Aussie Book Review: Burnt by Karly Lane

I honestly can’t believe what a roll I’ve been on with the last few books that I’ve read – oh wait, yes I can because they’re all Aussie authors!

To add to that elation, there are also times when a book’s blurb so aptly alludes to the story held within its beautiful cover that I figure there’s no use in me competing with it. This is just one of those times which means that instead of giving my own short synopsis, I’m going to get right into what I loved about the book.

Having been a fan of Karly Lane’s writing for some time now (ever since I read Bridie’s Choice) and, while it took me some time to get to this novel, I read it in a day! Her writing is fast-paced, her stories believable and her characters people we can identify with.

In Burnt, Karly ("Rural Fiction's favourite daughter") brings us a story about two people dealing with their own very different but difficult situations and gives us a fast-paced but moving tale about families and relationships.

As always, she captures the tensions well, from the sexual to the external giving us a winning combination of romance and suspense which she builds around two complex characters, using her setting to her advantage - in this instance, the beautiful but rugged and unassuming national park bordering the town where Bec and Seb live.

Karly (also known as Karly Blakemore-Mowle) has proved to be a versatile author who can take just about any subject and write about it with warmth, empathy and authenticity and I found the thread involving Seb and his dad so very poignant as it added a whole new layer to both the story and his character.

At its heart, this story is one about healing, hope, families, redemption, the conflict and resolution between a father and son and coming to terms with our pasts in order to move on with our future.

It’s a really entertaining and moving novel with a gripping plot that will see you turning the pages long into the night and I wish to thank the publishers, Harlequin Australia for providing me with a hard copy for review.

About the Author

Karly Lane lives happily on the Mid-North Coast of NSW in the same small town where her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all lived.

She has a strong love or rural towns and the communities created in them.

A huge supporter of social media, Karly loves to meet readers through her Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Proud mum to four beautiful children and wife of one very patient mechanic, she is lucky enough to get to spend her days doing the two things she loves most - being a mum and writing stories set in beautiful rural Australia.