Snowy Mountains Cattleman by Australian author Alissa Callen delivers a healthy dose of love, loss, and discovery. This book is the second in the Bundilla series.
Grace Davenport, an only child is suffering a great loss after recently losing both her parents, she decides to leave her life in Sydney for a few months to return home to Bundilla in the Snowy Mountains, NSW.
As an interior stylist, she plans to use her expertise in design to restore an old bluestone mansion in memory of her parents. Whilst renovating she hopes to find peace and a new direction in life.
Rowan Parker has returned home to Bundilla after a failed relationship and losing his parents. He knows he must reconcile with his sister, but his only focus is on his cattle farm and his stonemason work. He has no time for anything or anyone else.
Grace hires Rowan to help her work on Crookwell Park. He is immediately attracted to her, but love is the last thing on his mind. While working together they find a mysterious apartment that holds secrets from WWII.
As they persevere with uncovering the truth their fondness for one another grows. When there is a threat to the property will their true feelings for one another come to light or separate them?
There was a return of many relatable characters; Brenna and Taite, Clancy, Heath, Trent, and the ladies of the local quilting circle as well as a delight of farm animals and Bundy the likeable kelpie. The setting in a small country town is magnificent and stimulates the reader’s imagination.
Amongst the sadness, I laughed a great deal, too. Grace was a resilient woman, with great compassion, reinforcing the “never give up” phrase. I also loved how her, and Rowan’s characters developed.
This book portrays how only through facing their fears of opening themselves up to one another and letting the other in can a relationship flourish. The chemistry and passion between the two characters were felt through the pages and were perfectly delivered in such an effortlessly descriptive manner.
Once again Alissa Callen has crafted a beautifully romantic work of fiction with plenty of emotional sensitivity, realism, and sweet moments to offer readers. There was a wonderful balance of rough and smooth, and the author always made you feel in safe hands with confident and comforting narration.
The dialogue was very effective, moving the plot forward in a natural way.
I highly recommend Snowy Mountains Cattleman and cannot wait for the next novel.
Thank you, Beauty and Lace and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
ISBN: 9781867215837
Copy courtesy of the publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading Snowy Mountains Cattleman by Alissa Callen. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
My love of books started at a very young age. My mum has always been a reader and encouraged me to read, buying me endless book from classic fairy tales advancing to the world of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, Kathryn Kenny, Carolyn Keene, Francine Pascal. In my adult years the list of authors is endless and every room in my house is filled with books.
One of my favourite novels is Narnia which has always has a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1978 and when I was given this book to read it let me escape to another world where I felt like I was in the book with all the characters, it wasfun and exciting to escape from reality and eased the ups and downs of the disease at such a young age.
In books nothing is impossible and there is endless potential and hundreds of places to explore or being taken to places that are only made up from the authors’ great minds, the past and future to navigate, characters lives you step into taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride or being scared out of your wits. I can experience things that I can’t in real life because they’re not possible or real. It challenges my perspective and mindset expanding my worldview.
I find joy, comfort and peace with books, many people may not get it, but I know bookworms like me truly understand. Reading makes my heart happy.
Thank you for the copy of Snowy Mountains Cattleman by Alissa Callen.
This is the story of Grace Davenport, an interior stylist who goes to the mountains of Bundilla to learn how to cope solo after the death of her parents. She wants to restore a bluestone mansion her parents had fallen in love with. Rowan Parker used to be a risk taker, but after this lifestyle went wrong he has become Mr Sensible. These two meet when Rowan starts working for Grace. There are definite sparks, but they are both working through their owns issues. I loved how the characters were real – not too over-the-top. There was also a secondary storyline of finding relics in the mansion from the WWII era and trying to piece the story together. This provided some mystery with trying to guess the story there.
This was a lovely romance for two real and flawed people which showed issues people can face and a possible way it may go. As I was reading this book I found out it was the second in a series. The easy reading style of the books, the picturesque location and likable characters have had me adding the first book to my to be read pile – highly recommend.
Meet Grace Davenport – interior stylist. Her plan for the summer is to restore a bluestone mansion to it’s former glory with the assistance of local stonemason Rowan Parker.
Grace is learning to find her feet again after the loss of her parents and her project is her way of honouring them and their memory as well as her grief. Rowan once the risk taker is determined to no longer take risks including risking his heart with Grace.
Grace and Rowan work together in restoring the mansion to its former glory and unearth a mystery stemming from post WW 11 in the process. Little did either of them know that Graces neighbour would hold some of the important clues that would solve the mystery.
And just when the mansion is beginning to resemble a home everything that Grace and Rowan rebuilt – the house, answers to the mystery and their blossoming relationship is threatened by a landslide.
Thanks to Harper Collins and the Beauty and Lace Club for my copy. This is a must read and now Alissa Callen is a new author for me to add to my list of favourite authors.
Grace Davenport travels to a small country town called Bundilla, her parents have passed away and Grace is dealing with the trauma of this, Grace usually lives and works in Sydney but Bundilla is a place where her parents wanted to retire to,
Grace plans to restore a old mansion,
Rowan Parker is also suffering from his own heartbreak he runs a cattle farm but is an accomplished stone mason,
Grace hires Rowan for the restoration of the mansion they are very reserved with each other but an attraction grows for both of them,
The characters Grace and Rowan are great as are the other characters in this book,
This is a really lovely story
Thanks for selecting me to read this book
I have read a few of Alissa Callens books, and loved them. This one did not disappoint. Beautifully written, and I love the way the endings are never rushed, but the story flows into its conclusion in a timely way .
This one is a story of Grace and Rowan, both grieving over family lost, finding themselves, and moving forward in life. Various obstacles are thrown in their way, as well as both having well meaning friends and siblings, but the local ‘celebrity’ dog, instills himself into their lives, giving them companionship as well as purpose.
Living in a small rural town, the local CWA ladies are out to do some match making, but Rowan comes up with a plan to divert their interest in him and Grace. Is their ‘fake date’ really fake, or the start of a true and lasting love.
I almost read this from start to finish in 1 night, as it is such a page turner, but fell asleep. As soon as I awoke, straight back into it.
A heartwarming story, which portrays the pain of grief, the fear of moving on and being hurt again, but in the end, following your heart.
Thank you Harper Collins and the Beauty and Lace Club for the opportunity to read this delightful book. Alissa Callen is a fabulous author, whom I highly recommend, and I will continue to look for her books in sores.
Sydney Grace meets Rowan when she moves to Bundilla to restore an old mansion in memory of her mother. They both have had some heartbreak previously and although the attraction is immediate they both are determined not to get into a relationship. After a while I found this in again out again situation a little tedious. The story is set in the Snowy Mountains which is a beautiful part of Australia. While working on the mansion they make a discovery which develops into a mystery to be solved. A good light read.
Thank you for the opportunity to read another of Alissa Callen’s books Snowy Mountains Cattleman- I thoroughly enjoyed the story of city girl Grace and her cattleman Rowan and their quest to restore Grace’s property Crookwell Park add to that the mystery they find during their renovations and all the quirky townspeople of Bundilla – all in all a great read – 5 stars from me.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace of the opportunity to read Alissa Callen’s Snowy Mountains Cattleman, I loved it.
It was a great mix of all the things I enjoy in a novel, including an being an easy read and best of all Australian. This is the 2nd book in a series and I am going to go back and read it next.
It follows Grace and Rowan both dealing with things from their past, but were likable characters. As well as the predictable romance, there was a mystery related to what they found during the renovations and lots of fun minor characters.
Grace Davenport is grieving the deaths of her parents and comes to the small town of Bundilla for some solitude. She plans to spend her time restoring a bluestone mansion (Crookwell Park) in honour of their memory. The building has been empty for some time and vandals have taken their hand to the place so it’s in need of a lot of work. Grace employs the local stonemason (Rowan Parker) to help restore the building.
Upon arrive in town, Grace also gets to meet Bundy, the famous Kelpie who attaches itself to her every move. While completing the work Grace and Rowan uncover hidden secrets about the house’s former inhabitants (post-WWII). Grace and Rowan grow closer on their journey to find answers and discover the real history of the mansion. And just when they are making progress on the building, a landslide threatens all everything.
Snowy Mountains Cattleman by Australian author Alissa Callen is one of many books in the ‘Bundilla series’ – but the first one I have read. I enjoyed meeting the characters and the descriptions Callen provided around the building and landscapes. It is a lovely heart-warming story of mystery, romance and friendship.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read Alissa Callen’s Snowy Mountains Cattleman, I absolutely loved it. I’m a huge fan of Alissa’s books and knew I would love this too.
Living in a small country town myself I found myself giggling at the quilting ladies and their matchmaking (and then imagining their shock of finding out Rowan’s plan!). It was great to see familiar characters too.
The story had the perfect balance of ups and downs and I didn’t find it to be a predictable love story at all!
Cannot wait for the next book!