Book picks similar to
Cotton Field Dreams by S.E. Gilchrist


australian
romantic-suspense
arc
first-in-a-series

The North Wind


Bronwyn Parry - 2016
    Her life is elsewhere, and the ties that have for decades bound her family to the struggling town and its old hotel may soon be broken.But the arrival of two strangers in town – Owen Caldwell and his grandfather – along with the hot, dry north wind herald a time of challenge and unexpected change.Owen has no idea why his grandfather has quietly insisted on this Christmas visit to Dungirri, a town he's never been to. But the old doctor has a final quest, and as long-held secrets come to light and Owen and Angie use their skills to assist those in need, they both must decide where they belong, and where their future is.

The Drifter


Anthea Hodgson - 2016
    To escape her guilt and her parents' bitter disapproval, Cate leaves Perth for her aunt Ida's isolated farm in country Western Australia.Henry is a drifter, a young swagman-like character who wanders onto the Christie family property and takes up residence in a disused shed. With secrets of his own, the last thing he wants is to get tangled up in Cate and Ida's lives.Against their own better judgement, the fates of Cate and Henry and Ida inexorably intertwine and they learn to face the realities of life, death and letting go.A witty, charming and moving debut rural romance about what makes a good death and, more importantly, what makes a good life.

The Girl in the Yellow Vest


Loretta Hill - 2014
    It could be our best friend or … our worst enemy.’Emily Woods counts cracks for a living. Concrete cracks. So when her long-term boyfriend dumps her, she decides it’s time for a change of scenery. Her best friend, Will, suggests joining his construction team in Queensland. Working next door to the Great Barrier Reef seems like just the sort of adventure she needs to reboot her life…until she realises that Will is not the person she thought he was.Charlotte Templeton is frustrated with the lack of respect FIFO workers have for her seaside resort. But picking a fight with their tyrannical project manager, Mark Crawford, seems to lead to more complications than resolutions. The man is too pompous, too rude, and too damned good looking.As both women strive to protect their dreams and achieve their goals, they discover that secrets will come out, loyalty often hurts, and sometimes the perfect man is the wrong one.

Charlie's Will


Susan Mackie - 2020
    Rose Gordon knew the farm would be hers when her grandfather died. Strong and sassy, she was the only heir to five generations of cattle country and the magnificent Barrington Homestead. But Charlie’s will was not as she expected and the appearance of Angus Hamilton on the day of the funeral unsettled her. Handsome and single, she was attracted to him in a way she had never experienced. The ongoing drought and discovering she had friends, if not family, in the small rural community complicate matters. More sinister threats lurk in the shadows. Will Rose give up city life to face the threats head on and fight for her inheritance?

The Dairy Farmer's Daughter


Sarah Williams - 2018
    Love doesn’t always come easily but it is always worth fighting for. Justin would have preferred to stay in the city and pretend it was an ordinary day. A day that didn’t include a funeral for a father he’d barely known... Justin Wheeler is not a country boy. He could have been, if his mother had stayed married to his father and not moved back to the city when he was only a toddler. But now that his estranged father is dead and he has inherited the dairy farm, Justin finds himself considering if the life he is living is actually the life he wants. Family means everything to Freya Montgomery. She loves living on the land and helping to grow the family business. She knows how important agriculture is to their small hinterland community, so when Justin arrives in town and is offered a generous price from a housing developer to buy his property, Freya must convince him not to accept the deal and instead lease the land to her family. Will Justin choose riches over his heritage or will he find a love more valuable than all the money in the world? The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter is the first in an exciting new small-town series called “Heart of the Hinterland” by Bestselling author, Sarah Williams. "I loved this book, I couldn’t put it down, can’t wait to get the next one." "I thoroughly enjoyed this book, was laughing and sometimes crying while reading. Sarah portrayed real life characters with a strong storyline, wonderful reading, I'm sure you won't regret reading this book." "Sweet and sexy, and, at times, nail-biting..." If you like small town, country and rural romance from authors like Bella Andre, Melody Grace, Maisey Yates, Johanna Lyndsey, Nora Roberts and Diana Palmer then you'll love this short read. Similar in style to Barbara Hannay, Cathryn Hein, Annie Seaton, Fiona McArthur, Victoria Purman, Fiona Palmer and Tricia Stringer.

Extreme Limit


Kendall Talbot - 2021
    One dangerous expedition.Holly Parmenter doesn’t remember the helicopter crash that claimed the life of her fiancé and left her in a coma. The only details she does remember from that fateful day haunt her—two mysterious bodies sealed within the ice, dressed for dinner rather than a dangerous hike up the Canadian Rockies. No one believes Holly’s story about the couple encased deep in the icy crevasse. Instead, she’s wrongly accused of murdering her fiancé for his million-dollar estate. Desperate to uncover the truth about the bodies and to prove her innocence, Holly resolves to climb the treacherous mountain and return to the crash site. But to do that she’ll need the help of Oliver, a handsome rock-climbing specialist who has his own questions about Holly’s motives. When a documentary about an unsolved kidnapping offers clues as to the identity of the frozen bodies, it’s no longer just Oliver and Holly heading to the dangerous mountaintop . . . there’s also a killer, who’ll stop at nothing to keep the case cold.Will a harrowing trip to the icy crevasse bring Holly and Oliver the answers they seek? Or will disaster strike twice, claiming all Holly has left? Extreme Limit is an action-packed romantic suspense full of drama, danger, and passion. It features a feisty heroine and the rugged-yet-mischievous hero who steals her heart. One click to download today and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime, with a happily ever after guaranteed.

Water Under the Bridge


Lily Malone - 2018
    So when Ella decides on a new career selling property, she chooses Chalk Hill. The country town is a long way from the water, with no pool in sight. Perfect!Jake Honeychurch doesn’t want to sell his Nanna’s house, but circumstances force his hand. Listing the property with the rookie real estate agent in town, and asking a hefty price means it shouldn’t find a buyer. Perfect!But determination and persistence are traits Jake admires, and Ella has them in spades. After all, no one ever made an Olympic team by being a quitter.When news breaks of a proposed waterski park, a local developer starts sniffing around Honeychurch House. Ella’s first sale is so close she can taste it, until a sharp-eyed local recognises her.Between sale negotiations with Jake that keep getting sidetracked, and a swimming pool committee hellbent on making a splash, Ella has more to contend with than kisses and chlorine.Can she throw off the failures of the past and take the chance of a new start? Or will her dreams of a new life be washed away again?

The Buchanan Girls


Emily Madden - 2021
    While Olive is focused on marrying a man appropriate to her station, Ivy wants to do more, to be more. Joining the Australian Women's Service Army is the perfect chance for her to escape her family obligations and make a real difference in the world. She doesn't expect serving her country to lead to romance ... or devastating betrayal and unthinkable grief.As the war progresses, both Olive and Ivy find themselves wanting the same thing: for their loves to return safely. But neither of the Buchanan girls is ready for what the future has in store for them.Sydney, 2008: Escaping her husband's betrayal and an impossible personal loss, Madeline returns home to Sydney to nurse her broken heart. As she settles into her new routine, it's too easy to consider never returning to New York and her old life. But her husband won't give up on what they have so easily, and Madeline can't ignore his messages reminding her of why they fell in love in the first place. With her grandmother's support, Madeline has to decide if forgiveness means reconciliation. But is the biggest betrayal yet to come?

The Painted Sky


Alice Campion - 2015
    The result is a captivating rural novel, brimming with romance, mystery and suspense.Nina never knew what happened to her father, the celebrated artist Jim Larkin. One minute he was her devoted dad, the next he'd disappeared without trace. Seventeen years later, she's still haunted by the mystery.Until a call from outback Wandalla changes everything.At first, Nina's inheritance of a waterless property and a farmhouse stuffed with junk seems more like a burden than a gift. But this was her father's childhood home – and possibly her last chance to discover the truth.So what is the local solicitor, Harrison Grey, not telling her as he hands over the keys? Why does the area's wealthiest resident, Hilary Flint, seem to hate her so much? What is the significance of the gold locket with cryptic engravings that Nina always wears?And why, on top of everything, is she inexplicably drawn to her soon-to-be-married neighbour, Heath Blackett?

White Horses


Rachael Treasure - 2019
    It's a tough life, but nurtured and taught by two wise women - Wilma, a gentle travelling librarian and straight-talking Charlie, the legendary mobile saddler - Drift grows up to become a confident, idealistic young woman.But the world Drift lives in can be ugly and brutal. After a frightening assault, Drift meets a handsome young stockman, but he is not all that he seems and she is drawn into a baffling world of lies and mysteries, centring on a lushly beautiful property called The Planet, run by a wealthy American woman. When Drift's father is hospitalised following a tragic accident and the young man she loves disappears, Drift has to find the courage to make her own way in the world. Drawing upon the deep well of women's wisdom taught her by Charlie and Wilma, Drift has to overcome heartbreak, betrayal, loneliness and pain in order to forge her path, own her truth, and create the kind of world that she wants to live in.Drift is a heroine to cheer for, and White Horses is a novel full of authentic Australian heart and soul, warmth and humour, as big and as generous as those wide-open skies in Western Australia. Offering a vision of a vibrant and thriving rural Australia based on Treasure's own experience and knowledge of regenerative agriculture, White Horses is both inspiring and captivating; another classic from the much-loved author of the iconic and bestselling novels Jillaroo and The Farmer's Wife.'Treasure writes with true grit, wit and warmth' Australian Women's Weekly'This isn't classic Rachael Treasure. This is even better. Treasure has produced a polished, heart-wrenching and hopeful novel that will thrill old fans and garner many new ones.' Better Reading

A Perfect Marriage


Alison Booth - 2018
    A chance meeting with the charismatic geneticist, Anthony Blake, reawakens her desire for love and, at the same time, her daughter Charlie shows signs of wishing to know more about her father. Both the past and the future are places Sally prefers not to think about, but if she wants to find happiness, she will first have to come to terms with her long-ago marriage. Only then will she be able to be honest with Charlie. And herself. A story of love and loss, of enduring friendship and unreliable memory, A Perfect Marriage is an enthralling new book from the bestselling author of Stillwater Creek. The novel is also a tale of redemption, of new hopes and fresh beginnings

Breaking The Drought


Lisa Ireland - 2014
    A no-nonsense magazine editor, Jenna doesn’t believe in leaving love to chance, which is why she’s developed Marriage Material – a fool-proof framework for husband hunting. Shearers and farmhands need not apply.Sheep grazier Luke Tanner has met women like Jenna before, and knows not to waste his time. With the drought dragging on and bushfire season around the corner, the last thing he needs is a spoiled city girl like Jenna adding to his problems. He'll help out with the ball because it's good for the community, but he won't dance, he won't flirt, and he definitely won't be matched. It's been a long dry season, but everyone knows when it rains, it pours.

Hello from the Gillespies


Monica McInerney - 2014
    This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when a bump on the head leaves Angela with temporary amnesia, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways....

Her Outback Secret


Kristy Taylor - 2018
     Sick of being broke, vet nurse Kylie Douglas is intent on selling the outback homestead she inherited so she can get back to her normal life in Brisbane with some cash to burn. She has never really been attracted to the strong silent type, but when she meets Jack she senses there is something different about him.Still grieving for his wife and unborn child, Jack Lawson is intent on buying the outback homestead to keep their memories close. Jack knows he needs to move on with his life, but can he if he has to leave the homestead behind?When the homestead starts to unearth its many secrets, Kylie and Jack's worlds collide as the past comes back to haunt them. Will her grandmother's biggest secret tear both their worlds apart?

Finding Home


Lauren K. McKellar - 2013
    But it’s okay — Amy learned how to cope with the best, and soon finds a hard-drinking, party-loving crowd to help ease the pain. The only solace is her music class, but even there she can’t seem to keep it together, sabotaging her grade and her one chance at a meaningful relationship. It takes a hard truth from her only friend before Amy realises that she has to come to terms with her past, before she destroys her future.