Carpetbagger's Wife (Harlequin Historical Series, No. 595) [Paperback]

Deborah Hale (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

After the War between the States leaves her with no money, no husband, and two young children to care for, Caddie Marsh returns to the Marsh family plantation, Sabbath Hollow, hoping she can build a new life for herself and her children. Caddie's plans for a fresh beginning look like they will be dashed once she discovers her slick brother-in-law and his floozy wife have already taken up residence. However, Caddie receives some unexpected help in evicting her unwanted relatives from Manning Forbes, a Yankee stranger who just happens to look like Caddie's dead husband. Hale expertly evokes both the despair and hope that drove the lives of those who survived the Civil War, and her realistically flawed hero and heroine's struggles with their own guilt give this historical romance an emotional richness and depth readers will savor. An excellent choice for libraries where authors like Lorraine Heath, Jodi Thomas, or Bronwyn Williams are popular. John Charles
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373291957
• ISBN-13: 978-0373291953
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,431,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After a decade spent tracing her ancestors to their roots in Georgian-era Britain, Deborah Hale learned a great deal about the period and uncovered enough fascinating true stories to inspire her fiction plots for years to come. In 1997, Deborah won Romance Writers of Amercia's Golden Heart award and several months later sold her winning manuscript to Harlequin Historical. Since then she has written many historical romance novels with a variety of settings, as well as two other-world fantasies for Luna Books. In the pilot episode of the hit television series "Hustle" one of Deborah's books was used in a key scene! Deborah lives in beautiful Nova Scotia, Canada, a place steeped in history and romance.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WELL WORTH ADDING TO YOUR READING LIST., November 9, 2002

By 

M. Hartmann "abayyan" (Milan, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carpetbagger's Wife (Harlequin Historical Series, No. 595) (Paperback)

Will Manning Forbes get past his guilt of robbing a family of husband and father and having to watch the man he shot die?

Caddie Marsh has survived the war with at least her pride intact and now having left Richmond, she is returning her family to her husband's family plantation. Dang if Alonzo Marsh, her brother-in-law, wasn't trying to claim her son's inheritance. She hated to admit it but she was in need of a man's help.

Manning Forbes caused the shock of her life in looking so much like her dead husband. [Was he possibly an illegitamite offspring of her husband's father?? my question]

It pained Caddie to see the way her children took to Manning as he displayed tenderness and understanding yet kept withdrawing from her small overtures.

Caddie had to fight her hatred of the Yanks, as she did not want her children to live with bitterness and hatred. Neither Manning or her children would understand her bitterness against her husband - Well, she had her pride, didn't she? Was there room for love? Could she seduce her yankee "carpetbagger" husband into a real marriage?

Manning was more than willing if he could just get past his guilt. Would his proud "Confederate" widow forgive him or hate him when the truth came out?

This is one book you will love -- Highly Recommended - worth adding to your library.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tender Tale About A Difficult Time Period!, May 11, 2005

By 

Nancy Compton (Boise, Idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carpetbagger's Wife (Harlequin Historical Series, No. 595) (Paperback)

CARPETBAGGER'S WIFE is a sensitive tale of one family during the trying times of Southern States reconstruction after the Civil War. Northerner, Manning Forbes promised to look after the family of Del Marsh, the Confederate soldier he killed. Confederate widow, Caddie Marsh reluctantly accepts the marriage proposal of Manning, but to what expense of her morals and beliefs does she surrender her heart? Truly a bittersweet story.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner!, February 15, 2002

By 

Barbara Phinney (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carpetbagger's Wife (Harlequin Historical Series, No. 595) (Paperback)

Just because RT didn't review this book, doesn't mean you should pass it up.
Caddie Marsh is a penniless widow of the Civil War, who gets some unexpected help from a mysterious Yankee stranger, who uncannily resembles her dead husband.
Manning Forbes may resemble her husband, but he's not without his own agenda.
Once again, Deborah Hale has created fascinating, turbulant characters a reader can really root for, really believe. If you only buy one historical this year, it should be this one.