Souls Aflame

Souls Aflame #1

by Patricia Hagan

1860's Georgia, Nassau, and the Bahamas.

Her brother branded a traitor, and her beloved plantation facing ruin, Julie Marshall agrees to marry a fortune-hunter and sets sail on the Ariane, a blockade-running frigate bound for London -- and her hated fiancé. But the plan is interrupted by Captain Derek Arnhardt, whose warm caress ignites her passion into a raging fire.

The sea has always been Derek's lover...until he is shipwrecked on the Gulf Stream with Julie. Plunging recklessly into passion, they tempt fate and enemy cannon from Bermuda to Savannah...to shadowy intrigue that could divide them forever -- or seal the love that set their souls aflame!

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Civil War

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Please see: Patricia Hagan


Pat is the published author of over forty books of romantic fiction. Several of her titles have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. One of her books, "Ocean of Dreams", is based on her own shipboard romance when she met her former husband, a Norwegian engineer.

She is also a former Radio/TV Motorsports Journalist, covering NASCAR Grand National Stock Car Racing. Her work has won many awards by the National Motorsports Press Association.

Pat has cruised the eastern and western Caribbean extensively, as well as the Greek Islands, the fjords of Norway all the way to the North Cape, and has made several transatlantic crossings.

She prefers traveling single, because it gives her more opportunities to meet and make new friends. While she admits going solo is not for everyone, she says for her it is perfect, because she is an outgoing person, and, being a writer, enjoys meeting new "characters."

The only thing she does not like about traveling is having to leave behind her best friend and companion, Krysy, a 14-year old Wire-haired fox terrier.

The author also uses the names:
Patricia Hagan Howell
Maggie James (4 spaces)

Reviews

[MG *Bury Me with My Kindle.. & a REALLY Long Charger* · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Please note that I received this book for free from ebook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book, and this is my honest review.**

1 1/2 stars

Have you ever really wanted to like a book because it had so much potential but fell short of what you were hoping? That's how I felt about this book.... It is the first in a series about the trials of a young woman (Julie) from Savannah during the Civil War, and it was originally released in 1984. The book opens with her and her mother on a blockade runner bound for England where she will marry a man she believes can save her plantation and her family, as her twin brother Myles (a Northern sympathizer) is sought by authorities, and her mother is struggling to maintain their cotton farming business with her father's relatively recent passing. The man to whom she intended has assured her that he will be able to right all of her wrongs, but she does not love him yet feels obligated to marry him in order to care for her family.

The captain of the ship they are taking to Bermuda (wherein they will get on one bound for England) is known by many as "Ironheart," a play on words as his real name is Derek Arnhardt. He is portrayed as cruel by some of the men on the ship as his punishments for bad deeds are harsh, and he runs his ship like a prison as men are not allowed to have any spirits while in his employ, and any female passengers must remain below deck at all times. As Julie soon learns, this is mainly for their protection; one of the ship's officers rescues her from an attack by a ship mate, and the captain later pays her a visit to remind her as to why she is to stay below deck.

The review guidelines for ebook Discovery request that I be both honest and kind; I really feel that I can only do one or the other with this book, but I will try to keep things on the gentler side of constructive feedback to the extent possible.

Spoilers Ahoy!

One of the issues I had with this book is that the main characters don't meet until about 10% into the book (I read the kindle version - it is a long book, to give you an idea of how much time passed to get to 10%), yet they become intimate before I got to 15% --- and Julie is a virgin bound to wed her finance to protect her family's honor...? Seemed way too quick. And if she had been wearing a bodice, it would most definitely gave been ripped. The love scene itself was about 2 sentences, and it included the words "throbbing" and "member." Later in another scene, the word "organ" was used to describe the H's manly parts. Definitely some 80's wording. I would highly recommend changing those descriptions in the digital version asap. Total eye rolling turnoff.

As the story progresses, WAY too much is going on. They go from the states to Bermuda (where the H runs his illegal goods and supplies to and fro); then back to the States several times; Julie is kidnapped at least 3 times by various characters (at one point, the H is the captor); their "fights" are very heated, but somehow they just forgive each other and jump back into bed. Not very believable. She ends up back home where her mother has married the man she was intended (okay....?) because that was the only way he could gain control of the family estate (although he had already been given 1/2 of the property as part of Julia's dowry in advance, so not sure why he needed to marry the mother)...? He turns out to be an evil opportunist who turns her brother in when he returns home. From there, Julie's mission becomes trying to get her brother Myles out of the Confederate prison he is taken to in Richmond where he will be subjected to countless atrocities, so she finds Derek again (in a very random way with a character that really was not needed at all in the story which is kind of a theme with this book). The boat gets hit by Federal look-outs, and Derek and Julie are stranded on an island together for several months. Then they are rescued by lost fishermen. He insists that she tell him she loves him, but he will not be able to love her because the sea is his love (though he says maybe some day when he is finished with his affair with the sea, he will be able to love her). We don't have any reason for his stone cold heart situation/over-attachment issues with the ocean (meaning he wasn't damaged as a child; he hasn't "been done wrong" by women; etc., so we really have no clue why he is being so stubborn about the 3 little words. He says he "cares about her" and wants her to be his mistress, which is apparently abhorrent to Julie who has been acting as his mistress since about 15% into the book, but okay. After they are rescued, he takes her to Richmond and agrees to help bust Myles out of prison if Julie agrees to be his for the rest of her life (she agrees). But Derek needs to go and get money, so he leaves her with a madame he has been intimate with numerous times who is of course jealous that Julie is there and has captivated Derek, so that works about as well as you might expect. Derek tells her not to go anywhere, but, of course, she refuses to listen to him and the madame puts ideas in her head like Derek is never coming back bc he does that kind of thing all the time. So rather than wait a little longer, she decides to agree to another scheme to break her brother out by a customer of the madame's establishment who happens to be a Union spy pretending to be a guard in the Confederate prison. If she agrees to help him serve as a spy (he leads her to believe it would be for the Confederacy), he will get her brother out of prison and make sure he is brought back to health, but she cannot be with him bc it is too dangerous. She finds out that he is actually a Union spy and intends to make her pretend to be a prostitute to get information out of Confederate soldiers and officers to further the Union cause. She is appalled by this, but the man who has entrapped her tells her that he will kill her brother if she does not agree. At the same time, one of the trio of men she is with - who are all Union soldiers - named Luther falls madly in insta-love with her. But he doesn't tell her and protects her from harm by the men she is seducing as well as the two other Union spies she is in cahoots with at this stage. She does not return the feelings, but she accepts his offer to take care of her and says she will go with him to be "his woman" if they can escape after one last job: to trap to the suddenly notorious "Gray Devil" (a man who fights for the Confederacy but dresses in a Union officer uniform to slaughter other Union soldiers) who has recently popped up on the scene. She is horrified by the thought of having to lure a man to his death, but Luther assures her that once this mission is accomplished, they can run away and be free of this mess, so she finally agrees.

Meanwhile, Derek was delayed when going to get the money to break Myles out because he was called to action to help the Confederacy as a ship's pilot and he somehow felt he could not refuse. Instead of sending any word to Julie that he has been waylaid, he just does the mission, and then returns to Richmond to find out she is gone and gets all pissed off about it. At the same time, Myles was able to escape the clutches of the Union spies men because his cousin pretended to be a Union sympathizer to participate in the break out and then look after Myles. The track down Derek at a saloon in Wilmington where he has returned, and Derek is a drunken mess. He has become a violent and angry pass-out every night shell. Myles and Thomas approach him to tell him that they need his help to get Julie back, and he gets more pissed and says she is on her own. And suddenly he just decides he is going to fight for the Confederacy after staying out of it all this time. Myles and Thomas are disappointed, but they decide to stay around him in the hopes that they will be able to change his mind about helping Julie.

As Julie prepares to lure in the Gray Devil, the Union spy makes her wear a horribly degrading whore outfit that leaves very little to the imagination. Telling her that it is just this one last time, she puts it on and is told to shake her stuff and entice the Gray Devil. She can't see him in the audience bc the stage is too bright, but she is told that he was definitely interested and will come to visit her that night as they had planned. She turns off the lights because she doesn't want to see the man she is sentencing to death, and he comes into her bedroom to get in the bed. He then speaks and she realizes the Gray Devil is Derek Arnhardt (surprise.... aaaaannnnnd not a surprise bc it was pretty obvious, at least to me, that was going to be the case). She starts yelling at him to go away, and the Union spies come in to kill Derek. She begs them not to, so Luther (the one who somehow fell in love with her), kills one of spies and helps Derek kill the other (and in the process gets himself killed). When Derek asks him why Luther helped him, he tells Derek with his dying breath that he loves Julie and asks Derek to love her for him. Derek is pissed that Julie led him into a trap to kill him and refuses to believe that she didn't know. He also refuses to listen to her tell him that she isn't really a prostitute because Luther kept her from ever being assaulted as a spy. He also doesn't believe she was doing it for her brother and thinks she is a straight up traitor. So basically he refuses to listen to anything she says, tells her he is going to take her to her brother and tell him what a whore his sister is to shame her, and then abandon her. Which is exactly what he does. Julie has literally saved Derek's life at least 4 times by this point in the book (back to the point that there is way too much happening for one book!), but he refuses to listen to her and abandons her yet again. Sounds like a real catch totally worth loving in an unrequited way (as he has told her numerous times by now).

Heartbroken, Myles and Julie return to their home in Savannah one last time to get the valuables she had buried long ago, and they decide to venture west and start a whole new life. They are waiting for the wagon master to arrive to lead them along with the rest of the group, and guess who the wagon master is? Yep - Derek Arnhardt. Surprise again! (But not really.) The surprise part comes when all he says to her upon popping up in her life again is, "I told you I would be back to love you once my time with the sea has ended" (something like that). And we are supposed to forget that he called her a whore, refused to believe that she didn't try to have him killed, and now is in love with her after all the time he said he never would be. Ooooookay. Thomas was with him as the "assistant wagon master," so I guess you can infer that he changed Derek's mind (although he wasn't with Julie so he wouldn't know her whole story as to what really happened).... And they head out.

Bottom line --- WAY WAY WAY too much going on to make it feel at all believable. This needed to be a series of books with other main characters to get all that the author wanted to portray into it effectively. It is also very clear that Ms. Hagan has an excellent understanding of this period of history, but she also tried too hard to incorporate that knowledge into the book by having random characters talk in great detail about very specific events and "war games" between the Union and Confederacy. She also went into too much about what kinds of things the poor families (mainly the southerners) used as combs, for example. Unnecessary detail that really didn't add anything to the story.

As I mentioned from the top, I do believe that the plot could be a very good one; it just needs to be reworked. There definitely needs to be updates to the love scenes (along with at least a little more development of a love story between the main characters before they just jump to it); the hero in the story needs more background for us to understand why he is such a jerk to the main female character (and the physically abusive elements need to be taken out); the number of kidnappings needs to be reduced (or, as I mentioned, make it a series where this happens to several characters along the way); and the detail of events and circumstances during this time needs to be scaled back or made more relevant to the actual story line. There is a part of me that wants to read the next book just to see where this goes, but if it is more of the same angst for very little reason, I am not sure I can do that to myself.

**Please note that I received this book for free from ebook Discovery. I voluntarily reviewed this book, and this is my honest review.**

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so good! The minute I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again. Highly recommend!

My Rating: 5 stars

[Holly Lenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: Spoilers

Patricia Hagen is a talented writer, but This Rebel Heart is doomed from the moment the Captain (and the love interest) decides to rape the heroine- repeatedly. This is the same crime that he has had his own man keelhauled for and intends to have the man hung for because of a repeat attempt. The captain’s nickname Blackheart certainly fits as the man treats the poor girl contemptibly even after she saves his life, going so far as to kidnap her so he can continue to misuse her and so he can get more money out of her (he was paid to transport her, her mother, and their slave to Bermuda so she could get to her fiancé).

It is a shame, because if you can still enjoy the story after all that, then it’s an entertaining read. But myself, I just wanted to find someone more suited for the poor girl.

Contains graphic sex scenes and rapes. Reader discretion advised.

"I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review."

[AmazingJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this Book, it just didn't work out well for me.
It started out Good then fell flat.
I could only read so much more afterwards before I just couldn't take it anymore.
It truly wasn't a Story I wanted to finish. Like I said I only got to about Chapter 8 before I had to quit reading & the Book has 31 Chapters & apparently this is Book #1. THIS SAVAGE HEART The Souls Aflame Series Book Two is the Story of how the H & go back to getting kidnapped & finding their way back to each other for a HEA. There's no way I am going to read 2 Books to read their HEA when the 1st Book wasn't worth reading in the 1st place.
*****So Sorry this Review is kinda long & has a couple of Spoilers in it.

Julie wakes up & Derek comes in telling her he is going to get her food then her Mother comes & talks her leaves to geta dress but Derek shows up.
Julie gets cleaned up & then stretches & the towel happens to fall & she all of a sudden feels panicked because Derek is standing watching her.

"He scooped her dress from the bed and flung it at her. The movement caught her off guard and she dropped her towel to catch the garment. As his eyes raked boldly from her breasts to her privates, her own gaze instinctively dropped downward on his body"

Really? She gets mad then climbed into the bed. Then 👇;

"You want to do more than see me. You want to touch me... and you want me to touch you... like this...."

"Moaning softly, she could do nothing but yield to him as he bent her backwards in his arms and continued to use his fingers to dance between her thighs in a silent rhythm of passion, giving her unfamiliar pleasure she doesn't understand"

They end up having sex again & again until a ship is coming at them full force & he is supposed to be a Great Captain & never gets caught until the Ship over takes his schooner. He gets locked up on his schooner & she sneaks out & goes to break him out.

[Melanie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

High adventure, heart-stopping action, and fiery romance

I really enjoyed This Rebel Heart - my thanks to eBook Discovery for the ARC. and this is my voluntary and independent review. Author Patricia Hagen's saga of danger, adventure, survival and sacrifice enlivens the love-of-a-lifetime affair between Derek and Julie. He's a blockade runner for the Confederacy during the height of the Civil War, and she's the headstrong daughter of a plantation owner's widow. He's hard-scrabble and commanding, she's refinement and privilege, and they seem to have nothing in common. But her veneer of Southern propriety is stripped away in the frightening events of the war, and the personal plots and vendettas that bedevil them both. It turns out that Southern women can be even bigger rebels than their menfolk, in more ways than one. The suspense is unending as, sometimes together and sometimes apart, Julie and Derek endure deprivation and defeat, only to pull survival out of the proverbial hat. Their love story is far from smooth and a chance at happiness eludes them repeatedly, but I loved the heat and excitement these two generate. I found only a very few instances of historically inappropriate dialogue, and the maritime Civil War atmosphere was extremely well pictured. Though the villain were somewhat caricatured, Derek and Julie emerged as fully realized individuals, and several minor supporting characters had more depth than you might expect. With good writing, fast pacing and an HFN at the end, with a sequel to look forward to - everything about This Rebel Heart says you gotta read this book!

[Cheyenne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's....okay. If you're used to these old fashioned bodice rippers well then, that's what this is.
It's full of drama and unrealistic situations with a headstrong, bratty heroine who throws any logic and sense of self-preservation out the window.

I was excited to read this one because it has a different setting than the usual but this one is still set during the Civil War era. Not much is said about the battlefield or the war, it's mostly in the background. The protagonist is an immature, bratty teenager who falls for a ship captain, Derek Arnheardt or Ironheart as he's often called, because she's horny. They have a lot of sex and the scenes are really drawn out and honestly it's tiring. Julie, our heroine is raped and almost raped a lot so if you're sensitive to that topic, maybe avoid this one. A lot of other stuff happens and it's honestly not very realistic and the plot is really only centered around and driven by our "hero" Derek and and Julie and their sexcapades. The troubles they face are conveniently not much of an issue and the villains are disposed of so quickly they're almost forgettable.

The so-called "hero" is a piece of work. He's an angry misogynist who refuses to marry and only sees women as objects of sexual pleasure. He gaslights and abuses Julie and only uses her for sex and forces her to profess her love to him but refuses to tell her he loves her because he'll never marry. They reunite after a bunch of stuff happens to Julie and he outright refuses to believe her and the others backing up her tales and flat out physically assaults her and slut-shames her. A real Romeo. Unfortunately the other love interest for Julie starts out as a gentlemen then assaults her as well and he dies and we're left with Ironheart in the next book.

[Tapa in lovezone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely hate books like this. They trigger my anxiety so badly. First, you get invested in the main couple, and then the author throws in separation after separation, usually caused by misunderstandings, until it becomes exhausting rather than engaging. There are way too many separations for my taste. And in this one, they even think the other is dead—which is hands down the most triggering kind of separation for me in a romance novel. I hate it.
On top of that, I couldn’t stand the hero. I usually love obsessed male leads, but this one was just irritating. I hate heroes who claim to love a woman yet refuse to commit and instead offer her nothing more than the position of a mistress. He was rude, cruel, and downright infuriating. And how does it make any sense that he supposedly loves the heroine, yet leaves her in a brothel—where the madam is his former lover—while he goes off to search for her brother? That’s not romantic; that’s brainless and disrespectful.
Overall, I hate that I wasted my time on this book and put myself through so much unnecessary stress reading it.
I’m going to read the second book because as I said I’m invested in this couple. But I’m already doubtful.

[vaneeta naik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful love story against d backdrop of d American revolution in d 1880 period. This book takes us on a trip to various places , u can say a roller coaster ride as it is fast paced as d adventure of d main characters continues. The author has done a marvellous job & research on d American revolution... the description, narration, observations, struggles -realities of those times ve been well written & presented by Patricia ....
The story , concept ,plot developed ve been well scripted ...the book has all d right ingredients intrigue, spy angle, pirates, sex, romance , thrill, action, escape ,smuggling ...it was a fast paced & character oriented story ...not boring totally captivating...

I didn't like the heroine Julie in the beginning as she was very immature ,oversmart , dumb at times , childish...as well as spoiled.But as the story progressed she became a strong and capable woman but still has lots to grow up... Loved d character of d carefree & frank Derek...

It was altogether a very good historical adventure & kept me on hooks at times ... A good job done by d author Patricia ... i would definitely recommend it

I recieved this book for free fom ebook discovery.I voluntarily leave this review.This is my honest opinion .

[E Oygard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ridiculous beginning, spoilt stripey heroine

This is the first book I have never finished, regardless of its quality or content. However the first few pages I read introduced the reader to the so called heroine of the story and the scenario was so unbelievable (at least to me) that I could not read on.
A southern belle, on board a blockade runner, refuses to stay below deck even when told of the characters of the crew. Having already met one of them (he even turns up late in the evening in her cabin with a cup of tea and she is slightly uneasy) she still goes on deck with the knowledge he received five lashes to his back. Does that stop her? No, an nott only that she ends up singing for them all! Guess what happens! Rescued in time, each crew member receives three lashes for drinking and what does she do, but only blame The mysterious captain of the ship.

The ridiculousness of the plot decided me to read no further so I cannot comment on the rest. However if it is As ridiculous as the beginning I only hope she gets what she deserves.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Marshall is the daughter of a plantation owner and is on her way to England to get married to a guy that she thinks is wealthy and will help take care of her family. Since her brother spoke out about the civil war he cannot help them and is in hiding. Captain Derek Arnhardt is the captain of his own ship and is known to be ruthless and not allow his men to be hooligans. Julie ends up on Derek’s ship and they both figure out how stubborn and opinionated they both are. Then the many adventures start.
This book is action packed and detailed. I read this one and the next one as quick as I could because I enjoyed the story and the main characters.
I got this book for free to review from ebook discovery in exchange for an honest review. The opinions in this review are 100% my own.

[Sandee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good romance adventure story. I didn't like the heroine Julie much for the first part of the book but she grows a bit by the end. She starts out as a spoiled brat and causes most of the misfortunes that befall the group. The rest of the characters are likeable and the story has lots of adventures. I did feel that the book moved quite slow in spite of the adventures but it wasn't the writing. It is very well written and edited. I think the author has just included so much story that it seems never-ending. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Judy Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly suspenseful nail biter

There were characters in this story that you loved or hated. I loved Derek, although I disliked his attitude toward Julie much of the time. I hated Julie's mother, such an entitled and spineless woman, but I loved Julie. She had an indomitable spirit, even when so many odds were against her, and never giving up on her love for Derek, even when he could be cruel.

I thought the story line got a little bogged down with the movement of troops and geographical areas, which caused the ending to feel a little rushed. All in all, a very enjoyable, although at times very sad, story.

[Sadiyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning Julie was very immature and childish...as well as spoiled.But as the story progressed she became a strong and capable woman.She did us proud ladies!!
The story had many adventures and and kept me on the edge of my seat.
Yeah the story was a bit slow and draging at times but it was well written.Steamy scenes was also good!
I love historical romance and couple this with a handsome and brooding hero with his ship and I was in my element.This book had it all.
I recieved this book for free fom ebook discovery.I voluntarily leave this review.This is my honest opinion

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new life springs from the ashes.
I am quickly becoming a real fan of Patricia Hagan each book has been an excellent piece and a wonderful way to spend my evenings. You will find danger and adventure combined in a breathtaking romance. Set in the 1860s a young woman faces a future not of liking as she sets sail for England. Fate will step in and her path may take her in a different direction. The last chapter is a work of art beautifully written this is really a must-read gem! I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness now I remember why I love real historical romance from the old days. No Dukes or debutante’s here and I just loved this story. I don’t know how I missed this book as I have read all the old romances – Small, Rogers, etc but somehow, I just discovered this one. The story was oh so great and I could not put it down. Loved Julie and Derek. There was lots of love between the two and I so enjoyed reading about their journey. I know there is more to come so I am on to the second book.

[Terryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read with plenty of action and romance. Set in America with the Civil War happening. He was a blockade runner and she the daughter of a plantation owner. They meet when she is on his ship heading for Bermuda. Sparks fly and this continues throughout the book. The two main characters forever clash and as things happen somehow they always find each other. Looking forward to reading the continuation of the story in book 2.

[Maria Dariotis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable story, it had everyth8ng I look for in a romance. Fast paced and full of adventure with descriptive scenes that bring the adventures and time to life this was very well written and I look forward to more from Patricia Hagan.

I recieved a copy of this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily leave this review. This is my honest opinion.

[Kathy Brickert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating story

A story that will definitely hold your attention! It takes a spoiled southern belle through heartache and heartbreak along a long journey to find love! Couldn't put it down. Descriptions are pretty explicit it the love department, so beware of that is a problem for you. Otherwise, a good read!

[Wallis Schuessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Www😇😊😊😊😊🙋soulsaflamesbook ll

Love all I have read an trying to get more. I visited your home when you had a hard Sale . I bought some books from you at that time.
Writing you has started me using this gadget .now my family will be happy .
See you later.

[kattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Rebel Heart

I loved this story. I recommend every one to read her books, I look forward to reading more of her books. KATTIE.

[Gwen Hight · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rebel Heart (The Souls Aflame Series Book 1)

A very good story about love and family and a young woman that travels West with her brother and finds her long lost love

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not engage with either of the main characters. The story was okay but went on too long.

[Beverly McCall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this historical adventure story, This Rebel Heart, set in the Civil War, we are introduced to our female protagonist, Julie Marshall. Ms. Marshall is a young spoiled Southern belle, who has been sheltered from the harsh realities of life during the war. Like many of the Southern belles, Julie was raised to be loyal to the family (her twin brother, Myles, and her mother) and their ancestral home. In an attempt to save the family plantation, Rose Hill, from destruction, her mother works out an arranged marriage between Julie and Virgil Oates. Virgil arranges transport of the Marshall's cotton crop and his future bride to Bermuda and then on to England. It is through this transport that we are introduced to Derek Arnhardt, the ship's captain and noted blockade runner. Will Rose Hill be saved? What transpires between Julie and Derek? Who is Virgil Oates? To find out, you must read the book.

I enjoyed this character-driven plot line. Ms. Hagan's main characters are strong and multi-dimensional. They demonstrate courage and perseverance as they pursue their quests. The supporting characters were equally well-developed. I like that the plot line follows that of the pursuit of a quest--saving the ancestral home (Rose Hill) no matter what it may cost. Through their quest our protagonists deal with overwhelming obstacles and trials. Ms. Hagan's descriptive language and dialog helps the readers understand what life might have been like during this time.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about Julie and Derek. She fights for her life through the war to tries to save her brother and Rose Hill.

[McLaren · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was alright. It dragged on for quite a while and there was just a lot of extra stuff in the book that wasn’t necessary.