Harlequin Historical #302: Lydia

From the back cover: The war was over, but the battle had just begun... Sarah Parker had tried to escape her past in a dusty mining town. But any hope of redemption was lost once Donovan Cole arrived, carrying battle-seared memories and a bellyful of hate--all for the woman she'd been during a time she'd hope to forget! "The Angel of Miner's Gulch," they called her. Fallen angel, more likely, Donovan swore. For the "sainted" Miss Sarah had been a lying, coldhearted Yankee spy who knew how to capture a man and make him her own--forever! And my review: After reading the back cover description, I was confused as to why this book is entitled LYDIA when the heroine's name is Sarah. So, I'll try to clarify the storyline a little bit here. This book is set in the south, in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Though the war is over, emotions about it still run high. Sarah was morally opposed to slavery, and thus worked as a spy under the name Lydia Taggart. She played the part of a wealthy, carefree, Southern widow. The house parties she gave were actually a way of gathering information that she passed along to the North. Donovon met her during this time, and his brother fell in love with "Lydia" and intended to marry her. He died on the battlefield, in Donovan's arms, Lydia's name the last thing he spoke of. After the war ended, "Lydia's" servants (who were actually also spies for the North), told Donovan that their mistress had died of a fever, and showed him a grave. So when Donovan headed to Miner's Gulch to care for his recently widowed sister and finds that the midwife, Sarah Parker, is actually the same woman he knew as Lydia, he's furious. He gives her an ultimatum: get out of town within a week, or he'll tell everyone that she was a Yankee spy during the war. This would be tatamount to a death sentence, since everyone in the Southern town either fought in the war or lost a loved one in it. Instead of capitulating, Sarah throws herself on the mercy of the townspeople and tells them the truth herself. Of course, the reaction is not good, and in spite of himself, Donovan ends up saving her life, and over the course of the rest of the story, falls in love with her. I bought this book because I'd really enjoyed MCKENNA'S PROMISE by the same author. LYDIA was another enjoyable read. The author writes well-drawn characters and good historical detail. One thing I really liked is that the historical backdrop never overtakes the book. I never felt like I'm reading a history textbook. I also liked watching Donovan fall in love with Sarah, even when he was determined to hate her. He just couldn't because she was a genuinely good person. I thought that his attitude of initial hatred might be annoying, but the author handled it well, and in a way that felt true to life. He didn't hang on to his hatred too long, but he didn't change too quickly, either. The author struck a really good balance with this plot point. I also liked that there was mo