Saturday, 5 January 2019

Book Club Book Review: The Wrong Callahan (Rural Romance)

Book Bingo 2019 'A book written by an Australian Woman' 






      The Wrong Callahan
by
Karly Lane 


Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication Date: 28th November 2018
Pages: 326
Format Read: Trade paperback
Source: Publisher via Beauty & Lace book club.


It had been two long years since Lincoln Callahan had found himself in front of the gates to Stringybark Creek. He was in the army then - a lifetime ago. Linc had always been the unsettled Callahan, looking for danger, the one who couldn't wait to leave the family farm.

This time he was back for his little sister, Hadley's, wedding. From far and wide, the Callahan relatives were streaming toward Stringybark Creek.

Linc's little brother, Griffin, was the steady son, the one who stayed at home, the one who did the right things. And now, the one who had feelings for city-girl, Cash Sullivan.

For Cash, the offer to manage her best friend's luxury beauty spa tucked away in the country had come at the right time. She knew she needed to make smarter choices in her life, starting with the men she dated, and an enforced break in the country seemed the right way to consider her options.

When Linc sets eyes on Cash at a family dinner, their swift attraction floors him. But Cash is his brother's girlfriend...what was he thinking?

As Linc, Griff and Cash form an uneasy triangle, each of them have personal demons to face before they can open their hearts.



The Wrong Callahan’s setting is Stringybark Creek, a family farm in Rankins Springs, in the heartland of the NSW Riverina. A small rural town where everyone knows everyone’s business and you can’t make a move without everyone knowing about it. This comes as a bit of a shock to city girl Cash Sullivan who is in town to help out at best friend Savannah’s Day Spa. Cash has always kept to herself but the friendly and welcoming neighbours, the Callahans, soon have her wondering what it would be like as part of a real family.



Cash has always been attracted to ‘bad boys’ and it has always left her heartbroken. Maybe the reserved Griffin Callahan is just who she needs in her life and it’s hard not to spend time with him when the matchmaking Callahan women keep pushing them together.

Linc hadn’t been home to Stringybark Creek since he left the army, two years ago. He was the son that couldn’t get away from the farm fast enough but has returned a hero in everyone’s eyes.
As soon as Linc sets eyes on cash he feels a strong attraction. An attraction that he is finding difficult to resist.

Lane has delivered exactly what the genre promises; a rural romance with all the feels and characters to fall in love with (a whole family of them) but not all squeaky clean.  Cash has a past she would rather keep hidden but she has turned her life around and is determined not to follow in the footsteps of her parents.

Lane raises the question; do you have a type when it comes to relationships and can this be changed?

The whole Callahan family is back home for Christmas and one of the siblings, Hadley’s New Years Eve wedding. I love the Callahan family but they aren’t as perfect as they seem when you dig a little below the surface.

Behind the romance the story has themes of sibling rivalry, close knit families, the silent but catastrophic PTSD and the all consuming trauma of a war zone.

All the way through this story I was thinking how much I wanted to read Griff’s story and yes!! I find out it is book 2 ‘Mr Right Now’. And what’s with Harmony? Will Hadley’s marriage last? So many questions I can’t wait for the rest of this series.
The story pulled me in from the start and wouldn’t let go until the very last page.

Content:  Some steamy scenes but the sex is behind closed doors.

My rating    5/5      🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 


*This review is part of the Beauty and Lace book club.
The Wrong Callahan is book #1 in the Australian Women Writers challenge 
and part of the Booklover Book review Aussie author challenge 
Book 'W' in the AtoZ challenge 
#BookBingo2019

 


Karly Lane lives on the beautiful Mid North Coast of NSW in Australia. A certified small town girl, she is most happy in a little town where everyone knows who your grand parents were. She writes women’s fiction – everything from romantic suspense to family sagas and life in rural Australia.






5 comments:

  1. This one ticks a few challenges! I'm yet to read it but keep hearing good things. Thanks for joining in with bingo this year!

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    1. I think Karly did an excellent job with this story. It's easy to tick off those boxes at the start of the year. I'm a bit worried how I will go towards the end.

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    2. Oh yes! The start is so much easier!

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  2. Excellent review. I loved this one too, so glad it made 5 five for you! Welcome to Book Bingo 2019, what a great square to mark off first!

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    1. Thank you Amanda. I’m excited about trying to finish by the end of the year.

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