Deadly Secrets in Aussie Readers

Mar 11, 2015 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-kindle, 2014-release, aussie-authors, romantic-suspense, own-read

Jordan Windcroft鈥檚 four year probation period was coming to an end 鈥� she didn鈥檛 have a lot of time to think about it though as running her farm single handed, and trying to make ends meet took up every hour of the day. So when the new probation officer arrived, officious and business like, she immediately had ruffled feathers. And he assumed she鈥檇 been much guiltier than the punishment showed 鈥� so sparks flew. But when he handcuffed Jordan and took her to the police station of Whitewater Creek, ...more

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Dec 04, 2014 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-author

Intrigue, action and romance blend to create an engaging read in Secrets of Whitewater Creek by Sarah Barrie.

Set in rural Australia, Secrets of Whitewater Creek introduces Jordan Windcroft, who has been running the family farm on her own since the tragic death of her parents. Independent, feisty and a hard worker, she is the town's favourite daughter despite being on probation for the manslaughter, after claiming responsibility for a car accident to protect a friend from a corrupt judge.
Reid T
Intrigue, action and romance blend to create an engaging read in Secrets of Whitewater Creek by Sarah Barrie.

Set in rural Australia, Secrets of Whitewater Creek introduces Jordan Windcroft, who has been running the family farm on her own since the tragic death of her parents. Independent, feisty and a hard worker, she is the town's favourite daughter despite being on probation for the manslaughter, after claiming responsibility for a car accident to protect a friend from a corrupt judge.
Reid Tallon comes to Whitewater Creek posing as a probation officer, chasing a lead on a drug case he has been involved in for three years. He is hoping Jordan, who was also charged with possession when she was arrested, will be able to give him some insight into the local drug trade.
The attraction between the two is immediate, but Reid is undercover, and won't let anyone jeopardise his case, and Jordan, whose focus is on saving her farm, has a secret she can鈥檛 risk him discovering.

I really liked Jordan who proves to be a practical, smart and strong woman, I enjoyed her quick witted banter, she isn't afraid to say what she thinks and means what she says. She is loyal almost to a fault, and in her determination to protect her friends, she makes herself vulnerable to a dangerous stalker.
Reid is a smart and capable detective, determined to destroy the drug syndicate he holds accountable for his sister's death.
Both Jordan and Reid try to deny their mutual attraction but it doesn't last long. The development of the relationship is compressed due to the time frame of the novel but nevertheless believable and enjoyed the way they sparked off one another.

The story offers two main arcs, the first involving Reid's investigation of the drug syndicate, the second sees Jordan's life threatened by a crazed stalker. In the main, Secrets of Whitewater Creek is well paced, with a good amount of action balancing out the romance, though I thought that the stalker situation dragged on a little too long.

One aspect of the story that did bother me was the way that Jordan's friends turn on her, suddenly suspecting her of being a drug abuser. I could understand why Reid would jump to the wrong conclusion but I didn't believe that her close friends would do the same.

Still, overall I found Secrets of Whitewater Creek, (previously published as Deadly Secrets) to be a page turning Australian romantic suspense novel with appealing characters, an interesting story and well crafted setting. Perhaps Barrie will allow us to revisit Whitewater Creek again. ...more

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Jul 10, 2014 Helen rated it it was amazing

This is a story that will have you riveted from the first page filled with lots of suspense and danger and such a sensual pull between the heroine Jordon Windcroft and the hero Reid Tallon who arrives in the small country town undercover as Jordon's probation officer. Jordon is on probation for an accident that killed someone and there are lots of secrets that are held tightly by a few people in this small town and Reid is determined to get to the bottom of it but as Reid gets closer to Jordon a ...more

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May 24, 2014 Lauredhel rated it really liked it

Shelves: australian-women-writers-challenge, australian, netgalley, aww2014

"Her arms hurt, her back ached, but eventually the calf was free. She checked it over and watched for a few minutes to reassure herself that all was well. She would have liked to have moved the pair up closer to the house to keep an eye on them, but there wasn鈥檛 time.
Flicking mud and birth fluids from her hands, she looked down at her appearance.
She was a wreck and, damn it, she hadn鈥檛 taken her watch off. She wiped it on her arm, and noted that at least it was still working. It told her this li

"Her arms hurt, her back ached, but eventually the calf was free. She checked it over and watched for a few minutes to reassure herself that all was well. She would have liked to have moved the pair up closer to the house to keep an eye on them, but there wasn鈥檛 time.
Flicking mud and birth fluids from her hands, she looked down at her appearance.
She was a wreck and, damn it, she hadn鈥檛 taken her watch off. She wiped it on her arm, and noted that at least it was still working. It told her this little deviation from plan had set her back almost an hour.
In disgust, she pulled a face.
"

Jordan Windcroft is running a farm on her own, sinking fences as skilfully as she can wrangle a steer or break a wild horse. The rich judge in the neighbouring has his eyes on Jordan's beautiful valley, and would do anything to get hold of it. While fighting to retain control of her property, Jordan also holds in her heart the story of the crash that left her with a criminal record and a long-kept secret.

Jordan's parole is to be finished in a few weeks. When a new, stricter parole officer comes to town, Jordan is dubious. Reid doesn't look or act like a small-town parole officer. But Reid is trying to puzzle Jordan out too: is the town darling involved int the meth ring he has actually come to investigate? She was done for possession back at the time of the crash, after all ...

There were many things I loved about this book! I always appreciate a book with a competent woman as a main character. I liked that the plot was multi-dimensional and not entirely predictable, that the thriller element was at least as strong as the romantic elements. I liked the realistic aspects of the Small-Town Pillar being not such a nice guy after all, and of the storyline involving his misuses of power.

As always with this kind of romance, I kept getting snagged on the ethics & consent issues. It's hard for me to warm to a hero when he's the heroine's parole officer (or doctor, or etc) and he's macking on her while he has a large degree of institutional power over her. Yes, Jordan gives as good as she gets banter-wise, but that doesn't make it ok. Maybe what I need is some sort of notification in order to suspend the ethics issues and pretend it's some sort of alt-U where that doesn't matter?

Self-identified "old-fashioned" men are also not my romantic cup of tea, when it comes with old-fashioned ideas about gender:

"The big, bad probation officer鈥檚 scared of a little puppy dog,鈥� Jordan commented casually to Madi.
Reid sent her an unappreciative look. 鈥楳aybe I鈥檓 still recovering from a run in with someone鈥檚 crazed goose.鈥�
Jordan couldn鈥檛 help the smirk. 鈥楽he was minding eggs. It made her temperamental.鈥�
鈥楽eems this place is just full of temperamental females.'"

SHE-HULK SMASH!

In good news, these comments do get called out by the heroine, which they often aren't. So yay?

Overall however, this was a greatly enjoyable Aussie rural romantic suspense, with a deeply likable heroine, solid B- and C-plots, and a splendid sense of place.

Content notes for the ethics issues mentioned above, (view spoiler) ...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Tanya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I'm so excited to have found an amazing new (to me) Australian author.

The Secrets of Whitewater Creek was seriously addictive. I was hooked from the very first page, and totally in love with both Reid and Jordan. This is one of those books that I just didn't want to end! I would have happily stayed in Whitewater Creek for much longer. ...more

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