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Prairie Embrace
Crossing Sioux reservation land in Nebraska, Katie Russell falls in love with Tohave, the Indian brave who originally intended to drive her away
475 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1987
2 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
About the author
Rosanne Bittner
85 books623 followersI am a USA-TODAY best-selling author with 41 years, 76 books, and numerous writing awards behind me. My major genre is historical romance. I have always written for standard publishers but am now writing strictly for Amazon so I have more freedom to write real history. My most recent publication is SHADOW TRAIL, the 6th book in my Outlaw Hearts series. I also wrote and published my first full-length contemporary story, DANCING BENEATH YOU, in September 2022, a romance involving mystery and a depiction of reservation life in the Badlands of South Dakota. My best sellers are my SAVAGE DESTINY series (7 books) and my OUTLAW HEARTS series. See my website (www.rosannebittner.com) for details on all my books - most available for Kindle and in print. I am known for great love stories filled with real history and high emotion. I have also written many Native American stories, all based on real history.
I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.
National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.
Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!
I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.
National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.
Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 28, 2017
Reviewed for THC Reviews
Some old-school romances from decades ago don’t really do much for me, because of cruel heroes or other elements that I don’t care for. But others, like Prairie Embrace, make me long for the romances of yesteryear, when it was a somewhat simpler time and these stories were written in a different style. First, most publishers wouldn’t touch a romance of this length (475 pages) these days, but often having more space to write a story like this can really help to develop it much better. Another thing is that this is an epic romance that spans two and a half years from the time the hero and heroine meet to the time they finally get their HEA ending. No one I can think of really writes like this anymore, which is a shame in this age of romance insta-love. IMHO, taking more time to allow the romance and passion to simmer made the ending of this story all the more sweet. Everything they had to go through to be together, even though one of the things that entailed was a lengthy separation, really helped to solidify their love for one another in my mind. They just never gave up, and that’s one of the big things I feel love is all about. So while the older vibe of the story might not work well for some readers, I personally thoroughly enjoyed it and would dearly love to read more romances just like it.
I would say that the heroine’s journey is one of the primary focuses of Prairie Embrace. In her short nineteen years, Katie has been through hell. Her mother died when she was young, and her father and brothers taunted and abused her, treating her like nothing more than a slave. Then her father got tired of providing for her and forced her to marry his friend who was just like him, including being more than twice her age. Her husband beats and verbally abuses her, and she finds no joy or pleasure in their marriage bed, likening it to essentially being raped repeatedly. Her husband's dream is to own a farm in Nebraska, so they make the hard journey west, where Katie’s existence on their land, which is two days ride from the nearest fort, becomes a bleak and lonely one, living in a dugout home with no one for company except a man who treats her abominably. Into that life comes Tohave, a Native American brave, who likes to tease the settlers. At first Katie, who has never known an Indian before, is a little afraid of him, but she quickly warms up to him, when she realizes he means them no harm. Tohave starts to visit Katie when her husband leaves her all alone to go to the fort or to chop wood in a forest that’s a good distance away, and she often senses his presence even when she can’t see him. Soon their friendship grows into love and passion, with Katie experiencing the first true love of her young life.
I love that Katie comes to trust and love Tohave despite them being so different and it being a forbidden love in more ways than one. Given her background and how poorly her husband and father treated her, she easily could have shut him out and refused to trust any man at all, but her heart was open when he came into her life. Through his love she learned that not all men are monsters and his love gave her strength to sustain her through the hard times and even to eventually stand up to her husband. Some readers may not like the fact that Katie stays with her abusive husband for so long and even sometimes feels like she’s the one who’s failed in their relationship, but I understood that she was a classic abuse victim and was also simply a product of her upbringing and the era in which she lived, where it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to leave her husband. I also loved that she never quite fully gave up on Tohave even after she was told he was dead. It was like she still sensed his spirit and couldn’t let go until she had some kind of proof. And it was in part, because she hung on that they were able to eventually reunite. While Katie might not be the kick-butt heroine that is often seen in more modern romances, she has a quiet, understated strength of spirit that can be easy to miss if one isn’t looking deeply enough, and I very much liked that about her. Overall, she’s a sweet girl who I related to quite well and think that she definitely found the perfect mate in Tohave.
Tohave is an amazing hero, and I loved him to pieces. He’s one of the young warriors who’s half Sioux and half Cheyenne. He’s old enough to remember the Battle of Wounded Knee and the heyday of the Indians, but he’s still young enough to be restless and discontent with staying on the reservation. With their buffalo herds depleted and them being expected to live off government supplies, there’s little for the young men to do, so Tohave and his friends often play pranks on the white settlers. He met Katie when they rode down on their wagon as she and her husband were approaching their new homestead, making them think they were going to attack, but only showing a little intimidation. From the moment Tohave caught sight of Katie, he was smitten and couldn’t help following them at a distance, then keeping watch over her once they arrived and started setting up their new home. When Tohave realizes her husband beats and mistreats her, he sorely wants to kill him and steal her away, but he’s wise enough to know that it would only bring trouble upon himself and his tribe, so he bides his time. Once he and Katie become more deeply involved, though, he begins to make plans to spirit her away to Canada, where they can hide in the wilderness, but the unexpected happens and he’s unable to do what he wants.
Much like with Katie, it would have been easy for Tohave to distrust Katie. His mother was raped and murdered by white men, so he doesn’t trust them easily, but he’s smart enough to recognize that not all whites are bad. He and his friends mainly only tease the settlers who are already afraid of them, while they tend to be friendly with those who are friendly back. He senses from the moment they meet that Katie isn’t with her husband by choice, and his heart aches for her when he finds out just how badly her husband treats her. He may be a strong warrior, but when he’s with Katie, he’s kind and gentle, treating her with the utmost respect and tenderness. He knows she’s been through hell already and he doesn’t want to add to that. Instead he wants to heal her wounds, both physically and emotionally. He saves her life on more than one occasion when her husband wouldn’t have cared if she died. Tohave is still a man who has his pride, though, so when fate deals him a cruel blow, he stays away from her, not wanting her to see him as less than a man. But he never, ever stops thinking about her and wishing that things could be different. She’s the inspiration that keeps him alive through all the hardships.
Tohave and Katie share a relationship that is sweet and tender, everything that she doesn’t have with her husband. I will mention for readers who can’t abide cheating of any kind in romance, that they do technically cheat on Katie’s husband, but there are so many extenuating circumstances, not the least of which is Katie being forced into the marriage and the way her husband treats her, that I couldn’t muster one iota of outrage over that. It’s mainly only the white man’s unjust laws that keep Katie in her loveless marriage. What Tohave and Katie share is beauty personified, a love that persists despite the most difficult hardships. Their emotional connection is deep and heartfelt, even across time and distance. The fact that they are separated a little over halfway through the story and aren’t reunited until the very end would normally be a detractor for me, but in this case it wasn’t. Somehow the author kept their connection alive despite the time and distance that passes between them. I never for a minute doubted that they still loved one another. It helps, too, that it was outside forces keeping them apart, rather than their own stubbornness or stupidity, which is often the case in romances. These two were clearly made for each other and their love for one another never would have died no matter what the outcome was.
There are several key secondary players who keep the story moving along. First, Katie’s husband, Ezra, is a detestable man, who doesn’t have an ounce of compassion in him. I thoroughly hated him every time he hurt Katie, but I still have to appreciate that the author gave him just enough of a backstory to make him seem slightly human and make me understand why he is the way he is. McBain, the original commander at the nearest fort, as well as his lieutenant, Will Rogers, are genuinely good men, who see that relations between the whites and Indians are a two-way street. They both always encourage the white settlers to simply be friendly with the Indians, even though their words often fall on deaf ears. They also both see what Katie’s husband is doing to her and are sympathetic to her plight even though there’s little they can do to help her from a legal standpoint. Late in the story, Will also courts Katie and could have kept her from Tohave but didn’t. This made him a wonderful man as far as I’m concerned, and it might have been nice if he’d gotten a story of his own, although that’s unlikely this long after the fact. Katie makes friends with two other settler couples, although she rarely gets to see them. Tohave has his Indian friends as well who ride with him and give him advice. There is also an Indian woman named Rosebud who is older than Tohave, widowed and barren. In white man speak, she’s basically his mistress. He provides her with food and protection, while she acts as his female companion, providing for his sexual needs, and later she nurses him back to health, which is a long journey. Somehow the author managed to write her in a way that made me like her rather than be jealous of her for Katie’s sake. Rosebud is a good person who cares for Tohave and bears genuine affection for him, even though theirs isn’t a love-match, and Tohave is never with her when he’s with Katie, which was a plus. She also looks out for and greatly helps Katie on one occasion.
As if you couldn’t tell, I really loved Prairie Embrace. It’s everything I look for in a romance: sweetness, tenderness, a deep emotional connection between the hero and heroine as well as between them and me as the reader, awesome characters who are easy for me to relate to, and a beautiful, romantic story. It was a little torturous having Tohave and Katie separated for so long, but like I said, Roseanne Bittner really knows how to keep me turning the pages. I just had to find out how they would finally get together when the odds seemed to be stacked against them. I also have to commend her on her historical research. I learned a few things about Native American history as she intertwined Tohave and Katie’s love story with events that were actually occurring on the American frontier in the late 1800s. The racism and xenophobia that the Native Americans faced within the story seemed all to real as well. So kudos for her attention to real-life history. Overall, Prairie Embrace was a near-perfect read for me that will be a favorite of mine for a long time to come. It was my first read by Roseanne Bittner, but it definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to checking out some of the other titles on her backlist soon.
Some old-school romances from decades ago don’t really do much for me, because of cruel heroes or other elements that I don’t care for. But others, like Prairie Embrace, make me long for the romances of yesteryear, when it was a somewhat simpler time and these stories were written in a different style. First, most publishers wouldn’t touch a romance of this length (475 pages) these days, but often having more space to write a story like this can really help to develop it much better. Another thing is that this is an epic romance that spans two and a half years from the time the hero and heroine meet to the time they finally get their HEA ending. No one I can think of really writes like this anymore, which is a shame in this age of romance insta-love. IMHO, taking more time to allow the romance and passion to simmer made the ending of this story all the more sweet. Everything they had to go through to be together, even though one of the things that entailed was a lengthy separation, really helped to solidify their love for one another in my mind. They just never gave up, and that’s one of the big things I feel love is all about. So while the older vibe of the story might not work well for some readers, I personally thoroughly enjoyed it and would dearly love to read more romances just like it.
I would say that the heroine’s journey is one of the primary focuses of Prairie Embrace. In her short nineteen years, Katie has been through hell. Her mother died when she was young, and her father and brothers taunted and abused her, treating her like nothing more than a slave. Then her father got tired of providing for her and forced her to marry his friend who was just like him, including being more than twice her age. Her husband beats and verbally abuses her, and she finds no joy or pleasure in their marriage bed, likening it to essentially being raped repeatedly. Her husband's dream is to own a farm in Nebraska, so they make the hard journey west, where Katie’s existence on their land, which is two days ride from the nearest fort, becomes a bleak and lonely one, living in a dugout home with no one for company except a man who treats her abominably. Into that life comes Tohave, a Native American brave, who likes to tease the settlers. At first Katie, who has never known an Indian before, is a little afraid of him, but she quickly warms up to him, when she realizes he means them no harm. Tohave starts to visit Katie when her husband leaves her all alone to go to the fort or to chop wood in a forest that’s a good distance away, and she often senses his presence even when she can’t see him. Soon their friendship grows into love and passion, with Katie experiencing the first true love of her young life.
I love that Katie comes to trust and love Tohave despite them being so different and it being a forbidden love in more ways than one. Given her background and how poorly her husband and father treated her, she easily could have shut him out and refused to trust any man at all, but her heart was open when he came into her life. Through his love she learned that not all men are monsters and his love gave her strength to sustain her through the hard times and even to eventually stand up to her husband. Some readers may not like the fact that Katie stays with her abusive husband for so long and even sometimes feels like she’s the one who’s failed in their relationship, but I understood that she was a classic abuse victim and was also simply a product of her upbringing and the era in which she lived, where it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to leave her husband. I also loved that she never quite fully gave up on Tohave even after she was told he was dead. It was like she still sensed his spirit and couldn’t let go until she had some kind of proof. And it was in part, because she hung on that they were able to eventually reunite. While Katie might not be the kick-butt heroine that is often seen in more modern romances, she has a quiet, understated strength of spirit that can be easy to miss if one isn’t looking deeply enough, and I very much liked that about her. Overall, she’s a sweet girl who I related to quite well and think that she definitely found the perfect mate in Tohave.
Tohave is an amazing hero, and I loved him to pieces. He’s one of the young warriors who’s half Sioux and half Cheyenne. He’s old enough to remember the Battle of Wounded Knee and the heyday of the Indians, but he’s still young enough to be restless and discontent with staying on the reservation. With their buffalo herds depleted and them being expected to live off government supplies, there’s little for the young men to do, so Tohave and his friends often play pranks on the white settlers. He met Katie when they rode down on their wagon as she and her husband were approaching their new homestead, making them think they were going to attack, but only showing a little intimidation. From the moment Tohave caught sight of Katie, he was smitten and couldn’t help following them at a distance, then keeping watch over her once they arrived and started setting up their new home. When Tohave realizes her husband beats and mistreats her, he sorely wants to kill him and steal her away, but he’s wise enough to know that it would only bring trouble upon himself and his tribe, so he bides his time. Once he and Katie become more deeply involved, though, he begins to make plans to spirit her away to Canada, where they can hide in the wilderness, but the unexpected happens and he’s unable to do what he wants.
Much like with Katie, it would have been easy for Tohave to distrust Katie. His mother was raped and murdered by white men, so he doesn’t trust them easily, but he’s smart enough to recognize that not all whites are bad. He and his friends mainly only tease the settlers who are already afraid of them, while they tend to be friendly with those who are friendly back. He senses from the moment they meet that Katie isn’t with her husband by choice, and his heart aches for her when he finds out just how badly her husband treats her. He may be a strong warrior, but when he’s with Katie, he’s kind and gentle, treating her with the utmost respect and tenderness. He knows she’s been through hell already and he doesn’t want to add to that. Instead he wants to heal her wounds, both physically and emotionally. He saves her life on more than one occasion when her husband wouldn’t have cared if she died. Tohave is still a man who has his pride, though, so when fate deals him a cruel blow, he stays away from her, not wanting her to see him as less than a man. But he never, ever stops thinking about her and wishing that things could be different. She’s the inspiration that keeps him alive through all the hardships.
Tohave and Katie share a relationship that is sweet and tender, everything that she doesn’t have with her husband. I will mention for readers who can’t abide cheating of any kind in romance, that they do technically cheat on Katie’s husband, but there are so many extenuating circumstances, not the least of which is Katie being forced into the marriage and the way her husband treats her, that I couldn’t muster one iota of outrage over that. It’s mainly only the white man’s unjust laws that keep Katie in her loveless marriage. What Tohave and Katie share is beauty personified, a love that persists despite the most difficult hardships. Their emotional connection is deep and heartfelt, even across time and distance. The fact that they are separated a little over halfway through the story and aren’t reunited until the very end would normally be a detractor for me, but in this case it wasn’t. Somehow the author kept their connection alive despite the time and distance that passes between them. I never for a minute doubted that they still loved one another. It helps, too, that it was outside forces keeping them apart, rather than their own stubbornness or stupidity, which is often the case in romances. These two were clearly made for each other and their love for one another never would have died no matter what the outcome was.
There are several key secondary players who keep the story moving along. First, Katie’s husband, Ezra, is a detestable man, who doesn’t have an ounce of compassion in him. I thoroughly hated him every time he hurt Katie, but I still have to appreciate that the author gave him just enough of a backstory to make him seem slightly human and make me understand why he is the way he is. McBain, the original commander at the nearest fort, as well as his lieutenant, Will Rogers, are genuinely good men, who see that relations between the whites and Indians are a two-way street. They both always encourage the white settlers to simply be friendly with the Indians, even though their words often fall on deaf ears. They also both see what Katie’s husband is doing to her and are sympathetic to her plight even though there’s little they can do to help her from a legal standpoint. Late in the story, Will also courts Katie and could have kept her from Tohave but didn’t. This made him a wonderful man as far as I’m concerned, and it might have been nice if he’d gotten a story of his own, although that’s unlikely this long after the fact. Katie makes friends with two other settler couples, although she rarely gets to see them. Tohave has his Indian friends as well who ride with him and give him advice. There is also an Indian woman named Rosebud who is older than Tohave, widowed and barren. In white man speak, she’s basically his mistress. He provides her with food and protection, while she acts as his female companion, providing for his sexual needs, and later she nurses him back to health, which is a long journey. Somehow the author managed to write her in a way that made me like her rather than be jealous of her for Katie’s sake. Rosebud is a good person who cares for Tohave and bears genuine affection for him, even though theirs isn’t a love-match, and Tohave is never with her when he’s with Katie, which was a plus. She also looks out for and greatly helps Katie on one occasion.
As if you couldn’t tell, I really loved Prairie Embrace. It’s everything I look for in a romance: sweetness, tenderness, a deep emotional connection between the hero and heroine as well as between them and me as the reader, awesome characters who are easy for me to relate to, and a beautiful, romantic story. It was a little torturous having Tohave and Katie separated for so long, but like I said, Roseanne Bittner really knows how to keep me turning the pages. I just had to find out how they would finally get together when the odds seemed to be stacked against them. I also have to commend her on her historical research. I learned a few things about Native American history as she intertwined Tohave and Katie’s love story with events that were actually occurring on the American frontier in the late 1800s. The racism and xenophobia that the Native Americans faced within the story seemed all to real as well. So kudos for her attention to real-life history. Overall, Prairie Embrace was a near-perfect read for me that will be a favorite of mine for a long time to come. It was my first read by Roseanne Bittner, but it definitely won’t be my last. I look forward to checking out some of the other titles on her backlist soon.
July 18, 2021
This is an old school novel (copyright 1987) about forbidden love between a Native American man and a white woman during the time from 1888-1890. I love this trope and this book did not let me down. It was so easy to feel the pain and agony of Tohave while his people were shoved onto reservations and he was powerless to do anything about it. It was easy to see why he didn't trust any white men after the lies, massacres, and injustices doled out to the Indians at the hands of white men. There was so much needless tragedy and infliction of suffering due to greed and ignorance. The author did a fantastic job of portraying this and obviously did a lot of research on the subject. Being a South Dakota girl myself, I knew of these stories before I read this book and have always found them gut-wrenching, but we can't change history no matter how ugly or unpleasant it may be. Just a word of warning, some lightweights will find this book offensive. I, however, loved it.
Onto the story. Katie Russell and her husband, Ezra are headed for a plot of land in Nebraska to start a homestead when a band of renegade Indians harass them and scare the daylights out of them. This is when Katie met Tohave and knew instantly that there was something different about him. I would go as far to say it was love at first sight. Her husband is an unfeeling, mean old bastard that was her father's friend and her father forced her to marry him. She was 19-years-old, is naive, has been used and abused her whole life, yet still hangs onto the idea of love and someday having a man love her and being happy.
Frankly, I hated Ezra. I wanted to hit him in the face with a shovel. Repeatedly. I could've handled his looks not that much was said about them other than he was ugly. He was just so damn mean to her and worked her so hard. He was controlling, lacked compassion, selfish--everything I despise in a character and even a real person. I longed for him to get his comeuppance. I wasn't sure how he was going to get it or at whose hands, but I wanted him to get what was coming to him.
Tohave was a polar opposite. He was handsome, smart, kind but fierce when he had to be, spiritual, loving, open about his feelings for Katie, despite the fact she was married and there was no chance for them to have a life together. He gave her hope when there was none to be had and that's what pulled her through. I loved him from the moment he was introduced to the story. He went through so much and I wanted him to get his happily ever after.
This book is dark and full of angst. I spent some time in tears and angry, but it was so worth it. A good book will make you laugh; a great book will make you cry.
There are instances or rape, abuse, and violence that some people won't appreciate, but it was an integral part of the story no matter how distasteful it was. This was a wonderful story that was true to the times.
I'd give this book ten stars if I could. It will undoubtedly end up on my Top 10 Favorite Books of the Year on my blog in December. Any book that can make me feel this way deserves to be on this list.
Onto the story. Katie Russell and her husband, Ezra are headed for a plot of land in Nebraska to start a homestead when a band of renegade Indians harass them and scare the daylights out of them. This is when Katie met Tohave and knew instantly that there was something different about him. I would go as far to say it was love at first sight. Her husband is an unfeeling, mean old bastard that was her father's friend and her father forced her to marry him. She was 19-years-old, is naive, has been used and abused her whole life, yet still hangs onto the idea of love and someday having a man love her and being happy.
Frankly, I hated Ezra. I wanted to hit him in the face with a shovel. Repeatedly. I could've handled his looks not that much was said about them other than he was ugly. He was just so damn mean to her and worked her so hard. He was controlling, lacked compassion, selfish--everything I despise in a character and even a real person. I longed for him to get his comeuppance. I wasn't sure how he was going to get it or at whose hands, but I wanted him to get what was coming to him.
Tohave was a polar opposite. He was handsome, smart, kind but fierce when he had to be, spiritual, loving, open about his feelings for Katie, despite the fact she was married and there was no chance for them to have a life together. He gave her hope when there was none to be had and that's what pulled her through. I loved him from the moment he was introduced to the story. He went through so much and I wanted him to get his happily ever after.
This book is dark and full of angst. I spent some time in tears and angry, but it was so worth it. A good book will make you laugh; a great book will make you cry.
There are instances or rape, abuse, and violence that some people won't appreciate, but it was an integral part of the story no matter how distasteful it was. This was a wonderful story that was true to the times.
I'd give this book ten stars if I could. It will undoubtedly end up on my Top 10 Favorite Books of the Year on my blog in December. Any book that can make me feel this way deserves to be on this list.
August 7, 2008
Prairie Embrace by Rosanne Bittner is an older Native American romance. Synopsis:
Katie Russell is a 19 year-old girl who was forced to marry a much older man by her father. Her husband Ezra is very abusive to her and treats her like a slave. Her father and brothers treated her badly growing up, she was the only female so she had to do all of the cooking and cleaning and never knew kindness or love. Her new husband forces her to move to Nebraska to start a farm. She hates the big open land because she is very lonely and is forced to work herself to the bone by her husband. The only bright spot in her world is Tohave...
Tohave is a half-Cheyenne, half-Lakota young man (he's 26) who chafes at being stuck on a reservation. He remembers his old way of life and wishes to go back to the days when he fought neighboring tribes and hunted the buffalo. He is restless and spends his time roaming near the reservation, occasionally playing tricks on the white settlers. He sees Ezra and Katie's wagon on the way to their homestead and decides to play with them. The first time he sees Katie, he is struck by how sad she seems and by her beauty. He starts spying on her homestead and sees the abuse her husband subjects her to. Katie and Tohave have a few encounters, where they realize they are both attracted to each other. Katie is amazed that Tohave makes her feel special and loved for the first time in her life.
Even though Katie and Tohave love each other, there are quite a few obstacles in their way. She is married to a man she hates then finds out she is pregnant. They come from different cultures and know the whites would not allow them to live together. Tohave cannot kill Ezra because he would hang for the deed and he is afraid Katie would feel guilt the rest of her life. They plan on running away together but certain events occur to derail their plans. Eventually they do get their HEA, which is all the sweeter after everything they went through.
My personal opinion on the book:
I really enjoyed Rosanne Bittner's writing! This was my first book by her, now I am going to try some others. She has a way of including great historical detail without shoving it in your face. You can tell she has researched her time period, she really made the setting and time period come alive. She also did a great job with Tohave and the other Native Americans. I actually could tell Tohave was Native American instead of feeling like it was a regular white character with an Indian name. The story also includes events leading up to the massacre at Wounded Knee.
The love story itself was very good. I felt the passion between Tohave and Katie. Katie really grows during the story, she finds her strength after Tohave's love and acceptence show her there is more to life than hardship and abuse. Tohave and Katie did make love while she was still married to Ezra, but I didn't mind because Ezra was an abusive animal who liked to beat and rape her. I was just happy Katie was able to learn that making love could be a beautiful act instead of a degrading one. If you like Native American romance, this was a very good one full of historical detail and good romance.
Katie Russell is a 19 year-old girl who was forced to marry a much older man by her father. Her husband Ezra is very abusive to her and treats her like a slave. Her father and brothers treated her badly growing up, she was the only female so she had to do all of the cooking and cleaning and never knew kindness or love. Her new husband forces her to move to Nebraska to start a farm. She hates the big open land because she is very lonely and is forced to work herself to the bone by her husband. The only bright spot in her world is Tohave...
Tohave is a half-Cheyenne, half-Lakota young man (he's 26) who chafes at being stuck on a reservation. He remembers his old way of life and wishes to go back to the days when he fought neighboring tribes and hunted the buffalo. He is restless and spends his time roaming near the reservation, occasionally playing tricks on the white settlers. He sees Ezra and Katie's wagon on the way to their homestead and decides to play with them. The first time he sees Katie, he is struck by how sad she seems and by her beauty. He starts spying on her homestead and sees the abuse her husband subjects her to. Katie and Tohave have a few encounters, where they realize they are both attracted to each other. Katie is amazed that Tohave makes her feel special and loved for the first time in her life.
Even though Katie and Tohave love each other, there are quite a few obstacles in their way. She is married to a man she hates then finds out she is pregnant. They come from different cultures and know the whites would not allow them to live together. Tohave cannot kill Ezra because he would hang for the deed and he is afraid Katie would feel guilt the rest of her life. They plan on running away together but certain events occur to derail their plans. Eventually they do get their HEA, which is all the sweeter after everything they went through.
My personal opinion on the book:
I really enjoyed Rosanne Bittner's writing! This was my first book by her, now I am going to try some others. She has a way of including great historical detail without shoving it in your face. You can tell she has researched her time period, she really made the setting and time period come alive. She also did a great job with Tohave and the other Native Americans. I actually could tell Tohave was Native American instead of feeling like it was a regular white character with an Indian name. The story also includes events leading up to the massacre at Wounded Knee.
The love story itself was very good. I felt the passion between Tohave and Katie. Katie really grows during the story, she finds her strength after Tohave's love and acceptence show her there is more to life than hardship and abuse. Tohave and Katie did make love while she was still married to Ezra, but I didn't mind because Ezra was an abusive animal who liked to beat and rape her. I was just happy Katie was able to learn that making love could be a beautiful act instead of a degrading one. If you like Native American romance, this was a very good one full of historical detail and good romance.
January 16, 2020
Another gem from Roseanne Bittner. This was highly recommended to me by a friend. I’m glad because I really enjoyed the story. I wish there was a sequel or an epilogue. I would love to hear how Tohave and Katie’s life was once they were finally able to have their HEA.
February 4, 2017
This review is of “Prairie Embrace” by Rosanne Bittner.
The Story: “Prairie Embrace” begins with an introduction to the heroine of the book, Cathryn Elaine “Katie” Russell, 19. Katie and her new husband, Ezra Russell, have moved from Illinois to Nebraska to farm on former Indian reservation land. The Russell’s marriage is not a happy one, as Ezra emotionally, mentally, physically and sexually abuses Katie endlessly.
The only bright spot in Katie’s horrid life is meeting Sioux-Cheyenne Indian warrior Tohave, 26, the hero of the book. Katie and Tohave become clandestine lovers and they plan to run away together.
Those plans are thwarted, however, when Katie is attacked by six bandits who had an earlier run-in with Tohave. Tohave and his braves kill four of the bandits, but one who survives lies and says Tohave and his men did the act. When Tohave tries to take the bodies of the bandits to the Army, he and his men are attacked; Tohave is shot and seriously wounded. He asks that Katie be told he is dead, even though he is not. Katie later gives birth to a son.
As the book comes to a close, Ezra dies after an accident, leaving Katie a widow. A soldier named Will Rogers falls in love with Katie, but she discovers that Tohave is still alive, and she goes to be with him and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms. Bittner’s books are meticulously researched, and she effortlessly weaves actual historical events in with her characters. Ms. Bittner always touches my emotions with her evocative, lyrical writing.
Downside: Despite all of the above, which is typical of her writing, Ms. Bittner never made me feel a connection with her characters in “Prairie Embrace.” While I certainly empathized and sympathized with Katie for all she endured with Ezra, I didn’t find very much of a connection or chemistry between Katie and Tohave. The characters were not as fully developed. Katie and Tohave’s romance is more “slow burn” than “hot passion.”
Sex: There was a little more spark to Ms. Bittner’s love scenes than she usually shows, but just a little.
Violence: Frequent readers of Ms. Bittner’s work know that there is plenty of violence in her work, and she doesn’t change that here. Assault, rape, and killings are woven throughout the book. Sadly, much of the former two are directed at Katie.
Bottom Line: “Prairie Embrace” is nowhere near as good as Ms. Bittner’s gold standard “Savage Destiny” series. Only her writing style compels me to give the book 4 stars. Without that, I would give it a lower rating.
The Story: “Prairie Embrace” begins with an introduction to the heroine of the book, Cathryn Elaine “Katie” Russell, 19. Katie and her new husband, Ezra Russell, have moved from Illinois to Nebraska to farm on former Indian reservation land. The Russell’s marriage is not a happy one, as Ezra emotionally, mentally, physically and sexually abuses Katie endlessly.
The only bright spot in Katie’s horrid life is meeting Sioux-Cheyenne Indian warrior Tohave, 26, the hero of the book. Katie and Tohave become clandestine lovers and they plan to run away together.
Those plans are thwarted, however, when Katie is attacked by six bandits who had an earlier run-in with Tohave. Tohave and his braves kill four of the bandits, but one who survives lies and says Tohave and his men did the act. When Tohave tries to take the bodies of the bandits to the Army, he and his men are attacked; Tohave is shot and seriously wounded. He asks that Katie be told he is dead, even though he is not. Katie later gives birth to a son.
As the book comes to a close, Ezra dies after an accident, leaving Katie a widow. A soldier named Will Rogers falls in love with Katie, but she discovers that Tohave is still alive, and she goes to be with him and they have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms. Bittner’s books are meticulously researched, and she effortlessly weaves actual historical events in with her characters. Ms. Bittner always touches my emotions with her evocative, lyrical writing.
Downside: Despite all of the above, which is typical of her writing, Ms. Bittner never made me feel a connection with her characters in “Prairie Embrace.” While I certainly empathized and sympathized with Katie for all she endured with Ezra, I didn’t find very much of a connection or chemistry between Katie and Tohave. The characters were not as fully developed. Katie and Tohave’s romance is more “slow burn” than “hot passion.”
Sex: There was a little more spark to Ms. Bittner’s love scenes than she usually shows, but just a little.
Violence: Frequent readers of Ms. Bittner’s work know that there is plenty of violence in her work, and she doesn’t change that here. Assault, rape, and killings are woven throughout the book. Sadly, much of the former two are directed at Katie.
Bottom Line: “Prairie Embrace” is nowhere near as good as Ms. Bittner’s gold standard “Savage Destiny” series. Only her writing style compels me to give the book 4 stars. Without that, I would give it a lower rating.
January 17, 2016
From Rosanne Bittner's Savage Destiny, Blue Hawk, & Mystic Indian Series to all her single books written, Prairie Embrace just might be her best accomplished non-series book to date. I've never been so moved by such a story as Ms. Bittner has weaved with the love between Tohave and Katie. The love they find is what we all long to find. Trials, tribulations, heartache, and the will to survive through it all. Love Conquers!!! A beautiful story of never giving up on your loved ones or your freedom to live the dream. 5 stars!!!!!!
March 2, 2017
This book surprised me with how much I ended up falling in love with them! Katie and Tohave meet while Katie is married to an horribly abusive man. Tohave can't fight the need to rescue and take care of Katie, nor can she fight the pull Tohave has on her heart. What a journey these two took to get to their hea - but so very much worth it! Another Rosanne Bittner fav!
Read
March 30, 2011seems like too much work right now.
June 11, 2019
Rating: 3.4 / 5
Good as Ms. Bittner's writing is, it occurs to me that she enjoys toying with her characters a bit too much for my taste. I mean, forgive me for being sensitive, but when I read a romance novel, I don't like to have to go through continuous , a scenario, and a . Romance writer or not, I'm convinced that Ms. Bittner has a sadistic streak in her, because no way could anything short of that explain why she toys so much with her characters and her readings in dragging on this romance.
For the record, yes, , but it takes us a long time to get there.
The story centers around Katie Russell, a woman married to the abusive Ezra Russell against her will. Ezra decides that the pioneering life is for him, so he drags Katie along to west Nebraska to get settled down--in a mud hut home. O-kay.
Anyway, on their way they meet Tohave, mega-hot Native American man, and his gang, who joke around with them but, racist times being what they are, Ezra tells them to f-off. But Tohave and Katie have already locked eyes and hearts with one another, so good luck keeping them apart!
The entire novel as a whole was extremely repetitive, especially with it got to Katie's inner monologues about how she's feeling. Now, usually I really hate things like that, and it's an instant turn-off for me if I feel like I'm reading the same thing over and over again with no real plot progression.
Unfortunately, Native American romances are my Achilles heel as far as judgement goes, so I can put up with almost anything as long as the romance is satisfying. And although I liked both Katie and Tohave as characters, I have to say that their romance was not the best. I mean, it's a convincing romance in that they love and are compassionate towards one another, but what doesn't make sense is that they don't do anything about it. The facts are that Katie and Tohave love each other, Katie is unfortunately married to Ezra, and Ezra's an asshole that I was willing to personally shoot. Ergo, why not get to the scalping or something? Seriously, I was ready to join in, he was just a terrible character!
But, NOPE. Bittner would rather have them spend 400+ pages either pining after each other, talking about love but not actually making any move to do anything about it like get Katie away from Ezra, having misunderstandings about the other, and ultimately going through a lot of difficulty before they actually get together for a permanent solution.
Not my favourite Native American romance by a long shot, but it was more bearable for me than I thought it'd be, considering all of the above things I've mentioned. A very respectable 3 stars for this one.
Good as Ms. Bittner's writing is, it occurs to me that she enjoys toying with her characters a bit too much for my taste. I mean, forgive me for being sensitive, but when I read a romance novel, I don't like to have to go through continuous , a scenario, and a . Romance writer or not, I'm convinced that Ms. Bittner has a sadistic streak in her, because no way could anything short of that explain why she toys so much with her characters and her readings in dragging on this romance.
For the record, yes, , but it takes us a long time to get there.
The story centers around Katie Russell, a woman married to the abusive Ezra Russell against her will. Ezra decides that the pioneering life is for him, so he drags Katie along to west Nebraska to get settled down--in a mud hut home. O-kay.
Anyway, on their way they meet Tohave, mega-hot Native American man, and his gang, who joke around with them but, racist times being what they are, Ezra tells them to f-off. But Tohave and Katie have already locked eyes and hearts with one another, so good luck keeping them apart!
The entire novel as a whole was extremely repetitive, especially with it got to Katie's inner monologues about how she's feeling. Now, usually I really hate things like that, and it's an instant turn-off for me if I feel like I'm reading the same thing over and over again with no real plot progression.
Unfortunately, Native American romances are my Achilles heel as far as judgement goes, so I can put up with almost anything as long as the romance is satisfying. And although I liked both Katie and Tohave as characters, I have to say that their romance was not the best. I mean, it's a convincing romance in that they love and are compassionate towards one another, but what doesn't make sense is that they don't do anything about it. The facts are that Katie and Tohave love each other, Katie is unfortunately married to Ezra, and Ezra's an asshole that I was willing to personally shoot. Ergo, why not get to the scalping or something? Seriously, I was ready to join in, he was just a terrible character!
But, NOPE. Bittner would rather have them spend 400+ pages either pining after each other, talking about love but not actually making any move to do anything about it like get Katie away from Ezra, having misunderstandings about the other, and ultimately going through a lot of difficulty before they actually get together for a permanent solution.
Not my favourite Native American romance by a long shot, but it was more bearable for me than I thought it'd be, considering all of the above things I've mentioned. A very respectable 3 stars for this one.
May 10, 2019
I’m sure this would be a good book to certain people, but just not for me. Rosanne Bittner is a talented author but I felt like the description of feelings were so repetitive. A big portion of the book described the main female characters terrible life and abusive husband and I eventually got tired of reading about it. I ended up skipping pages, and then skimming chapters toward the end. Of course there was a happily ever after, but you had spend 400 pages feeling yucky to get there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2018
The author was ridiculous in her sincerity. I got quite a few good laughs. Also shout out to her accurate descriptions of how terrible Nebraska weather is.
Read
November 1, 2022DNF. A sex scene between Tohave and another woman - not my cup of tea.
Really though... I DNF for the entire thing.
Three chapters in, and the FMC had been raped more times than I can count. She's just so miserable it makes me miserable to read about it.
Really though... I DNF for the entire thing.
Three chapters in, and the FMC had been raped more times than I can count. She's just so miserable it makes me miserable to read about it.
March 6, 2015
From Rosanne Bittner's Savage Destiny, Blue Hawk, & Mystic Indian Series to all her single books written, Prairie Embrace just might be her best accomplished non-series book to date. I've never been so moved by such a story as Ms. Bittner has weaved with the love between Tohave and Katie. The love they find is what we all long to find. Trials, tribulations, heartache, and the will to survive through it all. Love Conquers!!! A beautiful story of never giving up on your loved ones or your freedom to live the dream. 5 stars!!!!!!
October 8, 2018
Could've been one of my faves in this genre: but I can't forgive the hero's lack of fidelity to heroine. One of my peeves. Everything else in this was excellent.
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