Outback Secrets by Aussie author Rachael Johns is the fifth book in the Bunyip Bay series. This has been a fabulous series and one I know many other readers have enjoyed including myself.

Rachael has a real talent for writing about family drama, secrets, love, loss, relationships and let’s not forget small-town communities and I just love reading her books. Highly recommended. With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

I received this as an Arc on Netgalley.

As always, reading a Rachael Johns novel is like going home.

Outback Secrets is a beautiful story about love, secrets, family and finding the courage to let yourself love.

Liam the local publican and Henri, a Bunyip Bay local who loves her job as an Ag pilot, both have been hurt in the past.

A harebrained scheme to stop her mother meddling in her love life sets them on a path neither is quite ready for.

This, as always, drew me in from the very page.

Rachael has a wonderful way if writing that makes you feel as if you know the characters and you'd love to live in the same town.

A five star read, I can't wait to see if there's another book in the series.

The fifth book in the Bunyip Bay series set in Western Australia, Outback Secrets tells the story of publican Liam, and independent Tomboy Henri (Henrietta).

Henri flies a light aircraft to do crop dusting and cattle mustering for a living, after walking away from a plane crash she comes home to Bunyip Bay to catch up with her family for Christmas. The only family member who got her was her father, now he has died she feels no connection with her sister and mother. In fact her mother is driving her mad trying to get her to settle down and get married. She meets Liam when she drops in for a fortifying drink before she goes home and soon ends up getting him to be a fake boyfriend to keep her mother off her back. Liam has appeared in previous books, it is now his turn to shine. He has a past that the readers now get to find out about.

What follows is a story full of fun, drama, Christmas celebrations, secrets, coping with the loss of loved ones, and facing your fears. Sometimes compromise has to happen and you need to take a step out in faith; sometimes compromise gives you exactly what you wanted.
To be honest I haven’t read a Rachael Johns book I didn’t like - I would probably read her shopping list if they published it. Okay, maybe not the shopping list - but certainly any other book she publishes

I'm not sure if I've read any of the Bunyip Bay series but I'm sure to now after enjoying this one.
I love a good small town/rural romance and this one is set in the small WA coastal town of Bunyip Bay.
Henri grew up in the town and is part of a local farming family but she spends most of her time travelling the world as an Agricultural Pilot. When she has a nerve-wracking crash she returns home in the hopes she can gain her courage back to return to the thing she loves most.
Liam is the local publican who grew up in the USA but mysteriously arrived in Bunyip Bay over a decade ago and bought the pub on the spur of the moment.
Henri has never ending pressure from her family and friends about her lacking of dating life, so when she ends up spending the night in Liam's bed after a drunken night (sleeping 😂) she suddenly drags him into a fake relationship to get everyone off her back.
Of course a friendship and attraction blossums but can they get past their secret demons together.
This book hits on some traumatic events that would shake anyone up. The characters have a good depth to them and they kept me captivated throughout. I loved all the side characters, many of which I'm sure have their own Bunyip Bay love stories.

Thanks to Harlequin Mira and Netgalley.com for my complimentary eARC copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed Henri and Liam’s journey and returning to Bunyip Bay!

Rachael has once again given readers an exceptional book!
Our much loved Author has a strong connection with her readers, they appreciate the months of emotional turmoil that results in a fabulous page turner!
The touching tribute says it all!

Thanks so much to Harlequin Australia and the amazingly talented Rachael Johns on a superbly written addition to the Bunyip Bay series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love this book, and this Author, Kept me reading to the all night could not put it down. Can't wait for the next on in this series .

Written in Rachael Johns’ relaxed and laid-back style, Outback Secrets quickly settled me into the Western Australian country town of Bunyip Bay, which seems like a farmer’s paradise, positioned as it is on the coast so you can enjoy a dip in the ocean or a walk on the beach after a long, hard day on the header. I loved the characters in this book, especially Henri and Liam. There is everybody from the town busybody, who seems to know everything first and is keen to share it, to Henri’s mother, who is desperate to get her daughter to settle down with one of the nice single farmers in the area. It was clear that Henri was headed for trouble as soon as she proposed Liam play her fake boyfriend, and there were certainly plenty of moments arising from that charade that showed just exactly where these two were headed, This story was engaging throughout and while it did deal with some difficult issues balanced those with others the were far less demanding. I loved it and would be thrilled to see more from Bunyip Bay.

To this day, I have never been disappointed by a Rachael Johns book. I really loved Outback Secrets, the story of Henri, a strong, independent woman determined to live her life her way as an agricultural pilot. A work incident brings Henri home earlier than expected and her Mother continues to try and marry her off to settle in Bunyip Bay… but Henri won’t have a bar of it.
The book is also the story of Liam, the local publican who is often the sounding board or confession box for the locals and has an independence of his own.
Liam and Henri meet at the pub and the local town gossip sees them together…. From here begins their little secret…
The characters are likeable and relatable, and the storyline is believable – I want to go to Bunyip Bay! With some steamy romance, a Tim Tam slam and a little bit of Christmas spirit, Outback Secrets is a wonderful holiday romance book that won’t disappoint.
This book is part of the Bunyip Bay series (#5) but is the first one I have read in the series, and I didn’t feel like I missed anything… but now I want to read them all!
Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Australia and Rachael Johns for the opportunity to read and review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

As you all probably know by now, Rachael Johns is easily one of my favourite Aussie authors. Everything she writes I absolutely adore and this one was definitely no different!

I love rural Australian romance so this one was perfect! Small town drama, fake dating (my favourite trope), dysfunctional families, loss, secrets and fear - it had it all.

Outback Secrets is technically number 5 in the Bunyip Bay series but definitely can be read as a standalone too.As a few of Rachael John’s other books, I love series that is all in the same world but focusing on different people who all intertwine and the Bunyip Bay community is exactly that.

This was funny, emotional, sweet yet realistic. I truly can’t believe this town doesn’t actually exist! Another 5/5 from Rachael Johns… she can honestly do no wrong and her writing style really pulls you into the character’s world.

This one is out now 🥳🙌 Go and grab it if you love the fake dating / rural romance vibe!

I am a huge Rachael Johns fan, having read all but one of Rach’s life-lit books, and several of Rachael’s rural romance novels, this is the first of the Outback series that I have read, an anomaly which will be promptly remedied.

As with all of Rachael’s books this story is an easy read, and can be read as a stand-alone, I instantly felt a connection with Henri and Liam, and fell in love with the small-town community of Bunyip Bay, where everyone knows everyone and everyone knows everybody’s business.

Henri loved her dad so much and they were always tinkering around in the shed, home just doesn’t feel the same without him and whenever Henri steps over the threshold she misses him even more. We were always taught as children by our parents not to lie to them, but things go awry when Henri tells a small white lie off the cuff to try and quell her mum's attempts to have Henri married and pregnant before she’s even shrugged her boots off.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin MIRA, Australia for my advance copy, fans of Rachael Johns books and the Bunyip Bay series will fall in love with this book and like me will be holding their breath until the next book in the Outback series becomes a reality, and we are all taken back to Bunyip Bay for a cuppa tea and a warm hug.

While I don't read many rural romances, I do have a penchant for them. Outback Ghost (book 3 of Bunyip Bay) was my one of my first reads of this genre and I enjoyed it very much that I bought Outback Dreams (book 1). This is one of the rare times that I have read out of order but you know, I didn't know any better back then. The only one in the series I skipped is book 4 because it's a trope I absolutely cannot stand but I can't help myself with this most recent instalment; I had to get back to Bunyip Bay.

Fans of the series will be familiar with Liam Castle, the enigmatic pub owner, and his story has been a long time coming! Of course, earlier on, I'd have put him with another Bunyip Bay character but it's not to be and while I'm a little bit put out, Henrietta Forward easily becomes a new favourite character.

A lot of the times, I nit-picked certain details that aren't quite pertinent to the story but it frustrates me a lot of the time that author mentioned it in passing but didn't follow through. In Outback Secrets though, as soon as I thought of the question, it was resolved. My OCD-self appreciates this so very very much.

My favourite romance trope is BFF to lover but fake-dating is my second and I just love how Rachael Johns weaved that through Outback Secrets; and pssst, that's not the only secret in town! Oh, it is also set around Christmas time so if you're after a Christmas feel good read, pick this one!

My thanks to Harlequin Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

I’m delighted to finally return to Bunyip Bay with Rachael Johns! Outback Secrets is her fifth rural romance set in the Western Australian community, and pairs publican Liam Castle, with agricultural aviator, Henrietta ‘Henri’ Forward.

Liam has been The Palace publican in Bunyip Bay for a decade, having arrived from Colorado in the wake of a tragedy. Though he’s privy to the many secrets of the community, no-one can claim to know his. When Henri, spending Christmas at the family farm, confides in him the need for a fake beau to distract her mother from nagging her to stay and settle down, Liam surprises both Henri and himself by agreeing to the plan.

Unsurprisingly, though delightfully so, real feelings quickly develop between Liam and Henri. Johns is adept at establishing chemistry between two characters and then deepening the relationship in a believable way as they learn more about one another. Liam and Henri complement each other well and their romance is fun and heartwarming.

It’s refreshing to have a heroine in a romance who actually isn’t all that interested in the traditional ‘happy ever after’ that leads to marriage and babies. A confident, independent woman, Henri loves her job as a pilot and I liked her passion for her chosen career.

Liam, who has played a minor background role in previous Bunyip Bay novels, is an appealing romantic hero, thoughtful, discrete and generous. The tragedy in his backstory is an unexpected element that introduces some sensitive subjects to the novel, including trauma, PTSD, grief, and suicide.

I was surprised to realise it’s been five years since the last Bunyip Bay book was published as the community and its characters all still feel very familiar. Though Outback Secrets can be read as a stand-alone, it’s a joy catch up with the lives of the couples who have featured in earlier novels including Faith and Monty (Outback Dreams), Ruby and Drew (Outback Blaze), Adam and Stella (Outback Ghost), and Frankie and Logan (Outback Sisters).

Outback Secrets is another engaging and charming story of romance, family and community, and I hope to visit Bunyip Bay again soon.

I absolutely adored returning to Bunyip Bay and catching up with the locals, Outback Secrets is the 5th book in the series and it certainly disappoint.

There was a mix of all things good, mystery, romance, and family dramas just to name a few.

This story focuses on local publican Liam Castle who knows the secrets of everyone in Bunyip Bay and as the owner of the local pub, he's heard it all. Henrietta Forward is an ag-pilot who has returned home for the Christmas, but Henri lives for her job and chooses that over romance much to her mother’s disappointment who would love to dearly see her settle down, marry and have kids.

Liam and Henri cross paths at the pub and what happens next neither expect.

In typical Rachael Johns style, this story was gripping and had me hooked. I loved the reference to Tim Tams and Milo bringing back memories of hanging out with college friends in the late nineties.

3.5/5

Oh hi, did someone order a steaming bowl of fake dating in rural Western Australia, with a generous helping of Not Like Other Girls?? Well, your order is up!

Henri (don't call her Henrietta) is an agricultural pilot who ends up having to go home for Christmas to the small town of Bunyip Bay a bit earlier than expected. She loves her family but she hates the way they and the townsfolk of the Bay are constantly on at her to settle down, get married and have kids. Those aren't Henri's dreams, she loves her adventurous career, and she just wants them to back off! So in a fit of frustration, she ends up in a fake dating situation with the enigmatic owner of the local pub. Of course, sparks fly - but what secrets is American Liam holding close to his chest - and will they destroy the fire that is smoldering between them?

There was a lot to like about this small town fake dating read. It's fun and easy to read, the characters are fairly likeable and the chemistry between the lead characters is definitely present. While Henri's goals and dreams for her life differ from the other women in town, she never looks at their domestic lives as worse or worthy of judgement, simply different from what she wants for hers. I really appreciated this, and I liked having a heroine whose idea of happily ever after wasn't marriage and babies.

There were two quibbles I had that pulled down my rating for an otherwise enjoyable read. First was the incident in which one love interest forces the other to confront their PTSD-like trigger without their consent and in a really reckless way. It was disrespectful and dangerous, and didn't sit well with me at all. I would have been furious, not "grateful". The worst part about it is that towards the end, the other love interest confronts their own trigger and the second character constantly checks that they're okay, gives them an out if they want it, and insists they get professional therapy. THIS is a healthy way to deal with such an issue, so it's a shame that this character didn't get the same respect they gave.

The second thing that bothered me was the way Henri was always disappearing in emergency situations. It felt either unrealistic or like something a pretty crappy person would do. A pipe bursts at the pub and instead of seeing if they need help, she runs off to her mum's house to shave her legs wtf?? And then her friend, that she was JUST sitting and talking to, goes into labour at the pub, and Henri runs into the back office and hides until the ambulance picks her up. Like I'm sorry but - what?? Who does that??

Other than these two points, it really was a nice fun read, with a hint of Christmas. I'd recommend it for anyone who enjoys a light romance and can overlook some of the little details.

So, Henrietta & Liam are now officially my favourite Bunyip Bay couple!

Rachaels' Bunyip Bay series has truly moved from strength to strength, with each book being better than the last, and this one is no exception.

Henry is not your usual heroine. Not only does she have a 'non-traditional' occupation for a woman, she isn't seeking domesticity, isn't chasing a partner to settle down with and has no interest in becoming a parent. It is so refreshing to read about a lead female character who wants something different than marriage and children and Rachael opens herself up to a whole lot of potential new fans here who have found a character they can relate to.

Despite all her childhood friends getting married and having children and despite her mother's wishes for her to do the same, Henry is a girl who knows herself and her heart. And this book portrays her and her choices as being perfectly OK, which is as it should be.

I love that Rachael stays true to Henrys' character instead of converting her to be someone who 'has seen the light' and suddenly decides husband and children are what she really wants. No-one should have to change what they are or believe in to achieve happiness and I was just so glad Henry stayed herself right through to the end.

Liam is the kind of enlightened guy all men should strive to be. He not only understands Henry's life and career choices, he respects them and is fully supportive of all women being able to do what they truly love.

The interaction between them as the story goes on drags the reader in until you just can't put the book down - you so desperately need to know what happens next and will they every sort things out and make it work.

Overall, another winner from Rachael Johns.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Am I glad I read it - absolutely
Was it a waste of my time - not at all
Would I sit down and read it all over again - absolutely
Would I read more by this author based on this book - most definitely

Reading a Rachael Johns novel is just like having a big hug! I love, love the Bunyip Bay series and this is number 5.
Henrietta Forward has returned home for the Christmas break. Her job as a pilot crop dusting, mustering or fire fighting takes her all over Australia and the world but a life threatening incident has her doubting herself. Her mother just wants Henri home and would love her settled and married.
When publican Liam Castle agrees to Henri’s scheme to get her mother and the rest of the town off her back, little did they know that sparks would soon fly. But Liam has a hidden past and can it be overcome?
If your looking for an easy, feel good story with some small town characters, look no further than this series. Yes, Henri and Liam both have their issues to work through but there are no big misunderstanding angsts or jealousy incidents which just annoy me no end. Just down to earth characters and with stories to tell.
All these books can be read as stand alone books.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read

I happily escaped into the picturesque (fictional) Australian coastal town of Bunyip Bay for this fantastic romance.

Outback Secrets is number 5 in the Bunyip Bay series, though this was my first book of the series. It can easily be read as a stand-alone, though there’s lots of mentions of the townsfolk I’m sure have featured in the earlier books. I enjoyed Outback Secrets so much, I’m interested to go back & start from the beginning now!

Outback Secrets is a fake dating story with interesting & complex characters and lots of small town drama.
When ag-pilot Henri returns to her hometown before Christmas & finds her single status being the topic of conversation amongst her coupled friends & eager mother, she turns to the handsome but mysterious local Publican, Liam to help fool them into thinking she’s found a new romance. Their developing friendship quickly becomes a hot romance but secrets and a painful past may threaten to keep them apart.

This book delivers on all the things that readers will love and I’m beginning to suspect that’s the case for all of Rachael Johns’s books!
* a down-to-earth writing style with a good dash of humour,
* stories filled with emotion but not over-played drama,
* interesting, likeable and well-crafted characters,
* dialogue that reminds you of home, friends and family,
* and settings that make you want to explore more of this Earth.

This is a fabulous, fun escapist read & I intend to revisit Bunyip Bay again soon!

Rachael, you have done it again. You are a force to be reckoned with. This is my third book of Rachaels but my first Rural Romance novel. And without any doubt it was amaze-balls.

Outback Secrets is book 5 in the Bunyip Bay series, set in a fictional town on the coast of WA. A place with farming on one side and the beach on the other side, sounds perfect almost like "postcard perfect" 😉

Henri, a long term local, returns home early over the Christmas holidays after being in an incident; when she was flying her Cessna plane for mustering cattle. Arriving back at home means she has to put up with the remarks of family and friends about her love life or lack of.

Liam, a pub owner, has a dark secret of his own. Liam being a caring person, he agrees to act out as Henri's boyfriend over the next 4 weeks, to ward off Henri's friends and family remarks.

But what happens when a fake relationship starts feeling like a real romance? And secrets come to the surface?

I had to smirk at Henri and Liam acting out a fake relationship, and I was delighted to watch the little sparks fly, but I was so overwhelmed with Liam's dark past and how strong and independent Henri was, I wasn't sure how long the commitment could actually last? I had to know, so I quickly sped through until the very end of the book. 

I look forward to reading the backlog of the Bunyip Bay books and learning about more characters.

If you like rural romance, or romance in general, like a bit of heat, don't mind getting a bit teary-eyed and like a bit of family drama, then this outback book of secrets is perfect for you. 💕

Thank you ever so much to @netgalley @harlequinaus and to @rachaeljohnsauthor for pushing me to read your newest rural novel 😉 🥰

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Woohoo I did love my trip back to Bunyip Bay, it is like being back with family and close friends and Rachael Johns has written another beautiful story this time publican Liam Castle gets to find the love of his life and forever happiness with Agricultural pilot Henrietta Forward born and breed in Bunyip Bay and now home for Christmas this is one that will leave you feeling so very good, lots of happy smiles and tears from me.

We have gotten to know Liam in the previous stories and know that he is a quiet gentleman but as publican Liam knows a lot of secrets about a lot of locals and keeps them to himself, but no one really knows Liam and the tragic secret he keeps about his life and that is the way he wants it to stay. Life will change for Liam when tough and beautiful Ag pilot Henri walks into the pub, back in town to spend Christmas with her family and she sets his heart aflutter like no one has done before.

Henri travels around Australia and the world doing the job she loves but her mother wants nothing more than for her to be settled and happily married and living back home in Bunyip Bay and this is not on Henri’s life plan, so when she says something maybe she shouldn’t have and Liam as always is happy to help and steps up to be her pretend boyfriend for her visit home, her heart is changing the way she looks to the future.

This is a moving and beautiful story filled with emotion and so much love as Henri and Liam get to know each other opening up to each other like they have to no one else but Henri has worries and Liam has such tragedies from his past that their future together and the love and happiness they so deserve could fall apart. I was cheering them on so much and there were lots of tears from me in this one as Rachel Johns has dug deep into their emotions and has given her readers another story that is not to be missed, I loved this one, another for the keeper shelf and a great Christmas story, fingers crossed we can re-visit Bunyip Bay again one day. I do highly recommend this one, it is a beautiful romance.

My thanks to Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review and Netgalley as well.

Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns

This is book number 5 in the Bunyip Bay series, but, it is also a stand alone read. I am yet to read any in this series, but this did not matter in the slightest. Though I'm sure if you have followed this series, you will feel even more love for this book than I do, if that's possible!

I adored it. Just as I do with every Rachael Johns book I read.

Rachael creates such great characters who you instantly fall for. Being a romance, you know the drill as to how it ends, but the ride is so worth it. I felt like I was smiling all the way through as Henri and Liam's relationship blossomed.

Both had interesting backstories, especially Henri as an ag-pilot, which I have never read about before. And touched on mental health after a devastating loss.

I loved that Henri was a tough woman, flying planes and saying what she thinks. And gorgeous Liam, the barman and woodworker who I was swooning over from the word go.

I absolutely adored the 'fake relationship' trope, and watching it all unfold.

I will definitely be going back to Bunyip Bay and making my way through the series. And I suggest you do the same ❤

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐