If you have not discovered Nadine Crenshaw, allow me to introduce you to a consistently 5-Star author of great historical romance. Alas, you may have to buy her books used in paper (as I did) or get them from the library, but you will not regret it. Every one she wrote is in my keeper bookcase. I so wish they would bring her books out in digital format.
Mountain Mistress was her first book and it won the Golden Heart Award in 1987. I can see why. You WILL NOT regret buying this one, I promise! The hero, Cougar, and the heroine, Flame, are on my Favorite Heroes & Heroines list I will publish the end of the month.
This romance is one all consuming, passionate story of the relationship between a Scottish born mountain man the Indians call "Waiting Cougar" who takes an unwilling "winter squaw"—bought with beaver pelts from the Blackfeet Indians who captured her in a raid. Innocent young Victorine Wellesley was raised in Philadelphia in the parlor rooms of elegant homes only to be forced to leave when her father died and her foolish brother took her west. Almost raped by the Blackfeet Indians who killed her brother and his wife, she is "rescued" by Cougar and forced to travel with him high into the Bitterroot Mountains to warm his bed of furs for the winter. She does not know one of Cougar’s Indian friends, a Medicine Man, predicted this was to be his woman. Cougar calls her Flame and tells her she is his “wife” but she knows better. She is not a real wife; she is only a "mountain mistress."
Victorine, who Cougar names "Flame," feels her identity slipping away as she begins to dress like a squaw, her beautiful fair skin turns brown from the sun and she falls victim to the passion he draws from her at his will. You will be inspired as her courage rises to every challenge and there are many in the wild mountains: bears, hostile Indians and evil trappers.
This romance is one all consuming, passionate story of the relationship between a Scottish born mountain man the Indians call "Waiting Cougar" who takes an unwilling "winter squaw"—bought with beaver pelts from the Blackfeet Indians who captured her in a raid. Innocent young Victorine Wellesley was raised in Philadelphia in the parlor rooms of elegant homes only to be forced to leave when her father died and her foolish brother took her west. Almost raped by the Blackfeet Indians who killed her brother and his wife, she is "rescued" by Cougar and forced to travel with him high into the Bitterroot Mountains to warm his bed of furs for the winter. She does not know one of Cougar’s Indian friends, a Medicine Man, predicted this was to be his woman. Cougar calls her Flame and tells her she is his “wife” but she knows better. She is not a real wife; she is only a "mountain mistress."
Victorine, who Cougar names "Flame," feels her identity slipping away as she begins to dress like a squaw, her beautiful fair skin turns brown from the sun and she falls victim to the passion he draws from her at his will. You will be inspired as her courage rises to every challenge and there are many in the wild mountains: bears, hostile Indians and evil trappers.
And there is a surprise at the end!
As she has with all her subsequent romances, Crenshaw draws you into her story and into Victorine's mind. You can literally feel the anger and frustration rise in you as your sympathy for Victorine grows with each day of the long journey into the mountains. She wants her freedom but she cannot resist the man who has led her into this life. Since she knows nothing of surviving in a wilderness, she is well and truly trapped.
It is hard to believe this was Crenshaw's first novel as it competes well with anything out there today. Her writing is superb. Her story captivates—it’s a real page-turner. She presents accurately the essence of the era (19th century American frontier), even the nuances in speech. She has the place names, history and Indian culture (Blackfeet and Salish) just right. In fact, she has it ALL just right.
It is hard to believe this was Crenshaw's first novel as it competes well with anything out there today. Her writing is superb. Her story captivates—it’s a real page-turner. She presents accurately the essence of the era (19th century American frontier), even the nuances in speech. She has the place names, history and Indian culture (Blackfeet and Salish) just right. In fact, she has it ALL just right.
It is such a good book!! I highly recommend it.
Her other books:
CAPTIVE
MELODY (1988) – 19th century American West
EDIN’S
EMBRACE (1989) - Viking
SPELLBOUND
(1990) – 12th century England
DESTINY AND
DESIRE (1992) – San Francisco 1915
THE
HIGHWAYMAN (1993) – 18th century England
VIKING GOLD
(1995) - Viking
FIELDS OF
THE SUN (1997) – 17th century England, Morocco and Brazil
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