Backwards to Oregon
2,000 miles of raging rivers,searing heat, and tender love
“Luke” Hamilton has always been sure that she’d never marry. She accepted that she would spend her life alone when she chose to live her life disguised as a man.
After working in a brothel for three years, Nora Macauley has lost all illusions about love. She no longer hopes for a man who will sweep her off her feet and take her away to begin a new, respectable life.
But now they find themselves married and on the way to Oregon in a covered wagon, with two thousand miles ahead of them.
Publication Date: April 2013
Length: 138,800 words / 354 pages
Tropes & themes: Set in the old west, crossdressing, woman living as a man, fake relationship, marriage of convenience romance, adventure
Series: The Oregon Series (Book 1)
Awards:
- GCLS Literary Award 2010;
- Athenaeum Story of the Year 2007
- I Heart SapphFic – Best Sapphic Historical Fiction (first place) 2022
- I Heart SapphFic – Best Sapphic Historical Romance (first place) 2022
- I Heart SapphFic – Best Sapphic Disguised as a Man Story (first place) 2023
- I Heart SapphFic – Best Sapphic Cowgirl Story (first place) 2023
- I Heart SapphFic – Best Sapphic Fake Relationship Romance (third place) 2022
- The Lesbian Review “Best of the Best” Books
LesbiReviewed (video review)
“A romance like no other … This story will move you, and it will stay with you.”
❤
Les Reveur
“Fantastic novel. I was left utterly stunned by how much I enjoyed it. I can’t wait to start the sequel, Hidden Truths.”
❤
The Lesbrary
“This is one of those books that you put down and it stays with you for days afterward.”
❤
In Bugs’ Own Words
“Jae‘s Backwards To Oregon is one of my top 3 most favourite lesbian fiction. This book is truly a classic. It’s a resounding MUST-READ for all romance readers. Jae’s masterful storytelling & rich development of the characters produced a spellbinding love story that needs to be read to experience its beauty. Utterly sublime.”
❤
Kate Cudahy
“Even though the author has evidently put in the hours when it came to research for her book, historical detail is integrated smoothly into the narrative.”
❤
Lesbian Fiction Reviews
“Backwards to Oregon is the perfect lesbian novel if you’re looking for a sweet story full of adventures, love, tenderness and, at the same time, believable and deep characters, all that in the magic context of a historical novel.”
❤
Portland Book Review
“The author has a way with words. She describes places with such accuracy and her characters with such detail that her writing comes alive.”
❤
Piercing Fiction (Lynne Pierce)
“Jae presents a very appealing romance with believable characters and interesting settings. This is a very entertaining book that is definitely worth reading.”
❤
C-Spot Reviews (Nikki & Cheri)
“This book really does have it all. It’s got two wonderful and complex main characters, a couple of total bastard bad guys, some terrific secondary characters … and the adventure of the physical journey across the country in wagons.”
❤
Lezread Book Reviews (Indigo Labrys)
“I strongly recommend this one – it’s maybe my favorite lesbian historical romance, and that’s saying something.”
❤
Lezread Book Reviews (Cerulean Lambda)
“What I appreciate most is that the romance is built slowly. Jae takes her time developing Luke and Nora, and I came to enjoy them, both separately and as a couple, so much that I want to read the sequel, Hidden Truths.”
❤
LGBT Bookshelf (Nan Hawthorne)
“I just loved this novel. It is intelligent, well conceived and developed, full of heart but sparing with sentiment.”
❤
I Read What I Want To
“I loved this book so much, I don’t have the words or the time to describe all the things that make it so great!”
❤
The Lesbian Review
“I loved every page of this book.”
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