Tess Meredith and Raven Following grew up on the beautiful, wild Montana plains. But their friendship and love were doomed by Raven's Sioux heritage…and his departure from the land of his people. In Chicago, he built a new life, haunted by thoughts of the lovely, spirited young girl he'd left behind. Until she arrived back in his world—bringing with her the past he'd tried to bury. But Tess had changed, too. She'd matured into a woman, and was determined to fight for her rights in society—and for the love of a man who felt he was savage at heart….

Review

For Matt Davis, keeping his hands off the one woman forbidden to him has never been hard…until now.

Matt longs to tell Tess the truth. That his love for her has no end, and to be with her is a lifelong dream. Unfortunately in Chicago, during the late 1800’s, Indians have no rights, and Matt cannot legally own land or provide for Tess the way he desires to.

Tess has loved Matt since she was a girl, and arrives in Chicago hoping that he will come to his senses and profess his love. If Matt won’t marry her, then Tess is determined to live a life devoted to the women’s suffragist movement. When Tess’ friend is accused of murdering her husband, Matt volunteers to help Tess find the real culprit. Yet working closely may not be the best course of action for these two. As passions flare in the midst of riots and murders, the pair may succumb to their greatest desire.

This historical grabbed from the beginning pages, not because of gripping prose but due to the fact that the lineup of characters differs from other historical novels. I was intrigued at the thought of the hero being from American Indian descent and wondered how the challenges of being in love with a ‘white’ woman would be overcome. Indeed the challenges were great, but Palmer does a wonderful job by giving Matt, Tess.

Tess is fearless and a formidable heroine. She’s tough, and being raised on an Indian reservation has more love and respect for those of any color then others around her. Her understanding and love of a people is what makes her wonderful. Other traits that endeared me to her are her fierce loyalty and her inability to run away from a challenge. Naturally to most she’s a hoyden, but her outspoken nature also entices others to listen.

Matt is also a formidable man in his own right, and has worked hard to forge his own fortune and earn the respect of his peers. Yet he fears that claiming Tess would quickly abolish the respect and place in society that he has earned. Honestly, I loved this character a ton, but one of the things I longed for was to see more of Matt. He’s in the book plenty, but by the end of the story I didn’t feel like I knew enough about him compared to Tess.

The setting of Chicago in the late 1800’s is picturesque and I felt like I was being pulled into a city perched at the dawn of a new century. The weaving of timely events, including the suffragist cause, was captivating and provided something new and refreshing. My only caveat is that the murder plot seemed trivial and out of place. I found myself longing to get that portion of the story over with and focus more on the love story unfolding between Matt and Tess. 

Overall this story is one that took me by surprise and if you’re looking for something different than the typical historical romance novel this one is a sure bet.

Reviewed by Landra

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