Risen Glory

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Spirited, schooled to trust no one, Kit Weston came to New York with a pistol in her pocket and murder in her heart, sworn to kill her mysterious guardian, her Yankee stepbrother, and reclaim the South Carolina plantation that was her heritage, her home.But Baron Cain inspired far more than vengeful fury. Worldly, handsome, undaunted by danger, he awakened in the wild girl a woman's ardor. Kit would shed her boy's disguise to dazzle society with her bold beauty...she would tantalize Baron even as she schemed to destroy him. Torn between burning desire and an impassioned dream of the South reborn, she would be forced to to fulfill love's longing or risk everything for Risen Glory.

Genres: Historical Romance, Romance, Westerns

Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 1984

About the author

SUSAN ELIZABETH PHILLIPS

Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy and is the creator of the sports romance, beginning with her 1989 bestseller, FANCY PANTS. An internationally acclaimed author, her books have been published in over 30 languages. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award, and a recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan's newest book, SIMPLY THE BEST, is coming in hardcover, ebook and audiobook in February 2024. SIMPLY THE BEST is book #10 in the highly acclaimed CHICAGO STARS football series. Susan is also known for the Wynette, Texas book series and many stand-alone women's fiction/romance novels.

In addition to being a New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, and USA Today bestseller, she is a hiker, lazy gardener, horrible singer, passable cook, passionate reader, wife, mother of two grown sons, and grandmother.

You can visit Susan on Facebook, Instagram or on her website.

https://www.facebook.com/SusanElizabe...

https://www.instagram.com/SEPauthor/

http://susanelizabethphillips.com/

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is under another title, Just Imagine

[Misfit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Note: this review is based upon the original 1984 edition. It has since been republished as Just Imagine, and from reading other reviews it sounds like some parts have been revised. I'd have to do a side-by-side comparison to be sure, but life is too short for that. From Bavr's comments on this review it doesn't sound like much has been changed to make it more PC friendly (that's a good thing).

The guy. Major Baron Cain was driven from his home at a very young age by his cold-hearted stepmother (same stepmother as Kit had). He drifted from town to town until joining the Union army and came out of the Civil War as a big hero. As the story begins he's retired from the military and supporting himself as a bit of a professional gambler in New York.

The girl. Katharine (Kit) Louise Weston had an uncaring father and a witch for a step-mother and was refused entrance to Risen Glory, the Weston's South Carolina plantation. Allowed to run free with no female supervision outside of the slaves, Kit is a wildcat and tomboy. Her father died in the war and left her beloved home to the wicked stepmother, who in turn dies of influenza and leaves it all to her stepson, and appoints him as Kit's guardian. When the story begins, Kit has come to New York in boy's clothing determined to kill Cain so she can regain her beloved home.

My thoughts? It was a fairly good read, even with the author throwing just about every trope known to romance. I did fine things dragging on a bit too long at the end. If they would have just talked to each other and said I love you. Argh. I also thought the sub-story of Sophronia and Magnus a bit of a slog and ended up skimming towards the end. I'm not sure how the newer version of this book reads, but Cain was an awful domineering ass at times (typical of your 80s romances), and I did want to slap Kit silly for not seeing the forest through the trees. Still, I couldn't put the book down. I'd recommend this for fans of the older BRs, but not for today's more PC minded readers. I doubt they'd warm up much to Cain.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gobbled this book up.

Warning that this book is kinda problematic. It was published in 1984 and takes place pretty soon after the civil war and mostly on a South Carolinian plantation.

Heroine is an heiress who wants her plantation back. Hero is a gambler who owns the plantation and is the guardian of the heroine until she turns 23 or marries.

I didn’t love the last 30 pages, but this book gets 4 stars from me for having a few very specific angsty scenarios that I enjoy.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story about Kit, a Southern belle, and Baron, a Union hero. Their relationship reminded me of Scarlet and Rhett. Baron received Kit's South Carolina plantation at the end of the Civil War. Kit, needless to say, was resentful and only wants Risen Glory back. But Baron ends up forcing her to marry him and turns the plantation into a profitable enterprise. Through much conflict, they do have their wonderful HEA. Great story.

[Sarah Soueidan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The guardianship is Rosemary’s joke from the grave,” Cain concluded.

This is the first book I've read written by Suzan Elizabeth Phillips and I was kind of surprised not many here know of this gem; those who do already appreciate it.
It starts as a Cinderella-like story where Kit has a wicked stepmother, Rosemary, and a distant, careless father who only cared for his wife. Upon his death, Rosemary decides to pass on his funds and the Risen Glory plantation to her estranged son, Baron Cain. Cain -rightfully- doesn't like to have anything to do with her, as she left a nine-year old Cain and his father, who was devoted to her nonetheless and suffered because of her. Cain reluctantly decides to take over the plantation only to discover that he has a half-sister, Kit.

Kit, due to the lack of attention and care, grows up to be an 18-year-old tomboy-like figure dressed in rags and doesn't care about hygiene. Her character though was sweet, and the neighbors and the ex-slaves hired at the plantation were her family. Kit decides to take what's rightfully hers back, even at the cost of trying to kill Cain. Cain doesn't take offense nor does he act greedily.

Then things take their course and the past, history and inner struggles are revealed.

There's no malice in this story. Everyone is fighting their own battle, and things end up well for all. Though it takes a while for the main characters to acknowledge their feelings, though I wasn't quite happy with Kit eventually letting go of Risen Glory though it may have the meaning that Kit decided to let go of the past, just as Cain decided to let go of his fear of his father's agony repeating itself, which might give it a sentimental meaning to their growing love.

Update: I just noticed that there's another updated version of this book called Just Imagine. Just Imagine
I'll repost this review there as well.

[BRNTerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was rewritten as "Imagine."

I went from really liking this to wanting it to end as soon as possible. It takes place from 1865-1869. Kit's very likable- she's feisty and a smartmouth with lots of fire and spirit...just the type of heroine I prefer. She's aged sixteen through twenty during the story.

Cain's had a rough life and is getting by on his earnings from gambling. He's twenty-eight. He and Kit clash for most of the story and when they're together I don't feel chemistry. They don't get together until she's back in SC when she's nineteen, after three years away at finishing school. He's pretty verbally abusive and smacks her once. He rapes her once too with his finger while trying to see if she's the virgin she claims to be.

Characters I don't like- Most of them. I don't understand the character of Flora Van Ness at all. She had the makings of a rival for Cain's attention, a villain actually, but the author dropped the ball on that.
I don't like Kit's housekeeper, Saphronia. She's only a couple years older than Kit and they've grown up in the same house together. She's described as a gold-digging light-skinned black woman who's out to snag herself a wealthy white man. I really see no purpose to having her in the story.
Miss Dolly is Kit's chaperone that she had in New York and who's with her in South Carolina. Very annoying older woman who's another character that serves no purpose other than to add filler to the story.

The two main characters are the only ones I liked at all but this story just wasn't good. The story went nowhere after Kit returned home and I got bored with it.

From the author's website: "JUST IMAGINE is a reissue of RISEN GLORY, which has been out of print for many years. It’s not your ordinary reissue, however, which is why we changed the title. I made substantial revisions—fleshing out the characters of Kit Weston (a total scamp) and Baron Cain (his name says it all), as well as adding new scenes. The book has a special “Dear Reader” letter at the beginning that explains why I decided to polish up the original."

[Ann]

Read the version of this republished as Just Imagine

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this awhile back under its more recent title "Just Imagine".

[M U · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read years ago and would like to read again. But I can’t find it

[Lissa]

see description for Just imagine title, modernization of this book

[Arines · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re read. I don't know why I gave 5 stars to Just Imagine 😮‍💨 when I read it again... ugh wth why did I do that