SHADOW BEAR

Author: Cassie Edwards ISBN: 0451221745 7/2007 HISTORICAL Publisher: NAL/Signet
Time Period: 1850 S. Dakota

South Dakota, 1850. Before he died from the Indian arrow that pierced his body while he was hunting gold outside Fort Chance, Shiona Bramlett's father, a colonel, revealed a shocking secret. Now, armed only with her father's map and her courage, she's determined to honor him—and to fulfill her own destiny. After a fierce prairie fire, Shadow Bear, Chief of the Grey Owl Band of the Lakota tribe, is desperately looking for his missing brother, Silent Arrow. His search leads him to a beautiful woman in desperate need of help. Shadow Bear loathes the white man—but he cannot stop himself from protecting this woman. With a passion that is undeniable, they must learn to put their mistrust aside and share their secrets before all is lost...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Before Shiona Bramlett's father was killed by an Indian arrow, he was able to find gold. Now Shiona is on a mission to honor him and obtain a better life for her mother. Unprepared for the dangers she would meet along the way, things go terribly wrong and Shiona finds herself alone and in desperate need of help.

Shadow Bear is the Chief of the Grey Owl Band of the Lakota tribe. He is also on a mission—a mission to locate his missing brother, Silent Arrow. His search has him crossing paths with Shiona. Seeing that she needs help, he takes her back with him to his tribe. Although Silent Bear is known to hate the white man, he finds himself drawn to her beauty. Secrets and their mutual distrust stand in the way of them finding true happiness.

As a long time fan of Cassie Edwards I looked forward to reading this latest in her Dreamcatcher series, SHADOW BEAR, but unfortunately I found myself slightly disappointed. I love a book that stirs the emotions, and that is what I found lacking in this story. Shiona suffers one tragedy after another and should be devastated, but in no time at all she is lusting after one of the very people that she should hate—or at least fear. The sense of mistrust that allows a couple to dance around each other is missing. Even the best person would not fall in love as fast as this girl does, and where is the hate that Shadow Bear is supposed to feel for the white people? From Shadow Bear I did sense a deep sadness that the life of his people is being changed forever. I agree that Shadow Bear helps Shiona, and maybe that is why she finds herself drawn to him. That is better than what I felt from reading the book. It made me feel that Shadow Bear was the first handsome, half-naked man Shiona has ever seen and she is over-powered with lust.

What I did enjoy in the story was the danger that stalks both Shadow Bear and Shiona. The action and suspense is exciting, and I found myself anxiously waiting to see what would happen next. Their enemy adds that edge that is needed to save the book. There is even a twist in the story that took me completely by surprise, but left me with mixed feelings.

SHADOW BEAR is a story each reader will have to judge for themselves. The romance is very sweet but lacking in emotions, while the exciting action and suspense saves the book from being boring.

Anita Hartsell