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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
FANTASTIC. The premise was great, the writing was smooth, and the leads had great chemistry.
Okay, so for some reason I thought this book was going to be more about spies than it actually was. It was mainly a historical romance, which I wasn't expecting. That definitely hindered my enjoyment of it. I rated it a star up, though, because it isn't the fault of the book or the author that I had the wrong expectations. Plus, it's super cool to have a black female lead in a historical romance!
Originally posted to I Should Read That
It has been a long time since I’ve read historical romance, despite it being a favourite genre of mine, and I've been craving it lately. Pretty much everything that I have read in historical romance has been set in Regency or Victorian England, and I needed to read something different while in a reading slump last month. I thought I’d branch out to Alyssa Cole’s Civil War-era Loyal League series. An Extraordinary Union has high stakes, gripping tension, and fantastic characters and I just loved it.
Romance novels often have stakes, that’s just part of the genre. However, I’ve never read anything with such high stakes and tension as An Extraordinary Union. A huge part of this is the fact that it is set in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Cole does not shy away from the realities that slaves faced at this time -- particularly enslaved women. Although Elle is a free woman, she is posing as a slave in a Confederate senator’s household. The fear for Elle’s safety grips you from the very start of the book, however it is woven in well and doesn’t make it an unpleasant or anxiety-inducing. The differences between herself and Malcolm are made very apparent -- despite the fact that they're both fighting on the same side, their lives and lifestyles will never be the same and their relationship wouldn't be accepted by others on the side of the Union.
Elle and Malcolm are both fantastic characters. Elle is one of my favourite heroines -- she is so intelligent and fierce and has so much agency. She’s fighting for a higher purpose, to release the US from the grip of slavery, and damn you believe in her every step of the way. She’s so fierce and fantastic and was one of the reasons the book is so compelling. Malcolm is a lovely hero and the perfect fit for Elle, but she was really the star of the show and the most memorable character for me.
If you're looking for historical fiction or historical romance, I'd highly recommend you pick up An Extraordinary Union. It's not an easy read at times, but it is a fantastic story packed with passion and heart.
It has been a long time since I’ve read historical romance, despite it being a favourite genre of mine, and I've been craving it lately. Pretty much everything that I have read in historical romance has been set in Regency or Victorian England, and I needed to read something different while in a reading slump last month. I thought I’d branch out to Alyssa Cole’s Civil War-era Loyal League series. An Extraordinary Union has high stakes, gripping tension, and fantastic characters and I just loved it.
Romance novels often have stakes, that’s just part of the genre. However, I’ve never read anything with such high stakes and tension as An Extraordinary Union. A huge part of this is the fact that it is set in the Confederacy during the Civil War. Cole does not shy away from the realities that slaves faced at this time -- particularly enslaved women. Although Elle is a free woman, she is posing as a slave in a Confederate senator’s household. The fear for Elle’s safety grips you from the very start of the book, however it is woven in well and doesn’t make it an unpleasant or anxiety-inducing. The differences between herself and Malcolm are made very apparent -- despite the fact that they're both fighting on the same side, their lives and lifestyles will never be the same and their relationship wouldn't be accepted by others on the side of the Union.
Elle and Malcolm are both fantastic characters. Elle is one of my favourite heroines -- she is so intelligent and fierce and has so much agency. She’s fighting for a higher purpose, to release the US from the grip of slavery, and damn you believe in her every step of the way. She’s so fierce and fantastic and was one of the reasons the book is so compelling. Malcolm is a lovely hero and the perfect fit for Elle, but she was really the star of the show and the most memorable character for me.
If you're looking for historical fiction or historical romance, I'd highly recommend you pick up An Extraordinary Union. It's not an easy read at times, but it is a fantastic story packed with passion and heart.
emotional
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
This was LOVELY. SUPER well written, from character to plot to setting. Can't wait for the second one.
4.5 stars.
This story was so well-done. Things were tense all throughout the book, I really did wonder how Malcolm and Elle would make it through. Elle was a very strong and capable heroine, with an amazing memory. I loved her, because she was furious and knew just how to vent that anger and help take down the Confederacy. Malcolm, on the other hand, was very charming and generally likable, but with an undercurrent of seriousness and loyalty most never saw. The fact that they were both spies who worked together, not to mention Malcolm was white and Elle black, was what made me want to read this so bad. I don't normally read Civil War stories, but I just knew I had to give this one a shot. And wow, but did Alyssa Cole ever do a fantastic job here! I mean, Elle was a free woman pretending to be a mute slave, and Malcolm was spying for the Union while pretending to be a Confederate soldier. Can you really get more intense than that? It was clever, thought-provoking, and it just had me on edge the whole time. I saw some writing mistakes that took me out of the story, but other than that? Perfect. It will be hard to top this one. Interracial romance with spies, set against the backdrop of the Civil War? With a premise and plot like that, I am temporarily not reading American-set romance. They'd all just fall short.
This story was so well-done. Things were tense all throughout the book, I really did wonder how Malcolm and Elle would make it through. Elle was a very strong and capable heroine, with an amazing memory. I loved her, because she was furious and knew just how to vent that anger and help take down the Confederacy. Malcolm, on the other hand, was very charming and generally likable, but with an undercurrent of seriousness and loyalty most never saw. The fact that they were both spies who worked together, not to mention Malcolm was white and Elle black, was what made me want to read this so bad. I don't normally read Civil War stories, but I just knew I had to give this one a shot. And wow, but did Alyssa Cole ever do a fantastic job here! I mean, Elle was a free woman pretending to be a mute slave, and Malcolm was spying for the Union while pretending to be a Confederate soldier. Can you really get more intense than that? It was clever, thought-provoking, and it just had me on edge the whole time. I saw some writing mistakes that took me out of the story, but other than that? Perfect. It will be hard to top this one. Interracial romance with spies, set against the backdrop of the Civil War? With a premise and plot like that, I am temporarily not reading American-set romance. They'd all just fall short.
4.5 stars
She was Ellen Burns, and she was going to help destroy the Confederacy.
I'm way late to the party on this one but, oh yes, do I agree with the majority of you all, this is my highest rated book of the year. Our heroine Elle definitely is the stand-out character, the hero Malcolm was very overshadowed in the beginning but began to shine brighter in the middle and end. Working on behalf of the Union in a ring of spies called the Loyal League, Elle is placed in a southern senator's household as a mute slave to gain and pass on as much information as she can. Malcolm spies for the Pinkerton Agency and is currently posing as a Union soldier. Malcolm is immediately drawn to Elle, a bit insta-lust, but what saves their romance from my personal dislike of insta, is Elle's thoughts and feelings. When they first meet, Elle is a slave and Malcolm a Union soldier but even after their undercover roles are revealed, Elle is a Black woman and Malcolm a white man in 1862 America.
[...]one wrong word from him and she would lose her life, whereas his sex and skin color inoculated him from harm at her hand.
I've complained many times about forced angst or conflict in stories contrived to keep heroes and heroines apart, yeah, nothing forced here. The author deeply provides us with Elle's thoughts and emotions about the danger of having feelings for Malcolm. This is shown not only personally, the immediate bodily danger to Elle and the personal stake she has in the Civil War but also outwardly, the encompassing work they are doing for the Union and the importance of the information they have to pass on. In beginning notes I took, I mentioned that the heroine was crotchety, which I appreciated because the heroes always get to be the surly ones fighting the romance and struggled with because of personal thoughts of just accept this sexy awesome dude already. As the story went on though, the author does such an amazing job putting you in the historical context, place, and time, and it becomes felt how the stakes are very real for Elle. This isn't a light falling in love but a hard hand gripping leap of faith.
“Help me to understand,” he said. He was still asking of her when he should be giving, but he didn’t know how else to proceed.
“We don’t want revenge, Malcolm.” She looked at him like he was the densest bastard to ever walk the earth. “We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like any damned fool in these United States is entitled to so long as he isn’t Black or Red. So you can keep your outrage. All I can do is try to make a difference.”
This didn't have a lot of overall reaching Civil War tidbits dropped in, it is more of an immediate spotlight on how networks of spies could gain knowledge and help their side and one take on how a women in Elle's position could have fallen in love. I don't often mention how a character's emotions and thoughts help set the time period for me but Elle was a huge component for placing me in the story. The clothing, atmosphere, incidentals, and society were all there, too. Tied into the spying for information battle and danger, was some awesome ironclad ships and blockade talk. This may seem like a weird thing to get excited about but this is why I read historicals, to get little nuggets of information to gain knowledge and understanding with a feel of the time.
This was who she was when she was allowed to be free from fear.
Malcolm didn't quite leap off the pages for me, due to spying being a waiting game for info at times there was some slowness, and I would have liked some outer happenings (more big Civil War happenings going on, more of the Loyal League people, structure, and happenings). I know this is first in series, so maybe some information was held back about the Loyal League but in a contrarily way (I complain a lot about first in a series syndrome and how authors focus too much on setting up characters for future books) I could have stood for more character presence from ones that will star or appear in future installments in the series. Secondary characters gave without stealing the show, this "little" line from Mary: “I was just worried, is all,” she said, adjusting the ragged lace trim on Elle’s sleeve. “You remind me of my daughter sometimes. She had eyes just like yours . . . Caffrey sold her down South to pay off a debt. Every time I look at you, I wonder if she gonna grow up to be as pretty as you. And I hope she won’t.”
"I hope she won't", devastating. There was also Timothy, who Elle feared his judgement about her relationship with Malcolm but he informs her that he is part Seminole and a host of other characters that show that "kind" people can participate and be blind to atrocities.
This book made the list of several best of 2017 lists and I completely see why. The historical richness is great, there are some awesome emotional and thought provoking on fire comments/commentary, and the consequences, angst, and attraction between Elle and Malcolm are felt, but read this book for Elle. Her anger and underlining pain give way to such a well of strength; she's the heroine you want to read about, hope you're a little bit like, and inspire to be.
(The author notes that some of her characters were based on real life people: Elle was based on Mary Bowser, Malcolm by Timothy Webster, and Robert Grand by Robert Smalls. There was also a reference guide of books the author used for research in the back. Historicals with history! Give me more historicals like this)
She was Ellen Burns, and she was going to help destroy the Confederacy.
I'm way late to the party on this one but, oh yes, do I agree with the majority of you all, this is my highest rated book of the year. Our heroine Elle definitely is the stand-out character, the hero Malcolm was very overshadowed in the beginning but began to shine brighter in the middle and end. Working on behalf of the Union in a ring of spies called the Loyal League, Elle is placed in a southern senator's household as a mute slave to gain and pass on as much information as she can. Malcolm spies for the Pinkerton Agency and is currently posing as a Union soldier. Malcolm is immediately drawn to Elle, a bit insta-lust, but what saves their romance from my personal dislike of insta, is Elle's thoughts and feelings. When they first meet, Elle is a slave and Malcolm a Union soldier but even after their undercover roles are revealed, Elle is a Black woman and Malcolm a white man in 1862 America.
[...]one wrong word from him and she would lose her life, whereas his sex and skin color inoculated him from harm at her hand.
I've complained many times about forced angst or conflict in stories contrived to keep heroes and heroines apart, yeah, nothing forced here. The author deeply provides us with Elle's thoughts and emotions about the danger of having feelings for Malcolm. This is shown not only personally, the immediate bodily danger to Elle and the personal stake she has in the Civil War but also outwardly, the encompassing work they are doing for the Union and the importance of the information they have to pass on. In beginning notes I took, I mentioned that the heroine was crotchety, which I appreciated because the heroes always get to be the surly ones fighting the romance and struggled with because of personal thoughts of just accept this sexy awesome dude already. As the story went on though, the author does such an amazing job putting you in the historical context, place, and time, and it becomes felt how the stakes are very real for Elle. This isn't a light falling in love but a hard hand gripping leap of faith.
“Help me to understand,” he said. He was still asking of her when he should be giving, but he didn’t know how else to proceed.
“We don’t want revenge, Malcolm.” She looked at him like he was the densest bastard to ever walk the earth. “We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like any damned fool in these United States is entitled to so long as he isn’t Black or Red. So you can keep your outrage. All I can do is try to make a difference.”
This didn't have a lot of overall reaching Civil War tidbits dropped in, it is more of an immediate spotlight on how networks of spies could gain knowledge and help their side and one take on how a women in Elle's position could have fallen in love. I don't often mention how a character's emotions and thoughts help set the time period for me but Elle was a huge component for placing me in the story. The clothing, atmosphere, incidentals, and society were all there, too. Tied into the spying for information battle and danger, was some awesome ironclad ships and blockade talk. This may seem like a weird thing to get excited about but this is why I read historicals, to get little nuggets of information to gain knowledge and understanding with a feel of the time.
This was who she was when she was allowed to be free from fear.
Malcolm didn't quite leap off the pages for me, due to spying being a waiting game for info at times there was some slowness, and I would have liked some outer happenings (more big Civil War happenings going on, more of the Loyal League people, structure, and happenings). I know this is first in series, so maybe some information was held back about the Loyal League but in a contrarily way (I complain a lot about first in a series syndrome and how authors focus too much on setting up characters for future books) I could have stood for more character presence from ones that will star or appear in future installments in the series. Secondary characters gave without stealing the show, this "little" line from Mary: “I was just worried, is all,” she said, adjusting the ragged lace trim on Elle’s sleeve. “You remind me of my daughter sometimes. She had eyes just like yours . . . Caffrey sold her down South to pay off a debt. Every time I look at you, I wonder if she gonna grow up to be as pretty as you. And I hope she won’t.”
"I hope she won't", devastating. There was also Timothy, who Elle feared his judgement about her relationship with Malcolm but he informs her that he is part Seminole and a host of other characters that show that "kind" people can participate and be blind to atrocities.
This book made the list of several best of 2017 lists and I completely see why. The historical richness is great, there are some awesome emotional and thought provoking on fire comments/commentary, and the consequences, angst, and attraction between Elle and Malcolm are felt, but read this book for Elle. Her anger and underlining pain give way to such a well of strength; she's the heroine you want to read about, hope you're a little bit like, and inspire to be.
(The author notes that some of her characters were based on real life people: Elle was based on Mary Bowser, Malcolm by Timothy Webster, and Robert Grand by Robert Smalls. There was also a reference guide of books the author used for research in the back. Historicals with history! Give me more historicals like this)
While not my usual go-to genre for historical fiction, this was not bad. This book came on my radar last year when both Smart Bitches, Trashy Books AND romance author Julia Quinn both raved about this book within a week of each other. And SMTB kept talking about it on their FaceBook page.
While I have always been interested in the American Civil War, I've always been a bit reluctant when it comes to most books, especially romances, set during the time period. But having now read it, I can understand why people were discussing it.
It has a couple elements that you do not generally see in romances, let alone historical ones.
1) The two main characters become an inter-racial couple. Especially given that this takes place in the Confederacy, this is especially different.
2) The heroine of the story is strongly written, has a mind and opinions of her own, is NOT seeking a man and does everything in her power to try to stop the romance because she at least sees what an incredibly bad idea it was.
There were a couple things that I disliked too.
1) It took several chapters for me to get into the book. I was close to trying to decide if it was worth continuing. But just as I was about to say "stop", the pacing of the story picked up and I was able to find stride.
2)I did have some issues with the hero of the tale. He's supposed to be a spy working for the Pinkerton Detectives infiltrating the Deep South in order to obtain military information to help the Union. But the minute he comes in contact with the heroine, he keeps putting his mission (and her's as she is one for a different Union agency) in jepoardy because he gets all moony eyed over her. Not to mention that she keeps having to remind him just how dangerous it is for them to be in a relationship. It literally takes a bullet to the skull for him to start to clue in to the dangers.
I found that I did like Ms. Cole's general writing style and should the next book in this series, or any of her other series, come across my path, I might pick it up.
While I have always been interested in the American Civil War, I've always been a bit reluctant when it comes to most books, especially romances, set during the time period. But having now read it, I can understand why people were discussing it.
It has a couple elements that you do not generally see in romances, let alone historical ones.
1) The two main characters become an inter-racial couple. Especially given that this takes place in the Confederacy, this is especially different.
2) The heroine of the story is strongly written, has a mind and opinions of her own, is NOT seeking a man and does everything in her power to try to stop the romance because she at least sees what an incredibly bad idea it was.
There were a couple things that I disliked too.
1) It took several chapters for me to get into the book. I was close to trying to decide if it was worth continuing. But just as I was about to say "stop", the pacing of the story picked up and I was able to find stride.
2)I did have some issues with the hero of the tale. He's supposed to be a spy working for the Pinkerton Detectives infiltrating the Deep South in order to obtain military information to help the Union. But the minute he comes in contact with the heroine, he keeps putting his mission (and her's as she is one for a different Union agency) in jepoardy because he gets all moony eyed over her. Not to mention that she keeps having to remind him just how dangerous it is for them to be in a relationship. It literally takes a bullet to the skull for him to start to clue in to the dangers.
I found that I did like Ms. Cole's general writing style and should the next book in this series, or any of her other series, come across my path, I might pick it up.