Publisher: 28th July 2021 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA
Pages: 384 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: contemporary, romance
My Rating: 4 cups
Synopsis:
Small-town Australia meets You've Got Mail in this rural romantic comedy about online dating, second chances, and following your heart.
Small-town sweetheart Annalisa Cappelli has returned to Wongilly to take over her family's hardware store while she heals from a tragic loss. The business was hit hard by the pandemic, and now a Carpenter's Warehouse hardware superstore is opening in the district. There's no way Annalisa is going to let two hundred years of history go down the drain, but she's going to need to fight to keep her family's legacy alive.
The one simple thing in her life is her no names, no complications, easy-breezy online relationship with GardenerGuy94. For now, their online flirtation is the only kind of romance Annalisa needs. Until she meets Ed Carpenter. Sexy as hell, he'd be the perfect man ... if he wasn't trying to destroy her business.
Ed Carpenter is in Wongilly to offer the owner of a small hardware store a payout to pave the way for his family's next superstore. What he doesn't expect is for the owner to be the woman he's been talking to online. Annalisa is beautiful and passionate, and he's sure she's the one for him. But how can he reveal the truth without losing her?
My Thoughts
Looking for a feel good read? Think an Aussie version of You’ve Got Mail might fit the bill? Then look no further than, Meet Me In Bendigo by Eva Scott. This is such a fun, light rom-com that will have you grinning from ear to ear as you follow along with Annalisa and Ed’s journey. Yes, you know how it ends but it is that journey that matters as you wait with baited breath to see how the truth will be revealed.
‘Ed didn’t know how he was going to walk the tightrope between what he believed in and what he had to do, but he was willing to try. He had to get back to the man he used to be. Even if that meant bending a few rules.’
Another factor I really loved about this book was the secondary characters and small town vibe. I simply adored old Joe and his mates (they almost steal the show) with their witty barbs and comments. Her best friend Mel is also another winner. There are events throughout (apart from the obvious will they, won’t they) that made me smile - cleaning up after the kids party, the trip to protest in the minibus and the picnics in the field of flowers.
For over a hundred years Cappellis had kept this store going in one form or another. They’d faced all sorts of hardships, from rebellion on the goldfields to war and recession. What advice would they give her? What would they make of the coronavirus and online shopping? Surely they’d have some useful wisdom to impart?’
The above events brought light to the story that was in fact filled with history past and present in the making. The inclusion of the newspaper articles spread throughout were an added bonus and really gave depth to both the story of the family and the history of the store. In the present, the impact of the current pandemic is delicately woven throughout and without being a focus, assists in providing the light and shade of the tale.
‘I guess I miss me,’ he said so softly that Annalisa wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly. ‘You miss you?’ ‘I feel a very long way from who I was before the pandemic started.’
I was totally in the mood for this Australian twist on the classic tale/movie of enemies to lovers. So if a light, fun filled romcom set in a rural Aussie town telling the tale of following your heart, being brave and moving on is what you are after, look no further.
‘I spent far too many years in the service of other people’s dreams. I don’t want you to end up the same way. Live for yourself for a change.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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