A Review of Promised Land, by Rose Lerner

This is a second chance romance novella, set during the Revolutionary War, and packed with adventure and action. It was originally published as part of a three-novella anthology (Hamilton’s Battalion), and I am happy that it is also available on its own. I love that whole anthology, but Promised Land is my favorite of the bunch.

Setting

Just outside Yorktown, Virginia, 1781

Main Characters

Ezra Jacobs is an ardent Patriot who has worked hard to earn the rank of corporal, and is gearing up to lead a company of soldiers in what everyone hopes will be the final battle of the Revolution. But every day, Ezra has to be careful not to reveal that she is really Rachel Jacobs Mendelson, allegedly dead wife to a very much alive loyalist.

Nathan Mendelson just wants peace and stability. Mob rule has never gone well for Jews anywhere. But after he sent his wife and overbearing mother off to safety in Philadelphia while he stayed to protect their home and his job in New York, his wife died of yellow fever. He was devastated. And then the British arrived, and New York burned.

Romance

Nathan had proposed to Rachel so he could pay for her mother’s medical bills, and he had hoped she would grow to love to him. The day they married, his mother suggested they give Rachel’s best dress to the maid so she didn’t disgrace the family. He worked hard, perhaps too hard, to win her heart, but she resisted his attempts to make her laugh and smile, and she was fascinated by the Patriot cause. But he loved her. And he longed for a chance to prove himself worthy, even after she was dead.

Rachel couldn’t stand being smothered, and her mother-in-law disliked her enough to help her fake her own death to be rid of her. Five years later, Nathan arrives in camp, and even though he could get her kicked out of the army by revealing her sex, she is too much a Patriot to let a loyalist spy roam freely in the camp. So after chasing him down and tackling him, she arrests him. But she doesn’t want him to hang. He is far too high-strung and worried about everyone liking him to be an effective spy. He doesn’t give away her secret, so she tries keep him safe from the guards and from her superiors. But that means spending time with him. And realizing they have both grown up since they last said goodbye.

Plot

This novella packs in some great wartime adventure and action. As Nathan gives his parole, he starts getting put to work counting out rations and helping make cartridges. Soon, Rachel find herself enjoying his company far too much. She and her men are in frequent danger as they rotate through the trenches while digging closer and closer to British lines, and Nathan’s fatigue duties help keep them fed and safe.

Her mess-mates come to befriend Nathan, but she has to constantly hope neither of them will slip and let her secret out. And then Nathan confesses that he has a secret, too. And it could be their undoing.

Historical World Building

Lerner does a brilliant job of worldbuilding in this story. Rachel’s duties, her scratchy uniform, her one spare shirt, and her shared canvas tent, all put readers right in the Continental lines outside Yorktown with her. Lerner gets so many daily details right, including Rachel’s mess-mate’s wife cooking for them and living with them in their tent–Washington’s army would have disintegrated without such women.

Tropes

This is second chance romance, since there were married. It is also a protector romance, since Rachel is the trained soldier and Nathan is the sheltered city dweller. That works very well here since it also creates tension. I love how Lerner turns the protector trope on its head from what we see in most romances, and it works!

Secondary Characters

Nathan’s mother never actually appears in this story, but she is a memorable character, nonetheless. She hovers over so much of their relationship. Rachel’s mess-mates, especially Zvi and Scipio, come alive with strong and distinct personalities. Alexander Hamilton is a very believable character in his few moments on the page. Including real-life figures believably is not easy, and Lerner does it well.

Point of View

This story is written in third person, alternating between Nathan and Rachel’s perspectives.

In Summary

• This novella is full of action in addition to giving all the romance feels. It is solid historical fiction and a delightful romance.
• It is set in Virginia, in 1781, during the climactic moments outside Yorktown at the height of the American Revolution.
• The main characters were married (and since she is not actually dead, still are married), but they need to finally learn to know and appreciate each other on their own terms. I love that Nathan is the sensitive, brainy one and Rachel is the strong soldier! They are both very relatable and you feel for both of them and believe in their motives.
• The story takes place during the final major campaign of the American Revolution, and the historical detail is spot on without in any way overwhelming the story. My favorite kind of book!
• The tropes are second chance romance and protector, with Rachel being the protector. Lerner makes that work very believably, and it is fun and fresh.
• The heat level is about a 2.5 out of 5. there is sex on the page, along with some words you cannot say on broadcast TV, and it suits the story perfectly.
• It is a war story, so there are casualties, but the violence isn’t gratuitous, nor does Lerner linger on it.

Keep them coming!

Please continue to let me know of historical romances set in the Americas that you enjoy! I am reader, too, and I would love to hear about them and also share them with others!

Do you love military historical romance set in American history, too? My next novel, Pasion’s Duty, is set in 1755, at the start of the French and Indian War. Sign up for my newsletter for updates on its release and to know when I post reviews of more historical romances set in the Americas! Be sure to check your spam folder if you don’t see the confirmation email, since legislation requires that you confirm your email before I can start sending you my newsletter.

Storming a Redout at Yorktown, Eugene-Louis Lami, 1840, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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