**Serenity's Song**
by Cathryn Hein
Narrated by Jessica Stanley
Audio Review

Serenity's Song" invites readers into the captivating world of the Australian outback, blending romance with the intricacies of small-town life. One of the highlights of this audiobook is the choice of an Australian narrator, Jessica Stanley, whose voice brings authenticity to the story. Hearing our unique slang and cultural references enhances the narrative experience, allowing listeners to fully appreciate Cathryn Hein's storytelling.

This novel is the third instalment in the "Outback Brides Return to Wirralong" series, but it stands on its own beautifully. Hein crafts a compelling tale, rich with sizzling chemistry, unforgettable adventures, sharp-witted sarcasm, and an array of charming characters. Central to the story are Serenity and Jesse, whose journey of self-discovery reveals that they are perfectly matched despite the initial misunderstandings.

Jesse Hargreaves is a character burdened by his notorious reputation as a bad boy. After being deeply betrayed by a woman he once trusted, he finds solace in returning to his quaint hometown of Wirralong. There, he unexpectedly becomes enchanted by Serenity, a local beautician with a flair for vibrant hair colours and a personality that sparkles with life.

Serenity Strachan employs her flippant one-liners and eye-catching styles as a form of protection for her sensitive heart. Beneath her confident exterior lies a vulnerability that she guards closely. Initially, she perceives Jesse as a jerk, unaware that he is more than just his past mistakes.

This beautifully woven story is filled with a whirlwind of emotions, exploring themes of love, redemption, and family ties. The chemistry between Jesse and Serenity is palpable, and their engaging back-and-forth banter adds a delightful layer of humour and tension to their interactions. Cathryn Hein's talent for character development and her vivid portrayal of the outback setting make "Serenity's Song" a delightful read that I highly recommend to all romance enthusiasts.

EXCERPT: 'You’re kidding me!’ said Serenity Strachan, leaning on her broom and staring at her best friend and Hair Affair’s owner, Elsa O’Donoghue. It was Wednesday, pension day for many Wirralong locals, and with the autumn weather being kind for once, the salon had experienced an influx of customers that morning. They’d cleared out now, bustling off to the lawn bowls club where Marnie Duffy was celebrating her seventy-fifth birthday with a buffet lunch and karaoke.
‘Unfortunately, I’m not.’ Elsa sank onto Hair Affair’s red upholstered barber’s chair and stared at herself in the mirror. Her blue eyes were round with worry, her skin dull and dry. Serenity had noticed Elsa’s fatigue when she arrived for work, but this was the first chance they’d had to chat properly.
‘I’m not surprised.’ Serenity leaned the broom against a basin and took a normal salon chair alongside. She swivelled it to face her friend. She hated seeing Elsa like this. Jack’s family had put her through enough worry this past year.
Now Jesse had gone and got himself arrested on drug charges. Again. ‘What’s he going to do?’ ‘What can he do? Fraser says his lawyer will sort it out. The drugs clearly weren’t Jesse’s. They’re holding him like they always do, as a warning.’
‘I thought Fraser was out of the game?’
‘He is but …’ Elsa lifted her hands, despair etching lines around her mouth. And no wonder. She’d nearly lost Jack because of his father’s activities.
‘Hey,’ said Serenity, leaning forward to grip Elsa’s knee and give it a shake. ‘It’ll be okay.’
Her friend forced a smile. ‘Of course it— Oh.’ Elsa dragged her phone from the front pocket of her cute pink pinafore. Her smile dropped the moment she read the screen. ‘Jack, what’s up?’
She listened, nodding. ‘Good idea. At least here he’ll be out of temptation’s way.’ They chatted for a moment longer.
Elsa’s giant-sized boyfriend was a man of very few words. That Elsa had managed to penetrate his taciturn shell was a source of great amusement to her friends. But Elsa was a force to be reckoned with when she set her sights on something, and she’d wanted Jack from the moment he stalked into her salon like a Wild West cowboy on the day of his mother’s funeral and helped himself to her clippers.

ABOUT 'SERENTIY'S SONG': He’s got a history of bad decisions—is he finally about to make the right one?

Jesse Hargreaves can’t outrun his notorious bad boy reputation. Betrayed by a woman he trusted, he retreats to his hometown, Wirralong, to serve as his brother’s best man and rebuild his life. But change isn’t easy, and it’s even harder when Jesse has to fight his fierce attraction to the maid of honour—a woman well aware of the darkness in his past.

Beautician Serenity Strachan’s flippant one-liners and vibrant hair colours are armour to protect her fragile heart. She’s always crushed on Jesse, but she’s determined to keep him and his sordid past at an arm’s length. That’s easier said than done when Jesse asks Serenity to help renovate an old property. And when they’re trapped underground in a tunnel cave-in, their emotional barriers fall faster than the tunnel walls.

When rescue arrives, they question their new emotional intimacy. Can Serenity trust this new Jesse with her heart? And can Jesse trust that Serenity will ignore the lure of a fortune to keep his secrets safe?

MY THOUGHTS: Serenity's Song is the third book in the 'Outback Brides Return to Wirralong' series, but it is easily read as a stand-alone as each book focuses on a different character, although there is some cross-over of characters from previous books.

This is Jesse and Serenity's story. I can't say I really liked bad boy Jesse. And I couldn't understand Serenity's attraction to him. She crushed on him in high school, but now that they're adults, and taking into account his track record, surely she should have more sense? Obviously not.

My reservations aside, Serenity's Song makes good reading.

I really liked Serenity's character. She's adept at covering her fragility and loneliness with bold hair colors and her love of music. Believe me, she has a song at hand for every occasion - as Jesse finds out, much to his chagrin. Jesse has been through some traumatic times, but much of it was of his own making. However, the experiences have left him bitter and with serious trust issues. He comes across as arrogant, resentful and sulky. Although he says he wants to change, it doesn't take much for him to fall back into his old persona.

You can expect a fiery on-again-off-again romance between these two and plenty of tension during the tunnel collapse. This ended up being quite a fun read. There is one, not overly explicit, open bedroom door scene towards the end of the book.

I enjoy Cathryn Hein's writing and Jessica Stanley narrated the story well.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#SerenitysSong #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: A South Australian country girl by birth, Cathryn lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.
She loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bolinda Audio via NetGalley for providing an audio ARC of Serenity's Song written by Cathryn Hein and narrated by Jessica Stanley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, due for release in March 2025. It is an Australian outback romance with a small-town setting. It's the only book I've listened to in the series, but the story is easy to get into, and the characters are believable and relatable. Jesse is a player who lives up to his bad-boy reputation. He has trust issues after being let down by someone he cared for. Serenity is a beautician who works in the outback town. She is upbeat, caring and outgoing, the sunshine to Jesse's grumpy persona, but she is wary of trusting her heart to anyone too. The narrator brings the characters in the outback town to life, and it's easy to differentiate between them. The story's dialogue and interactions are realistic and work well in audio. I like the emotional connection between Jesse and Serenity, which is well-developed. I enjoyed the drama that forces them together and the conflicts that make them work for their happiness. These are believably resolved to produce a romantic conclusion.
I received a copy of this audiobook from the audiobook publisher.

This was such a cute Australian romance we have a messed up bad boy and a sassy fearless girl the connection was instant and incredible .. this was a fun book to listen to