Reviews tagging 'Murder'

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

4 reviews

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

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

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

mandi4886's review

adventurous 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Rape, Violence, Confinement, Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Racism, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Racial slurs, Blood, Grief, Sexism, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Body horror, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Abandonment, Ableism, Cursing, Gore, and Gun violence

Minor: Xenophobia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Stalking, Torture, and Vomit