Book Review: Consent to Love by Abby Wood

Consent to Love
Author: Abby Wood
Publication: Carina Press (April 2, 2012)


Description: Twenty-four-year-old small-town girl Ana Reynold serves beer at the local bar, tries to keep her beater car running, and dreams of a better life as a painter. If she can learn to make a decent steak, she might get promoted to cook—and earn enough for her real heart's desire. Right now, that doesn't include romance.

But when she meets a tall, dark and sexy Native American man named Kane, Ana can't take her eyes off him—or stop thinking about him. But she'd better. Everyone knows the proud Lakota who raises horses wants nothing to do with a townie barmaid who'll bring shame to his people.

Except Kane can't get Ana off his mind. He proposes a red-hot weekend in bed, a no-strings affair to end Monday morning. Yet once Kane brings the outsider onto Lakota land, everything changes...

My Thoughts: This short novel (114 pages) packed a lot of sexy and a lot of romance into its pages. Small-town girl Ana Reynold is working as a barmaid and trying to move up to being cook when she meets a handsome Lakota man named Howahkan. They don't seem to have much in common except a powerful attraction to each other. 


Kane knows that there is a lot of prejudice about a white woman dating a Lakota man. He is also concerned about preserving his Lakota heritage. When he was younger he left the reservation with a girl and got into some trouble and suffered some heartbreak and embarrassment. He doesn't want to chance anything like that happening again.


Ana is young but not stupid. She knows there can be prejudice but isn't going to let that stop her from getting what she wants. Kane proposes a quick weekend affair but that isn't enough to satisfy either of them. He asks Ana to move in with him but is still worried that the life he wants isn't enough for her. After all, she has been secretly painting for years and he knows she is talented.


When he sends one of her paintings to New York with his latest bunch of saddles and other leatherwork, her art is discovered. He wants her to pursue her dreams of being an artist even when she would rather stay with him. It takes sending her off to New York for a month to make him realize how much he needs her to be a part of his life.


This was an excellent story about two people in love compromising to make their relationship work. It was also filled with lots of sexy love scenes that made me want to turn up the air conditioning in my living room!


Favorite Quote:

"My name is Howahkan." His cheek twitched ans he leaned forward. "Or, you can call me Kane."

She smiled. "How-wah-kan...that's beautiful. I mean, your name is pretty."

His brow rose. "Pretty?"

"I'm making a mess of things, aren't I?" Ana groaned and shuffled backward. "Thank you, Howahkan."

Embarrassed, she moved to leave, but he stepped up and curled his fingers around her wrist. "Wait."

"Yes?" She stared at the ground, not trusting that she wouldn't make even a bigger fool of herself.

"You didn't tell me your name." He reached out and lifted her chin. "I bet it's pretty too."

I got this book for review courtesy of Carina Press via NetGalley. You can buy a copy here or wherever ebooks are sold.