Beloved [Paperback]

Phoebe Conn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1994

Encountering Hunter, a Seneca scout whom she believes is like the rest of his savage kind, Alanna resists his dangerous sensuality until war threatens her Virginia estate home. By the author of Starfire. Original.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821747703
• ISBN-13: 978-0821747704
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,073,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fair, August 28, 2006

By 

msbooklady "msbooklady" (Biloxi, MS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beloved (Paperback)

This wasn't the best book I ever read but compared to the first two Phoebe Conn books I read, it was a vast improvement.

Hunter is an Indian scout hired by brothers Byron and Elliot to scout for the military. They befriend him and bring him home on a visit to their family. While there, Hunter meets first their flirtatious sister Melissa and then their shy cousin Alannah who is terrified of all indians because of the slaughter of her family when she was a young child. Attracted to Allanah but discouraged by her fear, Hunter returns Melissa's open flirtation and when it ends up with them sleeping together Hunter believes Melissa loves him and will want to marry. He leaves on the military campaign with brothers Elliot and Byron never knowing Melissa was horrified of her actions with an Indian and immediately regrets them. When she realizes she is pregnant, Melissa tricks a local soldier into marrying her. Upon his return, Hunter is devastated by Melissa's betrayal and she tells him the baby is her new husband's. Hunter leaves vowing never to return.

Melissa dies in childbirth and it is immediately clear her baby is an Indian child. Her family disowns the child and Melissa's new husband returns to England. Alannah is the only one who loves the child and she and Elliot set out to find Hunter to tell him about his son. When they find Hunter, he denies the child is his and before they can convince him otherwise, Elliot is attacked and killed by enemy indians. Allanah and Hunter flee for their lives into the forest and eventually end up falling in love and marrying. The rest of the story is basically about facing the prejudices of a marriage between Indian and white.

Even though it is somewhat better than the first two of Ms. Conn's books I read it still leaves a lot to be desired. She has a habit of creating some of the most shallow, self-centered characters I've ever seen. This time however, instead of the heroine, it is the hero Hunter who is shallow. Time and time again, it is put in our faces about how handsome he is and how no one can beat him in a fight and he even denies his own son out of pride. Melissa rejected him so he in turn rejects his son, even when he admits the boy is his. Alannah is a likeable and strong girl, but the fact she is deathly terrified of Indians one minute and changes her mind and marries one the next, was too much to accept. You have to develop reasons for such a dramatic change and it really wasn't explained. This book is okay, but it shouldn't be hard to find a better book to read.