I was in Kroger the other day and I noticed a new book called Beloved Enemy by Jane Feather. I read the blurb and realized it was a Civil War romance. I thought it sounded familiar so I came home and did a serch of my collection and lo and behold I had it. It was a 1987 Zebra Hearfire release. I skimmed it and it brought back some good memories, as it was a good book. Reading that took me to my all time favorite civil war era romance and that was Kathleen Woodwiss's  Ashes In the Wind. I read that book so many times, went through three original copies. What was one or two of yours? or do you even like to read in that era?

Don't read it all that much but have one that's an absolute favorite and will remain on my keeper shelf f-o-r-e-v-e-r. 

Cheryl Reavis "The Prisoner".  It's an early Harlequin Historical.  In fact, I can recommend all of her HH's that have to do with that era. 

Another set that I throughly enjoyed was one by Heather Graham-One Wore Blue, One Wore Gray and One Rode West. 

I think that I may have read CR's The Prisoner, sounds familiar.

Keri, your Civil War question got me thinking about a book I read once and of course I don't remember the title. The hero is a doctor and goes off to the war. The heroine hears of his death. Later she meets someone she thinks she may could love and becomes pregnant. He dumps her instead of marrying her. She then goes back to live with her husband's sister who has always been her friend. She has the baby and then supposed dead husband returns.......then things really get interesting. Does anyone know this book?

Doesn't ring any bells with me. but I need to look at my stuff, I know I have more Civil War books, I just need to hunt them down.

The American Civil War is probably my least favorite era for historical romances but for some reason I really like post-Civil War stories where the hero is a veteran (either side is fine) and goes through a lot of stress, etc. One of my favorites is ANGEL, a 1994 Harlequin Historical by Ruth Langan. When he was a prisoner of war a buddy read his wife's letters to the hero and he fell in love with her without ever meeting her. He eventually does - a beautiful story. Langan is an auto-buy author for me.

Also Kristin Hannah's ONCE IN EVERY LIFE, which is a sort of tweaked angel/time travel kind of story; the hero is a CW veteran who suffers from what we we know as PTSD - very tormented and tortured. My first Hannah which hooked me on her for life.

Gail

The only one I read was Ashes In The Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss and I loved it..is actually in my keeper shelf

seems like I have one in my tbr by Lorraine  Heath that's civil war or after it..Always to Remember.

I've been wanting to read Gone With the Wind forever though the size intimidates me..thinking 'bout reading it for the classic lit challenge though.

Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke.  Ashes In the Wind is one of my top 5 favorites too - and Rafferty's Bride by Mary Burton, &  A Reason to Believe by by Maureen McKade.

Heather Graham's "One Wore Blue" and "One Wore Gray" are two of my fav's.  "And One Rode West" the third of the trilogy wasn't bad either just not as good as the first two stories IMO.

Susanna -- Always to Remember is in your tbr????  Read it now!!  lol!!  By far, one of the best books I've ever read.

Woodiwiss's Ashes in the Wind and Hannah's Once in Every Life both get my approval.  Especially Once in Every Life. I have not idea how many times I've read it -- 10-12 ... more?   It's probably my favorite of a half dozen comfort reads, and I'm sure I read it at least once or twice a year, but I'm not sure how long I've had it.  I've had to glue the spine's cover back on.

OOoh-I forgot about "Conor's Way".  By far my favorite Gurhke.....

Monica, yep! I have a hardback exlibrary copy.on the whlf along with a b unch of other historical westerns - lorraine heath, jodi thomas, maggie osbourne..whatever you ladies have mentioned my weak impulsive self has pretty much glommed..I could never buy another book and probably still be reading for 3 lifetimes...

I am also more fond of the after the Civil War stories, but I will admit I stayed up all night to read Ashes in the Wind back in the '70's and then called in sick to work and stayed home all day and read it again........In its day, that was one HOT book.  

Now that I think about it, there really aren't enough romances with Civil War settings.  I can't think of anything at all by my current crop of favorite authors.

I don't think anyone's mentioned Nan Ryan's YOU BELONG TO MY HEART.   Good Civil War, old-lovers-reunited romance.   Not a big Nan Ryan fan but this one was a keeper. 

Pioneervalleygirl - you mentioned loving post Civil War romances - Try JOE'S WIFE by Cheryl St. John.   Hero is wounded in the Civil War; returns to the Colorado town he grew up in; no one wants anything to do with him because he's the bastard son of a prostitute.   Heroine marries him, basically because he's the only man available & she needs help to keep her ranch.   Great story.   

Hi Susan - I have JOE'S WIFE and I know exactly where it is, too. The joys of cataloguing books!

It sounds like the kind of story I'd like a lot. I've never read anything by Cheryl St. John but I hear good things about her books.

Gail

Gail:   lucky you to be reading it for the first time, hope you enjoy it - I think you will!  

My favorite Civil War Romances are John Jakes:  North and South Trilogy (North and South; Love and War; Heaven and Hell) and Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind and the Sequel of Scarlett.

Another Civil War series by Heather Graham would be Dark Stranger, Rides a Hero, and Apache Summer.   Apache Summer is not as good as the first 2 in the series.

Nan Ryan's "You Belong to My Heart"  & Love Me Tonight"

This is probably post civil war, but has anyone read "Rhett Butler's People"? I have the book, but have not read it. I am currently reading the "North and South" Trilogy and loving it!

Susanna, don't be intimidated by the size of Gone with the Wind--I think from what  you say that you like to read, you would love Gone with the Wind. I have read it several times and I never fail to glean something new from it. Sometimes when I  am reading something of that size I will put it aside for a few days if the story starts to lag a little for me and I either don't read  or read a "skinny" book. 

Also this is Christian Fiction, but I really enjoyed Lynn Austin's Refiner's Fire Series about the civil war.  The first book in my opinion(Candle in the Darkness) is not as romantic and Books 2 and 3. I enjoyed books 2 and 3 more than 1. Book 1 is about the southern point of view, Book 2 is about the northern point of view and book 3 is from the point of view of a slave.

I have also been reading one of Bobbi Smith's books Eden, which is  set during the Civil war. pretty good book, but not as descriptive  as I  like ....