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Every so often a book holds a reader in thrall to the point that they can’t even think of putting it down. Then there are those books you wish you’d never read because even though you’re trying your hardest to slog through, all you can think of is that you’ll be three hours older by the you’ve finished wasting your time. Nightsong, unfortunately, falls into the latter category.
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Ethan Tyler is on the run after killing the man who killed his young son and raped and killed his wife. With bounty hunters on his tail since breaking out of jail, he needs a hideout and decides that Debra Nightsong’s place will do the trick. He knows she’s a half-breed who runs her farm by herself and lives alone. How does he know this? Well, even though he’s on the run for his life, he was able to take the time to stop in town and chat with some of the locals.
Though he’s surprised that Debra’s not the old crone he thought she’d be and is instead a nineteen year old beauty, he’s even more amazed by her capability. And Debra is quite an amazing woman. She inherited her farm from her white father, who married her Indian mother. She milks cows, takes cares of her own horses, and even has her own chickens. Basically she’s the Wonder Woman of the Mid-West.
Ethan breaks into her house and holds her hostage. He won’t harm her because, he informs her, he’s not that kind of man. Still, he’ll sleep in the same bed with her to assure she won’t escape. Now, the reader knows this is a romance and that Debra is safe with Ethan, but her acceptance of him at face value felt false. But, hey, he said he’s a good guy, and he gives her those pesky tingly feelings in her stomach as they sleep together that first night.
Some may like Western slice-of-life scenes, but fifty pages of Ethan and Debra living like they’re on Little House on the Prairie just didn’t cut it. Debra never tries to escape this man who holds her against her will. And because the townsfolk already have concerns about Debra due to her heritage, she’s not all that worried that there may be even more talk now that she’s living with a man. And so they work along side with each other running the farm. Soon after, the both fall in love, get married, and all is forgiven.
But Ethan’s past comes to haunt him. Debra’s dog finds a man unconscious after a poisonous snakebite. Debra’s heretofore unknown “sight” makes itself known. As ridiculous as it sounds – and read! – she somehow knows his name is Jay, and that he’s looking for Ethan to take him back to stand trial. Even so, she and Ethan save Jay and take him into their home to recover.
If for some reason all this sounds good to you so far, wait – there’s a huge period during which Ethan and Debra are separated. Ethan goes with Jay, who believes in his innocence, to clear his name, but leaves Debra behind because she’s such a strong woman. While they are separated, he begins to have strange dreams about Debra being in trouble, but he can’t go back to her until his name is cleared. And while Ethan is dreaming, so is Debra…and so is one of Debra’s long-lost Indian relatives, which brings him into her life.
Ethan and Debra are separated for more than half the book, and for most of the time, the reader sees Debra’s daily life on the farm. Little tension is generated from Ethan’s journey to clear his name, and the townsfolk’s prejudice against Debra is sometimes strong, but sometimes muted. As for the two leads, the most excitement they generated was after Ethan returned home to Debra and found her long-lost Indian relative sitting in his chair.
Nightsong offered an exciting premise, but rather than exciting me with an innocent man on the run and the woman who comes to trust him, I was bored instead, what with so many details of ho-hum frontier life. Instead of giving me a nice romance between a man and woman trying to survive and overcome a harsh world with bias and discrimination facing them, I got mending fences and cooking eggs…yawn.
This was my first read by author Davidson, and it will be my last. So, why the D- instead of an F? I just couldn’t work up enough excitement to actually throw the book against the wall.
Grade: D-
Book Type: American Historical Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 09/05/07
Publication Date: 2007
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.