And One Rode West is one of Graham’s earlier novels and the third in her Civil War series. (No, it is not necessary to read these in order, since each novel follows a different member of the same family.) The novel opens in the early days after the Civil War has ended and Reconstruction is ravaging the South. Christa lived through the war in her family’s Virginia plantation house with her sister-in-laws and several freed slaves. No longer a Southern Belle, Christ is tough and has learned how to survive off the land. As a Rebel, she has an extreme fear and fear of Yankees. When some Northerner illegally attempts to take the family home and land from her, Christa is willing to do anything to save it, including convincing her Yankee brother-in-law whom she detests to marry her. (If a Yankee has legitimate claim to the property, it will prevent the seizure.) The brother-in-law Jeremy agrees to marry her, but insists it be a “real” marriage. As a Colonel in the Army, he is being sent to lead troops west into Indian Territory. He forces Christa to come with him. Much of the novel is spent with these two fighting the fact that they love each other. Christa has a hot temper and can be unreasonable. She thinks about herself and the South first, always putting her husband’s needs last. Jeremy is stubborn and gives up trying too easy. The love story in this book can get rather frustrating. There were times when I almost wished the Comanche would run off with Christa so Jeremy could find a woman who appreciated him. As for his attraction to her, it almost seems purely physical. He is struck by her beauty and his sexual feelings for her. As a result, she is able to manipulate him with seduction. I’m just not a big Christa fan. One thing I liked about this book was the history involved. It is obvious that Graham did a lot of research about the Civil War and the Native Tribes of the time. She also provided a somewhat balanced view, not taking sides between the North and the South. Instead, she describes both of their arguments and faults. Overall, I give And One Rode West…Plot – 2 ½ bookmarksCharacter Development – 2 bookmarks Love Story – 1 ½ bookmarkHistory – 3 bookmarksDream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Megan Fox (Christa), Eric Dane (Jeremy)
In And One Rode West by Heather Graham, Christa Cameron a Rebel is suffering the indignities of defeat in the aftermath of Civil War. But that does not mean that she has lost her spirit or her hatred of the Yankees. Especially when the only way to save her plantation from being confiscated was to marry a Yankee officer. She coaxed Colonel Jeremy McCauley into marrying her, but she had promised herself that she would keep her pride and purity intact.Jeremy is a determined man, but somehow he finds himself doing things he had no intention of doing. For one marrying Christa starts the list, then trying to convince her to consummate their marriage and ending up pretty much forcing himself on her the day after their wedding. But he knows that he must protect her because as his wife she must ride with them and the dangers abound. Read More...
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This is the story of Christa Cameron, a Southern woman. The Civil War has just ended. She did everything she could to survive but someone wants to buy her beloved home out from under her. The only option she has is to marry a Yankee and let him pay off the money the Northerners say they owe. Jeremy McCauley is her sister-in-law's brother. Christa has known him and disliked him for quite some time. They marry and he pays the debt. The next day both of her brothers come back from the war. They are stunned to find she has married. She does not tell them the reason why. She is determined to pay her debt to Jeremy. He is in the US Army and is getting sent to the west. Christa will go with him. Jeremy starts to fall in love with her but she is stubborn and cannot love a Yankee. Will she ever have feelings for him?
—JoAnne
#3 in "rode" series. This is the story of Christa Cameron, the younger sister of Daniel and Jessie. The civil war is basically over. Someone wants Cameron Hall to burn and in order for Christa to save it, she must marry a Rebel. (Her brothers and their families are not there to clear up the ownership of Cameron Hall and she only has hours to save it) Sooo, she marries her sister-in-law's brother who has just showed up for a short visit, Rebel Jeremy McCauley. He is staying in the calvary and getting ready to go west. Christa hates all rebels, except her brother, Jesse. She goes with him out west. The story has wonderful descriptions of the times and places. I thought her hatred of all Rebels was real...yet it would have been nice if he/she could have come to realize their love outwayed their prejudices.
—Mitzi
At 465 pages, it seemed a little long. Christa does something. She and Jeremy argue. They have sex. Repeat for the next fifteen chapters. I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Jeremy and Christa's brothers or some more about Jenny. I did enjoy the scene with Sherman.
—Lauri
