If you love time travel, fantasy, war time passions, and hopeless romantics this book is for you. Magical realism with time travel fantasy with lyrical literature. What would you do for love? How far would you go? This woman fell in love with a ghost from the civil war and she wasn’t letting that go for ANYTHING! Epic love story right here. Get the Kleenex and chocolate.

Who knew that mixing Civil War history with supernatural romance could work so well? M.F. Jones has crafted something genuinely special in Stones River, proving that sometimes the best love stories involve one person who's been dead for over 150 years.

Lem is refreshingly three-dimensional for a ghostly love interest – curious about the modern world while remaining firmly rooted in his 1860s sensibilities. Jessie manages to be both strong-willed and vulnerable without falling into typical romance novel traps. Their relationship develops at a believable pace, which is no small feat when one of your protagonists is incorporeal.

The Tennessee mountain setting is practically a character itself, and Jones clearly knows this landscape intimately. The way natural beauty contrasts with lingering battlefield trauma creates an atmosphere that's both romantic and haunting.

The religious content never feels preachy – it's organic to the story of 1860s rural Tennessee and a character grappling with mortality and redemption. Even readers who typically avoid faith-based fiction might find themselves engaged rather than alienated.

Where this book really shines is the historical research. Jones doesn't just drop in random Civil War facts; the details are woven seamlessly into the narrative. You learn about period medicine, military protocols, and daily life without ever feeling like you're reading a textbook. The Battle of Stones River is handled with appropriate gravity and respect.

Stones River succeeds because it respects both its historical setting and its characters. This isn't just romance in Civil War costume; it's a thoughtful exploration of love, loss, and how the past shapes the present.

Bottom Line: A surprisingly substantive paranormal romance that's both entertaining and educational. Perfect for readers who like their love stories with a side of American history.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

First off, the cover of the book is very attractive and pulled me in and then the premise of the story is what led me to want to read this book. The idea of a young civil war soldier telling his story to a modern-day person and the fact that they would be drawn to each other but obviously knew it would not be a relationship that could last. This was something I had not read in other books and was excited to go on this journey with Lem and Jessie.

I was really thrown by the amount of religion in the book. I could not find anywhere in the description of the book, in its genre label or in any information about the author that would lead me to believe that this book would be so full of religion, but it was. The number of religious sections is probably one of the reasons for myself I would not pursue reading the next book in what I believe is a trilogy, not a continuation of Jessie’s story but another similar book. Nothing wrong with that, but I do not care for there to be so much in the books I am reading. For others who do enjoy that, this book would certainly be an enjoying read and I would recommend it. In the end it was a book with heartfelt moments, happy moments, history, friendship and much more.

Thank you to net galley for an advance copy.

As a former historical reenactor myself, I was interested in this book's premise and Civil War history. I also generally like a good ghost story, but I felt this one landed on the maudlin side. The characters were all a little too nice, and the heroine was too naive to be relatable. I don't have a problem with a little spirituality in a novel, but that the FMC, a modern woman, seriously questioned whether the ghost might be a literal demon, was out of left field in my opinion. Later, she deliberately lies to the ghost/love interest about a personal matter for fear of offending his 19th century sensibilities, which didn't sit well with me. I would have preferred to see her be honest with someone she claims to be in love with, or else come clean at a later time, which she didn't. Finally, the bedroom scene was a little odd. I wasn't expecting this to go there.

Overall, the premise was good but the book itself didn't work for me.

The novel is well researched, but the sheer volume of details often bogs down the story, making it feel slow and sometimes even tedious.

This book was so interesting to me. First of all, the ghost x mortal trope is one of my favorites, but I don't know that I've ever read one about a Civil War soldier. Jones had so much information, not only about the setting but about the time period that Lem was from my mind was boggled. Being as religious as it was would normally make a book not it for me, but I pushed past because in the mountains of Tennessee, the story was right on track. Lem's and Jessie's story was so sweet and heartfelt, one couldn't help but fall in love with them both.

Stones River is written by a debut author and one to keep an eye on.
The writing has very much impressed me. This is a time slip novel but yet so much more. The author contributes a fresh take on the same old civil war story one that caught and kept my interest.
There have not been as many historical fiction books written in the past several years pertaining to the civil war as more are being written about WWII. Civil war history has always been a favorite topic of mine and this writing has been a welcome change.
A time slip we get a modern-day civil war reenactment as our start which includes a woman having a paranormal experience. I haven't really read much as far as paranormal romance, but this one was really really good. We see many civil war stories from a woman's point of view, but this one is from the man's point of view during the civil war time period. We see day to day activities of the civil war, and I love books that are full of details. It makes the reader feel as though you are really there experiencing it with the characters and you feel included.
Emotional, romantic, full of compassion and very interesting. I can't wait to see what the author will put out next.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Not a book that is unfortunately for me. In fact, it's quite unrelatable and slow not just because of the historical period that it delves into but as a non-American reader, it just wasn't something I could get into at all, despite the very compelling blurb and the romance that hinges on the paranormal.

My rating is not a reflection of the writing style but rather, a reflection of a read that wasn't resonating with even up until the halfway point.

Set against the backdrop of a haunting Civil War battlefield, this riveting tale draws readers into a world where the past collides with the present, and the lines between life and death blur. With rich historical detail and a heart-wrenching romance at its core, "Stones River" is a must-read for fans of paranormal romance and historical fiction.