What do you think?
Rate this book
Nightsong
On the run and in search of a hideout,Tyler had come to the isolated farmhouseexpecting to find an older lady in needof a helping hand. Instead he foundDebra Nightsong, an independent youngwoman whose exotic beauty mesmerizedhim. He'd vowed not to take advantage ofthe situation he'd placed her in, but soonfound himself regretting his words….
An outcast from her tribe, half-breed Debra Nightsong wanted nothingmore than to be left alone to tend herfarm—until she was ambushed bya mysterious stranger. Tyler said hemeant her no harm, yet he unnervedher—especially with his presence inher bed. He claimed it was only tokeep her from escaping him, butDebra had never expected to findpleasure in the feel of a man'sstrong body against hers….
An outcast from her tribe, half-breed Debra Nightsong wanted nothingmore than to be left alone to tend herfarm—until she was ambushed bya mysterious stranger. Tyler said hemeant her no harm, yet he unnervedher—especially with his presence inher bed. He claimed it was only tokeep her from escaping him, butDebra had never expected to findpleasure in the feel of a man'sstrong body against hers….
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
About the author
Carolyn Davidson
69 books91 followersCarolyn Davidson began writing in 1986, knowing absolutely nothing about the craft. Her first three books were rejected by Harlequin.
She met Dixie Browning at a Harlequin dinner in Charleston, South Carolina, and told Dixie she was writing, but that she feared she was too old to begin such an undertaking. Dixie's response spurred Carolyn to pursue her dream. Dixie said, in her own inimitable fashion, "Well, honey, you can't start any younger!" And she was right.
Having spent her life as a wife, mother, grandmother, and working woman, she's privileged to have a career that makes her dreams possible. Writing historical romance gives her the opportunity to travel, to visit all those places where our forefathers staked their claim on this country of ours. And then she goes home and writes their stories, maybe not exactly as they lived them, but as her imagination portrays them.
Carolyn lives in the South, where romance thrives, and where the sun shines almost every day of the year. In fact, some days it is difficult to stay glued to her computer, especially when the birds are singing and the flowers are in full bloom.
She lives not far from the ocean, close to Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most romantic cities in the world. Moreover, time at the beach is easy to come by. Does she enjoy her life? You bet! Harlequin allows her to write the books she loves, and her editor is patient with her quirks and foibles. Her family, though scattered in various states, is supportive, and her husband is a constant source of inspiration.
She met Dixie Browning at a Harlequin dinner in Charleston, South Carolina, and told Dixie she was writing, but that she feared she was too old to begin such an undertaking. Dixie's response spurred Carolyn to pursue her dream. Dixie said, in her own inimitable fashion, "Well, honey, you can't start any younger!" And she was right.
Having spent her life as a wife, mother, grandmother, and working woman, she's privileged to have a career that makes her dreams possible. Writing historical romance gives her the opportunity to travel, to visit all those places where our forefathers staked their claim on this country of ours. And then she goes home and writes their stories, maybe not exactly as they lived them, but as her imagination portrays them.
Carolyn lives in the South, where romance thrives, and where the sun shines almost every day of the year. In fact, some days it is difficult to stay glued to her computer, especially when the birds are singing and the flowers are in full bloom.
She lives not far from the ocean, close to Charleston, South Carolina, one of the most romantic cities in the world. Moreover, time at the beach is easy to come by. Does she enjoy her life? You bet! Harlequin allows her to write the books she loves, and her editor is patient with her quirks and foibles. Her family, though scattered in various states, is supportive, and her husband is a constant source of inspiration.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 21, 2012
Nightsong has languished on my tbr pile for years. I started it but put it down because I wasn't been in a mood to finish it at the time. Yesterday, I felt this strong urge to read a western. Those urges come on me, and I felt it best to indulge. My eyes fell on it tucked into the large bookshelf in my room, and I started reading it again. It was the right book for my present mood.
Nightsong has that feel that I enjoy in a historical western. Strong people living their lives, facing adversities, and adhering to their personal sense of honor. Debra is a woman of two worlds: her mother was Indian and her father was white. Both worlds have rejected her to some extent. As a result, Debra has found her own world to live in. When hard-eyed Ethan Tyler comes along, determined to live with her at her homestead, she doesn't like the idea, but she can't make him leave. Before she knows it, they are married. And she falls in love with her husband, a man with torment and dark memories in his eyes. Before they can found a future, Ethan has to face his past. He is a fugitive, having killed the man who killed his wife and young son, and a bounty hunter has come to take him back. Honor dictates that Ethan go back and prove he was right to kill that man. Will this man she has come to love as her husband return to her, or will she be forced go back to living alone, on the edge of two worlds?
I liked the steady narrative, which was light on dialogue and heavy on description. Admittedly, this doesn't always work for me, but it did for this book at this moment in time and space. It showed rather than told who Debra and Ethan were. They are characters in which actions speak louder than words, so it was fitting. Through their interaction in the world around them, with each other, and with other pivotal characters.
It's an interesting thing how much reading depends on mood, at least for me. At times, this sort of book wouldn't be what I wanted to read. Other times, like yesterday, it was what the doctor ordered. It satisfied my craving for a western, and left me wanting more. That's why I gave it four stars.
Nightsong has that feel that I enjoy in a historical western. Strong people living their lives, facing adversities, and adhering to their personal sense of honor. Debra is a woman of two worlds: her mother was Indian and her father was white. Both worlds have rejected her to some extent. As a result, Debra has found her own world to live in. When hard-eyed Ethan Tyler comes along, determined to live with her at her homestead, she doesn't like the idea, but she can't make him leave. Before she knows it, they are married. And she falls in love with her husband, a man with torment and dark memories in his eyes. Before they can found a future, Ethan has to face his past. He is a fugitive, having killed the man who killed his wife and young son, and a bounty hunter has come to take him back. Honor dictates that Ethan go back and prove he was right to kill that man. Will this man she has come to love as her husband return to her, or will she be forced go back to living alone, on the edge of two worlds?
I liked the steady narrative, which was light on dialogue and heavy on description. Admittedly, this doesn't always work for me, but it did for this book at this moment in time and space. It showed rather than told who Debra and Ethan were. They are characters in which actions speak louder than words, so it was fitting. Through their interaction in the world around them, with each other, and with other pivotal characters.
It's an interesting thing how much reading depends on mood, at least for me. At times, this sort of book wouldn't be what I wanted to read. Other times, like yesterday, it was what the doctor ordered. It satisfied my craving for a western, and left me wanting more. That's why I gave it four stars.
November 14, 2022
Running at the reading challenge goal; get my current pile of books shortened and gone; tighten that idea up and get the small stack of older harlequin historicals gone first.
Very bland. It was just fine, and long for the story it tells, almost dragging. I was not engaged and in a sense forgot the reading experience as soon as the book ended. For all that I appreciate and love dailiness, and details and some moments and scenes taking their time to build a scene and interaction, every sentence stretched to two and every paragraph stretched to a page got beyond living in their dailiness and became repetitive. Almost tedious.
The characters repeat themselves a lot, too. In action and in what they express to one another.
Davidson opens the book with a note to the reader, about how strong and independent Nightsong is. I didn't get a sense of that the moment Ethan appeared in her life. Is she kind? accepting of what life demands beyond her control she must try to survive within? steady in her bearing? Yes. But she's not allowed much to show for it as soon as she's "her husband's." I just didn't see her strength or independence in the moment--it was all in the past, and more like survival.
The relationship arc is brief, intense and yet languid as they slide into no-resistance no-worry marriage, and then sliced through with them separated by Ethan's mission over quite a long time but without the balance of delving into how they're emotionally managing the separation, and then fuses back very easily. Very easily despite Ethan's unnecessary and not believable raging jealousy over a would-be other man, and Windsong demurring to it, forgiving it, while Ethan pivots almost immediately into oh that was foolish--which is what takes the weight and necessity from it being in the story at all--and then it's fine again.
I actually like the detail given to working the farm. But as I said, it was also labored over and that took away from the detailed action.
The conflicts were all easily resolved. There was no grit in the friction they encountered.
Windsong's brother is a good character. Got more of what Ethan needed to truly come to care about Ethan as with Windsong and on his own.
The town coming to respect Windsong and being good neighbors, and her coming to accept them as needed and grateful for them, is fine but heavy-handed. And laid on thick at the end.
A lot of promise in a lot of smaller parts but the book sort of meandered around them rather than bring them together in a coalesced whole.
I have another by Davidson I scooped up at the same time. Going to give it a try, we'll see.
Very bland. It was just fine, and long for the story it tells, almost dragging. I was not engaged and in a sense forgot the reading experience as soon as the book ended. For all that I appreciate and love dailiness, and details and some moments and scenes taking their time to build a scene and interaction, every sentence stretched to two and every paragraph stretched to a page got beyond living in their dailiness and became repetitive. Almost tedious.
The characters repeat themselves a lot, too. In action and in what they express to one another.
Davidson opens the book with a note to the reader, about how strong and independent Nightsong is. I didn't get a sense of that the moment Ethan appeared in her life. Is she kind? accepting of what life demands beyond her control she must try to survive within? steady in her bearing? Yes. But she's not allowed much to show for it as soon as she's "her husband's." I just didn't see her strength or independence in the moment--it was all in the past, and more like survival.
The relationship arc is brief, intense and yet languid as they slide into no-resistance no-worry marriage, and then sliced through with them separated by Ethan's mission over quite a long time but without the balance of delving into how they're emotionally managing the separation, and then fuses back very easily. Very easily despite Ethan's unnecessary and not believable raging jealousy over a would-be other man, and Windsong demurring to it, forgiving it, while Ethan pivots almost immediately into oh that was foolish--which is what takes the weight and necessity from it being in the story at all--and then it's fine again.
I actually like the detail given to working the farm. But as I said, it was also labored over and that took away from the detailed action.
The conflicts were all easily resolved. There was no grit in the friction they encountered.
Windsong's brother is a good character. Got more of what Ethan needed to truly come to care about Ethan as with Windsong and on his own.
The town coming to respect Windsong and being good neighbors, and her coming to accept them as needed and grateful for them, is fine but heavy-handed. And laid on thick at the end.
A lot of promise in a lot of smaller parts but the book sort of meandered around them rather than bring them together in a coalesced whole.
I have another by Davidson I scooped up at the same time. Going to give it a try, we'll see.
May 14, 2026
I find the author’s books enjoyable but slow. I continue to read her books sporadically but find that they take me a long time to finish because there’s not a lot of action in them. They are historical romances that have nice details and good character development, but they don’t have any power to them. I enjoy more action, packed adventures nowadays instead of the slow steady historical romances that I used to read. That being sad I still keep coming back to the author and others that write in the genre. It is a good book. It’s just not my speed.
Read
March 1, 2016Though Debra is a strong young woman, I find her to submissive when she falls for Tyler. I find the writing repettive. The romance could have been stretched further into the book. I don't find there was enough building of sexual tension. Also, some of the intitial situations that the protagonists were in truly made no sense.
There was a lot of good material to work with. The main characters were strong and likeable. The author gave an excellent sense of place and work on a farm. would have liked to see a better woven story around these two.
There was a lot of good material to work with. The main characters were strong and likeable. The author gave an excellent sense of place and work on a farm. would have liked to see a better woven story around these two.
September 28, 2009
Carolyn Davidson creates a picture of what is happening in her books which sometimes makes them drag. But this one is quite a page turner. It has a little of everything in it encluding a lynch mog gang that came to kill her and her brother while her husband was gone. It tells how a half-breed is scorned both by indians and white people and the problems arising from that. It also shows that people can be kind.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews