"A Thousand Shall Fall: A Civil War Novel" by Andrea Boeshaar

Title: A Thousand Shall Fall
Author: Andrea Boeshaar
Published: November 27, 2015
Genre: Christian Fiction, Romance

This week's review comes courtesy of Kregel Publications. I'll be reviewing A Thousand Shall Fall, the first novel in the upcoming Shenandoah Valley Saga by Wisconsin author Andrea Boeshaar.

The story follows strong-willed and ambitious Carrie Ann Bell, an aspiring journalist in the midst of the American Civil War. Carrie Ann receives a letter from her younger sister, who has run away with a traveling sales man. Knowing that she can't return home without her sister, Carrie Ann makes plans to go after her. Dressed as a Union officer, she leaves  town and attempts to sneak past the barricade. Just when she thinks she's made it, she falls (literally) into the arms of the handsome Colonel Peyton Collier, who quickly arrests her for impersonating an officer.

Under Colonel Collier's watchful eye, Carrie Ann adjusts to life in the Union Army camp, helping the doctor and nurses in the hospital tent. Soon she discovers that she has feelings for the colonel despite the rumors of his checkered past. However, Peyton isn't the only one with a secret. Carrie is keeping a dark secret of her own - one that might even threaten the life of the man she loves.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I love historical fiction, but I'm iffy about romances. They're usually too mushy for me. This novel, in my opinion, blended the history and the romance quite well. Carrie Ann had all of the qualities that I love in a female character. She's ambitious, a little bit stubborn, and unfazed at the prospect at becoming a journalist at a time in history when it was a job done only by men. I ended up enjoying playing witness to the blossoming love between Carrie Ann and Peyton. There was just the right amount of mush!

If you're looking for a historically accurate Civil War tale with a dash of romance, a pinch of intrigue, and a big helping of action,  A Thousand Shall Fall is the book for you! I'm giving this read 3/5 coffee beans!

Kaylee says: