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Trails West Trilogy #2
Wind Rider
In order to escape her abusive master, Hannah McLin, an indentured servant, must place her trust in Wind Rider, a Cheyenne brave, and as they journey across the wild frontier, love and passion blossoms between them. Reissue.
448 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1994
12 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Connie Mason
140 books534 followersConnie Mason or Cara Miles is the best-selling author of more than fifty historical romances and novellas. Her tales of passion and adventure are set in exotic as well as American locales. Connie was named Story Teller of the Year in 1990 by Romantic Times and was awarded Career Achievement award in the Western category by Romantic Times in 1994. Connie makes her home in Tarpon Springs, Florida with her husband Jerry.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
Prior to her first published work in 1984, Connie was a full time homemaker. Always an avid reader, writing was one of Connie's dreams.
In 1995 Connie was featured on a segment of the CBS news show 48 Hours, a television production that devoted an entire program to the romance novel industry. Connie was also featured in an article published by National Inquirer.
In addition to writing and traveling, Connie enjoys telling anyone who will listen about her three children and nine grandchildren, and sharing memories of her years living abroad in Europe and Asia as the wife of a career serviceman. In her spare time Connie enjoys reading, dancing, playing bridge and freshwater fishing with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 7, 2016
4.5 Hot Stars
Heat & Romance (5 HOT Stars)/Characters (4 Stars)/Setting(4.5 Stars)/Theme & Plot(4 Stars)/History(4 Stars)
Love the American frontier old west and stories featuring Native Americans. Also nostalgic about older romance pubs. This 1990's edition was repub'ed digitally in 2011.
If you like Native American Historical Romances, with hot and frequent sex scenes, you may enjoy this book as well.
The Good:
Overall I liked this story. I especially liked and enjoyed the genuine cultural details about Cheyenne Indians and Native American way of life and the actual Historical battles and issues of the times.
I also liked the hero. He was European / Western enough to speak English and have English ways, yet exotic and savage enough to have Native American and the classic Noble Savage heroic appeal. The heroine was an indentured Irish slave which brought more interest to the story. She too had been subject to prejudice in her starving Ireland and treated unfairly as a bondswoman. This gave credibility to his appeal and acceptance by her - despite prejudices of the times.
Surprisingly, the sex scenes are HOT and very modern in style and detail and action for the time of publication. The book also had a shocking number of them as the H&h seemed to use any excuse to "join" - and as often as possible!
The Bad:
This book is at times tedious with the constant misunderstandings and lack of faith H&h have in each other. It is also a bit juvenile in writing style and emotional maturity but I believe this simplistic writing is deliberate at times to keep it authentic.
The story does seem to use the frustrating classic conflict "He/She doesn't really love me. It was just sex."; and the "He/She will be better off without me." trope over, and over, and over again. I had to skim through some of this as I lost patience, but as I had read this book before reading the 1st book in the series, I did not fully appreciate the true depth of hurt and distrust caused by historical events such as the Sand Lake Massacre which occurred in the prior book.
While the sex was amazing, sometimes the amount of time the H&h squandered on sex seemed to be at their own detriment, and at a hefty cost of some depth of honest communication and genuine relationship building.
The characters, who are very strong earlier in the story, degrade to behaving as immature juveniles, or dare I say, stupidly, later on in the story. You would think he had been the virgin the way he was carrying on with his irrational jealousy and mistrust! For example, after they talk in some depth at long last about one misunderstanding, the hero FINALLY decides she is being truthful and must love him because she could not be so loving during sex with him and not love him. Huh? It is funny that his final epiphany does not seem to be driven by what she has said and suffered but instead by his simplistic perception that sex = love.
* Note: Connie Mason is one of the older Historical Romance writers from the 90's. Very happy to be able to enjoy or re-enjoy these former 80's and 90's paperback mass media romance books digitally that would otherwise not be available
My enjoyment of this book and my personal ratings can not help but be influenced by some nostalgia for older historical romance writing and writers...
September 14, 2018
I tried to finish this and I got pretty close, but holy shit is this a stupid, OTT shit show. The H going blind for no reason is straw that broke the camel's back. I just can't. Connie Mason's books are entertaining and steamy, but she has written better than this drivel and there's too many books waiting on my TBR to waste any more time on this.
January 6, 2016
he's so mean to her i can't stand it.
March 20, 2018
I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE EVER SINCE THE FIRST BOOK! I WAS EXTREMELY CAPTIVATED BY WIND RIDER. THIS REVERSE INDIAN TRILOGY WAS QUITE FASCINATING.
OUR HERO was the white boy we read about in the first book when he and Abby were captured and raised by Indians. So, to say that his heritage was a little lost, is just telling facts. Wind Rider or Ryder is wholly devout to the Indian culture, and his ego about it was strong. The story opens with him being wounded during an enemy chase and as he retreats into the forest, he encounters the green eyed female who has stirred the recess of his mind. Somehow, he ends up with Hannah for a captive and begins their odd relationship. I would say that he's shallow to find her unattractive when she was covered in muck but had a raging hard on when he discovers her a flaming beauty. One thing I don't like about Mason's heroes is the tendency for them to jump to conclusions with their short temper. Ryder's fascination and passion for Hannah was a redeeming quality of his - believe it or not. He is unwilling to part with her, and eventually gives up being an Indian, returning to White society and working with the government to achieve peace with the Indians.
OUR HEROINE is an indentured servant from Ireland post-potato blight and she's willing to work with her hands but not on her back. When her master forces her to sell her body, she runsaway and ends up in the forest where she meets Wind Rider for the second time. He believes her a whore, and binds her as his slave due to circumstances. Hannah is courageous and quirky at times, I rather like her persona because she's not the kind to back down from something nor is she prone to female hysterics.
OVERALL the chemistry between Ryder and Hannah was great, although there were moments that might have been irksome, but I guess that is a part of every relationship.
OUR HERO was the white boy we read about in the first book when he and Abby were captured and raised by Indians. So, to say that his heritage was a little lost, is just telling facts. Wind Rider or Ryder is wholly devout to the Indian culture, and his ego about it was strong. The story opens with him being wounded during an enemy chase and as he retreats into the forest, he encounters the green eyed female who has stirred the recess of his mind. Somehow, he ends up with Hannah for a captive and begins their odd relationship. I would say that he's shallow to find her unattractive when she was covered in muck but had a raging hard on when he discovers her a flaming beauty. One thing I don't like about Mason's heroes is the tendency for them to jump to conclusions with their short temper. Ryder's fascination and passion for Hannah was a redeeming quality of his - believe it or not. He is unwilling to part with her, and eventually gives up being an Indian, returning to White society and working with the government to achieve peace with the Indians.
OUR HEROINE is an indentured servant from Ireland post-potato blight and she's willing to work with her hands but not on her back. When her master forces her to sell her body, she runsaway and ends up in the forest where she meets Wind Rider for the second time. He believes her a whore, and binds her as his slave due to circumstances. Hannah is courageous and quirky at times, I rather like her persona because she's not the kind to back down from something nor is she prone to female hysterics.
OVERALL the chemistry between Ryder and Hannah was great, although there were moments that might have been irksome, but I guess that is a part of every relationship.
July 29, 2022
Got bored … everyone kept taking her (Trent, Cut Nose, Mr. Harley …) and wanting her while hotheaded and really stupid Wind Rider “Ryder Larson” went off to ask the Great Spirit what he should do. He only did as he was told or “shown,” the idiot didn’t have an original thought in his head AND even after her jumped to the WRONG conclusion 10 times he STILL did it.
Want to read
March 25, 2025winter pile
December 31, 2007
I've read several of Ms. Mason's other romances and quite liked them. I was prepared to enjoy this, as well -- especially since I'm a sucker for Native American romances, being part Cherokee myself. Boy, was I in for a shock.
The premise is intriguing. Hannah is an indentured servant mistreated by her "owner," an innkeeper who wants her to whore herself out for his patrons. She runs away, only to be captured by the Cheyenne brave Wind Rider. Hannah is taken back to the camp, where Wind Rider decides to marry her in order to save her from being raped or killed.
Wind Rider professes disgust from the very beginning for Hannah because he overheard the innkeeper calling her a whore. He continually berates her through the first part of the book, despite her protests to the contrary. When they have sex, he is shocked to discover that she's a virgin. (Gee... she only just TOLD you a half dozen times...)
Everyone in the book but Wind Rider (and later his sister and brother-in-law) seems to hate Hannah and have it in for her and Wind Rider. The number of people who tell Wind Rider that she is a lying, cheating whore throughout the book is ridiculous. Of course, whenever she tries to tell him the truth, he refuses to believe her and barrages her with accusations and abuse.
Oh, but he's IN LOVE with her...
Frankly, this is a story of toxic jealousy and obsession, not romance. There is no evidence that Wind Rider and Hannah love each other except the amazing sex they have, and hate to break it to you, but great sex doesn't make a great relationship. (Trust me. I've been there.)
It isn't until the last thirty or so pages of the book that Wind Rider realizes that EVERYONE has been lying to him about Hannah. There's nothing to spur this realization; he just suddenly does, right out of the blue. I couldn't buy it, and at the end of the book I was left wondering who he was going to accuse her of screwing next. Some romance.
I probably shouldn't have read this book in the tub. I was so upset by the end that I threw it -- right into the water. Oops.
The premise is intriguing. Hannah is an indentured servant mistreated by her "owner," an innkeeper who wants her to whore herself out for his patrons. She runs away, only to be captured by the Cheyenne brave Wind Rider. Hannah is taken back to the camp, where Wind Rider decides to marry her in order to save her from being raped or killed.
Wind Rider professes disgust from the very beginning for Hannah because he overheard the innkeeper calling her a whore. He continually berates her through the first part of the book, despite her protests to the contrary. When they have sex, he is shocked to discover that she's a virgin. (Gee... she only just TOLD you a half dozen times...)
Everyone in the book but Wind Rider (and later his sister and brother-in-law) seems to hate Hannah and have it in for her and Wind Rider. The number of people who tell Wind Rider that she is a lying, cheating whore throughout the book is ridiculous. Of course, whenever she tries to tell him the truth, he refuses to believe her and barrages her with accusations and abuse.
Oh, but he's IN LOVE with her...
Frankly, this is a story of toxic jealousy and obsession, not romance. There is no evidence that Wind Rider and Hannah love each other except the amazing sex they have, and hate to break it to you, but great sex doesn't make a great relationship. (Trust me. I've been there.)
It isn't until the last thirty or so pages of the book that Wind Rider realizes that EVERYONE has been lying to him about Hannah. There's nothing to spur this realization; he just suddenly does, right out of the blue. I couldn't buy it, and at the end of the book I was left wondering who he was going to accuse her of screwing next. Some romance.
I probably shouldn't have read this book in the tub. I was so upset by the end that I threw it -- right into the water. Oops.
March 30, 2016
I am a huge fan of Connie Mason. She is my go to author for a long but very quick read with a fair plot and character story. I really loved the idea of the story and the characters themselves-- I grew a little iffy with the relationship. There was perhaps a little too much discontent between them to provide the belief necessary for the relationship-- and I am the type to be alright with the quickness of the relationship-- its when they seem to constantly hate each other, argue, and go back and forth with hate and like that I can't get. However, in this case, while it did bother me, it did work for this particular story. Wind Rider being distrustful of 'whites' make sense that he would be torn between his treatment and trust in her. The second half of the book was the best.
December 30, 2011
This book is so deep and well written it almost bring me to tears. It felt as though I was going through the motion with Wind Rider and Hannah it felt like you were there with them, THE PART THAT TORE AT ME was Wind Rider losing his sight and him being captured and beaten and chain. When a book gives you goose bumps you know its good and the love scenes wonderful as always from Connie Mason...
Its worth the read in the series you wont be disappointed and trust me the emotions that you will feel reading this book from start to finish will bring you almost to tears some good tears some bad of course if you are an emotional person....
April 3, 2015
Decent romance novel, nothing super special or unique. I really had no idea why Wind Rider loved Hannah. I found nothing charismatic about her at all, just your standard damsel-in-distress but with a very bland personality. I do love Native American romances when they are decently written. This one had kind of a flimsy plot. But the sex scenes were hot and plentiful so that was a bonus.
February 23, 2008
This is book #2 in the Tears Trilogy. Book #1 is "Tears Like Rain" and Book #2 is "Sierra." I enjoyed all three. Wonderful romantic westerns and they should be read in order.
October 19, 2009
I love this book... its my favorite mason book and one of my personal favorites. once i picked it up i couldn't set it down.
November 5, 2014
Another wonderful book!!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews