Xmas Dust

Christmas on the Station This author is one of the first I read last year who bases her novels squarely in the Northern Territory of Australia. She grounds her stories with an incredible sense of place. She makes the reader feel the dust and see the stark but beautiful surroundings. This book does exactly that, right from the start. The book is also filled with lots of Aussie slang; you might need to look some of it up to fully understand what the author is talking about! It's Christmas time in Australia. Though it is summer, it is the rainy season where the book takes place. She pulls us right into a terrible scene, which we see unfold through the eyes of a naïve child. You can't help but feel for the little girl as it becomes clear what has happened and is happening. We then flash forward to when that little girl is a grown woman and about to take her Christmas holiday farm sitting at a distant station. I really liked the heroine in this book. I wasn't wild about the hero. Even though he was shown to be a nice little boy in the first scene, when we first meet him as a man, he's not at his best self... which is putting it mildly. Still, all in all, I like the way this author presents place and characters. I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

Tim acted like a spoiled brat when Monet shows up at his ranch to take care of it over Christmas per the contract he signed with her. Yes, he hired he to work, but she didn’t sign up to be his maid after he trashed the place, upset over his fiancé cheating and she certainly didn’t sign up to be his personal chef. He makes so many assumptions in this book about Monet without asking her or anyone close to her. Monet was prickly, brash, and laugh out loud with all noise she uses to wake hung over Tim up, but she has a big heart, flying and landing in difficult situations to save peoples’ lives. She even keeps her family hostel like inn open to stragglers and those stranded from their home. Tim changes his tune when he learns the truth, but my first impression of him left a bad taste in my mouth.

Christmas had long held dark memories for Monet. The gift of a red toy plane from Tim was one thing that gave her some joy on the conclusion of many days filled with tragedy. Monet flies the mail from station to station and moves supplies and people as necessary. Her head for accounting and a strong skill at flying keep her afloat, even with a bruised heart The cattle stations are hard places to eke out a living, and the small handful of residents and businesses around Elsie Creek are home to hardy folks with big hearts buried somewhere within I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.