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Cheyenne Surrender

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Callie, a temptress with innocent kisses but a scarlet reputation, touches the heart of Caleb, a handsome half-Indian who cannot decide whether he wants Callie to be his mistress or his wife

448 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

27 people are currently reading
216 people want to read

About the author

Madeline Baker

88 books288 followers
Madeline Ruth was born on 1963 in California, where she raised. She married her high school sweetheart and they have three sons, all handsome enough to be cover models. Growing up, her favorite pastimes were going to the movies and going horseback riding on Saturday mornings at Griffith Park. Madeline has always been "horse happy." A horse was the one thing she asked for on every birthday and every Christmas. Many years later, that dream came true when she bought an Appaloosa mare named Candy—because she was so sweet. Madeline loves animals. Over the years, she's had numerous dogs, cats, fish, mice, hamsters, turtles and birds, and her horse, of course. The most exotic pet was a crocodile that belonged to one of her sons. Currently, she has a terribly spoiled Pomeranian named Teddi, six goldfish, a catfish, and a betta. When she's not writing, Madeline enjoys going to movies and the theater. Her favorite plays are The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel and her all-time fave, Beauty and the Beast. She also loves reading, going to lunch with her best friend, collecting Star Wars, The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast memorabilia, and playing with the most beautiful, adorable, brilliant grandkids in the world.

Madeline started writing when her children were still at home, and she wrote for several years, finding time to write after her children were in bed and her husband was at work. In true cliché fashion, she wrote the books and put them under the bed, never telling anyone what she was doing, until one day she let a friend read one. Encouraged by her friend's comments, and armed with a copy of Writer's Market supplied by said friend, Madeline began sending out query letters. After six years and 31 rejections, Leisure Books bought Reckless Heart, and she's been writing ever since. After writing several Westerns, Madeline decided to try her hand at something else and wrote her first vampire romance. It was a short story titled "Masquerade" for an anthology. She loved writing that so much that she wrote her first full-length vampire romance, Embrace the Night, and thus Amanda Ashley was born. One of her dreams had been to write for Harlequin, and she accomplished that in 2003 with the publication of her Silhouette Romance novel, Dude Ranch Bride. Madeline loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her online at DarkWritr@aol.com or by mail at PO Box 1703, Whittier, CA 90609-1703.

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5 stars
109 (45%)
4 stars
70 (29%)
3 stars
42 (17%)
2 stars
14 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Amarilli 73 .
2,717 reviews90 followers
February 13, 2022
2,5 Questa si è rivelata purtroppo una storia inutilmente trascinata per le lunghe, pur di raggiungere le fatidiche 400 pagine (previste da contratto?).

In verità, ci sono alcuni aspetti positivi da mettere in luce: il mezzosangue Caleb Stryker è un bel personaggio, lo riconosco; gran bel ragazzone, capelli lunghi neri, muscoli, sguardo intenso e con un passato da cacciatore di taglie. Torna nella città d'origine per intascare l'eredità dei genitori e quindi risulta pure ricco e appetibile.
Sulla carta, insomma, è pronto per fare stragi di cuori.

Se poi considerate che la comprimaria è una diciassettenne, orfana e in miseria, che scoppia a piangere sulla strada attivando la modalità "protezione" nel nostro, capisco perché nel 1996 questa storia s'impose come molto amata. E poi eravamo già in pieno periodo di riscoperta e promozione della cultura nativa americana, il western andava alla grande, la Baker è un'esperta nel genere (date un'occhiata alla sua notevole lista di romanzi con la medesima ambientazione): tanto è vero che risultano interessanti anche gli scorci che inserisce, tra condizioni delle tribù nelle riserve e critica della politica dell'epoca, come pure le descrizioni di natura e paesaggio.

Il problema principale è la lunghezza e la complessità della trama "mattone": dopo pagine di bugie e incomprensioni, cedimenti e scatti d'orgoglio, ingenuità e gente testarda, il lettore comincia ad annaspare sul tormentone ti sposo/non ti sposo.
Io, almeno, mi sono ritrovata insofferente. Pietà, Caleb e Callie. Decidetevi a vivere il vostro agognatissimo happy end.
Profile Image for Romanticamente Fantasy.
7,975 reviews235 followers
February 23, 2022
Ally -per RFS
.
Il caro, vecchio e selvaggio West mi era mancato tanto, e tornare con la fantasia nel territorio del Wyoming, nel 1883, mi ha aperto il cuore.



Come prima cosa, ci tengo a dire che ho adorato la scrittura di quest’autrice che, ahimè, non conoscevo.

Questa bellissima storia d’amore ci trasporta nella città di Cheyenne, una delle località che si sono espanse con l’arrivo della ferrovia, e che ha reso ricchi i proprietari di quella terra, un tempo isolata e priva di valore.

Caleb Stryker è un mezzosangue che torna nella città in cui ha vissuto con il padre bianco e la madre indiana, dopo che hanno deciso di lasciare la riserva lakota dove si erano incontrati.

Per lui i ricordi sono intrisi di odio e dolore.

L’odio per il padre che aveva deciso che fosse giunto il tempo di rientrare nel suo mondo, e successivamente lo aveva picchiato per la sua resistenza a adeguarsi ai costumi “civili”; e dolore per il pensiero di non essere mai tornato dalla madre prima della sua morte.

Caleb si trova a Cheyenne per una lettera che gli è stata inviata dall’avvocato di famiglia. A quanto pare il padre, morto tre mesi prima della madre, aveva lasciato tutto e lei, a sua volta, aveva cambiato il suo testamento trasferendo tutto al figlio, fuggito dodici anni prima.

Così lui ora è un uomo ricco. Dopo otto anni come cacciatore di taglie, improvvisamente ha un palazzo in città e un ranch, il Rocking S, ma cosa ne farà… starà al tempo decidere.

Callie McGuire è una ragazza nata sotto una cattiva stella. La madre Leila era una prostituta e nonostante l’abbia protetta e allontanata quanto poteva da quel mondo, la sua reputazione l’ha segnata indelebilmente.

Fa la cameriera presso un ristorante in città, ma aspetta con ansia l’arrivo del figlio di Duncan Stryker per presentare le sue richieste. Infatti sua madre era l’amante di Duncan e lui le aveva promesso di badare alla figlia quando lei fosse venuta a mancare.

Fatto sta che il vecchio era morto per un infarto cinque giorni dopo, e la ragazza non aveva avuto il coraggio di chiedere alla moglie indiana, visibilmente distrutta dal dolore, di tenere fede alla promessa del marito traditore.

Il piano di Callie era semplice: chiedere i soldi che le permetteranno di andarsene da quella città, in cui tutti la giudicano per il passato della madre, e iniziare una nuova vita. Ma le cose non andranno come si aspetta e il bel mezzosangue dai penetranti occhi grigi non le renderà la cosa facile.

L’attrazione fra i due è qualcosa di esplosivo e l’autrice riesce a trasmettere al lettore le resistenze di Caleb e le paure di Callie.

Caleb è riluttante nell’ammettere i suoi sentimenti per non essere ferito, e Callie a sua volta ha il terrore di essere usata e gettata via.

Caleb è bello e sa di esserlo, ma la vita non è stata semplice perché è un mezzosangue. La sua infanzia è stata felice fra i Lakota, nella riserva, ma il mondo dei bianchi non l’ha accolto con lo stesso animo. Ha dovuto subire gli sguardi e le dicerie in città e successivamente l’ira del genitore quando si è rifiutato di vestire e comportarsi come loro.

Dopo che il padre, in uno scatto di rabbia, gli aveva tagliato i lunghissimi capelli, era scappato di casa e non aveva più fatto ritorno, spezzando il cuore della madre che amava molto.

Callie ha paura degli uomini. Sua mamma le ha insegnato fin da piccina che vogliono solo una cosa e dopo che l’hanno ottenuta scompaiono. La ragazza quindi lotterà contro i forti sentimenti per il mezzosangue che le scatena ondate di emozioni per preservare l’unica cosa le permetterà un matrimonio, la verginità.

I due avranno una storia intrisa di sentimenti e paure che li renderà instabili, ma che rafforzerà il loro amore fino a inciderlo nelle stelle.

Le attraversate a cavallo, le sparatorie, le zuffe, i saloon, e i riti dei nativi americani ci portano in un mondo affascinante che guida da secoli l’immaginazione collettiva.

Ho amato questa storia e ho letto le ultime pagine con un sospiro di felicità, perché nonostante tutto, il destino ci trova sempre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Joana Ferraz.
214 reviews
June 1, 2022
The book was book solid good. However it was way too long, and the end annoyed me a little, but still worth the read
Profile Image for Natasha.
428 reviews2 followers
June 6, 2021
I must say, Callie, the heroine, was a bitch throughout 80% of this book. She was a prostitute daughter. Her mother was the mistress of Caleb's father. It galled me that Caleb was cheated out of his birth right and inheritance. The ranch which his father built, the only place he ever felt at home, his only solace, was given to a prostitute and her daughter.

Although I hated Callie, I still love this book because Caleb more than made up for her numerous shortcomings.

Caleb is a half breed bounty hunter. After receiving a note that both his parents are dead, he is back in cheyenne, Wyoming to take care of the family business: ranching. There, he met Callie, his father mistress daughter who is destitute and claiming that his father promised to take care of her. Caleb decided to hire Callie as his housekeeper. A couple weeks later, he found a codicil to his fathers will, stating the ranch belongs to Callie. He wants the ranch for himself so he decides to woo Callie to get her to marry him so the ranch can be his. Therein begins their tumultuous slow burning relationship.

This is one of the best Indian romances I have ever read. It brings out so many emotions: desperation, hatred, anger, unrequited passion, empathy, fear and most of all love.

Although Caleb is a half breed, this romance was set primarily in the white man's world. It was a bit long and drawn out but that didn't detract from the story. Well written, it shows the struggle of the Indians to adapt to the white man's rule, life on a cattle ranch in the early pioneering days of Wyoming. It also shows the tender fragile love between Callie and Caleb.
146 reviews1 follower
September 28, 2025
An interesting take on the typical Western romance. In this story, the half-breed Indian, Caleb, inherits his parents' property after he'd left home several years previously, because his father treated him badly. His first day back, a young girl, Callie, arrives on his doorstep asking for the money his father had promised her mother. He takes her on as his housekeeper, but although he is attracted to her, Callie won't let him near, because she doesn't want to end up like her mother,( Caleb's father's mistress). Inevitably, another woman, Angie, tries to claim Caleb as her own, and another man, Richard, pursues Callie. All very complicated, but an entertaining read.
Profile Image for April Brookshire.
Author 11 books789 followers
November 20, 2014
Not as good as other Madeline Baker works. The hero and heroine weren't anything special and neither was the plot.

Sure, Caleb was a hot half-breed bounty hunter, but been there, read that. I don't think he realizes this, but his father really did win in the end. He doesn't have much to do with his Indian heritage. And I really think his father was so fanatic about him embracing the white culture because he didn't want his son to end up beaten down and hopeless on a reservation.

The heroine was alright, but really too young and immature. Not to mention that Callie's 17 and he's like 29 or 30 when they first do the deed. And yeah, she totally doesn't deserve that ranch just because her mom spread her legs for the hero's father.

As for Richard and Angela, "the villains", well why the hell would they ever ever ever be friends with them? Richard reminded Callie on a regular basis that she was born to be a whore and Angela totally tried to fuck up everything between Caleb and Callie. I just have to say that I'm really disappointed in the author that Angela ended up filthy rich. I would've liked her to end up poor, at at the very least lower middle-class.
774 reviews
Read
February 25, 2009
A typical western type romance with Callie as a very young woman whose mother was mistress to Caleb's stepfather. When Caleb's father dies, Caleb meets Callie and they fall in love. But there was a second will that Caleb discovers that leaves everything to Callie and he delays telling her. So when callie finds out, she does not believe that he is marrying her for love.
26 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2011
Book was good in the beginning, but didn't take long for the heroine to become annoying. The heroine felt the hero's birthright should be her's because her mother was a whore who serviced the hero's father, while he was still married.

As far as fast gun themed books go Johanna Lindsey's books are much better.
Profile Image for Cynthia Roberts.
Author 17 books168 followers
March 27, 2010
Madeline is such a favorite of mine as well when it comes to Historical Indian romances. She truly inspired me to write in this genre as well.
Profile Image for Jen.
6 reviews
February 14, 2013
My absolute favorite one of Madeline Bakers. I could (and have) read it a hundred times and I never get tired of this story.
Profile Image for Lois Mezo.
170 reviews
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July 28, 2018
Lois D Mezo

A really good book as always.Keeps you on your toes.Adventure and distrust and great love story.Written is good.Enjoy the book went you buy it
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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