How to Read the Levenham Love Story Series
The Levenham Love Story series, written by bestselling Australian author Cathryn Hein, is set in the fictional, close-knit country town of Levenham in rural South Australia. Known for its rugged volcanic hills, sprawling dairy farms, and gossiping locals, Levenham provides the perfect backdrop for emotional, second-chance romances. Because each book in this contemporary series stands alone with its own central couple, readers have complete flexibility in how they approach the series.
The Recommended Reading Path
Even though the books can be read in any order, we strongly recommend reading the Levenham Love Story series in publication order. Reading in order allows you to experience the natural evolution of the town and catch recurring secondary characters as they pop in and out of the narratives. For example, meeting Danny Burroughs in earlier stories makes his family connections in later entries feel much more satisfying.
Levenham Love Story Books in Publication Order
Cathryn Hein published these six books between 2014 and 2020. The publication order is identical to the chronological order of the town's events:
- Rocking Horse Hill (2014) - Emily Wallace-Jones navigates family turmoil, a threat to her historic family estate, and a second chance at love with her former flame, Josh Sinclair.
- Summer and the Groomsman (2015) - Harry Argyle, an unlucky-in-love farmer, sparks a fiery romance with Summer Taylor, a feisty local beautician, with plenty of interference from a troublesome horse named Binky.
- Santa and the Saddler (2016) - A festive favorite following Danny Burroughs, a hard-working windmill fabricator, and Beth Wells, a talented guest saddler managing her grandfather's shop over the holidays.
- Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy (2017) - Chrissy James returns to Levenham after a bad breakup and finds her path crossing with Nick Burroughs, her teenage crush who is recovering from a major farming injury.
- Eddie and the Show Queen (2019) - Alice Lindner and her ex-boyfriend, local farmer Eddie Argyle, clash during a highly competitive fundraising contest for Levenham's first Wine Show.
- Scarlett and the Model Man (2020) - Up-and-coming artist Scarlett Ash, suffering from a creative block, finds an unlikely muse in Sam Greenwood, a local surfing dairy farmer.
Chronological Order and Continuity Caveats
Because the series spans several years, the timeline moves forward chronologically alongside the publication dates. If you read out of order, you will not spoil the main romance of other books, but you might notice changes in the lives of the town's residents. For example, characters who fall in love in earlier books may appear as happily married secondary characters or town business owners in later books, such as Nick and Danny Burroughs interacting as brothers across their respective novellas.
What to Know Before You Start
Cathryn Hein's stories are deeply rooted in the authentic landscape of the South Australian countryside, drawing heavy inspiration from the lower south-east region of South Australia and far western Victoria. The town of Levenham itself is situated near a dormant volcano, giving the setting a distinct local geography.
Readers should expect a classic rural romance tone: emotional depth, exploration of complex family dynamics, healing from grief or betrayal, and plenty of lighthearted humor. Naughty animals—most notably the mischievous horse Binky—often play entertaining roles in bringing the couples together.
Practical Reader Advice
Here are a few quick tips to help you get the most out of your visit to Levenham:
- Best Starting Point: Start with Rocking Horse Hill. It establishes the town's atmosphere, key families, and community dynamics beautifully.
- Are they standalones? Yes, every book features a different couple and a self-contained romantic arc with a guaranteed happy ending.
- The Novellas: Entries like Santa and the Saddler and Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy are shorter, faster-paced reads but still carry the full emotional depth of the longer novels. They fit perfectly into the main series timeline.