A Gripping Tale of the Civil War Era | Review: Amongst The Roses by Meghan M. Gorecki

Amongst The Roses

by Meghan M. Gorecki

About The Book

Three hearts and one war - who will return?

The War Between the States shakes Margaret Bryant out of her comfortable upper-class life when her father enlists in the Army of the Potomac. Despite being safely ensconced above the Mason-Dixon Line in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Margaret finds her strength tested by opposition from familiar faces and Confederate threats. Will she let a young man from a lesser station into her heart even as war rages ever nearer to the home front?

Restless Connor Doyle sees the war as a way to escape from his family s farm and his identity as a poor Irishman s son. His brother, Adam, torn between duty to country and his family, enlists alongside Connor. Adam dares to hope in a future with Margaret when he begins a courtship correspondence from the war front. The two brothers make a vow to protect one another at all costs, but when faced with death and destruction from all sides will they be able to uphold it?

The three bloodiest days in America s history bring these three together at Gettysburg and tragedy s cruelty threatens to tear two hearts apart and bring two unlikely allies together.

My Thoughts

Having read Meghan M. Gorecki’s previous two novels, I was definitely looking forward to reading her novel set during the Civil War. She’s a good writer and that is displayed in Amongst The Roses. The novel is well researched and her passion for this period in history is clearly seen throughout the pages. There are many pretty turns of phrases and nice uses of symbolism used throughout the book, and I enjoyed these aspects. However, I didn’t find the characters to be terribly likable nor relatable. I must admit that I didn’t like Margaret Bryant the way that I was hoping to. She’s a somewhat self-righteous character and her obsession with making a wealthy match was bothersome at times. Yet I will specify that this seemed to fade as the book progressed. It seems to me that the author’s intent is to show Margaret’s growth over the course of the series. Connor Doyle was a pretty cocky guy and could try one’s nerves at times, though there were some redeeming qualities to his character, such as his want to protect his family. As with Margaret, I get the impression that his growth will be displayed throughout the series.

I feel it necessary to point out that there is some graphic content in this novel due to the various battle scenes. This is to be expected when it comes to novels set during the Civil War and some readers might keep this in mind when considering reading the novel.

All in all, Amongst The Roses is a solid start to the Keystone Legacy series. Civil War aficionados will want to consider giving this one a try.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received an ARC of Amongst The Roses from the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.