Outback Secrets is the 5th book in the Bunyip Bay series by Rachael Johns. Each book in the series can happily be read as a stand-alone.
Henrietta Forward finds that each time she returns to Bunyip Bay to see her family, it’s a bit of a struggle. Her mother has always made it her mission to find a suitable husband for Henri and on top of that her sister and friends seem to be joining in on the search.
Henri is well aware that her lifestyle and her job as an Agricultural pilot are just not suited to someone who is trying to form a relationship with anyone.
This time her trip home takes a slightly crazy turn when she announces to the town gossip that she is in a relationship with the local publican, Liam Castle.
Liam has been in town for 10 years and in that time has kept his past to himself and his love life has been very quiet. For some crazy reason, he decides to play along with Henri and convince the town that they are together as a couple. This ruse is only going to last a few weeks anyway, then they can tell everyone that they have parted ways and life can get back to normal.
As is often the way, things never go to plan, and the pretend romance grabs them both by the heart, but they both know it just can’t work.
Rachael Johns has a way of writing that drags me in and makes me feel as if I am a part of the town and I know and care about these people.
Outback Secrets would be a great Christmas Holiday read as it does have a Christmas theme running through it.
Author: Rachael Johns
ISBN: 9781867220237
Copy courtesy of HarperCollins
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
Im a Mum of 3 beautiful girls.
An avid reader that loves to travel but lacks the funds to venture far and wide constantly. A perfumeaholic with an addiction to beauty and skincare.
If not found with my head in a book or on a plane I can be found spending hours upon hour in Doctors and Hospital waiting rooms as part of my job as a Carer
What a beautiful Aussie Rural story that will have you captivated from the first page to the final chapter.
Henrietta Forward is an Agricultural pilot and just loves her job and has no intentions of settling down despite others back home urging her all the time to settle back at Bunyip Bay. When an incident happens she returns back to the bay and besides it is coming up to Christmas so it worked out well.
Henrietta hates her Christian name so prefers to be known as Henri.
The other character in the book is Liam who owns and runs the local Pub. He has secrets that he can’t talk about and as Christmas looms, he absolutely hates celebrating the event in every way.
Henri & Liam concoct a plan of being lovers to keep family members, especially her mother and her friends off her back about finding a man to settle down with. The whole charade is fun and loveable.
It’s not hard to love all the characters in this book. Henri’s mother is so funny and I found myself laughing at the description of the WAMS. Now to know what I am saying there, you have to read the book and you too will laugh.
I absolutely loved this book and actually read it in one day as I couldn’t put it down. It is one of those feel good feelings after reading this storyline.
The cover is very eye catching with the man on the front. I actually visualised Liam as him.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins for sending me this book to read. Thank you also to Rachael Johns who keeps rural romances alive for us diehard fans of hers.
Thank you for my copy of Outback Secrets by Rachael Johns to read. I really enjoy her books and this was a nice, easy read.
We start with Henrietta Forward who is forced home early for a few weeks prior to Christmas. She is an agricultural pilot and not used to not working. Her mother is loving having her home and the next step is to have her half of a couple. Liam Castle is the owner of the pub at Bunyip Bay and hears all the town’s secrets, but who is there to hear his?
When Henri and Liam meet there are no plans for romance, but Henri does want to get her mother off her back. Somehow Liam agrees and then the fun starts. There are many reasons they shouldn’t be together, but it is made difficult by how well they get along.
This was a lovely easy read, with some difficult topics thrown in. These were addressed in fairly realistic ways for the situation. I enjoyed the people involved, the town and the surrounding scenery. This was a great rural romance with real life definitely thrown in and I would highly recommend.
Always loved a rural romance novel and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Once started I could hardly put it down, I was hooked from beginning to end . Such an easy read, you got to know the characters instantly and almost wanted to experience outback life with them. Henri and Liam both have past traumas to overcome but through trust and friendship and support of each other it was great to see that love conquered all in the end . Thanks for the chance to read outback secrets.
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Well there was no surprises where ‘Outback Secrets’ was going right from the very beginning, however it was a lovely, relaxing stroll down the path to get there. My only issue was that the main character’s name was ‘Henri’ and I know that is spelled differently than the masculine version, it took me a while to recall each time that Henri was female. Still, if that was my only complaint, it must have been a good book! Thank you Beauty and Lace for the book >:o)
‘Outback Secrets’ drew me in from the very beginning and kept me hooked right to the end – and still wanting more.
An easy read, the main characters Henri and Liam were my favourite people from the word go. What starts out as a secret romance that benefits both of them it becomes unexpectedly real much to the amazement of Henri and Liam. Both are overcoming trauma and come out even stronger than before. Bunyip Bay and it’s residents are all very loveable and believable.
As a new fan of Rachel Johns and her books ‘Outback Secrets’ certainly pulls out all the stops in this book and genre overall.
A huge thank you to to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity and to Harper Collins for this book.
What happens when a pretend romance starts to feel oh so real? For agricultural pilot Henrietta and local publican Liam this is exactly what happens. But their pretend romance isn’t the only secret these two have. Will their secrets make or break them? Set at Christmas time with the back drop of farmland and a surf beach this would be a great read for your Summer Holiday. I personally was eagerly awaiting this book and it certainly didn’t disappoint. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I read it twice in two weeks!
While this is book five in the Bunyip Bay series, it can be read as a stand-alone story. However, fans of the series will be very happy to catch up with their favourite characters from the previous books with Faith, Monty, Ruby, Dew, Adam, Stella, Simone, Frankie and Logan all making appearances. There are even some hints that there could (hopefully) be another book.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the chance to read this book. Thanks also to Rachel Johns for listening to your fans and turning what was meant to be a trilogy in to what is now a 5 book series.
Thanks to Harper Collins and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the chance to read this book.
I am a huge Rachel Johns fan and will never tire of reading about Bunyip Bay. I love that each book is stand alone but that it is a chance to catch up with the characters from past books.
It’s an easy read with some laughs along the way. Highly recommend this and any of Rachel’s books, perfect summer reading.
I love a great rural romance and this one was fantastic. The characters were genuine and funny (I like a little humour in my dialogue!) I liked the depth of history for the characters also.
This was a great, easy, enjoyable read & one that I will recommend to others!
Thank you to Harper Collins and Beauty and Lace Book Club for the chance to read this book.
Thank you for this book reading opportunity, the book was set in rural outback, and there’s mystery and love as we go on this romantic adventure.
I loved the journey that the story took us on, and it was filled with hope and love, and not knowing if love will prevail. I also wanted to go to the outback and experience the romance and challenges of outback living and the closeness of the community.
I also liked the writing style and reading from a man’s point of view, which was different.
It’s a nice easy and enjoyable read.
Thank you Beauty and Lace. Thank you Harper Collins and thank you Rachael Johns for once again sharing you incredible gift with us.
The story is set in the small outback town of Bunyip Bay where Liam has been living as the publican for almost 10 years.
Henrietta is home for Christmas earlier than planned after an incident at work.
The town has changed a lot in the last 10 years but the people have stayed the same.
Kids have grown into teens, teens have become adults with their own kids but they’re all still there for her to come home to.
Liam has updated the pub into a pleasant place to be and the locals come for meals and to have a drink most nights. Everyone meets up at the pub.
Reading this book is like catching up with an old friend. It’s warm and loving and snuggles into your heart as you fall deeper and deeper into the story.
With Rachael’s style of writing you feel the love and friendship in the story, her stories are warm and inviting and her characters are ones to fall in love with again and again.
If your new to Rachael Johns or she’s one of your faves you won’t be disappointed with this one.
You can’t go wrong reading about a love story set in a small outback town.