Staircase to the Moon by Elizabeth Haran

Emily has grown up with her father and her brothers.  Her mother died long ago and she works in her father's tailor shop.  She works hard and is not allowed to date.  The one boy she kissed at church got beat up by her brothers.  She can't even go shopping by herself.  Then they introduce to a man who reminds her of a puffer fish and tell her he's got money and is a tailor himself and will be a good addition to the family.  They expect her to marry him!

Bastei Entertainment and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 26th.

The first date she goes on with this old man, he reaches down and grabs her thigh while they are eating dinner at a show.  She dumps her soup in his lap and goes home.  She has an opportunity to be a seamstress a good distance away from the men in her life.  She decides to accept the job and leaves early the next morning.  She has no idea what she's getting into but she decides it has to be better than her circumstances at home.

The story is set in Australia and covers several years.  There are both humorous and sad parts to the story.  This is an excellent read and kept me glued to the book from beginning to end.

Emily hates the Chinaman that is on board the boat she's traveling on to her destination.  He's rude and unpleasant and didn't even say thank you when she saved his life.  So she's frustrated to find he's going to the same station she is.  He's going to be the cook and she's going to be the seamstress.  He won't let her put her luggage on the wagon and sits up by the Aborigine taking them home and tells her to go away.  Emily is not going to put up with another man telling her what to do and pulls one of his boxes off the wagon.  He throws her luggage in the water trough and she hits and kicks him in the shins.  Good thing the blacksmith intervened.  He loaned them a donkey and made Mr. Li sit in the wagon bed.  This was not a very good start to a relationship...

Emily isn't sure what love is but before the end of the story, she finds out.  She also sees what war does to men that serve in it.  The best part is that she develops a family relationship with those she was working for.

You learn about the outback, get some chuckles on the way because of Mr. Li and watch Emily fall in love.  I highly recommend this read.