This is a rural romance set in Victoria Australia and in Japan, Merindah Park is a race horse stud run by John Bassett and his siblings a brother and two sisters, this is John’s story his journey to a HEA with a beautiful Japanese Veterinarian is a sensual and moving story that is sure to keep you turning the pages.

John has set off to Japan to buy a new race horse for the stud Tsuyoi Red, he worries that it is the right thing to do as for the last five years he truly has struggled to keep the park going and make ends meet, but this should be a chance to really help. When he arrives he meets his old friend and his sister Toshiko and there is an instant pull between the two, she is the vet at their stud and beautiful and soon they are conversing like old friends and getting closer.

Toshiko is bound by honour as is the custom in Japan, she has done everything to please her family, she become a good vet and the family stud was left to her younger brother and now she must honour her parents wishes and become a bride to a neighbor, but first she will travel to Australia with John and the horses he has purchased and here in Australia she learns to be more open and stand up for herself and fall in love.

MS Dahlia knows her horse racing information this is a very well written story, there are many emotions flying from the pages and when John discovers Toshiko’s other happiness besides being a vet and horses it threatens to pull them apart, but love prevails and they have the best HEA. I really did thoroughly enjoy this story I learnt lots of interesting things about horse racing and of course there was the beautiful romance and I do look forward to seeing the Bassett siblings get their HEA.

An interesting read in the fact that there are two cultures going on here, and both are different than what I am used to. John is from Australia, and is working with and training race horses. Toshiko is a veterinarian from Japan, who works with horses. She is also being pressured by her dad to marry a neighbor, but there are no sparks. However, when she meets John that is different. Overall, I did enjoy this one, but at times felt the story was a little slow, and also a bit skimmable. I would give it 3.5, but would definitely recommend it. Interesting to reading about other views, and cute guys and horses are always a winning story line.

The first book in a new series, Merindah Park was an enjoyable romance and a great introduction to the siblings who will feature in the next books.

IMG_20190420_131450This story focuses on John and Toshiko and is set in Japan, where they meet while John is buying a horse from her brother, and in Australia on John’s horse property Merindah Park, where Toshiko, a vet, travels with John and the horses. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters, which was evident from the start of the novel. The cultural differences between the two and how they had to deal with them to move forward in a relationship at times made things between them difficult. It was especially difficult for Toshiko as she had been born into a culture where women defer to the men, especially the father in their wishes, family is more important than the individuals desires. Toshiko is running from a family expectation and the chemistry between John and Toshiko makes the dilemma she is running from clearer and more complicated. Will secrets stop and expectations stop these two being together?

The horseracing industry isn’t one I know too much about, or horses in general for that matter. Renee Dahlia’s love of horses and knowledge of the industry certainly comes through in this story.

Johns siblings were great characters and I enjoyed the rapport that they all had between each other as a family. I look forward to reading their stories.

Merindah Park is the second of Renee Dahlia’s books that I’ve read and this one really shows how she has developed as an author. This is an Australian contemporary rural romance with a strong horse racing theme and it is clear from the opening pages just how well the author understands horses and the racing industry. Her comfortable familiarity with this setting means that those parts of the story associated with racing, horse training and horse husbandry really flow well.
The plot centres around a romance between Australian horse property owner John and Toshiko, a Japanese horse veterinarian. The romance side of the story leans towards the sexy, with a fair few scenes devoted to graphic descriptions of who did what to whom. For me, it was a bit too clinical. I far prefer to know what a character is feeling and I didn’t really get a sense of that building sexual arousal and emotional pull during those scenes.
The pacing was also a little bit lacklustre and at times I really didn’t find myself bursting to get to the next page. Having said that, I did enjoy the story, though mostly because of the interesting things I learned about horses and racing.

An enjoyable read. I liked this book because I enjoy horses and romance. There was both in this book, it was easy to read. The characters were interesting and likeable, it was easy to read.

Interesting read, not just the romance between the two main characters, but the differences in cultures between Australia and Japan.
Toshiko would love to escape, but in her culture, you repsect your paretns wishes, and her paretns want her to marry the farmer next door. Does she give in or follow her heart to Australia with john. She is keeping a secret though so when John finds out will he still want her?