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Winter Heart is the mail-order bride story of handsome half-Native American rancher Tristan Fletcher and provocative poseur Dinah Odell. Their story is as uncompromising as the wild and harshly beautiful California mountain frontier of the 1870’s. 
Somewhat reminiscent of Sharon Ihle’s delightful The Bride Wore Spurs, Dinah masquerades as a nurse (for Tristan’s sister) rather than reveal she is an escapee from a brutal insane asylum. The similarity ends there (although both heroines are fragile, red-haired, and feisty and both heroes are “half-breed” ranchers).
In this instance, the heroine’s history allows the author to explore her fascination with a historical social issue – the forcing of women into asylums by husbands and other male family members for nefarious purposes. The author begins the book with two quotes – the first by two of this country’s first feminists, and the second by a woman who had so been incarcerated. She ends the book with a letter to her readers about the importance of balancing historical verity and a romantic story-line. She would have succeeded far better without the inclusion of the quotes and her postscript.
Dinah is not insane, having been institutionalized by her money-grubbing evil uncle. As character history and the sub-plot behind the romance, this could well have stood alone. Indeed, the menace that Dinah lived through and continues to fear, is handled with great care. But the author’s forcing of the issue with the quotes and comments seemed intrusive and preachy.
Both having been horribly mistreated, Tristan and Dinah are on a collision course. Warily and suspiciously, neither dare to reveal their truths and true selves. But their intense chemistry forces a more intimate relationship than either expected or wished for. As they realize the extent of their feelings, the binders each wear for protection are removed and disregarded in favor of naked honesty.
The author has fashioned some excellent love scenes with great openness, caring, and playfulness – readers will probably find Tristan is unique as a lover in his time. Dinah’s lusty response to Tristan’s every gaze is rather unbelievable and more than a little irritating. While accustomed to hardened nipples in response to touch, this reviewer has neither read (nor experienced) this phenomenon in response to a mere glance.
Also annoying was the abrupt appearance of an old suitor of Dinah’s. His part in the storyline is appropriate, but the story read as though the pages describing his arrival had been mistakenly left out.
The author does write the small moments very well. Moments of discovery, forgiveness, and understanding are small in nature but immense in significance. These are the humorous, the touching, the sad, the joyful moments without preachiness or pretense. But these moments are too far and few between to transform this book from an average read to a recommended one.
Grade: C
Book Type: Frontier/Western Hist Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 01/05/96
Publication Date: 1996
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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.