The Loner: Cherokee Warriors

Cherokee Warriors #1

by Genell Dellin

A proud Cherokee Lighthorseman, Black Fox is determined to hunt down the notorious Cat -- a brazen thief who robs from the wealthy to give to the poor. But his satisfaction at finally capturing the elusive outlaw turns to shock when he discovers The Cat is a woman in disguise -- a breathtaking young hellion who stirs his sympathy and his desire, distracting Black Fox from the job he has sworn to do. Cathleen O'Sullivan has no love for the law, since it did nothing to punish the villain who destroyed her family. But a bullet wound ended her personal quest for justice, and if she doesn't escape her rugged Cherokee captor, she'll surely hang for a crime she did not commit. But the tender care she's receiving from the sexy lawman -- and the intense heat his touch inspires -- makes the wild beauty burn to have Black Fox as a lover, not an enemy ... and to surrender to a fiery passion that could spell disaster for them both.

Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Westerns, Historical, Historical Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Montana is a magical place to Genell. Late in the 1800s, Westerners called it "The Last Best Place" and to her it seems to be so still today. The enormity of the sky and the mountains, the few people with so much space and so much strength, and the land that seems to go on forever hold a powerful attraction that she loves to use for the background of her books.

Genell is also a lifelong rodeo fan. Growing up, attending the Frontier Days Celebration and Rodeo in Fort Smith was a yearly tradition of her family. She and her sisters loved the danger and the drama and the flamboyant personalities who were part of the show. They played at being trick riders and barrel racers for weeks afterward.

So, when she realized that Chase Lomax, rodeo cowboy, who was a character in her first single title romance, Montana Blue, would be the hero of her next book, Montana Gold, she felt she had been given the best of all possible worlds. What a perfect excuse for attending more rodeos and performances of the PBR, the Professional Bull Riders! What a great reason to make another trip to Montana! What a marvelous opportunity to write about two of her deepest passions!

Genell Dellin has published more than 25 novels. Her historical romances have won multiple awards from Romantic Times BOOKclub and the University of Oklahoma School of Professional Writing. She also receives hundreds of letters from readers in response to her contemporary inspirational romances written as Gena Dalton for the Steeple Hill Books imprint.

She lives with her husband in rural Oklahoma on a limestone hillside not far from a marker proclaiming the highest spot in the Cherokee Nation. Since their son has grown up and gone away to be a QuarterHorse trainer, they share their place with only four-footed family members. The bossy cat named Smokey keeps Genell company while she writes and sometimes offers her advice.

*Cherokee Warriors is Genell's second Cherokee series for Avon Books inspired by family stories about her great-grandmother, who was born on the way to Indian Territory from Georgia.
*Montana Gold is a sequel to Montana Blue.
*Montana Gold is the second in Genell's series of single title contemporary romances set in Montana. "Chase Lomax is a perfect example of what grit and daring can accomplish," she says. "I loved writing him. He inspired me."

Reviews

[Rainelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

One time read. Story bland. No excitement.

[kattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cherokee Warriors

I loved this story, I recommend every one to read her books, I look forward to reading more of her books. KATTIE.

[Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 26%

Just kind of boring.

[Trudy Miner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Fox Vann is a Cherokee Lighthorseman, a man of a great reputation. He is charged with bringing in The Cat, a Robin Hood-type bandit wanted for the murder of a deputy sheriff. Unfortunately, when he gets to where The Cat is supposed to be, he observes a shoot-out between two rival bootleggers. In the midst of that, The Cat dashes out of the saloon and jumps onto the dun colored pony famous for its speed and takes off. Black Fox follows The Cat until he finds the outlaw unconscious and wounded along a creek bed. To his utter shock, when he goes to aid The Cat, he discovers that The Cat is a woman! A very young woman at that! He can't let her die and sets about trying to save her life but he reckons without the feisty Cat. Cat depends on no one but herself until, she nearly dies from a gun shot wound and must depend on the man who's convinced she murdered a deputy in cold blood. Now as she recovers in his home, they realize that there is something between them that they can't shake. As Cat works to convince Black Fox of her innocence, they must also find the real culprit and deal with the feelings for each other.

This book was an interesting glimpse into race relations in the late 1800's. Cat was an Intruder into Cheyenne Territory and Black Fox straddled the line between two worlds. The story showed how greedy men took advantage of the native populations for their own gain. It was a really good read!

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Fox is a Cherokee Lighthorseman chasing down criminals in the Cherokee Nation...particularly he's after The Cat, who is robbing from bootleggers and is now wanted for the murder of a Marshal. Cathleen "The Cat" O'Sullivan is a young woman on a mission - she's out to destroy the bootlegger responsible for her mother's death and even Black Fox isn't going to stop her. These two are at odds, but not hating each other, throughout the story. Black Fox is determined to bring The Cat to justice, even if she is a woman; even if she does hang; even if he does like her. Cathleen is equally determined to stay out of the hangman's noose, but only long enough to kill the guy responsible for her tragedy. But first, the two have to work together to find the person who has been killing in The Cat's name.

I liked this story quite a bit. It wasn't quite 4 star material for me, but more like a 3.5. The characters were pretty great, especially Black Fox, even if I was frustrated by his very concrete view of justice...no shades of grey and all that. Cathleen was likeable if not frustrating for her stubborness, but it's all quite understandable. I maybe expected a bit more struggle on Black Fox's part with falling in love, being that he's a Loner and such, but he seems to realize it before Cat does. All in all solid story.

[AndreaH · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's story in this simplistically written romance but it doesn't shine.
Comanche lawman Black Fox is a loner, chasing after bad guys with no thought to family.
Cathleen is masquerading as the Cat, a vigilante who attacks bootleggers and is after one in particular for the murders he committed.
Of course, Black Fox catches the Cat, finds he has a woman and is determined to bring her to court safely.
That's the plan anyway. Of course, stuff happens to prevent that, and along the way these two realize they need each other.

[Veronica Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a charming romance novel with a little crime drama thrown in. A fun and engaging read.