The most heartwarming and uplifting outback romance that you will ever read. Family drama and finding where you belong with the right people is the core.

Lacey is one of those tele-marketer types on a tv mid morning show where her husband, Carter, is the main male co-host. One morning, her marriage becomes fodder for the grocery store magazines when Carter is outed as having an affair with his much younger female co-host. Lacey, who was clueless, is distraught and quickly escapes to her parents’ home in Tasmania to lick her wounds and contemplate her future. In Tassie, she is reunited with Shane, a widower, who she vaguely knew as a teenager. Shane owns the neighbouring farm and he, obviously, makes sorting out her marriage even more complicated.

Being a rural romance, I guess we all know the outcome but the book remained readable throughout. My only complaint would be that maybe Lacey should have had a bit more time between men.

I loved the Tasmanian setting. I desperately want to go to the area now, browse the antique stores before indulging at the coffee shop. Shane’s farm being a walnut farm was nicely unique. Scattered amongst the pages were some lovely recipes featuring walnuts even (but alas, I could not make them as my daughter has a severe nut allergy!).

4 out of 5

You can never go wrong when you pick up an Eva Scott book, they are heartwarming, witty and beautiful, her characters are so true to life and very easy to make friends with, and I loved this one so much, set in Tasmania in such a beautiful area and set around a walnut farm, I learnt so much and the recipes throughout the book are so yummy I am going to need to try them, this is one not to be missed.

When Lacy Clark’s world explodes around her on live TV she is devastated, this cannot be happening to her, what does she do now? The only thing she can and that is to take her two boys Harry and Ollie and escape back to the place she never wanted to be, her home town of Whitton back to Echidna Lane in Tasmania and back to her parents.

Shane Morrisey is widowed and has a daughter Matilda, they own Coal River walnut farm and life is going well, he has had a lot of help from his neighbours Joyce and James Kane with Matilda and the farm, he went to school with their daughter Lacey and always had a crush on her, so when she returns home heartbroken and unsure of what the future holds, Shane is determined to be there for his friend, knowing that, that crush is still there.

Soon the chemistry between Lacey and Shane is growing, but Lacey is going through so much and is uncertain if she wants to stay in rural Tasmania or return to Sydney, Shane knows that his life is here on the farm with his daughter they are all getting on so well, could they make a new life together, will they find the love they both really deserve after all they have both been through?

This is such an awesome story, beautifully told, filled with emotion, it is witty and heartwarming, I loved Matilda, Harry and Ollie they are the best kids, the farm and the setting are fabulous and of course Shane and Lacey are perfect for each other. This is one that I highly recommend, Eva Scott is one of my favourite authors and I never miss one of her stories.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review.

When Lacey left her small Tasmanian hometown 13 years ago, she never thought she'd come back for good. But after her husband publically cheats on her, she is left with no choice but to return to her parent's house with her sons and her shattered pride. Eventually she realises home isn't so bad at all, especially when you have family friends like Shane and Matilda. A great story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the chance to read this book.

Eva Scott has a talent for heartwarming rural romance novels. The characters have depth, and the story draws emotion from you.

Home To Echidna Lane is set in rural Tasmania and is centred around Lacey and Shane. Lacey has always wanted the bright city lights and couldn't wait to escape rural life and get to the mainland. Unfortunately, her marriage ends in a spectacular fashion, and she has no choice but to retreat to her parents' home to give her mind and heart a chance to recover.
Shane has always been happy with his rural life and is growing a successful walnut farm. He's had his heartbroken a couple of times - once by Lacey when his teenage crush went unnoticed and again when his wife passed away, leaving him a single father. His feelings are reignited when Lacey returns home.
They build a strong friendship and can't deny the chemistry between them. But they want different things... or do they!?

A fantastic story for lovers of rom-coms and Australian fiction.

When life give you walnuts, fall in love with the farmer and his daughter…

The one thing Lacey Kane wanted to do was get out of Whitton and Tasmania the moment she could. In the last thirteen years, with a husband and two kids under her belt, she’s never returned home once. Not until her “perfect” life turns upside down on live television and she’s suddenly returning home to the safety of her parents farm on Echidna Lane. As she soaks up the fresh country air and begins to re-evaluate her marriage and the last decade, she starts to wonder if running away and never looking back was such a good idea. Especially when she starts to reconnect with Shane Morrisey, a walnut farmer and her parent’s neighbour, who she used to go to school with. Both of them took different paths in life, and yet both have led them to being reunited in the place where it all started. Shane has always held a candle for Lacey, but having also had his heartbroken with the death of his wife, he’s not ready to jump into anything with Lacey if she’s not planning on sticking around Whitton.

Eva can honestly do no wrong when it comes to rural romances! I’ve barely seen Tasmania, let alone set foot on a walnut farm, but I instantly felt like I was living in this stunning and picturesque landscape. I never gave much consideration to how walnuts are actually farmed so I really appreciated Eva going into detail about the entire process. I’m seriously considering hightailing it to Tasmania to track down my own walnut farmer with an adorable daughter!

The romance was sweet and swoony and you can instantly feel the history and connection between Lacey and Shane. There’s something about reunited high school friends that you just can’t not love. Not to mention, their children are adorable - I loved the friendship between Shane’s daughter Matilda and Lacey’ youngest son Ollie, and I honestly feel like their adventures alone would be a blast to read about.

In fact, the entire dynamic between the Kane and Morrisey families was filled with so much heart and soul, and everything that’s to love about living in a rural community. I think this is the essence that makes rural romances in general such a fantastic genre to read and Eva has absolutely excelled at being able to capture this in her books.

One of the thing I’ve loved about Eva’s recent books is the inclusion of fun little details like newspaper articles, Facebook posts, or in this case, recipes. I really enjoyed seeing the walnut-based recipes for food mentioned in the story scattered throughout the book and you can bet that I’m going to try my hand at making them - the Walnut Brownies have my name written all over them!

If you’re looking for a swoony rural escape with a gorgeous farmer, look no further than this romp on Echidna Lane!

As an Aussie living on the West Coast, I love reading stories that focus on areas of Australia outside of the major cities. The story begins with FMC Lacey returning unexpectedly to her hometown in Tasmania after learning her husband has been unfaithful on live television. Throughout the story, we witness her rise from the ashes, rediscover her self worth and rebuild her life in her hometown for her children.

I adored the setting and wish I could fly over to Tasmania ASAP! The physical beauty, friendly locals and community spirit all drew me in and gave the story such a warm, snuggly feeling. Lacey and Shane were a sweet match and I enjoyed the slower pace of their relationship in the story.

Thank you to Author Eva Scott, Harlequin & Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. All opinions shared are my own.

Eva Scott has excelled in this wonderful (almost) tribute to her own move to Tasmania! A beautiful area and small country town is the perfect spot for any rural romance.
The storyline covers many aspects of life, small town gossip, family connection and personal growth. The main characters, Lacey and Shane have very different lives, Lacey didn’t open her eyes until she’s forced to return home but Shane loves the farm life he’s a part of.
All of the characters in this fabulous book bring their own unique experience to ensure a relatable experience on Echidna Lane. Lacey’s parents are adorable, helping their grandsons adjust to the new living arrangements. Shane has also been on the receiving end of Joyce and James’ wisdom and love.
I particularly loved the inclusion of special family recipes and how Matt and Bella kept everyone on their toes! This special group come together as they learn to make their own memories.

Huge thanks and congratulations to Harlequin Australia, NetGalley and the fabulous Eva Scott for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Home to Echidna Lane by Eva Scott

Back in late 2021 Eva Scott and her family made the Coal River Valley their home after moving to Tasmania from Queensland and excitingly her 2023 release is set in the very area she now calls home.

Her recent books have followed tropes from 90’s romcoms and Home to Echidna Lane is no different drawing comparisons to the Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr movie Hope Floats.

I couldn’t get enough of the local Tassie references, there were just so many moments this book made me smile due to the mention of something like a familiar place, the aurora australis, or even just a reference to the Tasmania way of life.

Although the main setting of the book, the town of Winton, is fictional, quite a few Southern Tasmania towns and locations get a mention like Richmond and Sorell and even Eva’s favourite coffee shop, Czegs’ Café, makes a cameo.

I just adored the characters in this book, Shane, a local lad, widower, a single father who makes a living walnut farming, and Lacey, Shane’s high school crush, is a local girl who only ever wanted to escape the small-town life for the glamour of the big city.

Lacey finds herself back living with her parents in Echidna Lane after her perfect life crumbles live on television.

She brings with her, her two boys and a broken heart and it’s her parents and Shane that help to piece it back together.

I really enjoyed the banter between Shane and Lacey, and the way they navigate through this new chapter in their lives. The minor characters also really added to the story. Lacey father had me smiling with his bedtime stories.

I loved the walnut inspired recipes included at the end of chapters; I am definitely going to give some of them a try as they sound utterly delicious. First up will be the Sunday Lunch Tortellini with Burnt Butter, Sage and Walnuts.

Chatting via Instagram Eva has told me that this will be her last Rural Romance novel for a while, and I can say that without a doubt she has gone out with a bang, this one would have to be my favourite one of her recent books.

I have no doubt that Home to Echidna Lane will be very popular with Tassie readers and lovers of rural romance.

Home to Echidna Lane, published by Harlequin Australia, is set for release on August 2 all around Australia.

A big thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy to read and review.

An enjoyable read set in Tasmania, at the heart of this story is self discovery for our two protagonists through their connections with family - the family we are born into and the family we make for ourselves. I enjoyed the inclusion of recipes that the characters mention. A must read for fans of Australian romance fiction.

Eva Scott knows how to get me, every single time. She has a wonderful knack of retelling my favourite 90's movies with a beautiful Aussie twist - this time we have the Sandra Bullock/Harry Connick Jr flick, Hope Floats.

I love a good homecoming tale, throw in some unrequited love and you have me - hook, line and sinker.

Lacey and Shane made my heart melt. I adored how his heart is still all aflutter over the girl who went away. I loved Lacey's realisation that she was only living a half-life, and there is so much more to what she thought was life.

I loved the imagery of small town Whitton. I could sort of see people from the small town where I live in the characters of Echidna Lane and Whitton. Small towns can feel quite smothering, however they are the best places to live if you ever need help (once the gossipping all stops!)

Ms Scott has written believable, relatable character with believable, relatable issues - as she always does.

Now, while I am waiting for whichever movie favourite of mine she retells, I am off to dust of my DVD of Hope Floats.

Eva Scott knows how to get me, every single time. She has a wonderful knack of retelling my favourite 90's movies with a beautiful Aussie twist - this time we have the Sandra Bullock/Harry Connick Jr flick, Hope Floats.

I love a good homecoming tale, throw in some unrequited love and you have me - hook, line and sinker.

Lacey and Shane made my heart melt. I adored how his heart is still all aflutter over the girl who went away. I loved Lacey's realisation that she was only living a half-life, and there is so much more to what she thought was life.

I loved the imagery of small town Whitton. I could sort of see people from the small town where I live in the characters of Echidna Lane and Whitton. Small towns can feel quite smothering, however they are the best places to live if you ever need help (once the gossipping all stops!)

Ms Scott has written believable, relatable character with believable, relatable issues - as she always does.

Now, while I am waiting for whichever movie favourite of mine she retells, I am off to dust of my DVD of Hope Floats.

This is a story about family, friendships, community and home towns. Broken marriages, moving back home and a high school crush are all major parts to this story.

Lacey Kane finds out her husband is having an affair so she decides to take her two boys and head back to Tasmania, a place she left long ago. Is this s good move? How will she settled back in with family and friends? She has a lot to deal with but doesn't think she may fall in love with a boy she went to high school with.

Yes it is a romance novel but it is a bit more complex and has a bit of depth to it as the two main characters have to deal with loss, starting over, bringing up children and so much more. As far as romances go this was a good book and one I quite enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Like Eva Scott’s earlier novels, “Home to Echidna Lane” riffs off the plot of a 90s movie. The result is a warm, if not overly original, romance novel.

Here Scott is working off “Hope Floats”, a not so successful Sandra Bullock vehicle. If you’re familiar with the movie, you’ll recognise a lot of the plot beats. However, this isn’t just a repeat of the movie; Scott has built a very different story around those beats.

Lacey Kane has just discovered, live on air during a national TV broadcast, that her husband is having an affair. She collects their two young sons and flees to her family home in rural Tasmania. Lacey left Tasmania years ago, couldn’t wait to shake the dust from her feet, and has barely returned since then.

So Lacey has some way to go with becoming familiar with her parents as an adult. There’s also the problem of Shane. In high school he had a ferocious crush on her, but never admitted to it. To his horror, he finds his crush is as strong as ever. Although he’s a widower, a single father, and a successful farmer, he still reacts like a schoolboy in Lacey’s presence.

Lacey initially has no time to notice Shane – she’s got a very public breakup, an errant husband, and two young boys to deal with. She also finds she has few real friends, no money, no job, and no idea what she’s going to do long term.

This will suit romance readers beautifully. The story is fairly meaty, and the protagonists are well drawn and largely empathetic. Scott portrays the challenges of parenting well, although it’s not her main focus.

I was, however, a little sceptical of the premise of the novel. I don’t think someone who hated rural life, and has enjoyed living elsewhere for a long time, is necessarily going to discover that it’s the place they wanted to be all along. Yes, people can change. But going backwards? I’m not sure that’s ever really successful. Especially if the desire to do it is prompted purely from trauma.

However, it’s a warm story, and the plot is certainly wish fulfilment for a lot of people. A past love (or at least crush), a supposedly simpler lifestyle, and having your family right on top of you constantly.

As both the central characters are sole parents, and both have experienced loss, this is quite textured and has more depth than some romances. Both are rounded characters with a lot of past. Although an American movie was the jumping off point, this is distinctly Australian. The semi-rural area is well portrayed, as is the mental isolation from the mainland that some feel.

This novel didn’t strike a strong chord with me, but that’s down to me as a reader and my particular preferences. Others will find this an enjoyable romance, although it’s not particularly original (even if you ignore the apparent use of a film as a jumping off point). I think this is one for romance readers who like a bit of meat but can also glide past improbabilities in motivation and action.

What a delight this book was.

Home to Echidna Lane has everything about a rural romance you expect. In this case it's a single dad who runs a walnut farm and a mother of two who returns home after her marriage breakdown.

No spoilers, so I won't go into details, but this was a relatable story, sweet and satisfying. You get the small town feels, some laugh-out-loud moments mostly thanks to the kids, and even some recipes.

It's not so much a page-turner, more a relaxing read that will put a smile on your face.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy to review.

Lacey Kane left the small Tasmanian town of Whitton thirteen years ago, she didn’t think she could reach her full potential unless she moved to the mainland and went to university. From the outside Lacey’s life looks perfect, she and her husband Carter work on morning television and they have two sons. Live the Australian public discover her husband has betrayed her, Lacey was clueless and she needs to put some distance between them and time to think.

Lacey returns home to Echidna Lane, to stay with her parents Joyce and James and they are delighted. Her sons Harry and Ollie have never been to Tasmanian before and her eldest son isn’t happy with their current living arrangements and situation. Joyce gives Lacey time to lick her wounds, she knows her daughter can’t hide away forever, and what's happened isn't a secret.

Shane Morrisey went to school with Lacey, she was popular and he was a shy skinny teenager. Shane now owns and runs a walnut orchard, he’s a widower and has a daughter Matilda. He had a big crush on Lacey years ago, Shane is really good friends with her parents and he tries not make a fool of himself around her and he doesn’t want to have his heart broken again.

Lacey starts to look at life in Tasmania and living on Echidna Lane from a different perspective, she finds comfort in the things she once hated, like the fresh air, beautiful countryside, spending time with her parents, her dad is a wonderful cook and story teller. The boys get to experience things they have never done before and making memories with their grandparents.

Lacey has to make a decision, her time in Tasmania has given her a chance to re-evaluate her life, reflect and move forward.

I received a digital copy of Home to Echidna Lane by Eva Scott from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. A wonderful story about discovering what’s really important in life and it’s not fame and fortune. There is no place like home and being with your family, making new friends and catching up with old acquaintances, familiar places, and feeling like you belong.

The characters in narrative were realistic and funny, especially Matt and Bella they made me laugh out loud and included throughout the book are the recipes for the yummy food they made with walnuts. I love reading small town Australia rural romantic fiction and nothing like handsome Aussie bloke wearing a flannel shirt and Lacey might as well. The first novel I have read by Ms. Scott, it won't be my last and five stars from me.

First up this book had me wanting to book a flight to Tasmania as I fell in love with Echidna Land and Whitton. This is my first time reading by Eva Scott but she is an author I will be looking out for in the future as I was totally head-in with this story. So many wonderful characters and only so many words on the page, that I could not read fast enough to learn more and feel the story.

Shane Morrisey is a widower single dad of a very delightful 9-year-old Matilda, they live on their walnut farm along Echidna Lane. With the help of their neighbours, Joyce and James Shane has managed to grow the farm at the same time growing up with his daughter as they make their life as a twosome.

Lacey Kane aka Candy Kane mother of Harry and Ollie had her life all mapped out married to a TV host and a job on this same show life in Syndey was going just the way she thought her life would be. All until it wasn't, so to protect her boys she returns to her parent's place in the very sleeping town in Tasmania, a place she never planned to return to.

A great second chance story that will warm your heart and falling in love with the area within the story is told in. A small-town feel read that has so many feel-good moments as well as life lessons to learn along the way. Lacey had to do what was best for her boys at the same time realising she had some very hard decisions to make, but hopefully, with the love and understanding from her parents and the newfound friendship with an old school friend from her past, she may just make the worse day of her life the start of the best thing to ever happen to her small little family of three.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I just reviewed Home To Echidna Lane by Eva Scott. #HomeToEchidnaLane #NetGalley

Eva Scott is new for me author, though I have seen her books around and have been hearing good things about her work.

Lacey works on a National TV morning show with her anchorman husband, they have a lovely house, two lovely sons and Lacey is feeling very blessed. Then in the space of a few minutes she goes from happy to hysterical as her husband is publicly outed as a cheating rat and the cameras zoom in on her face for a reaction. Humiliated she takes her two sons and retreats to lick her wounds at her family home in Tasmania. Her parent’s neighbour, and best friend, is a walnut farmer, Shane, a high school friend of Lacey’s who had the biggest crush on her. Shane is now a widower with a nine year old daughter who bonds with the two boys immediately. Now Lacey needs to sort out her life, work out what she wants to do rather than be told what she should do. Her rat husband throws a few more curve balls at her before Lacey finally realised what she wants to do.

I was swept into the story from the very first page. The anguish of Lacey was very real, and her relationship with her two sons as she tried to support and protect them was very well done. There was eating, drama, fights, hugs, friendship and laughter as Shane tries to give Lacey her space as she sorts out what she wants out of life.

There were some lovely scenes in the book - one that had a lot of meaning for me was where Shane and Lacey were watching for the “Lady” - something my husband and I have done - and the breathless excitement when you see her is indescribable.

Home to Echidna Lane Was a real page turner for me - I loved how all the threads were resolved, and the recipes, I will certainly be reading more of Eva’s books in the future.