With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander

 

With This Pledge by Tamera Alexander  421 pages

So, normally I am not pulled in to anything Civil War, but this is a very good story.  The author has done a lot of research, therefore many of the characters are based on real people.  It transports you back to a time that was unimaginable.  Lizzie is a governess in a stately southern home.  One day that started out normal ended with a battle taking place right outside.  Their home quickly becomes a make shift hospital.  She ends up helping the surgeon with so many amputations she gave up counting.  Lizzie has such an empathetic heart that all of the soldiers quickly fall in love with her.  Through her kindness and mild spirit many of them recover. Others pass away with her holding their hand and speaking softly to them.  So many are just young boys.  In the end she finally gets her reward.  I enjoyed it very much.

The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen

The Bride of Ivy Green by Julie Klassen - 444 pages

Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.

Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . .

Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.

A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?

In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all.

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn - 373 pages

Daniel Smythe-Smith has just returned to England and his family after several years in the continent running from an earl who wants to kill him.  The first night back he meets his cousins' governess Anne Wynter and promptly falls in love.  However, there are several obstacles to overcome.  Their completely different stations in life.  The several attempts on Daniel's life.  And the fact that Anne Wynter is not who she says she is.
This is the second book in the Smythe-Smith series by Julia Quinn.  I really enjoyed it.  Quinn inserts a lot of humor into her stories.

The Governess and Mr. Granville by Abby Gaines

The Governess and Mr. Granville by Abby Gaines, 283 pages

A short, sweet "Love Inspired" historical romance, the book follows the love story of Serena and Dominic with a side romance. Hired by Dominic to be a governess to his motherless children, Serena finds herself quickly fired for her interfering ways, yet rehired as a companion to Dominic's sister. As Serena makes it her mission to find the perfect wife and mother for the Granville family, she soon realizes that her heart is too involved and she'd love nothing more than to be that very woman. However, how does one go about obtaining that goal when both parties are soon engaged to other people? Absolutely delightful story and since it's a "Love Inspired" Historical, it's also very cleanly written.