The Belle of Chatham

Love, betrayal, and divided loyalties animate this heart-pounding Revolutionary-era historical from Frantz (A Fierce Devotion). Sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon keep the home fires burning in Chatham, N.J., while their brothers Jon and James are off fighting in the Continental Army. Mae does what she can to support the Patriot cause, including sewing uniforms for soldiers, but Coralie is a Loyalist who’s secretly engaged to British soldier Eben Gibbs. Mae reluctantly agrees to keep Coralie’s secret until the wedding, but things get complicated when James returns home with Gen. Rhys Harlow, head of an elite rifle corps with whom Mae feels an instant spark. As the two fall for each other, Mae starts to suspect Coralie of gathering information about Patriot soldiers’ movements for her British fiancée. With nowhere else to turn, Mae looks to God for help surviving the war with her romance and her family intact. Frantz’s fast-moving plot unfolds against a rich historical backdrop that precisely renders the cruelties of war and the choices those caught in its crosshairs make to survive. This will captivate the author’s fans and newcomers alike. (Jan.)