Review: Muddled and disappointing
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2013
The story begins when two young brothers bring their Indian guide friend, Hunter, home to visit their family.  Hunter falls in love with their sister, flighty Melissa, and the two make love before Hunter goes off on a campaign with the brothers.  Not a bad set-up for a romance, you might think.  But the story isn't about Melissa and Hunter, it's about Hunter and Melissa's cousin, Alanna.Alanna is terrified of Indians.  Her family was killed in an Indian attack when she was a young girl and she has vowed never to marry.  As Melissa's life spirals out of control due to the pregnancy resulting from her one night with Hunter, Alanna is drawn further and further into events until she finds herself responsible for Melissa's son.This book might have been a firecracker in the 90s (when it was originally published), but it is much less satisfying today.  Hunter is, simply put, a major jerk.  Although he has to be aware of colonial sexual standards, he is unbelievably reckless with Melissa.  The scene where they are together is borderline uncomfortable and he never lets her know that he plans to marry her.  What exactly was she supposed to do when he was gone and she discovered she was pregnant?  Alanna's shift in attitude is also less than convincing.  She goes from not being able to stand Hunter's company to falling in love with him and there is no clear reason for the shift, especially given how nasty he is to her.I found myself longing for this book to end -- I just never bought the feelings that Hunter and Alanna had for each other.