At nineteen, Jess McDonagh had life all figured out when she married her high-school sweetheart. A decade later, it was the mistake that taught her hard lessons about love. But through sheer grit Jess now has a life she loves in southern Tasmania. As the state's top wool classer, she has carved out a place in the traditionally male-dominated world of the shearing sheds. Romance, as far as she's concerned, is a nonstarter.
Then Tom walks back into her life. Now a qualified vet, he's hoping for a second chance with the woman he never stopped loving. But while there's an attraction neither can deny, their history can't be forgotten.
As tensions rise in the sheds, Jess clashes with a volatile shearer whose views belong to another era. By stepping in to defend a female shearer, she becomes the target of escalating intimidation, which puts her livelihood, and her safety, on the line.
As danger draws closer, Jess and Tom are forced to reckon with the scars of their past. Can Tom learn to respect Jess's strength without trying to save her? Can Jess risk her heart again, trusting that Tom has truly changed - and that she has too?
Eva Scott is the bestselling author of rural romcoms such as Lonely in Longreach and Meet Me in Bendigo. A lifelong storyteller, she lived in Britain and Papua New Guinea before coming home to Australia to train as a cultural anthropologist. She now lives in rural Tasmania, amongst vineyards and orchards, with her husband and son, two cats and a cocker spaniel.If you'd like to know more about Eva, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her website: evascottwriter.comPhoto Credit: Renee Shea