Ride A Painted Pony (MIRA Single Title Hardbacks) [Hardcover]

Kathleen Eagle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2006 | Series: MIRA Single Title Hardbacks

On a dark, lonely stretch of Midwest interstate, Nick Red Shield swerves his pickup and empty horse trailer to avoid a pair of eyes. They belong to a woman--battered, bruised and barely conscious--in desperate need of a lift.

Lauren Davis grew up in the high-stakes world of horse racing, a world that took her to fame as a jockey and into a relationship with a dangerous high roller. Life with Raymond Vargas has turned deadly, forcing her on the run, but she can't abandon her son, and now she'll do anything to get him back safe.

While Nick's instincts as a loner kick into high gear, Lauren's vulnerability tugs at him in ways he'd shut down long ago. A man more comfortable with horses than people, unable to make peace with a past that's left him scarred, Nick's not sure about secretive Lauren. But he can't just leave her. And he really doesn't want her to go.

In the safe haven of his South Dakota ranch, among the magnificent painted horses of Western legend, a bond of trust, truth and passion becomes a lifeline for them both. But soon the danger that shadows Lauren's life and her desperate attempt to save her son will force Nick to confront his own demons. Only then can he fight to save Lauren from hers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Eagle's latest headlong romance follows A View of the River. Nick Red Shield, who is Sioux, swerves off a rain-slicked Missouri road and comes across an injured white woman in the bushes. Thinking he was the cause, Nick offers "Joey" shelter at a local motel. The woman's real name is Lauren Davis; her taken name of Joey is the name of her son, who has been kidnapped by his father, Richard Vargas. Richard's friend Jack Reed was supposed to kill Lauren, but couldn't bring himself to finish the job. Lauren and Nick quickly fall for each other; back at Nick's South Dakota ranch, she begins to work his new paint horse, True Colors (Lauren's a former jockey). But Lauren can't let her new, complacent life and the man she's falling in love with distract her from her primary goal-reuniting with her son. Nick as protective loner and Lauren as blue-eyed-blond-with-a-problem feel stock, and there's a lot of horse jargon that will be tedious for some. Eagle nonetheless delivers her signature energy.
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Review

"A good man is hard to find, but a romance by Eagle is a good place to start." -- Kirkus Reviews on The Last Good Man

"A poignant, satisfying romance." -- Library Journal on The Last Good Man

"Kathleen Eagle is a national treasure." -- New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mira; First Edition edition (December 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778323595
• ISBN-13: 978-0778323594
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,133,662 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Visit www.kathleeneagle.com for her latest news and http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com/ to blog with Kathleen and 8 fellow writers.

If you're a reviewer, visit NetGalley to request a digital galley for COWBOY, TAKE ME AWAY (4/19/11 release) from Harlequin.

Kathleen Eagle published her first book, a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award winner, with Silhouette Books in 1984. Since then she has published more than 40 books, including historical and contemporary, series and single title, earning her nearly every award in the industry. Her books have consistently appeared on regional and national bestseller lists, including the USA Today list and the New York Times extended bestseller list.

Born in Virginia and raised "on the road" as an Air Force brat, Ms Eagle earned degrees from Mount Holyoke College and Northern State University. She taught at Standing Rock High School in North Dakota for 17 years.

Eagle's work is often singled out by book reviewers for its exceptional quality and appeal. THE NIGHT REMEMBERS was a Chicago Tribune Notable Book. SUNRISE SONG, THE NIGHT REMEMBERS, THE LAST TRUE COWBOY, and WHAT THE HEART KNOWS made the Library Journal "Five Best Romances of the Year" list. BookPage listed WHAT THE HEART KNOWS among its "Top Six Romance Picks" for 1999. THE LAST GOOD MAN was a finalist for the 2000 Minnesota Book Award for Popular Fiction--the only Romance so honored thus far. YOU NEVER CAN TELL was named to RWA's "Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year" list. She is an RWA RITA award winner.

Kathleen Eagle lives in Minnesota with her husband, who is Lakota Sioux. The Eagles have three children and three grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ride A Painted Pony, December 1, 2006

By 

AK "Bro" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ride A Painted Pony (MIRA Single Title Hardbacks) (Hardcover)

One stormy night, Nick Red Shield finds a battered, lost woman on the road. She gives her name as Joey, and refuses to go to a hospital or contact authorities. Nick takes her home to heal, not knowing she is Lauren Davis, a young mother on the run from the mob boss who stole her son and wants her dead. Lauren has no plan to make her dream of regaining the real Joey come true, until she gets to Nick's home. His new horse is a champion racer, with the right jockey, and she is that. The horse is also the perfect bait to lure her ex. The only flaw in her plan is that to achieve her goal, she will have to leave Nick, the man she has come to love.

**** There is no waiting for this story to kick into high gear. From the first page, the reader is intrigued, and things only go up from there. Lauren's quest is both suspenseful and heartwarming. In the past, I've considered this author's pace too slow, sometimes. There are no complaints at all in this book. ****

Amanda Killgore

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Buddy Review, November 29, 2006

By 

Helen Brenna - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ride A Painted Pony (MIRA Single Title Hardbacks) (Hardcover)

Kathleen Eagle's newest release, RIDE A PAINTED PONY, is part suspense and all romance. It's the tender story of a strong, quiet man protecting, caring for, and, ultimately, falling in love with a woman who gives as good as she gets.

Late one rainy night, Nick Red Shield finds a bruised and terrified Lauren Davis beside a long, lonely stretch of highway. Against his better judgment, he folds this woman with secrets under his strong wings and takes her back to his South Dakota ranch.

Lauren Davis barely escaped a powerful and abusive ex-boyfriend, but was forced to leave her young son behind. She recovers under Nick's protective presence, regains her strength and passion for training and riding horses, and finds herself falling inescapably in love with Nick. Ultimately, though, she can't hope to build a new life without getting her son back. And that means facing the little boy's father, Raymond Vargas, the ex-boyfriend who's already ordered her death.

Rich with the details involved with in raising, training, and racing horses as well as Native American legends of painted horses, Nick and Lauren's story will undoubtedly satisfy long-time Kathleen Eagle fans and intrigue new ones.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very little plot, almost no action, April 30, 2009

By 

Lori F. (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ride A Painted Pony (Mass Market Paperback)

This novel should have been a short story.

The book begins with a gripping, compelling premise -- good-guy Nick finds a mysterious and horribly battered woman cowering by the side of a Missouri road, so he helps her and provides refuge. The reader is quickly introduced to Lauren's equally intriguing backstory. After Nick brings Lauren back to his ranch, however, the story sputters and stalls. Much of the book introduces a series of tedious characters and has no real action or plot development (I believe that an entire chapter is devoted to the fascinating subject of cooking and eating pancakes for breakfast).

If the author had bypassed most of the novel, its beginning and ending would have made a brilliant novella.