Once Burnt, Twice Shy

From the best-selling Karly Lane comes a pitch-perfect story of rural tragedy, old flames reawakened and the meaning of home. A tribute to the Rural Fire Service and the work they selflessly do.

Recently divorced Sunshine Coast mother-of-two Samantha Murphy agrees to house-sit for her parents for a few weeks - but when the house involves several hundred acres of farming and livestock, it's a little more involved than the usual job. Sam left the farm for a more exciting, glamorous life on the Sunshine Coast years ago, but now that her kids have grown up and moved out, she's at a crossroads.

Jack Cameron was in love with Sam when they were teenagers, and she broke his heart when she left town at eighteen. Their lives moved along similar paths - both marrying, having families and getting divorced - but in very different locations. Now that Sam is back, they begin to realise that there are unresolved feelings between them.

As catastrophic fires roar destructively through the local farming community, Sam has no choice but to evacuate her parents' farm. But worse is still to come: Jack is reported missing, last seen fighting the fires with the Rural Fire Service, trying to save his and Sam's parents' properties. Sam is forced to prepare for the worst news.

A story of second chances; of navigating new relationships; of loss and rebuilding, and of finally coming home.