(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Unlucky-in-love zoologist Zoe King has given up on men. Moving from Sydney to take up an exciting new role in marine science in the small sugar town of Kiawa is a welcome fresh start. Zoe is immediately charmed by the region's beauty – by its rivers and rainforests, and by its vast cane fields, sweeping from the foothills down to the rocky coral coast. And also by its people – its farmers and fishermen, unhurried and down to earth, proud of their traditions.
Her work at the Reef Centre provides all the passion she needs and Zoe finds a friend in Bridget, the centre's director. So the last thing she expects is to fall for her boss's fiancé, cane king Quinn Cooper. When animals on the reef begin to sicken and die, Zoe's personal and professional worlds collide. She faces a terrible choice. Will protecting the reef mean betraying the man she loves?

I have been quite lucky of late with the quality of novels coming out of the "rural romance" genre (I do hate that name but it is what people are calling it) - this novel is another that breaks the trend of red dirt and girls with hats. And what a blessing that is.

This story - which is centred around environmental protection and conservation - is a refreshing take on the genre. All the plot elements are still there - small town, love interests, personal challenges, and a suspense/mystery plot for the protagonists to resolve. However, due to the style of writing, this zoomed past the majority of RR books and went pretty high on the list of all time favourites.

Also, anyone who is interested in the wildlife of Australia should have a look at this book. The authors descriptions and prose when describing dolphins, octopus and dugongs (just for an example) is almost worth the price of admission. Her story-telling is first rate and so is her knack for allowing the reader to see what she sees, to experience it first-hand, almost.

The one down-side for me was Quinn Cooper. Not a nice character, treated those in his life pretty poorly and I just didn't like the guy. And, following from that, those whose lives he treats badly, end up just "taking it" for the most part...which annoyed me too.

However, apart from that one minor issue, this was a great read and I think it is one to be recommended highly.


Paul
ARH