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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book number two in the Loyal League series of Civil-War-era romances.
Marlie Lynch is a free woman who has been taken into the Lynch household as a member of the family. She’s always understood that her father was the plantation owner, though she and her mother lived far away. The old man is deceased and his heir Stephen has married and moved away, so Marlie and her older sister Sarah maintain the estate with a handful of servants … all freed slaves who are paid for their labor. Marlie’s primary contribution is the tonics and poultices she concocts from the plant knowledge passed down from her mother. With a Rebel prison camp in the neighborhood, Marlie begins to tend to the prisoners, and passing messages along to the Loyal League – Southerners who are against slavery and trying to help the Union. It’s at the prison that she meets Ewan McCall, a Union soldier with unique skills.
This is a pretty typical romance between two people of differing status, who join together with a common cause. Of course, they will have to fight against not only their mutual attraction, but the very real restrictions of the society in which they find themselves. I’m amazed they could find time for sex (or even for the desire for sex) given the dangers in which they find themselves, but if they can manage to have mutual orgasms in such a setting more power to them!
This is the second in a series, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone. I certainly didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book.
Marlie Lynch is a free woman who has been taken into the Lynch household as a member of the family. She’s always understood that her father was the plantation owner, though she and her mother lived far away. The old man is deceased and his heir Stephen has married and moved away, so Marlie and her older sister Sarah maintain the estate with a handful of servants … all freed slaves who are paid for their labor. Marlie’s primary contribution is the tonics and poultices she concocts from the plant knowledge passed down from her mother. With a Rebel prison camp in the neighborhood, Marlie begins to tend to the prisoners, and passing messages along to the Loyal League – Southerners who are against slavery and trying to help the Union. It’s at the prison that she meets Ewan McCall, a Union soldier with unique skills.
This is a pretty typical romance between two people of differing status, who join together with a common cause. Of course, they will have to fight against not only their mutual attraction, but the very real restrictions of the society in which they find themselves. I’m amazed they could find time for sex (or even for the desire for sex) given the dangers in which they find themselves, but if they can manage to have mutual orgasms in such a setting more power to them!
This is the second in a series, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone. I certainly didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book.
kefink's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
kstuber02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
saranies's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good story, although I think I liked the first one better. I'm certainly planning to read the third book in the trilogy.
emilyveryromance's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
hannahellen's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this but the ending was disappointing. It felt rushed and dry compared to the deliciously angsty, passionate narrative overall.
samlouise94's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
- 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
Once again Cole delivers with a strong heroine and a hero who's obsessed with her! Watching Marlie discover her place in her loved one's eyes was heartbreaking, but her connection to her craft and her ability to heal was a strength I loved watching grow. And Ewan was incredibly lovable despite his over-reliance on logic. I was rooting for these two to get together sooner, but I'm happy with the pace they went at, as it felt authentic to their personalities.
zephyr42's review against another edition
4.0
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole is one of the most compelling books I’ve read this year. It provides a nuanced and engaging story of people from all backgrounds and with all motivations who are caught up in the Civil War. At the center of the story is Marlie, a biracial scientist and apothecary whose family estate in the south is appropriated by the Confederate Army. Her life and relationships provide an intimate and brutally truthful insight into race and gender—and how the two intersect—during one of the darkest times in American history. Thanks to NetGalley for this singular read.