Savage Heat

by Nan Ryan

SHE WAS THE GENERAL'S GOLDEN-HAIRED DAUGHTER.
Recklessly she danced the night away. Newly arrived at the Denver cavalry post, she was the darling of the regiment... until a shadow fell across her path -- a raven-haired man who made her blood run hot and her heart stop cold. No longer the dazzling debutante; Martay Kidd was suddenly the hostage of a man who would plunder her body, capture her heart, and carry her off into a world beyond her wildest dreams.

HE WAS A PROUD SIOUX CHIEFTAIN.
The white man knew him as James Savin. The Sioux called him Night Sun, the bravest of all warriors. But his true identity was as secret as his plan for revenge on the cavalry officer who'd massacred his family so long ago. His plan was perfect. He'd meant to exchange his beautiful prey for the life of the general himself. But he hadn't planned on spiriting her back to his people, into the Dakota territory, the world he was meant to command. And he hadn't planned to become the captive of his ravishing prisoner, bound to a love that could never be.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Native American, Historical, Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Western Romance

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Nancy Henderson is the middle daughter of a Texas rancher and postmaster. She's been married for many years to Joe Ryan, a television executive. Hisoccupation has taken them from border to border and coast to coast. Fortunately, writing is something that can be done anywhere - and Nan shouldknow. The Ryans have lived in Washington, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and their own home state of Texas. Nan says it was fun to move around the country and honestly believes that it has helped her writing. The library and the Internet offer a great deal of information on any given place, but there is nothing quite likeactually living in a locale where a book is set.

She began her writing career in 1981. She flirted with writing mysteries, but never finished any. Then, as fate would have it, she saw an article in Newsweek magazine entitled "From Bedroom to Boardroom." It was an interesting story on the women who were writing romance novels. Nan was intrigued. She had never read a romance. She bought a couple, read them, and knew she'd found her calling. She sat down at the Smith Corona typewriter and began her own romance. The first one never left her house. It is burieddeep in a trunk and Nan says it will never be shown to anyone. Her second book sold and she's been writing since. Twenty-two romance novels later, shestill enjoys writing and realizes she's been blessed to have found what she loves to do.

The winner of numerous awards, Nan Ryan says one of the nicest things ever written about her was printed in the St. Petersburg Times. Correspondent AnnV. Hull wrote: "Romance novelist Nan Ryan could step right into the pages of one of her paperbacks. Tall and slender, with smokey eyes and pearly skin,Nan Ryan looks like movie star Jessica Lange's older sister. Ryan writes the most imaginative and bold love scenes, some of which would surely shock herformer teachers at Abilene Christian University."

Reviews

[MelissaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim Savin goes to Denver, Colorado to enact vengenance on the army General Kidd who killed his mother, blinded his grandmother and gravely injured him during an attack on an Indian village when Jim was ten years old. Jim is also known as Night Sun, a half-breed Lakota Sioux cheiftan who spent five years in Boston going to college and law school. He has never forgotten what General Kidd did to his peaceful village and decided to kidnap his daughter Martay to bring the General out where he could kill him.

Martay Kidd is a spoiled 18 year old girl who has men constantly fawning over her. She enjoys her world of parties, silk ball gowns and men who dance to her tune. She is completely unprepared for Night Sun when he abducts her from a ball thrown in her honor. Night Sun takes her out to a cabin in the woods, intending to only keep her there for 24 hours until her father gets a note telling him to meet Night Sun so he can kill him. Through a series of mishaps, General Kidd never gets the note and never comes for Martay. Night Sun waits a couple of days until he can't wait any longer. He takes Martay to his Lakota villiage but she gets very sick along the way. The medicine man is able to heal her and she starts to learn her way around the Lakota camp. Martay is very spoiled and has a lot of growing up to do, but she does make progress and starts to fall hard for her captor.

Martay and Night Sun have a very tempestuous relationship. He is very cold to her for a lot of the book because he hates her father and thinks her vain and spoiled. She hates him for stealing her, dragging her into the wilderness and treated her harshly. While at the Lakota camp, Martay starts to fall in love with Night Sun when she sees a softer side of him with his grandmother and his people. Night Sun is very attracted to his blonde captive but has promised to send her back to her father unharmed and untouched, as the Lakota Sioux do not make war on women and children. They fight hard against their attraction until a wedding celebration, dancing and peyote make them give into their desire. Their road to love still has a few bumps to overcome because neither of them are ready to admit their love for each other until Night Sun decides to return Martay to her world.

I enjoyed this book because the story was fun to read. This is not a love-filled romance, the lead characters have a lot of anger and hate for each other during the first few months of their relationship. Night Sun is very harsh at times and almost goes too far with Martay a few times. Martay really is a spoiled brat for the first part of the book, but there was still something about her that I liked. Once they both finally admit their love, the romance was very nice to read after they overcame their anger and hate. I usually don't like romances with the "I hate you for 2/3 of the book then suddenly I love you for the last few chapters" but this one I didn't mind because the story sucked me in.

[Dawn Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes I did read a trashy novel during a global pandemic and it was wonderful!!

[Lady Tea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: ugh / 5

DNF.

My first DNF of the year, but 3 chapters in and already we've got the hero making love to another woman who's NOT the heroine (and granted, he hasn't met her yet, but still!), and I just hate stuff like that. Hate it, hate it, hate it!

So....NEXT! *runs away to another book*

[Jena]

DNF 50% ( big book, twice as long as books printed these days)

Slow burn, I was bored out of my mind.

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

Normally I try to avoid Native American Historical Romances because of the often racist portrayal of the culture. But I got this for free from my libraries free bin and I generally like trashy novels, so I bit the bullet and read this anyway.

Savage Heat follows Martay Kidd, a generals daughter. Martay, being bored with high society, hops a westbound train to join her army general father in the frontier country of Colorado. When she arrives in Denver, she is abducted by a Sioux warrior named Night Sun, who seeks revenge against Martay’s father for slaughtering his family years before. Of course Stockholm syndrome ensues, racist stereotypes, lovey dovey times, blah blah blah.

I'm not even going to get into the hideous misrepresentation of Native American culture because my knowledge of the culture is limited. The diffrence between me and Nan Ryan, is that I didn't write a novel based on this Culture.
The only I will say about this, is that novels like these make glad that Historical Romance novels have mostly abandoned these types of racial stereotypes.

I didn't really understand the heroine, she was pretty typical for this type of book, but I felt that she was whiny and had very little depth. The plot was fast moving and kept you turning pages despite being predictable, and lost steam(no pun intended) a little more than half way through.
Night Sun's character had a lot of interesting depth and intrigued me. I was genuinelly interested to learn more of his character and his believable backstory. It was really well written overall, even though the sex scenes were tooooo looooonnngggg. I kept flipping from 2 to 3 stars, I was leaning more towards three stars until they had sex… While riding a horse.

They had sex while riding a horse.

WHILE HORSEBACK RIDING.
DOES NAN RYAN EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW HORSEBACK RIDING WORKS???!
WHYYY??
ISN'T THAT UNSANITARY???/
RACIAL STEREOTYPES, OKAY I CAN IGNORE THAT, BUT SEX ON A HORSE ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!?!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite. I don’t know why specifically but I just didn’t enjoy reading this book that much, and wasn’t super invested in the story. Martay Kidd is the pampered daughter of the general of the Denver Calvary. She’s known as the ‘golden girl’ and everyone around her is charmed by her beauty and personality. But despite her vast popularity in society she’s determined to live a life of adventure and not marry. Jim Savin, had a bone to pick with Martay’s father. After the general murdered Jim’s family when he was a child, he is out for revenge. So he kidnaps Martay during a party and holds her hostage in the wild Colorado terrain. When his ransom note never gets delivered to the general, it appears Martay and him will be spending much more time with each other than expected.

I really wanted to enjoy this plot because it sounds like my cup of tea but I don’t know it felt off. They characters weren’t particularly likable but they did redeem themselves. The end part when Jim and Martay did get together and say their ‘I love yours’ was very satisfying and probably my favorite part. But I don’t know can’t exactly place why the vibes were off. I’ve definitely read many a story exactly like this so maybe it was redundant to me? But I don’t think that’s it. A good ending and overall idea just not my favorite story.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I skipped through most of it :/

[Suzana Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood to read one of these kidnapped by the Native American romances. This is one of the few I found that's available for kindle. I've always enjoyed the clash of cultures in these books, and the heroine learning that her prejudices were wrong once she is immersed in that other culture. There is some really good sexual tension in this book. The author does a great job of building the anticipation for the sex scene. He does decide to rape her at one point but doesn't carry it out. The sex scene is really erotic once it happens, but having him say baby to her is jarringly modern. She also says some things during later love scenes that sound too modern.

Her acceptance at the end of the book that her father was really the savage happened too easily after she had vehemently argued that soldiers could never be so brutal to women and children. This book did have some flaws, but it was enjoyable enough for me to keep reading. It's a sexy read if you're into this subgenre of bodice rippers.

[Kathymarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book for $1.99 as Barnes and Noble's Ebook of the day. The cover shown was different than that pictured here. I mention that because had I seen this one, I wouldn't have purchase it! Ha!

It was an entertaining, quick read. Some parts were realllly good, some really dumb. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I have a soft spot for mind candy.

[LHC Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Book

This was a beautiful and moving story about two people from different backgrounds who fell in love against all odds. I was sorry that Martay didn't tell Night Sun about the baby. Highly recommend reading this book.

[Beckey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bodice ripper romance...

[Melissa Dasno burr · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a hate to love, if you love historical romance this book is a good book.

[Nwachukwu Juliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love it,perfecto

[Malika-Liki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some parts very much, when Jim-Night Sun explain the spoiled daughter of a General.some facts about treaties and massacres.
But my God, too many stereotypes of "the savage", " fierce", "animalistic " lust and power, existed in this book. And of foresight, of bison meat when at the time, they were almost all exterminated and so on...
Some chapters were for me, so unrealistic and just there to justify one "hot scene after the other.
The ending too, was rushed, hop hop, he went explain / confront the general, then he was dead, then he was back at the camp et then it was the end.

[Tapa in lovezone]

DNF.
The premise is totally my jam—H kidnapping h as revenge against her father—and I actually loved that the heroine was a spoiled brat. Unfortunately, the execution was just not working for me. It took way too long for the kidnapping to actually happen, and reading through all of his encounters with OWs was frustrating and annoying.
I also didn’t feel much chemistry between the leads, and knowing the story was heading toward the whole “hero trying to stay away from the heroine” arc completely killed my interest.
Overall, this just wasn’t for me.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where’s the ending? What just happened? I seriously feel like I’m missing a part of the book. A huge part of it was how much the two main characters loved each other and how much sex they had in various positions. Also, what was the point of Regina Darlington?

[Terryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatively good read that kept me interested. He is a half-bred out for revenge while she is the means to his revenge. He captures her and soon discovers that not all things go to plan.

[Simone Z. Endrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is one great story. Loved it! Loved the two lead characters, Night Sun (a.k.a Jim Savin) and Martay. In fact, I was particularly impressed by the heroine Martay's character (though I have to say that I really hated her name!).

I would rate this book above 4-stars just for the excellent characterisation alone, but not quite 5-stars because Martay was for a good part of the story not a very nice person at all. But she grew and matured and became very endearing indeed. I like that in a novel. Static characters make for boring one-dimensional people and real people do learn and grow with time and experience. Martay had a lot of growing-up to do because she was a spoilt brat and a very prejudiced one at that. Then again, that is understandable given that her father had inculcated her with prejudices from her infancy. Fortunately, she grew out of them and formed her own opinions in a remarkably mature manner.

I think it was very commendable of the author to show how deeply ingrained prejudices we learn from our parents may be dispensed with when we open ourselves to knowledge as our heroine does. Martay's knowledge came with living with the Lakotas, assimilating their ways instead of stubbornly adhering to her own, and learning to view the 'savages' as human beings deserving of love and respect.

Everything about this novel was excellent. The plot as a whole was fast-paced and exciting. The love scenes between the hero and the heroine, when they eventually arrive around the last third of the novel, are electric, spicy and tastefully done. Some of the minor characters, such as Gentle Deer, Windwalker, and Speaks-Not-At-All, are also very endearing. A page-turner and a pleasant read almost in its entirety. It was only Regina Darlington's character that put a bit of a damper on the plot, as I see it. Thankfully, however, she plays a minor role in the story and in the hero's life, so she didn't last long enough to overshadow his excellent character. He eventually did redeem himself as a real hero ought, so his earlier transgression with that horrible creature may be forgiven.

This is the first novel I've read of Nan Ryan's. I was so impressed that I'll be sure to look for more of hers after this.

[Lynn Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical romance takes place when most Indians were losing their land and being put on reservations in the late 1800’s. Jim Savin, also known as Night Sun, was a half-breed who attended Harvard but maintained his Lakota connections. He kidnapped a military captain’s wealthy teen daughter, Martay, to get revenge for his mother’s death; his grandmother’s blindness and a long scar that he has on his side. They all happened during a camp raid when he was very young. He wrote a ransom letter but it never reached the father. Martay and Night Sun battle it out. Eventually, they fall in love and there are some pretty steamy scenes after she is taken further into Indian Territory. Night Sun goes back to face the father and many surprises await him when he returns to Denver to face Captain Kidd. Great read!

[Rinou · Rating 2 out of 5]

J'ai du mal à croire que Martay puisse passer en quelques semaines d'égoïste trop gâtée à gentille et attentive, ou qu'elle soit heureuse de vivre dans un tipi alors qu'elle est habituée au luxe et au confort. Jim est plus cohérent en faux méchant qui oublie sa vengeance à cause d'une femme (mais qu'est-ce qu'il lui trouve ? lol), même si l'amalgame qu'il fait blanche égale femme facile est justement trop facile.
Au final cela donne une histoire simple et relativement plaisante, mais sans grande surprise, même dans le dénouement de la querelle entre le héros et le père.

[KeebNtxawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read...

Love reading about native Indian romances and This book is not bad...like the way the author made the hero to be strong...dominant...and caring...and although the heroin is a bit spoiled the story did ended well.