A Summer Down Under by Adrianna Blakeley

By: Unknown on Monday, December 15, 2014

Title:  A Summer Down Under
Author:  Adrianna Blakeley
Published:  August 27/12 by Laxsaro Publishing
Length:  232pgs
Format:   audio book
Genre:  NA romance
Shelf:  bought
Rating: ★★★★

Back Cover Blurb:

Sam, a clumsy, self-conscious young woman, sets off on a journey backpacking around Australia. Some would say she was 'running away'. Sam would tell you she wanted to 'find' herself. Whatever the reason for her travels, the very last thing she wants to 'find' is love, especially after her only other disastrous experience with it.

When money runs low, Sam finds a job working as a Jillaroo (Aussie cowgirl) on a sheep station in the Australian outback. Little does she know that the station owner's son just happens to be the same gorgeous guy she sat next to on the plane over from England. The very same guy who tried to sweep her off her feet during her stopover in Bali.

If that wasn't enough to deal with, she has her suspicions that the sheep have launched a secret vendetta against her. Not to mention the spiders, the snakes, and the shearers...Oh my!

A heart-warming romantic comedy that will have you wondering if this is what would have happened if Bridget Jones had met The Man from Snowy River instead.

From bestselling young adult author of The Custodian novels, Alison Pensy releases her debut romance under the pen name Adrianna Blakeley.

My Review:

This was a well written, well plotted novel that kept my attention throughout. Blakely combined the adventure of travelling with the darkness of a haunted past in a truly remarkable way. She makes coming of age and stepping out on your own both approachable and exciting. The descriptions paint this world in a beautifully realistic manner. I really felt like I’d been on this adventure alongside the characters. And I never felt rushed. Lots of time passes during this novel. The author does a very good job with it. She doesn’t gloss over things and you also don’t feel like you’re being bogged down by irrelevant, minute details.

Blakely has developed some enjoyable characters that I truly enjoyed getting to know. I really enjoyed the strength of character portrayed by the heroine in this novel. I couldn`t stop laughing at some of the situations Sam found herself in. If it could go wrong, it did go wrong for her. She was such a loveably clumsy individual that I couldn’t help but enjoy getting to know her. There were a few times where her reactions to certain events would have been easier to understand if we`d found out her entire history sometime in the 1st ¾ of the story. I understand why the characters didn’t find out until then, but a hint to the reader in the narrative would have been helpful. Once we find out the full story, a great deal of things make much more sense. Blakely has surrounded her heroine with some truly amazing & understanding individuals to create a one of a kind, culturally diverse cast. I loved the fact that ‘the Canadian’ that Sam encounters in your journey is the sweetest, most helpful travel buddy. This made me laugh every time it came up.

This was an unbelievable adventure. It was an emotional story about learning to trust (and love) again that I’d recommend to NA fans of all ages.

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