Review: Reunion in the Outback

Reunion in the Outback by Nicole Flockton
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 48%.

Yolanda and her husband Michael left Bunya Junction years ago for the big city. Childhood sweethearts, she was tired of being mollycoddled by her family and he was trying to escape being the son of the town drunk.

They made a good life for themselves in the city, Michael rose to become head chef at a famous restaurant. Yolanda worked until they had a baby then was a stay-at-home mum with a burgeoning YouTube channel giving make-up advice and tutorials. Everything changed when Yolanda miscarried their second child and nearly died. The shock terrified Michael and as a consequence he started treating her like a fragile piece of porcelain, less of a partner and more of a responsibility. Michael's attitude reminds Yolanda of her family's over-protectiveness, especially when he refuses to countenance her having another baby, or getting a job, or putting the baby in childcare once a week. Suspecting she is in fact pregnant again, Yolanda broaches the possibility to Michael who overreacts and it culminates in Yolanda taking their daughter back to Bunya Junction for "a break".

Meanwhile, Michael is devastated at the loss of his wife and child who he loves more than anything in the world, then he is let go when the restaurant is sold to a new owner who wants to bring in their own chef. All his worst nightmares are coming true, Michael feels just as much a loser as his father. Determined to win back his wife, Michael comes back to Bunya Junction and lands a temporary job as chef at Yolanda's brother's bar and grill.

I really struggled with this book, it has that old-school Mills & Boon vibe to it which was off-putting to start with. Then I just realised that all this drama was caused because the two of them couldn't/wouldn't speak to each other, Yolanda especially does everything to avoid seeing or speaking to Michael - despite the fact that she loves him. Michael also has some pretty overbearing tendencies, I think if I was on a break and my partner sat in the bar every night while I worked, waited until everyone else left and then tried to put the moves on me I'd call the cops! Also they were both keeping secrets, Michael doesn't know Yolanda is pregnant, she doesn't know he's lost his job.

At nearly halfway through I was starting to get a rinse-and-repeat vibe, she melts every time he gets close then she runs away and doesn't want to speak to him. He gets all caveman but doesn't tell her the truth. Rinse and repeat.

Sorry, just not for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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