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jackiehorne's review against another edition
4.0
See full review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2017/10/talking-their-way-through-revolution-to.html
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2017/10/talking-their-way-through-revolution-to.html
linda_1410's review
4.0
Promised Land by Rose Lerner - 4 stars - M/F
This is my first by this author. I appreciated that it featured two Jewish MCs. I don't see many stories featuring Jewish characters, and this is my first one set during the Revolutionary War. Growing up in a "Christian" household, you can guess where the emphasis on the founding of the US was always placed. I really liked getting that perspective of how the war impacted Jewish peoples.
I wasn't sure about Rachel and Nathan at first. They were so mismatched, and their marriage was initially for convenience. But I liked how the author showed both their POVs. I understood where they were both coming from, and why it hadn't worked out the first time, and why Rachel did what she did to get away. I was a bit annoyed at the "present day" asides sprinkled throughout the story. I would have preferred those be left out, as they just broke up the flow.
The Pursuit of... by Courtney Milan - 5 stars - M/M
I really enjoyed Milan's The Brothers Sinister series and have been meaning to read more by her. This is her only M/M (to date) and it was great. So much humor, and cheese, and the MCs were hilarious. John, a former slave, was fighting for the Continental army, when he meets Henry, a British soldier, during the siege at Yorktown. Henry's a bit of a blabbermouth, and John doesn't know what to make of him, but quickly realizes he enjoys the other's company, and Henry has some self-esteem issues he needs to work on. Their budding relationship was so sweet, and I really enjoyed their road trip back to Rhode Island. I wish this had been longer, but at the same time it was also just the right length.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole - 3 stars - F/F
I have a checkered past with this author. Two DNFs, one 4-star and one 3-star, and I forgot about reading three of those. This one worked for the most part for me. I really liked Mercy and Andromeda, and the beginning of their romance showed a lot of potential. Unfortunately, there's a completely nonsensical big misunderstanding that contributed nothing except forcing conflict into the story, and it never really recovered from that. The rest was a big rushed at a result.
As a whole, I really liked how this was structured. Each story leads into the next, but they can be read independently as well since the connections are minor. While Yorktown wasn't the end of the war, it was the beginning of the end, so centering this anthology around that and afterward was a good idea. I did think that Hamilton would be a larger presence than he ended up being though, but he's still important throughout.
This is my first by this author. I appreciated that it featured two Jewish MCs. I don't see many stories featuring Jewish characters, and this is my first one set during the Revolutionary War. Growing up in a "Christian" household, you can guess where the emphasis on the founding of the US was always placed. I really liked getting that perspective of how the war impacted Jewish peoples.
I wasn't sure about Rachel and Nathan at first. They were so mismatched, and their marriage was initially for convenience. But I liked how the author showed both their POVs. I understood where they were both coming from, and why it hadn't worked out the first time, and why Rachel did what she did to get away. I was a bit annoyed at the "present day" asides sprinkled throughout the story. I would have preferred those be left out, as they just broke up the flow.
The Pursuit of... by Courtney Milan - 5 stars - M/M
I really enjoyed Milan's The Brothers Sinister series and have been meaning to read more by her. This is her only M/M (to date) and it was great. So much humor, and cheese, and the MCs were hilarious. John, a former slave, was fighting for the Continental army, when he meets Henry, a British soldier, during the siege at Yorktown. Henry's a bit of a blabbermouth, and John doesn't know what to make of him, but quickly realizes he enjoys the other's company, and Henry has some self-esteem issues he needs to work on. Their budding relationship was so sweet, and I really enjoyed their road trip back to Rhode Island. I wish this had been longer, but at the same time it was also just the right length.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole - 3 stars - F/F
I have a checkered past with this author. Two DNFs, one 4-star and one 3-star, and I forgot about reading three of those. This one worked for the most part for me. I really liked Mercy and Andromeda, and the beginning of their romance showed a lot of potential. Unfortunately, there's a completely nonsensical big misunderstanding that contributed nothing except forcing conflict into the story, and it never really recovered from that. The rest was a big rushed at a result.
As a whole, I really liked how this was structured. Each story leads into the next, but they can be read independently as well since the connections are minor. While Yorktown wasn't the end of the war, it was the beginning of the end, so centering this anthology around that and afterward was a good idea. I did think that Hamilton would be a larger presence than he ended up being though, but he's still important throughout.
apar's review against another edition
4.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
Loved LOVED Courtney Milan's In Pursuit Of..., such a delightfully charming story!
As some other reviewers here have mentioned, I wasn't expecting Rose Lerner's story to be so serious and gut wrenching. All in all, I'm glad I read Milan's story first and this one last.
That Could be Enough made me realise two things: 1. I need to read more Alyssa Cole; and 2. I'm not sure how, but I seem to read/hear/see a lot more M/M romances than F/F.
All that said, American civil war historical romances aren't really my thing.
Loved LOVED Courtney Milan's In Pursuit Of..., such a delightfully charming story!
As some other reviewers here have mentioned, I wasn't expecting Rose Lerner's story to be so serious and gut wrenching. All in all, I'm glad I read Milan's story first and this one last.
That Could be Enough made me realise two things: 1. I need to read more Alyssa Cole; and 2. I'm not sure how, but I seem to read/hear/see a lot more M/M romances than F/F.
All that said, American civil war historical romances aren't really my thing.
theduchess93's review against another edition
5.0
Technically I'd give this 7/5 stars because it was INCREDIBLE. I haven't cried at a romance story in...probably years, honestly. The prose of all three authors was delightful -- plus their bibliographies gave me new sources to read on queer history, which is ALWAYS a plus.
hannahsatreat's review against another edition
5.0
This was a wonderful trio of inclusive romances set in the context of Revolutionary/post-Revolutionary war America. I was new to all three authors, and I look forward to checking out more from them! I recommend to Hamilton fans, history fans, or historical romance lovers.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
I am not writing reviews of my romance books this year, but this was a lot of fun. Highly recommend it to romantic Hamilton fans.
golden_lily's review against another edition
3.0
Promised Land by Rose Lerner - **
This was the one story in the anthology that didn't work for me. Rachel was too mercurial and I couldn't understand why she was now in love with Nathan. The backstory with her evil mother-in-law was torturous. I did like learning about Jewish history in early America from Rose's notes.
The Pursuit Of... by Courtney Milan - ****
I really like Henry and John and Henry&John. This is banter the book. It's also a solid look at white privilege, untreated ADHD, and how freedmen's lives weren't as free as they sound. Very sweet and feelsy romance with a great, meaningful plot.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole - ****1/2
*insert seventeen heart eye emojis here*
This was the one story in the anthology that didn't work for me. Rachel was too mercurial and I couldn't understand why she was now in love with Nathan. The backstory with her evil mother-in-law was torturous. I did like learning about Jewish history in early America from Rose's notes.
The Pursuit Of... by Courtney Milan - ****
I really like Henry and John and Henry&John. This is banter the book. It's also a solid look at white privilege, untreated ADHD, and how freedmen's lives weren't as free as they sound. Very sweet and feelsy romance with a great, meaningful plot.
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole - ****1/2
*insert seventeen heart eye emojis here*
tellingetienne's review against another edition
5.0
This was magnificent. All three romances have clear voices and a wonderful romance. I was laughing on the train reading this, and holding back tears as well. You don't need to know anything about Hamilton, or care about the musical to love the historical romances crafted in these pages. They stand on their own as triumphant voices from people who don't often get happy romance stories told of them in this time period. All the authors dig into topics of race, social class, and identity with a deft hand and an honest voice.
While anything by Milan is an instant purchase and read by me, and I had just learned how delightful Cole's writing is, I'm pleased to also find a new author in Lerner.
While anything by Milan is an instant purchase and read by me, and I had just learned how delightful Cole's writing is, I'm pleased to also find a new author in Lerner.
lanidacey's review against another edition
4.0
This was a cute anthology of romances, inspired by the life (and musical!) of Alexander Hamilton. The framing device features a widowed Eliza Hamilton collecting stories from soldiers and others who served with her late husband during the Revolutionary War.
I have this love-hate for romance anthologies. I love them, because they tend to bring some much needed diversity into mainstream romance (this collection features love stories about a Jewish couple, an interracial gay couple and a black lesbian couple). One thing I hate about them, though, is how not every story in an anthology is guaranteed to be a hit. I have one or two collections I've never finished because I got stuck on a snooze of a romance.
That wasn't a problem with this collection; since all three of the stories in the anthology were all of the same quality (that being good quality), I was able to read and enjoy the entire thing without feeling like I was forcing myself to do so. Each one had good conflict, well-rounded characters and flirty banter. (That's all I really want from my romances!)
The only downside — and this is my usual complaint — they all felt a bit short. (And, yes, I know that's a common complaint with novellas; it's still valid.)
A breakdown of each story:
Promised Land: 4 stars. This is my first read by Rose Lerner. Second-chance romance isn't really a trope I like, it worked here. Mainly because the second chance was needed because our heroine left her husband to run off and join the Continental Army. I really liked the drive Rachel had at wanting to prove herself as both a Jewish person and an American. I think it's a conflict that any minority in American could relate to. Nathan was also a sweetheart. This story had the most history out of the three, with detailed descriptions of the battles, the politics and even the culture and communities that the soldiers came from.
The Pursuit Of: 4 stars. I knocked of a half a star because of the cheese. I hate cheese, and the cheese plays a big role in the development of the relationship between John and Henry. On a serious note, though, I feel like this story suffered the most as a novella. Things spark between the two leads during the bulk of the story, and they later come together following a brief epistolary chapter. I know shortcuts are required for novellas, but I still kind of feel cheated. Courtney Milan is one of my favorite romance authors; I just really wanted to see how she'd write something so out of her comfort zone. (In the author's notes of one of her other novels, which featured a gay character, Milan said she didn't think she could write a gay romance, as she feels her strength as a writer lies in writing women.) It was still a good read, but I just wish more of the emotional connection had been built up in the action of the story.
That Could Be Enough: 3.5 stars. I love nearly everything I read from Alyssa Cole. Her prose and her writing are just so good. Mercy and Andromeda are fun, and I like that both women have wants and desires beyond the central romance. I knocked a few points off since this story does contain the "dumb misunderstanding that wouldn't be a big deal if the main characters just spoke to each other like adults." It's not dragged out for long (it can't; this story's only 12 chapters), but it still felt weak.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and recommend to anyone looking for more diversity in their romances, historical romance buffs and Hamilton fans.
I have this love-hate for romance anthologies. I love them, because they tend to bring some much needed diversity into mainstream romance (this collection features love stories about a Jewish couple, an interracial gay couple and a black lesbian couple). One thing I hate about them, though, is how not every story in an anthology is guaranteed to be a hit. I have one or two collections I've never finished because I got stuck on a snooze of a romance.
That wasn't a problem with this collection; since all three of the stories in the anthology were all of the same quality (that being good quality), I was able to read and enjoy the entire thing without feeling like I was forcing myself to do so. Each one had good conflict, well-rounded characters and flirty banter. (That's all I really want from my romances!)
The only downside — and this is my usual complaint — they all felt a bit short. (And, yes, I know that's a common complaint with novellas; it's still valid.)
A breakdown of each story:
Promised Land: 4 stars. This is my first read by Rose Lerner. Second-chance romance isn't really a trope I like, it worked here. Mainly because the second chance was needed because our heroine left her husband to run off and join the Continental Army. I really liked the drive Rachel had at wanting to prove herself as both a Jewish person and an American. I think it's a conflict that any minority in American could relate to. Nathan was also a sweetheart. This story had the most history out of the three, with detailed descriptions of the battles, the politics and even the culture and communities that the soldiers came from.
The Pursuit Of: 4 stars. I knocked of a half a star because of the cheese. I hate cheese, and the cheese plays a big role in the development of the relationship between John and Henry. On a serious note, though, I feel like this story suffered the most as a novella. Things spark between the two leads during the bulk of the story, and they later come together following a brief epistolary chapter. I know shortcuts are required for novellas, but I still kind of feel cheated. Courtney Milan is one of my favorite romance authors; I just really wanted to see how she'd write something so out of her comfort zone. (In the author's notes of one of her other novels, which featured a gay character, Milan said she didn't think she could write a gay romance, as she feels her strength as a writer lies in writing women.) It was still a good read, but I just wish more of the emotional connection had been built up in the action of the story.
That Could Be Enough: 3.5 stars. I love nearly everything I read from Alyssa Cole. Her prose and her writing are just so good. Mercy and Andromeda are fun, and I like that both women have wants and desires beyond the central romance. I knocked a few points off since this story does contain the "dumb misunderstanding that wouldn't be a big deal if the main characters just spoke to each other like adults." It's not dragged out for long (it can't; this story's only 12 chapters), but it still felt weak.
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection and recommend to anyone looking for more diversity in their romances, historical romance buffs and Hamilton fans.