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Panorama of the Old West #8
Apache Caress
Book by Gentry, Georgina
435 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
18 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Georgina Gentry
48 books106 followersGeorgina Gentry is a former Ford Foundation teacher who married her Irish-Indian college sweetheart. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren and make their home on a small lake in central Oklahoma. Georgina is known for the deep research and passion of her novels, resulting in two Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement awards for both Western and Indian Romance. Often a speaker at writers’ conferences, Georgina has also been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writer’s Hall of Fame. She holds the rare distinction of winning two back-to-back Best Western Romance of the Year awards for To Tame A Savage and To Tame A Texan. When she’s not writing or researching, Georgina enjoys gardening and collecting antiques.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 25, 2008
Cholla is an Apache scout who helped convince Geronimo to give up fighting the army and go to a reservation because he believed it would be better for the Apache people. The army repaid Cholla's help by forceably shipping him on a train to Florida with all of the other Apaches. While on the train, one of the soldiers with whom he served and had a history with tries to kill him. Cholla attacks him back in self-defense then jumps off the train because he is afraid he will be hanged. He is in unfamiliar territory without a gun and still has chains on his hands and feet. He needs to find a farm where he can sneak into a barn to try to remove the chains. The only goal in his mind is to reach his Apache homeland in Arizona - no matter what it takes.
Sierra is a widow living along near St. Louis on her farm. At least she will be living there until tomorrow, when she is being thrown off the farm because of a mortgage her dead husband took out before he left that she is unable to pay. Her husband was an army officer who volunteered to go west so he could try to find gold. He was killed by Apaches a few months before but she doesn't really miss him very much. She only married him because her grandfather thought it was a wise match and they needed help on the farm. Her husband was mean to her, in bed and out. She is all alone and doesn't know what to do now that her husband and grandfather are both dead, since she is being thrown off her land and has not place to go, no family and no job prospects. She sees a train going by full of Apaches and feels no sypathy for them, after all these are the Apaches that killed her husband and brought her to this desperate point.
Cholla comes upon Sierra's house after dark and decides to try to find tools to take off his chains in the barn because he doesn't see a dog or men around. Sierra hears a noise in the barn and goes out to investigate. Cholla takes her prisoner because he knows she would flee to a neighbor and bring the army, so it was either take her captive or kill her. Sierra is scared to death of the Apache, she thinks it's only a matter of time before her kills her. Cholla makes her load up her wagon and take him over the bridge on the Mississippi River. He decides to keep her around as a possible hostage and to enact some revenge - her husband, who Cholla served with out west, was responsible for raping and killing an Apache girl so he decides to get revenge by seducing Sierra and leaving her at a fort pregnant with a half-breed which would make her an outcast. Sierra has no idea of what her husband had done, but she is afraid that Cholla will kill her the second he doesn't need her anymore.
The couple slowly gets to know each other during the long trip from St. Louis to Arizona despite the mutual distrust and unspoken issues. They give into the intense physical attraction between them pretty quickly but keep an emotional distance that is harder to bridge. Sierra starts to see Cholla as a proud, strong man instead of just an Apache and finds an inner strength she didn't know she had. Cholla starts to see Sierra as a woman that he admires and cares for, rather than his captive and an instrument of revenge. They go through a lot of adventures and hardships along the way to Cholla's Apache homeland. His goal is to reach Apache lands in Mexico and spend the rest of his life hidden away from the American army. At the end of the trip, the couple has to decide whether they want to stay together or go their separate ways, but this isn't an easy decision because they have been afraid to reveal their true feelings for each other.
I really enjoyed this book. The love story between Sierra and Cholla was excellent and believable. The only thing I didn't like was the secondary storyline that threatened to overwhelm the main story at times, but overall the book was very good. Cholla was a man to admire for his determination and strength while Sierra grew from a frightened girl to a woman who knew her strength.
Sierra is a widow living along near St. Louis on her farm. At least she will be living there until tomorrow, when she is being thrown off the farm because of a mortgage her dead husband took out before he left that she is unable to pay. Her husband was an army officer who volunteered to go west so he could try to find gold. He was killed by Apaches a few months before but she doesn't really miss him very much. She only married him because her grandfather thought it was a wise match and they needed help on the farm. Her husband was mean to her, in bed and out. She is all alone and doesn't know what to do now that her husband and grandfather are both dead, since she is being thrown off her land and has not place to go, no family and no job prospects. She sees a train going by full of Apaches and feels no sypathy for them, after all these are the Apaches that killed her husband and brought her to this desperate point.
Cholla comes upon Sierra's house after dark and decides to try to find tools to take off his chains in the barn because he doesn't see a dog or men around. Sierra hears a noise in the barn and goes out to investigate. Cholla takes her prisoner because he knows she would flee to a neighbor and bring the army, so it was either take her captive or kill her. Sierra is scared to death of the Apache, she thinks it's only a matter of time before her kills her. Cholla makes her load up her wagon and take him over the bridge on the Mississippi River. He decides to keep her around as a possible hostage and to enact some revenge - her husband, who Cholla served with out west, was responsible for raping and killing an Apache girl so he decides to get revenge by seducing Sierra and leaving her at a fort pregnant with a half-breed which would make her an outcast. Sierra has no idea of what her husband had done, but she is afraid that Cholla will kill her the second he doesn't need her anymore.
The couple slowly gets to know each other during the long trip from St. Louis to Arizona despite the mutual distrust and unspoken issues. They give into the intense physical attraction between them pretty quickly but keep an emotional distance that is harder to bridge. Sierra starts to see Cholla as a proud, strong man instead of just an Apache and finds an inner strength she didn't know she had. Cholla starts to see Sierra as a woman that he admires and cares for, rather than his captive and an instrument of revenge. They go through a lot of adventures and hardships along the way to Cholla's Apache homeland. His goal is to reach Apache lands in Mexico and spend the rest of his life hidden away from the American army. At the end of the trip, the couple has to decide whether they want to stay together or go their separate ways, but this isn't an easy decision because they have been afraid to reveal their true feelings for each other.
I really enjoyed this book. The love story between Sierra and Cholla was excellent and believable. The only thing I didn't like was the secondary storyline that threatened to overwhelm the main story at times, but overall the book was very good. Cholla was a man to admire for his determination and strength while Sierra grew from a frightened girl to a woman who knew her strength.
October 8, 2020
A historical, romance novel which is a fictional tale to explain the real story of how an Apache named Massai escaped from imprisonment on a train which was moving his people to Florida from the West. In the story his name is Cholla and after his getaway in chains, he finds a lone woman, Sierra Forrester, packing up her farm. He raids her supplies and takes her along as his captive and to help him escape. This man is a legend for his escape and travel of 1500 miles to freedom. The fictional part is the tale of how others help him avoid capture by the Army, and make his way to Freedom, fighting the conditions, the animals and a variety of outlaw types along the way. The theme of this book is that while civilization prefers people who conform, occasionally rugged individualists come along who are molded for greatness. Another good read which is historically educational as to the very sad plight of Native Americans in the 1800s as well as inspirational romance.
May 24, 2017
So, I liked this to an extent, however towards the end it started to get really cheesy.
I liked her at first, super sassy always saying what's on her mind. Then, when he told her that he loved her she got all swoony and her dialogue became really annoying.
He wasn't bad as a lead guy, but didn't really stand out.
I honestly think I would have liked this way better if the writing was better. The character changes were awful! I would be reading from one perspective and then BAM the next paragraph (not even a break or small title) would be from some guys POV. Sometimes these changes would only be for a paragraph and sometimes for pages on end.
IDK, I didn't hate it, but that ending was way too cheesy for me.
I liked her at first, super sassy always saying what's on her mind. Then, when he told her that he loved her she got all swoony and her dialogue became really annoying.
He wasn't bad as a lead guy, but didn't really stand out.
I honestly think I would have liked this way better if the writing was better. The character changes were awful! I would be reading from one perspective and then BAM the next paragraph (not even a break or small title) would be from some guys POV. Sometimes these changes would only be for a paragraph and sometimes for pages on end.
IDK, I didn't hate it, but that ending was way too cheesy for me.
December 3, 2024
I loved this book. The story kept me entertained with a few twists and turns. Great read. Will probably read again.
April 17, 2023
Terrible writing and repetitive situations and words. My brain gave up on me by the end.
Even Usen wouldn't recommend it
Even Usen wouldn't recommend it
October 31, 2024
If you want to read about a man named gillen saying blasted all and poping a lemon drop in his mouth and crunching it by all means read this piece of crap.
October 20, 2025
While there were a few aspects of this book I enjoyed, overall, I found it entirely exhausting. But, starting with the good, I actually ended up appreciating Sierra more as the story went on. She's witty and funny, and has real personality; I also thought the historical elements were interesting and the reality of that period of time and place came through pretty well. It helped make this book more layered.
As for the bad...the writing isn't great, which I suppose is to be expected from these novels, but the thing is, it could be good. Everything is just so receptive though. The characters have the same inner monologue the entirety of the book. I don't need to read them having the exact same thoughts over and over. Also, take a shot every time the word "rape" shows up. You'll be wasted by like, page 20. The way this author made Sierra on the verge of being raped or literally was sexually assaulted in what felt like every chapter was so draining. I couldn't even care after a point, especially because all it did was, of course, make Sierra fall into Cholla's arms and sleep with him. The intimate passages between them are actually some of the better written parts of this book, but there's too many sexual encounters between them for me to find interesting, and it makes them both come across as very dumb. I don't know if autuors of these novels just don't know how to write the male leads, but this is not the first boring love interest I've come across. There's just no chemistry, and I have to wonder if it's at least partly because the author didn't know how to write him. Beyond Cholla being stereotyped by others in the book, he kind of stereotypes himself but he's written that way so...who's fault it is that he's not a compelling character?
It's just difficult to enjoy a book when the writing is subpar yet you know the author could have done better and you don't care about the characters. Even a third of the way through this book I just thought, come on already...
As for the bad...the writing isn't great, which I suppose is to be expected from these novels, but the thing is, it could be good. Everything is just so receptive though. The characters have the same inner monologue the entirety of the book. I don't need to read them having the exact same thoughts over and over. Also, take a shot every time the word "rape" shows up. You'll be wasted by like, page 20. The way this author made Sierra on the verge of being raped or literally was sexually assaulted in what felt like every chapter was so draining. I couldn't even care after a point, especially because all it did was, of course, make Sierra fall into Cholla's arms and sleep with him. The intimate passages between them are actually some of the better written parts of this book, but there's too many sexual encounters between them for me to find interesting, and it makes them both come across as very dumb. I don't know if autuors of these novels just don't know how to write the male leads, but this is not the first boring love interest I've come across. There's just no chemistry, and I have to wonder if it's at least partly because the author didn't know how to write him. Beyond Cholla being stereotyped by others in the book, he kind of stereotypes himself but he's written that way so...who's fault it is that he's not a compelling character?
It's just difficult to enjoy a book when the writing is subpar yet you know the author could have done better and you don't care about the characters. Even a third of the way through this book I just thought, come on already...
July 15, 2025
Just toeing the line of actually kind of good, but for this series (as far as what I have read currently) it's easily the best one.
The premise is fun and takes inspiration from real history which is a bonus.
The heroine is alright with an unique backstory for this genre of books and genuine character development (whether it was good or done right is debatable though but at least it's there I guess). The hero is compelling enough, he doesn't have much personality he does get to have some amusing scenes that are endearing. Of course him being this overly morally good guy is a bit annoying but tolerable although him getting increasingly more horny does distract from the actual plot. The romance is good(?) at least due to the fact that the plot requires them to actually work together and talk and stuff means its more developed then other romances in this series.
On the downside this book is littered with the author's iconic irrationally evil antagonists who live to inconvenience the hero and heroine and that beyond all logic and reason always makes the worst decisions. For this book there is a variety to these characters but all of their personalities sum up to either: evil, horny, stupid, selfish, or all of the above.
Also, I have to agree with other reviewers, the ending is corny as hell.
The premise is fun and takes inspiration from real history which is a bonus.
The heroine is alright with an unique backstory for this genre of books and genuine character development (whether it was good or done right is debatable though but at least it's there I guess). The hero is compelling enough, he doesn't have much personality he does get to have some amusing scenes that are endearing. Of course him being this overly morally good guy is a bit annoying but tolerable although him getting increasingly more horny does distract from the actual plot. The romance is good(?) at least due to the fact that the plot requires them to actually work together and talk and stuff means its more developed then other romances in this series.
On the downside this book is littered with the author's iconic irrationally evil antagonists who live to inconvenience the hero and heroine and that beyond all logic and reason always makes the worst decisions. For this book there is a variety to these characters but all of their personalities sum up to either: evil, horny, stupid, selfish, or all of the above.
Also, I have to agree with other reviewers, the ending is corny as hell.
August 19, 2018
I found this torn up book in my trunk with old books in it. I read this originally when I was young, like, thirteen young. I loved it then and reread it a lot for a few years. I haven't read this book since there was teen attached to my age so I had to sit down and read it now. I was really surprised how much I still liked it. It had some parts that were a little ehhh, at times, but overall, I really enjoyed reading what was probable my first dime store romance book. Maybe some of it was nostalgia, but I flew through this 400 page book and enjoyed the read. :)
January 22, 2022
I have to say that i absolutely love this book. The characters were very interesting and captivating. I love the way Sierra just stopped being a mouse and began being a free spirit like her mother.
Cholla is my second favorite native american warrior. He's very interesting and likeable.
I will 100% re-read it again and again.
Cholla is my second favorite native american warrior. He's very interesting and likeable.
I will 100% re-read it again and again.
when-the-mood-strikes
November 22, 2022I'm a little embarrassed to say I didn't get very far in this book at all.
I love historical fiction and was eager to dig into this old school BR. But, I found the constant mention of her breasts, her nipples, and his package, very detracting from what was going on.
I may come back to this book in the future, but for now I'm just gonna shelve it.
I love historical fiction and was eager to dig into this old school BR. But, I found the constant mention of her breasts, her nipples, and his package, very detracting from what was going on.
I may come back to this book in the future, but for now I'm just gonna shelve it.
October 1, 2019
A fast paced favorite!
I love this couple and their story. You will not regret starting this book and I am willing to bet you won't put it down until the end! It's definitely a favorite of this series.
I love this couple and their story. You will not regret starting this book and I am willing to bet you won't put it down until the end! It's definitely a favorite of this series.
March 2, 2019
Loved it so much i bought for myself and my mom
May 23, 2020
Sue
The best book I have ever read. Made me sad and happy Thank you for such a heartwarming book. Worth Reading.
The best book I have ever read. Made me sad and happy Thank you for such a heartwarming book. Worth Reading.
February 8, 2025
I loved this book sm
August 14, 2016
Very good read. Could have used an epilogue. Left me wondering
October 8, 2014
No disappointment!
really this book is a good/great read like the rest. and yes I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about native Indian romances.
really this book is a good/great read like the rest. and yes I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading about native Indian romances.
July 27, 2016
1.75 stars
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews