On a trail full of danger, will he guide her to heaven or hell?
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas – 1850
Hannah knows one thing the moment she enters Fort Leavenworth—she’s arrived in Hell. But inside is the means to a new life, a position as a scout on a wagon train bound for the Western Territories. All she has to do is convince the wagon master, Paden Callahan, she’s the right person for the job.
… person for the job.
After his wife was murdered by the Comanche, Paden let his work as a Texas Ranger consume him. Now he wants nothing more than to disappear into the West. Unfortunately, the one man he can’t refuse has asked him to guide a wagon train full of tenderfoots across thousands of miles of Indian land. But Paden’s greatest challenge turns out to be Hannah, a woman his heart won’t allow him to ignore even though she was raised by an enemy he hates.
more
Jacqui Nelson’s talented story writing takes us on an exhilarating journey, the Oregon trail. Through her descriptive phrases the frontier came alive in all its beauty and its danger. Paden makes a gruff and caring hero, and Hannah is strong and resourceful. It was a pleasure watching these two find their HEA. Would love to see a sequel with Eagle Feather’s story, 🙂
Between Heaven and Hell was an incredible read for me. I love stories taking place in the old west – used to watch the old westerns on TV when they were popular and this book took me back to those days. I could picture yellow-haired Hannah, fearful but brave, as she rode up to the wagon train in Fort Leavenworth Kansas, facing her deepest fears in order to apply for the position as a scout for a wagon train bound for the western territories. Needed: a cracks shot, a strong rider and someone who could speak different Indian languages. What they didn’t want was a woman, especially one who dressed like an Indian herself. But when Hannah proved her worth by outshooting and outriding a barrel-chested braggart who wanted the job himself, she made one more enemy. Now that made two men who would follow her! Padan, the handsome wagon master, wanted nothing to do with this Hannah girl and her problems. But how could he leave her behind to face the wrath of the man she’d taken the job from? He had to protect her and from that moment on, life became very complicated and dangerous. Which just made this intriguing story hard to put down! I loved the characters, even the secondary ones whose experiences constantly added more adventures. Not only was the book well-written, for me it was a winner!
I absolutely loved this western romance. Hannah and Paden’s story is so heartwarming. Wonderful book.
A beautifully written love story and action-packed adventure featuring a strong and independent heroine and a hero who deserves to stand beside her. This book will hook you on Jacquie Nelson’s historical romances.
This Historical Western was a treat to read. Following the adventures of a wagon train illuminates what a rugged and harrowing journey it was for the participants. Death and loss enveloped those who were brave enough to join.
The main characters Paden and Hannah have troubled childhoods and their unusual past lives plague them as they try to change and move forward.
Ms. Nelson is adept at creating mood and tension as the characters ricochet from one dangerous event to another. This author captures the era as the people on the trail deal with the weather, enemies and each other.
There are twists and turns in the plot lines and they weave in and out with each other which keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next.
A superb Western. Don’t miss out on Ms. Nelson’s novel as she carries you along Between Heaven and Hell.
I found this an action packed western, with the shooting and the usual from back then if you believe what you have heard in the past there is of course love added. A worthwhile read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this story about Paden and Hannah. The long and dangerous journey on the wagon train just added to their love story as did their pasts with the native Americans. Great story
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The first book in the Lonesome Hearts and after reading this one I know I want to read the next book. Hannah and Paden have a lot to overcome before they can get a happy ending. I enjoyed reading this book. It has a great story-line a it flows smoothly from page to page. If you like American frontier stories I would say read this one. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I have also bought.
While I adore historical romance, old west romances are not my typical ones to read. I tend to read more Regency and Victorian novels. For whatever reason, this week I have been drawn to reading old west romances. This one is the best I have read so far. The author pulls you in right away with this terrifying image of a young girl fleeing for her life as she watches her home burn and her parents murdered by white men. Alone now in the world, she figures her end is near when Osage warriors surround her. But an Indian woman emerges and takes her into her family. The story then fasts forward to 10 years later as this young woman, fleeing for her life again, seeks a position as a scout on a wagon train headed for the Oregon Trail. She has a hard time convincing the wagonmaster to hire her; he doesn’t believe a woman is fit for the job despite her display of good riding and shooting skills. After it becomes clear that she has been in danger and is perhaps in more danger after the skill competition between her and his previous scout, he agrees that she should come along.
Paden has quite a backstory himself, but I’ll let you discover that for yourself if you decide to read this fantastic novel. The book has a variety of secondary characters. Both the primary characters and secondary characters are well drawn and feel three dimensional. Hannah is it a challenging position as a white woman who was mostly raised by the Osage. At times, she has a hard time fitting in with the others on their journey to Oregon. Paden struggles with his conflicting feelings about this strong and resilient woman.
I loved this author’s ability to weave in words and phrases that are evocative of the old west but don’t feel stilted or out of place both in dialogue and in the narrative portions. That’s not an easy skill for an author of historical fiction to maintain. Her descriptions of the various settings as well are very visual, and I could imagine seeing them.
The author did an excellent job putting me in Hannah’s mind right from the start, feelings her terror as a child and understanding her desperation—even if I didn’t know the full reasons at the beginning–to get that job that she hopes will take her farther away from danger. The skill competition between her and the former scout is surprisingly a page-turner, compelling me to want to keep reading to see how it would turn out. The rest of the book is much the same. As an Oregonian myself, I enjoyed seeing the Oregon Trail as a backdrop for this. It is so hard to imagine what it was honestly like for people who use that harrowing trail to get to the West, but the author does a good job of making me feel like I’m right alongside the characters as they experience the beauty and hazards of it. It was actually a book I had a hard time putting down to do other things, which I wasn’t expecting when I opened it. As I said, I’m not usually a fan of old west romances, but something initially drew me to this story, and I am glad because it is an awesome read.
ONE IMPRESSIVE ADVENTURE!!!
Oh baby! Talk about letting the chips fall. Jacqui doesn’t hesitate to put it out there and shake things up a bit. Just to let ’em fall. Can’t get any better than that. Her eye and mind for detail just blows me away. This baby grabs your attention and holds it from start to finish. Just when you think it can’t get any deeper. Think again. This little gem will keep you in a tail spin and on a razors edge throughout the entirety of this juicy little number. Jacqui’s take no prisoners and no turning back attitude really set the stage for this striking storyline and exhilarating plot. Action packed, fast paced, hard hitting, page turning bombshell brings this bad boy blasting to life beautifully. Throw in all the drama, angst, intrigue, danger and suspense make for one thrilling experience. The characters are original, believable and so realistic you feel like you can just reach out and touch them. The scenes are so graphically detailed you have no trouble picturing each scenario as they play off one another in perfect balance. Amazing job Jacqui, thanks for sharing this bad boy with us.
While I’ve read many books about the westward trail of wagons headed to Oregon and California, this book is different. This story is more of a focus on those that led and scouted the trail rather than the pioneers themselves. There is a lot of interaction between Indians, the Forts along the trail and the Scouts. It is extremely unusual to read that one of the Scouts is a young woman with the talent and knowledge of languages among the various tribes. Born into a white American family, she spent her formative years with the Osage Indians. This is the first book I’ve read on that tribe and found it interesting.
There are many scenes where this young scout, Hannah, was kidnapped, taken, abducted, held captive even in one of the Fort prisons; and, managed to either be rescued or escape. That being said, I did feel the story-line could have been wrapped up with an HEA a little bit sooner. While the final chapter did try to bring out the results of her recent captivity and release, I did feel the Epilogue was sudden and quickly done. I plan to read the next book in this series as I’ve loved this author’s writing and did enjoy this book.
You know it’s going to be a good book when you only finish chapter 1 and you know that you know this is one destined for your favorites shelf!
This book gave me all the FEELS: heartbreaking tears to sighs of relief (even just from the prologue!), anxiousness to elation, from “grrrr I wanna shake you, will you just get it together!?” moments to SWOON, thud moments, Hannah and Paden deliver it all! The backstory as it’s slowly exposed, the bad guys’ motivations and actions (and trust me, there’s more than what meets the eye at first!), the surprises and twists, the adored secondary characters and plot lines, it all just adds to the beauty and filled my heart to overflowing with satisfied warmth.
I absolutely love the way Jacqui Nelson uses words to build her world. Her writing voice connects deep within me and draws me so tightly into her story that I simply just didn’t want to let go and escape from her world. I think I’ve found another favorite author! 🙂
One of my favorite quotes that just made me stop. breathe. and then have to reread over and over again (and you’ll understand when you come to it too!):
“But know this, if I have to kill someone to keep you safe, I will.”
….happy sigh….
In a unique twist of fate, in a time when you imagine a white settlers home being savagely taken from them by Native Americans, Hannah watches a group of white men murder her family and burn her home to the ground. Her mother saves her life by sending her out the back into a briar patch to hide. She is found by members of the Osage Tribe and taken in by them. In a horrifying twist it happens again later in her life as she sees her Osage Mother and Sister savagely killed by white men who want to take her as well. She escapes yet again. Will she forever be haunted by this second tragedy? She is pursued by her Osage Brother Eagle Feather because he blames her for his Mother and Sisters death.
Paden grew up with his Commanche Grandmother. Half White and Half Commanche he is trying to fit into a White world. He is married to a Generals daughter who is brutally murdered while he is away. This is where he is cruelly wronged by the murderer who blames his Commanche brothers for her murder. Vengance became a way of life for him.
There is a connection immediately between them when they first meet. They are drawn together perhaps by the past they have lived, without knowledge of it from the beginning. Secrets present themselves and are hidden between them. Courage to bring them to light is needed.. The beautiful Oregon Trail makes a stunning backdrop for this tale.
They will travel the trail between His life and Her life, finding ways to help each other in spite of the demons from their past. Love, fear, anger, hurt and peace will find them, but they will travel many roads to get there.
This is an excellent story about Love. Well written and well developed characters with an engaging plot. I loved this book!
I loved this book. The author takes us back to the mid 1800s, troubled times in the USA for both the natives and the folk trying to travel the country by wagon to the west coast. A fascinating time in frontier history, I even consulted with Google checking out the places. How amazed would they be, that 6 months of travelling can now be done with a quick plane ride?
The story revolves around Hannah who was taken in by natives as a child. She joins the wagon train as a scout. Paden is the leader of this group travelling west across dangerous country side, facing disease, famine and hostile natives. Their journey of love moves along at a steady pace. They both have baggage to work through and you’ll be hoping for their HEA.
This is a well written novel and you’ll fall in love with all the characters hoping for more.