"A collection of Christmas stories from award-winning Australian authors about the country practices that lie at the heart of small towns.
The Christmas Cake War by Stella Quinn
Physiotherapist Jodie is in Clarence to help her great-aunt Carol move into an aged care home. But Jodie didn't count on Carol's dispute with the president of Clarence Gardens' residents' association. Jodie will have to team up with local publican Will, the boy who once saved her life and crushed her heart, to defuse the feud before it explodes into all-out war. Jodie doesn't believe in happy endings, but perhaps Clarence has its own kind of magic ...
The Night Before Christmas by Penelope Janu
Amelie Peterson swore she would never go back to Summerfield. And yet here she is, taking over the local vet clinic for the summer, not only as a favour to the doctor who once changed her life, but to finally face her demons. Easier said than done when one of her demons, Cameron McLeod, owns the only available accommodation in town. As Christmas draws closer, is Amelie ready to face the hurts of her past?
The Ghost of Christmas Past by Pamela Cook
Psychologist Hannah Rasmussen's main goal at Christmas is to hide from the ghosts of her past. But when her old friend and mentor asks to spend the festive season with her, Hannah can hardly deny a terminally ill woman her Christmas wish. Is Hannah's grief stronger than Christmas cheer, or will she discover that present joy - particularly in the form of burly farrier Cole Harrison - can outshine past sorrow and pave the way for a brighter future?
A Rush Creek Christmas by Renae Black
Piper Hendrix arrives in Rush Creek on the heels of scandal, desperate for anonymity and the chance to ignore Christmas to focus on her job as a nurse. Discovering that her older brother's childhood best friend (and Piper's longstanding crush) is one of the local paramedics is definitely not part of the plan. But nowhere does Christmas like Rush Creek, and Piper's best-laid plans never stood a chance."
"A gritty, flirty and uplifting rural romance about taking risks, overcoming the past and standing up for the people you love.
Relationships on the station are forbidden ... but are some rules made to be broken?
At Windale Mountain Sheep Station there's only one rule: don't sleep with the guests.
In her ten years living on the mountain, Indigo Mills has never once thought about breaking the rules. After a childhood of neglect and an adolescence that still haunts her, the opportunity to live and work on the sheep station was a lifesaver - literally - and Indy won't do anything to jeopardise her mountain family and home.
That is until Carter Hendrix, the best half-back in the game of professional rugby league, turns up.
The Scorpions have come to Windale for a pre-season training camp, fresh off the loss of last year's grand final - a loss Carter's teammates blame him for. Carter's plan is to keep his head down and his sponsors happy so he can continue playing the game he loves.
Until he meets Indy. Now is not the time for distractions and Indy is full of reasons why they shouldn't explore their attraction: their vastly different backgrounds, their age gap, the rules. But their chemistry is impossible to ignore. Can Carter prove to Indy that he's worth the risk, or will it all be left on the mountain?"
"Will the dangerous consequences of her past allow her to risk her heart again?
Georgia Williams knows firsthand how love can turn violent. Running from her past, stalked by daily phone calls she refuses to answer, she arrives in the small country town of Gleneagle looking for a place to hide. And even though the local men - admittedly one rather attractive guy in particular - try to catch her attention, the last thing she needs is another man making her life a living hell.
Country boy Trent Turner works his family's cattle stud. After a childhood marked by tragedy, he's working hard to earn his father's approval. He dreams of one day running the farm and being a husband and a father himself. But, unlucky in love, he's losing hope of finding someone to share that dream with. When Trent meets Georgia, he can't help but bank his happily ever after on their sizzling attraction. With Georgia dodging his attention and his father having secret meetings with a city accountant, is it all for nothing?
Georgia can't avoid Trent entirely in their small town, and amid blossoming trust and deepening desire, she lowers her walls enough to let him in. As they grow closer, Trent notices the calls Georgia refuses to answer. Who's so desperate to speak with her? And what trouble will answering them lead to?"
"To move forward, she'll have to face the past.
Paige Bennett is fulfilling her childhood dream of working and living on the land as a station hand on Whitetail Ridge. Getting her hands dirty, riding horses, working with cattle and kicking up red dust. Life can't get much better. Or so she thinks, until a devastating act of violent betrayal leaves her unemployed, homeless and broken.
A fight with his father drove Jackson Brady off Karilga, his family's cattle station in the Queensland outback. Now he's made a life for himself away from the land, joining a band and settling into the city. When the girl he's always had his eye on shows up with news from back home, he's faced with a difficult choice: go home where he's needed or stay where he's wanted.
Winding up on Karilga Station, Paige is a shadow of the person she once was. Desperate to forget what happened to her, she considers leaving her beloved channel country. But things aren't so easily forgotten in the outback. When fate gives her no option but to trust again, will she find love as well? Or at least a safe place to land?
Jackson knows he's never been more to Paige than a country larrikin who only takes the beer at the end of the day seriously - a sentiment closely echoed by his father. Can Jackson prove himself to his father and become the man Paige needs him to be? Or will it all crumble in the red dirt of the outback?
A heartfelt, deeply emotional story about finding home, facing the past and falling in love, from a captivating new voice in rural romance."
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