A Savage Beauty

July 21, 2003
If American history was taught in schools as it is in ex–army colonel Lovelace's historical romances (In Love and War, etc.), students would be lining up for social studies texts like they were the latest Harry Potter. In this early 19th-century romance, the author demonstrates her flair for incorporating historical fact—in this case, the political maneuverings surrounding the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory—so skillfully into a fascinating fictional plot that it goes down painlessly; indeed, it reads like great gossip. The story centers on the love triangle between Louise Therese Chartier, an Osage half-breed who was sold as a child bride five years previously; married infantry sergeant Daniel Morgan, who assumes responsibility for fiery Louise when her husband is killed; and Daniel's high-strung commander, Lt. James Wilkinson, the leader of an expeditionary force charged with exploring the Arkansas River. Though Daniel is strongly attracted to Louise, his sense of honor keeps him from turning his back on his wife. James, meanwhile, pursues Louise for her beauty and her inheritance, which his father, General Wilkinson, hopes to use to build his own private empire. The senior and junior Wilkinsons are real, the sergeant and young widow fictional. But all blend seamlessly into a compulsively readable tale.

August 1, 2003
While scouting out and charting sections of the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase, Rifle Sgt. Daniel Morgan suddenly finds himself responsible for a French trapper's half-Quapaw/half-French widow-a woman who his Osage guides say will bring misfortune to his party but whom he is honor-bound to protect. Featuring a resourceful, intelligent heroine and an honorable, take-charge hero, this gritty but romantic adventure addresses an often neglected, and not always admirable, period in American history. The debut title in a new series that traces the history of Oklahoma, it is sure to appeal to Western and romance fans alike. Lovelace (The Horse Soldier) is a retired air force colonel, a past president of RWA, and a best-selling author of a wide variety of romances. She lives in Oklahoma.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2003
Her blue eyes, and those of her ancestors, are considered to be a curse on her people, the Osage (and anyone else associated with her), but Wah-shi-tu's life as the wife of a much older, kindly trapper, Henri Chartier, has been free and relatively serene. Now known as Louise Therese Chartier, she wanders the wilderness with Henri, helping him with his work. Life is good--until her husband is killed by a cougar, and Sergeant Daniel Morgan, an army explorer who happens to be in the area, becomes her self-appointed protector. The tables are turned when Daniel is betrayed by someone close, but their loyalty and belief in each other make their trials more bearable. Lovelace includes lots of historical detail and true-life figures such as John Marshall, Major General James Wilkinson, and Washington Irving in this exciting adventure, the first book in a series about the history of Oklahoma, from its days before the nefarious Indian Removal Act of 1830 to its statehood.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)