New Release Book Review: The Stockman’s Daughter by Jacquie Underdown

Title: The Stockman’s Daughter

Author: Jacquie Underdown

Published: July 24th 2020

Publisher: Self

Pages: 268

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Rural

Rating: 4 stars

Some rules are meant to be broken…

Maddy Carmichael was born and raised on the land, destined to one day take over the fourth-generation cattle farm from her father. She’s worked hard all her life to learn the ropes and make a real contribution. But her traditional-minded father continues to overlook her.

Ryder Leckie loves the small Victorian town of Woodford Creek. He works hard managing a farm in the local region. But when his boss’s brother has a riding accident, he is sent to Central Queensland to temporarily help the Carmichaels out. A new adventure, despite his sense of obligation back home.

The last thing Maddy wants is some unknown man coming in and running her farm, and she’s not afraid to let Ryder know. But when farm life throws up trials even too big for her, she is forced to rely on Ryder’s strength and knowledge.

What starts as a working partnership turns into something much deeper. But fraternising with the stockman’s daughter is against the rules. When Maddy’s furious father discovers what clandestine activities Ryder and Maddy have been up to, Ryder is sent packing.

When all seems lost, Ryder must fight for the woman he loves, but that means having the courage to take the biggest risk of his life. When leaving her destiny behind feels impossible, Maddy has to discover that following her heart will lead her to where she needs to be, even if that means starting a legacy of her own.

Review:

‘The stockman’s daughter. The farm kid. The rural brigade.’

The Stockman’s Daughter is the latest novel from Jacquie Underdown, an author who specialises in the field of small town fiction. The Stockman’s Daughter is author Jacquie Underdown’s first official foray in the field of contemporary rural romance and it is a fine addition to the genre. I enjoyed the rural escape this novel offered me.

Maddy Carmichael and Ryder Leckie lead the events in The Stockman’s Daughter. Underdown’s heroine Maddy is a young woman with a strong affinity to the land. Maddy is a fourth generation cattle farmer and she has her sights firmly set on her family’s property, which she has earmarked to take over from her father. Maddy is a tireless and hard worker. Maddy has toiled on the land for the good of her family’s property but she also holds a genuine interest in her work. Maddy’s father is a stickler for tradition and he doesn’t wish for Maddy to take over the reins of the farm, despite her innate ability to run the family property with ease. Problems arise when the hero of this tale is sent to help out at the Carmichael property following an accident. Ryder Carmichael takes his new position in his stride but he meets stiff opposition from Maddy. Ryder is encroaching on Maddy’s turf and she is disappointed that Ryder has been appointed to the farm following the accident. But when a difficult situation arises, Maddy must swallow her pride and she turns to Ryder to help get her out of a bind. Slowly, Maddy begins to wake up to Ryder’s knowledge, understanding and true passion for the land. Something begins to spark between the two, but Ryder knows it is inappropriate for him to enter into any kind of relationship with the daughter of his employer.  But this attraction cannot be denied and an affair ensues. When Maddy’s father discovers the truth, Ryder is told to leave. But these two hearts cannot be separated and they continue to fight for what they want in love, even if it means making big changes to their lives. 

The Stockman’s Daughter is an enemy come lovers rural romance novel with a strong farming thread that runs through the whole course of this novel. Although this is Jacquie Underdown’s first release in the field of rural romance, I think that Underdown has done the genre proud.

There were a number of aspects in this novel that worked for me. Firstly, I appreciated the presentation of the characters in The Stockman’s Daughter. The female lead protagonist of the tale, Maddy Carmichael, is a character that I immediately took a clear liking to and I was able to feel a great deal of admiration for this young woman. Maddy knows the meaning of hard yakka and her inner strength really appealed to me.  Maddy faces some tough setbacks as the book progresses, which did upset me quite a bit. Despite this ordeal, Maddy doesn’t give up and we eventually see her triumph. I enjoyed Maddy’s character growth and the inroads she made to getting what she truly wanted in life was a pleasure to oversee. Overall, I was really inspired by Maddy’s positive attitude and I definitely wanted her to succeed!

The male lead of this tale, Ryder Leckie, is the ultimate romantic hero and the perfect rural romance prince. He is hardworking, knowledgeable, responsible and considerate. Ryder has a heart of gold which seems to shine through the pages of The Stockman’s Daughter. I really loved the dynamics that played out between Maddy and Ryder. I also appreciated the heated sparks that were exchanged between Maddy and Ryder.  The forbidden romance scenes definitely made my heart beat fast! In both leads we gain a clear snapshot into the life of a cattle farmer. This was an interesting focus, which is presented with plenty of insight and authenticity. Jacquie Underdown’s commitment to the research side of things in this aspect of her novel is to be applauded.

Jacquie Underdown showcases the beauty of the Australia’s rural landscape thanks to her setting descriptions. From the endless sparse blue skies, to the fertile landscape and the animal life that populates this story along the way, rural fiction readers will be pleased with the content in The Stockman’s Daughter.  The conclusion was satisfying but also slightly open, paving the way for a possible continuation of this book into a sequel or a series.

A story of tradition, love, persistence, bravery and uphill battles, it was a pleasure to read Jacquie Underdown’s contribution to the rural romance genre.  The Stockman’s Daughter offers readers a wonderful farming life escape tale. If you have a weakness for contemporary Australian rural fiction, The Stockman’s Daughter is one novel you should add to your reading list.

The Stockman’s Daughter by Jacquie Underdown was published on 24th July 2020. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.

To learn more about the author of The Stockman’s Daughter, Jacquie Underdown, visit here.

*Thanks extended to the author for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

The Stockman’s Daughter is book #99 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge