What do you think?
Rate this book
Always a Rainbow
The autocratic Mark Hillyer refused to believe that Angela's job as shearers' cook on his New Zealand sheep station was just a holiday post and that she had no matrimonial designs on his young brother. If only she could ignore him!
But Mark was not a man to be treated with indifference .. .
But Mark was not a man to be treated with indifference .. .
188 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Gloria Bevan
51 books4 followersGloria Isabel Bevan
aka Fiona Murray, Gloria Bevan
Gloria Isabel was born on 20 July 1911 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia, the daughter of a mining engineer. At three, her family moved to New Zealand, and considers herself a New Zealander. She lived in Auckland, from 1926 to 1936. On 1937, she married Thomas Henry Bevan, a building inspector, and they had three daughters.
After leaving school she worked as a typist, but she had been writing stories for as long as she could remember and feel "there's a certain magic about writing even when the characters refuse to act the way I want them to." She not begin to publishing until she was well into her fifties, first detective novels as Fiona Murray in 1965, She started corresponding with fellow New Zealand writer, Essie Summers who introduced her to publisher Alan Boon and under her married name, Gloria Bevan, she wrote 25 contemporary romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1969 to 1992, many of which are set in her beloved New Zealand. When not writing, she explored the many and varied exotic locations within reach of her suburban Auckland home. Her obvious love of her country and her particular talent for weaving interesting background information into her novels made her a popular romance writer of her era.
Gloria Bevan was interviewed by New Zealand author Rachel McAlpine in 1992 for The Passionate Pen. This was published in 1998. In The Passionate Pen's Introduction, McAlpine mentions that Gloria Bevan had moved into a rest home. According to New Zealand's National Library website, Mrs Bevan died in 1998
aka Fiona Murray, Gloria Bevan
Gloria Isabel was born on 20 July 1911 in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia, the daughter of a mining engineer. At three, her family moved to New Zealand, and considers herself a New Zealander. She lived in Auckland, from 1926 to 1936. On 1937, she married Thomas Henry Bevan, a building inspector, and they had three daughters.
After leaving school she worked as a typist, but she had been writing stories for as long as she could remember and feel "there's a certain magic about writing even when the characters refuse to act the way I want them to." She not begin to publishing until she was well into her fifties, first detective novels as Fiona Murray in 1965, She started corresponding with fellow New Zealand writer, Essie Summers who introduced her to publisher Alan Boon and under her married name, Gloria Bevan, she wrote 25 contemporary romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1969 to 1992, many of which are set in her beloved New Zealand. When not writing, she explored the many and varied exotic locations within reach of her suburban Auckland home. Her obvious love of her country and her particular talent for weaving interesting background information into her novels made her a popular romance writer of her era.
Gloria Bevan was interviewed by New Zealand author Rachel McAlpine in 1992 for The Passionate Pen. This was published in 1998. In The Passionate Pen's Introduction, McAlpine mentions that Gloria Bevan had moved into a rest home. According to New Zealand's National Library website, Mrs Bevan died in 1998
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 7, 2020
City girl heroine leaves her dry stick boyfriend and sails to New Zealand to “follow her rainbow” in hopes of finding the proverbial pot of gold. On board she meets OW#1.
OW#1 is also looking for her pot of gold – she’s been pen friends with the hero’s brother for a couple of years. He sent her an engagement ring and the passage to NZ. OW#1 has no plans in keeping her promise to hero’s brother. She’s found a supermarket executive on board ship and hopes to land him.
OW#1 informs heroine that there is a job opening at the hero’s farm. She hands the ring and a note to the heroine to deliver to the H’s brother.
Heroine has no idea what’s in the envelope and honestly thinks she’s taking OW#1’s job.
Hero picks up the heroine at the bus stop and is all hostile, alpha, and handsome. Heroine is instantly smitten and tries to explain the mix-up. Hero thinks she is as big of a liar and Jezebel as OW#1. His brother was in a car accident after the OW didn’t show up and is now mending at the homestead.
Hero does need temporary help – it’s shearing season and he needs a cook for a week.
Why do I love trial-by-cooking so much?
Heroine lies and says she knows how to cook and is thrown into the deep end – with breakfast, smoko, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner to cook. The gardener takes pity on her and helps her out the first day and the rest of the week.
Heroine never complains. The housekeeper is impressed with her and asks her to stay another month and look after the house while she visits her daughter in the big city. Heroine agrees because she wants to be near the hero.
Hero’s brother is being tended by a local girl who is training to be a nurse. She is hostile to the heroine because she equates her with evil OW#1. There is also a shearer (OM)who falls for the heroine. To round out the cast of characters: OW#2 who is angling for the hero. She is around all the time, driving the heroine up a wall with her golden hair and condescending ways.
Major events: Hero takes her to see a waterfall and kisses her. OM takes her to the local dance and hero is jealous when OM kisses heroine. The H/h have to spend the night in a shepherd’s hut after the road washes out. The rodeo.
OW#1 shows up at the rodeo where everyone is competing. Apparently, the supermarket executive fell through. Heroine is seen talking to her by the OW#2 and hero thinks heroine is up to something terrible. Especially after hero’s brother leaves for two weeks without a word to anyone.
Heroine has hero drive her to the big city in an attempt to track down OW#1 and clear her name. She is unsuccessful. At this point, hero doesn’t seem to care. He believes her story and proposes (!). When they return home, hero’s brother is there with his nurse/girlfriend. They are getting married, too. He will be a journalist in the big city instead of living on the farm.
OW#1 is on the prowl for new blood. OW#2 was never in the running according to the hero. OM will have to fall in love with someone else.
This was great while the heroine was cooking and learning to cope with farm life. Hero was actually pretty nice. The story bogged down when the heroine realized she loved the hero.
I thought the newer authors indulged in too much internal monologue, but there were passages in this story that were just as bad. To add to the insult, they were so adolescent in tone! Exaggerated example: I love him. Will he ever love me? I hate the OW! *pout*
Read if you want to soothe your inner junior high girl.
OW#1 is also looking for her pot of gold – she’s been pen friends with the hero’s brother for a couple of years. He sent her an engagement ring and the passage to NZ. OW#1 has no plans in keeping her promise to hero’s brother. She’s found a supermarket executive on board ship and hopes to land him.
OW#1 informs heroine that there is a job opening at the hero’s farm. She hands the ring and a note to the heroine to deliver to the H’s brother.
Heroine has no idea what’s in the envelope and honestly thinks she’s taking OW#1’s job.
Hero picks up the heroine at the bus stop and is all hostile, alpha, and handsome. Heroine is instantly smitten and tries to explain the mix-up. Hero thinks she is as big of a liar and Jezebel as OW#1. His brother was in a car accident after the OW didn’t show up and is now mending at the homestead.
Hero does need temporary help – it’s shearing season and he needs a cook for a week.
Why do I love trial-by-cooking so much?
Heroine lies and says she knows how to cook and is thrown into the deep end – with breakfast, smoko, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner to cook. The gardener takes pity on her and helps her out the first day and the rest of the week.
Heroine never complains. The housekeeper is impressed with her and asks her to stay another month and look after the house while she visits her daughter in the big city. Heroine agrees because she wants to be near the hero.
Hero’s brother is being tended by a local girl who is training to be a nurse. She is hostile to the heroine because she equates her with evil OW#1. There is also a shearer (OM)who falls for the heroine. To round out the cast of characters: OW#2 who is angling for the hero. She is around all the time, driving the heroine up a wall with her golden hair and condescending ways.
Major events: Hero takes her to see a waterfall and kisses her. OM takes her to the local dance and hero is jealous when OM kisses heroine. The H/h have to spend the night in a shepherd’s hut after the road washes out. The rodeo.
OW#1 shows up at the rodeo where everyone is competing. Apparently, the supermarket executive fell through. Heroine is seen talking to her by the OW#2 and hero thinks heroine is up to something terrible. Especially after hero’s brother leaves for two weeks without a word to anyone.
Heroine has hero drive her to the big city in an attempt to track down OW#1 and clear her name. She is unsuccessful. At this point, hero doesn’t seem to care. He believes her story and proposes (!). When they return home, hero’s brother is there with his nurse/girlfriend. They are getting married, too. He will be a journalist in the big city instead of living on the farm.
OW#1 is on the prowl for new blood. OW#2 was never in the running according to the hero. OM will have to fall in love with someone else.
This was great while the heroine was cooking and learning to cope with farm life. Hero was actually pretty nice. The story bogged down when the heroine realized she loved the hero.
I thought the newer authors indulged in too much internal monologue, but there were passages in this story that were just as bad. To add to the insult, they were so adolescent in tone! Exaggerated example: I love him. Will he ever love me? I hate the OW! *pout*
Read if you want to soothe your inner junior high girl.
March 20, 2017
This was pretty angsty, most of the old ones are, but they barely spent any time together, and only one kiss? There's usually more than 2 at least. There was none of that, oh-he-definitely-likes-her-she's-just-blind stuff either.
April 19, 2024
Considering how the MMC treated the MFC for the first third-to-half of the book, she deserved a sincere apology, if not some outright grovelling, from him. His flippant "It doesn't matter" hardly makes up for his initial contempt and distrust.
September 12, 2024
Quite a nice story with a likeable heroine (21, cute, from England) and a sheep farmer hero (30s). The OM was lovely and the OW much less so ;-) The ending is sweet, but the hero's brother and his girlfriend were really irritating.
March 5, 2015
Angela plans on a working holiday in New Zealand. She meets Martha on the cruise ship and becomes somewhat friendly with her. Two weeks later she meets her again by chance on a bus. She tells Martha she is looking for a job and Martha tells her she can take her place on the sheep station. The only problem was Martha didn't have a job waiting at the sheep station. The story tells how Angela copes as a cook for the shearers and takes over running the house when the housekeeper is called away for the birth of her fourth grandchild. Of course she falls in love hopelessly or so it seems as there appears to be another woman that her love interest cares for.
November 4, 2021
Liked it a little better this time around.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews