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Wednesday, 23 December 2020

Book Club Book Review: Something Like This by Karly Lane

Something Like This
by
Karly Lane
 

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Publication date: 1st December 2020
Genre: Rural Romance
Pages: 340
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher via  Beauty & Lace Book Club
 
About the book 
 
Jason Weaver just wants to be left alone. It was a tough transition from his army days to civilian life, and he's looking forward to settling into a solitary life.

Tilly Hollis is working two jobs to save for her dream career: running an equine therapy program. Tilly loves her horses more than anything, and after losing her husband and business partner just a few years earlier, she's determined to make it work on her own.

When Jason walks into the cafe where Tilly works, they're immediately drawn to one another. But can they overcome their pasts to find a future together?
 
My review
 
Best selling Australian author Karly Lane’s latest offering in the Rural Romance genre, Something Like This, combines Karly’s love of romance with her love of horses to give her readers yet another unmissable rural romance story.

Anyone who has read a Karly Lane novel will know her two biggest loves are horses and romance and Something Like This combines both loves. Even if your not a horsey person (which I’m not) you will love Tilly and Jason’s story. It is more than just horses it is a story of pain, loss, suffering and the power of love.

Through Healing Hooves Horse Therapy, Tilly brings together a group of troubled teens, on their last chance, and a few wild brumbies saved from culling. The teens are taught to work with the horses and I’m not sure who was taming who but both boys and horses are offered a new chance at life. It was moving to watch these reluctant teens open up and Tilly’s life long dream come to fruition.

Jason Weaver was planning a quiet life fixing up the old house he had purchased. His time fighting in Afghanistan had left physical and emotional scars and Ben Tirran seemed the perfect place to send time alone. That is until he drops into the local cafe and meets Tilly. Now he can’t keep her out of his mind.

Jason is such a likeable character, even when he was being grumpy and disagreeable. I immediately warmed to him and Lane has a remarkable way of invoking empathy in her readers for even the most moody and socially disagreeable of characters.

Tilly is awesome. She has had tragedy after tragedy thrown at her and yet she was vibrant, determined and strong. What an inspiration! Her story will break your heart.

Jason and Tilly were complete opposites neither really into what the other liked but their personalities complemented each other and they were both willing to compromise which I thought was a realistic founding for a relationship.

Horses form a large part of the story in Something Like This and even as a non horse lover I was fascinated by the idea of capturing and taming wild brumbies rather than culling. Lane’s Knowledge and love for these wild horses is evident.

In Something Like This Karly Lane explores the healing power of animals. I have heard of pet therapy where dogs are taken to hospitals, nursing homes and schools but introducing horses as therapy was new to me. Other areas explored were small town gossip, genetic diseases, mental health of people with a disability, communities helping each other and working towards a dream.

Karly Lane is firmly on my must read list.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ plus that extra ⭐ for a character named Veronica 💖 (even if she was a mean girl).

Meet the author

Photo: Goodreads
Karly Lane lives on the mid north coast of New South Wales. Proud mum to four children and wife to one very patient mechanic, she is lucky enough to spend her day doing the two things she loves most - being a mum and writing stories set in beautiful rural Australia.


 


This review first appeared on the Beauty and Lace website.
 
Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20
                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020
 
Other books I've read by Karly Lane
 
 

Tallowood Bound by Karly LaneSix Ways to Sunday by Karly Lane
 

 

2 comments:

  1. Nice review, thanks for sharing your thoughts

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll definitely have to look for this one, I really enjoy Karl's books, there's only one I really didn't like.

    ReplyDelete