Belle's Secret by Victoria Purman, book two in the Outback Brides series. A great addition to the series. I've enjoyed the settings of the story, the characters, storylines and the dialogue. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Second in the Outback Brides series, Belle’s Secret by Victoria Purman is the story I wanted to read when I was finishing Maggie’s Run. Little did I know that Izzy from the first book was actually Belle, or Isabella in the second. I should add at this point that you don’t need to have read Maggie’s Run in order to enjoy Belle’s Secret, though that first story is just as engrossing and entertaining as this one.
Set in the fictitious northern Victorian town of Wirralong, Belle’s Secret is the story of Wirra Station marriage celebrant Isabella Martensen and Harry Harrison, the Napa Valley winemaker she married a year earlier in a very out of character for her ceremony in Los Vegas. Having fled her new husband the morning after their spur of the moment wedding, Isabella has carried the weight of her guilt over the marriage for the past year and is utterly shocked when Harry appears as a guest at one of the weddings she’s officiating. Harry, on the other hand, has spent the year looking for his Belle both to get some answers and, since she apparently isn’t as taken with him as he was with her, to get a divorce.
I always enjoy Victoria Purman’s stories and this one is no exception. The characters are like fine wine - perfectly matched to their setting and with a warmth and believability that makes them the sort of people you want to get to know. I loved the variety of weddings Isabella performed throughout the story. I loved the deep friendship between Isabella and Maggie. I loved Harry. Who couldn’t? And then there was the increasingly apparent love between Harry and Belle as the story progressed. Perfectly balanced it made this a truly delightful story to read. I really can’t wait to read the third in this series as the first two have been so good.

Belle's Secret by Victoria Purman is the second in the Outback Brides Series by Tule Publishing. Each book by a different author is loosely tied together. So far each one deals with one couple who find their HEA by the end of the novel. I found this one enchanting even if it is not my favorite of tropes. Goes to show what a great author can write.

Maggie’s Run by Kelly Hunter ends with a distant relative showing up at Maggie’s wedding, so I had thought that book two would be about her. Instead it about Maggie’s friend who had come to work at Wirra Station when it became a wedding venue.

More of a secret bride than it is a bride-to-be story. Plausible in Isabella Martenson’s case if not entirely believable. Never believe what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Divorce seems to be the answer for Bella and Harry. Despite its lack of believability in this period of internet savvy, I absolutely enjoyed seeing Harry and Bella finally getting to know each other as they make the decision to be married or divorced.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wedding officiant Isabella Martenson has attended all types of weddings. Never did she expect hers to be in a Las Vegas chapel to a man she just met. Panic sets in and Bella runs to Australia without a word. Now she's living a quiet life in Wirra Station. She never expected to come face to face with her husband at one of the weddings she presiding over. Harry Harrison has been looking for Bella for almost a year. After she left him in their hotel room he was determined to find her. After all this time he's ready to give up when he unexpectedly finds her in the Australian Outback at a friends wedding. He originally wants her to sign divorce papers but after spending a week with her what he wants doesn't include a divorce.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Love at first sight, (sigh) don't I wish I could find what Belle (Isabella) and Harry found in Vegas. I loved this story, did Isabella really do the right thing by running away, now Harry's found her and it's time to find out. The chemistry between these two characters was fabulous and I hoped right from the start they'd find their happily ever after, I wanted to skip to the end just to be sure. I'm loving the town of Wirralong and it's cast of characters I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for a copy in return for an honest review.

When I read the cover description on this book, I wasn't sure, it could go one way or another. I am happy to say I really enjoyed it. Some parts seemed a little unbelievable, until you got into the story and learned a little more about the characters. Ms. Purman does an excellent job of developing likable and interesting people. I also found the descriptions of the location intriguing. I have never been to Australia but have always wanted to go. Belle, Isabella Martenson and Harry Harrison were meant to be together. They can fight it all they want, but the chemistry is too strong. I would give this book a PG rating due to language and sexual content. But if that is not a problem for you, you will find it a very enjoyable read. I received this book from Tule Publishing through Net Galleys. The opinion expressed in this review is completely my own.

This is a wonderful, well written book, I absolutely loved it. This is the first time I have read Victoria Purman’s work and I will definitely read more. This author makes the characters and setting come to life. The descriptions are vivid enough that you actually feel you have visited Australia and experienced one of Belle’s weddings!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. First time reading this author. This is I believe the 2nd in A series. It reads well as a stand alone. I thought the premise was silly. I couldn't, relate to Isabella at all. She ran away instead of facing reality. I am sure that many romance readers will enjoy. I rated this a 3.5.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? Not always and not for Isabella. Isabella is a celebrant in Australia, something of a justice of a peace. She marries couples on a beautiful station belonging to one of her friends. During one wedding, she meets a piece of her past. Harry from Vegas. He wants a divorce and she wants him to keep the wedding a secret. Secrets never stay that way if feelings are involved. This is another lovely book of the Outback Brides series. Can't wait til the next one. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation otherwise.

Isabella Martenson had been keeping a secret for the last year. Not even her best friend knew it. Isabella married a man when she was in Las Vegas for a convention and then panicked and ran. She went back to Australia and moved hoping Harry would never find her. Things are going good for Isabella now. She is running her own business, Wedding Belles, and officiating weddings at her best friend Maggie’s wedding venue. But when one of her wedding guests turns out to be her husband, Isabella doesn’t know how to react.

Harry Harrison, a well-known wine maker from San Francisco, is a guest at his friend’s weddings when he spots Belle, the woman who disappeared after they were married. Since then he has been searching for her. He just wants a divorce so he can move on with his life. But when circumstances put the two of them together, they both might decide they want a second chance.

This was a sweet story. The situation was a bit unbelievable, but it made for a fun read. I cheered on Isabella and Harry the entire time. I wanted them to stay together. The author kept the story interesting and enjoyable.

Great read - looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Isabella is seemingly happy in her life in Australia, as a wedding celebrant at her best friends farm. But her peace is disrupted one day when the man she married and then fled from turns up at on of the weddings.

He wants a divorce and she agrees to it, as long as her secret is kept. The longer they spend together the more they both realise that the attraction that led them to get married in the first place is definitely still there - but what will they do about it when they live on opposite sides of the world?