Review - Confederate Rose by Susan Macatee

Title: Confederate Rose

Author: Susan Macatee

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

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Confederate Rose Here!


Rating: Need to Read


Reviewed by: MarthaE

Disguised as a man to serve with her husband as a soldier in the Confederate Army, Irish immigrant Katie Rose O'Reilly vows to remain in the ranks and seek revenge on Yankees after her husband is killed at Sharpsburg. When she falls and almost drowns in a swollen stream, Southerner Alexander Hart, a Yankee spy, saves Katie from drowning, then nurses her through a resulting fever, keeping his identity secret from the feisty and beautiful Rebel soldier even as he
finds himself falling in love with her.

Can Katie reconcile her loyalties with her love?


This is a very enjoyable “crossed-lovers” Civil War Romance.

I really liked Katie’s very strong Irish character with her “do what has to be done” attitude and determination. She learned to hate the Yankees who ravaged the family farm, killing her in-laws and causing the death of her infant son. When Tom and his brother, Patrick, went off to war to kill the nasty Yankees, she couldn’t remain on the farm alone. She cut her hair short and set out to follow and fight beside her husband and remained after he was killed in battle.

Katie is carrying courier papers for the Confederacy when she is startled by a tall civilian. Alex was raised in the South but became a Yankee spy. Katie and Alex are wary of each other at first, but when he nurses her through her fever, they seem to forget, at least for a while, that they have war duties. I liked Alex’s steadfast love for Katie once he acknowledged that he loved her.

I had some concerns that both characters seemed a bit lax about the important documents they were carrying. I also was surprised that the Confederate officer who wanted to capture Alex, and was willing to threaten and attack Katie, came to the house alone. But he did seem a bit unhinged.

The story action moved well and the presentation of the war camp and hospital was interesting. The writing flowed smoothly. I liked the way the romance developed between Katie and Alex. The conflicting emotions they each face make this an engaging story. If you like a romance wrapped in the conflicts of the Civil War you will definitely enjoy this book!