Friday, September 14, 2012

Book Review - Beloved Enemy: Battle of First Bull Run - Al Lacy

Beloved Enemy: Battle of First Bull Run (Battles of Destiny, #3)
Title:  Beloved Enemy

Author: Al Lacy

Review:  I love historical novels and the Civil War is a fascinating time in American’s history.  My first book about the Civil War was Gone With the Wind, and I have to say that I was hooked with that one.  I read many more and have seen most of the movies out there about that time in history.  Brother fighting brother, a nation against itself, Gettysburg Address and so many stories and adventures seem to surround that time period.   We have taken our family to Bull Run, Gettysburg and Antietam to tour the Civil War battle fields and learn about their history.   I love history and adding fictional stories and characters just makes it come alive for me.

Now for this book.  The main character, Jenny, is torn between her loyalty to her father, herself and Buck.  That is being stuck between a rock and hard place for sure.  I found the story interesting and yet lacking in some areas.  I would have liked the characters to be more fully flushed out and more interactions between the lovers for the romance part of the story….not necessarily sex, but some more romance.  I found the book to be inaccurate in a few areas and wish the author had done a better job of researching the era.  Some of the language usage seemed a bit modern also.  With so many books written about this time an author needs to be careful not to mix up facts.

I haven’t read the first two books in this series and maybe if I had I would have jumped right into the story.  As it was I struggled to really get a grasp of the story and the plot.   If you want to know what happens you will have to read the book.  Of course we all know what happened at the end of the war, but the stories leading to that are fun to read and imagine.  A different time, a different era and I loved the clothes.  This book didn't do it for me, but it might for you.  If you enjoy historical fiction then give this book a try.

Publisher: Published February 1st 1994 by Multnomah  
  ISBN: 9780880706261
  Copyright: 1994
  Pages: 356
  Quick Review: 3 stars (out of 5)-
  Why I Read It:  Sent by the publisher for review through Blogging for Books.

Synopsis:   Jenny's allegiance lay with the Confederate Army. But her heart belonged to the enemy. Faithful to her family and the land of her birth, young Jenny Jordan covers for her father's Confederate spy missions. But as she grows closer to handsome Union soldier Buck Brownell. Jenny finds herself torn between devotion to the South and her feelings for the man she is forbidden to love. Overwhelmed by pressure to assist the South, Jenny agrees to carry critical information over enemy lines. But when she is caught in Buck Brownell's territory, will he follow orders to execute the beautiful spy or find a way to save his Beloved Enemy?
 Al Lacy
Author Biography:  Al Lacy has written more than ninety novels, including the Angel of Mercy, Battles of Destiny, and Journeys of the Stranger series. He and his wife, JoAnna Lacy, are coauthors of the Mail Order Bride, Hannah of Fort Bridger, and Shadow of Liberty series. The Lacys make their home in the Colorado Rockies.



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