The American Civil War is one of the most tumultuous and important periods in the history of the United States. This is why this period is such a captivating backdrop for stories of love, passion, and resilience.
Civil War romance novels beautifully capture the essence of an era where love can bloom alongside intense conflict.
With such a rich setting to draw from, it’s no surprise that there are many Civil War romance novels on the market. Finding the best of these novels can be tricky, but it needn’t be impossible.
In this article, we will look at 9 incredible Civil War romances that you should read next. Whether you’re looking for inspiring tales of love against the odds or are more interested in historical settings, we have a Civil War romance novel for you.
Read stories of inspiring heroines battling against the odds and the heroes they fall for.
Let’s get started!
1. A Stranger On My Land By Sandra Merville Hart
Our first pick is a trilogy of stories by the author Sandra Merville Hart. The books in the trilogy are:
- A Stranger On My Land
- A Rebel In My House
- A Musket In My Hands
Each book focuses on a different set of characters but they all share the characteristics of being epic Civil War romances
. The first novel, A Stranger On My Land, introduces Carrie and Adam. Carrie’s father is fighting for the Confederacy so when she finds a wounded Union soldier and takes him to her family’s hiding place to recuperate, her family is not happy.
However, Adam is polite and pleasant to Carrie and her brother Jay and she soon begins to feel drawn to him.
Carrie endeavors to nurse Adam back to health but when it becomes clear that his wounds are too serious for her to treat, she has to try and find a Union doctor. Can Carrie help Adam while also protecting her family?
2. Shades Of Gray By Jessica James
This is one of the most well-known and well-loved Civil War romance novels. It’s a good place to start for anyone that is new to this type of romance and wants to try a novel that is representative of the genre.
Colonel Alexander Hunter made a promise to his dying brother that he would protect Andrea Evans. However, that promise is put to the test when Alexander discovers that Andrea is a spy for the Union and that he is duty-bound to destroy her instead.
Alexander and Andrea may be on two different sides of a bitter conflict, but Alexander is a gallant gentleman who feels torn before his duty and notions of chivalry. His loyalties are put to the test as his relationship with Andrea develops.
3. The Widow Of Rose Hill By Michelle Shocklee
The Widow of Rose Hill is the second book in Michelle Shocklee’s The Women of Rose Hill series. The books are each standalone novels, however, so feel free to jump straight into this Civil War romance.
Natalie Ellis finds herself widowed and running the Rose Hill Plantation on her own. When the Civil War ends, Union soldiers arrive at her plantation to free the slaves, leaving Natalie without the means to harvest the plantation crops.
Despite Colonel Levi Maish’s distaste for plantations and slavery, he agrees to provide workers so that the crops can be harvested.
Levi and Natalie are drawn to each other and begin to consider a future together. However, the circumstances surrounding the death of Natalie’s husband threaten to tear them apart and may be too large an obstacle to overcome.
4. One Wore Blue By Heather Graham
This is the fourth book in Heather Graham’s Cameron Family series but is the first set in the Civil War period. It’s the first of a trilogy of books set within the Civil War and doesn’t require books one to three in the series to be read first.
Kiernan Miller is the privileged daughter of a plantation owner. Her life is easy and peaceful and she enjoys spending her days and nights with her handsome neighbor, Jesse Cameron. Kiernan’s easy life is turned upside down when Jesse decides to fight in the Civil War for the Union.
While Jesse is away, Kiernan marries another. When Jesse returns, he expects to rekindle his relationship with her, but the widowed Kiernan now considers him a traitor. Can Jesse win back Kiernan and can she forgive him for fighting for the other side?
If you enjoy this book, you can then read the other two books in the author’s Civil War trilogy. The trilogy consists of:
- One Wore Blue
- And One Wore Gray
- And One Rode West
Each story features a different hero and heroine and is a standalone story set within the time period of the Civil War.
5. Surrender The Wind By Elizabeth St. Michel
A winner of multiple romance awards, Surrender the Wind introduces a love story that is full of drama, intrigue, and twists.
Confederate General John Daniel Rourke is so severely wounded in battle that he is mistakenly pronounced dead. When his body is thrown from a train, he lands in the New York countryside and is found by schoolmistress Catherine Fitzgerald.
Catherine takes the injured man home and nurses him back to health. Unbeknownst to Rourke, his savior is the daughter of the Union’s ammunition manufacturer and is one of his most sworn enemies.
Their blooming love has more than just battle lines to conquer though as they get drawn into a conspiracy that neither of them expected to face.
Shenandoah Valley Saga By Andrea Boeshaar
This is a trilogy of romance novels all set within the Civil War. We recommend all three to any readers of Civil War romance.
6. A Thousand Shall Fall
The first novel in the trilogy is A Thousand Shall Fall. Carrie Ann Bell may only be nineteen-years-old, but she is independent and brave.
All that she fears are Union soldiers, so when her younger sister runs away from home, Carrie Ann doesn’t think twice about disguising herself as a man to find her sister.
Carrie Ann is soon captured and arrested for impersonating an officer by Colonel Peyton Collier. She’s always been taught to be fearful of Union soldiers but Peyton is nothing she expected. He’s kind and protective and she starts to feel a kinship with him.
When Carrie Ann’s childhood friend Joshua Blevins, a Confederate Major, infiltrates the camp as a spy, she is torn between the two men. Should she protect the friend she has known for most of her life or the kind stranger?
7. Too Deep For Words
The second book in the saga focuses on the newlywed Carrie Ann Collier. It only takes nineteen days for Carrie Ann’s husband to go missing in the midst of the war and despite the assumption of his death, Carrie Ann refuses to believe he is dead.
Although Carrie Ann’s estranged sister, Margaret, is back on the scene and her husband’s friend, Elijah Kent, has sworn to protect the sisters, Carrie Ann still wants her husband back. Carrie Ann is willing to go undercover once more to find him and Elijah is left to wonder whether keeping her safe is an impossible task.
8. There Is A Season
The final book in the Shenandoah Valley Saga sees Carrie Ann torn between her wounded husband and his best friend, Elijah.
Carrie Ann decides to do all that she can to save her husband and Elijah respectfully steps back, hoping that he can one day forget about his love for her.
When Carrie Ann’s husband awakes, however, his confusion is overwhelming. He doesn’t remember what happened or even his name. And he definitely doesn’t remember the woman standing by his bedside.
9. The Women Of Magnolia By Marlene Mitchell
The structure of this book is interesting as it covers two separate stories that converge at the end of the book. As the name suggests, it primarily focuses on the different women that stay at the Magnolia summer home during the Civil War and the years that surround it.
The first of these women is Mary Elizabeth Vine who is given Magnolia as a wedding present from her husband, Evan Vine.
Mary Elizabeth, her daughter, and her granddaughters are all resident at Magnolia and the book introduces their troubles and triumphs.
Other stories told include those of the courtesans that seek refuge at Magnolia and the slaves that hope to escape the tyranny of their masters.
All of the women have their own stories and backgrounds but they share a strength that makes for fascinating reading.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced nine incredible Civil War romance novels. All of these books included breathtaking romances set in the historical background of the Civil War.