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Northern Star
The raging fury of war was ending. But their perilous passion had just begun . . .
Hauntingly beautiful Perry McLain was desperate to escape the powerful Union Army captain who pursued her, seeking vengeance for her rebellion. Yet, her vow to save the handsome Hunter Kirkland plunged her deep into enemy territory . . . and into the tortuous flames of desire.
To Hunter, weak with fever, she was nothing but an alluring dream visiting him in the darkness . . . a sultry vision he could embrace only in the heat of his own imagination. Yet the memory of her warm caresses, the urgent ecstasy of her closeness refused to fade in the morning light.
He did not realize that underneath the dirt-caked, boyish clothes of his daytime companion was the body of the woman whose nighttime passion he craved . . . .
Hauntingly beautiful Perry McLain was desperate to escape the powerful Union Army captain who pursued her, seeking vengeance for her rebellion. Yet, her vow to save the handsome Hunter Kirkland plunged her deep into enemy territory . . . and into the tortuous flames of desire.
To Hunter, weak with fever, she was nothing but an alluring dream visiting him in the darkness . . . a sultry vision he could embrace only in the heat of his own imagination. Yet the memory of her warm caresses, the urgent ecstasy of her closeness refused to fade in the morning light.
He did not realize that underneath the dirt-caked, boyish clothes of his daytime companion was the body of the woman whose nighttime passion he craved . . . .
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
15 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Jodi Thomas
112 books2,511 followersI'm a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author, wife, mother, in-law, grandmother, sister, friend, and owner of one fat cat.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 29, 2019
Beautifully written
Heartbreaking
Joyful
Sex scenes written elegantly
First victims in wars, civil wars are women. There are triggers (attempt to rape).
Minor ex drama.
Very strong heroine. Hero a bit awkward, silly sometimes but he chased his woman.
Will re- read this one definitely
Heartbreaking
Joyful
Sex scenes written elegantly
First victims in wars, civil wars are women. There are triggers (attempt to rape).
Minor ex drama.
Very strong heroine. Hero a bit awkward, silly sometimes but he chased his woman.
Will re- read this one definitely
April 8, 2021
He pulled her into his arms. “You asked me once if I cared for you. You’re my world, all the happiness in my life. You’re my dreams and my reality. I love you beyond the definition of the word.”
I loved this book to pieces. It is one of the many few Civil War bodice rippers/historical romance/ love stories that I had fun reading.
I started reading these books due to Gone With The Wind. I wanted to read a similar setting during the same time period. To be fair, not every Civil War book will be fun even if it is a love story in that time period.
I need to start learning that. I have dozens of Civil War bodice rippers on my TBR list, but I don’t think I am going to read them. The ones that I keep and have on my shelf, feel right. Wading through more of these books, I am starting to feel like I am reading the same thing over and over. So I am just sticking to the ones I have.
Apart from that, this book completely blew me away as I knew it would. And since we measure every Civil War love story up to the standards of Gone With The Wind, this book is in its own league. Just pure amazing.
Characters:
Our herione, Perry McLain is no ordinary Southern Belle. She burns down her plantation and flees from Union forces. She is a guns-wielding herione, and I applaud Civil War heroines for that. It’s a bonus in my book for that. Sure, Perry may not have used her derringer even if she does hold it on occasion, but it still counts. She wields to no man, and is her own person.
Hunter Kirkland, is another hero to admire. He is dashing and handsome. He likes to sail in the sky and has a passion for air-balloons. He is on the side of the Union army, and has his own fair share of problems.
Side characters:
Perry’s family is mentioned. She has a aging grandfather and brother named Andrew. Both her parents are dead. Hunter has a cousin (who is the antagonist of the book) and his relatives nearby include his grandparents. Hunter also has a close friend. Perry also makes friends with a wise woman named Molly and a soldier named Luke. A nice cast of characters and unique at that.
Setting:
Mid-1860’s. Early end of the Civil War/ early Reconstruction era. The war is still being fought. It’s barely even the beginning of the Reconstruction era.
Plot:
Perry runs away to a barn where she finds Hunter who needs nursing because of a bad shoulder wound from a nasty fall.
Perry runs all over the place from a plantation to Philadelphia to stay with friends. In between, she is given time to debate her attraction to Hunter.
They both get their HEA with the villain dead. Most people have died. Perry and Hunter get married in the sky. Later on, they lay in bed contemplating their life that they will rebuild.
I loved this book to pieces. It is one of the many few Civil War bodice rippers/historical romance/ love stories that I had fun reading.
I started reading these books due to Gone With The Wind. I wanted to read a similar setting during the same time period. To be fair, not every Civil War book will be fun even if it is a love story in that time period.
I need to start learning that. I have dozens of Civil War bodice rippers on my TBR list, but I don’t think I am going to read them. The ones that I keep and have on my shelf, feel right. Wading through more of these books, I am starting to feel like I am reading the same thing over and over. So I am just sticking to the ones I have.
Apart from that, this book completely blew me away as I knew it would. And since we measure every Civil War love story up to the standards of Gone With The Wind, this book is in its own league. Just pure amazing.
Characters:
Our herione, Perry McLain is no ordinary Southern Belle. She burns down her plantation and flees from Union forces. She is a guns-wielding herione, and I applaud Civil War heroines for that. It’s a bonus in my book for that. Sure, Perry may not have used her derringer even if she does hold it on occasion, but it still counts. She wields to no man, and is her own person.
Hunter Kirkland, is another hero to admire. He is dashing and handsome. He likes to sail in the sky and has a passion for air-balloons. He is on the side of the Union army, and has his own fair share of problems.
Side characters:
Perry’s family is mentioned. She has a aging grandfather and brother named Andrew. Both her parents are dead. Hunter has a cousin (who is the antagonist of the book) and his relatives nearby include his grandparents. Hunter also has a close friend. Perry also makes friends with a wise woman named Molly and a soldier named Luke. A nice cast of characters and unique at that.
Setting:
Mid-1860’s. Early end of the Civil War/ early Reconstruction era. The war is still being fought. It’s barely even the beginning of the Reconstruction era.
Plot:
Perry runs away to a barn where she finds Hunter who needs nursing because of a bad shoulder wound from a nasty fall.
Perry runs all over the place from a plantation to Philadelphia to stay with friends. In between, she is given time to debate her attraction to Hunter.
They both get their HEA with the villain dead. Most people have died. Perry and Hunter get married in the sky. Later on, they lay in bed contemplating their life that they will rebuild.
August 2, 2016
This book is one of her best,I could hardly put it down to eat or sleep. Love Jodie Thomas works.
Because I am 76 and have been reading for 60plus yrs. Enjoy all her novels. I have 2 more of her books in the series Texan Gambles.
Because I am 76 and have been reading for 60plus yrs. Enjoy all her novels. I have 2 more of her books in the series Texan Gambles.
September 6, 2009
One of Jodi Thomas's earlier books. It was so-so. Her writer has deffently gotten better over the years.
October 10, 2020
I read this book 30 years ago and yet it remains vivid in my mind. That is the gift of Jodi Thomas. It is R+ rated and I skipped a few scenes, but the plot is worth it. Civil War history is one of my favorite time periods. The use of hot air balloons in that war is an interesting side-note Jodi shares. She writes the pain families suffered in this war fairly and the history true. I do love her later books more.
December 8, 2023
A harrowing yet beautiful love story that spans for months between Perry and Hunter. There is no insta-lust but rather a very slow-burn romance which starts at about third quarter of the story.
TW : Attempts of rape, mentions of N word, sexual harassments, physical abuse and violence. There’s a slight OW moment as she was Hunter’s childhood friend and fiancee but Hunter never paid any attention towards her and she cheated on him so he left her.
TW : Attempts of rape, mentions of N word, sexual harassments, physical abuse and violence. There’s a slight OW moment as she was Hunter’s childhood friend and fiancee but Hunter never paid any attention towards her and she cheated on him so he left her.
June 14, 2019
The use of balloons during the Civil War is part of this story; it is during the closing days of the war.
This is an early book by Jodi Thomas and it shows. A Union officer is after the lovely Perry McLain and she is trying to save the wounded Hunter Kirkland. This sends her deep into Union territory.
I thought this was very average.
This is an early book by Jodi Thomas and it shows. A Union officer is after the lovely Perry McLain and she is trying to save the wounded Hunter Kirkland. This sends her deep into Union territory.
I thought this was very average.
April 30, 2017
First day of reading:
"I'm on page 65 of 352 of Northern Star: Sigh! I've read 28 historical fiction books by this author and I think this is the final full-length story I have left to read. I've been savoring it on my shelf for awhile and hope it lives up to my expectations from her prior books. So far it is pretty good. I can't say I am disappointed."
Final review:
I wasn't disappointed. With a publishing date of 1990, this book appears to be one of Jodi Thomas's first mass market books. I was fearful it would be an all out bodice ripper reflecting the romance style of the day even though I can't recall any of her other historical books being bodice rippers.
Anyway, in short, my fears were put to rest. This book had plenty of substance, colorful characters and backstories that created a colorful weaving around the main story line. Unlike the typical bodice ripper, if one removed the pages of explicit lusting and sex, this book would have most of its pages left as Thomas created a growing attraction, curiosity and tension between the main characters without going "the three toos": too far, too often, and too fast.
The cover is quite racy compared to the actual story, but definitely reflects the year of publishing.
To some degree, the book is almost more adventure/suspense with romance rather than pure romance. There is an evil archenemy that seems justifiably vindictive at first, but grows more vengeful and evil throughout the story. The story starts towards the end of the Civil War right on advancing enemy lines and eventually moves as far north as Philadelphia and then back to a southern state very mixed with northern loyalties. As readers, we get to live through many scenes and emotions that remind us of how long the Civil War endured, how people's attitudes changed during and after the war, and then the start of union and reconstruction.
One more unique aspect of the book is the incorporation of hot air balloons used for spying and strategy. I know I've read at least one other fiction book that had a main focus of the hot air balloon during the war, but most romance books that include the Civil War place us in other locations with plantations, hospitals, battlefields and political hot spots.
Earlier I mentioned there is a strong evil protagonist and this book was almost more adventure/suspense. I don't want to reveal any true spoilers, so I will just say that the protagonist essentially is the cause of most twists and turns, some of which readers can guess and others that may take us by surprise. At any rate, I think that this is what helped to make the reading so compelling. I would have been happy to sit down and read this story in 2 days rather than the 4-5 days it took me.
I'm sorry I can't give the book five stars, but with a female masquerading as a young boy/man and all the twists and turns, I struggle at times with believability. This is not an uncommon issue with any work of fiction that is written to portray what could be a true story. However, it makes for a lengthy, colorful story with a happy ending, does it not?
One more thing about the story itself. No matter how big a fan you are of Jodi Thomas's writing, you will not enjoy this book if you don't enjoy reading historical fiction or about the Civil War. That should go without saying, but we often see reviews and ratings by readers who don't care for the setting or time period of a book.
Paperback availability - rare:
I am unable to read digital stories on readers and prefer books anyway. So I will tell you that the paperback is very hard to find. I'm not certain it was ever published a second time. Current prices (spring 2017) on the online used book market are $16-25 factoring in shipping. Check your local library or used bookstore first. After that your best chance for paying less would be patience and putting your feet to the pavement - shopping thrift stores and garage sales, but that would be a lot of trouble. I got lucky in 2015. I watched for online used copies of the book like a hawk for about a year and snagged my copy for about $10 including shipping.
If you can read with Kindle or a similar device for digital downloads, that is your best option or value, around five dollars.
"I'm on page 65 of 352 of Northern Star: Sigh! I've read 28 historical fiction books by this author and I think this is the final full-length story I have left to read. I've been savoring it on my shelf for awhile and hope it lives up to my expectations from her prior books. So far it is pretty good. I can't say I am disappointed."
Final review:
I wasn't disappointed. With a publishing date of 1990, this book appears to be one of Jodi Thomas's first mass market books. I was fearful it would be an all out bodice ripper reflecting the romance style of the day even though I can't recall any of her other historical books being bodice rippers.
Anyway, in short, my fears were put to rest. This book had plenty of substance, colorful characters and backstories that created a colorful weaving around the main story line. Unlike the typical bodice ripper, if one removed the pages of explicit lusting and sex, this book would have most of its pages left as Thomas created a growing attraction, curiosity and tension between the main characters without going "the three toos": too far, too often, and too fast.
The cover is quite racy compared to the actual story, but definitely reflects the year of publishing.
To some degree, the book is almost more adventure/suspense with romance rather than pure romance. There is an evil archenemy that seems justifiably vindictive at first, but grows more vengeful and evil throughout the story. The story starts towards the end of the Civil War right on advancing enemy lines and eventually moves as far north as Philadelphia and then back to a southern state very mixed with northern loyalties. As readers, we get to live through many scenes and emotions that remind us of how long the Civil War endured, how people's attitudes changed during and after the war, and then the start of union and reconstruction.
One more unique aspect of the book is the incorporation of hot air balloons used for spying and strategy. I know I've read at least one other fiction book that had a main focus of the hot air balloon during the war, but most romance books that include the Civil War place us in other locations with plantations, hospitals, battlefields and political hot spots.
Earlier I mentioned there is a strong evil protagonist and this book was almost more adventure/suspense. I don't want to reveal any true spoilers, so I will just say that the protagonist essentially is the cause of most twists and turns, some of which readers can guess and others that may take us by surprise. At any rate, I think that this is what helped to make the reading so compelling. I would have been happy to sit down and read this story in 2 days rather than the 4-5 days it took me.
I'm sorry I can't give the book five stars, but with a female masquerading as a young boy/man and all the twists and turns, I struggle at times with believability. This is not an uncommon issue with any work of fiction that is written to portray what could be a true story. However, it makes for a lengthy, colorful story with a happy ending, does it not?
One more thing about the story itself. No matter how big a fan you are of Jodi Thomas's writing, you will not enjoy this book if you don't enjoy reading historical fiction or about the Civil War. That should go without saying, but we often see reviews and ratings by readers who don't care for the setting or time period of a book.
Paperback availability - rare:
I am unable to read digital stories on readers and prefer books anyway. So I will tell you that the paperback is very hard to find. I'm not certain it was ever published a second time. Current prices (spring 2017) on the online used book market are $16-25 factoring in shipping. Check your local library or used bookstore first. After that your best chance for paying less would be patience and putting your feet to the pavement - shopping thrift stores and garage sales, but that would be a lot of trouble. I got lucky in 2015. I watched for online used copies of the book like a hawk for about a year and snagged my copy for about $10 including shipping.
If you can read with Kindle or a similar device for digital downloads, that is your best option or value, around five dollars.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews