Once A Rebel
Part of Putney’s Rogues Redeemed series, Once a Rebel mixes romance and American history in equal measure, and produces a riveting story. Rarely does the War of 1812 become the setting for a romance. Putney crafts an exciting, enjoyable novel. She treats the historical period, as well as its importance in the birth of the national anthem of the United States, with respect, giving the reader a terrific tale of “what if,” as well as “what happened.”
Catherine Callista Brooke is a British-born, talented seamstress and widow living in Baltimore. British soldiers burn her home to the ground, thinking it houses snipers. When Callie is about to be raped and murdered at their hands, a man from her past stops the soldiers and orders them away. Lord George Gordon Audley was Callie’s best friend and confidant throughout her childhood. When her father commands her to marry a man thrice her age, Gordon agrees to elope with her in order to protect her. The thwarted lovers are violently separated, each thinking the other is dead.
After years of challenging life experiences, the two are reunited, with considerable scarring on their souls. It takes cooperation and the elusive factor—love—to make things work in the end. Delightful.
