Book Review: Lonely In Longreach by Eva Scott 

If you've seen the movie Sleepless In Seattle and enjoyed it, then I would recommend you check out Lonely In Longreach as this book is like the modernised, rural version of that romantic comedy.

Solar farmer Sam Costello is raising his 15 year-old son Levi on his own on an outback Queensland property, after the love of his life Michelle passed away 7 years earlier. 
He hasn't had time for love, or made time for it for that matter.

Levi is best friends with Maddie, and they both have plans to move to Sydney to attend university once they finish high school. 
But Levi feels guilty about leaving his dad alone, and as Maddie has her own motive for wanting to move to the city, she comes up with a plan that will ensure her future happiness.
Knowing that Levi will only make the move with her if his dad is happy and not alone, Maddie sets up a dating profile for Sam on a rural dating website, unbeknownst to him!

Sarah Lewis is a journalist residing in Sydney, with a nice enough boyfriend named Greg, but she can't help feeling as though she is just settling for things...
So when she begins working on a feature about finding love in rural communities, she comes across the profile that Maddie has created for Sam - 'Lonely In Longreach', and something about him grabs her attention. 

When she reaches out to him, she is unaware that the replies she receives are from Maddie and Levi.
As she discovers more about the farmer, she realises that her relationship with Greg has to end, as her feelings for Sam deepen.
When an opportunity arises for Sarah to visit Longreach, she jumps at the chance.
But will Maddie and Levi's matchmaking effort be a success, or will it be an epic fail? 

Lonely In Longreach is an enjoyable story, and I like how the reader is able to get a real sense of rural life.
It goes without saying that the story features romance, but it is not in an overdone or cliched manner.
The family ties and friendships are what really made this book for me.
Whilst it was fairly easy to predict how the story would end, I was invested enough to keep me turning the pages.
Lonely In Longreach is the ideal story for fans of rural romance.

Lonely In Longreach is available now through Harper Collins Australia, RRP $29.99