The Scent of Promise by Heather Reyburn is an endearing story of a family farm, rural life, financial hardship, love, setbacks, and a determination to succeed.
This is the third book in the Fantail Ridge series. It is not necessary to have read the previous two to enjoy this story. Although if you do read Peninsula Promises and The Lupin Fields I know you will enjoy them too.
Fantail Ridge is set in picturesque South Head, New Zealand. It’s the year 2006 and Hannah Simpson is about to turn 30. She is feeling disillusioned by a chain of setbacks.
Hannah is a Research Scientist. She has worked for the same company for 6 years but has been overlooked for a promotion. She had believed all her hard work and innovative ideas would have put her in a good position.
As a keen rider, she still has the Horse of the Year Show to look forward to until her beloved horse Afternoon Delight seriously injures her leg.
Hannah has just ended a 4 year relationship. She hadn’t recognised the signs of manipulation, until a domestic violence incident.
The final straw is when she finds out her father has been diagnosed with cancer and does not have long to live.
Hannah immediately takes time off from work and returns home to Fantail Ridge. Her welcome home, on arrival, is the forced realisation that her parents have aged and neither looks well. She can see by the state of the farm that her parents have not been coping for some time.
With her characteristic determination, Hannah decides to extend her time off from work and she would run the farm for the next two months.
With a growing list of jobs and financial worries, how on earth will she turn things around!?
The family is dealt more challenges. For each problem, Hannah looks for a solution.
With a business plan sorted and the cottage rented to a new tenant, Justin, who happens to be tall and handsome. It is a bonus that Justin is a shearer and can turn his hands to most things. Initially, Hannah’s only contact with him is as her employee.
Could things lead to more, or is Hannah misreading the signs? Will her brilliant idea of growing lavender for oil and tourist products help to turn the finances around?
Fantail Ridge is her grandparent’s legacy to her family, but will her determination be enough to keep it in the family?
Heather Reyburn’s own experiences of being raised on a farm and then raising her own family on a farm have certainly contributed to the authenticity of the characters and their lives in a rural setting.
From start to finish you are drawn into this family. It is a wonderful read, showing the resilience of women involved in farm life.
I know this is the third book in the series, but why stop at only three stories of this intriguing family? I would love to know the legacy Hannah will leave for future generations of the Simpson family.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this story. A great read. 5 stars.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Scent of Promise by Heather Reyburn. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
I love to read, any book on any topic. I now love ebooks as they are easier to store, I was running out of bookshelves! My other interests are family, gardening and our beautiful King Charles spaniel dog who is my reading companion.
I was lucky enough to read and review all 3 of this series and I was NOT disappointed! Heather Reyburn is an extraordinary author who treats readers to an exciting read everytime.
You don’t necessarily need to read the books in order but I recommend you do as they are amazing!
Thank you so much Beauty and Lace and Heather Reyburn!
What a wonderful series of books, set over generations, of one family and their life on the land. This, the 3rd and final in the Fantail Ridge series. In this one , we follow the life over the period of a very difficult year, of Hannah, who was born at the end of book 2. Now an adult, she must step up and move back to the farm, due to her father being ill.
We see Hannah and her mother face almost losing their beloved farm, but with some careful thinking, and giving it their all, they manage to come out of the other side of such a trying time.
A new love interest for Hannah, adds a touch of hope for the future to her life, after a disaterous time when living in the city.
My only disappointment, was that the story ended so very abruptly. As others have said, one minute the story is quite indepth, and you find yourself turning the page to see what is going to happen, but instead a rushed ending, which had the story all wrapped up in less than 2 pages.. Besides that, another great read by Heather Rayburn.
Thank you Beauty & Lace for another great read.
This is the 3rd book in the fantail ridge series that I have read.As mentioned it is part of a series but can also be read alone although I can’t wait to read the other 2 now & learn more about the families involved in the story. lovely country setting & very enjoyable read
Thank you
I didn’t realise until reading the comments by other reviewers that this was the 3rd book in a series.
It’s not normally the type of book I would read and although I found It a light/easy read, I won’t be hunting down the other two books in the series. The characters were likeable but it was a bit too predictable and ‘country’ for me, personally. If you’re into horses and farming this book is for you.
Thanks for the opportunity Beauty and Lace and Heather Reyburn
This is the third book in the Fantail Ridge series but you can easily read this having not read the previous two.
The Scent of Promise is about Hannah who grew up on her family farm but currently lives in the city. When a series of unfortunate events happen all around the same time she heads back to support her parents at Fantail Ridge. There she learns about what her parents have been going through and tries to find a way to save the farm. Along the way she deals with love and loss and we go on a journey to find out how adaptable farming life needs to be these days to survive.
Rural romance is one of my favourite genres but the romance element of this book is pretty slow and non existent and I felt like it turned almostnunrealistic by the end.
I struggled with this book a little bit as I felt it dragged on with not much happening except for day to day life.
If you enjoy a story about rural life and the hardships women face then you will enjoy this book. I enjoyed the fact it was set in New Zealand as I haven’t read any books set there for a while.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Heather Reyburn for the opportunity to read this book.
The Scent of Promise is the third instalment in the ‘Fantail Ridge series’ but the first book I have read of Heather Reyburn’s.
When her relationship ends and her science career isn’t panning out as expected, Hannah returns home to the family farm to be with her parents – including her terminally ill father.
Seeing how unwell her father is, Hannah realises she needs to step up and take responsibility of the family farm. The farm needs more attention than she expects but Justin (the handsome sheerer) offers his assistance. She has no other option but to take him up on his offer.
Hannah begins to make some changes to the farm to generate further income for the farm – such as dabbling in lavender. The book then follows her progress on the farm and her blossoming relationship with Justin. An enjoyable rural romance, and as a scientist myself, any book with a lead character as a female scientist gets my tick of approval.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review this book.