There is something about Rural Romances that I gravitate towards. The love connections, the landscape, and the warmth of the people. The characters in this book all played a part in the storyline and I really liked the dialogue between them. They are characters you can relate to . There is no unlikeable characters in this one. This is a story about coming home , life changes , relationships, both family and personal. Of course small country towns and their communities. I love it when an author transports you to another place. I also loved the mention of family history as Im fascinated with genealogy.

Stella Quinn has definitely slotted her way in as one of my favourite rural romance writers.

A Town like Clarence was fantabulous, it was such a pleasure to read, I knew going in to this one, like all good romances, boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after, but it’s the journey in between that makes the story, and this one had that in spades.

I loved the way Kirsty was drawn to the town of Clarence, a family inheritance, an old suit case and whatever was stashed away in an old farm shed.

She’s spent her life believing in a curse and feeling the need to constantly move on, I love how spending time in the one place gave her the answers she needed.

Amy, well wholly crap, this kid needs a whole book all to herself, she was definitely an unexpected highlight throughout the story.

And I so need to rethink the way I do my work minutes, Carol does such an amazing job and what a wonderful character she is too!

A Town like Clarence is released today in Australia so run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookshop and grab yourself a copy of this heartfelt novel.

Stella Quinn returns to small town Australia with another sparky romance which feels both modern and sassy. I enjoyed reading it, and felt it was a great follow up to her debut novel, “The Vet From Snowy River” .

Joey Miles has returned to his hometown to mend fences, literal and metaphorical. The literal fences are those on the run down farm he’s taken over. He’s left the city after his high flying stockbroking career took a sharp dive. He’s got a lot of work to do to get back on his feet financially.

He also needs to mend fences with his family. To some extent, everyone understood when he fled town after Year 12 to move to Sydney. But feelings were still hurt, especially when he showed little interest in ever returning, even for short visits. Mind you, that doesn’t stop his family – and a town committee of all things! – from deciding to help him find true love.

Shortly after Joey’s return, Kirsty Fox hits town too. She’s not planning to stay long; she’s here to claim her inheritance and dig up some information about her family’s past. When she crosses paths with Joey, she’s certainly interested: but she’s not staying. She never stays anywhere long.

But circumstances and the committee organising the town’s bush poetry muster keep pushing them together. And neither of them is resisting quite as staunchly as they should if they really want to stay single.

Like all romances, this is more about the journey than expecting any real surprises on the last page. I say I’m not a fan of the romance genre because romances written by the numbers are so bland and samey. But romances like this – with spark, and wit, and originality – engage me.

Characterisation was one of the strengths of “The Vet From Snowy River”, and it emerges here again. Several of the supporting characters are particularly engaging. You’ll be turning pages hoping for more of Amy, and I wish more of my workplace minutes had been written using Carol’s approach to them. The main focus, though, is on Joey and Kirsty. Both are realistic and empathetic characters, and both are dealing with believable problems. Their story will draw you in.

Quinn writes in an easy-reading style, full of the warmth she so clearly feels for her characters. The story zips by, and if it’s a touch predictable, well… it’s a romance. And you will quickly want the best for these characters.

There were some small hiccups for me in this, although they’re largely background things that many readers will sail past. For example, for a town with such a long memory, Kirsty’s father and grandparents seem to have been forgotten remarkably thoroughly. Things like that. Small things that niggled me a bit, but didn’t truly matter to the overall story.

Romance readers will love this, and even those who wouldn’t call themselves fans of the genre are likely to find themselves charmed. Strong characters, amusing incidents, and a warm style deliver a diverting and fun read.

They say change is as good as a holiday. Joey Miles is hoping so after leaving the city behind, his stockbroking career in flames, to embrace a brand-new challenge: farming. But while returning to his hometown somehow feels right, he's got a long way to go to get back on his feet financially and the last thing he needs is the townsfolk meddling in his love life (or lack thereof).

To the townsfolk of Clarence, Joey has always been the ultimate tragic romantic hero - and it's time this hero had a happy ever after...

But Kirsty Fox is only in Clarence to dig up information about a World War II figure from her family's past - she has no intention of sticking around and finding out if Joey is as adorable as he seems. Kirsty doesn't stick around. Ever.

But when the locals of Clarence spy the chemistry between these two, a secret item gets added to the agenda of the next town committee meeting: matchmaking. This warm-hearted community will pull every trick in the book to show Joey and Kristy everything they've unwittingly been searching for is right under their noses... What could possibly go wrong?

Another outstanding rural romance from an Australian author, I was captivated from the start and just kept flowing from there. Stella has an amazing way with words. This will be another highly recommended outback rural romance. Thank you netgalley and harlequin Australia for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When Kirsty is left an inheritance from a relative she didn't know existed, she makes the trek to the small town of Clarence to find out more about her family history. When she discovers what her inheritance is, she is determined to do everything she can to hold onto it, even if it means dealing with cute farmer Joe.

Small town Aussie rural romances are the best. This one was no different. With a distinct Aussie flavour, this book felt like coming home. I loved all the characters and was rooting for our main characters to get together. I was left with a huge smile on my face at the end of this one. Can't wait to read more by Stella Quinn!

I love Australian rural romances and A Town Like Clarence certainly fits the bill. Set mostly in the fictitious town of Clarence, on the Clarence River near Lismore in northern NSW, this book is filled with quiet humour and moments of heartache.
The characters are believable and so easy to like. Pilot Kirsty Fox is so easy to empathise with as she deals first with the news that her gambling addict mother has been caught breaking into her house and subsequently with being grounded after a crash. Farmer and former stockbroker Joey Miles appealed to me from his first appearance. I loved his work ethic and his clear affection for family members who are far from run-of-the-mill. There are also some fabulous supporting characters in this story including Kirsty’s mother Terri and Joey’s eight year-old niece. This story flows beautifully and has been a joy to read.

Kirsty Fox lived and worked in Port Augusta, South Australia and while she and her mother had moved around a lot in her past, this place was the longest she'd stayed. But the day things went wrong at work, she also received a letter from a solicitor in a town called Clarence in northern NSW. She was shocked to read she'd been left an inheritance from a grandmother she hadn't known she had. Her discussions with her mother didn't reveal a lot, so Kirsty decided to go to Clarence herself, and find out what she could about her past.

Her father, whom she didn't meet as he died before she was born, was Trevor Bluett and the family farm was just outside Clarence. But the property had long since sold, so Kirsty went out to investigate and met Joey Miles, new farmer not long arrived from Sydney, where his stockbroking business had gone up in flames. Joey was determined to turn his property into a farm stay - his hard work would show dividends he hoped.

With Kirsty researching her WWII great grandfather who flew the plane in Joey's barn, and helping him prepare his farm stay, the people in their vicinity - Joey's precocious eight year old niece Amy, fluffy groodle Gus, plus Joey's many siblings and their parents, it seemed their involvement was being noticed by the friendly folk of Clarence. Is that what they wanted? Kirsty was going back to Port Augusta as soon as her inheritance was sorted. And she didn't do relationships...

A Town Like Clarence is a captivating contemporary/rural novel by Aussie author Stella Quinn which I really enjoyed. I loved her previous novel, The Vet from Snowy River and am very much looking forward to her next. I loved the elderly Carol, feisty, sharp and kind, plus Amy was a delight! The folk of Clarence were all a pretty special bunch! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about life in Clarence, what a warm, welcoming country town!
The characters are so relatable and friendly, all caring and interested in the wellbeing of each other.
Joey returns home and immerses himself in establishing a farm stay, cabins to renovate, a family to reconnect with and a past life to forget.
Kirsty has lived life moving from one town to the next, trying to help and understand her mother. When Kirsty’s pilot work is put on hold, she travels to Clarence to discover more about her family history.
Kirsty learns that her great grandfather has left her his plane from World War 2, it’s in a shed on Joey’s farm.
Embracing family life, accepting love and a happy future, Joey and Kirsty both need convincing that love is just what they need!

I love Stella Quinn’s books, I highly recommend reading about life in Clarence and I can’t wait for Stella’s next novel.

Huge thanks to Harlequin AU, NetGalley and the wonderfully talented Stella Quinn for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I really enjoyed A Town like Clarence. Beautifully written with loveable, relatable characters.
I will definately be reading again!

A girl with an unusual occupation and a few personal problems, gave an interesting perspective and insight.

I loved how the novel really took you there, we were transported to Clarence and got to meet the characters and a small town community.

I personally would have liked to see a bit more of Kirstys research results. I did enjoy the idea of 'rescuing' a plane, but just for curiosity and interest would have been nice to learn about her family history as she did. In saying that I understand this side may not be of interest to others though.

This is such an awesome story, it is funny, heartwarming, emotional and has the best characters, real people that I loved getting to know and I loved the setting, come along for a fabulous journey to a HEA that is sure to leave you smiling.

Joey Miles has returned to his home town of Clarence, it is time for a change after what happened in the city, time to start afresh and farming is the thing that he is sure will help, he is close to his family now and it is a big family. He is working hard on his farm planting trees, mowing and setting up some old cottages as farm stays things should run smoothly provided he can financially get back on his feet.

Kirsty Fox is a pilot who has led a nomadic life growing up with her mother who taught her that the Fox curse would always be there, do not stay in one place too long and when needed run, after a crash and the arrival of her mother with a letter, Kirsty is off to uncover a family and secrets that she knew nothing about, but will she find that staying in Clarence might just be what she needs to end the curse.

Kirsty is in Clarence to uncover information about her great grandfather and is World War two history nothing more but when she meets Joey after discovering an old plane in Joey’s old cowshed that used to belong to her family the attraction between them rockets but staying in Clarence is not on the cards, that is maybe until the local committee organising the Annual Clarence River Bush Poetry Muster decide that another agenda needs to be added and that is finding Mrs. Farmer Joe.

I loved this book so much, I laughed out loud and smiled all the way through, Joe is the best guy and just who Kirsty needed to make her life complete and Kirsty what can I say she is strong and vulnerable at the same time, finding love was just what she needed, they make the best couple even if it took them a bit to work that out, Now the other characters in this story added so much to it, The Miles family I loved eight year old Amy the witty banter between Joey and his siblings and then the animals Gus the dog, I love him, you need to read this book it is a must read and bring on Daisy’s story I can’t wait to return to Clarence. I do highly recommend this one.

My thanks to Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review

Kirsty Fox is running away because….well it’s always what the Foxes do. Since a child her Mum has told Kirsty about the family curse ‘Bad things happen to the Foxes’. So when things get tough, they skip town. As an adult Kirsty has got her life together, she’s a pilot for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, has a mortgage and is relatively settled. Sometimes she has to bail her Mum out of gambling debts but that’s life.
An incident at work, getting a call that her Mum is breaking into her house and news that Kirsty has an inheritance and history she never knew about, see’s Kirsty travelling to a small NSW country town.
What awaits there is totally unexpected, is it time to stop running…..
I really enjoyed this book, I got lost in it, loved all the characters with a few quirky ones in there to really make me smile. It was almost a perfect book except for the usual ‘angst’ moment, which seems to happen in many of these type of books. I could almost feel myself groan when I came across it, as I really don’t think this book needed it. I think there was enough going on with the other characters to carry it through. Or maybe I’m just getting older and a little jaded of those themes.
But please don’t let that put you off, it doesn’t drag on. It really is a great, easy read and lovely storyline to while away a rainy day and put a smile on your face.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read

For someone who always believed in bad luck, Kirsty Fox sure thought she’d gotten past that. But somehow, her life hit a snag and she suddenly decided to do find out about her history, after her mum gave her information about her needing to see a solicitor.

Kirsty goes on her adventure, unsure of what she she would find. And she certainly did find something that meant more to her than anything.

Lucky for Kirsty, a man happens to help after she finds her treasure. Joey assistsKirsty with housing, but is that all.

The town itself steps in to help Kirsty with her treasure to preserve it and continue the history of family and help her and Joey on the love front.

This book was a way to step back into history, with the just the right amount of romance to allow the story to be a fabulous read.

10/10.

#netgalleyarc