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Coltons #1
Apache Magic
To the Apaches, Daniella Blackwood was an adopted daughter, respected and cherished. To their shaman, the bold white streak in her hair made her special and her visions in the flames make her a woman of magic. Yet no magic could protect Daniella from the passion that sears her senses when she first meets Travis Colton.
To Arizona rancher Travis Colton, the mysterious Daniella is his only chance at rescuing his son. Travis and his ten-year-old son were captured by a band of Cochise's warriors. Left for dead, Travis managed to make his way home, determined to do whatever it takes to get his son back.
Travis and Daniella's quest together will take more than magic; it will take a passion neither is ready to handle.
To Arizona rancher Travis Colton, the mysterious Daniella is his only chance at rescuing his son. Travis and his ten-year-old son were captured by a band of Cochise's warriors. Left for dead, Travis managed to make his way home, determined to do whatever it takes to get his son back.
Travis and Daniella's quest together will take more than magic; it will take a passion neither is ready to handle.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1991
About the author
Janis Reams Hudson
84 books39 followersRomance novelist Janis Reams Hudson was born in California, grew up in Colorado, lived in Texas, but has called central Oklahoma home for most of her adult life. What little time she does not spend writing and researching her next book Janis spends helping other writers and volunteering her time to various writers' organizations. Janis lives in Choctaw, Oklahoma, with her husband Ron, and various cats, ducks, and sheep.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 16, 2014
The girl:Daniella Blackwood. She's spent the last three or so years back east getting a feminine edumacation and on her way back to her father's Arizona ranch. The stage she's on is set upon by a band of Apaches and I guess you can kind of guess what she went through back at camp before they left her for dead. But lo and behold - there was some weird bolt of lightning that tore through the camp, left her with a streak of white in her hair and the Apache shaman pronounced her some kind of magic being to be adopted into their tribe and treated as a beloved daughter by the head honcho himself - Cochise.
And you know what, after all the nasty things they did to her at first (and it was some nasty stuff they did), she loved them right back. In a month's time. For realz guyz.
The guy: Thirty something Travis Colton's young son was kidnapped by a band of Apache while they were travelling west via stagecoach, but unlike Daniella's father who gave her up for dead, he's never given up the search for his boy. Daniella sees the boy in her visions in the candle flames, knows where he is (her *new* Apache family) and tells Travis she'll take him there.
No surprise, but Travis thinks Daniella's pretty hot, but he's an understanding guy and gives her all the time she needs to get over being raped and abused. Why she freaks out over attentions from a white man when she's now old BFF with the tribe that abused her and left her for dead I'll never understand...
Obtained as a Kindle freebie. Sorry I wasted my time. Lots of OTT silly baddies, too much would you two just please talk to each other, until they finally do talk and then it's just tons of TMI sex scenes, and oh that one at the very end after being rescued. Ewwww. . Ewwwww.
And you know what, after all the nasty things they did to her at first (and it was some nasty stuff they did), she loved them right back. In a month's time. For realz guyz.
The guy: Thirty something Travis Colton's young son was kidnapped by a band of Apache while they were travelling west via stagecoach, but unlike Daniella's father who gave her up for dead, he's never given up the search for his boy. Daniella sees the boy in her visions in the candle flames, knows where he is (her *new* Apache family) and tells Travis she'll take him there.
No surprise, but Travis thinks Daniella's pretty hot, but he's an understanding guy and gives her all the time she needs to get over being raped and abused. Why she freaks out over attentions from a white man when she's now old BFF with the tribe that abused her and left her for dead I'll never understand...
Obtained as a Kindle freebie. Sorry I wasted my time. Lots of OTT silly baddies, too much would you two just please talk to each other, until they finally do talk and then it's just tons of TMI sex scenes, and oh that one at the very end after being rescued. Ewwww. . Ewwwww.
April 23, 2026
Another GR review says this book is over-the-top, but over-the-top was exactly what I was looking for. I am completely satisfied with this read.
Travis Colton barely survived an Indian attack but his beloved son, Matt, was whisked away by the Apache. Travis won't rest until he retrieves his only child from the wilds of the Arizona territory.
Daniella Blackwood has been through some shit. She continues to go through some shit. My hat's off to her for refusing to allow Life to grind her into dust. If you're going through Hell, keep going.
The Apache call Daniella 'Woman of Magic' ever since she was struck by lightning and given psychic powers. (Just go with it.) Dani's latest visions have been of Matt and she feels called to aide Travis in his hunt for his son. In fact if you turn your head at an angle you could look at this book as an origin story. Daniella is given superpowers and rushes in to save people she doesn't know. Travis is her faithful sidekick watching her back. Tucker the Prospector is the Alfred of the group, keeping the homefires burning back at thebatcave ranch.
Daniella and Travis retrieve Matt kind of early in the story, but don't worry, there are still wagonloads of trials and tribulations for this couple to go through. There are more children to be rescued, numerous knife fights to be had, toxic parents to be dealt with, scheming ex-lovers to be thwarted, prejudice to be stood up to, squatters to be run off, PTSD to be overcome, and mystic prophecies to be fulfilled.
The next time I get a craving for crazysauce, Janis Reams Hudson will be one of my go-to authors.
Travis Colton barely survived an Indian attack but his beloved son, Matt, was whisked away by the Apache. Travis won't rest until he retrieves his only child from the wilds of the Arizona territory.
Daniella Blackwood has been through some shit. She continues to go through some shit. My hat's off to her for refusing to allow Life to grind her into dust. If you're going through Hell, keep going.
The Apache call Daniella 'Woman of Magic' ever since she was struck by lightning and given psychic powers. (Just go with it.) Dani's latest visions have been of Matt and she feels called to aide Travis in his hunt for his son. In fact if you turn your head at an angle you could look at this book as an origin story. Daniella is given superpowers and rushes in to save people she doesn't know. Travis is her faithful sidekick watching her back. Tucker the Prospector is the Alfred of the group, keeping the homefires burning back at the
Daniella and Travis retrieve Matt kind of early in the story, but don't worry, there are still wagonloads of trials and tribulations for this couple to go through. There are more children to be rescued, numerous knife fights to be had, toxic parents to be dealt with, scheming ex-lovers to be thwarted, prejudice to be stood up to, squatters to be run off, PTSD to be overcome, and mystic prophecies to be fulfilled.
The next time I get a craving for crazysauce, Janis Reams Hudson will be one of my go-to authors.
November 4, 2024
Simply Amazing!
This book was exactly what I had been looking for! Authors do not write books much like this one anymore. It was a wonderful very much needed find! I loved every moment of it, cover to cover!
This book was exactly what I had been looking for! Authors do not write books much like this one anymore. It was a wonderful very much needed find! I loved every moment of it, cover to cover!
March 4, 2012
I found this book to be very enjoyable, though the believability of certain circumstances were a bit of a stretch. It was a bit of a stretch to believe that someone who went through such a traumatic experience (abduction, brutal beatings, and repeatedly raped) would be able to get over it as quickly as Daniella did, but hey, that's why they call it fiction, right?
Aside from that, I didn't have any issues with the book, and I look forward to reading the sequel Apache Promise in the coming days.
On an unrelated note, I always enjoy discovering new authors from my home state, and was pleased to discover that Ms. Hudson is among them. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
If Native American romance is one of your guilty pleasures, you will likely enjoy this novel.
Aside from that, I didn't have any issues with the book, and I look forward to reading the sequel Apache Promise in the coming days.
On an unrelated note, I always enjoy discovering new authors from my home state, and was pleased to discover that Ms. Hudson is among them. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
If Native American romance is one of your guilty pleasures, you will likely enjoy this novel.
April 26, 2026
April 2026
3.5 stars
♡ 𝑨 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ♡
The writing is often melodramatic, similar to a classic Harlequin romance. The love between the MCs felt deep and genuine. There are a few sex scenes with flowery words and few details.
The story is fast-paced, full of drama, action, and adventure. It kept my interest from start to finish and was fairly entertaining. While much of it is fantasy, I liked that there was some realism too. The MCs go through great difficulties and suffer in more ways than one. Their strength, determination, and love for each other, help them overcome and find their HEA.
I disliked the prolonged miscommunication between the MCs, which took three-quarters of the book to resolve. After they happily unite, the villains return, leading to an exciting ending.
The characters are portrayed as either all good or all bad. The villains, including an evil OW, are included solely to create OTT conflict. Three are killed, leaving one alive—which was disappointing. I hope he's taken care of in the next book.
🔺There are good minor characters, but they're underdeveloped and soon fade into the background.
🔺The violence, including rape, is not graphic. It's either briefly mentioned or resolved quickly.
🔻There’s some dull politics about Arizona becoming a U.S. territory and having a delegate elected, which I skimmed. The Civil War is just beginning.
🔻Uninterested, I skimmed the villians' POVs.
━━━━━━♡♤♡━━━━━━
❗S͓̽O͓̽M͓̽E͓̽ S͓̽P͓̽O͓̽I͓̽L͓̽E͓̽R͓̽S͓̽❗
Daniella/Dani Blackwood (18) is returning home to Arizona after three years at finishing school. The stagecoach is attacked by Apaches, and she's taken to their camp. There, she’s brutally raped by seven men, beaten, scarred, and left tied to a tree. During the night, lightning splits the tree, and Dani is found with a white streak in her hair. The medicine man says it's a mark from their god. They give her a new name, care for her, and the chief adopts her. Now called Woman of Magic, she begins having visions.
When Dani returns home, her father, influenced by his second wife, treats her cruelly. She has him sign over her late uncle’s ranch to get rid of her. She and Tucker, an old prospector who was also taken by the Apache, then move to El Valle de Esperanza. Along the way, they find Simon, a gentle giant, and his sheep.
Travis Colton (30) is a rancher who lives near Dani. Apaches attacked the stagecoach he was on, took his 10-year-old son Matt, and left him for dead. He vows to find his son or die trying.
Dani has several visions of Travis. She offers to lead him to Matt, knowing he's with Cochise, the Apache chief who adopted her. During their journey, their attraction leads to feelings and a deep bond. Travis sees Dani’s bravery but also her trauma. He earns her trust, makes her feel safe, and she allows him to touch and comfort her. They find Matt and bring him home.
Trevor thinks: She was extremely independent, as hard as nails, at home in the wilderness, and at ease with a Bowie knife in her hand. That was by day. By night she was a frightened child. Somewhere in between those two extremes must be the real Daniella. That was the woman he was determined to know.
Dani finds it crazy that the Apaches who nearly killed her now honor and respect her, while white men scorn and call her a whore.
Dani learns that due to her assault, she's pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. The medicine man says they're special, and will be an important link between her people and the Apaches. Two of her rapists want to marry her, but the chief chooses Travis.
VILLAINS:
🔸Two of Dani's Apache rapists pursue her. One she beats in a fight; he's later killed by Travis. The other continues to rape and pillage.
🔸Carmen, the jealous OW, is obsessed with Travis.
🔸Crane is a prospector after Dani’s land for gold. He teams up with Carmen to get rid of Dani, but fails to drive her off her land. In the end, Crane kidnaps Dani after she makes a TSTL decision. He kills Carmen, and while fighting Travis, is shot by Dani.
FAVORITE PARTS:
🟊 How Cochise and the medicine man treat Dani.
🟊 Travis never lets Dani go, and even pursues her when she foolishly returns two rescued Apache boys back to their camp alone.
🟊 Dani's father goes to her and makes amends.
🟊 Dani has her babies and Travis accepts them as his own, even adopting them.
🟊 After Dani's rescued at the end, she and Travis stop to make love on the way home. He helps with her engorged milk problem.
💖 FINAL WORDS:
♥ "Oh Travis, is the trouble over? Can we live a normal life now?"
♥ "Yes, love, the trouble's over. We can raise our children here on this ranch and tell the rest of the world to go away." He pushed back the thought of the country tearing itself apart in war—a war between the North and South, and even closer to home, a war between the Apaches and whites. Now was not the time to remember those things. Not for them. Now was the time for a little peace, some hope for the future, and a whole lot of love.
♥ Daniella was fully aware of what he left unsaid, but she, too, pushed it to the back of her mind. She took Travis's face in her hands and gazed softly into the depths of his eyes. "Whatever comes our way, we can handle it, as long as we're together. I love you, Travis."
♥ "Yes, together," he whispered. His lips touched hers. "Always together." His mouth captured hers in a fierce, demanding kiss. "God, how I love you, Dani."
♥ "Show me," she whispered against his lips.
And he showed her.
3.5 stars
♡ 𝑨 𝑯𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ♡
The writing is often melodramatic, similar to a classic Harlequin romance. The love between the MCs felt deep and genuine. There are a few sex scenes with flowery words and few details.
The story is fast-paced, full of drama, action, and adventure. It kept my interest from start to finish and was fairly entertaining. While much of it is fantasy, I liked that there was some realism too. The MCs go through great difficulties and suffer in more ways than one. Their strength, determination, and love for each other, help them overcome and find their HEA.
I disliked the prolonged miscommunication between the MCs, which took three-quarters of the book to resolve. After they happily unite, the villains return, leading to an exciting ending.
The characters are portrayed as either all good or all bad. The villains, including an evil OW, are included solely to create OTT conflict. Three are killed, leaving one alive—which was disappointing. I hope he's taken care of in the next book.
🔺There are good minor characters, but they're underdeveloped and soon fade into the background.
🔺The violence, including rape, is not graphic. It's either briefly mentioned or resolved quickly.
🔻There’s some dull politics about Arizona becoming a U.S. territory and having a delegate elected, which I skimmed. The Civil War is just beginning.
🔻Uninterested, I skimmed the villians' POVs.
━━━━━━♡♤♡━━━━━━
❗S͓̽O͓̽M͓̽E͓̽ S͓̽P͓̽O͓̽I͓̽L͓̽E͓̽R͓̽S͓̽❗
Daniella/Dani Blackwood (18) is returning home to Arizona after three years at finishing school. The stagecoach is attacked by Apaches, and she's taken to their camp. There, she’s brutally raped by seven men, beaten, scarred, and left tied to a tree. During the night, lightning splits the tree, and Dani is found with a white streak in her hair. The medicine man says it's a mark from their god. They give her a new name, care for her, and the chief adopts her. Now called Woman of Magic, she begins having visions.
When Dani returns home, her father, influenced by his second wife, treats her cruelly. She has him sign over her late uncle’s ranch to get rid of her. She and Tucker, an old prospector who was also taken by the Apache, then move to El Valle de Esperanza. Along the way, they find Simon, a gentle giant, and his sheep.
Travis Colton (30) is a rancher who lives near Dani. Apaches attacked the stagecoach he was on, took his 10-year-old son Matt, and left him for dead. He vows to find his son or die trying.
Dani has several visions of Travis. She offers to lead him to Matt, knowing he's with Cochise, the Apache chief who adopted her. During their journey, their attraction leads to feelings and a deep bond. Travis sees Dani’s bravery but also her trauma. He earns her trust, makes her feel safe, and she allows him to touch and comfort her. They find Matt and bring him home.
Trevor thinks: She was extremely independent, as hard as nails, at home in the wilderness, and at ease with a Bowie knife in her hand. That was by day. By night she was a frightened child. Somewhere in between those two extremes must be the real Daniella. That was the woman he was determined to know.
Dani finds it crazy that the Apaches who nearly killed her now honor and respect her, while white men scorn and call her a whore.
Dani learns that due to her assault, she's pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl. The medicine man says they're special, and will be an important link between her people and the Apaches. Two of her rapists want to marry her, but the chief chooses Travis.
VILLAINS:
🔸Two of Dani's Apache rapists pursue her. One she beats in a fight; he's later killed by Travis. The other continues to rape and pillage.
🔸Carmen, the jealous OW, is obsessed with Travis.
🔸Crane is a prospector after Dani’s land for gold. He teams up with Carmen to get rid of Dani, but fails to drive her off her land. In the end, Crane kidnaps Dani after she makes a TSTL decision. He kills Carmen, and while fighting Travis, is shot by Dani.
FAVORITE PARTS:
🟊 How Cochise and the medicine man treat Dani.
🟊 Travis never lets Dani go, and even pursues her when she foolishly returns two rescued Apache boys back to their camp alone.
🟊 Dani's father goes to her and makes amends.
🟊 Dani has her babies and Travis accepts them as his own, even adopting them.
🟊 After Dani's rescued at the end, she and Travis stop to make love on the way home. He helps with her engorged milk problem.
💖 FINAL WORDS:
♥ "Oh Travis, is the trouble over? Can we live a normal life now?"
♥ "Yes, love, the trouble's over. We can raise our children here on this ranch and tell the rest of the world to go away." He pushed back the thought of the country tearing itself apart in war—a war between the North and South, and even closer to home, a war between the Apaches and whites. Now was not the time to remember those things. Not for them. Now was the time for a little peace, some hope for the future, and a whole lot of love.
♥ Daniella was fully aware of what he left unsaid, but she, too, pushed it to the back of her mind. She took Travis's face in her hands and gazed softly into the depths of his eyes. "Whatever comes our way, we can handle it, as long as we're together. I love you, Travis."
♥ "Yes, together," he whispered. His lips touched hers. "Always together." His mouth captured hers in a fierce, demanding kiss. "God, how I love you, Dani."
♥ "Show me," she whispered against his lips.
And he showed her.
May 25, 2018
Exciting!!!
This book is so exciting, what a amazing strong courageous heroine-with an equally strong, loving hero, this book will keep you in suspense.
This book is so exciting, what a amazing strong courageous heroine-with an equally strong, loving hero, this book will keep you in suspense.
July 18, 2023
Absolutely one of my favorite series. If you get a chance read this series of 6 books you will love the content
October 18, 2014
I read this book in paperback format some years ago. The change of format did nothing to detract from the story. I enjoyed reading it every bit as much this time.
The book is well written, characters developed and the storyline interesting. I sympathized with Dani over the way she was treated by her father upon her return after being captured by the Apaches, however I'm sure that this is what happened in some cases. I enjoyed the way her relationship with Travis developed. I'm hoping to read the other books (don't think I ever did before)as I'm interested in seeing what happens to the other characters from this book. I enjoyed the use of well known Indian chiefs in the book.
Recommend for readers of western romance.
The book is well written, characters developed and the storyline interesting. I sympathized with Dani over the way she was treated by her father upon her return after being captured by the Apaches, however I'm sure that this is what happened in some cases. I enjoyed the way her relationship with Travis developed. I'm hoping to read the other books (don't think I ever did before)as I'm interested in seeing what happens to the other characters from this book. I enjoyed the use of well known Indian chiefs in the book.
Recommend for readers of western romance.
May 27, 2016
Great historical romance
I have read many, many historical western romance novels and enjoyed this one very much. The characters were well developed and very believable. This story progressed quickly and held my interest to the very end. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
I have read many, many historical western romance novels and enjoyed this one very much. The characters were well developed and very believable. This story progressed quickly and held my interest to the very end. Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Read
October 11, 2014Ridiculously unbelievable even for a Historical romance written in 1999
Thankfully it was free
Deleted from my iCloud a Kindle memory
Thankfully it was free
Deleted from my iCloud a Kindle memory
October 13, 2014
Nice western. Hard to believe with the heroine being brutally raped and falling in love so soon. I liked the characters and think I might purchase the next in the series.
Read
July 24, 2013Great book!!! Could read it over a thousand times and it would never get old!!!
May 1, 2015
Interesting relationships. Good protrayl of the Apache people.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews