Rachael Johns’ books never fail to put a smile on my face. Her stories are always brilliantly crafted, with realistic characters and a plot that demands you to sit down and find out what happens! With Outback Blaze, she entered new territory with romantic suspense elements and of course, excels. (The last 50 pages of this book had me reading with one hand, and brushing my teeth with the other. I just had to know what happened).

Outback Blaze is the second story set in Bunyip Bay, a coastal rural town in Western Australia and an area I know well. You can read this book as a standalone very happily, or after the first book in the series (Outback Dreams). As a devotee of Outback Dreams, I really enjoyed revisiting the characters I new, as well as meeting new ones (the Bunyip Bay police are definitely fun characters!). The story revolves around Ruby, whose parents own the town’s Ag Store (that’s where the farmers go to get their stuff, like pesticides and drenches) and Drew, the hunky new policeman direct from the UK. Ruby is a relative newcomer to Bunyip Bay, returning to live with her parents after the end of a relationship, but she’s done well in setting up a horse riding school and becoming involved in community activities. Drew is somewhat of an outsider – his idea of policing is different to that of his laidback colleagues, but his physique hasn’t escaped the notice of the local ladies. So when Drew is volunteered by his sergeant to take part in the town’s Undies Run for charity, hearts are aflutter. Only thing is, nobody told Drew that undies mean underwear only…

It’s in the middle of a photo shoot for the men of the Undies Run that the Ag Store catches fire. The town watches as the store burns to the ground and immediately arson is suspected. Was it the young offenders Drew has been helping to rehabilitate? Was it Ruby’s parents? Who has a vendetta against Ruby and her parents? Could it be one of the townspeople? Rumours and suspicions set the town alight and divide the citizens. Ruby finds Drew to be one of her biggest allies – but could he be something more? Drew’s not interested in a relationship and Ruby certainly doesn’t want a repeat of her previous one. Could the damaged pair heal each other?

In between Ruby and Drew circling each other are a number of mysteries, mainly surrounding the fire. I found these fascinating because I simply could not work out who the culprit was! There were some great red herrings – even I was suspicious after two of the suspects just disappeared from Bunyip Bay. As for the real culprit, I certainly didn’t see it coming – their reason for doing what they did initially seemed a bit odd, but really fit in with their character. The narrative really sped up as the culprit was revealed in a tense situation – it’s a section that I just did not want to stop reading.

Another thing that Rachael nails in this story is the feeling of the small rural community. She shows the caring side (such as the way Ruby’s family receive a ton of food after the fire) but also shows the negative side. The town is so close knit, that once Ruby’s family is suspected of ‘doing an insurance job’ on the Ag Store, she is completely shunned. People she is friends with, families she teaches riding to, completely shun her without a fair trial. It shows how the community protects their own, but also how some can be quick to ostracise.

I can’t finish this review without talking about the romance between Drew and Ruby. While I thought I was head over heels for Monty in Outback Dreams, I may have to rethink my loyalties after getting to know Drew. He’s a great character – kind, driven and loyal. His dedication to helping Ruby heal and investigating the arson on his own time is very sweet – almost swoon worthy. Ruby’s not too bad herself – she’s kept quiet about some previous traumatic experiences and has a deep loyalty to try to protect her parents, as well as support and feed Drew. The romance was believable with a hint of spice.

I’d highly recommend Rachael Johns as THE author if you want to try the rural romance genre. Her books are always well plotted (with more than romance) with fantastic characters.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for the copy of this book.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

In Outback Blaze, Rachael Johns invites us to return to the small Western Australian farming community of Bunyip Bay that she introduced us to in Outback Dreams.

In the time that Ruby Jones has been living with her parents after breaking her engagement, she has begun to feel at home in the community of Bunyip Bay, so when her parent’s business is destroyed by fire and investigators determine the cause as arson, Ruby is devastated when rumours start to circulate that her hard working and generous spirited parents could be responsible. Local police officer Drew Noble can’t let his attraction to Ruby influence the case but he thinks it unlikely the Jones’s are capable of committing insurance fraud. Left with few investigative options, Drew begins to suspect that someone deliberately targeted the family and when Ruby is the victim of a second tragedy, he will do anything to protect her.

Readers familiar with Outback Dreams will recognise Ruby as the character who briefly dated Monty before he and Faith finally worked things out. A relative newcomer to Bunyip Bay, Ruby has escaped an abusive relationship and sought refuge with her parents, working part time in their agricultural store and providing horse riding lessons to local children, while getting involved in community events like the upcoming Bunyip Bay Festival. Despite her painful past Ruby has worked hard to rebuild her life when the fire, and subsequent events, threaten to destroy everything she has achieved.

Like Ruby, Drew is a newcomer to Bunyip Bay. A British police officer forced to participate in an exchange program, he doesn’t plan to stay for long, but is nevertheless determined to work hard and do his best for the community. Drew’s attraction to Ruby is a complication he can do without, but when Ruby is in danger he realises he can’t live his life in limbo forever.

Johns brings these two characters together based on both their physical attraction and their need for company and comfort. It’s a fine line for her to walk, due to the ongoing investigation, but the author neatly sidesteps those concerns and carefully develops a believable romance between Ruby and Drew.

This is the first of Johns’ rural romance novels to develop a plot that also includes an arc of suspense. Though I think there was potential for the author to push this a bit further, I enjoyed the addition, and was somewhat surprised by the identity of the culprit.

With its appealing characters, sweet romance and interesting mystery, Outback Blaze is another wonderful novel from Rachael Johns. I am already looking forward to revisiting Bunyip Bay in [book:Outback Ghost|18715339], due for release in October 2014. ( )