A quick rundown… A collection of 12 short stories, all with a sexy theme set in the Australian bush.
Strengths: Easy to read in small chunks, varied rural settings. Plus, there’s a plot!
Weaknesses: I would have liked some stories to be longer.
Why I read it: Sent to me by The Reading Room – thank you!
Pages: 248
Published: 2012
Publisher: Harper Collins
Setting: Country Australia
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
If you’re thinking that the title sounds familiar to the ‘other’ Fifty-type book that blazed through 2012, you’re right – nearly. This is a steamy book, but the only ropes you’ll find will be on the back of a farm ute or down the shed. Welcome to the world of agricultural erotica – i.e. getting down and dirty in the Australian bush. This book is a collection of 12 short stories all by rural romance author, Rachael Treasure.
Below you stop reading, thinking that you’ve read everything there is to know on the latest hot genre, read this: the bush settings in this book are incredibly diverse, celebrating all the different types of agriculture that we can do in the Aussie country. So you might learn something about rounding up cattle, shearing, wool classing or even berry farming. Even though I have lived in rural Australia for several years, this book got me thinking about how there’s more than wheat and sheep to Aussie farming. Plus, Treasure writes the kind of story that will have you looking completely differently at road trains and ride on lawnmowers from now on!
There were several things I enjoyed about this book. One, that it’s easy to pick up and read a story and then go back to work, cook dinner or do whatever demands your attention more. Two, Treasure is efficient with plot and characterisation so that each story is more than a bonkfest! You get to know something about the main character and her motivations. Three, the country settings are diverse but all well characterised.
Treasure is also rather cheeky in mentioning on several occasions about a raunchy book that ‘everyone’ is reading, having bought it in the supermarket or elsewhere. This tribute to the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey made me laugh, as did the ladies taking the bull by the horns after reading said book to bring lust back into their lovelives. The women portrayed in this book are all ages too – from young jillaroos to widowed boss cockies. I can’t say that I’ve read erotica before where the participants are in their 50s, but hey, everyone’s entitled!
I wouldn’t pick this book up if you were after down and dirty erotica, but it’s a book that’s not too dirty (especially after the story ‘Car Wash’), light and a little steamy. It’s a light-hearted read.
Thank you to The Reading Room for providing me with this book – the antithesis to a hard week at work!
I am not sure if I want to read this or not. I read a couple of Treasure’s books years ago and thought they were okay but not amazing. I did hear her talk at Melbourne Writers Festival and she was very entertaining then.
I haven’t read anything else by her. May look to see if there are any reasonably price eBooks
I haven’t read any of her books, but as she is Australian I will definitely support her. This book looks light and easy to read. Perhaps a good place to start. I enjoyed reading your review.
Thank you!
I thought this was fun as well!
Definitely will read more of her books!