Caleb's Kingdom

Glenorchy #6

by Essie Summers

Following the death of her cheating fiance, journalist Greta Mountford moves to a New Zealand sheep and deer farm. The return of farm owner Caleb Armstrong heralds the end of her new found peace of mind. For his presence, and her attraction to him, is far too disturbing for comfort.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Romance

224 pages, Library Binding

Published September 1, 1996

About the author

Essie Summers was a New Zealand author who wrote so vividly of the people and landscape of her native country that she was offered The Order Of the British Empire for her contributions to New Zealand tourism.

Ethel Snelson Summers was born on on July 24, 1912 to a newly-emigrated couple, Ethel Snelson and Edwin Summers, situated in Bordesley Street in Christchurch, Essie was always proud of both her British heritage and her New Zealand citizenship. Both her parents were exceptional storytellers, and this, combined with her early introduction to the Anne of Green Gables stories, engendered in her a life-long fascination with the craft of writing and the colorful legacy of pioneers everywhere.

Leaving school at 14 when her father's butcher shop experienced financial difficulties, she worked for a number of years in draper's shops and later turned her experiences to good use in writing the romantic novels for which she became famous.

She met her husband-to-be William Flett when she was only 13 years old, but it was 13 years before she consented to marry him. A minister's wife and the mother of two, William and Elizabeth, she still found many opportunities to pen short stories, poetry and newspaper columns before embarking on her first novel, which sold to the firm of Mills & Boon in 1956.

Summers died in Taradale, Hawkes Bay on the August 27, 1998.

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Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The heroine here can do no wrong. A combination of Mother Teresa and a Disney Princess. She can singlehandedly man a rescue mission while under attack in Afghanistan. She can ride donkeys and horses. She can teach kids, wax lyrical about Lord Nelson, appreciate the simple things in life, sing old timey songs, AND put a pathetic loser OW in her place while still having the time and energy to save the entire free world, one atom at a time.





The hero gifts her a pair of donkeys to signify his love. I don't think I need to say more on that.



If all that isn't enough, the heroine also manages to forgive the slime-swilling, cheating fiance and the mutual "friend" who'd been having a sexy affair behind her back just days from her wedding date. And they had been having that affair in the country cottage the slime-swiller had suggested to the heroine for THEIR honeymoon. When these two sacks of excrement get themselves killed in a car accident, all the heroine can feel is guilt that she must have somehow driven them to it. Later, when the vile twin sister of the dead hussy follows her all the way to New Zealand to spit venom at her, she manages to soothe her and forgive her too!

I really wanted her to join a therapy group or a Lars von Trier film or something. Insane!

[Fiona Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of Essie Summers Severn House books. While continuing in the same vein of her earlier writing including meeting up with characters from her Mills & Boon books, they are fractionally longer and harder to find.

This is the story of Greta Mountford a journalist who needs to escape from her old life after the horrific death of her fiance in a car accident only hours after she finds out he has been cheating on her with a work colleague.

Greta travels to New Zealand, taking up a governess job on an isolated property not far from Murdoch and Theresa Gunn from The Gold of Noon. The owner of the property is away in Europe and she has three weeks to settle down before his return.

When he does return, hasty tempers mean an awkward first meeting but things soon change. The communication between these two is a little better than the usual in Summer's books but we have the usual ingredients of children, old friends a misunderstanding and an evil other woman.

A nice story and very enjoyable.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot of things about this book, ESPECIALLY that there was no big menacing misunderstanding or miscommunication between the romantic leads... not even the one I thought might happen. So that's a win! Also, as usual, I appreciate the loving descriptions of New Zealand farm life and community.
I may have felt that some dialogue didn't quite land, that the writing could have used a little polish, that it's a bit long, and that there is a bit too much kissiness, but I understand this is one of Essie Summers' later books, and of course things can get a bit uneven with late-career work. Still, I enjoyed that it didn't fall into some obvious trope traps. And Greta's background with a father who is a peacekeeper/mediator on an international level was well played in a scene near the end of the novel... a scene which earned its very own essay in the appendix and that has evidently been used in anger management classes. Color me impressed.

[Bea Tea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very pleasant, easy going read. I loved the h so much, she was calm and intelligent and straight up honest. And the communication here folks, was gold standard! The h and H TALK to each other, openly and honestly, about pretty much everything. Nobody kept a secret, nobody misunderstood each other, nobody got the wrong end of the stick and flew off in a snit - there was a glorious set-up with the OW potentially being a scheming evil presence but the H was like 'nope' and nipped that in the bud. Dear reader, I have never seen a scheming OW dealt with such speedy efficiency.

I sadly couldn't go the full five starts as the book did meander a little here and there. I thought it was very charming, but so much of it felt like a lazy wander to nowhere just for the sake of absorbing some nice scenery.

[Jane Irish Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably 3.5 stars. Somehow this one seemed to go on a little too long. When Greta discovers her fiance had betrayed her, she never got a chance to break the engagement before he died. Wanting to get away, she goes to New Zealand, where her mother was born, and takes a job as a governess on a remote sheep station — though not as remote as it used to be. She fits in perfectly, but the owner, Caleb Armstrong, is away, and she worries about his reaction. Naturally he is atagonistic to begin with — or there wouldn't be much of a story. But Greta can't trust her feelings, wondering if once again she wants a home and a place to belong more than the man himself. Enjoyable, but not the author's best.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caleb meets Greta under horrific circumstances and gets a terrible impression of her. When he finds a new governess/teacher at his sheep station he does not recognize her. Greta is a little too good to be true as a heroine but Caleb is a man who knows his own mind, patient and clear in his motives all through the entire book. No misunderstandings when other women appears to make trouble and stands by Greta when another woman appears with accusations. Nice for a change.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the last books that Essie Summers wrote over a forty year period and she returns to one of her favourite areas in New Zealand near Queenstown. Long before Glenorchy became famous as a location for the Lord of the Ring movies, she described the setting and live on the sheep stations in such vivid detail that she was offered an OBE for her services to New Zealand tourism and I understand why. On my previous visit to New Zealand, I loved the South Island scenery based on her descriptions. On finishing this book, I went in search of my husband to confirm when his next work trip to that part of the world is scheduled (only in 2018!), but am definitely coming along.

Some of the characters from earlier books make guest appearances including Gideon Darroch from A Place Called Paradise, Giles and Lucinda from A Touch of Magic (one of my all time favourite books by the author) and Theresa from The Gold of Noon.

The romance between Caleb and Greta is well-developed and both are interesting characters thrown together in a beautiful, but remote and challenging area. I loved the book.