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A Fine Looking Soldier: Secret Soldier Vol. 1
Charley Smith is up to something…
Henry Schaefer is sick of standing in his brothers’ shadows. That’s why he tried to enlist just as soon as Lincoln put out the call. Now that he’s finally mustering in at Fort Snelling in the last company of the Second Minnesota Regiment, he’s eager to prove himself and catch up with his brothers on the front lines. He may be green, but at least he’s not as green as the snot-nosed Charles Smith, who seems hell-bent on making life in their squad as difficult as humanly possible.
Charles Smith knows he’s being an unbearable ass. But it’s nothing personal — it’s a matter of survival. Because the last thing he can afford is for his squad to discover he is actually Cate Ellis, whose unhappy marriage finally drove her to throw everyone’s expectations to the wind and do all she can to open up the promise of freedom to every square mile of these United States. Which, in this case, means disguising herself as a man. It’s too bad she has to do everything she can to drive that lughead Schaefer away, because he is … well, he is objectively a very strapping man.
Henry knows there’s something off about Charley. And he’s going to get to the bottom of it, even if the little weasel has these dark eyes he can’t quite look away from…
Henry Schaefer is sick of standing in his brothers’ shadows. That’s why he tried to enlist just as soon as Lincoln put out the call. Now that he’s finally mustering in at Fort Snelling in the last company of the Second Minnesota Regiment, he’s eager to prove himself and catch up with his brothers on the front lines. He may be green, but at least he’s not as green as the snot-nosed Charles Smith, who seems hell-bent on making life in their squad as difficult as humanly possible.
Charles Smith knows he’s being an unbearable ass. But it’s nothing personal — it’s a matter of survival. Because the last thing he can afford is for his squad to discover he is actually Cate Ellis, whose unhappy marriage finally drove her to throw everyone’s expectations to the wind and do all she can to open up the promise of freedom to every square mile of these United States. Which, in this case, means disguising herself as a man. It’s too bad she has to do everything she can to drive that lughead Schaefer away, because he is … well, he is objectively a very strapping man.
Henry knows there’s something off about Charley. And he’s going to get to the bottom of it, even if the little weasel has these dark eyes he can’t quite look away from…
391 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2024
3 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
About the author
Jane Hadley
6 books20 followersJane Hadley lives under seven layers of blankets staring out into the cold tundra of Minnesota winter from behind her original wavy glass 1915 windows which she stubbornly won’t replace because old things are inherently valuable.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 30, 2024
I’ve never read a serial before, but I wasn’t going to pass up one by the author of Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen. Jane Hadley is my dream author: creative, a history nerd and prolific.
I read most of this Civil War romance starting in January 2024, when the first installment came out with her newsletter. When a paperback came available, I bought it, and read the last three installments in that format. Whichever way you read it, it’s so good.
Cate is married to a boring man when she runs away, disguises herself as a man, Charles Smith, and enlists in the Second Minnesota Regiment. She wants to fight for, among other things, the abolition of slavery, but of course, women aren’t allowed to fight at that time. At Fort Snelling, she immediately butts heads with another volunteer, Henry Schaefer.
This is a love story (fair warning, there is a part 2 coming, but it’s not really a cliffhanger), but it’s also an incredibly well-researched novel that is by turns riveting, tense, hot and historically fascinating.
I can’t wait to read the rest of Cate and Henry’s story.
I read most of this Civil War romance starting in January 2024, when the first installment came out with her newsletter. When a paperback came available, I bought it, and read the last three installments in that format. Whichever way you read it, it’s so good.
Cate is married to a boring man when she runs away, disguises herself as a man, Charles Smith, and enlists in the Second Minnesota Regiment. She wants to fight for, among other things, the abolition of slavery, but of course, women aren’t allowed to fight at that time. At Fort Snelling, she immediately butts heads with another volunteer, Henry Schaefer.
This is a love story (fair warning, there is a part 2 coming, but it’s not really a cliffhanger), but it’s also an incredibly well-researched novel that is by turns riveting, tense, hot and historically fascinating.
I can’t wait to read the rest of Cate and Henry’s story.
April 14, 2025
Minnesota, 1861.
Charles Smith is the biggest ass who ever enlisted. At least, that's what Henry Schaefer thinks, especially when they have to share a bunk. Charley is formerly Cate Ellis, and while she's naturally prickly, in order to keep her secret, she's sharper. To her bunkmates, and especially to Henry, it seems like her secret could be that Smith is sleeping with a married woman or that he might be a Rebel spy! Of course, since this is a romance novel though, Cate reveals her identity to Henry. It's not her fault he has maddeningly beautiful thighs...
I really loved this book. Jane Hadley released it as a serial over the course of several months, and read in the novelized form it feels a little on the longer side, and I recommend stretching it out rather than reading it in a few sittings. When Hadley releaes part 2, I plan to read it in serialized form (pick it up from her newsletter!)
Cate/Smith/Charley may be the same person, but Hadley does a great job of capturing her different personality aspects. Cate thinks of herself as a woman, but she doesn't have the vocabulary to think about herself as other than a woman in disguise. I'm really interested to see where this goes in part 2, because I can sense Cate's identity shifting.
I loved how hot this book was, once Charley and Henry admit their attraction. Kisses and stolen touches are sexier when they're forbidden and discovery could lead to terrible consequences.
I really appreciated the detail Hadley spends on how Cate deals with menstruation. I've truly always wondered how most of the women who either disguised themselves as men or took on male identities in an army were able to handle hiding their cycles. The depth of research, Hadley's author's notes on the historical setting, and bibliography are great resources as well.
Charles Smith is the biggest ass who ever enlisted. At least, that's what Henry Schaefer thinks, especially when they have to share a bunk. Charley is formerly Cate Ellis, and while she's naturally prickly, in order to keep her secret, she's sharper. To her bunkmates, and especially to Henry, it seems like her secret could be that Smith is sleeping with a married woman or that he might be a Rebel spy! Of course, since this is a romance novel though, Cate reveals her identity to Henry. It's not her fault he has maddeningly beautiful thighs...
I really loved this book. Jane Hadley released it as a serial over the course of several months, and read in the novelized form it feels a little on the longer side, and I recommend stretching it out rather than reading it in a few sittings. When Hadley releaes part 2, I plan to read it in serialized form (pick it up from her newsletter!)
Cate/Smith/Charley may be the same person, but Hadley does a great job of capturing her different personality aspects. Cate thinks of herself as a woman, but she doesn't have the vocabulary to think about herself as other than a woman in disguise. I'm really interested to see where this goes in part 2, because I can sense Cate's identity shifting.
I loved how hot this book was, once Charley and Henry admit their attraction. Kisses and stolen touches are sexier when they're forbidden and discovery could lead to terrible consequences.
I really appreciated the detail Hadley spends on how Cate deals with menstruation. I've truly always wondered how most of the women who either disguised themselves as men or took on male identities in an army were able to handle hiding their cycles. The depth of research, Hadley's author's notes on the historical setting, and bibliography are great resources as well.
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April 30, 2025Super well researched historical romance taking place during the American civil war
September 26, 2024
This trope (woman disguised as a man) is one of my favorites dating back to childhood with Mulan and Alanna, so I really enjoyed this one! The tidbits of history were fascinating without feeling like an info-dump. I'm looking forward to more Charley and Henry in the next volume!
June 2, 2025
LOL did not know this had a true sequel coming!! but yay for more Cate and Henry!!
August 27, 2024
Last year, I read and loved Mrs Milner Gets A Kitchen, so I was very excited about Jane Hadley’s sophomore effort, and she definitely delivered. I read A Fine Looking Soldier as part of Hadley’s Romance Book, available in bi-weekly instalments through the author’s newsletter, and found it utterly charming and creative. The premise of a young woman trapped in an unsatisfactory marriage who sneaks into the Union army as the Civil War looms was so fun and fresh, the characters were excellently developed, and the writing was strong and often very funny. Ms Hadley’s care for her cast of characters, and especially the protagonists, Cate/Charley and Henry, is palpable, and I loved every aspect of their journey.
Cate was a very relatable and endearing heroine, even though she did her best to appear prickly and unapproachable. I also appreciated how Ms Hadley dared to go to some very unglamorous places with her, especially with her sometimes cringey and often hilarious efforts to maintain her hygiene in the crowded barracks. We’re truly not in glittering ballrooms anymore. I also loved how, while her marriage was by no means happy or satisfactory in any respect, Cate is shown to be into sex and is the more experienced one in the burgeoning relationship.
Henry was just the loveliest, sweetest man. I loved reading about his efforts to emerge from his brothers’ shadow and become his own man, and I especially loved how he was patient and kind (as long as humanly possible) to Charley, who was often a bastard to him. While Cate is almost immediately attracted to her bunkmate, sometimes to hilarious effect, before he saw her as Cate, they truly bonded as Charley and Henry over books they loved and their beliefs, and the development of their bond was utterly charming. The second part of the book, when Henry finally discovers Charley’s secret, was incredibly sweet and romantic, and often very hot, although opportunities for erotic exploits were obviously very limited given the circumstances and their surroundings.
Cate and Henry had palpable chemistry and their scenes together fairly crackled with it, but they were also compelling to read individually. The supporting cast was also interesting and often provided comic relief (I know there has to be more to the German fellow, and I hope to find out what it is in the next book. He must be onto them). Also, the entire concept of compiling a whole publication that emulates 19th century women’s magazines was incredibly creative and I applaud Jane Hadley for putting in so much work, especially in a genre in which authors seem to just haphazardly construct flimsy stories around tired tropes. A Fine Looking Soldier was an absolute delight and a creative achievement, and I cannot wait to read what comes next for Cate and Henry.
Cate was a very relatable and endearing heroine, even though she did her best to appear prickly and unapproachable. I also appreciated how Ms Hadley dared to go to some very unglamorous places with her, especially with her sometimes cringey and often hilarious efforts to maintain her hygiene in the crowded barracks. We’re truly not in glittering ballrooms anymore. I also loved how, while her marriage was by no means happy or satisfactory in any respect, Cate is shown to be into sex and is the more experienced one in the burgeoning relationship.
Henry was just the loveliest, sweetest man. I loved reading about his efforts to emerge from his brothers’ shadow and become his own man, and I especially loved how he was patient and kind (as long as humanly possible) to Charley, who was often a bastard to him. While Cate is almost immediately attracted to her bunkmate, sometimes to hilarious effect, before he saw her as Cate, they truly bonded as Charley and Henry over books they loved and their beliefs, and the development of their bond was utterly charming. The second part of the book, when Henry finally discovers Charley’s secret, was incredibly sweet and romantic, and often very hot, although opportunities for erotic exploits were obviously very limited given the circumstances and their surroundings.
Cate and Henry had palpable chemistry and their scenes together fairly crackled with it, but they were also compelling to read individually. The supporting cast was also interesting and often provided comic relief (I know there has to be more to the German fellow, and I hope to find out what it is in the next book. He must be onto them). Also, the entire concept of compiling a whole publication that emulates 19th century women’s magazines was incredibly creative and I applaud Jane Hadley for putting in so much work, especially in a genre in which authors seem to just haphazardly construct flimsy stories around tired tropes. A Fine Looking Soldier was an absolute delight and a creative achievement, and I cannot wait to read what comes next for Cate and Henry.
October 12, 2024
I love historical romance the absolute best, but I am often, OFTEN appalled at the rugged, dirty conditions and the lack of hygiene. But of all of my whining and complaining, I am HERE for it. It is catnip.
This book!!!! This is one of the filthiest (physical conditions) and also one of the hottest. Hands down. Unrequited love? Impossible, longing, yearning, only one tent, the stakes could not get higher if caught, masterpiece of a novel.
And stop the presses: within these pages has the most breathtaking, accurate and beautiful literary description of an orgasm of a fmc. Look no farther. You can't outdo this.
Charley escaped from her unhappy, married life to become a soldier in the Civil War. *What she must go through* to hide her true identity - to just use the bathroom, bathe, dress, have her period - incredible. I bow down to her. I'm not worthy.
Henry is a younger brother who has always been overshadowed, ignored and talked over his entire life. He runs off and joins the army too.
Charley and Henry END UP BEING BUNK MATES. Absolutely delicious.
This is only vol 1. Volume 2 comes out next year. I'll be ready!!
This book!!!! This is one of the filthiest (physical conditions) and also one of the hottest. Hands down. Unrequited love? Impossible, longing, yearning, only one tent, the stakes could not get higher if caught, masterpiece of a novel.
And stop the presses: within these pages has the most breathtaking, accurate and beautiful literary description of an orgasm of a fmc. Look no farther. You can't outdo this.
Charley escaped from her unhappy, married life to become a soldier in the Civil War. *What she must go through* to hide her true identity - to just use the bathroom, bathe, dress, have her period - incredible. I bow down to her. I'm not worthy.
Henry is a younger brother who has always been overshadowed, ignored and talked over his entire life. He runs off and joins the army too.
Charley and Henry END UP BEING BUNK MATES. Absolutely delicious.
This is only vol 1. Volume 2 comes out next year. I'll be ready!!
March 29, 2025
This book was delicious! The author wrote that “the plot was sacrificed on the alter of historical accuracy” and I think this is true in the most wonderful way! The minimalist approach to plot completely fits the anxious waiting in the story, which is set in a Union camp during the Civil war, as everyone prepares to go off to fight for the first time.
This is a love story, and it does that really really well - pining, forbidden love, the highest stakes, only one tent, grumpy/sort of less grumpy… it’s wonderful, from a romance perspective and very sexy and sweet.
In addition to that, it’s deeply well researched - the level of historical detail in this book really makes it come alive. I could almost *feel* how filthy everyone is all the time and enjoyed reading about things like walking hours to go to a wedding (as one did) and the novelty and excitement of getting photos taken.
The author is also doing more with the ‘cis woman passing as a man’ situation than many people would have and I am here for it! I love how both Charley and Henry journey through their understanding of her gender and identity as the book progresses. An excellent read - can’t wait for the sequel!
This is a love story, and it does that really really well - pining, forbidden love, the highest stakes, only one tent, grumpy/sort of less grumpy… it’s wonderful, from a romance perspective and very sexy and sweet.
In addition to that, it’s deeply well researched - the level of historical detail in this book really makes it come alive. I could almost *feel* how filthy everyone is all the time and enjoyed reading about things like walking hours to go to a wedding (as one did) and the novelty and excitement of getting photos taken.
The author is also doing more with the ‘cis woman passing as a man’ situation than many people would have and I am here for it! I love how both Charley and Henry journey through their understanding of her gender and identity as the book progresses. An excellent read - can’t wait for the sequel!
October 19, 2024
A historical romance unlike any other. I couldn’t put it down!
Jane Hadley’s impeccably researched tale of a Minnesota woman who chooses to dress as a man and enlist in the Civil War (and finds love along the way) has it all - gritty, eye opening history; crackling romantic tension; delicious and realistic steam - all interwoven with moments of biting wit, laugh-out-loud humor and deeper themes of feminism, gender, the immigrant experience, camaraderie and the noble / tragic polarity of war.
It’s a rich soup, indeed.
I adore that Ms. Hadley chooses to set her books in Minnesota, partly because I’m a Midwesterner myself, but mostly because by doing so she makes it clear just how asinine it is that so much of the historical romance genre is hyper focused on rich white people in Regency England. It’s such a stunted view of the past, when the history of every place is so rich with the details and characters needed to craft a good romance.
Like Henry, a Turner - a German immigrant who grew up doing gymnastics like it was his religion, and who feels out of place in the larger US society because of his upbringing.
Or people like Cate, an educated woman struggling with what it means to be female in nineteenth-century America, and determined to work for abolition at any cost.
And that’s just the beginning. This novel will take you to so many new places. The banks of the Mississippi. The dusty back roads of Minneapolis. The secret broom closets, the close sleeping quarters, and the harrowing privys of Fort Snelling.
It’s a journey you won’t soon forget.
Read this book if you want something different. Something more real, more visceral and frankly, more interesting than the typical historical romance. You won’t regret it.
Jane Hadley’s impeccably researched tale of a Minnesota woman who chooses to dress as a man and enlist in the Civil War (and finds love along the way) has it all - gritty, eye opening history; crackling romantic tension; delicious and realistic steam - all interwoven with moments of biting wit, laugh-out-loud humor and deeper themes of feminism, gender, the immigrant experience, camaraderie and the noble / tragic polarity of war.
It’s a rich soup, indeed.
I adore that Ms. Hadley chooses to set her books in Minnesota, partly because I’m a Midwesterner myself, but mostly because by doing so she makes it clear just how asinine it is that so much of the historical romance genre is hyper focused on rich white people in Regency England. It’s such a stunted view of the past, when the history of every place is so rich with the details and characters needed to craft a good romance.
Like Henry, a Turner - a German immigrant who grew up doing gymnastics like it was his religion, and who feels out of place in the larger US society because of his upbringing.
Or people like Cate, an educated woman struggling with what it means to be female in nineteenth-century America, and determined to work for abolition at any cost.
And that’s just the beginning. This novel will take you to so many new places. The banks of the Mississippi. The dusty back roads of Minneapolis. The secret broom closets, the close sleeping quarters, and the harrowing privys of Fort Snelling.
It’s a journey you won’t soon forget.
Read this book if you want something different. Something more real, more visceral and frankly, more interesting than the typical historical romance. You won’t regret it.
January 4, 2026
Exceptional debut novel! Excellent writing with so much historical knowledge gained: German immigrants called the Turners who were anti-clerical and gymnasts, women disguised as men who served in the Union Army and all the small details of the running of Fort Snelling, MN down to the "soldier sinks" or latrines, bunkhouse and guardhouse layouts make the book feel very real. Great emotion as the soldiers prepare for war and say goodbye to their loved ones. The author's illustrations that can be viewed on her website are such as bonus and the cover art is perfect. Looking forward to reading part 2 of this story in the next book.
December 31, 2025
Content warnings: war, mentions of slavery, violence, sexism, misogyny, forced marriage
I had a delightful time with this. From the secret identity to the only one bunk to the only one tent to the "I am determined to find out your secret oh SHIT that's not what I thought the secret was and now I have feelings about it what do I doooooooo", it was a lot of fun (as much as a Civil War love story can be, at any rate) from start to finish.
I had a delightful time with this. From the secret identity to the only one bunk to the only one tent to the "I am determined to find out your secret oh SHIT that's not what I thought the secret was and now I have feelings about it what do I doooooooo", it was a lot of fun (as much as a Civil War love story can be, at any rate) from start to finish.
September 8, 2024
Loved reading this in the serialized version. It was suspenseful enough to have me excited about the next installment and deep enough that I felt I was rooting for characters I knew quite well. The characters' confusions about gender, rights, freedom, duty, and attraction are chef's kiss delicious. As are the historical details.
November 2, 2024
4.5 stars - I read this as a serial in the author’s newsletter and loved it. The tension between the two MCs was delicious, and Henry’s sharp turn from suspicious to all in was amazing. The research underpinning this story was incredible - I really felt in the camp with them and loved the details.
December 20, 2025
really liked this!
January 9, 2026
The characters are great, it’s well researched, and it actually has enemies to lovers. Hell yeah.
October 14, 2025
Henry and Charley start off hating each other, but when Henry becomes Charley’s unwilling confidant and then tent mate (IYKYK), things slowly begin to shift—and then some. This is a very slow burn, in part because of the way it was written as a serial publication, but it overall really works. The Civil War setting is unique and Charley's identity is handled really beautifully. Looking forward to Vol. 2 soon.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews