Review :: Wildflower Ridge : Maya Linnell
June 12, 2019
We all know I love a good cosy romance at Christmas time, and this year I've kept the love going outside of the festive season. My favourite romance subgenre - outside of the Christmassy stories - would have to be Aussie rural romance, so of course I was keen to get my hands on Maya Linnell's debut novel Wildflower Ridge.
I have been lucky enough to get to know Maya a bit through Instagram, and you might remember she very kindly did a Q&A here with me at Christmas time (you can check it out here if you missed it).
I have to admit that it is a bit nerve-wracking to read a book by someone you know, with a view to reviewing - because what if you hate it? Luckily this wasn't an issue with Maya's Wildflower Ridge, which I enjoyed from start to end!
(From the Allen & Unwin website)
Penny McIntyre loves her life as an ambitious city professional, with a
marketing team at her fingertips and a promotion just within reach. So
when she's floored by a mystery illness, and ordered back to the family
farm for three months' rest and recuperation, she is horrified to find
her perfect life imploding.
Within days, Penny has to leave her much-loved job, her live-in boyfriend, and her beloved city apartment … to return to the small country town in which she grew up. Back to her dad and three sisters, one of whom has never forgiven her for abandoning her family. And to her ex-boyfriend, Tim Patterson, who was the biggest reason she ran away in the first place.
When Penny's father is injured in a farming accident and Tim campaigns to buy the property, she must choose between the city life she loves and the farming dream she buried long ago.
Within days, Penny has to leave her much-loved job, her live-in boyfriend, and her beloved city apartment … to return to the small country town in which she grew up. Back to her dad and three sisters, one of whom has never forgiven her for abandoning her family. And to her ex-boyfriend, Tim Patterson, who was the biggest reason she ran away in the first place.
When Penny's father is injured in a farming accident and Tim campaigns to buy the property, she must choose between the city life she loves and the farming dream she buried long ago.
I felt like there were three distinct parts to this one - Penny's arrival and the beginning of her recuperation, her father's accident, and then what happens next. The story flowed pretty naturally through, although in the end I felt like maybe it wrapped up a little to quickly - but then I'm never quite sure whether this really just means I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the characters yet!
There is a lot to love about this book, and about Maya's writing.
I felt like the relationships were all so well written - I could feel the love between family members (the scenes between Tim and his Nanna Pearl are so lovely!), and she also totally nails the way that your family can really get under your skin like no one else (even when on the inside they really want what's best for each other).
The idea of 'baking yourself well' really speaks to me - I love nothing better than losing myself in a familiar recipe if I'm feeling out of sorts, and I really liked the way that baking her mum's recipes helped Penny reestablish that connection to her home and family.
The setting for the story is also really well written - both in terms of the farms and surrounding land, but also the country town and it's inhabitants. I felt like that balance in small towns of gossip and support was really spot on.
While this is largely a fun and sweet romance, it isn't always light. A number of more serious themes are explored, and I do want to give a content warning for domestic violence - it isn't exactly a main theme in the book, but it is there.
xoBron
***
Wildflower Ridge by Maya Linnell
Out now from Allen and Unwin
Source: Free copy sent to me by Allen and Unwin
Category: Australian rural romance fiction
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Australian RRP: $29.99
Wildflower Ridge on Goodreads
Find Maya online here.
2 comments
It's got the three Bs! Baking, banter, and biceps - a winning combination!
ReplyDeleteI like that saying, too: baking yourself well.
This book sounds really intriguing! I'm glad you enjoyed it! 💜
Sounds like a great read! I am also partial to a bit of baking in a book 😊
ReplyDelete