Scan barcode
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
thirdeyeangel23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
Alyssa Cole knows how to get you in your feelings. This is the story of Marley and Ewan. The product of a former slave and slave master, Marley has spent most of her life living under the safety of her sister who took her into the family estate. As a well known herbalist and abolitionist everything changes for Marley the night her brother returns home with his wife and Marley offers refuge to a Union soldier. As the war continues to wage on Marley finds solace in Ewan while everything she’s ever known crumbled. A story of unlikely forbidden love blossoming under the most dangerous of circumstances, Cole keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery
traceyanderson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Slavery, War, Murder, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
More...