I must admit that I didn't finish this novel. When I requested the copy, I must not have read the description closely enough because I wouldn't have requested it if I had. I enjoy Yolanda Wallace's books, but I'm not interested in reading Civil War romances between a Northerner and Southerner, especially when one of the character's families fought for the confederates.

A pretty solid read though not a particularly stand-out one in the market. I liked the concept and the writing is excellent, it just felt a little empty in parts.

Well, I mean it's not high art or anything, but it's also not unreadable. I'm not sure if that could be considered praise exactly, but working in its favor, I was at least interested enough in the story to enjoy reading it. While I'm not exactly sure I bought into Wilhelmina's inspiration to dress as a man and become Wil, a Union soldier, I did feel as though the first half of the book describing the war and its effects across the nation were very well done. There were definitely moments I found myself cringing with the vivid descriptions of the goriness of battle and even the mundane and unsanitary life in camps. To me, this is where the book really succeeded. Then came the insta- romance and things took a nose dive. Since it's basically that love at first sight with very little interaction to warrant it, I found it difficult to be all too invested in the relationship between Wil and Clara or believe the declarations of love and commitment on the second day of knowing each other. For a story taking place in the 1860s, some of the reactions (or non-reactions) to Wil's true identity and romantic love between women felt a little too "told through modern eyes". Who'd have thought the best part of this book would be the war scenes?
Now can we talk about the cover for a moment? What does that cover art have to do with this story? Answer: absolutely nothing. It looks like one woman who is high on opium is consoling another because her dress is mysteriously falling off. This is a story about a Union soldier and a farm woman! Why does the art not even slightly refer to either when that's a much better visual than dress-fest?

I’m not a fan of the historical genre and I can’t comment on accuracy but I enjoyed the historical theme and the Civil War setting. The main characters and the supporting characters were all well developed. However, I wouldn’t call this a romance as the two leads didn’t even meet until the second half of the book and their relationship felt a little rushed. Overall it’s an enjoyable read but I wish the author had focused on the romance a little more.

I teach English to thirteen year olds and one of the first things I do with them is an exercise in what can be left out of their writing; they write a 'descriptive' piece about their day, which inevitably starts with them getting up, getting dressed and walking down the stairs. I then interrupt and point out that unless their walking down the stairs stark naked, we don't need to read this, the boys all have a giggle because they're thirteen and a good 60% of them learn a valuable lesson about good writing.

Unfortunately for readers of this book, Ms Wallace seems determined to ensure that we miss out on no detail of the lives of her characters, no matter how mundane (and no one walks down the stairs stark naked). Like Prufrock, they have measured out their lives in coffee spoons and we are privy to every tiny detail. Despite this, my main issue with this novel is the convenient way in which obstacles are dealt with, it's all a bit too easy (At the start of the book Wil is asked by her friend how she's going to hide the fact that she's a girl from her fellow soldiers when she has her period; oh I haven't had that in years the doctor says I'm barren that's why I have such a large dowry, is the gist of the response. What the actual fuck! So many things wrong with that from a period perspective that I'm not going to go into it lest I blow a fuse.) Anyway, back to what I was saying, no real struggle means there's no scope for any emotional engagement with the characters as a result.

May I suggest that if you're going to write a novel where the main plot point is a 19th century woman pretending to be a man and joining the army, you read Jae's Oregon series first. She has the basic mechanics of how this could work, the issues and how the leading lady can overcome them etc. nicely laid out in a series of excellent books.

In short, don't waste your money. If you want a period piece about a woman pretending to be a man, read Backwards to Oregon and the other stories in the series. If you've already read them, read them again.

<I>Divided Nation, United Hearts</I> by Yolanda Wallace

<b>Star rating</b>: ★★★★ ☆ 4/5 stars

<b>Format</b>: ebook galley

<b>Summary</b>: Wilhelmina is from a rich family in Philadelphia but she yearns for more than what is available to her as a woman. Emboldened after attending a lecture dressed as a man she decides to join the Union army to fight in the Civil War. Clara is looking after her younger brothers on the family farm while her older brother and father fight with the Confederacy. When the two meet, sparks fly but the war threatens to keep them apart.

<b>Review</b>: I received a galley copy of this book for free from NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book, it took a few chapters to get into it but once I did I really loved reading it.
I thought it was really good historical fiction. Civil War isn't really my area of expertise with history (most of what I know comes from Gone with the Wind which isn't the best) but from what I know it was really good. The language wasn't too stilted but made sense for the time, which is nice. It captured the feeling of the era but didn't go overboard.

There is instalove in this book but I didn't really mind it. I liked it anyways even though that's a trope I'm not a big fan of. It didn't suffer from it and I felt there was a decent amount of time spent with Clara and Wil getting to know one another.

And yes, I know this is a romance novel but if Wil cannot use a chamber pot without assistance because of her wounds then how can she be able to have a major make out session with Clara like ten minutes later no problem? I'm not I can suspend my belief that much. But you know, it's not that big a deal in the long run.

I thought the ending was interesting, that Wil keeps up the deception of being a man long term. It was a surprising end, even though it was the only way they could be together in the period. I guess I expected Wil to have to face her family in some way but apparently not. Still, I was very satisfied with the ending.

<b>Recommendation</b>: I think this is a really good historical fiction romance. I think the added part of Wil dressing as a man to enlist in the army really adds a whole other layer. If you like historical romances I would pick this one up.

This was cool. It was sorta like a shorter version of Words Heard in Silence by T. Novan and Taylor Rickard.

In this book it's 1862 and the Civil War has been going on for a little bit. It's nearing Tennesse where Clara lives with her two younger brothers, trying to help them grow up and take care of the farm as well. (And try to put off the advances of the pushy Jed).

Wil is a former Philly socialite who decides to dress as a man and join the fight against the Confederacy.

It's a surprisingly long time into the book before they meet, but, they do and in a really cool and weird way.

There's a lot going on and I really liked not just the main story, but some of the subplots too.

Most of the characters were interesting and unique, although I did think that a few of them were a little cardboardy here and there.

It was an interesting book and despite the not quite fun subject really good. And a blazing fast read too.

I got this ARC through Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

I love historical novels and this one did not disappoint in that aspect. It showed the time of the civil war very well and described the different roles women had. On the one hand a quite privileged young woman, who felt she needed to do more in to help her country and on the other hand a middle or lower class young woman who got stuck taking care of her families farm and younger siblings because her father and older brother jointed the war and her mother died. They play different roles in the war but both are equally hard and important. Even though Wilhelmina chose her part in it and disguises herself as a man, which shows how hard it was during this times to be a woman.
The whole first half of the book is describes their separate lives and in the middle they meet. After they met, everything happens quite fast. I think it would have been better to shorten the beginning a little bit and don't rush their relationship. Especially considering the time/year, it feels way too quick and rushed how their relationship develops.
I enjoyed it but the relationship part was a little bit "out there" for my taste.

This is one of those stories that made me run through a mixture of emotions. It was at times sad and tense but at other times joyful, beautiful and romantic. I found myself totally immersed in the story of Wil Fredericks, a woman who runs away to join the Union army disguised as a man and meets the woman of her dreams. Clara is a southerner but that is just one of the enormous obstacles in their way. Yolanda Wallace has managed to write a wonderful love story set against the worst of times. I loved it and highly recommend this book. Five stars!

I was given this ARC by Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in return for an honest review.

Wow, I love this book! I am a huge fan of Civil War historical lesbian books and this one hits it out of the ball park. When I first read the synopsis, I thought I would enjoy the story, but I didn’t realize how much until I started reading it. I could not put the book down. It is an extremely fast read and the words flow quickly.

There are two main characters—Wil and Clara. Wil is running away from her privileged life where political noncommitment is the norm in her family. Her father conducts business with both the northern and southern establishments. Wil leaves because she wants to do something worthwhile in the fight for justice. She is only able to do this by pretending to be a man. Clara is a southerner who has been left in charge of the family farm and her two younger brothers while her father and her older brother fight in the war. Wil and Clara met one night during a skirmish between Clara’s brother and a Yankee. Wil comes to Clara’s aid and there is immediate attraction between them. I feel that the main characters, as well as the secondary characters, were very well developed.

It is quite apparent that Ms. Wallace did her research of the Civil War period. She wrote in detail about the war and farm life. Because of this attention to detail, I felt the story line was very good.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a lesbian story set in the Civil War era. The strength of Divided Nations United Hearts is the historical content more than the romance. I rate this book a 4-1/2 stars out of 5 stars.

I was given this ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

This is only the second book I have read by this author. The first I gave only two stars. After reading this book I have decided to go back and give the first a second read. I should probably start this review by saying I absolutely love historical fiction novels. A historical fiction that is also lesbian fiction… I couldn’t ask for anything more. However, this was not my favorite historical fiction for me it was really good.

What I liked: A book about the Civil War without being blood, gore, and a horrible plot. I have read so many Civil War books that just bored me to tears. This isn’t that book. I enjoyed all of the characters. Something about red heads with green eyes, we can’t resist. Wilhelmina (Will) was a great character, and Clara was fantastic. I could have used a little more romance, instead of love at first sight but I will buy it. Was wondering how the author could wrap up so much in such little time, and honestly it was rushed. The first 3/4 of the book is wonderful, but when it is 60 something percent when your main characters meet I start to worry.

I actually worry when I hit 25% and they haven’t met. Imagine when I hit 50% and was wondering if my percentage was off. That is really my biggest complaint. I am unsure of how the two could have met earlier, but this is really my biggest complaint of the book. Had the romance been a slow burn romance, this would have been 5 stars all day every day. Anyone who has read Backwards to Oregon knows, dragging out a romance makes us love it even more when they finally hook up. Honestly, I am still in love with Nora a little.

I enjoyed this book enough to give the first book by the author another shot. I am going to round up and give this one 4 stars but really it is more of a 3.5 book. 4 stars because I think historical lesbian fiction need more books. Easily could have been 5 stars if the characters wouldn’t have fallen in love and UHauled it.

Although I am not an expert in the American Civil War, since I am Spanish, I found this book very interesting and thorough in their descriptions.
The story mixes the discovery of sexuality in a difficult time for this subject. The two protagonists face a society that expect them to be dependent and submissive, in a secondary role.
The romantic story between them, although I found it pretty sweet, has not a fundamental importance in the overall context of the book.
As I said, this is more a story of rebellion and personal affirmation. And I liked it a lot.

href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213351-divided-nation-united-hearts" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Divided Nation, United Hearts" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470695115m/31213351.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213351-divided-nation-united-hearts">Divided Nation, United Hearts</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3284106.Yolanda_Wallace">Yolanda Wallace</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1808475621">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No synopsis necessary. In this historical romance main characters are Wilhelmina (Wil) and Clara and it is set in 1862 during the War between the States. I particularly liked the link with historical heavy-weight Frederick Douglass. An enjoyable story, it just seemed to end too quickly unlike many of Ms. Wallace's previous works. 3.5 stars.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

This was a truly moving book, and inspiring in its characters love for each other!

Historical fiction books can be a little hit or miss for me. Sometimes I love them, others can be difficult to read. Women had it so tough in our past, so it is hard for me to stomach some of these books. However, I am a fan of Yolanda Wallace, so I decided to give this book a chance. I really enjoyed the beginning, but the book really lost momentum in the last third.

The story is about Wil, who goes to see Fredrick Douglas speak. His passion, words and everything he stands for, is enough for Wil to dress as a man and join the Union Army for the North. When Wil is shipped down to Tennessee, she comes across Clara, the most beautiful women she has ever seen. Is there a chance for love, or will the fact Wil is a women and from the North, stop them before they can ever be together?

As I said before, I thought the beginning of the book was well done. Wil joining the Army and what she had to go through, battle scenes and Wil trying to stay alive. And what the war was like for people like Clara, left to take care of the homestead and family when the older men have gone to war.

The last third of the book, didn't really work for me. The romance was insta-love, and it was hard to really feel any connection. Also, the book could have really used more pages. The ending was rushed, and tied up so neatly, it didn't feel very realistic.

I like Wallace as an author, very much, but this book was just okay. Maybe 50 more pages and this book could have been really good. I believe historic fiction fans will enjoy this, but I believe they will feel the ending was very rushed, like I did.

An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.

In the beginning I felt like the author was having the characters parrot quotes from historical figures at random places. It felt out of place and awkward in normal conversation. This book requires a lot in the way of suspending of disbelief, particularly when it comes to the reactions of other characters. Everything is tied up a little too neatly and quickly but it was a sweet, fast read. I liked Clara's portions more than Wil's and her brothers were well written, particularly the youngest (at times kids can be written as very one dimensional or annoyingly precocious and I found him realistic and charming) but I enjoyed both leads.

You do not need to be a Civil War buff to enjoy this entertaining and well written story. Wil runs from societal expectations and struggles with her unrequited love for her friend. Posing as a Yankee fighting man is more difficult than she imagined. She works to build up her physical strength and finds an older mentor who protects her from the rough elements.
Clara runs the farm while her brother and father are with the Tennessee Infantry. Though pursued by an eligible bachelor she cannot make herself find any interest in him. A chance meeting of Wil and Clara leads them to many discoveries. The action carries the plot with well developed main characters.

Wilhemina Fredricks is a frustrated society girl from Philadelphia. She sneaks out one night disguised as a man to hear Fredrick Douglas speak about fighting for freedom. She's inspired to take up the fight and with the help of her disguise she enlists in the Union army. Before long she finds herself on the front line, fighting for her cause. Clara lives and works on her family farm in Tennessee while her father and oldest brother are fighting for the Confederate army. The two women are on opposite sides of a Civil War - but what they have in common is stronger than anything. Love. For each other.

I really really enjoyed this book I just felt that the ending was way too fast and way too perfect. It's one of the strongest works of historical lesbian romance that I've read and I'm so very thankful for that. Clara and Wil are both strong and inspiring women. All the characters were incredible - I loved them all even the ones I loved to hate. The historical detail was just fantastic as well - I was living and breathing the american civil war along with the characters.

However, the two women didn't even meet until about 75% of the way through the book and then boom they kissed, boom it didn't matter that they were from opposite sides of the war, boom it didn't matter that Will killed Clara's dad, boom it didn't matter that will was a girl. All of the good work from the rest of the book felt undone in those last few hurried pages. It stopped feeling like historical fiction and started feeling like a romance on the weak background of a time and place in the past. After all the hard work, creating strong characters and a strong historical setting, it fell a little flat.

Still I really really enjoyed the first 75% of the book, I just wish the author had taken a little more time to go more in depth with the rest of the story. I really really enjoyed the author's writing style and I will definitely read he other works and any future works as well.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly like the way Yolanda Wallace spins a tale but this isn't her best work and makes you wanting more from the story