Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the chance to read this book.

This story by Cathryn Hein is set in rural Victoria and showcases some of the highs and lows of small town life. Stirling is on the receiving end of some very small-minded attitudes but not from Darcy. She is a confident woman who is totally comfortable in her own skin.

The story is full of drama with life-threatening situations, generations old secrets, and new love. It was hard to put down with the characters being (mostly) kind and the type of people you'd love to have around you in good and bad times.

Cathryn Hein is one of my favourite Australian rural romance authors and her latest book, The Grazier’s Son is just fabulous. The characters are all well-drawn and thoroughly believable. I loved Stirling from the moment he appeared on the oage, while Darcy Sloan, founder of the successful VaVoom fifties fashion label, is a force of nature and a perfect foil for Stirling. The plot deals with some challenging issues but it also kept me guessing. I think one of the things I loved most about this book is the marvelous imagery. It was so easy to picture the western Victorian countryside where this story is set, but I think one of my favourite lines was Darcys reaction to something Stirling said to her: “His words draped her like a cashmere wrap, cosy and kind and oh so flattering.” I felt draped in cashmere myself! This book is a bit of a change from the humourous angles of earlier Cathryn Hein stories but it is no less enjoyable. Very definitely a five.

EXCERPT: In the end, the grave wasn't hard to find. It lay in the shadow of the tallest, most ostentatious monument in the cemetery, as dark, plain and flat as its neighbour was lofty, light and gaudy. The slab sported a single ugly embellishment - a coarse brown block erupting from its polished granite surface. where the epitaph should have read 'Rest in Peace' someone had stuck a clumsily engraved hunk of brick over 'Peace' to make the epitaph read 'Rest in Hell'.

ABOUT 'THE GRAZIER'S SON': When taking up an unexpected inheritance with an unhappy past, newcomer Stirling is daunted to find a town set against him. Except, perhaps, for one sassy, big-hearted woman, who is willing to give him a chance to prove he belongs. Pitch-perfect rural romance from popular Australian author Cathryn Hein.

When helicopter pilot Stirling Hawley travels to Grassmoor in Victoria's lush Western District to claim an inheritance, he doesn't expect to face a town that hates him.

Nor does he anticipate being saved from near-death by glamorous vintage clothing designer Darcy Sloane. Or that she'll take a personal interest in his recovery. But Grassmoor and Westwind, the historic mansion Stirling inherited from the father he never knew, prove full of surprises.

The more Stirling digs into his father's life, the more uneasy he becomes. Behind Dougal Kildare's respectable stock agent and farmer veneer was a man of secrets. While the fraud that devastated the community and led to Dougal's tragic death is one, there are others. And such things never stay buried forever...

As Stirling's suspicions about Dougal's death grow, danger creeps ever closer. Until it's not only Stirling's life in peril but the woman he's come to love.

MY THOUGHTS: Cathryn Hein ripped my heart to shreds not once, but twice. Beautifully written, The Grazier's Son is the perfect combination of romance and Australian Outback mystery/crime thriller.

I had all the emotions reading this. Not only is the plot superbly tight, but the characters captivated my heart. I felt Stirling's pain, and his joy; Darcy's passion and exuberance - if you love stories about strong women, you'll love Darcy; she's strong and soft all in one! The supporting characters of Toby, Gav, Lissette and Shiloh all have distinct personalities and clear roles to play. Everyone needs a friend like Lissette!

Small towns like Grassmoor have their pluses and negatives - everyone knows everyone's business and they all stick together. In this case they shun Stirling, not that they know him, but for his father's crime. And it seems that, even for all of Darcy's defiance in standing up to them, not even she is able to sway their stance. Rumors abound and strange things happen at the homestead.

There is plenty of action, including in the bedroom - but don't worry it's all closed door.

I loved this book, my first by this author. It won't be my last. I felt very emotional while reading The Grazier's Son. I choked up in places, my eyes glistening with tears, and was tense with fingernails digging into my palms in others. I enjoyed the sensual, sensitive treatment of the love scenes and cried freely twice as the author ripped my heart to shreds.

The perfect read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheGraziersSon #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: A South Australian country girl by birth, Cathryn loves nothing more than a rugged rural hero who’s as good with his heart as he is with his hands, which is probably why she writes them! Her romances are warm and emotional, and feature themes that don’t flinch from the tougher side of life but are often happily tempered by the antics of naughty animals. Her aim is to make you smile, sigh, and perhaps sniffle a little, but most of all feel wonderful.
Cathryn lives in Newcastle, Australia with her partner of many years, Jim. When she’s not writing, she plays golf (ineptly), cooks (well), and in football season barracks (rowdily) for her beloved Sydney Swans AFL team.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Grazier's Son for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Thank you to #netgalley, the publishers and Cathryn for allowing me to review this book.

Stirling has had his life thrown a curve ball with 3 major incidents occurring.

Coming to Westwind and finding what his father's life was about was meant to be short. But Stirling needs to rest.

This story shows many characters lives and how they are all interlinked and become part of Stirling and his new life.

This is the best book by Cathryn Hein and shows that life is never clean cut.

I have been waiting for a new Cathryn Hein story for a while and this one was worth the wait, OMG it is brilliant, this is one of the best rural romances that I have read with awesome character and it has mystery and a some danger added in to make it a must read, a page turner and one not to be missed.

When helicopter pilot Stirling Hawley is left a property, Westwind in the small town of Grassmoor in country Victoria by the father he knew of but had never met he is recovering from an accident, but is keen to discover his inheritance, what he doesn’t expect is the towns attitude towards him, they hate him, but he is determined to explore his new property.

After arriving an accident sees him in a bit of trouble the last thing he expects is to be saved by a beautiful woman, dressed in a gorgeous vintage dress which helps save him she introduces herself as Darcy Sloane, vintage designer, neighbour and now thoroughly invested in his care.

Stirling soon learns that Darcy is true to her word and makes visits to the hospital and is there to help, and soon they are good friends, Stirling learns a lot about the town, Westwind and his father from Darcy and starts to look into the reasons for his father Dougal Kildare’s death and the case of fraud against him, wondering what has happened to the money that has gone missing.

But with his investigation uncovering secrets from the past danger starts builds, is he getting close to discovering the truth, will the people he loves be threatened? He and Darcy are growing closer and their love is growing by the day and he must protect her at all costs.

This is an absolutely brilliant story I loved it from the start, it is sensual, moving and filled with emotion. Stirling is an awesome hero he has been through so much he deserves love and happiness and sassy, strong and beautiful Darcy is just the right person for him, add in the other fabulous characters Lissette, Toby, Gavin and Shiloh and this is a story that is not to be missed. The fashions the epilogue are the best. Thank you MS Hein for another keeper, woohoo this one left me smiling.

My thanks to the publisher Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review.

Well done Cathryn Hein…I loved and devoured this one. This is Australian rural romance writing at its finest!

The writing had the perfect mix of slow burn romance, mystery and intrigue. An unassuming and lost MMC, a sassy and unapologetic FMC and host of perfect side characters made for a fabulous and unputdownable read!

The unexpected inheritance of a beautiful historic mansion from a father he didn’t know, sees Stirling Hawley arrive in the town of Grassmoor in Victoria’s Western District. He is an outsider in a town that set against him thanks to his father’s fraud against the community and as a reader you can really sympathize with how this would make him feel.

While exploring his new home Stirling is saved from near-death by glamorous vintage clothing designer Darcy Sloane who becomes invested in his recovery. And oh my gosh is it not a good time watching her push Stirling out of his comfort zone as things unfold between them.

There are lots of surprises that unfold as Stirling digs into his father's life, and he soon finds that things never stay buried forever...because danger creeps ever closer and threatens the woman he's come to love. This was such a great read. I feel like the crime/mystery part of this story was just as prominent as the romance side. It was the perfect balance.

Stirling Hawley is a helicopter pilot, he flew Blackhawks in the army and later worked dropping medical staff into disaster and war zones and he was based in Germany. He’s shocked when he inherits a property from his deceased father Dougal Kildare, it’s in rural Victoria and called Westwind and it’s near a little town called Grassmoor.

Dougal was a stock agent in Grassmoor, before he died he’d been slowly siphoning money from his clients and no one knows where it’s gone, many of them considered him a mate and friend and Stirling doesn’t get a very warm welcome when he arrives in town. The only person who's nice to him is Darcy Sloan, her parents own a property near his, she runs a shop in town called Vavoom, and she makes retro fashion and sells most of her clothes online. Darcy is stunning, quirky, wears her own creations and models them for her website and Stirling has never met anyone like her before.

When Stirling has an accident, it’s Darcy who finds him and she feels compelled to help him and she’s driving past anyway! Once he’s able Stirling starts looking around Westwind, it’s been vandalized and sprayed with graffiti, he gets the feeling that someone has been in the house when he's not home and does he just have an over active imagination? Despite not knowing his father, somethings he did and they don't make any sense, like ripping off his friends, money laundering and how he died, and then he finds his grandfathers detailed account books and he discovers long buried secrets.

I received a copy of The Grazier's Son by Cathryn Hein from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by the bestselling rural romance and romantic adventure novel author and it won’t be my last.

All great stories need memorable and authentic characters, no shortage of these in this well written and compelling plot, my favourites were Stirling, Darcy, Gavin, Toby, Lissette, Shiloh and Leo. I liked how the narrative was a combination of what it’s like to live in a small Australian country town and community, with the elements of mystery to keep the reader guessing and a sizzling hot budding love story. Add in football, meat pies and a grand final, and steamy and sexy chemistry between Stirling and Darcy, it makes for an all-round winner for me and five big stars.

A beautifully written story of trauma, not winning over love and passion. A son discovers his murky family tree, a jealous Uncle whom causes, chaos along with murder, wanting to extract revenge. A love story around several couples, all resolving. One woman's passion not only for her business, but love too, and not giving up on her man. The horrible traumas of war being dealt with via love and counselling. Great insight to legacy's handed down by Graziers good and bad. Well written, worth a read.