In Meet the New Dawn, the penultimate book of her “Savage Destiny” Western historical romance series, author Rosanne Bittner brings the reader to tears with lots of love, drama, and deaths.
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Meet the New Dawn by Rosanne BittnerRating:
Published: 1986
Illustrator: Robert Sabin
Imprint or Line: Zebra Historical Romance
Book Series: Savage Destiny #6
Published by: Kensington
Genres: Historical Romance, Family Saga, Romance with Rape Element, Western Romance
Pages: 477
Format: Paperback, eBook
Buy on: Amazon, AbeBooks
Reviewed by: Blue Falcon
TOTAL SPOILER ALERT ⚠
The Book
This review is of Meet the New Dawn, book #6 in the “Savage Destiny” Western historical romance series by Rosanne Bittner.
In the previous book, Climb the Highest Mountain, the Monroe family faced numerous challenges. Well, hang on tight because there’s lots more to come. Get your hankies ready, too.
The Plot
Two Children Leave Home, and One Returns
The year is 1869, the last vestiges of freedom for the Plains Indians.
There are also changes coming for Abigail Trent Monroe and her husband, “Cheyenne” Zeke Monroe.
Two of their surviving six children, 18-year-old daughter LeeAnn and 17-year-old son Jeremy, are leaving home. LeeAnn is to go East to school, and Jeremy to work for the railroad, much to Zeke’s dismay.
Then their eldest son, Wolf’s Blood, 25, returns home from raiding with the Cheyenne Indians.
The Characters Follow Their Individual Destinies
Zeke, meanwhile, finds himself dealing with an enemy he can’t fight and defeat easily.
As the years pass—the book spans over 18 years—the following events will transform the Monroe family:
Wolf’s Blood falls in love with an Apache maiden, Sonora, and they have two children. Unfortunately, while married, he also finds himself having romantic feelings toward his white cousin, Jennifer.
Later, after Sonora is killed, Wolf’s Blood marries Jennifer, gaining a new wife and stepdaughter in the process.
LeeAnn moves to Washington, D.C., and marries Charles Garvey. She doesn’t know he is the son of Winston Garvey, who has a notorious history with the Monroe family. LeeAnn’s marriage is an unhappy one.
Her situation becomes even more untenable when she gives birth to a son who looks Indian. When Charles discovers that LeeAnn is a Monroe, he beats her and tries to kill her.
Ironically, Charles also discovers that he has a half-Indian brother, Joshua Lewis.
Later—and fortuitously for LeeAnn—Charles dies.
New Lives and One Death
LeeAnn reunites with her family. Eventually, she and Joshua marry and have two children.
While Zeke and Wolf’s Blood are scouting for the Army, they meet up again with their son and brother, Jeremy. It is not a happy reunion.
On a happier note, daughter Ellen marries and gives birth to two children, a son, and a daughter.
Eldest daughter Margaret and her husband, Morgan Brown, add to their family, having two more children. Altogether, they have three sons.
While the Monroes gain family members, they also lose one.
Finally, at the end of Meet the New Dawn, Jeremy decides to make peace with his family, whom he’s been estranged from for 20 years.
The Upside
The emotions Ms. Bittner reveals in her characters are, as usual, so raw and so real.
The Downside
Not many. I do feel Ms. Bittner’s writing in Meet the New Dawn is a little forced.
The series is never happy and can be quite emotionally draining.
Sex
I’ve written about Ms. Bittner’s love scenes and their lack of passion. There’s not much else to be said.
Steam Level: Warmish
Far from chilly love scenes, but don’t expect lots of sizzle.
Violence
Meet the New Dawn is slightly less violent than some of Ms. Bittner’s books. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of assault, rape, and murder.
Bottom Line on Meet the New Dawn
Meet the New Dawn by Rosanne Bittner is another excellent entry in her “Savage Destiny” series.
The only real drawback I have with this series is that I wish Ms. Bittner had written this series all the way through the 21st century up to the present day. It would have been great to see history through the eyes of the Monroe family and their descendants over the past 150 years or so.
My advice to any readers of this series:
Make sure to keep a box of tissues nearby—or even several—while reading the “Savage Destiny” series, as they will be necessary.
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| Overall: | 4.9 |
Synopsis
As railroads etched the earth and fence-stringers carved the range, the Plains Indians fought desperately in their last days of freedom. Each day, the Cheyenne warrior Lone Eagle and his white woman Abigail Trent felt the pain of change – but each night their fierce, fiery passion obliterated the troubles that arose with the dawn.
Finally the relentless tide of frontier progress threatened to destroy all the lovers had struggled for. Their ranch blocked the way of the Iron Horse, their children were divided among themselves, and Lone Eagle and Abigail had to part yet again to hold together what they cherished. They didn’t know if their lips would ever meet again; all they could do was race against time to be reunited and once more share their blessing…
Meet the New Dawn by Rosanne Bittner