I sat down this morning with a cup of coffee and intended to start my day with reading a few chapters of My Heart Belongs in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Clarrisa’s Conflict by Murray Pura. I was pleasantly surprised to find this story was much more than I had first thought. I found so much great history about the Underground Railroad, the Civil War and Gettysburg woven into a well written romance. I ended up just sitting back and reading the. whole. book!

The story is engaging, evocative and well written with characters that are realistic and believable. The plot had a few unexpected twists that delightfully caught me by surprise. The main thing I enjoyed? Ms. Pura’s story brought a piece of history to life for me; all the good and the bad. I felt I had a brief glimpse into the lives of those who lived in that era and to a small degree, what they may have felt and experienced. I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait to read more of the My Heart Belongs series. If you enjoy reading well written historical fiction romance ~ this book is for you!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Mr. Pura, Barbour Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )

My Heart Belongs in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Clarissa's Conflict

This is an interesting story about Clarissa who lives in Gettysburg, she is a conductor on the Underground Railroad-helping slaves to reach freedom with help from different locations along the railroad. Her family knows she does this and permits her to do it, she has an internal drive, that pushes her to succeed.

Kyle is a bible scholar who is attending seminary school. He seems to stand for a lot of things that Clarissa is against. Clarissa has to get her mind around those facts and turns away from his courtship.

There is a lot of history in this book, the author has researched it well. I found that it drug along in the middle of the book, took me much longer than normal to read it. The end part of the book flow along nicely. This author will get better and better, as he writes more and more.

All in all, a good book.

I received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. ( )

Inspiring, historical romance, "My Heart Belongs in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: Clarissa's Conflict," is set during the Civil War years. Clarissa Avery Ross is a spirited young woman living with her parents in Gettysburg doing all the things expected of a proper young lady except she holds a secret: she is a conductor for the Underground Railroad. Another conductor who often assists her is known to her only as "Liberty" and wears a black hood over his face. She finds the presence of this mysterious man to be infuriating and annoying but also intriguing. On the other hand, Kyle Forrester, a young seminary student, is all Clarissa dreams about for a future husband. That is until she hears his views about slavery and the outbreak of war. Now she is torn between two different men, two different views of the war, and how to respond when the war comes to Gettysburg. Murray Pura does a fine job of developing the story line against the backdrop of the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. He made it feel very real. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. ( )

While some scenes, specifically those transporting slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad and on the battlefield, are full of action and descriptive, I did not connect with (or even like) the main character in this book.

Clarissa Avery Ross is stubborn, brash, prideful, selfish, and annoyingly silly at times. And she’s characterized by her red-headed temper. Granted, some of those traits are what make her so successful as a conductor on the railroad.

There was no surprise in the identity of Liberty—I had that figured out from the book description, but would have enjoyed more hints dropped around Clarissa.

Fans of Civil War history will enjoy this story as the account leading up to and through the Battle of Gettysburg are detailed and evoke the terrors and horrors of both civilians and the soldiers on each side of the conflict.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. ( )

Many aspects of “My Heart Belongs in Gettysburg” reminded me of “Gone With the Wind,” one of my favorite classics. The Civil War setting drew me in, especially since it was set in such a renowned location. In fact, that was one of the striking parts of the reading experience because most of the action took place prior to the famous Battle of Gettysburg, when the town was just a quaint place that outsiders would never have heard of. The heroine, Clarissa Ross, points this out herself, commenting that she does not want her idyllic town and its environs to be remembered for death and destruction. Given all of the tragic events that have occurred even recently in the U.S., this was a reminder that disasters can happen anywhere, and this is where faith comes in as we trust God that He is ultimately working all things for the good of His children.

Clarissa was a distinctive character, to be sure. In some ways she reminded me of Scarlett O’Hara, with her stubbornness and her temper. An inimitable redhead, Clarissa was very strongminded and outspoken, which I think was due in part to her being an only child and also to her living in the North. Had she been raised in the South, I think that the patriarchal society there would have had a deeper influence on her and she may have been somewhat more submissive. At first I found her character to be off-putting, but I soon grew to admire her and her antics. The romance, which is usually my least favorite part of a story, was very engaging because it was fraught with both danger and surprises. From a historical viewpoint, I was pleased that this novel pointed out that the Civil War was about much more than just the issue of slavery; states’ rights and the economy were at the forefront of the fighting, especially in the beginning. The many different levels of conflict in the book were well balanced by the Christian and romantic aspects, and I only wish that the story had been a bit longer in order to fill out some of the details more fully and allow for the plot to play out more slowly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. ( )