Review: A Love Forbidden

A Love Forbidden

By Kathleen Morgan

Revell, May 2012.

About the Book

Moved by the desire for adventure and a yearning to help the Ute Indians, twenty-year-old Shiloh Wainright impulsively accepts a teaching position at the White River Indian Agency in northwestern Colorado. The new job, however, isn’t what she imagined it would be, and Shiloh soon finds herself caught in the crossfire between the Utes, their unyielding Indian agent, and the unrealistic demands of the U.S. government.

Her unexpected encounter with Jesse Blackwater, an embittered half-breed Ute and childhood friend, only complicates matters as they battle their growing feelings for each other amidst the spiraling tensions threatening to explode into a catastrophic Indian uprising.

Set amongst the wilds of the Colorado Rockies in 1879, this is a tale of a forbidden love and a faith tested in the cauldron of intolerance and the harsh realities of life on the untamed frontier. Bestselling author Kathleen Morgan deftly explores themes of mercy, fidelity to one’s beliefs despite what others think or do, and compassion for those different from oneself as she plumbs the depths of the human heart and the healing power of God’s love.

My Review

There is just something about forbidden love that draws me to the story every time, especially when it has to do with Native Americans and the many prejudices they suffered over the years. There was little to compromise when it came to love. If you married, you either lived with the tribe and were persecuted, or you lived among the whites and were persecuted. At any rate, I find many historical battles quite fascinating as well as the way different cultures saw things such as marriage, family, and God. The part where the massacre took place was terrifying, and I felt the horror of it. But I also saw what Meeker did to provoke the situation in the first place.

This book intrigued me because of the plot and conflict, and I read it quickly. The beginning was fairly traumatic, and I couldn’t help loving Jessie as a result. He suffered a lot over the years, and it was easy to see why he was distrustful of people. I could also see the draw Shiloh felt toward him. There was something very passionate about Jessie that made me care about him. I also cared for Shiloh and appreciated her heart for people who were in unfortunate circumstances.

The characters were well drawn out and the conflict kept me reading. And those ardent, searing kisses . . . whew! Kathleen Morgan sure knows how to stoke a romantic fire in her novels. This was a very enjoyable read!

Michelle Sutton

Healing Hearts . . . fiction making an impact on real lives . . .

New titles releasing in 2012: Decision to Love, It’s Not About Her, Somebody Love Me,

Out of Time, and Surprise Love