Book & Author Details:

Civil Hearts by Claire Gem
Publication date: April 1st 2018
Genres: Gothic, Romance

A widow with no family, web designer Liv Larson yearns for big change. After all, she can work from anywhere, right? Why not throw a dart at the map? She heads out of the big city for the rural South and falls in love as soon as she arrives—with the Belle Bride, an abandoned antebellum mansion.

Heath Barrow loves his country life, managing his antiques store in sleepy Camellia. But he’s lonely, and his condition—epilepsy—makes life uncertain. It’s already cost him a marriage. A new medication and the new girl in town have his heart hopeful again.

Sparks fly between Heath and Liv. But his first seizure sends Liv into a tailspin. Its mimics those her husband suffered before he died . . .

To make matters worse, Liv discovers she’s not living alone. Her challenge? Dealing with a Confederate soldier, one who clearly resents his Yankee roommate—even though he’s been dead for over a hundred and fifty years.

This was a pleasant surprise.  I thought I knew what I was getting, but I got a lot more.

The paranormal element of this story, whilst a key thread to the tale, is not the focus I expected it was going to be – and I think that the book is (for my tastes at least) a much more enjoyable read as a result.

I’m glad I picked this up.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

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Claire Gem writes for her life. An avid fan of intensely emotional romance as well as a good ghost story (not necessarily together or in that order), her favorite authors include Nora Roberts, Barbara Michaels, Linda Howard, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Simone St James, & Susanna Kearsley.

Claire has lived in five states – Florida, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, & Texas. She’s worked as a hairdresser, a bridal designer, a lab tech, & in scientific research. Her loves are horses, fishing, pretty things, & being a novelist. And wine. And chocolate.

Claire’s idea of a great love story is one with extreme emotion: one that makes you laugh and cry, get mad and get scared, one that has that *sigh* factor. A book that transports you to another place and introduces you to new people so real, you want to call them up and ask them out for a drink, and miss them when you read those dreaded words – The End.

Since receiving her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, Claire loves living in New England with her husband Clark, who’s been her HEA for almost 35 years now, a Boston terrier named Chopper, a well-worn Mac laptop, and lots of daydreams.

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