Cathryn Hein – Small Town Fiction

It’s always a pleasure to have the lovely Cathryn Hein on the blog. Cathryn is one of my favourite rural romance authors who captures the true spirit of the outback with each new release. Today, she is sharing a little about her newest book, The Country Girl. Isn’t that a magnificent cover? Here’s Cathryn to tell you more…

Hi everyone, and a big thanks to Juanita for hosting me today and helping celebrate the release of THE COUNTRY GIRL.

From start to finish, this book has been a joy, and I’m thrilled to bits that it’s finally hit shelves and readers will be able to experience Tash and Patrick’s gorgeous romance.
Patrick is a man who’s had his world turned upside down by his fiancée Maddy’s tragic accident. The future he thought he’d have with her, one filled with love, joy and children, will never happen. He knows it, as do Maddy’s family and his own. Everyone wants him to move on, but Patrick can’t. He made Maddy a promise and feels honour-bound to stand by it.
I knew it would take a very special heroine to change Patrick, which is why I never started to write the book until I was certain I had exactly the right person. Tash took a while to come – several years, in fact – but from the moment she bounced into my mind I knew she was perfect.
Tash is the sort of girl who makes everyone smile. She’s big-hearted, bright, smart and pretty, with a personality that could cheer the dourest of people. As Tash’s mum Liz says to her, ‘If anyone can make someone feel better, it’s you. It’s your gift.’
She’s also a wonderful cook who views food and cooking as an expression of love. With her sunny personality and skill, it’s no wonder she’s become a superstar of the food blogging world. And it’s no wonder Patrick falls for her, even though he tries like crazy not to.
What this means for you, dear readers, is that you not only score an emotional boy-next-door, friends-to-lovers romance with THE COUNTRY GIRL, you also get a mouth-watering feast of delicious food from Tash’s kitchen.
As the title of this post suggests, THE COUNTRY GIRL is a book that’ll warm your heart and feed your soul.
Like Patrick with Tash, that’s hard to resist!

THE COUNTRY GIRL
by Cathryn Hein

Can this love story find a new beginning?
After landing a major cookbook deal, star food blogger Tash Ranger swaps city life for the family farm. But Tash’s homecoming is bittersweet, for now she can no longer avoid seeing her best friend Maddy, who was severely injured in a riding accident. No one knows that Maddy and Tash had a deep falling out and with every visit Tash must pretend to be the friend everyone believes her to be.
Patrick Lawson, Maddy’s fiancé, battles despair and hope daily as Maddy lies imprisoned in her body. When Tash returns to Castlereagh Road with her joy and boundless appetite for life, he realises finally what his loved ones have been trying to tell him for months – that Maddy wouldn’t want him to throw his life away. It’s time to move on. But letting go is no easy feat.
Can these two friends step out of the shadow of Maddy’s tragic life and accept love, or is the past forever destined to dictate their future?

PRINT ISBN: 9781489242488
EBOOK ISBN: 9781489246813

My Review

The Country Girl by Cathryn Hein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Be sure to have the Kleenex nearby. A challenging, exhausting read that is at times a whirlwind of words and action very much like the heroine, Tash. Ms Hein opens this story with a heartbreakingly tender, beautifully intense scene that had me reaching for the tissues within the first few pages. The story features a tortured hero, torn between the permanently disabled woman he’s committed to and the lively, up-and-coming, self-made star chef he’s fallen in love with. Full of good, wholesome country characters, this is a read that will have you cheering Patrick and Tash on even while you feel desperately sorry for Maddy and her situation. Like Khan, the horse featured in the story, it gallops along in places before unexpectedly hurling the reader head on into a pool of mixed emotions, leaving them breathless. Don’t miss the ride. ARC provided courtesy of NetGalley and HQN.

View all my reviews

Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy by Cathryn Hein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lively, fun read from Cathryn Hein. Everyone should have a Nick in their lives. He’s smart, sexy and just a little cheeky (okay, maybe a lot cheeky). Most of all, he’s irresistible. Ms Hein charms us all the way to The End with innovative ways to romance the girl you didn’t notice at school but sure as hell notice now. There is nothing Nick won’t do to get Chrissy’s attention in this heartwarming, youthful romp to an HEA.

View all my reviews

No girl forgets her first crush. The least he could do is remember it.

Chrissy James has only been home in small-town Levenham a few weeks when her teenage crush plays hero and saves her from an aggressive drunk. Seven years ago, Nick Burroughs was the school hottie while she was the overweight girl with braces, bad hair, and an unrequited obsession with the sports star every girl in school wanted. Her failed efforts to attract Nick’s attention still burn.

Chrissy sure has his attention now, but she’s older, smarter and focused on settling into her new dream job as wine marketer. No matter how sexy he’s grown, or how keen his interest, Nick will need to do a lot more than see off a drunk if he wants to win her over.

But Chrissy doesn’t count on the determination of a Burroughs boy in love. Nick will do anything to recapture Chrissy’s heart, even if it means acting the romantic fool and embarrassing himself in the process.

Will Nick’s efforts to make amends for the past backfire or will Chrissy’s career thwart everything? Grab this cute small-town romance and find out!

For readers who enjoyed Romantic Book of the Year finalist SANTA AND THE SADDLER by Cathryn Hein.