About the Book

Book: Kentucky Bride

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release Date: June 9, 2020

A Country Divided…And so is her heart.

Some might say you can’t be too fussy when almost every unattached young man is off fighting for Southern freedom, but that shouldn’t mean a rebel’s daughter has any business with a Union soldier. Forbidden love never created greater battles than Gigi’s unexpected love for a Union soldier.

A dashing Rebel Soldier. The daughter of a Federal Soldier. How will they overcome the odds and a war to be together? Find out in this twist on Romeo and Juliet.

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MY REVIEW

Oh love at first sight is such a cherished blessing. There are times when the heart wants what the heart wants. I don’t believe in set rules about falling in love. That’s why this story is so special. Gigi is such a delightful character. She has a spark in her eye when she meets the dashing Texas Ranger known as Ephraim. Her heart did a flip flop seeing him for the first time. I admired her faith and how much she loved her gramps.

The author does an amazing job of taking readers back in time to the Civil War. It was a difficult time for the country as brothers and friends took opposite sides in the war. My heart would break if my sons were on different sides. Many families faced this and the heartbreak they endured was overwhelming. I enjoyed reading how Gigi’s family supplied much needed supplies to soldiers. There is a bit of danger that Gigi faces as she travels to deliver the much needed merchandise. God was definitely there to protect her. The author portrayed the time period with accuracy which made the story more realistic.

The relationship between Gigi and Ephraim was enjoyable to read. I loved how they wanted each other to be safe and their ingenious way to talk to each other while surrounded by people. Their faith was evident in their actions and respect for each other. The author does include slaves in her story which was present during this time. What I liked was how she included them in the story in a way that was not offensive and gave them a love interest.

The story ended a little too soon for me. I was so involved with the characters that I wanted the story to continue as they started their lives together. I’m hoping the author will do a follow up book to continue the journey of Gigi and Ephraim. As I always say with each book the author writes, I draw closer to God with her faith filled stories that shine a light on Him.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

It thrilled me to be a part of the North and South Collection series, a thirty-seven titles by seventeen authors project headed up by Christine Sterling Bortner. One reason is that my husband and co-writer has always been a Civil War buff, and the other because it’s such a huge undertaking. I’m actually writing two titles, Kentucky in 1861 and Nevada in 1865.

The stories are broken up by the years (1861-1865) and then the years divided into the states or territories (37 in all) as to when its most major event happened. So, if a reader stays with the series, one releases every other week, they will enjoy a chronological overview of the Civil War.

This story, Kentucky Bride is set near Bowling Green where the Confederates first set up their area headquarters. Twenty-thousand men descended on the city of seven hundred. Nearby, General Hindman with fifteen hundred men that included the 8th Calvary Regiment from Texas, a group of Texas Rangers who’d joined the effort. Of course, I had to have a Texan as a hero! 😊

My heroine is eighteen-year-old Gardenia Gladiola Garland who helps her grandfather in the family business as her papa, brother, and uncle were gone. They’d joined the Union Army several weeks before. She hates the flowery name her mother pinned on her almost as much as the war and insists on being called Gigi.

My Texas Ranger hero, Ephraim Edward Kerns is sent to meet a supply wagon and it surprises to find such a lovely young woman muleskinning. He ties his horse to the back of the wagon and takes over for her, falling in love with her intelligence, beauty, and determination practically at first sight.

This Texas author hopes readers will love these two young ones, and I’m always “Praying my story gives God glory!”