Dakota Child by Linda Ford

Trapped in a North Dakota blizzard, single mother Vivian Halliday's prayer for herself and her child is answered. Rescue comes in the seemingly terrifying form of Billy Black, the hulk of a man feared by all the townsfolk. Yet in the home he shares with his ailing mother, the handsome, gentle giant warms her baby's bottles and sings sweet lullabies that lull even Vivian to peaceful sleep.
When the storm abates and it is safe to leave, will she seek the life that led her back to the village…or stay where she's found an unexpected family for herself and her Dakota child?

My opinion: I received this book the other day because I signed up for tellharlequin.com. I got this in the mail and though "Hmmm...it's a historical, but it actually sounds pretty good". And it was! We first meet Vivian Halliday

I liked the characters in this book. Vivian had been through a lot, being stuck in an orphanage after her parents died. Then she had a baby with Wayne, who she thought loved her. She had no idea how to care for a new baby, but she knew she couldn't live without him, and that shows a lot of courage. It was obvious she would do whatever she had to for her son. Billy was great, he welcomed her with open arms and instantly bonded with her son. Even though is mother protested, he refused to cast Vivian away since she was in need. And then later he wouldn't because he loved her. The mother was definitely getting on my last nerve after awhile; I get that she was taken by Indians and I can't even imagine how traumatic that would be, to be away from your family for 6 years and everything that happened to her. But wow, she did act a bit crazy, yelling all of the time and about having panic attacks any time Vivian came close to her. Her actions do make a bit more sense later on in the book, especially her extreme reactions when Joshua would cry. It was a very heartwarming-book, and I actually teared up at one point. The only thing that lost me quite a few times were all of the religious references and Bible passages. I am not religious myself; I am not opposed to those that are, and I don't mind when characters mention God or anything like that. But it inhabited a LOT of this book, which made it a little tough for me to read at some points. However, the story line was good and I was really able to connect with the characters. You could see their relationship progress and how much they cared about each other.

My rating: 4/5 stars