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Embers of the Heart
In the wake of the Civil War, beautiful Anna Kelly finds herself abandoned by her husband, a physician who turns outlaw to prey on Union soldiers, and seeks solace in the arms of Marshal Nate Foster, the lawman who has vowed to bring her husband to justice
432 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1990
91 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Rosanne Bittner
84 books623 followersI am a USA-TODAY best-selling author with 41 years, 76 books, and numerous writing awards behind me. My major genre is historical romance. I have always written for standard publishers but am now writing strictly for Amazon so I have more freedom to write real history. My most recent publication is SHADOW TRAIL, the 6th book in my Outlaw Hearts series. I also wrote and published my first full-length contemporary story, DANCING BENEATH YOU, in September 2022, a romance involving mystery and a depiction of reservation life in the Badlands of South Dakota. My best sellers are my SAVAGE DESTINY series (7 books) and my OUTLAW HEARTS series. See my website (www.rosannebittner.com) for details on all my books - most available for Kindle and in print. I am known for great love stories filled with real history and high emotion. I have also written many Native American stories, all based on real history.
I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.
National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.
Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!
I love American history. For those of you who have not yet read my books, my stories are generally set in the American West of the 1800s and feature vividly described, historically accurate settings that span the US from Missouri to California, from Canada to Mexico. Many of my books portray the poignant history of our Native Americans, and though the characters are my own, I use real historical locations and events in all my novels. I have also written about the French & Indian wars, American Revolution, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico (the Alamo), and the Civil War.
National magazine ROMANTIC TIMES has called me the "Queen of Western Romance" and an "emotional powerhouse." My husband and I have traveled the west for nearly 40 years and I have visited just about every location mentioned in my books.
Visit my website at www.rosannebittner.com and my Facebook Author page. And be sure to join Rosanne Bittner's Heart of the West Street Team! Happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 19, 2012
Year: 1860 Spanning 10 years of Hatred, Violence and broken lives as a result of the Civil War Between the States
Border Wars: Kansas and Missouri
R. Bittner tells a realistically vivid story of this violent time in our U.S. history and the hatred and violence that continued on during the years that followed.
Extremely moving.
Beginning:
1860, Lawrence Kansas: Darryl and Anna Kelley have been married almost 1 year. They are deeply in love. Darryl is a true Southern gentleman coming from a wealthy Georgia plantation family to Kansas. He has set aside the privilege offered by his family to follow his calling to help and heal as he begins his practice as a doctor here. This is where he has met and married his Kansas born wife, Anna.
The story follows the lives of Darryl and Anna, beginning in the first chapter as they are forced to leave Lawrence. Violence, fighting, and hatred affects their lives and his practice due to the fact that Darryl came from the South.
Shortly after, he makes the decision to join the war and fight for the South, along with his old university friend, leaving Anna to wait for him.
Anna waits. Time passes with no word from or of Darryl even after the war has ended.
Still she waits as years pass... The day she arrives in Centralia, Missouri, 'Bloody' Bill Anderson's Raiders have taken over the town, and abducts her train. A massacre follows and that inevitable day has arrived, for she and her husband at last meet, face to face.
Such an intense story.
February 19, 2019
Embers of the Heart is a beautifully epic and emotional read from the first page to the last! Be prepared for a roller-coaster ride of feelings when you dive into this story.
Besides delivering an enduring love story, it also teaches the power of love, acceptance, and forgiveness; how evil and hate can burn and destroy a person; and how the consequences and waves of war can continue to ripple and destroy long after the last bullet is fired.
Anna is a young woman who's struggling with facing how the rumblings of war affect her family, and ultimately the loss of her first husband. She shows incredible fortitude and inner strength holding herself together while living through the unknowns and questions of how to survive this time. Her faithfulness and love shine through. You can't help but cheer when doors are finally opened so she can claim her happily ever after with a perfect man for her - even knowing there's still some dark valleys they'll have to travel through.
Nate is exactly the honorable, devoted, strong hero Anna needs in her life. His respect of every facet of Anna showed clearly - even if he may have kinda grumbled about things, they were still the same things that drew him to her. His pursuit of her from beginning throughout their marriage was a thing of beauty. No, he wasn't the perfect man, and could be quite the stubborn fool at moments (neither was perfect - Anna also had her stubborn faults and fears), but he always found his way back to Anna's side, right where he belonged.
Even the secondary characters pull at you in ways - not always good, and not always bad... but they're not exempt from giving you moments to pause, think, and feel.
The amount of love the poured off the pages in the last several chapters stole my breath and made tears streak my face. There's a particular scene (don't worry, no spoilers) that just wrecked me in the rawness and painfulness. And the way Anna and Nate clung and hung onto each other during that time? Breath-stealing in its devotion and overwhelming beauty.
This is probably one of my favorite Rosanne Bittner stories -- where it holds you captive from beginning to end, and gifts you with so much more than a romantic tale, but nuggets of empathy and true love. This is not a book to skip over!
Besides delivering an enduring love story, it also teaches the power of love, acceptance, and forgiveness; how evil and hate can burn and destroy a person; and how the consequences and waves of war can continue to ripple and destroy long after the last bullet is fired.
Anna is a young woman who's struggling with facing how the rumblings of war affect her family, and ultimately the loss of her first husband. She shows incredible fortitude and inner strength holding herself together while living through the unknowns and questions of how to survive this time. Her faithfulness and love shine through. You can't help but cheer when doors are finally opened so she can claim her happily ever after with a perfect man for her - even knowing there's still some dark valleys they'll have to travel through.
Nate is exactly the honorable, devoted, strong hero Anna needs in her life. His respect of every facet of Anna showed clearly - even if he may have kinda grumbled about things, they were still the same things that drew him to her. His pursuit of her from beginning throughout their marriage was a thing of beauty. No, he wasn't the perfect man, and could be quite the stubborn fool at moments (neither was perfect - Anna also had her stubborn faults and fears), but he always found his way back to Anna's side, right where he belonged.
Even the secondary characters pull at you in ways - not always good, and not always bad... but they're not exempt from giving you moments to pause, think, and feel.
The amount of love the poured off the pages in the last several chapters stole my breath and made tears streak my face. There's a particular scene (don't worry, no spoilers) that just wrecked me in the rawness and painfulness. And the way Anna and Nate clung and hung onto each other during that time? Breath-stealing in its devotion and overwhelming beauty.
This is probably one of my favorite Rosanne Bittner stories -- where it holds you captive from beginning to end, and gifts you with so much more than a romantic tale, but nuggets of empathy and true love. This is not a book to skip over!
August 10, 2021
Rating: 4 / 5
For some reason, Bittner really loves torturing her characters, and more than once this has almost been a dealbreaker for me in terms of reading her books. So, why do I keep coming back to her works?
Well, to put it frankly, I'd say it's because she's a good writer. Like, her writing style is really good in general, not just for a romance writer, and so it's rather unfortunate that she happens to have a sadistic streak in her. Because honestly, there's no other reason for why she tortures her poor characters this much and gives them such difficulties, whether it's to have them be ill or injured, or overpower and prolong their enemies lifespans--which happens to be the case in this book, by the way. Word-count-wise, maybe her publishers pushed for her to have to be inventive with lengthening the plots, but still! Like...ease up a bit, lady, and just let your characters be happy, eh? I know that life is harsh and was even worse two hundred years ago, but when someone opens a romance novel, you can assume that nine times out of ten angst is NOT
*sighs*
So, in terms of specific plot and all, I really don't want to get into it, but I will say this: at least there's no rape. There's near-rape, but for the most part Anna has it pretty okay. The whole "secret" and Civil War angst is pretty heavy and almost had me setting this aside several times, but honestly, otherwise it's okay.
Still a 4/5, though something tells me that I'll never be able to go higher for this author. Guess I got my dose of reality for this year from Bittner, eh?
For some reason, Bittner really loves torturing her characters, and more than once this has almost been a dealbreaker for me in terms of reading her books. So, why do I keep coming back to her works?
Well, to put it frankly, I'd say it's because she's a good writer. Like, her writing style is really good in general, not just for a romance writer, and so it's rather unfortunate that she happens to have a sadistic streak in her. Because honestly, there's no other reason for why she tortures her poor characters this much and gives them such difficulties, whether it's to have them be ill or injured, or overpower and prolong their enemies lifespans--which happens to be the case in this book, by the way. Word-count-wise, maybe her publishers pushed for her to have to be inventive with lengthening the plots, but still! Like...ease up a bit, lady, and just let your characters be happy, eh? I know that life is harsh and was even worse two hundred years ago, but when someone opens a romance novel, you can assume that nine times out of ten angst is NOT
*sighs*
So, in terms of specific plot and all, I really don't want to get into it, but I will say this: at least there's no rape. There's near-rape, but for the most part Anna has it pretty okay. The whole "secret" and Civil War angst is pretty heavy and almost had me setting this aside several times, but honestly, otherwise it's okay.
Still a 4/5, though something tells me that I'll never be able to go higher for this author. Guess I got my dose of reality for this year from Bittner, eh?
May 19, 2024
This is a sequel book to Ms. Bittner's "Montana Woman". It's Anna Barker Kelley's story, the younger sister to Joline Masters (the main character in "Montana Woman"). Where the author used Quantrill's raid on Lawrence, Kansas as the historical catalyst for Joline's tale, she ties Anna's book to the 1864 Centralia, MO massacre lead by Bloody Bill Anderson. Like the predecessor book, Ms. Bittner does a good job of weaving the story through and around historical facts.
It's a good book but difficult to review without accidentally providing a spoiler. The reader will experience how difficult life was for Kansas and Missouri residents caught between the political violence of the Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers. It also sheds light on how one person tries to live her life without taking sides. Anna is definitely torn because she's married to a southerner, but her father and brother-in-law are Union supporters. The political and lifestyle differences between Anna's family and her husband's southern family practices are contributing factors to their decision to leave Lawrence in 1860.
In 1861, Darryl leaves Anna in Columbia to fight or assist as a doctor for the Confederacy in the Civil War. During the first year of his absence, he writes her when he can but communication stops after that. For several years, Anna doesn't hear from Darryl and doesn't know where he is or if he's even alive. During this time, she meets Nate Foster and they form a friendship. Nate's smitten but respectful of her situation. Anna is also attracted to Nate but excersizes control over her emotions knowing she is still technically married to Darryl Kelley.
There have been many books written about men who come back from war changed. Every man handles it differently, but is still deeply affected by the violence and bloodshed. While reading this novel, I was reminded of the character Anne Alexander Gordon from Ms. Santmyer's book "And Ladies of the Club." While Anne Gordon married a doctor who was a veteran of the Civil War, Anna married Dr. Darryl Kelley before the Civil War started. Both men had changed after the war. They were different types of changes, but neither was the same person from before the war started.
I gave the story four stars because I felt the author drew an amazing character with Anna but tired of how often she was told how beautiful she was. Anna is a strong and independent woman that handles herself gracefully when she is terribly lonely but also tries not to capitalize on her beauty. However, her attractiveness is definitely an asset while she's living in Abilene, KS and running a restaurant. I also deducted a star because while every reader most likely is not going to like Fran, I just thought the physical description the author provided of her was over the top. It was like the writer thought Fran should be just as ugly in appearance as she was in personality. This is my own personal opinion so please don't rely on it in deciding to read the story.
Overall, there was much sadness, gloom and doom. I'm now ready to read something much lighter that will hopefully make me laugh.😊
It's a good book but difficult to review without accidentally providing a spoiler. The reader will experience how difficult life was for Kansas and Missouri residents caught between the political violence of the Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers. It also sheds light on how one person tries to live her life without taking sides. Anna is definitely torn because she's married to a southerner, but her father and brother-in-law are Union supporters. The political and lifestyle differences between Anna's family and her husband's southern family practices are contributing factors to their decision to leave Lawrence in 1860.
In 1861, Darryl leaves Anna in Columbia to fight or assist as a doctor for the Confederacy in the Civil War. During the first year of his absence, he writes her when he can but communication stops after that. For several years, Anna doesn't hear from Darryl and doesn't know where he is or if he's even alive. During this time, she meets Nate Foster and they form a friendship. Nate's smitten but respectful of her situation. Anna is also attracted to Nate but excersizes control over her emotions knowing she is still technically married to Darryl Kelley.
There have been many books written about men who come back from war changed. Every man handles it differently, but is still deeply affected by the violence and bloodshed. While reading this novel, I was reminded of the character Anne Alexander Gordon from Ms. Santmyer's book "And Ladies of the Club." While Anne Gordon married a doctor who was a veteran of the Civil War, Anna married Dr. Darryl Kelley before the Civil War started. Both men had changed after the war. They were different types of changes, but neither was the same person from before the war started.
I gave the story four stars because I felt the author drew an amazing character with Anna but tired of how often she was told how beautiful she was. Anna is a strong and independent woman that handles herself gracefully when she is terribly lonely but also tries not to capitalize on her beauty. However, her attractiveness is definitely an asset while she's living in Abilene, KS and running a restaurant. I also deducted a star because while every reader most likely is not going to like Fran, I just thought the physical description the author provided of her was over the top. It was like the writer thought Fran should be just as ugly in appearance as she was in personality. This is my own personal opinion so please don't rely on it in deciding to read the story.
Overall, there was much sadness, gloom and doom. I'm now ready to read something much lighter that will hopefully make me laugh.😊
August 9, 2025
Embers of the Heart (1990) is another Bittner masterpiece… I’m overwhelmed … just finished it. So incredibly emotional.. one of the rare times when I’ve gotten tears in my eyes at the ending. I’ve read about 50 Bittners over the years, and this is now one of my very favorites for its powerful story of the emotional scars a war can leave on people … those who participated and suffered what today we would call PTSD, and loved ones left at home.
Setting: Missouri and Kansas during and after the Civil War… spans about 10 years.
Anna Kelly has been married for about a year when Darryl, her husband, a doctor enlists in the Confederate army. Both are deeply in love… he’s a kind caring person. Personally she supports the Union but they are respectful of their opinions. Time passes and she does not hear from him … nothing for years. She relocates to Abeline.. to support herself she opens a restaurant. By happenstance she meets U.S. Marshall Nate Foster, and they become friends … seeing each other a few times over the next several years.
Anna does not tell Nate the truth about her husband .. she should have trusted him. She’s found out what happened to Darryl, and is living a shocking nightmare. There’s plenty of graphic violence and hate which is juxtaposed against a deepening romance and good people.
There were times I had to put this book down as it was so intense… anguish and tension thru out, and it builds to a deeply poignant ending. The author’s brilliantly written a story that explores the emotional traumas of war, and how they can adversely impact a soldier and his family. Overall, Embers of the Heart is a love story… both tragic and beautiful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
Setting: Missouri and Kansas during and after the Civil War… spans about 10 years.
Anna Kelly has been married for about a year when Darryl, her husband, a doctor enlists in the Confederate army. Both are deeply in love… he’s a kind caring person. Personally she supports the Union but they are respectful of their opinions. Time passes and she does not hear from him … nothing for years. She relocates to Abeline.. to support herself she opens a restaurant. By happenstance she meets U.S. Marshall Nate Foster, and they become friends … seeing each other a few times over the next several years.
Anna does not tell Nate the truth about her husband .. she should have trusted him. She’s found out what happened to Darryl, and is living a shocking nightmare. There’s plenty of graphic violence and hate which is juxtaposed against a deepening romance and good people.
There were times I had to put this book down as it was so intense… anguish and tension thru out, and it builds to a deeply poignant ending. The author’s brilliantly written a story that explores the emotional traumas of war, and how they can adversely impact a soldier and his family. Overall, Embers of the Heart is a love story… both tragic and beautiful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+
June 16, 2021
Book Review: Historical Western Romance Book: “Embers Of The Heart” By Rosanne Bittner (No Spoilers)
“Embers Of The Heart” By Rosanne Bittner is a western historical romance book. First released in 1990. 4.0 Stars.
The story starts pre-civil war 1860 and continues post-civil war border wars between Kansas and Missouri.
Anna Kelley is a torn woman, her husband who is from Georgia goes off to war to fight on behalf of the South, while her father and brother go to fight for the North. Her husband does return to her, years later she discovers he is a changed man no longer the man she married but a bushwhacker/outlaw. Along the way she has met Marshall Nate Foster who she begins
a relationship but fears revealing who her husband has become. They come together to heal each other.
I like the story, Rosanne Bittner gave a very vivid account of life after the Civil War, the effect it had on so many, the tragedies that many faced during and after. The book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I love Marshall Nate Foster I found him to be the perfect hero in the story, handsome, protective, and loving.
I loved Anna most of the book she was beautiful, independent, and strong. I will say I didn’t care for the sympathy she gave Darryl at the end, I think it was just me personally I just could
not imagine feeling any sympathy at all for this man who killed, raped among many horrendous acts. The story was well written, the plot well developed.
I would recommend the book.
Violence: There is a lot of graphic violent tragedies in the books, so beware if you do not like that sort of thing.
There are sexual situations in the book, but only a few and not overly graphic.
“Embers Of The Heart” By Rosanne Bittner is a western historical romance book. First released in 1990. 4.0 Stars.
The story starts pre-civil war 1860 and continues post-civil war border wars between Kansas and Missouri.
Anna Kelley is a torn woman, her husband who is from Georgia goes off to war to fight on behalf of the South, while her father and brother go to fight for the North. Her husband does return to her, years later she discovers he is a changed man no longer the man she married but a bushwhacker/outlaw. Along the way she has met Marshall Nate Foster who she begins
a relationship but fears revealing who her husband has become. They come together to heal each other.
I like the story, Rosanne Bittner gave a very vivid account of life after the Civil War, the effect it had on so many, the tragedies that many faced during and after. The book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I love Marshall Nate Foster I found him to be the perfect hero in the story, handsome, protective, and loving.
I loved Anna most of the book she was beautiful, independent, and strong. I will say I didn’t care for the sympathy she gave Darryl at the end, I think it was just me personally I just could
not imagine feeling any sympathy at all for this man who killed, raped among many horrendous acts. The story was well written, the plot well developed.
I would recommend the book.
Violence: There is a lot of graphic violent tragedies in the books, so beware if you do not like that sort of thing.
There are sexual situations in the book, but only a few and not overly graphic.
January 19, 2019
Oh my Goodness
This story had me at hello. I have to admit Anna is an extremely strong, independent, and loving woman. Be prepared to have kleenex for the end of the book. The accuracy of the victims of war was well researched. While this story is within the civil war era, please think of our vets who come have home with their problems. Rosanne Bittner did an excellent job in telling this in this book. Definately a must read.
This story had me at hello. I have to admit Anna is an extremely strong, independent, and loving woman. Be prepared to have kleenex for the end of the book. The accuracy of the victims of war was well researched. While this story is within the civil war era, please think of our vets who come have home with their problems. Rosanne Bittner did an excellent job in telling this in this book. Definately a must read.
February 10, 2019
Great read ! Sad but true life then as well as now . War is so heart breaking then and now . Our soldiers live and see so much pain. They come home with memories of horrors seen, friends lost and body's scared and limbs lost ! I'm
This book we can really see and feel what was has caused them and even now. Then 1860 until 2019 . Lord will wars ever end .
This book we can really see and feel what was has caused them and even now. Then 1860 until 2019 . Lord will wars ever end .
October 16, 2025
While I loved the characters(Anna and Nate) and the plot the book could have been 150 pages shorter. It is a very emotional read and I even teared up a bit. Anna was a super strong woman and Nate was just awesome!
The repetition of inner dialogue thoughts over and over by Anna literally took up 150 pages I think! Good story, just so repetitive it seemed to drag!
The repetition of inner dialogue thoughts over and over by Anna literally took up 150 pages I think! Good story, just so repetitive it seemed to drag!
February 13, 2019
Only Rosanne Bittner!
....can make me so involved that I cry. Really, I've never cried reading a book other than Gone With The Wind or hers....loved it, I was hesitant bc it wasn't an Indian book but I loved it!
....can make me so involved that I cry. Really, I've never cried reading a book other than Gone With The Wind or hers....loved it, I was hesitant bc it wasn't an Indian book but I loved it!
June 11, 2019
Wow!.
I don't know how I missed these 2 books. Montana Woman. And Embers of the Heart. Mrs Rosanne Bittner. Had amazed me again. I felt like I was right there. In both books....These will be in my "Read, again and again" books. I'd give more stars if I could.
I don't know how I missed these 2 books. Montana Woman. And Embers of the Heart. Mrs Rosanne Bittner. Had amazed me again. I felt like I was right there. In both books....These will be in my "Read, again and again" books. I'd give more stars if I could.
January 27, 2022
This was a good read
This author is a very good story teller. The book kept your interest until the very end. I enjoyed reading a book from this author. I would like to read more of her books.
This author is a very good story teller. The book kept your interest until the very end. I enjoyed reading a book from this author. I would like to read more of her books.
November 11, 2023
Loved this back in the day but now it just seems overdone. So much eye-rolling. Will leave this one in the past where I feel it should stay. ;)
June 5, 2024
Not nearly as good as the sister book, Montana Woman. Had to force myself to finish it.
April 9, 2012
tout comme le tome de sa soeur il lui manque une je ne sais quoi pour le rendre vraiment interessant
April 15, 2012
This takes you through life during the Civil War. There is heartache and loss as well as happiness and love. This is the sister from Montana Woman. Amazing read.
August 1, 2015
Read it again
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews