My Enemy, My Love

North meets South in a battle for the right to love and live freely…

This unforgettable debut novel takes a trip back in time to the civil war through the eyes of a loyal Union soldier and his young Southern sweetheart. All of the unfaltering passion and stark emotion of first love is captured and contrasted against a backdrop of the violence, despair and futility of war.

Jennifer Winston, the only daughter of a Southern Plantation owner, is gathering medicinal plants when the large frightened black horse charges through the woods. His rider is an unconscious Union soldier. Blood is seeping out of his dark matted hair and the large wound on his thigh. When Jennifer disarms and wakens him, the man panics and tries to ride off. Moments later he falls off the horse, out cold again, into the pine branches. Later that night, Jennifer takes the soldier to a deserted cabin where she treats his wounds. He drifts in and out of consciousness.

She leaves her large dog, Romulus, with the man for warmth and security. Over the next few days Jennifer develops a warm friendship with Captain David Reynolds, explaining that she supports neither side of the war and wishes for an end to the destruction. David looks forward to her visits and cannot believe that this beautiful, sweet angel has saved his life. Not wanting to be called a deserter, he must return to his men as soon as he feels fit. Jennifer did not believe that David was well enough to ride out and it is fortunate that she looks for him. He has been captured and cruelly beaten by some Confederate soldiers. This time she takes David back to the slave cabins because he is beyond her healing capabilities and may even die. Recovery is a slow process. Jen is always there when he wakes from his fevers, and their friendship quickly turns into a strong budding affection.

Jennifer cannot bear to see this handsome, decent young man so horribly injured. He is the most physically beautiful man that she had ever seen, and she has grown to love him deeply in such a short time. His pigheaded attitude to return to his men, no matter what, causes her the greatest pain. She knows that he truly loves her, but she is unsure if she can return the love to a man who should be her enemy and is so hell-bent on self-destruction. Captain David Reynolds was thrust into a leadership role in unusual circumstances and is determined to prove that he is worthy of the honour. He gains friends and allies in the most unlikely places and it is a measure of the merit of his character. The love scenes are tender and erotic without being graphic. David shows as much respect and restraint as a young man who has just opened his heart is able. Their love is boundless and it carries them through the hardships of war. Diane M Wylie has created characters that are so lifelike that the reader is dragged into all of the agonies and joys as they occur. The author has done considerable research into this time period, and this enthralling story unravels as if the reader were reliving events. My Enemy, My Love is much more than an impressive debut. It is a heart-warming romance that will have readers sighing as they relive “first-kiss” moments, then despairing over the fate of the many fine young men who rode off to battle. If you enjoy historical romance, I strongly urge you to read this story. For this reader, it is a keeper with A + + +!

Reviewed by: Naomi