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Love Forevermore
The West — it had been Loralee's dream for as long as she could remember, and Indians were the most fascinating part of the wildly beautiful frontier she imagined. But when Loralee arrived at Fort Apache as the new schoolmarm, she had some hard realities to learn...and a harsh taskmaster to teach her.Shad Zuniga was fiercely proud, aloof, a renegade Apache who wanted no part of the white man's world, not even its women. Yet Loralee was driven to seek him out, compelled to join him in a forbidden union, forced to become an outcast for one slim chance at Love Forevermore.
Unbound
First published January 1, 1988
61 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Madeline Baker
89 books289 followersMadeline Ruth was born on 1963 in California, where she raised. She married her high school sweetheart and they have three sons, all handsome enough to be cover models. Growing up, her favorite pastimes were going to the movies and going horseback riding on Saturday mornings at Griffith Park. Madeline has always been "horse happy." A horse was the one thing she asked for on every birthday and every Christmas. Many years later, that dream came true when she bought an Appaloosa mare named Candy—because she was so sweet. Madeline loves animals. Over the years, she's had numerous dogs, cats, fish, mice, hamsters, turtles and birds, and her horse, of course. The most exotic pet was a crocodile that belonged to one of her sons. Currently, she has a terribly spoiled Pomeranian named Teddi, six goldfish, a catfish, and a betta. When she's not writing, Madeline enjoys going to movies and the theater. Her favorite plays are The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel and her all-time fave, Beauty and the Beast. She also loves reading, going to lunch with her best friend, collecting Star Wars, The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast memorabilia, and playing with the most beautiful, adorable, brilliant grandkids in the world.
Madeline started writing when her children were still at home, and she wrote for several years, finding time to write after her children were in bed and her husband was at work. In true cliché fashion, she wrote the books and put them under the bed, never telling anyone what she was doing, until one day she let a friend read one. Encouraged by her friend's comments, and armed with a copy of Writer's Market supplied by said friend, Madeline began sending out query letters. After six years and 31 rejections, Leisure Books bought Reckless Heart, and she's been writing ever since. After writing several Westerns, Madeline decided to try her hand at something else and wrote her first vampire romance. It was a short story titled "Masquerade" for an anthology. She loved writing that so much that she wrote her first full-length vampire romance, Embrace the Night, and thus Amanda Ashley was born. One of her dreams had been to write for Harlequin, and she accomplished that in 2003 with the publication of her Silhouette Romance novel, Dude Ranch Bride. Madeline loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her online at DarkWritr@aol.com or by mail at PO Box 1703, Whittier, CA 90609-1703.
Madeline started writing when her children were still at home, and she wrote for several years, finding time to write after her children were in bed and her husband was at work. In true cliché fashion, she wrote the books and put them under the bed, never telling anyone what she was doing, until one day she let a friend read one. Encouraged by her friend's comments, and armed with a copy of Writer's Market supplied by said friend, Madeline began sending out query letters. After six years and 31 rejections, Leisure Books bought Reckless Heart, and she's been writing ever since. After writing several Westerns, Madeline decided to try her hand at something else and wrote her first vampire romance. It was a short story titled "Masquerade" for an anthology. She loved writing that so much that she wrote her first full-length vampire romance, Embrace the Night, and thus Amanda Ashley was born. One of her dreams had been to write for Harlequin, and she accomplished that in 2003 with the publication of her Silhouette Romance novel, Dude Ranch Bride. Madeline loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her online at DarkWritr@aol.com or by mail at PO Box 1703, Whittier, CA 90609-1703.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 21, 2022
3.5 stars.
Enjoyable story. I did like Shad . Though Loralee did annoy me at times.
2 men 1 woman = trouble
Enjoyable story. I did like Shad . Though Loralee did annoy me at times.
2 men 1 woman = trouble
April 2, 2022
Rating: 2.1 / 5
DNF at 54%
Started off great, but then hero and heroine both made stupid decisions, weren't honest with each other, and so contrived, angst-driven bs happened.
Next. -_-
DNF at 54%
Started off great, but then hero and heroine both made stupid decisions, weren't honest with each other, and so contrived, angst-driven bs happened.
Next. -_-
June 7, 2025
Love Forevermore by Madeline Baker (1988) is a big, dramatic love story that brings together two vastly different people, and against the odds they succeed in finding their happiness together.
Loralee is the new school teacher at the Ft Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. She’s from Philadelphia, always had a passion for teaching, and wants to educate the children. In the beginning no children show up… she then learns that they admire Shad Zuniga, a renegade Apache man. She boldly asks for his help to encourage the kids to attend. She even offers to help him learn to read and write.
There’s plenty of gut wrenching drama thru out the story as Loralee is admired and pursued by Sgt Mike Schofield from the fort… even as she realizes her heart belongs elsewhere.
I especially liked that the story is set in 1905.. unusual for a HR with a NA hero and a white woman, as most are set in the 19th century. However, the prejudices they face as as an interracial couple are universal. The author’s brilliantly written an action packed story that builds tension right from the beginning, plus there’s plenty of sizzling passionate scenes. The Apache culture is deftly woven into the background adding to the story’s richness. Overall, I was thoroughly captivated!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paperback cover artist: Renato Aime.
Loralee is the new school teacher at the Ft Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. She’s from Philadelphia, always had a passion for teaching, and wants to educate the children. In the beginning no children show up… she then learns that they admire Shad Zuniga, a renegade Apache man. She boldly asks for his help to encourage the kids to attend. She even offers to help him learn to read and write.
There’s plenty of gut wrenching drama thru out the story as Loralee is admired and pursued by Sgt Mike Schofield from the fort… even as she realizes her heart belongs elsewhere.
I especially liked that the story is set in 1905.. unusual for a HR with a NA hero and a white woman, as most are set in the 19th century. However, the prejudices they face as as an interracial couple are universal. The author’s brilliantly written an action packed story that builds tension right from the beginning, plus there’s plenty of sizzling passionate scenes. The Apache culture is deftly woven into the background adding to the story’s richness. Overall, I was thoroughly captivated!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Paperback cover artist: Renato Aime.
May 14, 2019
See if you agree...
I have this book five stars because I liked Shad Zuniga, and the fact that, even in the midst of a rapidly changing world, he never lost sight of who he was. However, even though Loralee was not a shallow person by any means, she was not always likable. She came across as petulant, indecisive, and often annoying. Still, this is a good, fast read for anyone who is a fan of Madeline Baker.
I have this book five stars because I liked Shad Zuniga, and the fact that, even in the midst of a rapidly changing world, he never lost sight of who he was. However, even though Loralee was not a shallow person by any means, she was not always likable. She came across as petulant, indecisive, and often annoying. Still, this is a good, fast read for anyone who is a fan of Madeline Baker.
August 14, 2022
Loralee couldn’t make up her mind for over half the book. Lots of miscommunication and jumping to conclusions to create drama.
It was a fast burn romance and the whole book was them going through self made obstacles to get together so if you like that sorta thing then this is for you.
It was a fast burn romance and the whole book was them going through self made obstacles to get together so if you like that sorta thing then this is for you.
February 3, 2026
Rating. 3.75
Plot
Loralee’s lifelong dream of the West collides head on with reality when she arrives at Fort Apache as the new schoolmarm. What she expects to be wild and beautiful is also harsh, isolating, and deeply divided.
Enter Shad Zuniga: proud, aloof, fiercely independent, and determined to have nothing to do with the white man’s world… especially not its women. And yet, from the very beginning, there is pull. The kind that ignores logic, pride, and good sense.
Review
The slow burn here is exquisite. Painfully slow. Deliciously slow. The yearning is top notch: quiet looks, restrained touches, long silences heavy with things left unsaid. One moment in particular that lives rentfree in my mind: in chapter three, Shad rides all the way to Loralee’s house just for a glimpse of her. He approaches silently, brushes his thumb gently across her cheek, and then disappears back into the night. No words. No promises. Just that. Absolute swoon worthy. Those little details are missed in a lot of modern romance.
Both Shad and Loralee are stubborn to a fault, and that stubbornness is both the engine and the agony of their relationship. Months pass with barely any communication, driven by pride and fear, and it’s frustrating! Especially when it’s clear they want the same thing. You can’t help but think they could have spared themselves so much pain if they’d dared to be honest sooner. Still, the surrounding drama and richly described frontier life help balance that frustration, giving the story momentum and depth beyond the central romance.
The scenery is beautifully rendered, vast, vivid, and atmospheric. You can feel the dust, the heat, the isolation. And while this is a romance first and foremost, there’s a solid plot humming in the background, full of danger, conflict, and consequence.
Considering when the book was written, it handles Indigenous history and culture with more care than I expected, though it’s important to acknowledge its age. Some language and attitudes like racial slurs and dehumanizing views voiced by certain characters will understandably sit uncomfortably with most modern readers. They’re not endorsed by the narrative, but they are present, and that context matters.
As for the spice… let’s just say even in the 80's, romance readers were clearly a saucy bunch. While not explicit by today’s standards, the sensuality is stronger than expected and woven generously throughout the story. Passionate, emotional, and very much earned after all that restraint and build up.
Tropes & themes include:
Opposites attract • Forbidden love • Love at first sight • Forced marriage • Surprise pregnancy • Virgin heroine • Violence and assault • Murder
Plot
Loralee’s lifelong dream of the West collides head on with reality when she arrives at Fort Apache as the new schoolmarm. What she expects to be wild and beautiful is also harsh, isolating, and deeply divided.
Enter Shad Zuniga: proud, aloof, fiercely independent, and determined to have nothing to do with the white man’s world… especially not its women. And yet, from the very beginning, there is pull. The kind that ignores logic, pride, and good sense.
Review
The slow burn here is exquisite. Painfully slow. Deliciously slow. The yearning is top notch: quiet looks, restrained touches, long silences heavy with things left unsaid. One moment in particular that lives rentfree in my mind: in chapter three, Shad rides all the way to Loralee’s house just for a glimpse of her. He approaches silently, brushes his thumb gently across her cheek, and then disappears back into the night. No words. No promises. Just that. Absolute swoon worthy. Those little details are missed in a lot of modern romance.
Both Shad and Loralee are stubborn to a fault, and that stubbornness is both the engine and the agony of their relationship. Months pass with barely any communication, driven by pride and fear, and it’s frustrating! Especially when it’s clear they want the same thing. You can’t help but think they could have spared themselves so much pain if they’d dared to be honest sooner. Still, the surrounding drama and richly described frontier life help balance that frustration, giving the story momentum and depth beyond the central romance.
The scenery is beautifully rendered, vast, vivid, and atmospheric. You can feel the dust, the heat, the isolation. And while this is a romance first and foremost, there’s a solid plot humming in the background, full of danger, conflict, and consequence.
Considering when the book was written, it handles Indigenous history and culture with more care than I expected, though it’s important to acknowledge its age. Some language and attitudes like racial slurs and dehumanizing views voiced by certain characters will understandably sit uncomfortably with most modern readers. They’re not endorsed by the narrative, but they are present, and that context matters.
As for the spice… let’s just say even in the 80's, romance readers were clearly a saucy bunch. While not explicit by today’s standards, the sensuality is stronger than expected and woven generously throughout the story. Passionate, emotional, and very much earned after all that restraint and build up.
Tropes & themes include:
Opposites attract • Forbidden love • Love at first sight • Forced marriage • Surprise pregnancy • Virgin heroine • Violence and assault • Murder
September 11, 2024
I get why the hero thought that the heroine would be ashamed of him being Indian but why did it NEVER occur to him that she would be ashamed of getting caught having sex out of wedlock just in general? Like seriously?? The thought never crossed his mind until his grandfather told him??? Literally every misunderstanding after that stemmed from HIS original one so forgive me for not being as team hero as everyone else
June 4, 2017
Love Fotevermore
I love her stories, and this one is no difference from the others. It is such a beautiful love story. It just tore my heart in pieces. Thank you again for another beautiful story. Ada G.
I love her stories, and this one is no difference from the others. It is such a beautiful love story. It just tore my heart in pieces. Thank you again for another beautiful story. Ada G.
April 16, 2021
Madeline baker is one of my favorite romance authors to read and I enjoyed her writing style so much.
Overall I think this story is ok but not her best work.
Also, The plot seems to skip in some places.
Overall I think this story is ok but not her best work.
Also, The plot seems to skip in some places.
February 9, 2026
Love Forevermore by Madeline Baker
The only thing I missed about this book was no Epilogue. Otherwise another exceptional book. Every page was interesting, and I was wondering if the Hero and Heroine would be together. I highly recommend this book..
The only thing I missed about this book was no Epilogue. Otherwise another exceptional book. Every page was interesting, and I was wondering if the Hero and Heroine would be together. I highly recommend this book..
May 14, 2018
More dialogue with non-main characters than main characters.
April 22, 2020
Awesome
It was an awesome book I felt like I was right there with them all I can say is wow.
It was an awesome book I felt like I was right there with them all I can say is wow.
July 3, 2025
Mostly contrived garbage.
November 20, 2014
I really liked this book and the plot.
Shad's opinion on life: "I do what I want! I'm not scared of the white man's army and its sissy soldiers! I am scared of loving this white woman, though, but I just can't stay away from her."
Loralee's opinion on life: "I just want to help the Apache children and teach them all the knowledge in the world! And I'm hoping the hot Apache Shad Zuniga will teach me a thing or two in bed at the same time."
It almost didn't give it 4 stars, because the lack of communication between Shad and Loralee went on for way too long.
At the same time that it was a nice change that both the hero and heroine weren't wealthy and you could pretty much say that they were poor, at the end their financial situation kinda sucked (they'd be living off the land until Shad could find work somewhere).
I did like that the army was always trying to catch him up to no good and pursuing him when he'd done wrong. It was weird and entertaining at the same time that the hero was constantly stealing things (money, food, clothing, anything and everything).
Oh, and he was way hot. It's funny, 'cause he was sorta an Indian bad boy. Nice.
I guess them starting off in life together with nothing but each other's love was realistic.
Shad's opinion on life: "I do what I want! I'm not scared of the white man's army and its sissy soldiers! I am scared of loving this white woman, though, but I just can't stay away from her."
Loralee's opinion on life: "I just want to help the Apache children and teach them all the knowledge in the world! And I'm hoping the hot Apache Shad Zuniga will teach me a thing or two in bed at the same time."
It almost didn't give it 4 stars, because the lack of communication between Shad and Loralee went on for way too long.
At the same time that it was a nice change that both the hero and heroine weren't wealthy and you could pretty much say that they were poor, at the end their financial situation kinda sucked (they'd be living off the land until Shad could find work somewhere).
I did like that the army was always trying to catch him up to no good and pursuing him when he'd done wrong. It was weird and entertaining at the same time that the hero was constantly stealing things (money, food, clothing, anything and everything).
Oh, and he was way hot. It's funny, 'cause he was sorta an Indian bad boy. Nice.
I guess them starting off in life together with nothing but each other's love was realistic.
June 27, 2012
RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:
Once in a while, I’ll venture out of my comfy regency ‘zone’ and stumble on a real ‘gem’ of a book. This is the case with LOVE FOREVERMORE.
Our hero Shad is an Indian in love with Loralee, a white school teacher whose sweet demeanor attracts Shad and takes him on the road to an HEA that is fraught with many obstacles and much pain.
The author has done an outstanding job in portraying the prejudices of the time so realistically that it will take your breath away. When I read romance novels, this is what I like to see. Sacrifice rewarded by true love triumph.
Mini spoiler alert: Without giving much away, I do think that some readers might get turned off by the adultery in this story, and to them I say, please be patient and try to see this story from all angles and don’t judge it so harshly. Ms. Baker handled the subject with care, and I’m so glad to have read it and recommend it highly.
Melanie
Once in a while, I’ll venture out of my comfy regency ‘zone’ and stumble on a real ‘gem’ of a book. This is the case with LOVE FOREVERMORE.
Our hero Shad is an Indian in love with Loralee, a white school teacher whose sweet demeanor attracts Shad and takes him on the road to an HEA that is fraught with many obstacles and much pain.
The author has done an outstanding job in portraying the prejudices of the time so realistically that it will take your breath away. When I read romance novels, this is what I like to see. Sacrifice rewarded by true love triumph.
Mini spoiler alert: Without giving much away, I do think that some readers might get turned off by the adultery in this story, and to them I say, please be patient and try to see this story from all angles and don’t judge it so harshly. Ms. Baker handled the subject with care, and I’m so glad to have read it and recommend it highly.
Melanie
January 28, 2015
In 1905 Loralee Warfield heads to Arizona to teach Apache Indian children. No students come until she meets Shad Zuniga. The two fall madly in love.In the meantime, Mike Scofield an american solder also falls for hr but she doesn't all back. In thralled with Zuniga, She goes with him everywhere and then she finds she is expecting. In 1905 white women did not bear Native American children. What to do now????
I found this book so exciting I read it in one day!!!
I found this book so exciting I read it in one day!!!
October 12, 2014
I loved her books read most of ghem well over 30 years ago couldnt put down had a few laughs along the way
October 2, 2025
Love this story, have read it several times over many years. Short story, good read
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews