Madeline Baker, Dakota Dreams

Dakota Dreams

Madeline Baker

Signet, Jan 2006, $6.99, 352 pp.

ISBN: 0451216865

It has been four years six months and counting since Jim Buckner arranged for Chasing Elk to be sent to Yuma Prison, a hell hole of abuse from the likes of guard Fat Tom. Only revenge and seeing his daughter Leah keeps Chasing Elk going. When an opportunity arrives to escape, he takes it, but is severely injured in the process.

With her parents recently dead and Apache Marteen wanting rancher Catharine Lyons as his woman, she so far she has refused him using the excuse that her man is coming for her though she knows she will not have much time left to say no. She either must return to Boston or he will take her as her brother Mark is no protection. When a near dead Chasing Elk reaches her ranch at about the same time as Marteen and his retinue of braves, she claims he is her husband. The stranger agrees. As Catharine nurses Chasing Elk back to physical health and he begins to work the ranch, an attraction between them arises. However, Marten wants him dead; the law wants him in prison; Chasing Elk wants his daughter; Catharine wants his love. However, first his mind must heal if he lives long enough.

DAKOTA DREAMS is a tense Indian romance starring a courageous heroine and a battered male with demons screaming at him to avenge the death of his wife and to bring his daughter home, which he wants to believe, is Catharine's ranch. The character driven tale is loaded with plenty of action as the key players will converge in a showdown. Though the support cast seems somewhat one dimensional, Madeline Baker's latest nineteenth century star-crossed romance contains a fresh fun story line.

Harriet Klausner