Indian Affairs

A married socialite finds passion in the arms of a Native American shaman in this historical love story from a veteran romance writer.

Set in the 1920s, this novel follows Alessandra O’Quinn, who turns her life upside down when faced with a terminal case of tuberculosis. Alessandra’s doctor encourages her to leave Washington, D.C., for a sanitarium in New Mexico, in hopes that her lungs will “dry out” by spending a year breathing in the desert air. Her husband decides to stay behind for fear that such a long stay away from D.C. would destroy his career. In her new home, Alessandra meets an alluring Native American shaman, Manuel Mondragon. The two become intertwined in each other’s lives, as Manuel tries to heal Alessandra and she fights political players to protect the American Indians’ holy shrine, Blue Lake. With the addition of the Blue Lake plot, Bonds attempts to make a larger statement about society: Diversity must be celebrated and respected. Bonds’ latest work is strengthened by her vividly descriptive prose and brisk pacing. The tale of star-crossed lovers from two different social stratums has been done time and time again, yet in Bonds’ capable hands, the relationship is enchanting. As in many traditional romance novels, Bonds’ male love interest is over 6-feet tall, with dark hair, a “chiseled” face and “overwhelming masculinity.” While these descriptions may seem cliché, they’re still enticing, especially in the romance-novel staple—the love scene. Readers will be captivated by the heat that radiates from Alessandra and Manuel’s most intimate encounters.

Appealing for fans of Bonds’ established romantic style, this time with a message of diversity against an old-time, desert backdrop.