Sometimes life is just too unfair – almost unconscionable and simply terribly sad. What can you do when conditions are unstable and the odds are stacked against you? When there are no good choices – actually when there are no viable choices at all. Your fate and that of your child is in the hands of someone that is just shy of a monster.

Perhaps an even worse scenario is that there is no way out – no way to catch a break and maybe just walk away unbroken – un-shattered – in one piece. The best revenge is to beat the odds and sometimes you need a little help to do just that.

RIDE A PAINTED PONY by Kathleen Eagle starts out with a punch to the gut. RIDE A PAINTED PONY opens to a horrible scene and matters escalate from there. Somehow what appeared so harsh and scary manages to get worse. Candidly Kathleen Eagle paints a bleak picture – dare we hope for a glimpse of sun amidst all this darkness.

The reader keeps wondering if there is any way Lauren’s world could get back on an even keel. Lauren who was literally thrown away like yesterday’s trash. Bruised and battered and left for dead. But Lauren couldn’t die. Somehow this brave industrious mother had to find a way back into that perilous place that disposed of her so callously. Lauren left something important behind, something vital, someone who needed Lauren alive. Lauren had been thrown away but her baby Joey was still in the grips of the same man who ordered her death.

And that’s when Lauren met her savior Nick Red Shield – a big tough as leather ex-military, oil rigger – Indian. Nick just happened to be at the right place at the right time. No that vastly underestimates the importance of Nick finding Lauren. Lauren was an absolute mess. In worse shape than most strays and Nick finds himself in a very foreign position. A place where Nick has to feel again – something he has fought hard to avoid. But with Lauren Nick discovers that the part he has guarded fiercely is now being exposed to something he thought he would never experience. Caring and dare he say love.

Kathleen Eagle brings living on a reservation to life with her ability to make each scene rich and important. There’s something almost poetic in the way Kathleen Eagle describes the land so very vital to Native Americans and basic to their rich heritage. Something as simple as the synergy of plants and animals is as beautiful to read as witness on the open range. That’s Eagle’s goal – to have you appreciate this in its entirety. RIDE A PAINTED PONY is beautiful even when enmeshed in a difficult story filled with its’ share of ugliness.

Nick Red Shield finds a woman in the middle of a highway. She's been beaten, she's bruised and bleeding, barely knows who she is. At first, Nick thinks he has hit her with his pickup truck and horse trailer, but thankfully that isn't so.

So how did this mysterious woman, going by the name of Joey, manage to get there?

Lauren Davis was once an up and coming jockey .. until she met a man who made her feel special. She didn't know how controlling and manipulative he could be until she had her baby. Trying to take the baby and leave him led to her near death and her son being kidnapped.

Red Shield is a quiet, introspective man who is much more comfortable with horses than he is people ..especially women. But he does have a protective streak a mile wide and this particular woman is getting under his skin.

Kathleen Eagle is well-known for her contemporary western romances. This one did not live up to the expectations. The beginning was really good .. well-written. Nick Red Shield seemed to be written to stereotype .. silent American Indian. I liked Lauren "Joey" in the beginning, but once at her host's ranch, she became this simpering female. I expected a strong woman and didn't get one. It did get better after that, but by them I wasn't much interested in what happened to any of them.

I did enjoy the location descriptions and talk about horses, mainly Indian Ponies.

While I didn't particularly like this one, when looking for a romance with just a hint of suspense, I would definitely look at some of her older books.

Many thanks to the author / BelleBooks - Bell Bridge Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

There is nothing I enjoy more than cowboys and horses and this story filled both categories. Wonderful characters and easy to get involved in the story, I am not surprised that I continue to read and love any story written by Kathleen Eagle.

Rated 4.5 - An unusual contemporary western with some suspense, RIDE A PAINTED PONY by Kathleen Eagle is so addictive I had to have book two right away.

We get a good picture of who the honorable and caring man, Lakota Sioux Nicholas Red Shield, is within the first few pages. Nick does everything within his power to avoid creating roadkill, including almost wrecking his like-new truck and empty horse trailer. He loves his truck and trailer – they’re the lifeline of his ranch and future. Not many men would risk wrecking their prized possession to save an animal.

While he’s trying to get unstuck from where he landed, Nick realizes he might have tried to miss a human instead of the presumed animal. By the looks of things, his truck connected with her body, so he feels responsible even though she swears Nick is innocent.

Lauren Davis, a tiny woman, lets Nick believe her name is Joey. It’s her baby’s name – the child who was taken from her. Badly beaten, dragged out of a car, and left at the side of the road to fend for herself, this new Joey can’t trust anyone. The man who has her baby plans to keep him and assumes she’s dead.

I was instantly hooked by this intriguing story and read it within two days in the middle of the holidays, which proves how addictive it was. The male point of view from two Native American cowboys explains my fixation. First, it’s very unusual to come across such a natural male point of view, let alone two of them in one book. Secondly, their Native American heritage makes this scenario completely unexpected and more intriguing. I loved that this book didn’t downplay the Native American hardships, which immediately mangled my heart.

Tough and an experienced jockey, Joey is also an uncommon heroine. She’s a mom who is unwillingly separated from her child. At first, I suspected that she was probably involved with some sort of mafia, which explains much of her unusual behavior. I was bothered by some of her actions, so she wasn’t my favorite heroine, but she is memorable and intriguing, as well as completely different from the norm.

Nick and his best friend Dillon are the stars of this book. I became so enthralled with them that I immediately ordered Dillon’s story, MYSTIC HORSEMAN, to review next. Both men are so realistic. I easily pictured them while reading, and I kept rooting for their success. I especially enjoyed Dillon’s insight on Nick, so I’m hoping Nick will return the favor in Dillon’s book. This is exactly the style of contemporary western I like to read. It’s modern, but still has the values and honorable ways I admire.

Nick is in an impossible situation. He commits to assist a woman who keeps secrets. He knows it’s a bad idea, as well as falling for her will be, but he can’t help himself. Joey isn’t an easy woman to understand. Will she run away before Nick gets a chance to prove his love for her?

In addition to the great characterizations, the ponies were also fascinating. I love horses, and just the idea of wild horses reignites my passion for these beautiful animals. The history offered in regards to their parentage was captivating. Nick buys a Paint, a favorite of mine, so I was glued to the story for all its attributes.

Author Kathleen Eagle has moved the contemporary western sub-genre of romance into an exciting new arena. Even though this book was published originally in 2006, this reissue feels like new territory that will enchant today’s reader. I’m thrilled to have discovered this duology and can’t wait to read the sequel, MYSTIC HORSEMAN.

Review by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies.

This book started really strong, but lost me at about 25%. Well worth the try and I appreciate the opportunity to read it, but was unable to finish the book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Ride a Painted Pony is the first book I have read by Kathleen Eagle. I enjoyed this story and loved Nick’s strength and determination. I felt the connection faltered at times between him and Lauren but not enough to impact the storyline. I look forward to reading more by this author

While I throughly enjoyed this contemporary western romance, I was pretty sure I recognized both the title and author. I personally think ALL reprints of earlier works should have to be noted on the book cover. Nothing pisses me off more than to dole out my hard earned money for a book that I've previously read. That said, this was an awesome read that I loved. I enjoyed the suspense and the mythology of he painted ponies. The book moved along at a pretty fast pace and other than the ending not showing us what happened rather being told by a character what happen, completely satisfied me.