Release date: 2nd September 2020
In the red heart of Queensland, two teenagers playing matchmaker are about to turn more than one life upside-down.
Widower Sam Costello has no time for love. When he's not working on his farm, he's trying to figure out how to connect with his teenage son Levi.
But Levi is about to finish high school, and he has big plans to move to Sydney for University with his best friend Maddie. If only he didn't feel so guilty about abandoning his dad. Maddie has her own reasons for wanting to go to Sydney and she's not going to let Levi's dad ruin her future happiness. Mr Costello needs a girlfriend and, with her talent for matchmaking, Maddie is the girl to make it happen. By the time Mr C figures out what she's done, surely he'll be too in love to be angry.
Journalist Sarah Lewis has a good job, a nice boyfriend and a safe life in Sydney. Though sometimes she wonders if life has more to offer than nice and safe. When she starts working on an article about finding love in the outback she finds herself asking whether journalists should become this invested in their research. But there's just something about Lonely in Longreach. Could it be that the man behind the dating profile is the key to the passion she has been looking for?
Sleepless in Seattle meets rural Australia in this fresh romantic comedy about optimism, online dating and love at first sight.
AR received from Harper Collins Australia for an honest review
One of my favourite movies ever is Sleepless In Seattle. When those doors open on the top of the Empire State Building... sigh.
So I was attracted to Lonely In Longreach as a retelling of Sleepless, set in the Australian outback (and I am so not a big fan of rural romances at all).
Sam (see, even the same main man name!) and Sarah are the modern day Sam and Annie - you know, emails instead of letters these days!
If you have seen the movie, you know how the story is going to go, however the enjoyment is in the journey that our lovelies take.
I also love Levi and Maddie, Sam's son and his best friend. Although their shenanigans are a bit over the top at times - and I wanted to call Maddie out on her BS a few times.
I love the small town vibe of Lonely In Longreach - a town with a population about the same as my shire - and get the way that our lovelies feel that they are in a fishbowl. Oh yeah, I know that feeling too well lol.
Eva Scott is a new author to me. And even though this is not my favourite genre, I really enjoyed this tale, and would pick up more of her words in the future.
Eva comes from a family of storytellers and has been writing her own stories since she could hold a pencil. Growing up in a multicultural neighbourhood in Melbourne, Eva developed her wanderlust and a passion for culture and language. She travelled the world, living in Britain before coming home to Australia to study Anthropology. Wanderlust got the better of her again, so Eva packed up and headed to Papua New Guinea to live and work where she was completely in her element. Eva's passion for the Australian country is born of her large extended family, which is spread out across the land. She volunteers at the local primary schools, teaching writing and working with children to incite a love of books and reading. Eva's books explore relationships, culture, our roles in changing society, love and loss. She loves finding connections with readers over shared experiences.
If you'd like to know more about Eva, her books, or to connect with her online, you can visit her website: evascottwriter.com
