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mabelsyrup's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
actually insane how good this was oh my goddd
from the romance to the spywork to the mentions of the workings of the civil war i loved this book. It could've used some more of the actual spy narrative as they forgot abt all that soon as they realized they are obssesed w each other but i don't mind cuz its not like i wasn't kicking mt feet and blushing all the time
"What was her purpose in this fight in which neither side could truly be trusted?"
"You put those boys doing drills down at the Central Fairgrounds to shame. Most of them can’t even walk straight,” he said, his vivid gaze locked on her. “And not a one of them is half as pretty as you.”
"Was a few weeks all it took to start losing yourself, then? To start rationalizing away the abomination of slavery so that she could think of people like the Caffreys as “not so bad”? They were buying a child—likely breaking up a family. They were beasts."
"Man’s inhumanity to man wasn’t solely regulated by skin color, although it did allow its practitioners to choose their targets more easily."
"“Good morning,” he said, although his mind was suddenly full to brimming with the things he really wanted to tell her. You’re beautiful. You’re brilliant. I want to strip that dress off and make you cry out with pleasure."
"The way he looked down at her was dangerous. It was the look of a man who would not be deterred, not in war and not in making love."
“You think I want you for a taste of something taboo,” he whispered. “But you’re any man’s dream: intelligent, brave, and so damn lovely I can’t tear my eyes from you. That’s why I want you.” STOPPP
"if you think that I can’t save my man and get word to Washington both, then you have sorely underestimated me.”
from the romance to the spywork to the mentions of the workings of the civil war i loved this book. It could've used some more of the actual spy narrative as they forgot abt all that soon as they realized they are obssesed w each other but i don't mind cuz its not like i wasn't kicking mt feet and blushing all the time
"What was her purpose in this fight in which neither side could truly be trusted?"
"You put those boys doing drills down at the Central Fairgrounds to shame. Most of them can’t even walk straight,” he said, his vivid gaze locked on her. “And not a one of them is half as pretty as you.”
"Was a few weeks all it took to start losing yourself, then? To start rationalizing away the abomination of slavery so that she could think of people like the Caffreys as “not so bad”? They were buying a child—likely breaking up a family. They were beasts."
"Man’s inhumanity to man wasn’t solely regulated by skin color, although it did allow its practitioners to choose their targets more easily."
"“Good morning,” he said, although his mind was suddenly full to brimming with the things he really wanted to tell her. You’re beautiful. You’re brilliant. I want to strip that dress off and make you cry out with pleasure."
"The way he looked down at her was dangerous. It was the look of a man who would not be deterred, not in war and not in making love."
“You think I want you for a taste of something taboo,” he whispered. “But you’re any man’s dream: intelligent, brave, and so damn lovely I can’t tear my eyes from you. That’s why I want you.” STOPPP
"if you think that I can’t save my man and get word to Washington both, then you have sorely underestimated me.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
kefink's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery and Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
ohheyandi's review
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
An absolutely thrilling read! I loved Elle and Malcolm, both as individuals and as a couple. I thought the pacing suited the story, though was a bit too fast for my taste. One of my usual critiques of romance novels is that the plot will get in the way of the romance. On the other hand, one of my critiques of non-romance books is that the romance will get in the way of the plot. This does neither. The story is greatly enhanced by the romance, and the romance is informed by the story. Overall, I enjoyed this thoroughly and will be reading the rest (hopefully very soon!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Slavery, Racism, and Racial slurs
heather667's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Gun violence, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Classism, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Death of parent
emmylux7's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
alyssa cole was able to strike a good balance between the characters/plot. I adored Elle as a main character. we love a snarky, take no shit queen! Malcolm is the definition of a golden retriever. although some of his dialogue had me rolling my eyes. his character was a bit of fresh air. he could've very easily been the broody type. which as we all know are a dime a dozen in romance. their romance did come off a bit too insta-lovey for my taste. but it wasn't the most egregious offense compared to others I've read. in all this was a good book to start the year off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Racism, War, and Hate crime
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Gore
thenextbookdilemma's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Y’all. The stakes in this book felt so unbelievably high. Unlike many historical RoNos, where the setting is sort of in the background giving some context to the characters and plot, the setting in An Extraordinary Union *was* the plot. The history here is so so important and completely shapes the characters and the trajectory of their story. It was excellent.
I love when historical romances teach me some history and Cole managed to write a beautiful and dangerous novel that perhaps was more parts historical fiction than romance, more parts about freedom and liberation than happily ever afters. I loved this book for the incredibly complex romance but even more so for the suspenseful close-up of this nation’s fraught history of violence, racism and slavery.
Elle. She is smart and independent and often underestimated. She is acerbic and determined and not afraid to take risks for the good of the Union. She is a truly remarkable person to willingly enter into slavery as an undercover spy after being a free black woman in the north. She puts the union and the freedom of black people before all, including her heart.
I also adored Malcolm as the MMC and his ability to charm is way under many a lady’s skirts (for the Union!). A white man who was forced to flee Scotland after the conquest of the English, he is ready to fight the good fight so that another people not be crushed beneath the boots of their oppressor. But as the reader, you see Malcolm has a lot to learn about his white male privilege and power in the context of this war, and his love for a black woman.
Cole captures the complexity of Elle and Malcolm’s relationship so well as the reader consideres the innate power imbalances that will always exist between a white man and a black woman, particularly during Civil War America.
This novel was so expertly done, the romance was beautiful and you held those beautiful moments to your chest when everything else was combusting. The history was so thouroughly researched—these characters are based on real people (heroes) during the civil war— and absolutely devastating at times due to the horrible and dehumanizing portrayal of the enslavement and treatment of black people. Cole has beautifully combined history and romance and I cannot wait to learn more in the next two novels of the Loyal League series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
theteaisaddictive's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Racism
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
It's hard to capture how remarkable this is, both as a stand-alone and as a series start, and for historical romance readers who have read *any* Civil-War-era romance by white authors, this is a must-read series that reflects authentic people and stories (Alyssa Cole truly lights a match to the lost cause narrative that underlies the majority of books in this corner of historical romance). This installment centers the story of Union operative Elle Burns (inspired by the real-life spy story of Mary Bowser). Elle is a free Black woman working undercover as an enslaved woman in a Confederate officer's home. She meets Malcom McCall, a white Union operative, while he is working undercover as a Confederate officer visiting the region. The progression of their relationship centers honest communication around the stark power imbalance between them, and Cole deftly used open-door scenes to further deepen their communication. I would consider this a blend of historical romance and romantic suspense, with clear and historically accurate world building that is driven by Cole's obvious commitment to thorough research. Moreover, the writing is beautiful. I highly recommend this book and this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, War, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Slavery
Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, Confinement, Blood, Alcoholism, and Sexual assault
meganbyrd77's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Slavery
traceyanderson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Sexism