A review by shelleyrae
Beneath Outback Skies by Alissa Callen

3.0

Beneath Outback Skies is a winsome contemporary romance set in rural Australia by debut author Alissa Callen, published under Random House Australia's new digital imprint, Random Romance.

Paige Quinn is determined that Banora Downs will not succumb to the drought forcing outback farmers from their properties, it is her home and despite the harsh conditions, she cannot imagine a life elsewhere.
With resources stretched to breaking point, Paige is unimpressed when her father, Connor, announces he has approved for a paying guest to stay at the farm. In her experience, city-slickers are nothing but trouble and Tait Cavanaugh, with his charming smile and caffeine addiction, can't leave soon enough to satisfy her.
Tait is looking forward to a break from the office, even though he still has work to do at Banora Downs. An agri business consultant, his role is to assess the future of the property, without tipping his hand to Paige, at the request of her father. That's not the only secret Tait is keeping though... he wasn't always a city boy.

While I would have preferred a little more external conflict to enliven the plot, I enjoyed the storyline of Beneath Outback Skies. Though primarily a traditional romance, there is a touch of mystery surrounding Tait and I was intrigued by Connor's motivation to pair Paige with Tait, beyond his attempts at matchmaking.

I liked Paige who is practical, independent and willful and I admired her determination to keep Banora Downs viable. I did wonder that she seemed almost friendless, even though it is explained, that as Banora Downs is an iconic station, she is desperate to hide the true extent of the farm's woes in order to support morale in the community.
I grew quite fond of Tait as well who proved to be kind and considerate, willing to help out and quietly adding small luxuries to the lives of Paige and Connor without needing recognition.
I though the pace of the romance between the Paige and Tait was well thought out, the physical attraction is obviously there to start with but the author gives the pair time to get to know each other, which i appreciate.

The setting of Beneath Outback Skies is well developed. I was able to imagine Banora Downs as both the thriving property it once was and the dustbowl it has become. I especially liked the way the author explored the ravages of drought, not only on Paige's property, but also amongst the townspeople, touching on the high rate of depression and suicide in rural communities.

I thought Beneath Outback Skies was an engaging and satisfying contemporary rural romance. I am especially pleased that Random Romance titles are available internationally and I believe that romance fans from all over the world will enjoy getting to know Paige and Tait at Banora Downs.