Customer Reviews

The Darkest Heart

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is the one of the best books that I ever read, and best by Brenda Joyce. If you loved her series of the Bragg family you'll love this book. In fact this is the story of Shoz's parents in, The Fires Of Paradise. (A very nice surprise that I found.)This is passionate love story between Candice, a stronged willed woman and Jack Savage, a man who walks between the two worlds of the whites and the Apaches. Together these two find a deep love that is filled with passion that borders on obsession. The love between this two was jumping off the pages. This book was so great, that I counldn't put is down. I never wanted this story to end. This two characters are hot! Although it is hard to find this book, it is well worth any price. I'm never letting this book go. Find it, you'll love it.

This novel is out of print and it took me forever to find it. It was defintely worth the search. It is a great novel about half-breed Indian warrior who brands Candice, a blonde beauty his woman. The two go through so much it was a wonder either of them did not break before the end of the story. It is a book worth reading. It reminded me a lot of "Innocent Fire." It is difficult to get your hands on this one but as I stated before it is worth the search. Now I have every novel Ms. Joyce ever wrote. She is a great and wonderful writer not to mention exciting.

I have read all of Brenda Joyce's books and I am usually satisfied with her writing. I was especially looking forward to reading the Darkest Heart because it seemed different from her others. More culture and in depth history. But about half way through the book, Candice's character becomes annoying. She says she is a lady, but the way she speaks and acts is like a spoiled child. She has no sense of the word culture and is ignorant about Apache life style. Even after being captured several times, she does not conform to their rules and talks about them in a negative way. Jack's character was super hot in the begining, but after a few times I realized he just can't keep his pants on. The excuse is always, I haven't had a woman in a long time. I just wanted Candice to grow up and stop worrying about what other people think and for Jack to decide which side he will choose.

It's a definitely your bookshelf keeper.
while reading this novel,you may feel all emotions existed in our lives.
I love all romance novels with gut wrenching stories.
This is one of them.

This romance is connected to Joyce's Bragg saga, and specifically to the 5th installment, THE FIRES OF PARADISE. (See full list below.)

I was really excited to read this story as I loved FIRES OF PARADISE. In that book, the wonderful hero, Shoz Savage, who is part Apache, remembers his parents with great fondness and speaks of their continuing love for each other. So here we have their story...

Set in the New Mexico Territory in 1860, beautiful blonde Candice Carter, a rancher's daughter, has made a foolish decision, eloping with one of her suitors against the wishes of her father and brothers. But the man has no intention of marrying her; he is a despicable cad out to take her virtue. When she realizes he would rape her, she shoots him and flees. Dying in the desert, she is found by Jack Savage, a half-breed Apache, who brings her back to life. Though the attraction is immediate, Jack is honorable and intends to return her to her family unscathed. But when he is wounded, she steals his horse and leaves him. He will rescue her twice more before it's all over in this fast-paced romance that kept me up reading late into the night.

This is a great story of the American west where prejudices against Indians and children with Indian blood ran high. This tells the story of the Apache culture and the wars between Cochise and the white men who betrayed him. Our hero gets caught in the middle, neither white nor red. Married to both an Apache and a white woman, he is torn. Joyce weaves a complex tale of love, lies and betrayal. I highly recommend this one.

The Darkest Heart is a prequel of sorts for Joyce's great Bragg Saga:

Innocent Fire, June 1988 (Derek Bragg and Miranda)
Firestorm, November (1988 Storm Bragg and Brett)
Violet Fire, May 1989 (Rathe Bragg and Grace)
Dark Fires, June 1991 (Nicholas Bragg and Jane)
The Fires of Paradise, April 1992 (Lucy Bragg and Shoz) - related to The Darkest Heart
Scandalous Love, November 1992 (Nicole Bragg Shelton and Hadrian)
Secrets, April 1993, 7th in the Bragg saga and 1st in the Delanza Series, (Regina Bragg Shelton and Slade Delanza)
After Innocence (the second in the Delanza series, Edward Delanza and Sophie)

I love Brenda Joyce. This wasn't one of my favorites. The hero showed a complete lack of loyalty to his woman and his child that was on the way. I understand his need
to fight for his Indian heritage, but what about the woman he loves and her child. Leaving her alone totally turned me against him.....She was a complete idiot! Her prejudices
were overwhelming. It was hard to like either characters. I know times were different, but when you love someone they should come first.

I have read all of Brenda Joyce's books, so obviously I am a fan. While she is not a perfect writer, she is a very good storyteller, and I think there has only been one of her books that I had trouble getting through. The Darkest Heart wasn't one of them. Set against the Indian wars of the 1860s, it is a good portrait of those times and all the prejudice that went with them. The story describes the history very well and sets the characters' personal conflicts against what is happening in such a way that you learn something as well as enjoy a lot of action and romance. I liked both characters, although I found Candice to be a little too emotionally impulsive at times. When you remember, though, that she is only 18, you forgive her for some of her more inane choices. Joyce does a good job of explaining Candice's hesitation to stay with Jack and you do understand how torn she is. Jack is also very torn between two worlds--white and red--as he is a half-breed. Of course, as in all of Joyce's books, love wins out, but it is a very trying journey getting there. I didn't want it to end and I wanted to follow them for a few more years down the road!

Naturally, there is a lot of great sex, but it is always in the context of the love the two characters have found together and adds a lot to the tension already there. That is really Joyce's expertise!

I would recommend this book highly.

This was an absolutely, wonderful historical fiction, I had a hard time putting it down. Brenda Joyce has a remarkable talent of taking real historical events, characters and battles, and writing a heart wrenching love story. The Darkest Heart is definitely an old style romance with a lot of bad things the main characters must overcome. Jack Savage (he names himself), who is a half breed Indian, is torn between two worlds and can't find his fit. He saves Candace from dying in the desert after she runs from a horrible elopement gone wrong. She is spoiled and loved by her family and neighbors who have instilled hatred in her for the "savages". She doesn't know what to think when she realizes all the biases she believed regarding Jack aren't as they seem. Their relationship was very up and down as they both tried to live in each others worlds, but they were beautiful together especially when they showed their love to each other and forgot about everything else.

Another reason I was so absorbed into the story is because it has some of my favorite themes, strong alpha male, love triangles, jealousy, lots of good sex scenes (not overly long with details) and a heart wrenching romance that you hope the H and h are strong enough to endure. I have read a lot of Brenda Joyce's books and have found these themes reoccur throughout many of them. The Conqueror is my favorite Brenda Joyce book, this one and Dark Fires a close second. Even though they are completely different settings, they have similar angst, brutality and love connection between characters.

Brenda Joyce is amazing. Now that I have read the books "that interested me" of hers....not sure which author to pick up next.

Brenda does it again! A great read, the characters had so much chemistry the pages were hot!
Great read!