Nobody Bodine came from a nobody and will always be a nobody. He can disappear into the shadows—no one can see him if he doesn’t want them to. He exists on the edge, in neither the white man’s world nor the tribe’s, dispensing vigilante justice when he sees fit. There’s no other place for a man like him in this world.
Until Melinda Mitchell shows up on the rez. From the first moment he lays eyes on her, he can tell there’s something different about her. For starters, she’s not afraid of him. She asks where his scars came from, and why he has so many. But more than that, she sees him. For the first time in his life, Nobody feels like a somebody in her eyes.
Melinda has come west to run the new day care on the White Sandy Reservation. She’s intrigued by this strange man and his tattered skin, and when she discovers that he’s a self-appointed guardian angel for the boy in her care, she realizes that there’s more to Nobody than meets the eyes. But how far will he go to keep the boy safe? And will she be able to draw him into the light?
If you follow me on twitter you'll know that recently I've been going through deadline hell so I haven't had much time for reading or reviewing, and then I moved! I was worried for a while that I'd never be able to read again.
Anyway, what you might now know is that Nobody was the best companion through this deadline hell. I was only able to read the book in little snippets here and there and it took me a whole two weeks to finish the book, but I looked forward to each five minute snippet that I grabbed.
I've reviewed one of Sarah M. Anderson's books before and I throughly enjoyed that so it really was no surprise that I loved Nobody too. I haven't read any of the other 'Men of the White Sandy' series but like most series you don't have to have read them all in order (or at all if you don't want to) - but I dare you to resist after reading Nobody.
Nobody tells the story of Nobody who's shadowy self appeared briefly in the previous novels of the Men of the White Sandy. The protector of young Jamie, Nobody is a tortured soul who fits in to neither the white man's world or the tribe's and is feared by both. Nobody is definitely one of the more troubled heros that I've read about, a vigilante who keeps himself apart from everyone, determined not to be reliant on anyone. It takes the arrival of Melinda, the sister of Dr Mitchell, for Nobody to finally let himself be seen.
I really liked Melinda; running from her past she doesn't immediately settle into life on the reservation but takes some time to adjust. She's feisty, determined and not easily defeated; she's also not afraid of the mysterious Nobody. Melinda, for me, leads the story, which makes for a refreshing change. Melinda and Nobody's relationship also helps set the book apart, neither character seeks to change the other and their love doesn't result in some personality altering compromise.
I'll admit, this is my first romance that deals with Native American culture so I cannot comment on the accuracy, but Anderson skillfully treads the line between providing enough detail to keep your interest satisfied without making any grand or troubling statements on the culture.
Finally, the secondary characters in the book are so intriguing, particularly Melinda's sister Madeline and her partner, Rebel, the main characters in Mystic Cowboy - definitely my next read.
Nobody is everything that I have come to expect from Anderson, a wonderfully emotional and steamy romance with characters that are different enough, and developed enough, to really capture and keep your attention. Anderson's descriptions of the land that Nobody loves really help you invest in life on the reservation and help ground the novel into a wonderfully rounded, perfect escapist read.
*ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Sarah!
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