Loving Lydia

In Sloan’s gripping follow-up to Rescuing Rose, a romance develops between a Southern woman and a Confederate sergeant. It’s 1864 and Lydia Gibson lives with stepdaughter Millie in Georgia. As rumors swirl about the Union’s approach, the two prepare to leave town, but are captured by Northern soldiers and housed in an abandoned home. One day, while exploring the house, Lydia finds Confederate soldier Seth Morgan hiding in the root cellar, and sparks quickly fly. Seth, though, is heartbroken over his wife’s murder by a jealous cousin nearly two years before, and seeks to avenge her death. The two are separated when Seth escapes, and reunite a few months later in Kentucky (where the war’s taken them both)—but things remain complicated because Seth’s still burdened by loyalty to his dead wife, and some ghosts from Lydia’s past arise. The two must trust in God as they learn to forgive and make peace with the past. The action-packed plot is fueled by complex characters with rich backstories and no shortage of secrets to hide. Fans will eagerly await the next in the series. (Apr.)