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Tempest
Lovers, enemies, they were wrenched apart by treachery...and a great nation at war!
Her hair was like white gold spun by moonlight, her skin like golden summer peaches, but beneath her soft, radiant beauty, Celia Bartlett would discover a will of iron...
Shamed by a brutal act of lust, she had been forced to betray her beloved Rafe. Outraged by savage injustice, she would be forced to betray her beloved Vicksburg.
As a nation's passions erupted in civil war, Celia would be torn from Rafe Lattimore's tender embrace, driven to turn renegade, plunged into battle...dreaming only of the day when there would be an end to bloodshed, an end to the agony of longing...when two hearts, tested by pain and bitter separation could be joined again in the fulfillment of purest love and rapturous desire...
Her hair was like white gold spun by moonlight, her skin like golden summer peaches, but beneath her soft, radiant beauty, Celia Bartlett would discover a will of iron...
Shamed by a brutal act of lust, she had been forced to betray her beloved Rafe. Outraged by savage injustice, she would be forced to betray her beloved Vicksburg.
As a nation's passions erupted in civil war, Celia would be torn from Rafe Lattimore's tender embrace, driven to turn renegade, plunged into battle...dreaming only of the day when there would be an end to bloodshed, an end to the agony of longing...when two hearts, tested by pain and bitter separation could be joined again in the fulfillment of purest love and rapturous desire...
460 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1982
15 people want to read
About the author
Christina Savage
6 books2 followersPseudonym for Kerry Newcomb.
Also wrote as Shana Carrol.
Also wrote as Shana Carrol.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 26, 2024
3.5 stars
This is a vintage bodice-ripper romance, with all which that entails. Specific CWs for this book include
This is a 1982 Dell romance set during the Siege of Vicksburg in the American Civil War and written by Christina Savage, a pseudonym for male author Kerry Newcomb. Take a look at this gorgeous Pino cover!
...
Celia Bartlett and Rafe Lattimore are two young people living in Vicksburg, Mississippi in the months immediately preceeding the Civil War. They grew up together because their fathers are close friends, but unbeknownst to their families, Celia and Rafe have fallen in love. They realize that it's time to come clean about their relationship when their fathers start trying to set Celia up with Rafe's degenerate older brother, Micah. When Micah learns of Celia and Rafe's relationship, he is outraged. In an act of revenge, he lures Celia to a warehouse and rapes her.
Celia decides she must keep her assault a secret. She cuts things off abruptly with Rafe and goes to stay with family in Boston. Celia stays in Boston for a few months until the Civil War breaks out and she makes plans to return home to be with her father. Before she leaves, she is introduced to a man named Powell who works for the Union army. Powell asks Celia if she would consider being a Union spy in Vicksburg. Celia agrees, believing that by undermining the Confederate army she will be getting revenge on Micah and his ilk.
The story jumps forward 2 years. Celia has secretly been a Union agent in Vicksburg under the cringy spy name "Hawkmoon". Celia now wants out of the spy business, but Powell threatens to expose her to the Confederate army if she quits. Both Rafe and Micah return to Vicksburg around this time, distressing Celia. Rafe wants to rekindle his relationship with Celia as they both still have feelings for each other, but things are complicated when Rafe is appointed as captain of the Home Guard - a position with the express job of rooting out Union spies in the city. Celia finds herself trapped in a complicated web and unable to escape as the Union army closes around Vicksburg.
...
Overall, I think that this was a pretty good story. Celia's conflict was very well done - it felt high stakes and kept me invested throughout the story. Celia and Rafe were both good and likeable leads, although I felt that their romance wasn't particularly strong. I really liked reading a historical romance set in Vicksburg during the Siege of Vicksburg - it scratched my itch for a niche setting in an HR. Also, it was very clear that the book was well researched and that the author was passionate and knowledgeable about Civil War history.
Of course, not everything in this book worked. I thought that the author's passion for Civil War history translated as the book being a little too focused on weaponry, battles, and violence which in turn made the romance aspect feel phoned in. In general I did not really care for the writing style in this book. My biggest criticism is that the story was bloated with way too many side characters, most of whom get sections where the story is told from their POV, which really made the story drag at parts. I think it takes a skilled author to be able to weave a large cast of characters and side plots into a book without the story feeling bogged down, but unfortunately Christina Savage does not have that skill.
That all said, this was a good book that exceeded my extremely low expectations. I would definitely read another Christina Savage book if one finds its way into my HR collection.
This is a vintage bodice-ripper romance, with all which that entails. Specific CWs for this book include
This is a 1982 Dell romance set during the Siege of Vicksburg in the American Civil War and written by Christina Savage, a pseudonym for male author Kerry Newcomb. Take a look at this gorgeous Pino cover!
...
Celia Bartlett and Rafe Lattimore are two young people living in Vicksburg, Mississippi in the months immediately preceeding the Civil War. They grew up together because their fathers are close friends, but unbeknownst to their families, Celia and Rafe have fallen in love. They realize that it's time to come clean about their relationship when their fathers start trying to set Celia up with Rafe's degenerate older brother, Micah. When Micah learns of Celia and Rafe's relationship, he is outraged. In an act of revenge, he lures Celia to a warehouse and rapes her.
Celia decides she must keep her assault a secret. She cuts things off abruptly with Rafe and goes to stay with family in Boston. Celia stays in Boston for a few months until the Civil War breaks out and she makes plans to return home to be with her father. Before she leaves, she is introduced to a man named Powell who works for the Union army. Powell asks Celia if she would consider being a Union spy in Vicksburg. Celia agrees, believing that by undermining the Confederate army she will be getting revenge on Micah and his ilk.
The story jumps forward 2 years. Celia has secretly been a Union agent in Vicksburg under the cringy spy name "Hawkmoon". Celia now wants out of the spy business, but Powell threatens to expose her to the Confederate army if she quits. Both Rafe and Micah return to Vicksburg around this time, distressing Celia. Rafe wants to rekindle his relationship with Celia as they both still have feelings for each other, but things are complicated when Rafe is appointed as captain of the Home Guard - a position with the express job of rooting out Union spies in the city. Celia finds herself trapped in a complicated web and unable to escape as the Union army closes around Vicksburg.
...
Overall, I think that this was a pretty good story. Celia's conflict was very well done - it felt high stakes and kept me invested throughout the story. Celia and Rafe were both good and likeable leads, although I felt that their romance wasn't particularly strong. I really liked reading a historical romance set in Vicksburg during the Siege of Vicksburg - it scratched my itch for a niche setting in an HR. Also, it was very clear that the book was well researched and that the author was passionate and knowledgeable about Civil War history.
Of course, not everything in this book worked. I thought that the author's passion for Civil War history translated as the book being a little too focused on weaponry, battles, and violence which in turn made the romance aspect feel phoned in. In general I did not really care for the writing style in this book. My biggest criticism is that the story was bloated with way too many side characters, most of whom get sections where the story is told from their POV, which really made the story drag at parts. I think it takes a skilled author to be able to weave a large cast of characters and side plots into a book without the story feeling bogged down, but unfortunately Christina Savage does not have that skill.
That all said, this was a good book that exceeded my extremely low expectations. I would definitely read another Christina Savage book if one finds its way into my HR collection.
September 13, 2025
This was quite a story and your sympathies will be with the h, Celia and all she goes through, from the start. Her happiness with her way of life on a Vicksburg plantation during the Civil War, contrasts with her dislike of slavery, a feeling her father shares, and becomes ostracized for his outspoken views, that later cause his death. Then, her future with the H, Rafe is torn away from her, after she's raped by his horrible brother, Micah. Rather than tell what happened and cause trouble in the family, she instead shuts Rafe out and leaves for a long visit to her aunt in Boston.
While there, she meets Colonel Powel, head of a union spy ring, and decides to work for him, gathering information and relaying messages under the name of "Hawk Moon", from back in Vicksburg. She's soon torn between doing what she believes is right and feeling like a traitor to the people she's known all her life.
She sees her cousin and fellow spy, Anthony, change into a different person, tries to reconnect with Rafe, in spite of all the secrets she has to keep, and is blackmailed into continuing her spying when she tries to quit. she really has to work for her HEA.
There's a lot of action and adventure in this book, yet it never makes either war or spying seem glamorous, which too many novels like to do, especially if the spy's a woman. (I'm sure real women spies would tell people just how glamorous it's NOT. They became spies to aid their country or for what they considered a worthy cause, not for the fun of it.) There's a lot of realism in this story that makes you feel you're a part of the War between the States, and just how awful it really was.
It's more an historic novel rather than a romance, so there aren't as many scenes with Celia and Rafe as some people might like, but it's a novel worth reading.
While there, she meets Colonel Powel, head of a union spy ring, and decides to work for him, gathering information and relaying messages under the name of "Hawk Moon", from back in Vicksburg. She's soon torn between doing what she believes is right and feeling like a traitor to the people she's known all her life.
She sees her cousin and fellow spy, Anthony, change into a different person, tries to reconnect with Rafe, in spite of all the secrets she has to keep, and is blackmailed into continuing her spying when she tries to quit. she really has to work for her HEA.
There's a lot of action and adventure in this book, yet it never makes either war or spying seem glamorous, which too many novels like to do, especially if the spy's a woman. (I'm sure real women spies would tell people just how glamorous it's NOT. They became spies to aid their country or for what they considered a worthy cause, not for the fun of it.) There's a lot of realism in this story that makes you feel you're a part of the War between the States, and just how awful it really was.
It's more an historic novel rather than a romance, so there aren't as many scenes with Celia and Rafe as some people might like, but it's a novel worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2020
This book was set during the Civil War. Celia and Rafe are the main characters, young people in love, torn apart by secrets. Celia takes herself North to cope and forget.
I won’t give away the rest, but it was a good read, with lots of point of view switching. I really enjoyed how much historical civil war detail was added to the story.
I won’t give away the rest, but it was a good read, with lots of point of view switching. I really enjoyed how much historical civil war detail was added to the story.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews