Honor & Glory
Civil War Trilogy, No. 2
By Kim Murphy

      If, like me, you enjoy romances but prefer them with more than just a love story, then look no further; this Civil War trilogy has real history and an exciting story in spades. With Fredericksburg in ruins, the McGuire sisters and their mother have to struggle on in what is left of their once-fine mansion. Amanda is now married to Sam Prescott, a Unionist Major, while Alice yearns to wed the brooding Confederate Colonel Wil Jackson. The fighting is getting more bloody, and nobody is safe, so when Alice starts smuggling medical supplies, it looks as though she is going to see even more of the war than she bargained for…

    To say too much will spoil the story, and if you haven’t yet read the first book in the trilogy Promise & Honor, then it is essential to do so before reading this one. Once again, Kim Murphy has done her research and gets under the skin of the Civil War without resorting to stereotypes. No particular side is favored; the tragedy of a war that splits a nation in half is all too evident, and the war is shown to be about individuals, rather than vague ideals. The sisters are resourceful and gutsy heroines, well-drawn and sympathetic. In the first book, the two leading men were both rather more shadowy, but now the reader learns far more about Wil, even if Sam is rather less delineated. If you enjoy adventures and expect a Civil War novel to have plenty of blood and guts, you won’t be disappointed, although the author never goes over the top; there is enough action and gore for plausibility, but it is never gratuitous. This is a good strong story that ought to please fans of Civil War novels as much as romantics. When is Glory & Promise coming out?