Janelle Taylor’s Cherokee Storm is a heartfelt story about two people from two different worlds who must fight against everything to be together. Fans of a truly compelling and emotional love story set during the Seven Years War and tumultuous years of American settlement will love this novel.

Shannon O’Shea is a young girl who has too often seen the horrors of the open frontier. One day, she ventures away from her party only to become lost in a rain storm. She immediately seeks shelter in a nearby cave and meets a Cherokee named Storm Dancer. When this native tells her he is the young boy she knew from her youth, she is in disbelief. This rough looking man cannot be the same young boy she knew all those years ago. Yet even after she leaves him when the storm clears, she cannot erase his presence from her memory. A few more chance meetings leads both Shannon and Storm Dancer to question the path their lives are set on. Will they disobey their family and heritage for love or will the horrors of the frontier keep them apart forever?

It would be hard pressed to find a time period when a love such as Shannon and Storm Dancer’s could have been more impossible. They were from two very different cultures on the verge of war. Their families and their heritage forbade their match, but their bond goes farther than any human influence or forbiddance. This story examines what truly makes a family and what defines its members. It is about the inner turmoil the characters face when they cannot accept the future that is set out for them. Also dealing with the difficult choices they must make to be truly happy, even if it means disobeying their family or mentors wishes. Shannon basically exists without many family ties. On the other hand, Storm Dancer is deeply tied to his tribe and family. Both of their situations complicate their story in unexpected ways.

Taylor weaves an emotional tale that makes you desperate to see this couple happy, but it’s as if every obstacle possible stands in their way. Which only makes their journey that much more satisfying at the conclusion. The story sets a pretty fast pace and has many suspenseful situations that keep you intrigued throughout. Of course, in the midst of all the drama and tragedy is a romantic tale that would be historic were it true. These characters realize what is expected of them and what they are supposed to do, but they face destiny head on, determined to change it. In the beginning though, they tried to accept the paths they had been set on.

“Why did you follow me to this village?” he demanded. “I came here to forget you.”

He moved closer still, looming over her. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her lips. “I didn’t know you were here. My father brought me.”

“This can not be.”

“You must believe me.” She extended an open hand to him. “I didn’t know you were here...in the arms of your woman.”

“Feather Blanket is not my woman.”

The air sizzled with energy, exactly as she’d felt that night at the cave when the lightning struck around her. “I saw you...” she protested. “I know–”

“You know nothing.” He seized her and dragged her against him. His mouth crushed hers, hard fingers tangled in her hair. She opened to him, reveling in the sweet, hot taste of his tongue. The earth dropped away beneath her as she clung to him and their kiss went on and on.

The author writes a narrative about forbidden love with extraordinary detail and description. The explanation of the Cherokee history and customs is explained very well and is not too heavy to absorb. This book has a very large cast of characters with each one being a very distinctive and colorful addition to the story. Cherokee Storm has plenty of adventure and information, but it is written in such a way that the story doesn’t feel too drawn out or overwhelming. The book starts off quickly, and continues to keep an exciting pace, which leads into a fulfilling conclusion.

Overall, Cherokee Storm is a novel about the injustices in seeking a forbidden love and struggling to overcome these issues. You will read an amazing story about the determination these two characters have to be together despite all the outside forces keeping them apart. Once you start, you will find this irresistible story difficult to put down. Be prepared to thoroughly enjoy this compelling tale about the lengths some are willing to go to win the ultimate and final battle. The battle in which the outcome will hopefully be the triumph of true love. ~ Lisa