Really enjoyable story about sisters Faith, Hope and Charity and their journey to a weekend away to a local B and S Ball. When they come across a pair of brothers, little do they realise how much their lives will change.

Yet another of Leonie Kelsall's books that was impossible to put down.
Leonie's stories make you feel like you're part of the story and Blue Gum Camp is no exception.

It's Lachlan's chance to enjoy time away from the farm with his brother Hamish. What they didn't know was that they were about to meet a group of woman doing the exact same thing.

Lachlan meets Charity, one of the 5 woman on the way to the B n S ball. Sparks fly, literally, but life always has obstacles trying to prevent it being a smooth time.

Both Lachlan and Charity want to see each other again, but need to find each other. Charity decides to do that. But misinterpretations cause a little issue.

But Lachlan and Charity want to fight for the relationship. They will do what they need to to find their love continue.

A complex layered rural romance with endearing characters. I cared for their well being and the outcome for them.

Perfect for readers of rural romance, The Blue Gum Camp starts at a Bachelor and Spinster ball in the tiny South Australian town of Yurramukka. The hints of romance start early when the car Charity Farrugia’s sister Hope is driving gets a flat tire on the way there. It’s clear that there’s a spark between Charity and Lachlan MacKenzie, whose brother Hamish has responded to the call-out. While both Charity and Lachlan have issues, they’re also salt-of-the earth types who work tirelessly to help and protect those they care about. They’re so real on the page that I felt as though I was watching life unfold before me. I was cheering so hard for their romance to work out. Meanwhile, there are plenty of secondary storylines to keep readers interested. I loved the raw emotion that spilled onto the page from time to time and the strong sense of family loyalty and love even when the siblings involved were not speaking to each other. While this is a rural story, it could easily be set anywhere and be believable and entertaining. I loved it!

This book is set in South Australia with the added use of the fictional town, Yurramukka. The Australian outback is a beautiful setting and the environments impact on Hamish reads so familiar to me thanks to Léonie Kelsall's descriptions...

"In the mid-summer there were none of the softening lime and avocado shades of the south-east district, yet the stark openness made it seem there was finally enough room for his thoughts to spring in a dozen different directions at once. The frantic whirl in his head unscrambled, the ideas and dreams spinning out across the parched landscape of crags and hollows over patches of crop stubble and wild oats bordering the smooth shave of the sheep paddocks".

Lachlan and Charity are an astute dependable city girl and a one-horse town farmer that struggles with dyslexia.
They connect via their woes and they make a sweet couple....if only a relationship could last beyond a B&S weekend, especially when reality involves distance and family issues.

There was enough drama to keep me turning the pages and I enjoyed the read.

Thankyou to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC copy for an honest review.

This is such a lovely story, a moving and emotional romance, it takes in a lot of issues including grief and dyslexia as we see sensible and responsible school teacher Charity Farrugia and quiet hard working farmer Lachlan MacKenzie find their way to a HEA.

At thirty four Charity has spent most of her life caring for someone, first her younger sisters then her mother after she was diagnosed with dementia and then all it takes to look after the family, caring and being needed is everything to her, looking for a man in her life is not something on her horizon but when she is convinced by her sisters, Faith and Hope to attend a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball, Charity’s life takes a turn, is it for the best?

Lachlan is divorced and living and working on the family farm, he has recently lost his mother and is still grieving, he and his father do not get on well but he is very close to his younger brother Hamish so he reluctantly agrees to attend the B & S Ball to keep an eye on Hamish and there is the opportunity to play a few tunes on his guitar, Lachlan struggles with a few issues in life and keeps these to himself but when he meets the beautiful Charity something ignites in his heart and it is not long before he is opening up to her.

Could Charity and Lachlan be the perfect match it is like their hearts entwine on their first meeting but of course true love never runs smoothly and there was a lot of soul searching for both of them to really open up, Charity especially has to honest with herself and let herself find the love and fun she deserves and Lachlan, the man is a treasure and of course distance is also a problem city and country, can they overcome it all for love?

I loved this one and I highly recommend it, Leonie Kelsall never fails to bring me emotion and joy in her stories with honest characters and her settings are beautiful, I loved being back in Settlers Bridge, South Australia and catching up with characters from previous stories. This is one not to be missed.

My thanks Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.

EXCERPT: 'I doubt a B & S ball is the foundation for a relationship.'
Faith leaned over the post and rail fence to peer at the cave far below. 'I guess it's no less likely than ending up with someone from a dating app. Actually, probably more valid, as we get to meet the real person straight up, not a bogus profile.'
Charity quashed the excitement that surged. Practical and grounded, of course she recognised the impossibility of their situation: no one went to a country hook up and walked away with a viable relationship.
Did they?'
'You don't think it's bizarre?' she said. 'The fact that there are people there that we . . . like?'
Faith chuckled. 'I like lots of people. Though maybe don't tell Hope's crew that, it'll be misconstrued. She gave Charity a gentle smile. 'It's life that's bizarre. And messy and sad and confusing and wonderful. Tragic and hilarious, all in the same moment. And sometimes you have to let go of the reins Charity. Sit back and go with the flow. Enjoy the ride.'
Charity shook her head. It wasn't in her to lose control. It was her job to look after her family, not to allow her imagination to run wild.

ABOUT 'THE BLUE GUM CAMP': When the very sensible Charity meets the 'sworn-off-women-forever' Lachlan on a wild weekend at a bachelor and spinsters' ball, what could possibly go wrong….or is there a chance it could all go impossibly, incredibly right?

Charity Farrugia is too sensible to believe she'll find love in a paddock. After all, at thirty-four, she's the responsible one with the secure career and the mortgage. The one who raised her two sisters when their mother got sick. The cautious one with strong reservations about Faith and Hope spending a weekend in the country at a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball.

Lachlan MacKenzie might be divorced, but his cheating ex isn't why he avoids dating—only his brother Hamish knows that secret. But keeping an eye out for Hamish has become part of Lachlan's life, so he reluctantly permits himself to be dragged to the local B & S.

Charity has no intention of allowing her chaperone duties to be side-tracked. But meeting the intriguing farmer—who seems as reluctant as her to be at the B & S—might be an opportunity to prove to her sisters that she does have a wild side after all. But will she discover that what happens in the country sometimes refuses to stay in the country?

MY THOUGHTS: Although the main theme of The Blue Gum Camp is romance, it also covers a lot of deeper topics - terminal illness, death, dementia, grief, infidelity, farm succession plans and dyslexia. But it does so in a balanced way so that no one theme becomes overwhelming.

The book is set in South Australia, an area I have yet to explore but the author makes it sound quite beautiful.

She also has a knack in her depiction of characters. I could see and hear Lachlan and Hamish, and Charity, her sisters and their friends as I read. I'm sure I have met Paris and Kayla - you probably have too. I had to roll my eyes at them as they set out for the B & S ball in an overcrowded car, unprepared for the conditions. Lachlan and Hamish's father is an excellent character. He is grief stricken and angry - he is also hiding a secret, one that I cottoned on to pretty quickly but one that I was pleased to have confirmed when the truth finally emerged.

B & S balls have always been a source of fascination for me. A cross between the balls of my era (the Hunt ball, the Fireman's ball, etc) and the 3-day camp out music festivals I used to attend - a 'gumboots and stiletto night' is how I have heard them described.

Leonie Kelsall mixes the hype of the ball with a good dose of family drama and romance to create a charming back country story where two people from completely different backgrounds, each with trust issues, come together. But is a long-distance relationship even viable? Can Charity and Lachlan make it work? And believe me, there's more than one spanner thrown in the works in an effort to keep them apart.

I enjoyed this read, but I wasn't passionate about it. It didn't stir my emotions past the point of the odd chuckle.

A good read that kept my interest throughout.

⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheBlueGumCamp #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Though fortunate to grow up in the South Australian country – initially on the beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula in a tiny town where the school had a total enrolment of only eleven students, and later on a sheep and wheat farm in the Murraylands, between the Mt Lofty Ranges and the stunning Murray River – in typical teen fashion I couldn't wait to hit the bright lights of the big city when I graduated. However, a couple of years working in various government departments, including the State History Trust and the Education Department, saw me longing to make my way back to the country. Through a circuitous route (isn't that life?) I now find myself splitting my time between my home and professional counselling practice in the beautiful Adelaide Hills and the farm where I grew up. I definitely have the best of both worlds!

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Allen & Unwin via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Blue Gum Camp by Leonie Kelsall for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Allen and Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.

Perfect timing for finishing it as today is the release day.

The Blue Gum Camp is set in the same area as The Farm at Peppertree Crossing, The Wattle Seed Inn, and Willow Tree Wharf. It's a pleasant continuation of scenery and characters that adds dimension to the stories as although you could read them as standalone books, it's great to build on the characters as you read through them.

I think the author Leonie Kelsall has done a great job at writing about grief and disability (in this case Dyslexia) in a kind, understanding, and sympathetic manner. I'm a sucker for a love at first sight type of connection in stories, especially ones where the characters connect with wit and humour too.

Charity Farrugia and her two sisters, Faith and Hope, along with a couple of friends, gradually made their way to the B&S weekend, where they planned to have a good time. Charity hadn't wanted to go, but was eventually persuaded by her sisters to give herself a break from her responsibilities. When their small car - Bee - had a flat tyre, the women were happy to see a farm ute arrive, with two young men inside.

Lachlan and Hamish were also heading to the B&S weekend, although neither party knew it. After fixing their tyre - and having some mild flirtations - they each headed their own way. Lachlan worked their family farm, with their dad a constant grump in their lives. Their mum had passed from cancer a short time before and Lachlan's heart broke every time he thought of her. So when Hamish persuaded him to attend the B&S weekend, Lachlan reluctantly agreed. What would happen to the huge gathering of people as storms hit the area and their tent city was buffeted relentlessly?

The Blue Gum Camp by Aussie author Leonie Kelsall tells the story of two different families who have had their share of heartache in recent times, and how hard it was to get past it all, and look to the future. We catch up with characters from the author's previous books which I enjoyed, and meet new ones. A book which will appeal to fans of rural romance, set in Australia - South Australia this time - and is one I recommend.

With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is another fabulous story from Leonie Kelsall who writes rural romance with a darker tint than most. Just the way I like it.

I really enjoyed the story of the B&S Ball (a little different to the ones I attended many moons ago) and the characters of Charity and Lachlan who have the weight of the world on their sensible shoulders and responsibilities of family. I love that they found each other amongst the hookups and hijinks.

I did feel the ending was a little rushed. There were a few tears amongst the happy ending, but some of the storylines I was looking forward to being resolved were over in a few lines... I was kind of expecting more to come from them, and there was indeed the opportunity, I thought. Maybe it's just that I love a good emotional pull on the heartstrings. Or maybe more will come out in future stories? (Fingers crossed).

Charity, her sisters Faith and Hope set out with a couple of Hope’s friends for a weekend of glamping at the Yurramukka B&S Ball.
Grazier Lachlan and his mechanic brother Hamish are also on their to the ball and lend a helping hand when the girls car has an issue in the way there.
There has been a lot of sadness in the lives of both Charity’s and Lachlan’s family and these two seem to just click. What does it mean for them?
I just love Leonie Kelsall’s books, they are gentle with such substance to them. This book covers a lot, acceptance of the death of a loved parent, farming succession, feeling valued and needed and it made me appreciate the difficulty a dyslexic person has to navigate through life.
Also loved how characters of previous books made appearances in this one, since there have been a few books now that centre around the Settlers Bridge area.
Since this is set in my part of the world, I thank the author for actually pin pointing the general area it is based, although I acknowledge Settlers Bridge imaginary, I always imagined it being set around Mannum, with the the pub from the book Wattle Seed Inn in my head like the Swan Reach pub on the cliff top. Those familiar with these towns will understand, so now I have the Wellington/Meningie area in my head. No idea if I’m right but that doesn’t matter.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read. A great holiday escape.

Description (Per Netgallery)
When the very sensible Charity meets the 'sworn-off-women-forever' Lachlan on a wild weekend at a bachelor and spinsters' ball, what could possibly go wrong….or is there a chance it could all go impossibly, incredibly right?
Charity Farrugia is too sensible to believe she'll find love in a paddock.
After all, at thirty-four, she's the responsible one with the secure career and the mortgage. The one who raised her two sisters when their mother got sick. The cautious one with strong reservations about Faith and Hope spending a weekend in the country at a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball.
Lachlan MacKenzie might be divorced, but his cheating ex isn't why he avoids dating—only his brother Hamish knows that secret. But keeping an eye out for Hamish has become part of Lachlan's life, so he reluctantly permits himself to be dragged to the local B&S.
Charity has no intention of allowing her chaperone duties to be side-tracked. But meeting the intriguing farmer—who seems as reluctant as her to be at the B&S—might be an opportunity to prove to her sisters that she does have a wild side after all.
But will she discover that what happens in the country sometimes refuses to stay in the country?
Disclosure: I was given a digital copy of The Blue Gum Camp through NetGallery by Leonie Kelsall and the team at Allen and Unwin in exchange for an honest review.

Where do I start? Leonie has once again out done herself, managing to hit every emotion and heartstring as she works her magic in a world of grief, acceptance and family conflicts. Reading through Charity’s internal thoughts and emotions hit home hard, her journey to accepting what has happened and her own freedom after years of caring for not only her mum but those around her is not only accurate, but heart-warming and heartbreaking all at once. As a nurse who has spent the last 5 years working with families and people with Dementia, one whose own family has struggled through the journey of caring for a loved one suffering this horrible illness more than once, Leonie hit home on more than one occasion causing the tears to flow freely. The long goodbye is a pain like no other and she captured it well.

Lachlan’s own story of grief and turmoil as his family feels like it’s falling apart and he struggles to accept his own differences from what the world perceive as normal, captures life for many people perfectly. Accepting that they can’t do it how the rest of the world does, and finding acceptable work arounds can be a challenge and emotionally confronting for many. Especially when there is so much at stake. Leonie’s description of dyslexia is perfect. It gives the reader a greater insight in the condition, while empowering those who have it to look beyond the label and at what they can achieve through their wonderful ability to use higher level language skills and critical analysis and thinking to solve problems and communicate.

Their story of bonding, while quick, was understandable. Especially given the grief and pain that both characters were going through. I wish I could have read just that bit more and saw the conversation between Lachlan and his Dad as they start their journey of healing. I feel this would have really tied up the ending quite well showing his Dad’s realisation about his behaviour and how it impacted Lachlan’s self-esteem and confidence, as Lachlan’s realisation that he is not alone in the emotion’s that he is going through with his dyslexia. I will admit I did find some of the time jumps/memories difficult to follow at times, I feel that maybe they were as clear about being a jump as what it could have/should have been. However, it did come together a bit more and quite a few little things that made me question the story when it was revealed about Charity’s Mother’s passing. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an engaging, descriptive Australian rural romance.

Charity Farrugia is a thirty four year old school teacher, she's too busy to fall in love and she assumes the last place she will find it is in a paddock. Her mother suffered from dementia, so being the eldest she raised her two younger sisters Faith and Hope. They want to spend a weekend attending a Bachelors and Spinsters Ball and they drag a reluctant and cynical Charity along.

Lachlan MacKenzie is a divorced farmer, after his ex-wife cheated on him, he’s given up on love, and he’s happy being single and his brother Hamish wants to attend the B & S Ball in Yurramukka. Trouble seems to find mechanic Hamish, so Lachlan has no choice but to go with him and make sure he behaves.

Charity is the sensible one, so she's only going to chaperone her sisters, and Hope’s friends Paris and Kaylee. The first hurdle is getting all their luggage into a tiny hatchback, they finally make it to Yurramukka after a few hiccups and the ladies are glamping. Charity meets Lachlan, he’s the first man she’s being attracted to in years and Lachlan feels the same about her, both hate the party scene and general mayhem going on in the camp grounds and the B & S Ball isn't until the following night.

I received a digital copy of The Blue Gum Camp by Léonie Kelsall from Allen & Unwin and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can understand why Ms. Kelsall is a bestselling South Australian rural romance author, her writing style is realistic and upfront, I could relate to the two main characters and why they were both so reluctant to go to the B & S Ball and wanted to stay single. I'm very keen to read The Willow Tree Wharf and it's waiting for me on my kindle.

The story also includes references to important topics, such as, how do you cope when one of your parents is diagnosed with a terminal illness, grief, denial, infidelity, being the eldest son and inheriting a farm that’s been in the family for decades and the pressure of not being the one to stuff it up, and being the firstborn sister and always being the reliable and dependable one and the stigma and misunderstanding about people with dyslexia.

I loved reading a book set in South Australia, many of the towns mentioned I have visited and my beloved Adelaide hills where I live. I felt so many emotions reading this novel, I laughed and cried and cheered for Charity and Lachlan to become an item and five stars from me.