ARC REVIEW Thunder on the Plains by Rosanne Bittner

Why, why do I do this to myself??? Oh yeah I love Epic Historical Western Romance. This republished tragic romance originally was published in hardback in 1991 has a shiny new cover but then same epic romance. This is what I like, I'm not always in the mood for it but when I am, this is what I like to read. Where the two main characters struggle and struggle and just when things start going good tragedy strikes and they are ripped apart, but they get one hell of happy ending.

Sunny and Colt are kept apart by many thing, They meet each other fairly early in each others lives, Sunny is fifteen and Colt is twenty. It is obvious Colt falls for her instantly attracted to her and Sunny has a bit a a school girl crush on him. Colt understands they aren't meant for each other Sunny's father has great plans for her and Colt carries on with his life.

Colt is half Cherokee and in his young life has suffered a quite a bit. When he agrees to help scout for a big business tycoon who wants to built a transcontinental railroad he never knew it would be the thing to change his life.  Bo Landers has a dream and no one is going to get in his way, He is even teaching everything to his daughter so she can take over for him, much to the dismay of her eldest half-brother. Going on the scouting excursion opened Sunny's eyes to a whole new world, she alone believes in her father. Sunny never expected the plains to be so beautiful and she keeps a journal throughout the whole journey so she can go back and relive the experience. The journey also solidifies the the need in Sunny and Bo's eyes for the transcontinental railroad. Colt saves Sunny's life twice, and is forever in her heart and mind even after they part ways.

So much happens before they speak again, Colt tried settling down. He got married and built a house started to farm but soon after his wife gave birth to their son and band of Native Americans attack and kill his son and wife he almost dies himself. Saved by another tribe Colt joins up with them and seeks his revenge. After living with them for a while he leaves and joins the pony express. That's when he hears about the first states seceding from the nation and talk about a civil war. It's also when he hears about Bo Landers death and all the trouble Sunny went through to keep her inheritance.

Bo Landers worked hard to get with people of like mind to get the railroad going and Sunny worked hard with him. Bo Landers worked himself into an early grave and leaving Sunny all alone with her Eldest brother trying to appeal the will and her other brother standing by her she only has her sister-in-law to confide in, that is until she gets a letter from Colt giving her his condolences on the death of her father. It's still not the right time for them but a friendship is exactly what they need. Sunny has attracted the attention of a big business tycoon out of New York and he has been courting her, but Sunny needs to see her Father's dream come through before following her own. More time passes and Colt decides to join the war. Colt ends up in Andersonville a prisoner of war.

Twelve years pass from start to finish before it is finally the time for Colt and Sunny to be together each having to go through their own personal hell before being able to find the happiness they deserve together. Overall, this was an outstanding piece of work, beautifully written, so emotional it ties you up inside.

ARC REVIEW Outlaw Hearts by Rosanne Bittner

Outlaw Hearts is a re-release of Rosanne Bittner originally published in the early 90's. I love historical westerns and every once in a while I love an epic read like this. It is an ongoing story that starts when the two lovers meet and it continues throughout their lives. It is mesmerizing, once I picked it up I could not put it down I stayed all night to finish the book, I finished the book looked at the clock and it was fifteen minutes until my alarm was to go off. I got so tied up in the story with years passing in a matter of hours it felt like I was living it with them. Their was so much to the story following them for so long something would happen and I'd think wow it's only at 20% into the book, and then something else would happen and it's just at 40%. It wasn't slow paced there is just so much in it I don't think I could summarize it appropriately. I thoroughly enjoyed the emotional rollercoaster this book put me through.

Miranda and Jake are some of the best written characters I have read in a while. You feel for them you cry when they want to cry, you're angry when they are and ecstatic when they are happy. They are an unlikely couple Jake is tall, dark and hard, mean looking while Miranda is petite, light and soft but their love and passion is unquestionable, unwavering and unstoppable.

     Miranda is all alone she has lost everything she has ever cared about, just having buried her father she decides to find her brother who left for Nevada years ago. Before she could go she crossed paths with an outlaw and shot him with her gun, he escaped only to show up at her cabin. For reasons she can't quite explain she helps him. Jake is an outlaw, a wanted man a mean brissey man with a harsh past, and somehow Miranda sees past it. Miranda sees through Jake and what she finds is a man who needs to be loved and learn how to love. Running from his past they believe they can start but something always happens, and it shakes Jake's confidence but Miranda is always there no matter what he says she is never going to leave him even when they have to separate she will not give up on him and knows without a doubt God put them together and he will allow nothing to pull them apart.

This is an epic book and everything they go through they stand together and never give up. It's a fantastic story.