Red Dirt Duchess by Louise Reynolds (Penguin Destiny Romance)

(Outback by Gabrielle Delhey at Wikipedia)

Sparks fly when Charlie, the outgoing owner of an outback pub, and handsome aristocrat Jon meet. But are their differences too great?  Jon needs to marry a suitable aristocratic bride, for example, and have an heir - this is the role in life that he is running from. However, he soon finds himself attracted to Charlie's Australian honesty, good sense and bluntness. He also wants to discover why he feels a connection with Charlie's father's painting.

This is an emotional and surprisingly moving story with sympathetic characters and beautiful settings, ranging from the spectacular Australian outback landscape to a sumptuous English country house.  The love story involving two damaged young people who gain strength from each other is nicely developed with good dialogue.  The sub-plot of the mystery painting helps to keep the story intriguing.

There is a coincidence in the book that is a bit silly, but as it is well-written Louise Reynolds just manages to make it seem convincing.