚 prepared to wait to be able to learn and live his dream. He makes no secret of the fact that he wants Callie to stay but he doesn鈥檛 pressure her. He wants her to stay as much for herself as he does for his own happiness in being with her.

Animals are always a feature of Cathryn Hein鈥檚 novels and this one is no exception. We鈥檙e treated to some horses (of course!) but this one also contains a rather cranky 鈥済uard goose鈥�. I hate geese, they are so angry and I鈥檝e been chased by them before as a child. However, I found myself snorting with laughter at Honk and his crowing every time he managed to hunt someone down. He added just the right touch of humour to this novel, which does have rather serious overtones. Of course it made me cry, as The Heart of the Valley did! And it kept me up until 1am and let me tell you, with 2 kids, the days that I stay up reading until the wee hours of the morning these days are few and far between. It鈥檚 easy to overhype books in your mind sometimes, which can lead to them not living up to expectation. That was definitely not the case with this one 鈥� it was everything I thought it would be and more. It鈥檚 a beautiful story of finding courage to be happy and letting go of the past but without forgetting it. Callie had such a touching vulnerability and Matt such a gentle strength but that didn鈥檛 stop it from being plenty saucy either! Another fabulous rural romance release that just proves why this genre continues to grow in popularity. ...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was amazing

Shelves: provided-by-publisher, aussie-author, arc-are

In Heartland, Callie Reynolds has spent eight years avoiding her family but her grandmother's death necessitates her return to Glenmore, the property that was once Callie's childhood refuge, and which now belongs to her. Intending to simply sell up and move on, Callie's plans are quickly sabotaged by a warty horse, a mad goose, a frightened girl and her handsome neighbour, Matt Hawkins. But Callie is determined to do what she is sure is the right thing by her sister's memory, even if it breaks h
In Heartland, Callie Reynolds has spent eight years avoiding her family but her grandmother's death necessitates her return to Glenmore, the property that was once Callie's childhood refuge, and which now belongs to her. Intending to simply sell up and move on, Callie's plans are quickly sabotaged by a warty horse, a mad goose, a frightened girl and her handsome neighbour, Matt Hawkins. But Callie is determined to do what she is sure is the right thing by her sister's memory, even if it breaks her heart. A delightful novel, Heartland is Cathryn Hein's third heart warming rural romance.

The tragic death of Callie's sister, Hope, has been a burden Callie has carried for almost a decade. She has avoided anything that could give her more than a fleeting moment of contentment, punishing herself due to misplaced guilt. Focused on her goal of selling the property and donating the proceeds to the foundation established in her sister's name as some kind of restitution, Callie is surprised to find herself reluctant to let go of Glenmore. I sympathised with Callie who was struggling under the weight of so much pain and self recrimination. Though fragile and vulnerable, Callie is not weak or helpless and I loved that Hein allowed Callie to find her way forward at a natural pace.

Callie's journey towards forgiving herself is supported by the relationship she develops with Matt. The romance between the emotionally crippled Callie and physically scarred Matt is written beautifully. Matt is kind and patient with an emotional strength earned from overcoming a difficult childhood and his experiences in Afghanistan. He is just the type of hero that appeals to me and I was half in love with him myself. Though their relationship is sweet and tender, there is also a delicious simmering of desire, and more importantly they are what each other needs and there is a genuine sense of respect between them.

The animals featured in Heartland have their own personalities and play an vital role in the story. Honk, the recalcitrant goose, adds hilarity to temper the more sober themes. Phantom, aka 'Warty-Morty', helps Callie overcome her fear of attachment and is instrumental in curing Lyndall's fear of horses. Patch, the puppy Callie begrudgingly accepts as a gift, assists Callie to process her guilt over the death of her sister.

With Heartland, Cathryn Hein has written a wonderful, moving story exploring the themes of grief, guilt, family and love. It will definitely be on my favourites list for 2013 and I am happy to recommend it.

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Jan 18, 2014 Helen rated it it was amazing

This is a very heartwarming story Callie and Matt had been through a lot but the country farm life was calling both of them I loved this one the characters add so much to the story as Callie and Matt journey to their HEA. With a goose and horses a bushfire and the caring nature of both Callie and Matt you will fall into this one I didn't want to put it down :)and there will be tears and smiles and their sensual romance will make you smile. ...more

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