Book Club Book Review: The Boundary Fence by Alissa Callen

The Boundary Fence

by

Alissa Callen

Publisher: Harper Collins / Harlequin
Imprint: Mira - AU
Publication date: 20th January 2020
Series: Woodlea #7
Pages: 352
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Beauty & Lace Book Club

The scars country vet Ella Quinlivan hides are not solely on the outside. Men are off limits. She fills her world with her friends, work and the colourful community of small town Woodlea. She also becomes custodian of a sandstone cottage of an elderly friend whose teenage daughter went missing two decades ago.

With a broken marriage behind him, Saul Armstrong is determined to recapture his dreams by bringing American bison to the Australian bush. He intends to stick to his side of the high wire fence that divides his farm from his distracting new neighbour, Ella.

When Saul calls out Ella for a bison emergency she isn't just thrown out of her comfort zone by dealing with an unfamiliar animal. Slow-smiling and guarded Saul stirs emotions she'd long ago discarded.

The Boundary Fence is the 7^th book by Alissa Callen set in the town of Woodlea. All are stand alone.

Ella Quinlivan has taken a job as Vet in the town of Woodlea. She has many friends in the town and has purchased a small farm out of town. She is still recovering from a shattered romance and past traumas. The last thing she wants is a relationship.

Saul Armstrong has moved from American and started his own bison farm in Woodlea. When he meets local vet Ella, the attraction is instant but he is still getting over a very public and messy divorce. His heart isn’t ready for a relationship and Ella has a vulnerable, hurt look in her eyes.

I enjoyed the slowly developing relationship between Ella and Saul. Two shattered souls who were reluctant to give love a second chance but were pulled together, by circumstance, time and time again.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book. There is Edna, the town matchmaker and gossip, she knows exactly what everyone in town is doing which adds an element of humour into the story as no-one can figure out how Edna can know everyone’s business. And Violet, the lovely old lady who previously owned Ella’s house. Violet’s daughter had gone missing two decades ago but Violet has never given up on her return and asks Ella to leave the light on every night. The mystery of Violet’s daughter plays a big part in the story and shows how the town comes together for a common cause.

As you would expect in a rural setting the animals are as large a part of the story as the human characters. There are Ella’s goats cinnamon and Nutmeg, an escaping pet sheep, a pet bull and Saul’s best mate and work dog, Duke, all making an appearance throughout the book.

Alissa Callen deftly describes the Australian outback with vivid pictures of the landscape and the wildlife. We also get an insight into the life of a country vet and the variety of call outs they would encounter.

The Boundary Fence is a moving story with a touching romance weaving its way around and through the many issues facing a rural community.

My rating  4.5/5     ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Photo credit: Goodreads

When USA Today bestselling author Alissa Callen isn’t writing she plays traffic controller to four children, three dogs, two horses and one renegade cow who really does believe the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. After a childhood spent chasing sheep on the family farm, Alissa has always been drawn to remote areas and small towns, even when residing overseas. Once a teacher and a counsellor, she remains interested in the life journeys that people take. She also is partial to historic homesteads and country gardens and has been known to drive hours to see an open-garden. She currently lives on a small slice of rural Australia in central western New South Wales. 

This review is from the Beauty & Lace Book Club 

@beautyandlacemag #beautyandlacebookclub 

and part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie author challenge

and Australian Women Writers challenge  

#AWW2020