Kowhai Country

by Gloria Bevan

Janey had had such high hopes. New Zealand meant a new life with their aunt for her and her young brother. Sadly, on arrival, she learned they'd be on their own. No wonder she jumped at the school supervisor's job on the Hunter brothers' sprawling ranch. But Andrew Hunter was skeptical; Janey was too young, too attractive. Janey fumed. He mistrusted her because he'd been hurt by someone she resembled. She'd show him...if only she could control her treacherous feelings.

Genres: Harlequin Romance

187 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1979

About the author

Gloria 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

Reviews

[Margo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a lot of potential, but the h was maddening and alarmingly passive. Her passivity hurt others more than herself: She allowed herself to be used in a cruel trick against another woman and only cared because the H was appalled (-100 sisterhood points); and she was prepared to take a child from an idyllic situation to a dreary one because she didn't think she'd be able to convince the H about something (-100 points human decency points).

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author wasted so many opportunities for angst!

Orphaned heroine and her young brother travel to the South Island of NZ from England to meet their only living relative. They wait a day at a boarding house on the edge of “civilization” only to discover their aunt is dead. Heroine ends up taking a tutoring/governess job on a remote sheep station that belongs to the hero.

There really isn’t a lot of sexual tension/combativeness between the two. The heroine is too busy learning the ropes and fending off a crop duster pilot to devote too much time mooning over the disaproving hero.

So, while this was interesting in that Essie Summers kind of way, the romance was flat.

[Tonya Warner]

A light enjoyable story.

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lighthearted enjoyable story. I would definitely read another by this author.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's understated, so you have to use your perception to determine the emotions of the hero in parts, and it's so very cute. She's adorable - almost 20, big brown eyes, sweet yet firm, and totally in love within days of meeting the sheep farming hero. He's 30-ish, a little disillusioned (there's an OW in the past also from England that let him down, but no OW in the current time), solid and capable, and hugely smitten despite himself as he thinks she might be too city to stay in the outback. There are lots of really sweet moments, and some angst about two OM, and a lovely happy ending.
The Mills & Boon cover (1979) that I have is much prettier than the one shown here.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janey has to live down the reputation of her predecessor when she takes a job supervising lessons at an outback cattle station.