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Cheyenne Trilogy #1
Murphy's Rainbow
Wyoming Territory in 1869 is no place for a woman, but when Kate Murphy's husband dies of Cholera, she is stranded there with no money and no way to leave. At the end of her rope, she accepts a job as a saloon girl in the tiny town of Horse Creek. There she is discovered by the mysterious Jonathan Cantrell who hires her to keep house for him and his two unruly sons. Jonathan has the face of an angel and the devil's own temper. But sweet Kate has a temper of her own and is more than a match for him. Living together in a small cabin on an isolated ranch their clash of wills gives way to an attraction neither of them expects nor wants. Then the past surfaces to tear them apart and create suspicions on both sides. Will their new-found love be strong enough to survive the secrets from the past?
Paperback
First published December 31, 1993
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About the author
Carolyn Lampman
15 books19 followersAward-winning author Carolyn Lampman grew up on the Wyoming ranch her great-grandparents homesteaded in 1887 and could ride a horse almost before she could walk. She is best known for her fluent Wyoming twang and humorous, impossible-to-put-down adventures. Carolyn's background and love of the American West shine through in all of her books. History, romance, humor, and mystery all weave together in gripping tales that make her books page-turning, rollicking good reads!
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 21, 2024
I had to stop listening part way through to listen to another book. I have booknesia on some of the details of the first part. Kate and her husband were traveling with a covered wagon group, on their way to Oregon to homestead. Her husband died of cholera on the trip. Her wagon had to be burned, along with her possessions. One of the men from the party escorted her to the nearest town and left her. There wasn't any place to get a job, except for a saloon. She cooked and danced with the men at night to draw in more customers in exchange for room and board. She left the sex work up to the two other ladies. Then, a man named Jonathan learned of her situation and offered her a job as his cook and housekeeper. his wife had died many years before and he had 2 boys that she helped take care of. Of course they ended up together. Jonathan was no cinnamon roll. He was kind of a jerk about woman getting the right to vote and he'd slept with quite a few women. We also meet Charlie, his right hand man who has his own homestead. They found a native woman named Moonflower who'd been beaten almost to death by her husband. They helped her recover and she and Charlie fell in love. I thought the next book in the series might be about them but it's not. There was a lot more going on, like Moonflowers husband had been trying to kill Kate's brother for the past 4 years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2022
Jonathan and Kate
This is the first in the Cheyenne Trilogy series. Johnathan is a handsome hunk of man and quite the ladies man too. Katherine is a young widow that lost her husband to Cholera on the wagon train to Oregon. Johnathan has two sons that are young hellions. He hires Kate to be his house keeper and nanny of sorts. Carolyn Lampman has done an excellent job filling the pages with excitement, adventure and bits of humor along the way. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after as a family.
This is the first in the Cheyenne Trilogy series. Johnathan is a handsome hunk of man and quite the ladies man too. Katherine is a young widow that lost her husband to Cholera on the wagon train to Oregon. Johnathan has two sons that are young hellions. He hires Kate to be his house keeper and nanny of sorts. Carolyn Lampman has done an excellent job filling the pages with excitement, adventure and bits of humor along the way. You will enjoy discovering how they find their happily ever after as a family.
January 11, 2026
4.25⭐️ I haven’t read a good historical western romance in a long time and this one just hit all the right buttons. Great characters. Excellent setting. Descriptive writing. And an interesting story to read. Kate is strong, even in the most dire of circumstances. Jonathan is a single father doing his best to raise two young men the right way. Together, they form a bond and relationship that is as quite beautiful.
March 11, 2020
On a wagon train Kate's husband dies of Cholera, leaving her stranded. She accepts a job as a saloon girl where she is discovered by Jonathan Cantrell who hires her to keep house for him and his two unruly sons. This is about their trials and dangers they face together only to fall in love with each other.
August 11, 2018
Love the setting, story, characters, oh I reckon I loved it all!
November 7, 2018
I really enjoyed the history, the characters, the humor, and the satisfying ending.
July 31, 2022
My first book by this author and I could not put the book down.
July 14, 2023
3.5 Well written, enjoyable Western Romance, similar in style to Deborah Camp and early LaVyrle Spencer.
January 2, 2026
best author ever
Love her books have read them all more than once. I enjoy her style of writing. Great author would read them again
Love her books have read them all more than once. I enjoy her style of writing. Great author would read them again
November 27, 2010
I read and enjoyed Carolyn Lampman's Meadowlark (Harper Monogram), so I decided to try out her other books.
The heroine endures a lot of tragedy in the novel, but it is resolved very quickly, and her sorrow is not really explored. Instead, if felt as if it was glossed over for the sake of moving the plot along.
For instance, her husband dies (she'd had a good marriage), she cries herself to sleep for one night, and that's it. The reader never really sees the wrenching pain a person would experience over the death of a beloved spouse. Similarily, the heroine later realizes she's pregnant with her late husband's child, then prompty loses it to a miscarriage. She's sad for three days, her native friend gives her a session in a sweat lodge, and BAM, she's fine again. If only! Having suffered three miscarriages myself, I can assure you that a woman does not get over the loss of a child that easily (if ever!) And considering that the heroine had lost what last piece she'd have of her husband, one would expect her to be devastated. If the author didn't want to have to deal with the baby, I don't think she should have written one in at all, if she wasn't prepared to properly portray the emotional devastation a woman suffers from pregnancy loss.
Since the author had the hero still agonizing over his wife's death (which had happened years before), I was annoyed that the heroine's loss of her husband (and the subsequent loss of his child) wasn't properly dealth with. I think that if the author had thinned out some of the subplots and extra characters and instead focused on the emotional potential of this novel, this would have been a really satisfying read.
The heroine endures a lot of tragedy in the novel, but it is resolved very quickly, and her sorrow is not really explored. Instead, if felt as if it was glossed over for the sake of moving the plot along.
For instance, her husband dies (she'd had a good marriage), she cries herself to sleep for one night, and that's it. The reader never really sees the wrenching pain a person would experience over the death of a beloved spouse. Similarily, the heroine later realizes she's pregnant with her late husband's child, then prompty loses it to a miscarriage. She's sad for three days, her native friend gives her a session in a sweat lodge, and BAM, she's fine again. If only! Having suffered three miscarriages myself, I can assure you that a woman does not get over the loss of a child that easily (if ever!) And considering that the heroine had lost what last piece she'd have of her husband, one would expect her to be devastated. If the author didn't want to have to deal with the baby, I don't think she should have written one in at all, if she wasn't prepared to properly portray the emotional devastation a woman suffers from pregnancy loss.
Since the author had the hero still agonizing over his wife's death (which had happened years before), I was annoyed that the heroine's loss of her husband (and the subsequent loss of his child) wasn't properly dealth with. I think that if the author had thinned out some of the subplots and extra characters and instead focused on the emotional potential of this novel, this would have been a really satisfying read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by this historical romance because to be honest, I peeked at an unflattering review. Though I understand where that reviewer was coming from I don't wholly agree on her assessment. Her biggest complaint seemed to be the pace of certain emotional events in the heroine's part of the story. I guess they seemed rushed. However, I think the author did a decent job of moving the story along and still giving some sensitive issues enough words to get the point across.
In this story Kate loses her husband and must take a job in the saloon in the closest town where the wagon train left her behind. That's where Jonathan finds her and quickly realizes she is out of her element. He needs a housekeeper and someone to watch over his two sons and offers her the job. Though they butt heads from time to time they actually get along fairly well and fall in love.
I really liked the love story and the way Kate wasn't afraid to stand up to Jonathan, despite his being her employer. I also liked the way he was able to overcome his demons to see the prize he had before him.
Overall, a really good love story and historical.
In this story Kate loses her husband and must take a job in the saloon in the closest town where the wagon train left her behind. That's where Jonathan finds her and quickly realizes she is out of her element. He needs a housekeeper and someone to watch over his two sons and offers her the job. Though they butt heads from time to time they actually get along fairly well and fall in love.
I really liked the love story and the way Kate wasn't afraid to stand up to Jonathan, despite his being her employer. I also liked the way he was able to overcome his demons to see the prize he had before him.
Overall, a really good love story and historical.
July 9, 2008
This was an absolutely fabulous book! Carolyn wove a delightful story of a woman rebuilding her life after disaster struck on her way west on the Oregon Trail. Her characters are fantastic and relate to each other to blend into a family tale that truly warms your heart. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the book. She made the countryside as vivid as the real world. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, and anything else of hers I can get my hands on.
November 12, 2012
Kate is a strong woman, to survive her husband's death from Cholera and then the shame of working in a "not-so-respectable" saloon before finding a place to work and eventually a love at the ranch owned by Jonathan Cantrell.
Post-Civil War intrigue, spy masters, and secrets keep you on the edge of your seat, and the comic relief of the Cantrell boys is sublime.
A sweet romance filled with raw emotion.
Post-Civil War intrigue, spy masters, and secrets keep you on the edge of your seat, and the comic relief of the Cantrell boys is sublime.
A sweet romance filled with raw emotion.
February 1, 2017
Murphy's Rainbow is a light, fun read.
I enjoyed the character development.
I also liked the fact that Ms. Lampman kept the intimate scenes to a minimum and did not detract from the storyline.
I highly recommend Murphy's Rainbow to readers who enjoy such authors as Suzanne Woods Fisher, Lauraine Snelling, or Lawana Blackwell.
I enjoyed the character development.
I also liked the fact that Ms. Lampman kept the intimate scenes to a minimum and did not detract from the storyline.
I highly recommend Murphy's Rainbow to readers who enjoy such authors as Suzanne Woods Fisher, Lauraine Snelling, or Lawana Blackwell.
March 12, 2013
It would have been better without the spy subplot.
September 1, 2016
I really enjoyed this historical romance and love the touch of humour that was added.
May 4, 2016
Couldn't handle the reader any longer.
Cute little story tho'
Cute little story tho'
April 11, 2017
Young Widow, Kate, finds herself in the Wyoming prairie. Alone, nearly broke, with only the clothes on her back. In a small town near by she finds work at the local saloon as a cook, waitress and saloon girl. Unwilling to take on being a prostitute she leaves that up to her new friends.
Soon, she meets the handsome rancher, John who is also a widower. He hires her to be his housekeeper and cook. It's a fun story and the push-me, pull-you of John and Kate's attraction is the center point for the story.
Soon, she meets the handsome rancher, John who is also a widower. He hires her to be his housekeeper and cook. It's a fun story and the push-me, pull-you of John and Kate's attraction is the center point for the story.
August 8, 2018
First Lampman book I've read. Simple but very entertaining. Could have 25 fewer pages - some detail just not needed but Great story line.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews