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Nebraska Legacy #3
Kiowa Husband (Nebraska Legacy Series, No. 3)
VOTED FAVOTIE HISTORICAL ROMANCE IN 2004VOTED FAVORITE HISTORICAL COVER IN 2004Sarah Jane's future lies in Oregon - or so she thinks when her parents pack their belongings to leave their home and friends in Nebraska. But typhoid strikes along the trail - and the Bensons are cut from the wagon train to protect other travelers from the dreaded disease. Sarah Jane needs help to care for her parents, and the only person willing to stay is the group's scout, Painted Hands. Troublesome stories surround the man, and Sarah Jane is terrified. Her fears only grow when the wagon master insists they marry for propriety's sake. Can true love grow out of an arranged marriage? Can Sarah Jane trust God to see her through these troubled times? Fall in love with this inspiring love story and our entire collection of Christian romance novels from Heartsong Presents!
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
About the author
DiAnn Mills
127 books1,989 followersDiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who invites her readers to step into stories where suspense meets adventure and romance warms the heart. Known for crafting unforgettable characters tangled in unpredictable plots, DiAnn believes every breath we take unfolds a story waiting to be told—so why not make it thrilling?
Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, International Thriller Writers, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.
A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.
Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions on any of the following social media platforms:
Website: https://diannmills.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diann...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannmills
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannmillsa...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannmills/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills
X: https://twitter.com/diannmills
Her novels have consistently landed on bestseller lists including CBA, ECPA, and Publishers Weekly, and have won prestigious awards such as the Christy, Selah, Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol awards.
DiAnn is a founding board member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Conference Advisor for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers. She actively participates in Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, International Thriller Writers, Outliers Writing University, and The Christian Pen. DiAnn passionately invests in helping fellow authors succeed through mentoring, book coaching, and editing. She travels nationwide speaking and teaching engaging writing workshops.
A proud coffee snob who roasts her own beans, DiAnn also enjoys diving into good books, experimenting in the kitchen, and unabashedly spoiling her grandchildren—whom she insists are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband make their home under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.
Connect with DiAnn online for behind-the-scenes glimpses, writing tips, and lively discussions on any of the following social media platforms:
Website: https://diannmills.com/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/diann...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannmills
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannmillsa...
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannmills/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannmills/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/diannmills
X: https://twitter.com/diannmills
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 12, 2019
This book is very cheesy. If you like that stuff then go ahead but what bothers me the most is the cover. First of all, it's about a wagon train but there's a stagecoach on the cover. Secondly, the main guy is WHITE but was raised by Native Americans. The cover clearly has a Native American man. (and in the book he's described as having a beard) Now its time for the girl: She's supposed to have curly, strawberry blonde hair. And couldn't they have put her in a prettier dress?
May 3, 2021
I can honestly say that this quick but gripping story will stay with me. 😊 Painted Hands believed that he caused bad things to happen to everyone in his life so he doesn't let anyone in. 😑 Sarah Jane needs someone to help her in her time of need and no one wants to help but Painted Hands. Sarah Jane very quickly decides that if she has to be married to Painted Hands she might as well be a good wife, but Painted Hands just doesn't want to let her in. 😐 Eventually Painted Hands comes to his senses and the two of them set off on an adventure that made me hold my breath and read as fast as I could.😉 The epilogue was good but man I wanted so much more. ☺
May 3, 2018
I couldn't put it down when I started reading it. It was a wonderful story about continuing to trust God amidst the hardship that has befallen you. And going back to your faith. I just find the love build-up between the two characters poor. Plus, in my opinion, the mountain scenes were long-winded. I think it can be excluded.
May 26, 2020
It was hard to put down.
February 6, 2024
Adorable story! Forced proximity, survival, forced marriage by the rest of the wagon train. Easy short read. Closed door.
March 6, 2022
I... had issues with this book. Starting with the cover.
First, the cover has a STAGECOACH on it, when it's about taking a wagon west. Second is the Indian hero, when the hero in the book is a white guy raised by Indians. He also has a beard almost all of the book. And the chick is supposed to be a pretty perky, youthful/freckled strawberry blonde... not the homely, plain woman on the cover. Whoever approves these things is moronic.
Then there's the story. There is NO chemistry between Painted Hands (white hero dude with scars on his hands who is so sullen he ignores and the abandons heroine often) and Sarah Jane (orphaned on the Oregon trail, bi-polar in her abrupt changes from mourning to chipper). Painted Hands hates christianity SO much that he allows a corrupt preacher to force him into marrying a girl he wants to stay behind the wagon train to take care of. ((He would NEVER have done that.)) People did things their characters weren't drawn to do thru the whole book.
The author can never make up her mind if she wants Painted Hands to respect the christian god or not, and it detracts immensely from the tale.
Worse, about two thirds of the way thru, she kind of stopped writing and things got really bad. For example, she says 'Sarah Jane closed her eyes and looked around them'. ((!!?!!)) The first paragraph of chapter sixteen says "Sarah Jane had never known such treacherous terrain. When the trail wove them into Snake Valley, he steered the wagon clear of deep sand." Um, we were talking about SJ, not PH. Or how about "Don't fill me with hope again. I can't bear anymore," she said. "It's not your doing." Painted Hands replied, touching her cheek. What. The. Heck!?! It's as if Mills' brain fell out, and she was just trying to meet a deadline or finish something she no longer had interest in.
And the ending was extremely blunt. BAM! Oregon, brother, logging camp... THE END! It was way too abrupt and unfulfilling. The spiritual issues were never truly resolved, either.
The storytelling itself was alright, and the journey was... typical for a pioneer tale, but a MUCH better(and nearly identical)story is 'Heartbreak Trail' by Shirley Kennedy. I'd recommend readers go that route, instead of reading this one.
First, the cover has a STAGECOACH on it, when it's about taking a wagon west. Second is the Indian hero, when the hero in the book is a white guy raised by Indians. He also has a beard almost all of the book. And the chick is supposed to be a pretty perky, youthful/freckled strawberry blonde... not the homely, plain woman on the cover. Whoever approves these things is moronic.
Then there's the story. There is NO chemistry between Painted Hands (white hero dude with scars on his hands who is so sullen he ignores and the abandons heroine often) and Sarah Jane (orphaned on the Oregon trail, bi-polar in her abrupt changes from mourning to chipper). Painted Hands hates christianity SO much that he allows a corrupt preacher to force him into marrying a girl he wants to stay behind the wagon train to take care of. ((He would NEVER have done that.)) People did things their characters weren't drawn to do thru the whole book.
The author can never make up her mind if she wants Painted Hands to respect the christian god or not, and it detracts immensely from the tale.
Worse, about two thirds of the way thru, she kind of stopped writing and things got really bad. For example, she says 'Sarah Jane closed her eyes and looked around them'. ((!!?!!)) The first paragraph of chapter sixteen says "Sarah Jane had never known such treacherous terrain. When the trail wove them into Snake Valley, he steered the wagon clear of deep sand." Um, we were talking about SJ, not PH. Or how about "Don't fill me with hope again. I can't bear anymore," she said. "It's not your doing." Painted Hands replied, touching her cheek. What. The. Heck!?! It's as if Mills' brain fell out, and she was just trying to meet a deadline or finish something she no longer had interest in.
And the ending was extremely blunt. BAM! Oregon, brother, logging camp... THE END! It was way too abrupt and unfulfilling. The spiritual issues were never truly resolved, either.
The storytelling itself was alright, and the journey was... typical for a pioneer tale, but a MUCH better(and nearly identical)story is 'Heartbreak Trail' by Shirley Kennedy. I'd recommend readers go that route, instead of reading this one.
May 24, 2016
First off, the cover is legitimately terrible! Ignore it!
I read this as part of a collection in Nebraska Legacy: Four Men Become Husbands of Convenience in the Old West and now I'm wondering if DiAnn Mills wrote other stories involving characters from this story. Specifically, the brother, Jacob.
It's surprising how much DiAnn Mills fit into one little tale! I thought that the desperation, the pain, the inner struggle and even the humor was written in a realistic fashion.
In conclusion, I actually really, really liked it. I looked forward to reading it when I was away from home which, I think, is always a sign of a good story.
I read this as part of a collection in Nebraska Legacy: Four Men Become Husbands of Convenience in the Old West and now I'm wondering if DiAnn Mills wrote other stories involving characters from this story. Specifically, the brother, Jacob.
It's surprising how much DiAnn Mills fit into one little tale! I thought that the desperation, the pain, the inner struggle and even the humor was written in a realistic fashion.
In conclusion, I actually really, really liked it. I looked forward to reading it when I was away from home which, I think, is always a sign of a good story.
August 11, 2015
Left a few things unexplained. Maybe I missed it? 1. Did they or didn't they? Found it lacking and over done on other.
June 16, 2010
I laughed, I cried...truely a great book!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews