This is the fourth novel in Harlequin’s The Australians, a limited series. Like many novels in the Harlequin Romance line, this novel has a gentle heroine, a rugged hero, and an exotic setting. I thought it would be different because the heroine was caring for an orphaned baby possum. This wasn’t the typical squeamish heroine who would shriek when she saw a bug. But as the novel went on, the main characters became too stubborn about their feelings, which really got in the way of my enjoyment of the book.

Beth Lister takes care of injured wild animals on a farm, but she can’t come up with the money to pay her lease. Her obnoxious cousin, Lyle, gives her a solution. If she marries him before his 30th birthday, he will be able to claim his inheritance, so he will give her the money she needs to purchase the farm. Beth’s plans go awry when the “wedding photographer” kidnaps her, taking her to his ranch. This man turns out to be Kell Hallam. He wants to stop the wedding so that Katie, the daughter of his half-sister, can inherit what is rightfully hers. Katie was living in squalid conditions in an Asian orphanage – all because of Lyle’s machinations. Once Beth learns about Katie, she no longer wants to marry her cousin, for Lyle had assured her no one would suffer if he inherited the money.

As Kell interacts with Beth, he comes to accept that she is no gold digger. (How many gold diggers would care for wild animals on a run-down farm?) Meanwhile, Beth becomes close to Katie, who was almost a “wild child” because of her experiences at the orphanage. Katie improves because of Beth’s attention, so Kell offers Beth a job as Katie’s caretaker. Because she is afraid to get involved, Beth refuses. Kell offers to marry Beth, but the marriage he suggests is a business proposition rather than a loving relationship. Beth can’t accept that, and she returns to her farm. Will Kell learn to accept her love, even at the risk of his heart? And what will the evil Lyle do once he learns Beth has returned to her farm?

You’ll be glad to know this isn’t one of those Harlequin Romances where the hero spends most of the book believing the heroine is loose. Maybe those are becoming a thing of the past – one can only hope. Still, Kell’s “I don’t believe in love” mantra got on my nerves. Their relationship left me with a “back and forth” feeling. Beth was at his ranch, she went back to her farm, she returned to the ranch, and then she went back to her farm again.

The nasty Lyle was more of a plot device than a plausible character – about as believable as the typical “evil sister.” He was too despicable to be believed, and his actions in the conclusion were way over the top. The more I learned about him, the more I wondered why Beth agreed to marry him in the first place, even if it was supposed to be in name only. Didn’t she think he might kill her baby possum? Come to think of it, I wondered why no one had ever committed him.

This book almost worked for me. If you like Australian settings and rugged heroes, it might be just what you want. The setting plays a stronger role than usual. The ranch and the farm are well described, and the native animals and plants are an important part of the story. But the enjoyable setting just doesn’t make up for the unoriginal characters. Unless you love Australian settings, it’s best to avoid Borrowed – One Bride