Best selling Australian author Karly Lane’s latest offering in the Rural Romance genre, Something Like This, combines Karly’s love of romance with her love of horses to give her readers yet another unmissable rural romance story.
Anyone who has read a Karly Lane novel will know her two biggest loves are horses and romance, and Something Like This combines both loves. Even if you’re not a horsey person (which I’m not) you will love Tilly and Jason’s story. It is more than just horses it is a story of pain, loss, suffering, and the power of love.
Through Healing Hooves Horse therapy Tilly brings together a group of troubled teens, on their last chance, and a few wild brumbies saved from culling. The teens are taught to work with the horses and I’m not sure who was taming who, but both boys and horses are offered a new chance at life. It was moving to watch these reluctant teens open up and Tilly’s lifelong dream come to fruition.
Jason Weaver was planning a quiet life fixing up the old house he had purchased. His time-fighting in Afghanistan had left physical and emotional scars and Ben Tirran seemed the perfect place to spend time alone. That is until he drops into the local cafe and meets Tilly. Now he can’t keep her out of his mind.
Jason is such a likable character, even when he was being grumpy and disagreeable. I immediately warmed to him and Lane has a remarkable way of invoking empathy in her readers for even the moodiest and socially disagreeable of characters.
Tilly is awesome. She has had tragedy after tragedy thrown at her, and yet she was vibrant, determined, and strong. What an inspiration! Her story will break your heart.
Jason and Tilly were complete opposites neither really into what the other liked but their personalities complemented each other and they were both willing to compromise which I thought was a realistic founding for a relationship.
Horses form a large part of the story in Something Like This and even as a nonhorse lover I was fascinated by the idea of capturing and taming wild brumbies rather than culling. Lane’s knowledge and love for these wild horses are evident.
In Something Like This Karly Lane explores the healing power of animals. I have heard of pet therapy where dogs are taken to hospitals, nursing homes, and schools but introducing horses as therapy was new to me. Other areas explored were small-town gossip, genetic diseases, the mental health of people with a disability, communities helping each other, and working towards a dream.
Karly Lane is firmly on my must read list.
ISBN: 9781760529253 / Publisher: Allen and Unwin
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Something Like This. You can read their comments below, or add your own review!
