TALK OF THE TOWN is a Rural Romance, a genre that is a firm favourite of mine. Author Rachael Johns is also a firm favourite of mine – she belongs to an elite group of authors that I call my ‘Grocery List’ Authors – Love their stuff so much that if they published their grocery list I would read it!

Meg has a past – a past that she wants to stay hidden. In her mind the best way to do that is hide away in an old General Store in a small ghost town near a rural community and keep to herself. The story opens with her lurking alone in her home when a small whirlwind called Ned forces his way into her house and her heart – closely followed by his dad!

Of course this wouldn’t be a romance without conflict – and there is conflict in bucket loads! Lawson is in conflict with having feeling about a woman other than his late wife, and Meg has conflict with revealing the truth about her past. Topics covered are the very relevant issues that dairy farmers face today, drugs in society, single parenthood, disabilities, remote medical access and attitudes towards convicted criminals who have served their time and just want a new start and the chance to move on.

There are some wonderful characters – both dead and alive – and certainly at least one handkerchief moment. Rachael Johns communicates both sides of living in a small community. The good is how the community pulls together in a crisis and will support each other when someone is in trouble; the bad is how gossip, petty power struggles and out and out meddling can affect people. Needless to say – good does win out – and the past is settled and the future looks bright for now as the characters make it to the end of the story. I do hope that Tab gets her own story in the future as I would love to revisit this town.

Talk of The Town is an Aussie romance that contains just the right amount of drama, twists & turns, sadness and of course happiness in the end.
It also contains a slight paranormal aspect that I found intriguing and I would have loved this part to have been explored a little bit more within the story.
Overall I liked the main character Meg, but every now and then I did get slightly annoyed with how she took so long to say certain things about what she was thinking or feeling. I know this was to build suspense and give the story more to stand on but I felt that with this character her secrecy became a bit much after a while and every so often I'd find myself wanting to just shake her with frustration.
The plot itself was a believable enough story and it definitely kept me engaged until the end. I really like how Rachael Johns has the ability to write a romance novel without it being too ultra-sappy with enough interesting back story in addition to the romance angle going on. In my opinion this makes her stories a lot more relatable.

My Thoughts

‘Oh!’ The woman’s face exploded in recognition and her smile grew. ‘I’ve heard about you. You’re the talk of the town.’

If you have loved Rachael’s books in the past, and her focus on writing about small town rural romances, then you are on another winner here. I do enjoy the Aussie settings and especially the focus on this Western Australian agricultural community. Rachael is adept at making the characters come to life as you get to know them really well. Then, of course, there is nothing like a slow build up romance to keep the pages turning.

That being said, you sign up for books like this as you know you will get your ‘happily ever after’, therefore it is up to the author to make the journey worth the while. This book is filled with the typical ups and downs of small town drama, but it’s not over the top and the cast of characters provide something for everyone (I loved Crazy Archie). This tale is about relationships. I empathised with the characters, and their emotions, and struggles to rebuild their lives after tragedy had struck.

Rachael cleverly leaves you teasers in the beginning, as you attempt to guess what is the background story for some of these people. For example: why would someone buy a house in a deserted town? What is the mystery surrounding Meg? What did happen to Lawson’s wife? (by the way, Lawson is a dreamboat leading man - strong and compassionate). What did happen to his sister Tabitha?

My only hesitation and withdrawal of half a star, concerned the inclusion of the paranormal - you have to be open to ghostly encounters. Also, at times, Lawson’s angst got a bit repetitive and therefore unnecessary. However, I did not let that detract me from overall thoroughly enjoying this book with great characters, interesting plot and a wonderful romance.

Move over Romeo and Juliet, step aside Scarlett and Rhett: their passions had nothing on the sensations currently racing through her body.


This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release

In brief: When Lawson and son Ned get a flat tyre in a deserted country town, the last thing they expected was to find a woman living there alone! Can Megan and Lawson mend each other’s hearts?

The good: It’s Rachael Johns! Plus, there’s ice cream, love, hope throughout the book with a mystery added in.

The not-so-good: Some very sad bits.

Why I chose it: Because it’s a Rachael Johns book! Thanks to Harlequin for sending me a copy pre-launch.

Year: 2017

Pages: 402

Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Setting: Rural south-west Western Australia

Rating: 10 out of 10

Rachael Johns’ novels are always awesome reads for me. I love how she makes her writing sparkle off the pages, combining heartbreak with wit, happiness and love. I always learn something new from her books, whether it be the life of a dairy farmer or how to knit one handed. If you’re not reading her already, you should be – there is something for everyone in her writing!

Talk of the Town is rural fiction/romance, moving away from her previous setting of Midwest Western Australia in the Outback series to south west W.A. This means a whole new cast of characters with a load of secrets to tell. It’s absolutely delicious and won’t disappoint. The story opens in the ghost town of Rose Hill, where Megan has moved to be away from everyone on purpose. Five days after she moves in, she finds a man and his son out the front in the scorching summer heat changing a tyre. It’s dairy farmer Lawson Cooper-Jones and his son Ned. What neither person knows is that they are hiding their loss from the rest of the world. The pair strike up a friendship, and then something more. But Megan and Lawson haven’t revealed the whole truth to each other, and a scheming townsperson is more than happy to join the dots to reveal all… Can Megan move on from her past and will her future be with Lawson?

The novel deals with some serious issues, but also adds some wonderfully light moments (the best one liners often coming from Ned). We’re also introduced to Lawson’s sister Tab, who makes the best sounding ice cream ever (milk chocolate orange) and has some of her own battles to share. (We need to know Tab’s story in further detail – she’s a brave, independent character who says it how it is and definitely worthy of a whole book. Just sayin’). In contrast, there’s Adeline who is Miss Country Town Perfect except for her mean streak. She is truly nasty, with her own agenda at front and centre (and to hell with everyone else’s). I also loved how so many of the men in the small town of Walsh had those indescribable country nicknames, like Funky. It gave the whole story a warm, welcoming feel and love for the rural setting.

Lawson is a dairy farmer, which kind of curtails his daily agenda and dating life. He’s up at sunrise to milk the cows and then again towards the end of the day. It’s not overly glamourous (except for the ice cream and feeding calves bit) but it was very interesting to read about it. Talk of the Town also raises the issue of buying local, where contracts with big dairy chains/supermarkets can be terminated with short notice, leaving farmers with few options to survive. Tab also raises another issue, which is done in such a normal, quiet way that I had to read over the sentence a few times to make sure I’d understood correctly. Kudos to Rachael Johns for raising the profile of country people and disability within her work!

While we’re still talking issues, Megan has the biggest of all. I’m going to try to discuss it without spoilers, but…wow. This is handled so well. It’s revealed to the reader gradually and in quiet, natural ways of understanding. At one point, I had no idea how Megan was going to be redeemed in the eyes of the reader and the people of Walsh. What I thought was incredibly talented was that another roadblock, complicating Megan and Lawson’s past was thrown into the plot. It would have been so easy to delete or change Lawson’s history to make it more compatible and easier for him to forgive Megan, but Rachael Johns didn’t shy away from it. Is Megan redeemed? I would say yes, and I’d consider myself to be pretty harsh in this field. So yes, Rachael Johns goes up another level in my admiration. The plot and characterisation is so tight, I’m just in awe of her skill.

Talk of the Town is a wonderful book, so multi-layered and interesting. It’s got so much to offer and I hope to return to Walsh soon!

Absolutely love this author she is awesome. I have read most of her books, and cant wait for the next one.

A sure winner
A warm and endearing tale. A heartwarming HEA of Australian rural romance that's sure to please.

I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

MS Johns has written another fabulous story that will stay with me for a long time to come, she has bought the characters to life on the pages made me fit into this country community and feel the emotions that they all go through. This story has a little bit of everything in it a mystery from years ago and tragedy and hurt as well as a very sensual romance between two people who have both been through so much.

A flat tyre and maybe fate has bought Lawson Cooper-Jones and his eight year old son Ned to the abandoned town of Rose Hill he has stopped outside the old supposedly haunted general store but when Ned discovers that the store is not abandoned and that there is a female living there, Meg Donald this starts a journey filled with a sensual pull but secrets and omissions and interfering by local girl Adeline could bring this crashing down

Megan has moved from Melbourne to the abandoned town of Rose Hill to start afresh she thinks that she should be OK here in Western Australia no one should know her but with strange things going on in her new home and meeting another who lives in the town Archie and meeting Lawson and his family things are sure to change for Meg. Meg has been through so much in her life but is determined to put it behind her and sort the mystery of the ghost and then hopefully get her life back on track.

This really is a fabulous story I could not put it down so many fabulous characters not to mention the dog Cane, there is a lot going on that will keep you turning the pages, it is moving, emotional and brought me to tears a few times so keep the tissues at the ready but you will be smiling as well and left in such a happy place at the end with the mystery solved and Lawson Meg and Ned very, very happy together. MS Johns has written another keeper and I can’t highly recommend this one enough it is a must to read.

Talk of the Town was a book that drew me in right from the beginning and kept me engaged all the way through. There wasn't big drama or lots of action, but relationships that mattered and caught at my heart.

Would you buy a house in the middle of a town where people no longer lived, except for someone called Crazy Archie? Live in an old house that was once a country store. Well you wouldn't find me doing it, however that's what Meg does, and there is an air of mystery about her that makes you wonder what led her here? What's her past?

Then there is a very likeable dairy farmer Lawson and an eight year old son who has his head on straight and is a total delight. Add into that mix Tabitha, Lawson's sister who is another one who has her heart and head in the right place. Throw in a couple of dogs, a ghost who resides side by side with Meg and a rather spiteful, but not totally lost wanna-be-girlfriend of Lawson and the scene is set.

I loved the Western Australia country setting, the romance, the twists and turns and the just downright wonderfulness of the right kind of relationships and the opportunity of second chances. And who is the talk of the town? Read the book and find out!

Keep them coming Rachael Johns.

Meg had only been in Rose Hill in country Western Australia for a few days but already she could feel a sense of peace wash over her. Her departure from Melbourne had been the right one for her – the discovery of the deserted old town with the dilapidated general store - well past its prime - that was for sale gave Meg the feeling it was all meant to be. Her desire to be alone; to come in contact with no one, would be well suited to Rose Hill. But when Meg heard a car stop outside and voices quite close, she knew an irrational fear – had she been discovered already?

Lawson Cooper-Jones was almost home to his dairy farm after picking up his eight year old son from Ned’s grandparents' place when he realised his ute had a flat tyre. Out in front of the old general store in Rose Hill, he knew he could quickly change it, but Ned wanted to kick the football around. The intense heat of the day meant they needed to get back to the farm – but imagine their shock when a face looked out the window from the previously deserted store…

So began a cautious friendship between Lawson and Meg, with Meg feeling all the while that she mustn’t get close to Lawson and his adorable son. And as Meg also became aware of a ghostly presence in her new home, her research at the historical society with Lawson occasionally by her side meant they became closer. But there were secrets in Meg’s past plus a tragedy in Lawson’s – would Meg be able to find the courage to tell Lawson the truth? Or would her past catch up with her with devastating consequences?

Talk of the Town by Aussie author Rachael Johns is another profound and moving story which I thoroughly enjoyed. Tragedy, secrets, love and the chance of new lives fills the pages in the author’s latest rural romance; she never disappoints. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Talk of the Town to fans of the genre, and thank NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy to read and review.

I received this book as an Advance readers copy, I love the how Rachael Johns has weaved the story of both Megan and Lawson. Both had come out of difficult life situations in their personal lives. Very well written by Rachael and can't wait for follow up stories involving Tab and Ethan. Oh and a warning, you will need tissues by the end of the book.

Talk of the Town opens with the mysterious Meg being interrupted from her self-imposed banishment to the ghost-town of Rose Hill by Lawson Cooper-Jones and his young son, Ned. From the outset you see Meg struggle with the desire for company and companionship, her almost crippling anxiety about being 'found out', and her belief that she deserves to be alone and lonely as penance for her past. Of course all of this adds to the secretive and intriguing nature of Meg and the story overall but also helps the reader build up empathy for her as a character which aids with later revelations. Meg is beautifully flawed and Johns has done a brilliant job of creating a multi-faceted character.

Lawson is an endearing character and his and Meg's gradual transition from friends to lovers was exceptionally well done. With a background of grief, he obviously brought some baggage to the relationship however he was never stunted by this and I do commend Johns on her ability to create such a complex and well-developed character.

Ned and Tabitha are brilliant additions to the cast and Johns certainly gave them all their own individual challenges to overcome. To a lesser extent, though important to add, Eliza's story is a clever addition to the overall storyline.

As you expect from Johns, the rural romance component of Talk of the Town is exceptionally well executed, however for me it was the tackling of topics that simply need to be discussed—Australia's difficult dairy industry, rebuilding after seemingly insurmountable grief, anxiety, and the heartbreaking toll of addiction—that made this story so captivating.

Rachael Johns' 'life-lit' style of storytelling is pioneering a new path in Australian fiction and hers is a voice that will continue to command a strong presence both in Australia and abroad.

Country romance is not a favourite romance sub-genre. But when stumbling upon this on NetGalley, and knowing that it was set in Western Australia, I decided to give it a go.

For a reluctant country romance reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The characters are well-drawn and fully-developed, without being over the top. There are a few twists that took me by surprise, which I really dig, as it's not easy to be surprised when it comes to romance.

Highly recommended.

Talk Of The Town by Rachael Johns was enjoyable reading from the first chapter. Some revelations in the story were eye-opening to say the least and some of the twists often snuck up on this reader. The secondary characters too were a stand out that deserved accolade on their own. An all round great read.
Review copy received from Harlequin Australia
4 Stars