geo_ix's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this, but it’s not worth the current price on amazon for the ebook. It’s $18 here, and I KNOW it was on sale just last year some time, for under $5 so I just feel bad for anyone wanting to read it now. The paperback is 50c cheaper & that just doesn’t happen here. Looking at the US Amazon the paperback is SUPER cheap compared to the kindle. If you’re an kindle reader I would suggest putting it off in hopes of another sale, but if not it might be better to just try the library.
I don’t think I’ll continue the series because the next book costs even more, but I’ll try some other AC books because I know the cost isn’t really up to her & I did enjoy the writing. In fact, even though I rated book one the same as this, I enjoyed this more than I did book one. I just wish there was little more romance, she pushes him away for like 90% of the book and it irritated me.
I really enjoyed his character. He wasn’t a typical male lead and it was quite refreshing. I also really enjoyed her medical/science stuff, it was super interesting. My only major problem I had with this and the first book is the villains were always super sociopathic and they make me so angry and then it ruins my day, especially if the don’t end up dead lol
I don’t think I’ll continue the series because the next book costs even more, but I’ll try some other AC books because I know the cost isn’t really up to her & I did enjoy the writing. In fact, even though I rated book one the same as this, I enjoyed this more than I did book one. I just wish there was little more romance, she pushes him away for like 90% of the book and it irritated me.
I really enjoyed his character. He wasn’t a typical male lead and it was quite refreshing. I also really enjoyed her medical/science stuff, it was super interesting. My only major problem I had with this and the first book is the villains were always super sociopathic and they make me so angry and then it ruins my day, especially if the don’t end up dead lol
caitlinemccann's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, War, Bullying, Classism, Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Sexual content, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
reading_meg's review
5.0
- It was so interesting to read this since I live in the general area the book is set! It also really made me think about how the characters in this book could easily be someone I know's great great grandparents.
- I loved the root work and chemistry/botany in this book so much. The overlap (both geography and subject matter) between this book and Legendborn was so interesting to think about while reading.
- The tension in this one is so powerful, especially with hiding Ewan!
- The dynamic between Marlie and her white family was so powerful and tragic, especially between her and her sister.
- I loved the root work and chemistry/botany in this book so much. The overlap (both geography and subject matter) between this book and Legendborn was so interesting to think about while reading.
- The tension in this one is so powerful, especially with hiding Ewan!
- The dynamic between Marlie and her white family was so powerful and tragic, especially between her and her sister.
ashleyreadsanything's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
leavingsealevel's review against another edition
2.0
I liked An Extraordinary Union waaaayyyy better, and am kind of disappointed Malcolm and Elle aren't in this one :(
However. This is beautifully written and incredibly well researched (I learned some interesting things about science/medicine and about resistance to the confederate government in the south). I just didn't like the characters as well.
However. This is beautifully written and incredibly well researched (I learned some interesting things about science/medicine and about resistance to the confederate government in the south). I just didn't like the characters as well.
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
As the second installment in Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series, this was a knock-out for me. I LOVE quieter slow-burn stories where the stakes gradually heighten until you are ready to scream from the on-page tension - this is that, both interpersonally between Marlie and Ewan AND externally as the increasingly invasive Confederate presence in Marlie's home drives her from her day-to-day life and family. Marlie, a free Black woman living with her white family in the South, is everything I love in a competent and self-protective heroine. She is inventive and reflective and knows when to take measured risks. And Ewan, neurodivergent and earnest and deeply traumatized by his role in the war, is so well-matched. Cole explores the impact of the war on free Black folks and poor white folks in divided territories and the various occupying factions, delivering a nuanced and compelling plot that drives this romantic suspense. This was 5/5 for me, I highly recommend to all historical romance readers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Torture, War, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Abortion, Sexual assault, and Trafficking
Minor: Vomit
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
This is a romantic suspense set in North Carolina during the American Civil War (1863). I really really love this series for a couple of reasons: the characters are based on real people, and they tell stories about the Civil War focused on people who were working against the Confederacy from within the South. The stories are high stakes and also realistic. Each one has taken me like two sitting to read because the plots are intense and exciting.
Both couples so far have been interracial, and in both books, the Black FMC has had to wrestle with the reality of her situation, and essentially figure out how to be in love with a white man in the South while the white MMC has had to be patient but also pragmatic.
In a world where the dominant Civil War romance narrative is Gone with the Wind (gross), we need books like these to tell the whole story, and shine a light on the incredible people working for good during such a dark time in our history.
⚠️Do mind the content!! These are not lighthearted and they do feature many dark realities from this time including racism, racist slurs, threats of r*pe, k!dnapping, assault, t0rture, slavery, violence and of course, war.
👍🏻Recommended. If you are looking for a historical romance set in the US featuring diverse characters and fascinating bits of real history - these are for you!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Ableism
Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, and Racism
sarful's review against another edition
5.0
This was a great story of the Civil War from a southern perspective, as supporters of the Union. We really get a good idea of southern life from both a Confederate perspective as well as a supporter of The Union perspective. As well as how a free black woman, in our heroine, would feel in a society that cares little about who she is and more for what color she is.
Marlie and Ewan dance around their mutually quick love for each other, yet their banter, intelligence and care for one another jump off the page. Their story, set within the confines of war, was so well done. Ms. Cole is a rockstar to be able to make such a compelling love story in the midst of The War Between The States, and an interracial couple no less. Job well done. I loved it.
Marlie and Ewan dance around their mutually quick love for each other, yet their banter, intelligence and care for one another jump off the page. Their story, set within the confines of war, was so well done. Ms. Cole is a rockstar to be able to make such a compelling love story in the midst of The War Between The States, and an interracial couple no less. Job well done. I loved it.
colin_cox's review against another edition
5.0
A Hope Divided continues Alyssa Cole's Loyal League series of historical romance novels. The pace for this novel is slower and more methodical than its predecessor, and unlike its predecessor, it also reads far less like an espionage thriller. With that said, A Hope Divided maintains the intrigue and readability I come to expect from Cole's work. Furthermore, A Hope Divided features a sympathetic, neurodivergent lead, even though Cole refrains, for obvious historical reasons, from using that language.