Review: Tie a Yellow Ribbon for Waterloo Wounded
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 6, 2013
3.75 stars. A sweet  and clean novella by the talented Caroline Linden. Childhood friends (no aristocrats) grow up together in a small English village. He looks out for Jane, carries her books, chases the bullies away, just like a brother would. When he goes away to battle Boney, she writes to him, every single week. For three years. Faithfully. And cares for his dog, the incredibly faithful Puck.The story begins with Waterloo reported in every paper. Then England waits to hear the casualty reports. Jane waits, hoping and praying that he didn't die in the bloody battle. Finally, the casualty reports are published.  Okay, but he could be very sick. Injured badly. Even lost. Missing in action. Jane and Puck wait and worry some more. The whole village waits. The ladies in the seamstress shop wait. Tensely. Seemed realistic.She wonders if he misses her like she misses him. But they were always more like adoptive siblings. Just friends....Meanwhile, we get his POV, on the muddy battlefield. We learn what her letters have meant to him. And to others.I guess the best thing that came of this novella was the realization that I would like to write to a soldier, too. Just to provide comfort and a sense of home. Letters can make such a difference to a disheartened, sick, cold, wet, muddy, miserable -- and maybe wounded -- warrior.  Linden did a decent job making that point.Quibble:  I wish she had provided a more solid setting. The date. Exactly when did Napoleon meet his Waterloo? What time of year? April, if memory serves? I dunno.I highly recommendLike None Other, another novella by this author, about a retired naval admiral (or was he a captain?) falling for his new neighbor.  Loved it! And by the way, Like None Other is also a clean romance, just like this one is (most of Linden's long books include sex).Like None Other  is also sold in the huge anthology [The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance (Mammoth Books)]