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jphoffman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
ashleytalksbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-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
It was such a good romance novel that balanced discussing the horrors of slavery and the Civil War with an engaging and thrilling forbidden romance between spies.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
4.0
Elle Burns is a former slave that got back into slavery, posing as a mute woman to spy for the Union Army in the civil war era. There she meets a white man Malcom McCall who is a detective, also a spy. It's a forbidden romance and the tension is high in this book. Not only are they from two completely different worlds but also their relationship is very forbidden. Facing hardship because of that but also being spies makes this a bit suspensfull yet romantic read.
lewzor's review against another edition
2.0
Read for the 2019 Read Harder Challenge. It's a bit unfair for me to read this review, as I'm neither a fan of romance nor historical fiction. The story was predictable and the secondary characters lacked any sort of depth. I do appreciate that Cole gave the protagonists more to do than fall in love and have sex, but even though the story centers on the horrors of slavery, it ultimately serves as a backdrop for the eroticism of forbidden love. The ending is a heavy-handed setup for future books in what will apparently be a series. I think if I read more romance novels, this one would go up in my esteem, but as it stands, this was not my kind of book. I do believe Cole accomplishes what she sets out to do, which is more than can be said of many writers.
megan_mac_'s review against another edition
4.0
I liked the premise of the story, but I did not realize how firmly in the romance genre this book settles. Many parts were a little too...descriptive... for me
simoneandherbooks's review against another edition
5.0
A friend of mine suggested this one to me because I wasn't a fan of the romances I was reading. She believes it's because I need a little bit more meat to my story than just the relationship and she's pretty much right. I'm giving this one a 4.5 rounded up.
This story combines historical romance with the Civil War and the lives of both freed people and slaves. It's got intrigue and political suspense, spies, shoot outs, and action scenes. The story doesn't skimp on the romance either. The steamy scenes are all open door, but the way Malcolm talks about Elle's beauty will make you jealous and the vulnerability she shares with Malcolm doesn't take away from Elle's bad-assery.
I absolutely loved Elle. She's this incredibly intelligent person who quotes Dickens and Sun Tzu while returning to life as a slave. I mean, you have to give this woman credit for having her freedom and choosing to return to slavery in hopes of destroying the entire system. There's this huge risk factor that her job as a slave who's really a spy will turn into Elle becoming a slave again. Remember, this was the time of the Fugitive Slave Act where African Americans despite their status are returned to their former "slave owners." So you can imagine Elle has a lot riding on her playing the role of slave.
Malcolm, on the other hand, is a Pinkerton detective gathering information in the South to give to the North. He is also a spy pretending to be a Southern Rebel wearing his grey uniform and courting the Senator's daughter. When Elle has to give Malcolm some Loyal League information, they both see each other as allies forming a union that not only works to save the North, but also saves each other.
Elle really is the star here. I loved getting into her head and hearing her thoughts. She considered all the components of her extremely dangerous mission and went with it anyway. She's definitely a tough woman and watching her take orders from her masters and pretending to be a boy while traveling with Malcolm is definitely evidence of that. I don't think I have the nerve to consider what she did, but she did it.
The only thing I could fault is wanting to know more about the other characters introduced in this book. I'm assuming that these characters will play a bigger role in the next few books, but I always get distracted with holes. It's not a big deal, but would have loved to see how Daniel plays out for the next one.
But overall, absolutely loved this book and I can already tell that I'll love the rest of this series. I loved the flow of the story and how the events taking place made sense. The ending also leaves you at the edge of your seat as Elle and Malcolm try to escape and return to DC sharing everything they've learned about the South and what they plan to do next.
This story combines historical romance with the Civil War and the lives of both freed people and slaves. It's got intrigue and political suspense, spies, shoot outs, and action scenes. The story doesn't skimp on the romance either. The steamy scenes are all open door, but the way Malcolm talks about Elle's beauty will make you jealous and the vulnerability she shares with Malcolm doesn't take away from Elle's bad-assery.
I absolutely loved Elle. She's this incredibly intelligent person who quotes Dickens and Sun Tzu while returning to life as a slave. I mean, you have to give this woman credit for having her freedom and choosing to return to slavery in hopes of destroying the entire system. There's this huge risk factor that her job as a slave who's really a spy will turn into Elle becoming a slave again. Remember, this was the time of the Fugitive Slave Act where African Americans despite their status are returned to their former "slave owners." So you can imagine Elle has a lot riding on her playing the role of slave.
Malcolm, on the other hand, is a Pinkerton detective gathering information in the South to give to the North. He is also a spy pretending to be a Southern Rebel wearing his grey uniform and courting the Senator's daughter. When Elle has to give Malcolm some Loyal League information, they both see each other as allies forming a union that not only works to save the North, but also saves each other.
Elle really is the star here. I loved getting into her head and hearing her thoughts. She considered all the components of her extremely dangerous mission and went with it anyway. She's definitely a tough woman and watching her take orders from her masters and pretending to be a boy while traveling with Malcolm is definitely evidence of that. I don't think I have the nerve to consider what she did, but she did it.
The only thing I could fault is wanting to know more about the other characters introduced in this book. I'm assuming that these characters will play a bigger role in the next few books, but I always get distracted with holes. It's not a big deal, but would have loved to see how Daniel plays out for the next one.
But overall, absolutely loved this book and I can already tell that I'll love the rest of this series. I loved the flow of the story and how the events taking place made sense. The ending also leaves you at the edge of your seat as Elle and Malcolm try to escape and return to DC sharing everything they've learned about the South and what they plan to do next.
tajah's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
3.75
heyehs's review against another edition
3.0
I had to power through in the end. It was too much „doom“ for me. I could not see a Happy End for them. I liked both characters but somehow it was on the one hand too „easy“ for me and on the other hand too much „doom“. Hard to explain.