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The Man At Kambala
READING CREASE ON COVER BY EDGE OF SPINE. PAGES ARE CLEAN WITH NO WRITING OR MARKS.
286 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1973
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Kay Thorpe
181 books65 followersKay Thorpe was born on 1935 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK. An avid reader from the time when words on paper began to make sense, she developed a lively imagination of her own, making up stories for the entertainment of her young friends. After leaving school, she tried a variety of jobs, including dental nursing, and a spell in the Women's Royal Airforce from which she emerged knowing a whole lot more about life - if only as an observer.
In 1960, she married with Tony, but didn't begin thinking about trying her hand at writing for a living until she gave up work some four years later to have a baby, John. Having read Mills & Boon novels herself, and done some market research in the local library asking readers what it was they particularly liked about the books, she decided to aim for a particular market, and was fortunate to have her very first, completed manuscript accepted - The Last of the Mallorys, published in 1968. Since then she has written over seventy five books, which doesn't begin to compare with the output of some Mills & Boon authors, but still leaves her wondering where all those words came from.
Sometimes, she finds she has become two different people: the writer at her happiest when involved in the world of books and authors; and the housewife, turning her hands to the everyday needs of husband and son. Once in a while, she finds it difficult to step from one role to the other. She likes cooking, for instance, but she finds that it can be an irritating interruption when she's preoccupied with work on a novel, so the quality of her efforts in the kitchen tend to be a little erratic. She says, "As my husband once remarked, my writing gives life a fascinating element of uncertainly: one day a perfect coq au vin, the next day a couple of burned chops!"
Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Mills & Boon authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Kay now lives on the outskirts of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, along with husband, Tony, and a huge tabby cat called Mad Max, her one son having flown the coop. Some day she'll think about retiring, but not yet awhile.
In 1960, she married with Tony, but didn't begin thinking about trying her hand at writing for a living until she gave up work some four years later to have a baby, John. Having read Mills & Boon novels herself, and done some market research in the local library asking readers what it was they particularly liked about the books, she decided to aim for a particular market, and was fortunate to have her very first, completed manuscript accepted - The Last of the Mallorys, published in 1968. Since then she has written over seventy five books, which doesn't begin to compare with the output of some Mills & Boon authors, but still leaves her wondering where all those words came from.
Sometimes, she finds she has become two different people: the writer at her happiest when involved in the world of books and authors; and the housewife, turning her hands to the everyday needs of husband and son. Once in a while, she finds it difficult to step from one role to the other. She likes cooking, for instance, but she finds that it can be an irritating interruption when she's preoccupied with work on a novel, so the quality of her efforts in the kitchen tend to be a little erratic. She says, "As my husband once remarked, my writing gives life a fascinating element of uncertainly: one day a perfect coq au vin, the next day a couple of burned chops!"
Luckily Kay has daily professional help with her housework, and that leaves her time to indulge in her hobbies. Like many other Mills & Boon authors, she admits to being a voracious consumer of books, a quality she shares with her readers. She likes music and horseback riding, which she does in the countryside near her home. But her favorite hobby is travel - especially to places that will make good settings for her books.
Kay now lives on the outskirts of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, along with husband, Tony, and a huge tabby cat called Mad Max, her one son having flown the coop. Some day she'll think about retiring, but not yet awhile.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 14, 2020
Cute vintage romance set at a wildlife station in Kenya. Motherless heroine has been raised as a tomboy by an aloof, self-centered father, the Warden of said station. When he leaves hurriedly to England to attend his brother's funeral, she has to contend with his tyrannical, Alpha hunk of a replacement, who is none too pleased at having to babysit this scruffy curmudgeon on top of all his responsibilities.
Heroine pleasantly surprised me in that she was not constantly getting herself into scrapes or putting herself at risk just to one-up the hero, though she did feel very resentful of his high-handed ways.
Her genuine love for Kenya, her compassion for the wild animals on the reserve (she has a cute pet monkey and a little fawn she has rescued as part of her menagerie, and she also thwarts the mean poachers who have been killing rhinos to collect their horns), her respect for the Masai tribe that lives close by, were totally endearing without making her an annoying Mary Sue.
Hero was less likable though by no means one of KT's unrepentant asshole cheaters. There is some OW drama but hero doesn't really give her the time of day. He is besotted by heroine from Day One even though he is fighting his feelings like mad and not averse to punishing kisses and cutting remarks to keep poor heroine off-balance.
The OM drama is similarly subdued. The heroine and OM exchange a few kisses but it's not serious on either end and they fall into an easy platonic friendship.
The ending was SO cute. She gets summoned to England by her self-centered dad who has re-married there and doesn’t plan on returning to Kenya. Hero is so upset that he threatens to have her rescued fawn pawned off to a zoo if she leaves. Now, I knew he didn't mean a word, he was trying desperately to change her mind about leaving and finding an excuse for her to remain at the wildlife station without having to confess his feelings to her. But Heroine takes him at his word and decided to kidnap the beloved fawn and drive it to the OM's farm so it may live in freedom after heroine is forced to return to England. Hero realizes he has messed up and floors it in hot pursuit of the fawnnapping heroine across the Savannah. He thankfully catches her and the fawn in time to avow his love and beg her to give him the chance to make her fall in love with him.
The heroine returns with a fervent kiss that leaves no doubt about her loving him back, all OW/OM misunderstandings are clarified and we leave an ecstatic heroine back in her rightful place at the wildlife station with her warden husband, her pet monkey and a very relieved little fawn :)
Heroine pleasantly surprised me in that she was not constantly getting herself into scrapes or putting herself at risk just to one-up the hero, though she did feel very resentful of his high-handed ways.
Her genuine love for Kenya, her compassion for the wild animals on the reserve (she has a cute pet monkey and a little fawn she has rescued as part of her menagerie, and she also thwarts the mean poachers who have been killing rhinos to collect their horns), her respect for the Masai tribe that lives close by, were totally endearing without making her an annoying Mary Sue.
Hero was less likable though by no means one of KT's unrepentant asshole cheaters. There is some OW drama but hero doesn't really give her the time of day. He is besotted by heroine from Day One even though he is fighting his feelings like mad and not averse to punishing kisses and cutting remarks to keep poor heroine off-balance.
The OM drama is similarly subdued. The heroine and OM exchange a few kisses but it's not serious on either end and they fall into an easy platonic friendship.
The ending was SO cute. She gets summoned to England by her self-centered dad who has re-married there and doesn’t plan on returning to Kenya. Hero is so upset that he threatens to have her rescued fawn pawned off to a zoo if she leaves. Now, I knew he didn't mean a word, he was trying desperately to change her mind about leaving and finding an excuse for her to remain at the wildlife station without having to confess his feelings to her. But Heroine takes him at his word and decided to kidnap the beloved fawn and drive it to the OM's farm so it may live in freedom after heroine is forced to return to England. Hero realizes he has messed up and floors it in hot pursuit of the fawnnapping heroine across the Savannah. He thankfully catches her and the fawn in time to avow his love and beg her to give him the chance to make her fall in love with him.
The heroine returns with a fervent kiss that leaves no doubt about her loving him back, all OW/OM misunderstandings are clarified and we leave an ecstatic heroine back in her rightful place at the wildlife station with her warden husband, her pet monkey and a very relieved little fawn :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2021
Cute story of a 19 year-old heroine who gets her man after a makeover and three-week acquaintance. Heroine is a tomboy who has grown up on a game preserve in Kenya. She runs free with the animals, natives, and game keepers until the hero shows up to supervise while her father travels to England for a month.
Hero antagonizes heroine in the usual vintage way – twitting her about her looks, manners, unladylike ways – while also kissing her, threatening to spank her and telling her to grow up.
At one point he brings in his sister, an OW and her playboy brother in order to “civilize” the heroine.
It all works out in record time. I most enjoyed this for the descriptions of Kenya. I had just read Obama’s Dreams of My Father and the descriptions were very similar. For vintage lovers only.
Hero antagonizes heroine in the usual vintage way – twitting her about her looks, manners, unladylike ways – while also kissing her, threatening to spank her and telling her to grow up.
At one point he brings in his sister, an OW and her playboy brother in order to “civilize” the heroine.
It all works out in record time. I most enjoyed this for the descriptions of Kenya. I had just read Obama’s Dreams of My Father and the descriptions were very similar. For vintage lovers only.
October 11, 2025
Funny heroine and hero! Nice setting, nice supporting cast! Cute pets! Fun scenes! I will certainly re-read and may revise the rating and write a better review then. For now:
Check out Naksed's review for extra giggles :D
Check out Naksed's review for extra giggles :D
January 10, 2017
One of those where the guy only gives kisses to punish the gal before the HEA. He was a jerk.
May 21, 2016
A nice little romance set in Kenya. A young girl lives with her father, who manages a game reserve. Her uncle dies and her father goes back to England to sort out his late brother's estate. In the meantime the relief manager contracts malaria and that is where the Hero steps in. He is the quintessential alpha male, who makes sure that she is safe, rather than going out alone - and of course she takes exception to this. There is an other woman and man, who come into the picture for a short time but unsurprisingly they do get their HEA.
July 25, 2022
Interesting for the descriptions of 1970s Kenya, but not much romance ... harsh words, punishing kisses and groping don't constitute romance in my mind. The MMC was an arrogant, unlikeable jerk.
February 11, 2018
Nothing remarkably good or bad in this story. A bunch of British expats playing musical chair with their choice of partners !
There are 2 sets of a sister-brother duo. And then there is the heroine. They keep shifting their affections and finally except the hero and heroine all the other characters are simply dropped by the author !!
Set in the wild jungles of exotic Kenya, there is a lot wild life description in the book. And the heroine finally decides she prefers primitive but beautiful Kenya to good old Britain :)
Not to worry , the hero is not an African ! He is a Brit forest officer. And the girl is the erstwhile officer's wilful, carefree daughter.
Ok read. 3 stars.
There are 2 sets of a sister-brother duo. And then there is the heroine. They keep shifting their affections and finally except the hero and heroine all the other characters are simply dropped by the author !!
Set in the wild jungles of exotic Kenya, there is a lot wild life description in the book. And the heroine finally decides she prefers primitive but beautiful Kenya to good old Britain :)
Not to worry , the hero is not an African ! He is a Brit forest officer. And the girl is the erstwhile officer's wilful, carefree daughter.
Ok read. 3 stars.
September 14, 2023
7/10 I've come to expect bright sparkling writing from this author and she does not fail. The setting is well done. The heroine, with her adventurous defiant spirit, is fun. I didn't like how she kisses a few men. I think the author was trying to depict her path of maturing. The hero is a letdown, being ungentlemanlike. He would be accused of sexual assault these days. He kissed the heroine a few times against her will. The car chase ending was well done. Another low angst fun romance from Kay Thorpe that is enjoyable if you can get past the hero.
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November 27, 2019Cute
April 11, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up.
I like that the H and h names start with S and OW and OM’s start with D. Easy to remember.
I like that the H and h names start with S and OW and OM’s start with D. Easy to remember.
April 1, 2024
Sara lived with her father at Kambala in Kenya and was accustomed to do as she pleased there.
She certainly didn't think much of Steve York, the impossible man who came to take charge in her father's absence. "It's asking for trouble to run round a game reserve as if it were a play park," he told her.
Was Sara right to ignore him
She certainly didn't think much of Steve York, the impossible man who came to take charge in her father's absence. "It's asking for trouble to run round a game reserve as if it were a play park," he told her.
Was Sara right to ignore him
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews