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Dancing On Coals (2011)

by Ellen O'Connell(Favorite Author)

4.1 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1466441186 (ISBN13: 9781466441186)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

CreateSpace

review 1: I generally read paranormal romance but also enjoy a good wild-west story now and again. This is one of my favorites and I've read it several times. The beginning is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. The main character, Katherine, is stubborn and strong but smart; you can't help but like her. When captured by Apaches she has the sense to go along with them even when an English-speaking warrior announces that she will be his wife. He is kind and she wisely recognizes that the threat in the group is his older brother. When attacked by Mexican militia an unexpected turn leaves Katherine choosing between the nasty band of officers and the dangerous brother of her kind warrior. The problem with the warrior's brother is that he hates her and she must force herself into his ... morelife if she wants to escape the Mexican militia. The villains are well written and the conflicts, both in relationships and hardships ring true and believable. I must admit though, about halfway through the book the story is less exciting and seems to become a narrative of the sad plight of the Native Americans. I enjoyed the book cover to cover the first time; but when I read it again I stop about halfway through because the rest of the book is kind of boring and not worth reading once you know the outcome. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance or westerns. I don't know how accurate any of the historical parts were but they were believable and well written.
review 2: Inter-racial romances always makes my heart ache because it is so unjust and cruel that something as stupid and insignificant as ethnicity should become an obstacle to two people finding happiness together. Even more heartbraking is the story of racial discrimination and the harsh conditions suffered by the less fortunate people - in this case the Apache people. The focus of the story is the relationship between Katherine and Gaetan but I can't help but reflect on how much light it shed on the status quo during that period of history where the Apache were hunted by both the Mexicans and the Americans. They were literally driven away from their land and herded into reservations - which were little better than detention camps. I appreciated that both sides of the war were depicted. The Apache killed American soldiers but the white men also hunted the Apache mercilessly - even killing defenceless women. There are rapists and murderers in both societies - which is just another reminder that they are all PEOPLE, and it is devastating when I think about how prejudiced and narrow minded people were - and still are. Another great aspect of the book is that there was growth in the characters but they stayed true to their core beliefs. Many books - especially romances - start off with aloof alpha heroes that somehow melts into gushy romantics by the HEA; but not this one. Gaetan retains his dominant, principled spirit even as he falls in love; Katherine stays true to what she believes in and never once did I think either of them did anything out of character. I was looking forward to a classic Western Romance - but this read more like historical fiction with a focus on relationships - especially one between a white woman and an Apache man. I felt immersed in late 1800 North America life and am glad that the storyline, the background were rich with amazing details - looks like I have to check out more Ellen O'Connell. less

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