Two great reads from Australian Harlequin authors Tricia and Joanne.

'Right as Rain' is as much a family saga as it is a romance set in rural New Zealand. Our heroine Mack is battling with her mother as succession planning comes to a head on the family farm after Mack’s dad has a heart attack. In the meantime Mack’s love interest, nice guy Adam apparently disappears from a one-week-stand and then finds her back on the farm. He’s a honey, but only one part of the puzzle for Mack. This is closed door, and at times feels more women’s fiction-y than romance. Mack is hard working and tenacious, and luckily is able to stand up to her mother and back herself and Adam.

'Second Chance Love in Point Perry'

Erin is back in Point Perry after one too many tragedies and meets Tom when she books into his family's b-and-b. They hit it off but it’s complicated. Erin has layers of grief and trauma she is working through, while Tom is navigating a toxic -ex who wants to be back in the life of their son, Carter. I won’t lay out the plot details as it’s layered and the challenges for them keep on coming right up until the end. There's a l'il steam 🌶 and there’s plenty of emotion. It’s dual POV for Tom and Erin so we really feel their yearning and their pain, and especially we get to see how Erin’s history impacts her present relationships. It’s ambitious, in that there is a lot going on - almost too much, but I loved the layers and the way author Joanne writes their emotions was just wonderful. Recommended reading and I’m off to find her other books.

These stories are not similar, but they worked well together and I enjoyed reading them back to back.

Thank you Harlequin Australia, Tricia Stringer & Joanne Speirs, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.