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The Road Boss
Gemma was on her way to the outback to marry Bruce Mannering. Before she had even arrived there, she met Tim Torrance, who promptly informed her that she was making a great mistake. How dared he interfere?
But when Gemma actually met Bruce's family, she began to have the uneasy feeling that Tim might possibly have been right.
But when Gemma actually met Bruce's family, she began to have the uneasy feeling that Tim might possibly have been right.
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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18 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Dingwell
105 books14 followersEnid Joyce Owen Dingwell, née Starr, was born on 1908 in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. She wrote, as Joyce Dingwell and Kate Starr, 80 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1931 to 1986. She was the first Australian writer living in Australia to be published by Mills & Boon. Her novel The House in the Timberwood (1959), was made into a motion picture, The Winds of Jarrah (1983). Her work was particularly notable for its use of the Australian land, culture, and people. She passed away on 2 August 1997 in Kincumber, New South Wales.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 12, 2021
This cover made of awesome is by Don Besco.
Tim Torrance, Road Boss—that's not only axle grease, calf effluvia and sweat on the old sweatshirt he's wearing heroine—that's charm—and he oozes it whenever and wherever he shows up.
The first few chapters were entertaining. Gemma, after a whirlwind two week courtship in Sydney, is engaged to wealthy cattle station owner/stuffy killjoy Bruce Mannering. She packs up her car and is driving through the outback when a huge "road train" hauling cattle begins baring down on her. Bruce warned her about the so called road bosses, who he says are practically savages who can't be bothered to share the road with cars. In short order, the driver H manages to get her to stop, foists a newly birthed calf on her, buys her dinner (Tim cleans up nicely!) buys her an opal ring, finagles a few kisses, and mockingly refers to her as "the future Mrs. Mannering" while expressing doubts that a marriage will ever happen. Too soon he's back on the road and Gemma and calf are on their way as well.
No one comes right out and says it but people she meets on her travels don't like Bruce or his mother, and they and their property are referred to as "the Establishment". At this point I had hopes that a seamy underbelly would be revealed, you know, something like Barbara Stanwyck lusting over a priest lusting over ason niece but no, matriarch Mannering basically blands everyone to boredom with her firm will, snobbery, and strict adherence to propriety; it's soon obvious to Gemma that she and the Mannerings don't really suit.
If only her gradual extraction from the Establishment—which takes most of the book—included more of Tim, but until the end of chapter 9 he only makes a few brief appearances and it's the book's biggest flaw. However in one of these, after an angry misunderstanding, Tim grabs and plants a punishing kiss on Gemma then lets her go and storms off; never noticing that upon release from his clutches, Gemma, unbalanced, hits her head against a ledge, passes out and lays in the barn unconscious for two days! As I remember it Tim never even finds out about this—so kind of weird but it was an attention getter during the fairly plodding middle chapters.
Tim and Gemma are finally brought back together by a run-of-the-mills&boon extraordinary natural disaster including a few gratuitous deaths, and the book ends with a sweet ILY scene. This exceeded expectations—I can definitely see myself re-reading chaps. 1-3 in their entirety then just skimming for Tim's name in the future
Tim Torrance, Road Boss—that's not only axle grease, calf effluvia and sweat on the old sweatshirt he's wearing heroine—that's charm—and he oozes it whenever and wherever he shows up.
The first few chapters were entertaining. Gemma, after a whirlwind two week courtship in Sydney, is engaged to wealthy cattle station owner/stuffy killjoy Bruce Mannering. She packs up her car and is driving through the outback when a huge "road train" hauling cattle begins baring down on her. Bruce warned her about the so called road bosses, who he says are practically savages who can't be bothered to share the road with cars. In short order, the driver H manages to get her to stop, foists a newly birthed calf on her, buys her dinner (Tim cleans up nicely!) buys her an opal ring, finagles a few kisses, and mockingly refers to her as "the future Mrs. Mannering" while expressing doubts that a marriage will ever happen. Too soon he's back on the road and Gemma and calf are on their way as well.
No one comes right out and says it but people she meets on her travels don't like Bruce or his mother, and they and their property are referred to as "the Establishment". At this point I had hopes that a seamy underbelly would be revealed, you know, something like Barbara Stanwyck lusting over a priest lusting over a
If only her gradual extraction from the Establishment—which takes most of the book—included more of Tim, but until the end of chapter 9 he only makes a few brief appearances and it's the book's biggest flaw. However in one of these, after an angry misunderstanding, Tim grabs and plants a punishing kiss on Gemma then lets her go and storms off; never noticing that upon release from his clutches, Gemma, unbalanced, hits her head against a ledge, passes out and lays in the barn unconscious for two days! As I remember it Tim never even finds out about this—so kind of weird but it was an attention getter during the fairly plodding middle chapters.
Tim and Gemma are finally brought back together by a run-of-the-mills&boon extraordinary natural disaster including a few gratuitous deaths, and the book ends with a sweet ILY scene. This exceeded expectations—I can definitely see myself re-reading chaps. 1-3 in their entirety then just skimming for Tim's name in the future
January 26, 2025
"If the gem should ever leave its box,' call up the Territorian."
The rational h believes she’s too old (she’s 26) to be swept off her feet. She’s lucky to meet a gorgeous young man who proposes 2 weeks after meeting her. So here she is on her way to marry him with a wedding cake on her front seat and the wedding dress behind her, when a newborn calf is unceremoniously dropped into her car by the ‘road boss’. Thus ruining her wedding paraphernalia, planting the seeds of doubt into her mind and proving she’s not too old to feel the butterflies in her stomach.
The h likes to play the part of the obtuse and simple-minded country bumpkin. That’s why I understand the h’s doubts about his sincerity.
I admire her for her ability to read the room. She calmly and rationally analyses the motives and behavior of her fiancé, his mother, sisters and neighbors. She’s good judge of character.
The H is a rare visitor on the pages of this book. We hardly ever see him and as I’ve said before it’s hard to say of he’s serious or playing some trick.
The rational h believes she’s too old (she’s 26) to be swept off her feet. She’s lucky to meet a gorgeous young man who proposes 2 weeks after meeting her. So here she is on her way to marry him with a wedding cake on her front seat and the wedding dress behind her, when a newborn calf is unceremoniously dropped into her car by the ‘road boss’. Thus ruining her wedding paraphernalia, planting the seeds of doubt into her mind and proving she’s not too old to feel the butterflies in her stomach.
The h likes to play the part of the obtuse and simple-minded country bumpkin. That’s why I understand the h’s doubts about his sincerity.
I admire her for her ability to read the room. She calmly and rationally analyses the motives and behavior of her fiancé, his mother, sisters and neighbors. She’s good judge of character.
The H is a rare visitor on the pages of this book. We hardly ever see him and as I’ve said before it’s hard to say of he’s serious or playing some trick.
October 20, 2009
My first introduction to the Australian outback and "Dreamtime" I received by reading The Road Boss as age 15. I loved Dingwell's descriptions of the land. She was great at writing about her country and the romances were pretty good too as I remember.
August 27, 2024
If only this was not about the hero taking cattle to the slaughter house...
I wish the hero had been in it more, but it's oddly compelling, and the heroine is lovely. She adopts the calf at the beginning (but it's hard to get past the poor mother cow on the way to her death), and Harriet the calf is adorable. A few misunderstandings, the usual natural disaster, deaths and a really CUTE HEA.
I wish the hero had been in it more, but it's oddly compelling, and the heroine is lovely. She adopts the calf at the beginning (but it's hard to get past the poor mother cow on the way to her death), and Harriet the calf is adorable. A few misunderstandings, the usual natural disaster, deaths and a really CUTE HEA.
October 9, 2017
Depressing and unlogical. Part one good second part is bad so rushed with unreasonable situation happened.
February 25, 2015
My favorite Dingwell book so far. Gemma is engaged to be married to Bruce Mannering. On her way to his home she meets "the road boss" driving a truck train loaded with cattle and there fate takes a hand and her adventure begins.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews