where DO i start with this one ??? well, for years I have been hearing about all the English girls and boys {when they were in their 20's} who used to visit our cattle property on working holidays to help out - back in the '80's and '90's.
it resulted in heaps of fun, parties and some long lasting friendships. we still keep in touch with a couple of my husband's English friends and they've been here to visit with their families, so it's been great hearing stories about 'the old days' ... before i knew my other half ...
now, what i WASN'T expecting, was to find a book on our bookshelves that was inspired {yes, girls, you heard right} by my husband! eek! i was putting back one of my own books the other day and thought 'hmmm ... what's this book ??? and then ... OH MY GOD !!!
O_O {look of shock} ... a MILLS and BOON novel {complete with a dedication from the author} thanking my husband's family for the 'inspiration' for her book ... okay , it was kind of funny - actually i was jumping around shrieking with laughter teasing my husband about whether he'd read this book that is pretty obviously all about him and an English girl who comes to stay ... even right down to his christian name!!! {for the record, he had never read it, knew it was here somewhere, but had never got around to having a look at it - i mean it was written 20 years ago!!!}
now, firsthand, i can tell you - it's not easy to read a Mills and Boon novel when you actually know the person and so i have been reading it just a few pages a night. it would progress from being 'cringeworthy' and then hilarious ... {to protect the innocent, i will refrain from the adjectives used in the book in regard to all things physical ... i mean it was hard enough to read it, let alone re-type it girls!!!} .. so then i would have to put it down and read my "Water for Elephants" to finish off or the night.
Finally, I finished it the other day and true to form, the 'rugged, strength of this cattleman' got his girl in the end - as all good Mills and Boon novels finish {I assume???}
... so there it is, maybe not a best seller but pretty darn special. i was debating whether i should blog about it and then a friend of mine told me that if my husband had inspired a romance novel, i should really start boasting about it !!! ... thank you friend ... i think he's still pretty darn hot even if the illustration on the cover is a bit off the mark these days ;-) i mean .. where the hell has all that brown thick hair gone ???
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| ... lovin' the vintage 'orange' cover ... |
ps. I have also just found out from the author herself that she is about to re-release this book in digital form! wow! read all about it on her blog here.
~ romance ... alive and well in the outback ??? really ??? ~
