Angel of My Dreams by Susan Macatee

Civil War re-enactor Kyle Maguire, who is also a history teacher, meets a woman on a staged battlefield and believes her to be another re-enactor. The lovely Josephine Wentworth is however a woman living during the Civil War who has crossed the boundaries of time but only for moments at a time. Kyle finds himself dreaming of her and meeting her on those rare moments when their paths cross in time. Will time stand still long enough for their love to bind them? Ms. Macatee’s tale was a bittersweet morsel of a dream and a hope that Kyle and Josie will find one another in time.  Angel of My Dreams stole my heart and Ms. Macatee made this story all the more real by using her knowledge of history and creating characters with deep emotions that break your heart.

No Decorum by Mary Ann Webber

Randolph Newton is a sergeant in the Union Army and the son of a minister. He falls in love with Juliet Burnham, a minister’s daughter but a Southerner, and marries her just before he is taken prisoner. Separated so early in their relationship, can their love last until the War Between the States comes to an end? Ms. Webber demonstrates her knowledge of American history on every page of her endearing story, No Decorum. I loved Randolph, nicknamed “Dolphie” by the heroine, Juliet and the servant, Patsy. Reverend Ambrose Burnham and General Steele were such tender secondary characters who worked toward helping the young couple even when all seemed lost.

Are You Going to The Dance by Jeanmarie Hamilton

It all begins when Lexie puts a note in Clay’s pocket asking if he’s going to the dance. But their love has barely begun when Lexie’s friends, Lipan Apaches, are blamed for attacks. The heroine, Lexie, in Ms. Hamilton’s post Civil War tale, doesn’t believe a word of it.  Even the hero, Clayton Majors, doesn’t believe Lexie when she tries to tell him the culprits are raiders. Lexie’s Lipan friend, Ynez, is injured during one of the violent attacks by the raiders but Lexie secrets him away in her home and nurtures him back to health. She even hides her dangerous activities from Clay until one awful night when both their lives may become forfeit. Lexie is one of the most courageous heroines I’ve ever read. In this adventurous tale, Ms. Hamilton brings the reader a raw taste of history and characters worth rooting for in Are You Going to the Dance.  The reader is sure to be swept away.

The Colonial and The Cottontail by Jennifer Ross

Ms. Ross has created a very different kind of Civil War story in The Colonial and the Cottontail. With a wonderfully different perspective, this story begins with the hero, a Confederate on a secret mission, and a widow and her son seeking their newly inherited home meeting on their similar journeys to Montreal, Canada. When Thomas, Becca’s son, discovers Cole in a field, he believes the man to be a rabbit changed into a man. Cole and Tom forge an immediate bond. But when Becca offers Cole a ride in her carriage to Montreal in exchange for his help, the heat turns up as they begin to fall in love along the way.  But Cole carries with him the secrets of the Confederacy and it is possible that he may have to betray Becca or lose his honor. It was truly a delight to read such a different perspective of the Civil War through the eyes of a Canadian. Ms. Ross brought to the pages of this deeply emotional story her own uniquely Canadian voice and won my appreciation in her delightful story, The Colonial and the Cottontail.

In the Shadowa by Isabel Roman

Ms. Roman’s story, In the Shadows, takes place in Charleston at the beginning of the Civil War. Marion Shelton is an enthusiastic Union Spy up to her delicate eyebrows in intrigue. The Englishman, Jack Harrison, is a blockade runner and privateer for the Confederacy and the man Marion loves. Though her Aunt Glori, quite the southern belle, prefers another suitor, Marion is not deterred and she is one determined lady. One can only wonder how these two unlikely lovers can ever find common ground for their love to grow. I liked Jack immediately for his ability to protect and pursue Marion without compromising her enthusiasm. Although the resolution seemed a bit contrived, I found Ms. Roman’s tale a fantastically enjoyable story.

Long Way Home by Caroline Clemmons

The Yankees have come to town and Parmelia Bailey has sworn to help her brother Matt’s fiancé, Sarah, and her family.  This undaunted heroine and her ten-year-old brother courageously help the household of women leave their home in the midst of a raging battle to take them to the Bailey household where they hope to remain safe.  Derrick McDonald, the man she once loved but who left her four years ago, shows up in her barn to reclaim the horses she stole from the Union Army—and he’s wearing Union blue. There is little time to squabble about the past because Jeff Lawson, a spurned old beau is coming to town with his raiders to settle a score with Parmelia and her family.

Ms. Clemmons  has written a story I could really sink my teeth into. With a fearless heroine and a determined hero, Long Way Home drew me into its heart from the first sentence. Ms. Clemmons won my regard with her endearing southern-fried drawl mellowing out every page of this exciting and witty tale.  It’s a marvelous story sure to delight any reader.