Caroline and the Raider

Orphan Train #3

by Linda Lael Miller

Holding her lovely head high, Wyoming schoolmistress Caroline Chalmers did what no lady should: she marched right into the local saloon to see the dashing and reckless Guthrie Hayes. Worse still, she went to ask him for help. She needed the former Confederate raider to plan a jailbreak to rescue her fiancé, Seaton Flynn, from the hangman's noose. An orphan by spinster sisters, Caroline was prepared do almost anything to save her beloved Seaton.
So why did her breath suddenly become a shivery sigh when she looked into Hayes's twinkling green eyes? Too late Caroline knew how perilous her request really was, for this strong and daring ex-soldier would refuse her nothing no matter how dangerous...but first he intended to teach her everthing about the power of a man's love, beginning with a shameless odyssey to ectasy in his arms....

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical, Western Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction

388 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West. Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a spacious property outside Spokane.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold Fletcher’s Woman in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, mysteries and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Long a passionate Civil War buff, Linda has studied the era avidly for almost thirty years. She has read literally hundreds of books on the subject, explored numerous battlegrounds and made many visits to her favorite, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where she has witnessed re-enactments of the legendary clash between North and South. Linda explores that turbulent time in The Yankee Widow, a May 7, 2019 MIRA Books hardcover, also available in digital and audiobook formats.
Dedicated to helping others, “The First Lady of the West” personally financed fifteen years of her Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women, which she awarded to women 25 years and older who were seeking to improve their lot in life through education. She anticipates that her next charitable endeavors will benefit four-legged critters.
More information about Linda and her novels is available at www.lindalaelmiller.com, on Facebook and from Nancy Berland Public Relations, nancy@nancyberland.com, 405-206-4748.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caroline and the Raider is my least favorite of the Orphan Train series. Caroline was foolish, immature, naive, and tstl. Truly the way she acted made me crazy. I couldn't believe this woman was a teacher. She didn't have the sense God gave a goose and she was allowed to mold young minds. God help them all! Guthrie really wasn't much better. He took Caroline's V-card while planning the whole time to marry another woman. He was very up front with the fact that he was using Caroline and she just let him. He was rude all the time and I didn't really see anything appealing about him. I didn't care for them as a couple. On top of that they had way way wayyyyyyyyyyyy to much sex in this book. It was like 50% sex 50% plot. And Caroline could have the big O just from Guthrie's words. It was so over the top. I did like the plot for the most part but I would have dnfed the book had I not wanted to see the sisters get back together so badly. The problem with that was it didn't happen til the last few minutes of the book. Overall this was just an okay read for me. I like Linda Lael Miller's writing style and I loved the audio narrator but didn't care for the couple.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★½ I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book, but not recently. I wanted to see if it still held its appeal, since my tastes have changed over the years. Though just a smidgen dated, Caroline and the Raider is the third, last, and best (IMHO) of the Orphan Train trilogy, by Ms. Miller written in 1992. Goddess, I wished she still wrote like this. Her books have changed over the years, and I still pick them up, but I liked her “voice” better back then. Or maybe it is because it is a historical romance, with the added bonus of being a western; combined, these two make for my favorite genre. Plus, it has a wonderful dog named “Tob” who likes his whisky too much; it's fun guessing what that acronym means.

Caroline Chalmers is one determined schoolmistress, convinced her fiancé, Seaton Flynn, is innocent of a stagecoach robbery and murder; she seeks out Guthrie Hayes at the Hellfire and Spit Saloon (I just love that name, LOL!) and has the audacity to ask him to break her intended out of jail. Though it is more than a decade after the Civil War, Guthrie would just as soon everyone not know he broke a group of prisoners out of a desolate Yankee prison. I like that Guthrie gives in gradually to Caroline, first saying “No!” outright to the prim little dynamo, then that he’ll interview the witnesses, and so on down the line – to his eventual capitulation.

When Caroline states she wants to go with him, again he takes a firm stand, and can’t hold it when she follows along behind, creating another favorite of mine: road trip! They travel some rugged Wyoming terrain, have some narrow escapes, and end up making love in some unusual places: from rolling in the hay of an abandon barn, to boulders and tree branches (!) – these are two stubborn people who refuse to admit their love. Guthrie is determined to hold on to his dream of Adabelle Rogers, a woman with whom he has a “particular promise”. I sometimes felt he was a hare’s breath from hanging onto this ideal too long, was pretty bossy and chauvinistic toward Caroline, and directed the course of their relationship too much; but, then I remembered Caroline is just as single-minded in her belief of her betrothed – and most everything else she decides to do. What can I say? **shrugs shoulders** It worked for me.

[Addicted2Luv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book number three in the Orphan Train trilogy. Caroline Chalmers, a school marm, takes off cross-country with Guthrie Hayes, a Civil War raider, to fetch her supposedly falsely accused fiance from jail. They end up having adventures, including bathing in creeks, making love on rocks, tree limbs, and other objects found in nature. By the time she gets to the jail, she's decided she doesn't want to marry her fiance after all, in jail or out. I enjoyed the book.

[Salma · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series just didn't work for me.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess in the end I liked it more than I supposed I would. Hero is great and as always this is more important than heroine being a little TSTL. I wonder if author wrote a story about hero's friend Roy and his new love interest? I think I would like to read that. I'm not so interested in the sisters' stories as I am about him.
Caroline seems a little bit out of her time and more like a nowadays woman. It would be ok if at the same time she wouldn't be too naïve and fell for that nasty hangman. Even when she already knows she loves Guthrie she still tries to free Flynn. I always thought you should trust person you love but I guess this is not the way in romances. Well, Guthrie haven't told her details of his inquiries but I'm not sure how could he retell hooker's story to a lady. And anyway, if they were not pressed to chase Flynn the story would definitely be shorter and less exciting.

[Catheryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe 3.5

Caroline definitely caused all the conflicts in the book, but it was all done with good intentions. It took a bit for me to get into the story.

They are pretty sweet with each other and at times they both seemed a bit silly. This was definitely an adventure/road trip type story for most of the story. They both didn't communicate that well but still I enjoyed the story. The ending was so sweet and Guthrie was over the moon in love with her.

So far, I prefer the Stone Creek series, but this one was still good.

[Christine (Cagnes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[PlumIsTooRipe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up (DNF)
I rarely DNF a book, but this just wasn't my cuppa... I can't even articulate why? The writer is obviously skilled, but my attention kept wandering.
This may be on me rather than her, so will try again at some point.

[Blueglass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very similar relationship vibe as in the first of the series. Two people are kind of thrown together and annoy each other, but at the same time have incredible sex. The amount of back and forth between Caroline and Guthrie was a little exhausting at times, particularly from her. The premise was that Caroline, a prim schoolteacher, wanted Guthrie, a miner and raider, to break her fiancé, Seaton, out of jail. She believes that Seaton is innocent of the stagecoach robbery and murder even though he was convicted.
I found this part to be a little bizarre because how naive can you be? She is a schoolteacher and has a reputation to protect. Even if he was innocent, jail breaking is a serious crime. Apparently, she did not know this, as we see when she is in fact, thrown in jail.
Guthrie promised that he would think about it her proposition after he talked to Seaton. However, he then determined that he was guilty and would not participate in Caroline's scheme. That did not stop her though. She brings a gun to jail which Seaton uses to hold her hostage until he could be released. In about 5 minutes, she sees Seaton's true character and now wants to recapture him. Unfortunately, she is now in jail, much to her disbelief. Not only was she surprised, but she was indignant. Caroline was a real piece of work.
I always like forced proximity/on the road romances because we get to see how the togetherness brings two people together who might not have been. I liked how they would argue a bit, but then get themselves all worked up in a state of passion. Even though both of them were betrothed to others, they could quickly see how right they were for each other.
One complaint was the subplot of finding her sisters that she last saw on the orphan train. I did not like it in the first book either. It just seemed like an unnecessary plot device. This author writes an interesting story most of the time, but is not my favorite.

[marceline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf when the heroine went and finally made the stupid decision to free her ex-fiance and got herself locked up in the process. I was hoping that she’d grew sense over the course of the book but no— she wouldn’t listen to reason and we don’t really get why she is determined to do this very illegal thing apart from her dream of having a husband. There is really no strong connection between the two that could convince us that Caroline could really believe he was innocent. It would have been different if he had saved her life once before or if even if he was a childhood friend who she knew for a very long time. I have no idea why she thinks that she can free a convicted man about to hang, then proceed to have her peaceful life again right after. I don’t think anyone could be as dumb as that. And that just makes me angry.

Another thing about this book is that Caroline repeatedly allows the hero to have sex with her even if the hero is vocally expressing how he would marry some other girl and how he will up and leave her. I should like to think that women could have enough self control to demand a little respect from a man before laying with him.

[A Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this entire trilogy. I found Emma and the Outlaw at a secondhand mercantile and finished the book within a day. Then found Lily and the Major at a thrift store and finally finished with Caroline and the Raider on audio. Finished the entire 3 books within a week! I’m going to miss these stories but am excited to share them with my friends and family. Caroline’s story was my favorite, followed by Emma and then Lily. The author keeps you on your toes the entire time, with so many twists and turns.. and MANY happy endings. Highly recommend this series. And Phooey on those who can’t take all the heat.. get out of the kitchen 😉

[raiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me just say the cover is so pretty. I think this is my first Linda's book and i really like the writing. However, i dislike the heroine. I just hate it when the girls are stubborn for no reasons and not thinking of the consequences. As someone who is a chronic overthinker , i can't relate to this behaviour and i hate it because why are you not taking time to think but just do everything so hastily. You need to marinate everything, at least 24 hours. But the hero is really hot. He's so patient with her and treats her good when she's being a total idiot :(

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have listened to all the books in this series via Audible. The narrator was great! This last book started out great but I got so frustrated with all the dumb things Caroline did. She was supposed to be the oldest but she acted so immature and impulsive. Also, I enjoy some steam but the sex just went on and on...I found myself fast forwarding through it. Caroline and Guthrie had sex everywhere...This was my least fav of the series.

[Liane Heffernan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book so much. I wish that there could be more books with the sisters together now tjat they'vefound eachother. I was so sad it ended. Emma and the Outlaw was my absolute favorite out of the series, but they were all fabulous. I wish I could reread them again for the first time. So so so goood!!!!

[Judy Chavez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book just like all of Linda Lael Millers books. However, she could have left out a couple of the lovemaking moments. They started getting too repetitive. Same movements over and over. Don’t leave them out......they are fun.

[Jacque Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Final round

The sisters are finally all together again!!! Wonderful stories and full of life and love! There is wonderful descriptions of life in the 1800s. Joy and fears and full of life. Brave women and strong men.

[LHC Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW

What a great series and the last book was just as good as the first two. She writes stories true to the period in history. I hope she continues with these historical western series. Plan on reading all her books.

[uswa · Rating 1 out of 5]

someone recommended me this but i don't remember who- whoever you are be so fr this was SO bad and anachronistic in all the wrong ways. i HATE him like he just resides in the woods, never showers, all his life choices are so concerning and she's a racist doormat like pick a struggle.

[Jazmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had a bit too much sex for my tastes, but the romance is passionate and the plot is well written and intense. Loved the heat between Caroline & Guthrie.

[Deborah Gaspar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written romance

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two reluctant people find love in the midst of hunting for their common enemy. I will read this author again.

[JudyAnnLovesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars ⭐️

[Karmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious

[Murphi Chevalier · Rating 2 out of 5]

i picked up this book from a free library in medora, ND and read it during our summer roadtrip. it was so bad it was entertaining and at least gave me something to do in the passenger seat 😁

[Michelle Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, at times is very serious. But for the most part is like a western version of a I love lucy show, so very funny and at times all you want to do is shake some sense into caroline.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because I'd already read the first two books of this series (even though I didn't rate either above 3 stars), I decided to find out how the sisters got together again. I wasn't impressed with this book either.

Caroline, the eldest, was the first child (of 3 sisters) who was taken from the orphan train. She was taken in by two older sisters, who were on their way to Wyoming Territory. By the second chapter, Caroline is a grown woman, teaching school in the community where she and the elderly sisters reside.

However, she is engaged to a man who is accused and convicted of robbery and murder. Caroline is sure Seaton Flynn is innocent and wants to help him escape from his pending hanging. She hears about a famous (or infamous) Rebel raider, Gutherie Hayes, and pesters him to help her.

Now, few in town believe Seaton Flynn. Caroline's guardians are certainly not believing in the young man and hope she will find someone else soon. I thought the author did a smart thing in giving Caroline the passion to chase after someone to help her. Because of her past history, Caroline NEEDED to believe in her fiancee.

School teachers were pillars of the community; people who carefully weighed controversies before taking a stand. Caroline's behavior just didn't fit a teacher's level headed psyche. Teachers could lose their jobs for just looking like they were thinking of doing something wrong. If you like lots of sex scenes, this is the book for you. However, I got bored and skipped pages regularly. I thought the book was very average; I stuck to the end to find out about the three sisters who were separated on the orphan train.

The Orphan Train
Lily and the Major
Emma and the Outlaw
Caroline and the Raider

[Christy A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like some of her others better.

Too much sex and not enough plot and character development, although I read every word. Ha ha! Check out some over Miller’s later works.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last book in a 3 book series. I don't know how I do it, but I'm always drawn to series and end up getting the last in the series and then having to backtrack. This book is a good stand alone book and and isn't necessary to read the other two. I'll still need to look up the other two stories so I can read about the other sister's :) I loved this story, and so far, Linda Lael Miller hasn't written a book I haven't loved. This story is based on the Life of Caroline. Her mother gave up her and her other two sister's and put them on the orphan train back in the 1800's. Caroline was taken in by two spinster sister's when she was 8 and left to wonder about where her sister's ended up. She comes to love her wards that took her in. Once she's grown, Caroline thinks she has fallon in love, come to find out that her love is accused of robbery and murder and is sentenced to hang. Trusting that she knows the man she loves, Caroline sets out to prove him innocent and break him out of jail if possible. She ellicits the help of Guthrie Hayes, an ex-soilder with his own sorrid past. These two have incredible sparks and their sexual chemistry jumps off the page. I'm not a huge fan of historicals, but I loved this book

[Saadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I have always liked L.L. Miller featuring western characters. This story struck me as pretty pornographic all in all. I lost count of the times when the two characters have mind-boggling sex in all possible venues, at the drop of a hat. What's up with that? All other characters seem to fade in the woodwork in comparison, except for the requisite villain. I am having a little bit of trouble believing that Caroline manages to grow up for 13 yrs or so without making any waves, then turns into this impulsive, feisty, convention-defying woman who falls into this sexual haze with a man she barely knows - Guthrie. Maybe the point is that the helpless sexual attraction unlocks heretofore unplumbed facets of her personality?

At the beginning of the novel, the heroine loses track of her two sisters while on the Orphan Train. At the end, the 3 sisters are reunited, now all grown young women, married and with families.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

great series!!

Holding her lovely head high, Wyoming schoolmistress Caroline Chalmers did what no lady should: she marched right into the local saloon to see the dashing and reckless Guthrie Hayes. Worse still, she went to ask him for help. She needed the former Confederate raider to plan a jailbreak to rescue her fiancé, Seaton Flynn, from the hangman's noose. An orphan by spinster sisters, Caroline was prepared do almost anything to save her beloved Seaton.
So why did her breath suddenly become a shivery sigh when she looked into Hayes's twinkling green eyes? Too late Caroline knew how perilous her request really was, for this strong and daring ex-soldier would refuse her nothing no matter how dangerous...but first he intended to teach her everything about the power of a man's love, beginning with a shameless odyssey to ecstasy in his arms.