Absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. Such a sweet story about schoolteacher Natalie who takes a position in a rural community. There she meets a single dad and his son and sparks fly but she is already engaged. She starts to question her feelings about her engagement. Fans of Womens Fiction and rural stories will love this book!

(I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Schoolteacher Natalie has always been a city girl. She has a handsome boyfriend and a family who give her only the best. But she craves her own space, and her own classroom, before settling down into the life she is expected to lead.
When Nat takes up a posting at a tiny school in remote Western Australia, it proves quite the culture shock, but she is soon welcomed by the swarm of inquisitive locals, particularly young student Billy and his intriguing single father, Drew.
As Nat's school comes under threat of closure, and Billy's estranged mother turns up out of the blue, Nat finds herself fighting for the township and battling with her heart. Torn between her life in Perth and the new community that needs her, Nat must risk losing it all to find out what she's really made of – and where she truly belongs.

I really did enjoy nearly every aspect of this story. I have read a number of Fiona Palmer's rural romance books - they usually follow a distinct pattern which some could argue it repetitive and predictable but I feel like, although the characters are different every time, it is like returning to family. Things feel comfortable and reassuring.

Natalie is a wonderful character (as are most of Palmer's female protagonists) - she arrives in a small town to start a teaching career, after leaving the swish and swank lifestyle in Perth. The "culture shock" she receives upon arrival is realistic - I have lived in the big city and a small rural town and know the unsettling first few weeks in a small town, where everyone wants to know who you are, what you do, and where you will be living. This happens to Nat. She does blend in well after a while, becoming a part of the community. And when the school faces closure, her knowledge of small town life, as well as her contacts in the big city, make for a fight that she embraces fully.

Other characters fill the spaces here. Billy, the young boy in her class that captures her heart, is a fabulous creation. Palmer hits a home-run with her characterisation of a young boy in a small rural town who is socially awkward and feels out of place. He will definitely touch your heart.

Themes such as single parenting, small town life and sustainability, school closures and domestic violence are covered here and done in such a way to make you aware of them, without them overtaking the story. Which is good - otherwise it could come across as a bit "preachy".

The only letdown for me was the "perfect-ness" of the two main characters. I know that is what sells books but, if we want to be realistic about it, it just doesn't ring true for me. So many books have been written about small rural towns where everyone is good looking - surely if that were the case, there would be no single men (and women) left...

That tiny issue aside, this is a fantastic look at the lives of everyday people in small town Australia. Their lives, loves, hopes, dreams and destinies all tied together in this one narrative. Give it a go - you won't be disappointed.


Paul
ARH