Chris Versace - An Outback Chance

Publisher: self published?

ISBN:  9781458004482

Rating: 4/5



Sally Bailey is haunted by her past - literally - and she wishes her mother's ghost would give it a rest.

Isn’t it bad enough that her personal and professional lives have collided disastrously and she’s been forced to move home to the Australian Outback?

Why should she have to deal with over-enthusiastic ghosts wanting her to make friends with the man she dumped at the altar 20 years ago?

But Sally’s out of money, friends and options.

Will Sally make it as the world's worst farm hand? What kind of business do her brother and his best friend need her accounting skills for? And just what is Connor Land going to do when he finds out she's back in town?

Along with her family and friends (dead and alive) Sally is about to find out just what happens when you are forced back into your past and maybe get a chance to make things right. (amazon.com)


My thoughts

This was a lovely change of read from what is on the market at the moment. I really enjoyed it!

It's a book about love, friendship and family - entwined in a beautiful tale spinning over more than twenty years. The main character's Sally who grew up on a farm in outback Australia, and running away from it all shortly before her wedding to Connor. But unfortunate circumstances bring her right back to the farm twenty years later.

As a foreigner living in Australia (though not the outback), I often chuckled at expressions which I believe are truly Australian. Replies by Sally's brother or his friend seemed real and believable. I liked the friendship Sally/Emily and Sally/Nolene - so different in characters, but close in their bond. And not for everyone, but I loved it, was the paranormal side to the story, of the dead mother appearing to Sally. Great touch!

The POV change between Sally and Connor were good in intend, but sometimes somewhat confusing and doubling up on the story. And the end seemed rushed.

All in all - a lovely story, which made me think that I should read more Australian based stories, instead of looking over to the American or English market.

On a side note though: Very disappointing for me indeed was the fact that Chris Versace put so much effort in making this story truly Australian that the US spelling throughout the book was painful to look at, and a better edit would've made this story shine even more - IMHO!



DISCLOSURE:
The author sent this book to me free of charge, requesting a review