Review of 'Sheep Gully Road' by Laurelle Cousins
Release date: April 17th, 2025
Publisher: LCW
REVIEW
Sheep Gully Road by Laurelle Cousins is a heart-warming compelling Australian rural fiction story that exposes and celebrates a strong connection to the land. Weather changes and farm animals create lots of havoc in these characters’ lives! Themes of family, community, farming, environment and romance add lots of flavour and colour to the canvas while highlighting both the struggles and triumphs of small town life. The setting is more than a backdrop: it is a character in itself in how it interacts, reflects and influences its inhabitants. In many ways it exposes their cyclical trials and fierce struggles with progress while battling rural perspectives. Kate and others are involved with plants, harvests and managing the farm animals. Those sheep are quite a challenge! They had me laughing more than once! They not only add humour but also a warmth and authenticity to the story’s fabric. Laurelle provides many wonderful visual and sensory descriptions (even the smelly ones of sheep manure!) so we see what it is like to live in a small but quaint rural community with all its pros and cons.
I grew up in a coastal rural location in Canada so know what it is like to live in a tight knit community such as Forest Gully. Everyone knows everyone’s business which can be uncomfortable at times but when people are in trouble, the support available can be quite uplifting. This story demonstrates this and more!
Kate is at heart of her community wherever she lives because she is a real go-getter and thrives on helping others. We learn about her past from herself, but also her father and nephew who obviously admire her for what she has accomplished. And now in her new home, she is doing the same organising of events to bring the community together and raise money where needed. I won’t give away the plot but as a result of a few losses experienced by some of the townspeople, Kate is at it again to help those in need. Through her acts of love, and those of others, we see how kindness and working together creates strong bonds of friendship and community spirit.
Sheep Gully Road shines with authentic characters with their unique personalities, perspectives and opinions that fit well into this rural setting. Some of these folk you would want as friends, while others you would like to give a stern talking to! But thankfully those who need to learn about forgiveness and acceptance, do by the end of the story. So there is some honest character growth that makes the reading experience fulfilling.
Gus is a hurt, stubborn neighbour (ex-fire fighter) who had a bad experience that deeply scarred him and affected his self-confidence. There is one man who has judged him harshly. This repeated negative response has added heaping coals of guilt on Gus’s own pile. And caused him to withdraw from his community. But once his new neighbour, Kate, arrives— lots of upheaval happens that pushes him out of his withdrawn position. Although Kate has had her own share of losses to overcome, she ploughs forward trying to start again in a new town. She wears a heavy responsibility when she takes over as parent of her nephew. This is not easy as well demonstrated in the story. But to her credit and determination, she perseveres and adapts to her new environment and role (which is almost opposite to Gus’s reaction to loss.) Even though there are lots of hiccups and roadblocks along the way, she keeps trying to do the right thing for her nephew. And although former fireman Gus initially makes her life difficult, as their relationship expands and he develops a friendship with her nephew, Riley, some amazing things begin to happen.
Riley really tugged on my heartstrings. I felt sad for the boy after he loses the most important person in his life. His behaviour is realistic and I could appreciate his struggles. But it was also beautiful how his aunt took over his care. Yes, there were bumps along the way but it was obvious love was at the core of their relationship.
This is a beautifully presented rural romance, well composed with lots of tension and excellent resolutions. The pace is ideal and rolls along smoothly. Kate is a strong female lead who, along with Riley, helps wounded Gus rise up from his ashes. Their love story is tender and slow to blossom but appropriate and lasting in its quality. It takes some tense and frightening events to sort them both but good things happen that made my heart sing!
I definitely recommend Sheep Gully Road. It will tug at your heartstrings, make you laugh, smile and cry. Although I am not a big rural fiction reader, the ones I accept for review always manage to creep into my heart and take me on a memorable journey. I appreciate the positive elements of this genre and all the hard work that goes into it but also every novel (no matter the genre). It was lovely to read in the Acknowledgements of all the writing support Laurelle had in delivering Sheep Gully Road for it certainly is a polished work to be proud of for sure. And yes, Pam Cook’s Turn Up the Tension course worked! I was both charmed and captivated! 5 Stars of appreciation from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Laurel Cousins for a review copy.
