AnnaLund2011

I just read number 2 in this series about a month ago, and I positively love that I get to walk into Ma’s kitchen again at Sutton Station, and sit down for a new episode. I love that place.

This time there is a little drama, handled in the calmest of ways, and then there’s the added bonus of a wombat that walked straight into my heart and sat down and nested. By DOG I love Nugget.

The Aussie drawl is perfect, without ever going into any kind of tedious weird spelling. It just flows right, and I hear a voice-mixture of all the Australians I’ve ever heard, (which are admittedly far too few, and including Steve Irving, the ladies of Drover’s Run, and some of the cast in Spartacus. But hey, it works for me).

I love cattle work, I have done it for years, and this setting rings true. For sure, it tells a good story also about some strong and feisty women, which I cannot but adore. Thank you for them, thank you for Trudy, Ma, and Nara. Thank you for giving Nara a future, and for not quitting on Trudy. Ma? Thank you. Thank you.

I adore the modernization of the station, the look to the future, and I am simply amazed at the evident research behind this story, to bring it alive. Or maybe N. R. Walker is in the cattle business? One would believe so.

There were moments of tension here, and there were moments of knee-slapping hilarity, too. I think the naming of the poddies had me screaming out loud. Travis is to die for, truly.

Here, I’ll leave you with a short paragraph, just so you can see what I’m talking about:

I scoffed out a laugh. “My life used to be boring! I can still remember thinkin’ nothing ever happened out here. It wasn’t that long ago.”

His eyes went wide. It matched his smile. “You make it sound like it’s my fault!”

“It is!” I told him. “Since you got here, it’s been not-boring every day.”

Language is important to me, and even though I was given a pre-edit ARC copy, I found very few errors and typos. This is a serious author who self-publishes, with respect for the readers. I salute that, and point my finger to this series in evidence for those who say that self-published isn’t up to par. It may be true sometimes, but with this author, not at all.

Absolutely smashing work. Top marks.

And the best part? At the end there, in the list of books written by this author? It says Coming Soon, Red Dirt Heart 4.

YAY! DOUBLE YAY!

I love a series where every book is a complete stand-alone piece, where I don’t feel cheated at the end. Where the storyline is rounded and I feel I’ve got all the answers I needed, for now. That means the next book is just going to be a bonus-new-encounter-with-favorite-boys. Where Australia can re-enter the scene, and charm my socks off.

*** 

I was given a pre-edit ARC copy of this book. A positive review was not promised in exchange.