Reviewed by Lynn on
Trapped in a fake marriage to a glamour model and media-hungry, Saskia Williams, Michael Adams escapes to Australia. The impulsive trip begins badly after he's involved in a fight with paparazzi in Port Douglas. It stirs up a media storm and attention he's trying to avoid. With no choice but to hide, he re-invents himself as "Adam" and embarks on an extended break. His itinerary is non-existent as he embarks on a life-changing journey in the outback.
Evie Blake is taking a year out from her busy life in London. Originally, she was supposed to be accompanied by her long-time partner, but unfortunately, they've split and gone there separate ways. Unfazed, she embraces the freedom of travelling around Australia alone, that's until she meets fellow traveller, Adam from Canada. He's broke and she has money to split travel costs. Therefore, they set out together on a road trip across the Kimberley region of Western Australia to Darwin. It's a win-win situating until truths from the past catch-up with them.
As a hero, I shouldn't have liked Adam but I did. His 'economical with the truth' persona is a red-flag, but knowing why he acts and behaves the way he does is justified… I liked the contrast between him and Evie, a woman who is grieving for a life she hoped to have. She's straightforward and practical in her new surroundings in a way Adam isn't. Not surprisingly, the sparse living arrangements trigger a mutual attraction unlike either has experienced before. Only, the plan is for them to go their separate way once they reach Darwin because both have to return to where they live, half a world apart.
The road trip "sings" to my love of all things to do with travelling. I've been to Western Australia a few times, but haven't ventured as far north as the protagonists. Additionally, meeting characters like Frieda, Bill and Terry, not forgetting Webbo too...is a delight. The shared travelling camaraderie is both fun and insightful and I wished I was there with them all too.
The author's written an entertaining narrative which kept my interest the whole time. It's a perfect blend of elements I love; romance and travel. It's a fun and fully relatable narrative which tugged at my wanderlust nature! It also covers a sensitive topic and highlights the emotions of those in a similar situation to Evie. As a début novel, this is first class and I highly recommend to anyone who loves reading a virtual escape to another part of the world.
***Review copy received courtesy of the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources***
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 9 February, 2020: Reviewed