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kefink's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
bravereads's review against another edition
4.0
Good but even I, a non-native, not-fluent Spanish speaker could tell the author wasn't either.
emilyveryromance's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
5.0
This was my favorite installment and Daniel was far and away my favorite hero of the series. The romance in this one burned sloooow but in a way I found logical and satisfying. This adventure had lots of twists and turns but never meandered or lingered too long in a setting. As with all of these books, I learned a lot and was appreciate of Cole’s practice of humanizing individual players of the American Civil War. In her writing, we are asked not to paint folks with broad strokes (ie North = nice guy, South = mean guy). I have so much fondness for these three stories but this one really stands out for me.
samlouise94's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
4.0
An Unconditional Freedom might have had the best character development of all the Loyal League books, but I missed the element of having a hero who is totally blinded by his obsession with the heroine, which is something the other books delivered on. Still, Janeta and Daniel's love was hard-fought, and I was SO happy to see Daniel get his own story. I have to add that there were times when I wanted to scream from all the secrecy, but it paid off in the end. My only wish is that there was more time given to the epilogue/HEA.
jackiehorne's review
4.0
An Unconditional Freedom, the third entry in Alyssa Cole's American Civil War-set series The Loyal League, features a man as disillusioned as is Milan's Violetta, but far less happy to accept his fate with any meekness or humility. Before the war, Daniel Cumberland's greatest trauma was that the woman he loved (the heroine of book 1, An Extraordinary Union) did not love him back. But after the idealistic aspiring lawyer is kidnapped from his Massachusetts town and sold south into slavery, his happy, carefree nature is quickly beaten out of him. We meet Daniel after he is rescued from enslavement, unable to fit back into his old life, to "be strong and forget what happened," as his father recommends. Instead, he's working as a spy for the Loyal League, a spy who prefers to work alone. But when Janeta Sanchez, a new recruit, enters the league, the angry, disdainful Daniel is assigned to be her partner.
See the rest of the review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2019/04/short-takes-spring-2019-historicals-by.html
See the rest of the review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2019/04/short-takes-spring-2019-historicals-by.html
hannahellen's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. Little chemistry between these two characters and they spent the whole book ruminating and repeating themselves over and over and over. The historical aspect was great, as it was in the first two of the series, but it felt much less like a historical romance and more like general historical fiction. I think Cole did a good job portraying grief, PTSD, and identity issues, though.
jess_justmaybeperfect's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Racism, Death, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Torture
boggremlin's review
4.0
Like some other reviewers, I think this skews more heavily on the “historical fiction” side than the “romance” side of the genre. However you catalog it, it’s powerful, painful, and engrossing.
judyapneeb's review
5.0
Alyssa Cole has become my favorite author. I fell in love with her writing with the first Loyal League book and she has continued to impress me with each new book she publishes. The characters are strong and the romance never feels fake. Everything about Cole's writing is organic and I can't wait to see what she does next.
*book provided by Netgalley for an honest review*
*book provided by Netgalley for an honest review*