REVIEWS
The warm romance between the stars of LAKOTA LOVE STORY is set amidst a panoramic look at the Lakota nation as only Madeline Baker could so vividly describe the era. The story line is exciting; never slowing down as the action continues non-stop throughout the plot. Though the characters are typical of the sub-genre in terms of extreme prejudice or tolerance, the lead couple is a charming pair. The author bakes a powerful novel that sub-genre fans will appreciate.
Harriet Klausner
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Romance Reviews Today said:
Kaylee Matthews lived in the East until the death of her father and her mother's remarriage when she was fourteen. Since then she's lived in the Dakota territories, and while she misses some of the amenities of her old life, she loves the freedom of her life in the territory. Accustomed to riding and roping with the cowhands and her best friend Randy, Kaylee has no desire to marry the neighboring rancher and settle down. While Kaylee and Randy are out riding they come across a wounded Indian brave, and against Randy's very vocal protest, Kaylee takes him to an empty shack to nurse him back to health. Kaylee has always had a soft spot for wounded animals, and she certainly can't bring herself to let a human suffer.
Blue Hawk is prepared to die, and even though he wants revenge on the white man who betrayed him, he doesn't believe he will survive to take his revenge or return to his people. While lying in the desert, bleeding and thirsty, Blue Hawk is sent a vision that surprises him. He is even more shocked when he wakes up no longer in the desert, but in a cabin being tended by a beautiful white woman -- the woman in his vision. As Kaylee nurses Blue Hawk, he makes plans to escape. When he finally does, he takes Kaylee as his prisoner. Blue Hawk plans to trade Kaylee back to her family for weapons so that his small tribe can hunt and defend themselves against the whites.
Neither Kaylee nor Blue Hawk expected to find love on their journey, but now that they have they will need to find a way to bridge their two worlds and create a place for themselves.
LAKOTA LOVE SONG is the latest in author Madeline Baker's Native American romances. It has all the intriguing detail of Native American life we've come to expect from this talented author, as well as characters who are likable, if a bit unrealistic. I've been reading Ms. Baker's work for many years, and always delight in her warm romances. While LAKOTA LOVE SONG doesn't offer anything unique in the way of plot, it nevertheless tells a captivating love story about people who come from very different worlds but find a way to blend their lives and their hearts. Blue Hawk is an intelligent, sensitive warrior who feels passionately about the plight of his people. Kaylee is a headstrong, kindhearted if somewhat naive girl, but it's her very naiveté that allows her to trust and fall in love with the enemy of her people.
Fans of Native American romances will find LAKOTA LOVE SONG a pleasurable reading experience.
Terrie Figueroa
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Kelley Hartsell said:
Kaylee Matthews is out riding her family's ranch one day and comes across a Lakota warrior who was wounded and left for dead. She knows she must help him, and does so while hiding him from her family. As she is helping him recover, Kaylee finds herself becoming bound to him, tighter and tighter.
Blue Hawk awakens to find himself in a white man's lodge, with a beautiful vision before him. He is an injured outsider to this world and longs to return to his village and people. All the while though, he is drawn to Kaylee and does not want to leave her. However, his people need him, and he longs for revenge against the white man who broke his word, stealing supplies meant for the Lakota, and shooting Blue Hawk, leaving him for dead.
Kaylee promises to help Blue Hawk return home, getting a lot more than she bargained for in the process. Now Kaylee is the outsider among the Lakota, and must learn to live as they do. As she adapts to her new life, the passion between her and Blue Hawk grows-their love becoming stronger every day. Kaylee discovers she loves the Indian way of life, but misses her family all the same, hoping they are well.
However, the Lakota are on the run and Kaylee with them. Custer is tracking them down, to force all Indians on to reservations and free up their land for settlers to develop. The Indians decide to take a stand and defend their sacred land. Will they be successful? Will Kaylee and Blue Hawk overcome the odds to remain together?
Ms. Baker has once again proven why she is one of the reigning queens of Native American romance. Kaylee and Blue Hawk's relationship is so pure and true, each only wanting what is best for the other. The secondary characters are also a rare treat. The interaction between them and the hero and heroine is well done and adds to the story. Their growth as people is as evident as Kaylee and Blue Hawk's, but never overshadows them.
The research that went into this story is unmistakable. One will love all of the historical facts thrown in. It was wonderful to read such detailed scenes, even the violent Battle of Little Big Horn, which is a vital turning point to the story. There is even a little bit of mystery thrown in, though this reviewer had it solved as soon as it was mentioned.
This is a touching story, full of emotion. The reader will laugh, cry, scream, and grieve along with Kaylee and Blue Hawk. Their emotion is so powerful; one will feel how torn they are between their families and their love for each other. Ms. Baker's books are always a pleasure to read. It is known that each story will be unique-a masterpiece-and Lakota Love Song does not disappoint.
This review is used courtesy of The Best Reviews.
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Loves Romances said:
How does one find the strength to overcome the prejudices they were raised with for another race? For Kaylee Matthews it all begins with doing the Christian thing and saving a wounded Lakota warrior's life. That's not the easiest of things to do in the spring of 1876 in the Dakota territory. "The only good Injun is a dead one" was the mind set of the day and Kaylee's stepfather Shaun was one of the staunchest followers of that philosophy. His basic hatred fueled even more by constant loss of the ranchers cattle in what appears to be Indian raids taking ever increasing numbers of their beef.
Even so, and not knowing why she is driven to do it, Kaylee coaxes her childhood friend and suitor Randy Harris into taking the wounded brave to a line cabin and helping to treat his wounds. Even as she struggles to save the man's life she feels drawn to Blue Hawk by a strange connection she doesn't understand.
For his part Blue Hawk knows only that she is the woman the bear totem gave him in his vision "Follow the woman. She holds the answer!" his totem told him. What answer he didn't know. Only that he, too, was drawn to this woman by some strange connection. Before he finds the answer to his totem spirits riddle his quest will lead them both back to his people, to fall deeply in love and marry, Lakota Sioux style. Kaylee learns to love the Lakota way of live just as she loves Blue Hawk, but she finds herself on the run with his people and living thru the horror of being harried by cavalry troops out to kill Braves women and children alike and right in the middle of the battle of the Little Big Horn(Custer's Last Stand).
Kaylee is pregnant with their first child when a skirmish with a band of cavalry brings her face to face with her old friend Randy Harris who has joined up to be an Indian fighter. From Randy she learns her mother has become deathly ill as a result of Kaylee's disappearance. Is their love strong enough to carry them through the ordeals to
come? Will they find a way to stay together or will they be torn apart by the hatred between the Indian and the White man. What will be the reaction of Kaylee's mother and Shaun when they find she carries Blue Hawks child.
This reviewer was enchanted and swept up into this powerful romance from the first moment when the bullets felled Blue Hawk and the bear totem appeared, to the very last page of the story. Ms. Baker masterfully sweeps the reader along from one turn of events to the next. You will laugh and weep with Kaylee, survive the horror of battle, and share her powerful love for her Lakota higna (husband). You will find yourself torn by their conflicting love for their families and their love for each other. You will scream with Kaylee as she comes face to face with the deaths of those she has come to love, as well as the horror of the Lakota way of mutilating and scalping the bodies of the enemy.
As one of native American extraction this reviewer must give full kudus to Ms.Baker for the research she has done into this time period and especially for the honest, non judgmental portrayal she does of the Lakota Sioux. She paints, with her words, an accurate recreation of the native American way of life. Ms. Baker depicts the Lakota as a dignified proud people, fiercely devoted to their family and struggling to hold on to their way of life in a changing world. She also honestly showed the more violent aspects of native life without over sensationalizing or sugar coating it. Seldom has this reviewer
seen a more sensitive respect for the native American.
Reviewed by Kitty Duggan
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Fallen Angel Reviews said:
When Blue Hawk is found badly injured, he is surprised a white woman is taking care of him. He doesn’t need a white woman helping him, but then he looks into her eyes. It is the woman in his vision. Yes, Kaylee Marie Martin was the woman sent to him, his long awaited answer. His people needed guns and supplies, and Kaylee would be his bargaining tool for them. Kaylee wishes to help him, and will do whatever it takes to hide him on the farm, especially from her stepfather who despises Indians. Blue Hawk carefully watches Kaylee, and when the opportunity arises, he will find a way even if he has to take Kaylee with him and use her to get the weapons that his tribe desperately needs. It doesn’t take long for Kaylee’s stepfather to take after Kaylee and bring her home. Kaylee only laughs when she learns Blue Hawk intends to trade her for weapons. As they embark on the journey to his village, he finds Kaylee spirited and brave. She wants to go home, but somewhere along the way the two form a deepening bond. His prisoner has become a woman he has fallen in love with, and Kaylee feels the same way towards him. Can the two lovers find a way to bring their families together, so there will be no more bloodshed?
In a time when prejudice ran wild, Kaylee shows tremendous strength as she seeks to protect an injured Lakota Indian. I love her spirit and determination. She and Blue Hawk make such a passionate pair in Lakota Love Song. Watching them come to terms with the way of their people and watching how Kaylee seeks to comfort both sides and bring them together with no more fighting was incredibly done by master storyteller Madeline Baker. With her thorough research, and descriptive characters, she brings the story to life. I never grow tired of reading her awesome tales. She brings laughter, joy, sorrow, and a tremendous amount of different layers of emotion in her writing, allowing the reader to share in each event that the players act upon. I love the way she brings Kaylee and Blue Hawk together by learning what is important in their relationship and trying to pass it on to their families. This story of trust, betrayal, love and hope is a treasured gem.
Reviewed by: Linda L.
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Susan at Night Owl Romance said:
Betrayed by white men and left for dead, Blue Hawk is prepared to die but regrets not being able to seek his revenge on those that betrayed him. A vision comes to him of a white woman and he believes that through her he will get his revenge against the white men. Kaylee Matthews loves the freedom of the western life she lives now. While playing and hiding from a friend, she comes across an Indian who is severely wounded. Unable to leave him to die, Kaylee hides him and nurses him back to health. Blue Hawk awakens to see the woman from his vision and when recovers, he rides back to his people and takes Kaylee with him. His intent is to trade her back to her people, but a bond grows between them that will forever change both of their lives. Kaylee is torn between returning to her family and staying with Blue Hawk and the Lakota people that she has come to care for. Can they find a way to coexist without losing each other to the prejudices that will pull them apart?
Madeline Baker has penned a heart-warming romance set during the turbulent times of the late 1800’s where the Native American people struggled to hold onto the land and traditions that they hold sacred. This story will pull you into that time period where life and death, right and wrongs are experienced through the characters within this plot and the emotions they bring out in the reader. Lakota Love Song is a fascinating read with romance and characters that will touch your heart. Enjoy!
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The Romance Studio said:
Kaylee Matthews loved the West; when her mother and step-father brought her to the Dakota Territory, she dreaded the change. She never missed her previous home—just her deceased father. Her relationship with her step-father, Shaun, was tense. Her mother, Emma, tried to keep the peace between the two of them. Kaylee and her neighbor, love-struck Randy Harris, were riding over the ranch when they found an Indian nearly dead. Against Randy’s arguments, Kaylee insisted that she take him to their line shack and nurse him back to health. Randy was opposed, but agreed after he tied the Indian’s arms to the cot. After several days, Blue Hawk, as she came to know him, forced her to go with him as he returned to his people. He planned to ransom her back to her family for guns and ammunition. That fell through and the more they stayed together, the more attracted they became to each other.
This was a well-written story with more than one history lesson included. There were details, sometimes gory, about the battles. However, buried within the history lessons and war accounts was a beautiful love story. Ms. Madeline Baker did an excellent job creating a plot which was not only diverse but also distinct. The main characters, while from different worlds, found something with each other they neither had seen before.
Her supporting cast members were great personalities with believable traits that made them amazingly interesting to read about. The storyline gave insight into a myriad of people who, both white and Indian, truly cared about their families. Throughout this extra long novel, I could not imagine how Ms. Baker could possibly manage a happily-ever-after scenario. I don’t want to give anything away, but the ending was shocking.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical romance, likes Indian/white confrontations, and anyone who needs to refresh their memory of past history. It is a book which will definitely grab your attention and, even though it’s plus-sized, the book will stay in your mind for a long time.
Reviewer: Brenda Talley
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Suzie Housley, Mystic Reviews said:
Also reviewed on R omance Junkies
While playing with a friend, Kaylee Matthews discovers a wounded Indian. She decides to hide him away and tend his injuries. Kaylee never anticipated falling for the handsome brave. Will Kaylee and Blue Hawk’s love been given a chance to survive?
Ridge Longtree has made his name as a highly regarded gunfighter. He finds that he is tired of the killing, and having no place to call home. He happens upon the ranch of Martha Jean Flynn and her sister Dani. He recognizes that they are unsure of his intentions, but allows him to stay in their bunkhouse.
Martha knows that Ridge is not your normal ranch hand in search of work. In his eyes she sees an edge you don’t normally find in your typical man. His air of mystery heightens her womanly senses.
When Martha’s father’s horse returns blooded and without a rider, she fears for the worst. She hires Ridge to go in search of her father. Ridge is able to locate Martha’s father, but it is too late to save him. He returns to the ranch with the grim news of his death.
Martha believes that her father was murdered, and she wants to seek out the person responsible for his death. Then her world once again goes spinning out of control when her sister is kidnapped by Apache.
Ridge can’t stand to see Martha so distraught over her sister’s disappearance. He agrees to lead her into Apache territory to rescue her. As the two journey to find her sister, the close quarters results in them falling in love.
Will Ridge and Martha be in time to save Dani? Or will they be shocked to discover her living circumstances?
Fans of Madeline Baker will rejoice at another award winning novel in UNDER APACHE SKIES. You can almost feel yourself being projected back to the Native American culture each time you pick up one of her books. Once again, she proves that she reigns supreme as the Queen of the Historical romance genre.