AUTHOR: First, I’m not a Western fiction type of gal but the dark cover with the hawk feather fooled me and so I read. I found author Lenore Wolfe to be an action type of gal with knowledge of the West and Native Americans. BUT… Lenore you had way ay ay too many people related to too many people and too many incidences. I got lost.

GENRE: Western. (romance?) (paranormal?)

SETTING: 19th century Wyoming

CENTRAL CHARACTERS: MANDY has the gift of being able to communicate with Native American Spirits. But she will take chances necessary to get what she needs. HAWK is considered a gunslinger but stands for what is right.

SYNOPSIS: We have the woman doing whatever it takes to prevent her ranch from being stolen from under her. We have the bad guy who wants to steal the ranch and marry the woman that owns it. We have the man that is guided into the life of the woman to help her from having the ranch stolen from under her.

SEXUAL EXPLICITNESS: some caressing of breasts, bucking of thighs and pushing through …. usual boring stuff.

WHAT I LIKED: Give me a minute. I’ll try to think of something that was not monotonous or mundane.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Who is related to whom and to what tribe and to who’s father and at what age did things happen when they happened that made the relationships come together, etc???? AND Alright already, enough with “fingers lifting up chins to stare into eyes” and “eyes that were narrowed”.

I give this book (3) stars because nothing new in a Western. Romance was boring sex between a married couple that went on and on and on and nothing new. Many but not all who, what, when, where and how were not clear. ( )

This book is very heavy on the Native American mystical side. Mandy has had visions of a warrior named Hawk, who will be her husband and the father of her children. When her father is killed by a vicious man who tries to force her into marriage so he'll own her ranch, Mandy invents a mysterious fiancee so he'll leave her alone. Then Hawk shows up in the flesh, seeking revenge against the very man who's tormenting Mandy. Their only option is to marry to save her ranch. Unfortunately, this is where things get really strange. Mandy and Hawk have visions from "the Grandmothers," and they both know their destiny is to be together. They seem to fall in love without truly knowing each other (because, as the book states, they've known each other in previous lives and through their visions), but neither believes the other loves him/her in return. This creates the romantic tension...or it attempts to, but it falls short. There's not enough character development to keep the story interesting. Hawk is a likable hero--strong, brave, and gentle. Mandy, on the other hand, creates problems where there is none. She gets angry for no reason, and even though she repeatedly states that she knows her destiny lies with Hawk, she fights their relationship at every turn (at least in the beginning).

I'm wondering if the author's planned a sequel for this book. That's the only way to explain so many loose ends. I don't mind a book's prologue bridging one book to the next, but too many loose ends are very confusing. It would be even more frustrating if I truly cared about these characters. Don't get me wrong--it's not terrible, but it seems something's missing. The secondary characters steal the show and add brightness to an otherwise confusing and sometimes trite plot line. ( )