Emma Merritt’s MASQUE of JADE – Love and Spies During the War of 1812 in New Orleans!

Set in 1813 in New Orleans when America was at war with England, this is the story of Laura Talbot-Harrow, who left her family’s estate in England for America nine years earlier when her mother disgraced the family by having an affair with another man, which caused Laura’s fiancé to break their engagement. Since then, Laura has wanted no relationship with any man, but instead finds her joy in running her stepmother’s plantation. That is, until she meets the wealthy gambler Clay Sutherland from Virginia who ruthlessly pursues her.

 

Laura’s father and stepmother want her to marry a certain nobleman from a Creole French family. Laura doesn’t love him; she loves Clay. But she would not marry Clay because he is not acceptable to her Creole society.

 

You had to love Clay, the honorable Virginian with a mysterious past…a past that has caught up with him, just like the war that’s coming to New Orleans.

 

There is a lot of action in this one as Napoleon and his supporters engage in stealth to establish New Orleans as a second base of operations; spies and treachery abound. There’s also a sultry voodoo queen who sees Laura as competition for Clay’s affections and will stop at nothing to see Laura dead. Laura’s sister Judith, who was left in England long ago, travels to New Orleans and joins the family, bringing more tension into Laura’s life.

 

I enjoyed this romp through the War of 1812 from the perspective of the English, Americans and Creole French living in New Orleans. I think you will, too.

 

The sequel to this story, MASQUE OF SAPPHIRE, is foreshadowed in JADE and tells the story of Laura’s sister, Judith. It was written by Emma Merritt’s sister, Deana James

Christopher Nicole’s OLD GLORY - Irish Hero and the Forming of the Young American Navy and Love Amidst War

This is the first in The McGann Saga. It begins in 1769 when young Harry McGann, an excellent seaman engaged in smuggling along with his village, gets into a fight with the squire’s son (a very arrogant young man) while trying to save the man’s daughter from a fall. Harry is told to get out of town for awhile and he goes to sea, bound for New York. That was a terrible experience but just before he left, he met Elizabeth Bartlett, the daughter of a wealthy New York merchant. He vows to return, well dressed and with coin in his pocket.

 

No matter his good intentions, Harry is forever involved in fights with despicable men. He even experiences treachery from his fellow sailors whose allegiances change quickly. But in all he encounters, he comes to love America. And, once Harry hooks up with John Paul Jones, he becomes involved in the formation of the American Navy. But he never forgets Elizabeth.

 

It’s an engaging tale well told with some exciting battles at sea. Harry is a flawed but loveable hero and Elizabeth, though constant in her affection for him, also makes some bad decisions. Still, all comes right in the end and we are given a glimpse of America’s early naval ventures.

 

Cindy Nord’s NO GREATER GLORY – Civil War Romance Rich in Historical Detail

A well-researched novel with considerable detail of the various battles around Virginia, this is a romance for those who like to savor the details and want to dive deeply into the Civil War.

 

Set from 1862 to 1865, it tells the story of Emaline McDaniels, a widow trying to hold onto her Virginia plantation, Shapinsay. Then Colonel Reece Cutteridge, a Union officer, shows up to requisition her home and her livestock to winter and feed his troops. Despite her disdain for the Union, Emaline finds herself assisting the Union doctor and nursing the colonel’s men, all the while fighting an attraction to their commander.

 

Reece has lost his wife and child and resists Emaline, but quickly finds himself falling in love with her. Separated by war, they will find themselves brought together by fate.

 

Nord describes what it was like to hold a plantation on the edge of war with intruding soldiers, deserters and miscreants all trying to steal what is not theirs. And in the midst of all that, a love blossoms between two people on opposite sides.

 

Some parts of the book will seem more like historical fiction than romance, the love story taking a back seat to the war, but romance readers who like real history dished up with the love story will enjoy it!

Leigh Lee’s RULES OF DECORUM – A Woman in the Union Army Medical Corps in the Civil War

This great story is set in 1863. It’s the tale of Eugenia Johnson who dons the clothes of a boy to enlist in the Union Army, hoping to hide a horrible secret. She becomes a sergeant in the medical corps and does well until a new surgeon shows up.

Captain Jeffery Bradford is a disciplined man who expects the best of his men. When he discovers one of his “men” is a young woman who turns his disciplined order into chaos, he wonders if Eugenia isn’t a Confederate spy.

This is a well-written tale featuring the medicine of the Civil War and the hardships faced by the men fighting for the Union, reflecting much research into the era. Several exciting scenes will have you on the edge of your seat. Eugenia and Jeff are great leads and perfect for each other.

A worthy patriotic tale!

 

 

Sharon & Tom Curtis (aka Laura London) - THE WINDFLOWER – Superb Pirate Romance set in the War of 1812—a Keeper!

One of my all-time favorite books and a classic, The Windflower was the product of the husband-wife writing team of Sharon and Tom Curtis and some believe it was their best. I can tell you this: this pirate romance set in in 1813 during the War of 1812 is one of the finest historical romances I have read. Originally published in 1984, it was reissued in 1995, and can be obtained on Amazon for Kindle. It’s a keeper among keepers.

 

It tells the story of innocent, sheltered Merry Wilding, an American living in Virginia with her maiden aunt. Merry has a talent for drawing faces from memory, a talent her brother, an American spy will use to his benefit, exposing her to pirates and worse. Then, on her way to England with her aunt who wants Merry to have a better future, she is kidnapped. Taken to a pirate ship, she meets the English pirate Devon, who remembers her from a night long ago where he encountered her in a tavern. He holds her captive, believing she is involved with his enemy who was also on the ship Merry was sailing on. Protecting her brother, she will not reveal who she is. Devon is intelligent, beguiling and smooth and innocent Merry is powerless to turn away his kisses. The whole crew of pirates comes to love Merry and to teach her many things as she blossoms from shy girl to strong woman.

 

The writing is superb, the characters courageous, heartwarming and very special; the descriptions of the environs vivid; the metaphors numerous and well done; and the story a wonder to read, and re-read. The plot is intriguing. You will be swept away on a pirate ship to experience many adventures, battles at sea, storms, death, outrageous humor and love. I thought the writing gifted.

 

Here’s a sample from one scene; I bet it moves you though not a word is spoken:

 

“His fingers whispered over her face, seeking and slowly stroking nerve points, knowing where, how long, how much to caress. Her skin gained color under his touch; her eyes became enormous; her throat tightened. By her nose his little finger encountered a forgotten tear. Gathering the sparkling drop, he smeared it slowly over the curve of her lips and blew it gently dry. One hand came lightly to rest on her neck; the other supported her cheek as he sought her with his kiss.”

 

Here’s another:

 

“Tragedy dwelt like a blue flame in her big eyes; the shallow pulsebeat in the golden hollow of her throat was luffing like a spanker on a vessel that was hauled too close to the wind. He had seen the look before on women about to be raped, and he found no charm in having it turned on him.”

 

If you love pirate romance—or even Regency period romance set mostly outside of England—this classic will not disappoint.

 

Celeste De Blasis’ AMERICA’S DAUGHTER – Well Researched, Well Told with Endearing Characters, the Revolutionary War Come to Life

This is the story of Addie Valencourt who lives with her widowed father and brothers in Boston. Her father is a Loyalist but Addie and her brothers are Patriots. When, dressed like a boy, she sneaks out to witness the Boston Tea Party, she knows her world is about to change forever. Soon, the glittering summers in rural Virginia with her cousins and the plush prosperity of her father’s home in Boston are eclipsed by the fight for American independence.

When the British forces lay siege to Boston, Addie’s family is torn in two. Her brothers and her childhood sweetheart Silas leave to become aides to General Washington alongside Alexander Hamilton, while Addie’s English-born, Loyalist father welcomes the British into his home.

 

This is part one and the story continues in the next two in the trilogy: America’s Wife and America’s Promise. I have bought all three. Celeste De Blasis is a great author and this series is no exception. The characters are richly drawn and the research impeccable.

Marti Ziegler’s CLINGSTONE – Wonderful Love Story Set in Post Civil War America

The story begins as the Civil War is winding down. Mae Parrish works in a mill along with many other women in village of Roswell, Georgia—and one man, Creighton Branagan, who was not conscripted because he is deaf. Everyone assumes he is stupid, but nothing could be further from the truth.

 

Creighton, a handsome man, has been judged wrongly for his handicap but he is a smart man and protects his young nephew against all who would harm him.

When the Union troops show up, Mae and Creighton are arrested with hundreds of mill workers for treason and sent to northern prisons because they manufactured Confederate uniforms. The story tells of their journey by wagon and train and their imprisonment and after. During the course of many hardships, Mae and Creighton fall love.

 

I loved the story. The theme seemed to be a new life out of the ashes of the past and overcoming the hardships life throws at us. It’s very cleverly written and will draw you in. Ziegler shows us America as the war was ending, a country torn apart, a devastated South. People had to find new lives. In the midst of it, Mae and Creighton help each other. Only Mae can understand Creighton’s crude speech and protect him from those who would harm him. And he helps her move on. There is laughter, too.

 

Creighton is a complex, noble hero; Mae is a feisty heroine with an indomitable spirit… just what Creighton and his nephew need. Their adventures on the way to love will keep you turning pages.

 

Shirlee Busbee’s MIDNIGHT MASQUERADE – Love in Louisiana in 1814 as the Battle of New Orleans Approaches!

 

I love Shirlee Busbee’s romances because I know I’m going to diving into a deep story, one with rich details in the descriptions of places, people, food and history, woven together like a tapestry, providing a great background for her captivating love stories. This one is no different. Her seventh novel, it tells an intriguing tale of love in the time of the War of 1812 (referred to by its opponents as “Madison’s War”).

 

Set in Louisiana, beginning in the spring of 1814, this is the story of Melissa Seymour, whose greatest concern is surviving until her trust funds come in, which will only happen when her younger brother, 19-year-old Zachary turns 21—or she marries. Her uncle, who stands to benefit, urges her to marry, and yet Lissa is “unmoved by the most ardent admirer.”

 

To discourage the men who flock about her, Melissa disguises herself as a dowdy shrew. Her gift is horses and she has one stallion, Folly, who is magnificent and wins all his races. His prize money is keeping her and Zachary’s home of Willowglen afloat. Then enters one arrogant, wealthy bachelor, Dominic Slade of New Orleans, who wants to buy Folly and start a stud farm on his new estate close to Willowglen. Through a bizarre set of circumstances, they are caught together in his hotel room and forced to wed.

 

Busbee sets forth a shotgun marriage that grew into love against a backdrop of English spies in Louisiana seeking out Loyalists who can be counted on for the Battle of New Orleans that is coming.

 

Among the secondary characters is Jason Savage, the hero in Busbee’s Gypsy Lady. While the pace is a bit slower than more modern historical romances, fans of Busbee will not be disappointed.

 

Aleen Malcolm’s RIDE OUT THE STORM – Intricately Woven Tale set in America before Independence!

July is American Patriotic month on Historical Romance Review when I share romances set in America’s past from the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War. I’m especially fond of stories set in the time before America’s Independence, so I’m beginning with one of those.

 

Ride Out The Storm begins in 1762 as Alex and Cameron, just wed, are traveling back to his ancestral hall, Glen Aucht. Young Cameron is feeling unprepared to assume the role as his lady. Worse, when they arrive, the English redcoats have taken over and Alex has been recalled to service. A surly English colonel has taken over the estate, perpetuating all sorts of crimes on the people and the servants (a very worthy cast of secondary characters), who have resorted to stealth to protect their young mistress.

 

Cameron’s origins hide a secret. She has a twin brother she has not seen since she was eight. She learns he has left Scotland for the New World. Alex and his errant bride are separated as she defies him and leaves the Highlands for the wilderness of the New World near Ft. Detroit on the St. Lawrence River. Alex will serve as a British scout, hoping to regain his lands in Scotland while Cameron is on the run, searching for her brother.

 

The plot is intricate, the characters well developed and the story intriguing with some exciting, if not disturbing, action scenes. The pace is a bit slower that your typical romance, especially in the beginning, but it picks up to move along at a good clip. I loved Cameron’s free spirit and her courage and Alex’s persistence in claiming his bride, though during their separation, he was not faithful.

 

Malcolm captures the frustration and anger of the Scots and the Indians at the cruel treatment they receive from the English in America. The story has a very satisfying feel and is obviously based on much research into the history of the period. I recommend it!

 

Note: Ride Out The Storm is the continuation of the love story of Sir Alex Sinclair and Cameron, the wild Scottish lass he was forced to marry in The Taming. While you can read this as a stand alone, I recommend you begin with book 1. It was a very worthy post Culloden story of a proud Scot and his young Scottish bride. Both are great reads!

 

The Cameron trilogy:

 

The Taming

Ride Out the Storm

The Daughters of Cameron

Kaki Warner’s TEXAS TALL –Charming & Sometimes Exciting Story of Love in Small West Texas Town

Set in 1875 in West Texas, this is the story of Charlotte (“Lottie”) Weyland, who has been on her own since she was fourteen, and Tyree Benton who joined the Texas Rangers seeking revenge.

 

The story begins with a scene where Lottie sets fire to her home with her grandfather in the shed. In Greenbroke, the small Texas town where now Lottie lives, Ty and some rangers come to town with a prisoner. Ty gets wounded in a shootout and Lottie rushes to help him.

 

So the romance begins.

 

As always, Warner writes well with clever dialog, vividly creating life in a small town in 19th century Texas. She obviously knows her subject well, perhaps because she is a Texan. We feel the heat of the hot summers and learn what it means to take any small job just to survive.

 

This story is a bit different from Warner’s other books. The first half of the book is in Lottie’s point of view and we don’t see much of Ty, who is in and out of her life. Only in the second half do we get some of Ty’s inner thinking.

 

Lottie has used her talent for “figuring” to grow a bookkeeping business, serving the town’s businesses and building a nest egg to buy a ranch.  She also learns to invest in land and mineral rights from the town’s banker. Clever girl. To have a ranch is Ty’s dream, but, proud man that he is, when Lottie offers to help, Ty refuses. They are in love, but they can’t seem to make their dreams come together. Then, into the mix comes her past.

 

The end of the book has some exciting moments and a great courtroom scene with a funny judge. Happiness arrives for some endearing characters. Another great story from Kaki Warner.

 

 

Best Western Historical Romances

I first discovered Western romances by reading those written by my favorite authors who also wrote stories set in other eras. Since then, I have become a true fan of the subgenre and find myself every now and then reaching for a good romance from the Old West. I love those heroes. So, it seemed a “best” list was in order to share some of these wonderful stories with you. I have a separate list for Patriotic Historical Romances I post in July, some of which are set in the same era. All on my lists are rated 4 or 5 stars by me. I think you’ll like them!

 

·               A Fire in the Blood by Shirl Henke

·               A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey

·               Beautiful Bad Man by Ellen O’Connell

·               Beauty and the Bounty Hunter by Lori Austin

·               Behind His Blue Eyes by Kaki Warner

·               Branded Hearts by Heather Graham

·               Brave the Wild Wind, Savage Thunder & Angel, Wyoming trilogy by Johanna

Lindsey

·               Brighter Than Gold by Cynthia Wright

·               Broken Vows by Shirl Henke

·               Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw

·               Capture the Sun, The Endless Sky & Sundancer, trilogy by Shirl Henke

·               Colorado Promise by Charlene Whitman

·               Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart & Indigo Blue by Catherine Anderson

·               Clyde Connor by Sally Platt

·               Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell

·               Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell

·               Fair is the Rose by Meagan McKinney

·              Fire Hawk’s Bride by Judith E. French

·               Fireblossom & Wildblossom, the Matthews duology by Cynthia Wright

·               Follow the Heart by Anita Mills

·               Forever Mine by Charlene Raddon

·               From Fields of Gold by Alexandra Ripley

·               Golden Fancy by Jennifer Blake

·               Golden Lady by Shirl Henke

·               Gone Outlaw by Madison Thames

·               Haven’s Flame by Marie Piper

·               Heart of the West by Penelope Williamson

·               Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Dawn & Bride of the High Country by Kaki Warner

·               Her Bodyguard by E. E. Burke

·               Her Wicked Captor by Sandra Jones

·               Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer

·               Innocent Fire, Firestorm, Violet Fire & The Fires of Paradise (from The Bragg

Saga) by Brenda Joyce

·               Into the Light by Ellen O’Connell

·               Lavender Blue by Parris Afton Bonds

·               Lawless by Nora Roberts

·               Love a Dark Rider by Shirlee Busbee

·               Love Cherish Me by Rebecca Brandewyne

·               Love Unwilling By Shirl Henke

·               McCrory’s Lady by Shirl Henke

·               Moon Dancer by Judith E. French

·               Mountain Mistress by Nadine Crenshaw

·               Night Flame by Catherine Hart

·               Night Wind’s Woman, White Apache’s Woman & Deep as the Rivers, trilogy by

Shirl Henke

·               No Other Man, No Other Woman and No Other Love, trilogy by Shannon Drake

·               One Heart to Win by Johanna Lindsey

·               Pieces of Sky, Open Country & Chasing the Sun, the Blood Rose trilogy by Kaki

 Warner

·               Reckless Angel by Elizabeth Awbrey (aka Elizabeth Stuart)

·               Savage Ecstasy and Defiant Ecstasy by Janelle Taylor

·               Silken Savage by Catherine Hart

·               Silver Nights with You and Desert Sunrise by Sawyer Belle

·               Sing My Name by Ellen O’Connell

·               Star of the West by Cordia Byers

·               Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers

·               Tears of Gold by Laurie McBain

·               Tender Touch by Charlene Raddon

·               Teton Sunrise by Peggy L. Henderson

·               Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

·               Texas Tall by Kaki Warner

·               The Ballad of Emma O’Toole by Elizabeth Lane

·               The Bequest by Candice Proctor

·               The Darkest Heart by Brenda Joyce

·               The Double Cross by Carla Kelly

·               The Outlaw Hearts by Rebecca Brandewyne

·               The Outsider by Penelope Williamson

·               The River Nymph by Shirl Henke

·               The Scent of Roses by Charlene Raddon

·               The Tiger’s Woman by Celeste De Blasis

·               The Vintner’s Daughter by Kristen Harnisch

·               To Have and to Hold by Charlene Raddon

·               Under the Desert Moon by Marsha Canham

·               When the Splendor Falls by Laurie McBain

·               Where the Horses Run by Kaki Warner

·               Where the Wild Wind Blows by Nancy Morse

·               While Passion Sleeps by Shirlee Busbee