Brave Heart (Harlequin Historical No. 171)

Rating:
Summary: The best indian historical novel ever written!
Review: I have read this book at least five times and will read it more in the furture. I am a lover of indian novels and this is a must read! This is the first story I've read where the hero and heroine relationship does not begin with the heroine being a virgin. Which in any other novel would have condemn the story to destruction from the beginning. But in this novel it was a necessity and therefore gave vibrant life to both main characters and their actions. I have read many indian historical novels in my time, too many to count. Many of them have come close to outdoing this one, but none have succeeded.

Rating:
Summary: One word: incredible!!
Review: Serena Rogan has only known pain from men and white society. An immigrant from Ireland, where she starved in the streets after her parents died, she was sold to Blackjack Kingston, a cruel miner who chained her to a bed, raped her for four months, horribly scarred her, and then left her to die in the South Dakota wilderness. Serena, alone in the wilderness, hears a group of Lakota women being raped and comes to their rescue, saving the life of at least one Lakota child with the group, but sustains injuries herself. The Lakota, thankful for her help, take her back to their village, and she is placed in the tent of Black Wolf, the tribe's medicine man.

Black Wolf, intune with the spirit world as the medicine man of his Lakota tribe, instantly names Serena "Cante Tinza," or Brave Heart. He can see that her heart is brave, but she has been mistreated for so long, would she ever learn to trust a man and grow to love him? He's determined to be gentle and show her the way love is supposed to be, but there are so many obstacles to their love - Serena's distrust of men, a jealous Lakota maiden, Blackjack Kingston, to name a few - will their tender love be allowed to bloom, or will it be crushed before it has a chance to heal both of them?

I was in awe of the historical detail of this book - the author's knowledge of Lakota customs, from the mundane to the sacred, is absolutely incredible! For the historical detail alone, the book earns at least 5 stars, but interwoven with the history is such a tender love story, tears were brought to my eyes several times over.

Cante Tinza (Serena) is such a wonderful heroine, and Black Wolf is the perfect hero. Neither are the typical stereotypes found in many historical romance novels. Black Wolf is not an arrogant jerk, but is a healer, a lover, someone who treats women with respect and kindness. Cante Tinza (Serena) is not the starry-eyed virgin who is repulsed by prejudice against Native Americans. It's quite easy to see how love develops between them and sustains them through it all.

This book was absolutely amazing and incredible, easily one of my favorite historical romance novels ever! I am definitely placing this book on my keeper shelf, and I imagine that I will read the book several more times in the future, just to immerse myself in such a tender love story between two absolutely wonderful characters.

Rating:
Summary: One word: incredible!!
Review: Serena Rogan has only known pain from men and white society. An immigrant from Ireland, where she starved in the streets after her parents died, she was sold to Blackjack Kingston, a cruel miner who chained her to a bed, raped her for four months, horribly scarred her, and then left her to die in the South Dakota wilderness. Serena, alone in the wilderness, hears a group of Lakota women being raped and comes to their rescue, saving the life of at least one Lakota child with the group, but sustains injuries herself. The Lakota, thankful for her help, take her back to their village, and she is placed in the tent of Black Wolf, the tribe's medicine man.

Black Wolf, intune with the spirit world as the medicine man of his Lakota tribe, instantly names Serena "Cante Tinza," or Brave Heart. He can see that her heart is brave, but she has been mistreated for so long, would she ever learn to trust a man and grow to love him? He's determined to be gentle and show her the way love is supposed to be, but there are so many obstacles to their love - Serena's distrust of men, a jealous Lakota maiden, Blackjack Kingston, to name a few - will their tender love be allowed to bloom, or will it be crushed before it has a chance to heal both of them?

I was in awe of the historical detail of this book - the author's knowledge of Lakota customs, from the mundane to the sacred, is absolutely incredible! For the historical detail alone, the book earns at least 5 stars, but interwoven with the history is such a tender love story, tears were brought to my eyes several times over.

Cante Tinza (Serena) is such a wonderful heroine, and Black Wolf is the perfect hero. Neither are the typical stereotypes found in many historical romance novels. Black Wolf is not an arrogant jerk, but is a healer, a lover, someone who treats women with respect and kindness. Cante Tinza (Serena) is not the starry-eyed virgin who is repulsed by prejudice against Native Americans. It's quite easy to see how love develops between them and sustains them through it all.

This book was absolutely amazing and incredible, easily one of my favorite historical romance novels ever! I am definitely placing this book on my keeper shelf, and I imagine that I will read the book several more times in the future, just to immerse myself in such a tender love story between two absolutely wonderful characters.

Rating:
Summary: Great Native American Historical
Review: This is the first book I read by Lindsay McKenna and I have to admit that it is the best Native American historical romance that I've read so far. She left all the sterotypes that seem to attach themselves to these types of books at the door. I really felt like Wolf was a Native American instead of a white man in a Native American body. I liked that she made Wolf the gentleman that Serena/Brave Heart needed after being raped. Like I said before, she writes these types of books well, unlike some writers who shouldn't write these types of books at all. I think my favorite part about the book was the fact that instead of Wolf being this warrior type "I am the man, no one is better than me, I have such a big ego...", he was a medicine man who was not only a good father, but husband as well.

Rating:
Summary: Great Native American Historical
Review: This is the first book I read by Lindsay McKenna and I have to admit that it is the best Native American historical romance that I've read so far. She left all the sterotypes that seem to attach themselves to these types of books at the door. I really felt like Wolf was a Native American instead of a white man in a Native American body. I liked that she made Wolf the gentleman that Serena/Brave Heart needed after being raped. Like I said before, she writes these types of books well, unlike some writers who shouldn't write these types of books at all. I think my favorite part about the book was the fact that instead of Wolf being this warrior type "I am the man, no one is better than me, I have such a big ego...", he was a medicine man who was not only a good father, but husband as well.