“It’s the opposite of love at first sight… or is it?”
I only had to read this first line in the blurb of Something To Talk About to convince myself to give it a read. I’m literally the biggest hopeless romantic and can I just say, this novel did not disappoint. An endearing rural fiction title from one of my favourite Australian storytellers, Rachael Johns, I can guarantee this novel will warm your heart as it takes you through the highs and lows of navigating romance with a disability.
Dairy farmer, Tabitha Cooper-Jones, is the main protagonist of the novel as she juggles her ice cream business, trying to start a family on her own and (hopefully) finding love along the way. But living in the small rural community of Walsh means there’s a limited choice of men for Tabitha. That is until a very handsome school teacher, Fergus McWilliams, walks into town and throws her life into disarray. A connection soon develops between the pair as they begin to confront their pasts and core values together. Whilst their romance is not smooth sailing, the novel really does capture the strength of true love and how rural communities can offer a lifeline, as well as a clean slate, to those weighed heavily by the secrets of their past.
In fact, Johns also adeptly captures the difficult and rewarding aspects of navigating love with a disability. Tabitha’s cancer battle left her with one arm and her insecurities around the disability infiltrate all aspects of her life and result in tensions between her and Fergus. Although it is a sad situation at first, seeing Tabitha confront her insecurities head on really makes for a powerful read. It actually makes your realise how important it is to love yourself completely before you can even begin to love someone else. Definitely a crucial issue for Johns to tackle, as body image insecurities remain prevalent in our current day and age.
So all in all, Something To Talk About was an eye-opening read from the first to the last page. It was hard to put the book down when I had finished as there were also a number of sub-characters who I felt could have been explored further. But fingers crossed this novel is only the beginning of a new series for Johns! A solid 4 star read.
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