What do you think?
Rate this book
Savage Abandon
SHE COULDN'T SAY NO
...to the glowing passion that flickered in the handsome Indian's eyes. He had just saved her from certain death in the raging riveer, and there was only one way the chestnut-haired innocent could show her thanks. Though she had never been with a man before, just one glance at the brave's towering hard frame made her shiver with a primitive longing to feel herself trapped beneath him. Instinctively, Shelaine knew that once would never be enough--and the moment he wrapped her in his arms, she swore it would be for eternity.
LONE BEAR COULDN'T SAY YES
...to a forever of happiness with the exquisite white woman he had rescued from the rapids. His was a wandering life and he was destined to wed an Indian princess used to the ways of the Comanche. But once he had the delicate alabaster beauty in his embrace, his arms roamed her tantalizing curves,, his lips tasted her heady fragrance--and it was too late to let her go. Knowing that their first time would have to be their last, Lone Bear kissed her, caressed her, and loved her all night long with hot untamed rapture and wild SAVAGE ABANDON
...to the glowing passion that flickered in the handsome Indian's eyes. He had just saved her from certain death in the raging riveer, and there was only one way the chestnut-haired innocent could show her thanks. Though she had never been with a man before, just one glance at the brave's towering hard frame made her shiver with a primitive longing to feel herself trapped beneath him. Instinctively, Shelaine knew that once would never be enough--and the moment he wrapped her in his arms, she swore it would be for eternity.
LONE BEAR COULDN'T SAY YES
...to a forever of happiness with the exquisite white woman he had rescued from the rapids. His was a wandering life and he was destined to wed an Indian princess used to the ways of the Comanche. But once he had the delicate alabaster beauty in his embrace, his arms roamed her tantalizing curves,, his lips tasted her heady fragrance--and it was too late to let her go. Knowing that their first time would have to be their last, Lone Bear kissed her, caressed her, and loved her all night long with hot untamed rapture and wild SAVAGE ABANDON
- GenresNative American
494 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 7, 2019
This review is of “Savage Abandon” by Rochelle Wayne.
The book begins in 1854, in a Comanche Indian village afflicted with cholera. Among those afflicted is Lone Bear, a 12-year old child. His family leaves him due to die in the village to save themselves. He is found by two white men, Jacob McAllister, an Army scout, and Carl Morgan, a doctor. The two men nurse Lone Bear back to health, and Carl adopts him and takes him back to his home in Boston, renaming him Travis Morgan.
Fast forward 18 years. Shelaine Evans, the heroine of the book, has come to Arizona to be with her father, Army major Robert Evans. (Robert and Shelaine’s mother, Jennifer, were estranged over Robert’s wish to remain in the Army in the west, as opposed to moving back east. Jennifer has since passed and now Shelaine is going to live with her father). Before she arrives, however, she nearly drowns trying to save a child from a carriage accident in a raging river. Shelaine is saved by an Indian named Tsalalute, whom she is immediately attracted to. She is heartbroken, however, to discover that Robert passed three days before she arrived. Shelaine then becomes the companion to a young woman, Diane Gardner, whose father, rancher Forrest Gardner, wants someone to teach Diane-who is a tomboy-to be a lady. (There’s more to the story than that). Diane later falls in love with Tsalalute’s friend, Daring Wolf. This creates problems with Diane and Forrest, as he has a deep hatred for Indians of any tribe.
When Shelaine meets Tsalalute again, she sees him in a different way. This time, he is in his other guise, as Travis Morgan. They become lovers.
When Daring Wolf is captured and accused of staging raids, Lone Bear, as Travis, frees him. Afterward, Travis and Daring Wolf “kidnap” Diane and Shelaine. (Diane and Shelaine aren’t entirely unwilling to go with them). Daring Wolf marries Diane, but Shelaine refuses to marry Travis. They argue over the reasons, as both assume untrue reasons why the other won’t marry them. We also learn more about Lone Bear’s history as Travis Morgan and about his mother, Little Doe. Shelaine and Lone Bear agree to marry as soon as he reunites with his mother and they can be married at an Army Fort.
Gardner wants Diane back-for reasons that have nothing to do with love-and posted a reward for her return. This encouraged a group of ruffians to try to take Diane and Shelaine out of the Comanche village; this effort doesn’t succeed but a second attempt led by Gardner does. When he finds Diane and discovers she is pregnant with Daring Wolf’s child, Gardner imprisons her in their home; he also hatches a sinister plan for her unborn child.
Shelaine is kidnapped by a Comanche brave who is angry with all whites due to the fact that his wife was killed by Forrest when he entered the Comanche village where she had been, but wasn’t at the time. Travis later frees Shelaine, they agree to marry, and they-as well as Diane and Daring Wolf-have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms Wayne is pretty much at her typical writing style here, and that’s a good thing. She produces likeable characters in Shelaine and Travis, and few authors of her time spent more time on their supporting characters than Ms. Wayne did.
Downside: I didn’t find Shelaine or Travis to be that deep, especially Shelaine (her entire backstory is told in chapter 1, and from there, the focus is on where she is in the current phase of the book. They also aren’t particularly dynamic characters who can carry the lead of a book. Neither, for that matter, are Diane and Daring Wolf. It’s never explained exactly why Forrest Gardner hates Indians with such passion.
In every one of Ms. Wayne’s books, a female character finds herself in peril and needing to be saved by a male character. Those who read my reviews know how I feel on this subject, so I won’t repeat those views here.
There are plenty of scenes in “Savage Abandon” which have high emotion potential. Ms. Wayne doesn’t bring out those emotions, however.
Sex: Multiple sex scenes. Most are fairly mild.
Violence: Attempted rape, assault and battery, shootings. None of the violence is graphic.
Bottom Line: A pleasant book, but had the potential to be much more.
The book begins in 1854, in a Comanche Indian village afflicted with cholera. Among those afflicted is Lone Bear, a 12-year old child. His family leaves him due to die in the village to save themselves. He is found by two white men, Jacob McAllister, an Army scout, and Carl Morgan, a doctor. The two men nurse Lone Bear back to health, and Carl adopts him and takes him back to his home in Boston, renaming him Travis Morgan.
Fast forward 18 years. Shelaine Evans, the heroine of the book, has come to Arizona to be with her father, Army major Robert Evans. (Robert and Shelaine’s mother, Jennifer, were estranged over Robert’s wish to remain in the Army in the west, as opposed to moving back east. Jennifer has since passed and now Shelaine is going to live with her father). Before she arrives, however, she nearly drowns trying to save a child from a carriage accident in a raging river. Shelaine is saved by an Indian named Tsalalute, whom she is immediately attracted to. She is heartbroken, however, to discover that Robert passed three days before she arrived. Shelaine then becomes the companion to a young woman, Diane Gardner, whose father, rancher Forrest Gardner, wants someone to teach Diane-who is a tomboy-to be a lady. (There’s more to the story than that). Diane later falls in love with Tsalalute’s friend, Daring Wolf. This creates problems with Diane and Forrest, as he has a deep hatred for Indians of any tribe.
When Shelaine meets Tsalalute again, she sees him in a different way. This time, he is in his other guise, as Travis Morgan. They become lovers.
When Daring Wolf is captured and accused of staging raids, Lone Bear, as Travis, frees him. Afterward, Travis and Daring Wolf “kidnap” Diane and Shelaine. (Diane and Shelaine aren’t entirely unwilling to go with them). Daring Wolf marries Diane, but Shelaine refuses to marry Travis. They argue over the reasons, as both assume untrue reasons why the other won’t marry them. We also learn more about Lone Bear’s history as Travis Morgan and about his mother, Little Doe. Shelaine and Lone Bear agree to marry as soon as he reunites with his mother and they can be married at an Army Fort.
Gardner wants Diane back-for reasons that have nothing to do with love-and posted a reward for her return. This encouraged a group of ruffians to try to take Diane and Shelaine out of the Comanche village; this effort doesn’t succeed but a second attempt led by Gardner does. When he finds Diane and discovers she is pregnant with Daring Wolf’s child, Gardner imprisons her in their home; he also hatches a sinister plan for her unborn child.
Shelaine is kidnapped by a Comanche brave who is angry with all whites due to the fact that his wife was killed by Forrest when he entered the Comanche village where she had been, but wasn’t at the time. Travis later frees Shelaine, they agree to marry, and they-as well as Diane and Daring Wolf-have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: Ms Wayne is pretty much at her typical writing style here, and that’s a good thing. She produces likeable characters in Shelaine and Travis, and few authors of her time spent more time on their supporting characters than Ms. Wayne did.
Downside: I didn’t find Shelaine or Travis to be that deep, especially Shelaine (her entire backstory is told in chapter 1, and from there, the focus is on where she is in the current phase of the book. They also aren’t particularly dynamic characters who can carry the lead of a book. Neither, for that matter, are Diane and Daring Wolf. It’s never explained exactly why Forrest Gardner hates Indians with such passion.
In every one of Ms. Wayne’s books, a female character finds herself in peril and needing to be saved by a male character. Those who read my reviews know how I feel on this subject, so I won’t repeat those views here.
There are plenty of scenes in “Savage Abandon” which have high emotion potential. Ms. Wayne doesn’t bring out those emotions, however.
Sex: Multiple sex scenes. Most are fairly mild.
Violence: Attempted rape, assault and battery, shootings. None of the violence is graphic.
Bottom Line: A pleasant book, but had the potential to be much more.
Displaying 1 of 1 review