Customer Reviews

Comanche Heart

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, you really need to read Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson before Comanche Heart because that is where Swift and Amy's story begins. They fall in love at a young age and get betrothed in the Comanche way. Swift Antelope stays with his Comanche tribe during their fight against the whites but promises to come for her when he is finished. She waits years and he never comes, so eventually she goes to Oregan to live with her sister Loretta and Hunter.

At the start of Comanche Heart, it has been 12 years after Swift left Amy. He returns to her farm only to be told she died. Three years later, he makes his way to Oregon to find Hunter and Loretta after years of being a gun slinger and riding with the Comancheros. He is amazed to find his Amy alive and well, living as a school teacher near her sister. Amy has never forgotten her childhood love but is terrified of the hard looking Comanchero Swift had become.

Swift still loves Amy and is determined to have a life with her now that he has found her again. Amy is scared of losing the freedom she has at Wolf's Landing if she honors her promise to marry Swift. While she still loves him, she went through a lot in her life that has left her terrified of intimacy and all but broke her spirit. However, Swift is one determined man who is patient and willing to do whatever it takes to win Amy's trust.

I loved Swift and Amy's story! Amy went through so much in her life that she deserved to find happiness with her longtime love. At first I was a little frustrated that she resisted Swift so hard until I found out the hell she went through while faithfully waiting for Swift to come for her in Texas - then my heart broke for her and I couldn't wait to see Swift heal her with his love and patience. Swift had a hard life in the 15 years since he last saw Amy, but he jumps at the chance to start a new life. He is so kind and patient with Amy - he truly was a hero to me. This love story was beautiful and sweet. Swift and Amy deserved their HEA after living hard lives then managing to work their way through many obstacles to find happiness and a chance for a life together.

I highly recommend Comanche Heart for anyone who enjoys great romance! Read Comanche Moon first though - not only is it amazing but you see the start of this wonderful love story.

Amy Masters leaves Texas and travels to Oregon to become a teacher. After having been raped, she is afraid to try to love even though years earlier she pledged herself to Swift Antelope. He has never forgotten and once again this magnificent Comanche warrior finds her. Now, however, he is a nortorious gunslinger with his own problems, as he stands accused of a murder he didn't commit. He vows to make her honor her sacred promise.

When I read the first book to this series Comanche Moon, I fell inlove with Amy and Chase! I knew C.A. had to complete a book about these two wonderful characters that was all their own. I also enjoyed reading about Loretta and Hunter again. Make sure to read the two following books Indigo Blue and Comanche Magic which bring all of these wonderful characters together again! Comanche Hart was just what I needed after reading Camanche Moon. I feel in love with Amy and Chase and I was not disapointed!

2.50 Stars...Ok here it goes....

I'll try not to rant, but I will be brutally honest.

I went into this not comparing Heart to Moon, but the only reason my rating was a 2 is because of Comanche Moon. If I had picked this up as an impulsive buy I wouldn't have been so kind in my rating.

Swifts character was man turned boyish to the 10th degree. In my opinion (and you know I always have one) Anderson didn't shed nearly enough light on any of his trials and tribulations. Sure we all know he was a famous gun slinger and he'd had tough times but I never felt what he actually lived through, and I think that's why I never really connected to him.

I did enjoy catching up with Amy. I do believe she was shown in a correct light considering all she'd been through, but can't this author write about anything except rape? First it almost happened to Loretta, than Amy and in this book she wrote Indigo into almost the same situation. It just seems to me that the only way Anderson introduces her female characters to the hardships of life is through rape. Am I the only one who that bothers?

So for me the book was mediocre at best. I had to literally push myself through it. I know the ratings are high and I'm glad everyone else got their moneys worth...because I sure didn't

This book is so, so good.

After being childhood friends and sweethearts, Swift returns fifteen years later. Both Amy and Swift have changed a lot. And yet behind all the layers, they are still the same two people who fell in love, and are still in love. I loved this story. It is first and foremost about the healing power of love. A moving, beautiful, and unforgettable tale. Highly recommended!

The Comanche Series (Reissue):

Comanche Moon

Comanche Heart

Indigo Blue (Spring of 2010)

Comanche Magic (Release Date Unknown)

As a whole, this book is an example of terrific storytelling. It really keeps your interest. However, after reading the first book in the series, this one did have some points that were a bit of a let-down. The prequel, "Comanche Moon", gave us the introduction to the 4 main characters of "Comanche Heart". They are Hunter (hero of CM), Loretta (Heroine of CM), Swift Antelope (hero of CH, he is Hunter's Comanche "cousin" in CM), and Amy (heroine of CH, she is Loretta's true cousin). Amy was a courageous 12- year- old who survived unmentionable horrors. By the end of CM, it was young Swift Antelope who had brought her out of the fear and devastation. He was Amy's best friend. He had helped lift her back into the sunlight. Her spunk and courage had been returned to her. Before she was forced to return to her white family, Swift Antelope and Amy made a betrothal promise in front of his entire tribe. I was really looking forward to their story. Unfortunately, Amy's character is totally changed in CH. Amy's change is understandable, because she has again been terribly abused since she had to leave Swift Antelope. However, it did not create the story I had been looking forward to reading. I was expecting adventure and some happy times for the couple. Instead, for the first 250 pages or so, Amy does everything she can to hurt Swift and drive him away. It went on too long for me. When they finally did find happiness together, it was very brief. The book is packed with emotion, but not much of it is joyful. The only laughs I found came from the characters remembering the "old times" from the CM story period. I truly missed the charming and hope-inspiring young couple that Swift and Amy were before.

Swift and Amy pledged themselves to one another in a Comanche village as teens, but she was soon forced to return to her white family. Swift promised to come for her. Because the Comanche were at war with the government, Swift had to wait many years to go and claim Amy. When he finally arrived at her family's farm, Amy's step- father tells Swift that she died and is buried in the backyard. With his heart torn apart at the loss of his Amy, Swift leaves the broken Comanche world and joins with a band of Comancheros. He lives for the next few years on the edge of the law.

After saving a young woman from being raped by his companions, Swift knows he must leave the Comancheros or face retaliation. He decides to go and start a new life with his Comanche cousin, Hunter. Hunter has started a new town in Oregon. His mountainous land is filled with unclaimed gold. When he arrives in Hunter's gold- mining town, Swift is shocked and overjoyed to find his true love alive and well. Amy, however, has changed. She wants nothing to do with men. She especially wants Swift to stay away. Swift is determined to see their betrothal through. He is in for the greatest fight of his life. He must learn what has caused Amy's change of heart, then convince her to give him another chance.

*Spoilers here:
Another problem I had with this book was the fact that the powerful character of Hunter was very watered down. In CM, he slaughtered a whole band of Comancheros for raping 12- year- old Amy. In CH, a few guys tried to gang- rape Hunter's own daughter and he hardly blinked about it. Swift fought off her attackers, but even he ended up letting them just walk away with a warning... even as they continued to threaten that they would be back. No one reported it to the sheriff (who was a fair man and would have arrested the thugs). What happened to the proud and strong Comanche spirit? It was pretty much "Oh well. She'll be fine." The nonchalance really bothered me.

The first book of the series is much better. I recommend it:
Comanche Moon

If you want some excellent Native American romance, try these titles:
Cheyenne Song (Zebra Historical Romance)

Feather in the Wind (Leisure Historical Romance)

Under a Prairie Moon (Leisure historical romance)

One of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read that easily made a place for itself on my keeper shelf. I absolutely loved Swift and Amy. Their story is one of those rare ones that touches you deeply. It ws so touching to see how Swift nurtured her trust in him and over and over proved how much he loved her, both in words and action. Who could ask for anthing more. What a dream! I hated when their story ended and found myself going over passages just because I hated to say goodbye to them. I soon realized however I'll never say goodbye because I know I'll pull it back out over the years and once again be taken away by two of my most favorite characters ever. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.

This was definitely my favorite book of the Comanche series. I absolutely love Swift. He is, in my opinion, the best hero of any romance novel I have read. This story picks up 15 years after Comanche Moon ended. Loretta and Hunter are in this novel as well. I loved that this book gave closure to their story, and then sets up the scene for more stories in this series. Amy and Swift go through so much to be together, and the ending is dynamic. This book kept me at the edge of my seat, hoping that they would make it in the end. Swift is the most kind and loving character. He does everything in his power to prove himself to Amy. It is a must read. I would recommend it to anyone that loves to read. Unlike other romance novels, this isn't full of the cheesy and flowery language. It reads just like any other novel, with just a little bit of a romantic edge. It makes the whole thing seem so much more realistic and better in the end. I love that at the end of this story, I felt like I actually knew the character.

Read it!!!!

Amy is the stubborn heroine of this Western romance. She once suffered a terrible situation of abuse, a story told in it's prequel Comanche Moon. She was raped be two dozen men as a child which is obviously pretty extreme. However, she healed with the help of her loved ones and her friend Swift Antelope, a Comanche warrior she pledged her heart to.

Swift leaves home to assist his tribe and promises Amy to return and marry her. When he does, Amy's abusive stepfather lies to Swift and tells him that Amy is dead. Heartbroken, Swift becomes a bit of a renegade and forms a name for himself as a gunslinger. After a few years, he decides to go visit his family and is shocked to discover that Amy is alive and well, living close to his family and teaching at the local school. He wastes no time in cementing his love for Amy.

This promising beginning takes a sharp decline when Amy stubbornly refuses Swift. I didn't understand how she could lose her trust and love in Swift so drastically. I was frustrated with her. After she'd come so far with Swift, to just turn her back on him. He's nothing but loving and sweet and romantic and supportive and she's awful to him. I didn't believe her excuse - that she thought he'd become a bad man. It's so clearly obvious that he's not.

The premise is so extreme also, it's hard to understand where Amy is coming from.

Just a decent Western romance.

It's been twelve years since Amy Masters survived a two-week captivity by a band of comancheros. During that time, the 12-year-old girl endured repeated gang rape and often wished herself dead. A Comanche boy named Swift Antelope helped her to find her way back to happiness, and she betrothed herself to him - a permanent commitment despite her young age - before his people. Swift Antelope promised to come for Amy and fulfill their betrothal, one day when he was through fighting with his tribe in their war against the U.S. government. In the meantime, he believed she would be safe at her stepfather's Texas farm.

Amy is now a little Oregon town's schoolteacher. She came there to join her sister Loretta, and Loretta's half Comanche husband, Hunter, who is Swift Antelope's closest friend. Amy has lost the peace that she regained during her time among Swift's people. Something haunts her and gives her nightmares that send screams echoing across the small settlement. What else can it be except her memories of the comancheros? When Swift arrives in town, clad in a comanchero's garb and with two silver six-shooters at his belt, Amy's reaction makes that belief even more credible. Swift, who now calls himself Swift Lopez, frightens her half to death just by being in the same room. He says that he has come to claim her as his promised wife, and as far as Hunter and Loretta are concerned that is only right. In the patriarchal society of the 19th Century U.S. frontier, Hunter is Amy's only protector. So if he is on Swift's side, who else can she turn to? Must she surrender herself to this gun-slinging stranger, in whom she only dimly glimpses the boy she still loves?

I'm glad I trusted Catherine Anderson enough to keep reading, because after the first third or so of this book I'd begun to wonder if it would ever break away from the tired (and to me, deeply offensive) formula of "strong man breaks down scared woman's resistance, and forces her to love him." Anderson is the only romance novelist published by the genre's mainstream whose books I enjoy reading, and that's because she always turns that stereotype neatly onto its head. She did that here, too, and when the reversal came it worked beautifully. A terrific read!

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Granite Island"