Jennifer Scoullar

A contemporary Australian rural romantic suspense novel set in the Mallee country and the Victorian high country. Pippa Black manages to escape the terrifying ordeal of a violent abusive marriage and flees to the Victorian Alps with her loyal Red Kelpie, Duke. In search of a half-brother she has never met, she finds her way to Brumby Run, a horse sanctuary where she encounters horseman Levi Goldstein and the beautiful wild stallion Thowra (a nod to the Australian children’s classic The Silver Brumby). I enjoyed the point-of-view chapters of her husband Cade-a jealous, small-minded thug-as it is unusual to read books written from inside the head of such a character. This book was dramatic, at times implausible, but highlighted issues such as domestic violence, racism and religious fundamentalism, Pippa having been brought up in a very closed-minded bigoted religious community. It was good to see her begin to spread her wings and rethink her life’s boundaries and assumptions.… (más)

Really enjoyed the start of the book but as others have pointed out, it started to get a bit tedious with the technicalities of farming practices. I guess I wasn't expecting that in a romance book.

However, I do enjoy reading about the animals and a dash of supernatural elements towards the end. Can't say the same about the resolution between Nina and Ric though. Felt that it was a bit anti-climactic. I mean, after all the fighting and such...they made-up just like that? I was expecting a bit more I guess...

Overall, a good read if you like rural farming, animals in marshland and romance~



[Disclaimer: Copy received from Giveaway.]… (más)

In Wasp Season, by Australian author Jennifer Scoullar, Beth has built a comfortable life for herself and her two children on a small property in rural Australia. She’s come to terms with the end of her marriage to her ex-husband, Mark, and is even considering starting a new relationship.

Though Mark now has a much younger girlfriend and new baby son, he is beginning to regret his decision to leave Beth. Lena is either too busy with baby, or shopping, to pay him much attention, and their relationship is increasingly strained.

Meanwhile, In a downed tree on Beth’s property, a European Wasp queen is building a nest, nurturing the beginnings of a new colony. As the hive begins to grow, and then thrive, the imported species takes a destructive toll on the environment.

A passionate conservationist and amateur naturalist, Jennifer Scoullar novels often feature environmental themes. In Wasp Season the author draws some parallels between the development of the European Wasp nest, and the human drama that escalates as Mark’s mental health deteriorates.

In the main I found the detail related to the wasps to be fascinating. Though I know bees have a vital role in our environment, I’ve never given much thought to wasps. I certainly had no idea how destructive European wasps are to the Australian bush. I thought it was quite remarkable that Scoullar was able to inject suspense into these chapters as the wasps slowly decimated the ecological stability of Beth’s property.

I found the pace of the ‘human’ story fairly sluggish to begin with. To be honest I didn’t really warm to Beth, I thought her to be quite a stiff and uptight character, even her internal dialogue is quite formal. The pace and the drama picks up as Mark and Lena’s troubles worsen though, spilling over to disrupt Beth’s more ordered world. The climatic events were quite shocking and more dramatic than I expecting.

Though I’m not sure it is entirely successful as a cohesive story, Wasp Season is an interesting and entertaining read with a unique structure and premise.… (más)

Moving from the wilderness of Tasmania, to the Mainland, to the diamond fields of South Africa, and back again, Fortune’s Son is the first book in Jennifer Scoullar’s sweeping historical saga, The Tasmanian Tales.

After defending his sisters honour from her lecherous and powerful employer, Sir Henry Abbott, Lucas Tyler is unjustly sentenced to 15 years hard labour in the remote highlands of Tasmania. Forced to leave his family, his mentor -Damian Campbell, and his dreams of a future with Belle Campbell behind, Lucas endures four years of deprivation before escaping, along with a Newfoundland he names Bear. With a bounty on his head, Lucas must reinvent himself, not once but twice, in his quest to have his revenge on the Abbott family, and seek redemption from the love of his life.

Luke is an appealing and well crafted character. It is his misfortunes, challenges, and successes, that drive the story. While he is generally an admirable man, resourceful, with a genuine love for animals, Luke also has his flaws, which serve to make him a more believable character.

The enduring romance between Damian and Belle perhaps lacks originality. It’s a fairly standard trope where the lovers are unequal in status, and therefore, in Victorian society, doomed from the start. That said, it is a love story on an epic scale which Scoullar portrays well. With the idealism of youth, Belle and Lucas ignore the realities, and are faced with a number of obstacles and decades apart before there is any chance of a reunion.

Jennifer Scoullar, herself an environmental advocate, wonderfully evokes the historic wilds of nineteenth century Tasmania. Damien Campbell’s role as a conservationist allows the author to inform us about the harm early pastoralists and miners caused to the land, and their role in the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger. I found this fascinating and really enjoyed this aspect of the novel. Similarly I liked the author’s descriptions of South Africa, and Luke’s efforts to protect the native wildlife.

A compelling tale of love, betrayal, revenge and redemption The Fortune’s Son is a heartfelt, engaging novel of historical fiction, that reminds me of the epic scope of the Australian classic, The Man From Snowy River.

I’ll be sure to follow it up with The Lost Valley.… (más)