”Whitehorse” byKatherine Sutcliffe (audiobook/Kate Reading - Reader Talent = 4.5*)Modern Day Contemporary/Political Intrigue RomanceJohnny and LeahThis audiobook novel hooked me immediately with not only a very expressive narrator, but the class struggle type setting absorbs the reader right away. Sutcliffe does a wonderful job of drawing you into the economic and prejudicial world of what many American Indians still face today. Although much of the usual political themes are present (senator’s daughter falls for “inappropriate” local American Indian bad boy with a cause), Sutcliffe gives it a nice pace, a plot that tracks well (takes some nice twists and turns), and does a good job in the romance department with a very likeable cast of characters. Johnny Whitehorse has struggled growing up with a down and out suppressed alcoholic father and a community that is insupportive of the local Native American presence. While in high school, Johnny works, along with his father, on the ranch of the extremely class conscious and prejudicial Senator Foster, and soon finds himself falling for his beautiful, sweet and popular daughter, Leah. The two become high school sweeethearts, and pledge everlasting love and devotion to each other, but without surprise, Leah’s powerful father puts a stop to it and threatens Leah with action against Johnny’s father if she continues seeing him. Leah accordingly pushes Johnny away (for his own good) and they part under a guise of feelings of betrayal and misunderstanding. Thirteen years later, Leah has gone on to obtain her veterinary degree, been married and divorced, and given birth to a handicapped child. Johnny has become a famous model and movie star, along with a reputation as a powerful political activist for his people’s welfare. As Leah returns to their small town in hopes of raising her disabled child and furthering a veterinary practice for herself, she finds Johnny has also returned and is now the owner of the ranch once owned by her father. Leah faces a less than welcoming attitude from Johnny -- a particularly painful fact, as she’s never doubted he was the only man she ever really loved. Once these two confront each other, there is no denying that they never stopped loving the other, and everyone else who entered and exited their lives in the interim was only marking time. Several characters have a lot to lose if these two reunite, unfortunately. Johnny is still involved with Dolores, an Indian beauty from his and Leah’s high school days, whose now an extremely career hungry reporter for a local station. She’s all about making Johnny her own, as well as obtaining a plum career in the national reporting spotlight. Likewise, Leah’s father, still a long-term senator, has plenty of money and lifetime career focus riding on Johnny’s Indian Tribe not obtaining their goals of opening a local casino with the potential of eventually rivaling the gambling and entertainment success of the likes of Brandon, MO and Las Vegas all rolled into one. Sutcliffe does a very nice job of pulling all the various characters interests into a nice tidy plot that is intriguing and exciting as it unfolds. Meanwhile, the story keeps its focus on the romance between Johnny and Leah, and doesn’t make the reader feel like it’s an afterthought. They are front and center with their emotions and the resolution of their lost love for one another throughout the entire story. I liked that Sutcliffe didn’t leave them hanging onto the “big misunderstanding” too long, but rather kept them actively working it out and walking toward their HEA. Johnny is a hero that never stopped loving Leah, and makes that pretty clear to her in fairly short order, despite all her misgivings. A secondary plotline of outlining the difficulties of being the mother to a child with cerebral palsy is quite heartwrenching, and adds a lot of dimension for many of the characters to highlight their personalities. The only real fault that lowered this book for me from a 5* to a 4* rating, was the very ending of the book. Sutcliffe gave it an abrupt “halt” once the action and political mysteries wrapped up. I actually almost thought my iPod had stopped and was about to click over to a new book prematurely, until I heard the audible narrator “rolling the credits” for the book. I thought for certain the epilogue would be related next. I felt disappointed that my “solid HEA/future calm life” for the H/h wasn’t clearly laid out. However, there are few books that end at the very resolution of the “action” that I feel satisfied with, so this may not bother many readers. Overall, it’s a VERY well written and intriguing contemporary romance with plenty of mystery and suspense, and if you enjoy this type of book, you won’t want to miss this one!K.Sexual content mild to medium in graphic descriptives; 2-3 sexual scenes of “mainstream R” rated depictions; Graphic language inserted as appropriate, but infrequent; Violence minimal and non-graphic (suggested); Recommended for ages 15 and above with parental review.
