Reunion in the Outback

DNF at 48%. Yolanda and her husband Michael left Bunya Junction years ago for the big city. Childhood sweethearts, she was tired of being mollycoddled by her family and he was trying to escape being the son of the town drunk. They made a good life for themselves in the city, Michael rose to become head chef at a famous restaurant. Yolanda worked until they had a baby then was a stay-at-home mum with a burgeoning YouTube channel giving make-up advice and tutorials. Everything changed when Yolanda miscarried their second child and nearly died. The shock terrified Michael and as a consequence he started treating her like a fragile piece of porcelain, less of a partner and more of a responsibility. Michael's attitude reminds Yolanda of her family's over-protectiveness, especially when he refuses to countenance her having another baby, or getting a job, or putting the baby in childcare once a week. Suspecting she is in fact pregnant again, Yolanda broaches the possibility to Michael who overreacts and it culminates in Yolanda taking their daughter back to Bunya Junction for "a break". Meanwhile, Michael is devastated at the loss of his wife and child who he loves more than anything in the world, then he is let go when the restaurant is sold to a new owner who wants to bring in their own chef. All his worst nightmares are coming true, Michael feels just as much a loser as his father. Determined to win back his wife, Michael comes back to Bunya Junction and lands a temporary job as chef at Yolanda's brother's bar and grill. I really struggled with this book, it has that old-school Mills & Boon vibe to it which was off-putting to start with. Then I just realised that all this drama was caused because the two of them couldn't/wouldn't speak to each other, Yolanda especially does everything to avoid seeing or speaking to Michael - despite the fact that she loves him. Michael also has some pretty overbearing tendencies, I think if I was on a break and my partner sat in the bar every night while I worked, waited until everyone else left and then tried to put the moves on me I'd call the cops! Also they were both keeping secrets, Michael doesn't know Yolanda is pregnant, she doesn't know he's lost his job. At nearly halfway through I was starting to get a rinse-and-repeat vibe, she melts every time he gets close then she runs away and doesn't want to speak to him. He gets all caveman but doesn't tell her the truth. Rinse and repeat. Sorry, just not for me. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher Tule in return for an honest review.

We are back in Bunya Junction with another of the Carruthers siblings. This time it’s Yolanda Watson. Yolanda married her HS sweetheart right out of HS and they left for the bright lights of Sydney. Six years later, Michael is a very busy chef, and Yolanda feels he is never home and is not spending enough time with her and their little girl. The distancing gets worse when he reacts negatively to the possibility of a second child. Never expected to have Yolanda leave him and return to her hometown. All made even worse when he looses his job. Even though he goes to see her, both are keeping secrets making a reconciliation almost impossible. We watch them experience the struggles of a marriage, where trust and communication are lost. Michael’s childhood has left him fighting inner demons and having a low self-esteem. Will Yolanda be able to realize this before it’s too late? Will they learn from their mistakes? This was a touching story and a little bittersweet, since it’s the last one of this much loved series. I appreciated that the author let the reader know how the characters from previous stories were doing. I was entrusted a copy of this book by Tule Publishing. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was an emotional 5 star read. Once I started I didn’t want to put it down. This was a great ending to this series. After a conversation with her husband Michael, Yolanda has decided to return to her hometown with her daughter for a break. Michael follows Yolanda, determined to work things out and get his family back where they belong. I do have to say that I had a love/hate relationship with these two. I had moments where I wanted to shake them. We also find that they both have secrets, what will happen when they come out? Can they make their marriage work? Overall this was a great read. This story hits on several things that affect marriages everyday and shows just how difficult things can be. It was great seeing characters from the other books. This can be read as a stand alone but I suggest reading from book one so you can meet the rest of the family. The author has done a great job with her writing and I look forward to reading more from her. Kudos on a great ending to this series. 1-click and get started today.