The Lady and the Officer - Civil War Heroines Series 2 - by Mary Ellis

About the book:

Bestselling author Mary Ellis (A Widow’s Hope) presents The Lady and the Officer, Book 2 of her new Civil War historical romance series, which tells the stories of brave women and the men who love them.

Serving for a brief time as a nurse after the devastating battle of Gettysburg, Madeline Howard saves the life of Elliot Haywood, a colonel in the Confederate Home Guard. But even though Maddy makes her home in the South, her heart and political sympathies belong to General James Downing, a soldier from the North.

However, Colonel Haywood has never forgotten the beautiful nurse, and when he unexpectedly meets her again in Richmond, he is determined to win her. But while rubbing elbows with army officers and cavalry generals and war department officials in her aunt and uncle’s palatial home, Maddy overhears plans for a Confederate attack in northern Virginia. She knows passing along this information may save the life of her beloved James, but at what cost? Can she really betray the trust of her family and friends?


Maddy’s heart is pulled between wanting to be loyal to those who care for her and wanting to help the man she believes is on the right side of the conflict. Two men love her. Will her faith in God show her the way to a bright future, or will her choices bring a devastation of their own?

My review:

I enjoyed this novel about a spunky woman who keeps going even after she's lost everything.  I admired her determination and how hard it must have been to move into enemy territory in the South when she believed in the Northern cause and she couldn't even blend in because of her accent.  She had to leave everything she knew behind.  I thought the romance was too quick, with Maddy and James falling for each other very quickly.  I liked that we got both of their viewpoints and some of the other characters, as well.  There wasn't as much to the espionage angle as I expected.  I think the story mainly showed what it was like to live during the Civil War and how life was changing.  Most of the characters had faith of some kind, some Episcopal, some Catholic.  It was shown as important to them.  Even though this is part of a series, each book really stands alone, with none of the characters overlapping.  I would recommend it if you like historical fiction.

I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Ellis

Mary Ellis is the bestselling author of many books, including A Widow's Hope, An Amish Family Reunion, and Living in Harmony. She and her husband live in central Ohio, where they try to live a simpler style of life.