Ashes in the Wind Review

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Ashes in the Wind ReviewKathleen E. Woodiwiss is a guilty pleasure for me and her novels are either a hit or a miss. I had recently read A Rose in Winter, Shanna, The Wolf and the Dove and The Flame and the Flower and enjoyed them all except for The Flame and the Flower. I was a bit wary of reading Ashes in the Wind because I have never given a Woodiwiss novel more than three stars. This one, however, gets four stars because it is such a well-told, vivid and beautiful Civil War romance and I couldn't put it down. In 1863, the South is in a state of shambles. The Yankees have taken over the plantations and ruined the lives of its inhabitants, especially the life of Alaina MacGaren, who is forced to flee her home in the guise of a young lad after she is falsely accused of being a rebel spy. She hopes to arrive safely to her uncle's house in New Orleans. However, things don't go as planned. During her journey to New Orleans, she meets a dashing Yankee, a captain/surgeon of the Union Army, and she starts to work for him. Cole Latimer is both amused and exasperated with the spirited, trouble-making boy. So imagine his surprise when he discovers that the dirty-faced boy is actually a beautiful and sensual southern belle whose sole determination is to recapture a semblance of her former life. Alaina can no longer hide the attraction she feels for the handsome Yankee. Will she yield to him, even if it means loving the enemy? There are various twists throughout the novel.
Kathleen E. Woodiwiss had books in which their heroines were described as "strong-willed" and "spirited," yet most of them did not strike me as such. However, Alaina is definitely a strong heroine who is able to adapt and handle every situation that is thrown at her. Her strength and determination are admirable and she doesn't possess the slightest inclination to being a "ninny." Even though her constant rantings to Cole for being a Yankee got old after a while, I enjoyed the fact that she challenged Cole during various situations and is able to outsmart him to boot. Cole is a great hero. He fights for the Union Army and yet feels a great deal of sympathy and compassion for the Confederates. He is my idea of the perfect romance hero -- complex, gentle, sensual, at times temperamental, but with a heart of gold. This is also the first Woodiwiss novel in which the protagonists and other characters have a great deal of depth and the protagonists' feelings for each other go beyond physical attraction. As for the story, it is wonderfully told. Woodiwiss has great attention to detail and the historical references are quite accurate and palpable. The author knows her Civil War history, that's for sure! The dialogue, however, is a different matter. The whole "Yessah, nossah" southern accent was difficult to read at times. Also, I have heard people compare this book with Gone with the Wind. Gone with the Wind is incomparable in my opinion, and if someone is similar to Scarlett O'Hara in this novel it is Roberta, Alaina's cousin. Roberta is a beautiful southern belle with a backbone of steel and the predatory ways of a cat in getting what she wants, very similar to Scarlett. The one good thing about this book, unlike Gone with the Wind, is that the author does not stereotype the black slaves, at least she doesn't do so excessively. Anyway, Ashes in the Wind is a beautiful and moving historical romance and, in my opinion, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's best written novel I've read to date. There are some errors here that were found in her other novels -- word repetitions, too much purple prose, long-winded -- but they were easy to overlook this time. The story is that engrossing! I recommend this gem.Ashes in the Wind OverviewA woman burdened by war...A doctor torn between passion and duty...A sweeping tale of love in the face of dishonor from the incomparable storyteller--Kathleen Woodiwiss.Alaina MacGaren is forced to flee the devastation of her homeland in the guise of a young boy, only to find sanctuary in the arms of an enemy. Cole Latimer is a dashing Yankee surgeon who has served the Union faithfully, and his tender heart compels him to help a ragged, innocent "lad" in need--never suspecting the rags conceal a bewitching belle suspected of being a rebel spy.But Alaina's masquerade does not fool Cole for long. And the strength, courage, and breathtaking sensuality of this woman whom it would be treasonous to love sets duty and desire at war within him. Yet Destiny has joined them for good or ill--and they both must follow where their hearts would lead them, if they are to build a glorious new life together out of the ashes of the old.

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