Outback Promise by Maggie Bolitho

Outback Promise by Maggie Bolitho

Sometimes before you can find yourself, you must lose yourself in the desert.

Can Ros and Grady move on from the past, or will their pain drive them apart? Six years ago, the Balfours lost their son Cadel to a hit-and-run driver. 

A few months ago, Ros discovered Grady's affair. With their marriage fast disintegrating, they decide to take a three-month camping trip into the heart of Australia to try and mend deep wounds and rekindle the fire that once fused them close. 

This trip will decide the fate of their relationship: do they have enough strength and enough love left to accept what life has put them both through? 

But trust and forgiveness don't come easily, and Ros and Grady have to navigate not only the wilderness of the Outback and the challenges of other travellers, but also the chasm of grief and bitterness they have sunk into over the last six years. Their only hope for survival lies in facing the secrets they have both tried to keep buried.




Hey! Here's my review.

After ten years of marriage, Ros and Grady are stuck in a rut. Grady's solution is to put their relationship into 4wd, literally. Ros has never been interested in camping, but decides to pull her head out of the sand and tackle the harsh outback of central Australia, with Grady. Will Ros and Grady be able learn to communicate again and recover their relationship?

Ok, so I might have overdone it a little with the 4wd references, but I needed some light hearted relief after the emotional rollercoaster I went through reading Outback Promises. It is told between two timelines - the day Ros and Grady's son was killed, and the current day where they are embarking on an a grey nomadesque trip through central Australia. (Go away spell check, I can make up words if I like). Being a mother and wife, I found many of the scenes confronting and emotionally touching - or more like emotionally punching. I loved the familiar Australian setting, and always get excited when a character visits the town I live in. 

I found Ros likable and relatable, I can be a bit naive and avoid conflict too. I loved seeing her strengthen and grow throughout her journey. I didn't take to Grady straight away, but by the end, I loved him too. 

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


★★★★★ 

  • Where: NetGalley
  • Format: ebook
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