Abigail Monroe had been pierced by an arrow as a young girl...and pierced even more deeply by the love of a half-breed Cheyenne brave named Lone Eagle. But now Abigail and Lone Eagle could lose everything--and each other. Trouble was coming across the Plains to challenge them and test their love. No longer could they hide in a paradise of their own making. Yet even as the hardships of frontier life grew, nothing could diminish their passion. Together they would tight to forge a dynasty In a harsh, unyielding wilderness and fulfill their daring dreams.
I am a USA-TODAY best-selling author with 41 years, 76 books, and numerous writing awards behind me. My major genre is historical romance. I have always written for standard publishers but am now writing strictly for Amazon so I have more freedom to write real history. My most recent publication is SHADOW TRAIL, the 6th book in my Outlaw Hearts series. I also wrote and published my first full-length contemporary story, DANCING BENEATH YOU, in September 2022, a romance involving mystery and a depiction of reservation life in the Badlands of South Dakota. My best sellers are my SAVAGE DESTINY series (7 books) and my OUTLAW HEARTS series. See my website (www.rosannebittner.com) for details on all my books - most available for Kindle and in print. I am known for great love stories filled with real history and high emotion. I have also written many Native American stories, all based on real history.
I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.
National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.
Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
You helped me understand life itself, the meaning of existence, the simple things that make life joyful.
First Impressions River of Love is the third book in the Savage Destiny series and this is the continuation of Zeke and Abbie’s story. I have been eager to get back to their story (but I definitely want to pace myself with this one–anyone that has read Bittner probably can figure out why)., River of Love was just as wonderful as the first two books, and even though there was a aspect to the story that I really struggled with, the overall view of this one is a solid story. I am absolutely delighted in the story that this author delivered and seeing the growth of Abbie and Zeke and their beautiful family We see our family have to face what is happening with the Cheyenne and the historical events that are causing more strain and trial for them. We also get to see some side characters come back into the sphere with Zeke and Abbie and some new friendships and bonds that are built along the way. It definitely was a delightful story that I just wanted to indulge in.
Summary Zeke and Abbie have settled and built their cabin in southern Colorado, they are close to the campground of the Cheyenne people, they have three beautiful children who are growing and thriving. Abbie has just found out she is pregnant with their third child, peace is a fragile thing between the Cheyenne and the white people. There are broken treaties and the building of the Union Pacific which is causing much tension to rise. There is a loss of a family member and the hunt for someone taken from them. There will be separation and heartache for Abbie and Zeke as they will be faced with challenges that will test the bounds of their love. Zeke and Abbie will have to face some heavy trials and will have to learn the power of their love, forgiveness and healing along their journey.
What I Loved At the top of my head, I can definitely say I am loving Zeke and Abbie more and more. I adore seeing them grow in their relationship and seeing their bond become more poignant and deep with each book. We see them grow in their twenties and the growth of their family from three children to seven children. I absolutely love seeing them together, seeing their marriage be tested and see what their love is capable of. I really adored their strength to forge ahead for their family and for each other. They make mistakes along the way, but they never lose faith in each other. There is such facets that are delivered with this book. Zeke is having to learn to deal with the uncertainty of life, trying to raise his son to be a proud strong good man, while also being the husband that his wife deserves. Abbie on her end is trying to raise her children that will have the best qualities of both worlds. I really was intrigued by some new characters that were introduced. The trials that Zeke’s brothers face. We also see quite a bit of historical events take place in this book as well. It was tough to read certain parts to see the suffering and the pain that were dealt with things like the building of the Union Pacific for example. Rosanne Bittner writes such a compelling story that balances out historical events, with our pair here who face it head on no matter the challenges that they have to face. The growth of their relationship was so vibrant and such a central focus and I just wanted more from them and more.
What I Struggled With There was one big factor that kept this one from a five-star, and that would the cheating aspect. Even though you understand the situation and it’s a complex one, it was still something I struggle with seeing in a romance, especially with a relationship here. I did admire the maturity of our characters and how they face this test in their relationship.
Overall View I found River of Love to be a captivating adventure that delivers in a poignant depth to Zeke and Abbie’s relationship. Its a story of trial and tribulation, of healing and growth and the true power of love, can bring to one’s soul!
2,5⭐️ Тук вече нещата се развлачиха съвсем. И толкова много психопати - всеки лош герой е направо психопат, няма и един нормален злодей. Иначе частта с индианците е добра.
Really, you MUST get all 7 books in the Savage Destiny series and fall in love with Zeke and his Abbie!!! My heart felt every emotion possible with these two - I cried, laughed, stressed, rejoiced, cheered, worried along with them. When a book/series can do that, you *know* they're the best! If I could only keep one set of fiction books, this would be it, hands down, no hesitation!
While I always enjoy reading how a couple gets together, I *love love LOVE* the romance and story that follows the HEA/wedding. I think that's another reason why I so enjoy this series - it didn't just stop at the wedding - we get to experience all their joys and struggles through their married life - but yet how much stronger their love grows over time.
This 3rd book is one of my favs in the series - once I started reading it, it was a struggle to put it down and sleep/work/eat... :) How Zeke and Abbie deal with one of the most challenging struggles married couples could ever face both broke my heart but proved that really, love and forgiveness and understanding and acceptance all are of part of making a real-life (fiction - ha!) marriage work.
This review is of “River of Love”, book #3 in the “Savage Destiny” series by Rosanne Bittner.
“River of Love” begins in 1853, as Abigail Trent Monroe, her husband “Cheyenne” Zeke Monroe, and their three children, son Little Rock, and daughters Blue Sky and Young Girl, are living in Colorado. Abbie is also expecting a fourth child. Happiness, however, will continue to elude the Monroes, as trouble will find them from multiple sources.
The first of these is Zeke’s half-brother, Red Eagle. Red Eagle is an alcoholic, and one day he sells his wife, Yellow Moon, to a white outlaw, Nick Trapper, for whiskey. Trapper and his men repeatedly rape Yellow Moon, kill her and Red Eagle’s son, Laughing Boy, and sell Yellow Moon into prostitution. Red Eagle begs Zeke to find her, and he is especially motivated when he learns that Trapper’s partner is the infamous female outlaw “Lady Z”, a.k.a. Dancing Moon, Zeke’s former lover who has a history of terrorizing the Monroe family. Zeke will find “Lady Z” in this book, but once again, won’t kill her, and again, he will regret that decision.
The second source of trouble for the Monroes is the U.S. government, and white settlers, whose westward migration causes trouble for Zeke and Abbie, their Cheyenne brethren and all Indian tribes.
While searching for Yellow Moon, Zeke encounters two women who will play a role in his life. They are; Bonita “Bonnie” Beaker, a missionary who Zeke saves from outlaws and who later falls in love with him; and Anna Gale, a prostitute-turned-madam. Both Bonnie and her future husband and Anna help Zeke and Abbie when they are faced with issues and need help with them.
In other developments, Danny, Zeke’s white half-brother, falls in love with and marries a woman, Emily Epcott. Their marriage, however, is not a happy one, and Danny has a brief affair with an Indian woman. (Danny and Emily reconcile and have a child later.) By the end of the book, Zeke and Abbie are parents of seven children: sons Little Rock, who later takes the nme Wolf’s Blood (he is the only one of the Monroe children who refuses to be baptized and given a white name); Jeremy and Jason, and daughters Margaret, LeeAnn, Ellen, and Lillian. For a time, Zeke and Abbie are happy. But, as always, fate and society have other plans.
Upside: As always, Ms. Bittner’s writing is full and emotional. It’s hard to come up with different ways to say how exceptional Ms. Bittner’s writing is.
Downside: The only downside is the pain I felt at feeling what Zeke, Abbie, and some of the characters felt at what society was doing to them.
Sex: Ms. Bittner’s love scenes were a little hotter this time around, but she will never be accused of writing erotica.
Violence: Ms. Bittner writes very violent scenes for a romance novel, and the pattern continues in “River of Love”: multiple scenes of assault, battery, and killings, which are mildly graphic.
Bottom Line: No author I’ve read pushes my emotional buttons-good and bad-the way Ms. Bittner does with the “Savage Destiny” series. “River of Love” is just one more shining example of that.
River Of Love is another great addition to the story of Zeke, Abigail, their family, the Cheyenne, the other tribes and the history of the mid-1800's in the west. An amazing love shared by Zeke and Abbie that seems to endure the greatest of challenges. I've learned more history of the Indians and of their customs and religion than I ever learned in a history class. My heart breaks for the indians and their lives as I read. As I read about a character in this series I often wonder if they'll be seen again later and I'm never disappointed yet sometimes shocked or surprised when I find them again. I can't wait to see what awaits Abbie, Zeke, Lone Wolfe, the indians and all the other characters in the next book.
Well zeke f*cking that woman in exchange to find his sister in law made me permanently put this series as never a five star. Cheating in the one trope I can barely stomach in most circumstances and the author didn't even give me a period before Abby forgave him so it wasn't catheritic at all or was able to get me to forgive the character for doing it.
It was just I did it and immediate forgiveness.
I'm also annoyed the author even wrote this stupid plot because really it's ridiculous. I mean a situation where a woman will only tell him something if he sleeps with her. It lacks Braincells to me.
I don't believe he's that irresistible. Why does she have to make every woman he meets desire him? I'm thoroughly annoyed. Stop writing men who cheat even for noble circumstances in old school romance. I love old school books but this makes me dread reading them.
I'm so obsessed with loyalty in stories and this was very upsetting for me. I can maybe get over it if the guy grovels for a couple of months and the girl doesn't instantly give the guy forgiveness. Allow the heroine to be upset about it for a little while please.
I know he cut his finger over it but I needed more than that because I abhor this trope.
I'm not going to talk about the plot because rosanne is a very good author and I'd like the book if this wasn't in it.
Unfortunately cheating in stories make me feel like I'm being cheated on even though I know that's ridiculous but it's how I feel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Wow!!! What an emotional roller coaster Rosanne Bittner's River Of Love delivers her readers. Zeke and Abbie's lives are tested as well as the Cheyenne. Danger, kidnapping, & vengeance strike the Cheyenne and Monroe family. The Cheyenne and Sioux must face the inevitable, the buffalo are being thinned out by the easterners traveling the plains. Their way of life, as they know it, is being dramatically hindered, but one thing remains solid... Love, because it conquers all.
I really enjoyed this third book in the series where Zeke and Abbie girl continue to strive to make their life a better place within the turmoil of the American government versus the Indians. Zeke is always torn about his heritage of both sides, white, and Indian. He loves the freedom of being on the plain Riding horses in the wind and hunting Buffalo with his brothers but the Buffalo start becoming scarce because of the white people who are moving in by the thousands and pushing the Indians and their way of life out of their land. Abby has had multiple children, and Zeke is very happy about that, but she has had difficulty with the last two children where she almost bled to death, Zeke is gone for a while to try and rescue yellow Moon who was stolen and sold for whiskey by his own brother. Red eagle red Eagle came to Zeke at his farm to ask if he would go and rescue her. He made the decision and with a reluctance from Abbie went after her. He made great sacrifices to save her, and killed many men with his skills and his knife. When he returned After two months, Abbie thought that he was dead so she was thin and heartbroken about losing her loving and proud husband Zeke. She was pregnant and he appeared to her. She wasn't sure if it was real or a dream. She saw his moccasins and his loin cloth, and when she looked up, he kissed her and said I'm Home and will always come back to you, but when Abbie went into labor, she started to bleed, and Zeke didn't know what to doley his friend and hired man gave him advice on what possibly could help and it did, but Zeke didn't want any more children to put her in harms way, but ended up hurting Abbie more than birthing any child but many things happen that they can't control, but their children were growing up some in the Cheyenne Way and some not but she and Zeke we're so proud of their children and wish nothing but the best for the Cheyenne Indians, because the world was changing and squeezing them out And with more sorrow and joy to come
River of Love $4.99 365 pgs ***.* 4/8/22 Zeke & Abbie
3.5 stars. The story was great in between filler pages and long history lessons. The story does depict how it was back in the 1840’s which was brutal and so unfair to our native people. Abbie remained a strong woman through out all sorts of battles and relationship battles. Meetings between friends and family became father away and as the whites grew more in number, those contacts were spread even further away from each other. There was plenty of sadness and anger in this story and horrible racial attacks and killings that were senseless but still happened over a great many years and led to a destruction of the Native Indian Tribes and their way of life. I am going to take a break on this series although I’ve enjoyed it but I didn’t expect such in depth history that brings out so many feelings.
Wow did I love this book! I cried several times. (I guess I'm getting to be a bit of an emotional reader, lol!) This book really gets into the meat of some great story lines as well as reprising characters being woven in along the way, which I love. The author so eloquently can create the picture of human emotion in many moments of this book, especially through the eyes of a woman and mother. This isn't so much of a heated romance as much as an ongoing story of deep committed love. Of course filled with adventures and the political/social landscapes of the time. Beautiful. 5 stars!
A good story, you could learn a little something in this book. I was really into it but like the others it does drag on a little too much for me. One of the negatives I just did not care for was that whole Dancing Moon parts in the book. I know, she had to keep the story going good but that was a little too much. Again in save all that, I cannot put the book down.
I love this series. You can just seem to feel the love between Zeke & Abbie, they are soulmates. Also I feel the love in their family. All the hardship they have endured have only made that love stronger.
I love this books. Love and family's closeness was amazing. Send and Abigail love is amazing and there culture difference just made it better. Love all the Indian nations in these books. Anyone can read. Need to make a movies.
I love the way you write a story in the books. Of love, loss, commitment, survival, and of love and the nearness of a man and woman’s heart and body when they share all of this.
I Highly Recommend The Savage Destiny series. An Awesome story that I'm thoroughly enjoying reading. As soon as I finish one in the series I must move along to the next. Will be sad when I reach the end.
A must read series. By the time I reached this book in the series I was so hooked. I love that Bittner makes you feel as your there and a part of the story.
The third book in the Savage Destiny series is once again a beautifully told tale of love and hardship. I do wish Bittner would have forgone trying to pull in readers that picked up the second, third, or fourth books as their first look into the Savage Destiny series, and instead focused on telling the story for the current book. However, even with the repetition no other series has a place in my heart like the Savage Destiny series.
*Parts of this review may have been taken from my other reviews on the Savage Destiny series.