An Extraordinary Union (The Loyal League, #1) in SBTB Goodreads Group

Aug 21, 2017 devra rated it really liked it

one sentence review: elle and malcom are so vital, so real, so compelling and so necessary that the fact that everything else about this book feels underdeveloped is besides the point.

every interaction they have feels fraught and intense and undercut by a constant frisson of attraction. every conversation they have is insane and wonderful. every time malcom tries to convince himself that he is some kind of hero, elle reminds him that he is just an ordinary man doing a decent thing - the bare min ...more

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Jun 05, 2018 Christina rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, popsugar-2018-reading-challenge

Popsugar 2018 Reading Challenge: A Novel Based on a Real Person

I wasn't sure about this book at first. I understand in a romance novel it's acceptable to have love and lust at first sight, but I wasn't convinced. It also took me a while to get past the anachronistic stuff. I'm not saying the characters couldn't be having conversations about their histories and how their backgrounds shaped their experience and outlook in the 1860s, but the way they had those conversations seemed remarkably contem ...more

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Jun 12, 2017 Rachael rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance

When I read romance novels as a teenager and in my twenties, they were 99% historicals. I didn't read a contemporary romance novel until 2016. I knew contemporaries were out there, but historical romance novels were what I thought of when I thought of romance novels, so that was what I turned to whenever I read a romance novel.

I eventually realized that the historicals were not for me; it was too hard for me to suspend my disbelief. Knowing what I do about history and social history, it was har When I read romance novels as a teenager and in my twenties, they were 99% historicals. I didn't read a contemporary romance novel until 2016. I knew contemporaries were out there, but historical romance novels were what I thought of when I thought of romance novels, so that was what I turned to whenever I read a romance novel.

I eventually realized that the historicals were not for me; it was too hard for me to suspend my disbelief. Knowing what I do about history and social history, it was hard for me to reconcile "historically accurate" (or even close to that) with "sensibilities that will appeal to modern readers." I was always hit with an "okay, but women/nobility/servants/whatever weren't allowed to behave that way." Hence, I took my romance reading elsewhere.

Then I kept seeing An Extraordinary Union recommended. I saw the glowing reviews on SBTB but waved them off, even when I saw multiple recommendations and listened to the podcast interview with the author. Finally, when I saw that Reading the End had reviewed it, I decided to give it a try.

And let's just say that this is what I was missing from historical romance novels.

It's an American Civil War romance, between a black woman and a white man, so right out of the gate, it feels fresh and interesting and tense, unlike the historicals I read when I was younger. Both the hero and the heroine are also spies, which made everything even better.

And honestly? This is a nigh-on perfect historical romance, and I can't wait to read more historicals by the author. Elle is an amazing, smart woman who has a reason to be invested in the outcome of the Civil War. She is doing her part and helping out however she can--in this case, by being a spy and pretending to be a mute slave. She knows what her place is, but at the same time, she wants to get the hell out of that place, and bring along with her anyone she can. She's a little angry, and at one point she has to explain to the hero, Malcolm, that he doesn't really understand what it means to be a slave, or a former slave, or even a free black person. She's also restrained and determined, two things I LOVE about her.

The romance starts out on mutual attraction, but it's continued by shared interests (such as both being Union spies) and shared experiences (like doing risky spy stuff). Despite the setting meaning that they should have a power imbalance, they are clearly on equal footing as partners in every regard, and I loved that. He has to work to give her space to express herself, and to acknowledge that he's not as informed as he thought he was.

Elle is pretending to be a slave in a Southern home. The daughter of the man who owns that home is named Suzie. In any other book, I might have said that Suzie was poorly written: mean, suggestive, irritating, and borderline one-dimensional. In any other book, she might represent a romantic rival for Elle, and hence her repulsiveness might be a little over-the-top. But I quickly realized that in a book about black people during the Civil War, a people and a time that are still overly romanticized a la Gone with the Wind, it hurts nothing to have a slave owner portrayed, as nearly cartoonishly cruel. Because that's how things were.

It was great from start to finish, engaging, smart, sexy, and well researched. I really look forward to reading more in this series! ...more

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Nov 20, 2017 Lauren loves llamas rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, read-in-2017, historical, women-of-color, author-of-color

This was much more suspenseful than I was expecting! Even though I knew this was a romance, and would therefore have a happily-ever-after ending, it was hard at times to see how they were going to overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the way of their relationship.

I liked Elle quite a bit, but found Malcolm a bit more opaque. I could definitely understand why Elle didn’t trust him at first, and I really respected her for how careful she was about getting involved with him. Elle has This was much more suspenseful than I was expecting! Even though I knew this was a romance, and would therefore have a happily-ever-after ending, it was hard at times to see how they were going to overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the way of their relationship.

I liked Elle quite a bit, but found Malcolm a bit more opaque. I could definitely understand why Elle didn’t trust him at first, and I really respected her for how careful she was about getting involved with him. Elle has been used all her life because of her talent – by her parents, by her almost-husband Daniel, by the Loyal League – and finding someone who seems to value her for herself is heady, but she’s wise enough to realize that Malcolm’s charm isn’t enough to overcome the obstacles to their relationship. As for Malcolm, he falls for her strength and intelligence, and is confused when his charm doesn’t work on her like he expects. Malcolm’s slow realization of the awfulness that Elle faces every day of her life, and what they’ll both experience if they choose to pursue a relationship, is painfully real.

This is not exactly a light read. Elle is posing as a mute slave in a Rebel household, and the treatment of her, and the other actual slaves, is heartrendingly awful. Nor does Ms. Cole, or her characters, shy away from the difficulties involved in an inter-racial relationship during the Civil War area. Despite it all, Elle’s dedication to freedom shines through.

“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.”

With all that said, this is a wonderful, amazing read. Ms. Cole shows a deft ability to balance the horrors of the Civil War with humor and delightfully real characters. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series! ...more

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May 11, 2019 Shawna (endemictoearth) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, own-voices, ebook, non-regency-historical

This is an adventure-romance, with the emphasis on adventure. The romance aspect is secondary to the danger of their spying on the enemies situation, as it really should be. I loved the heroine, Elle, and her backstory. The hero, Malcolm, is very charming and I think we don't get to see his true talents because Elle unsettles him from the start. He doesn't really think clearly for much of the book, too distracted by trying to keep his cover and keep her safe at the same time. (Even though, for t ...more

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Dec 11, 2017 Malia rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-reads

You gotta love a romance where a couple can triumph over something as evil as slavery.

For my personal tastes, there's a little more wound tending than I enjoy. There's a lot of moments of peril that the reader knows will resolve safely, but I appreciated that the peril manifests in lots of ways that are not the woman in trouble with the man saving her. And I did love that the hero was a good guy risking his ass. The world needs a lot more of those. ...more

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Aug 11, 2017 Darlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance

Excellent Civil War tale of spycraft and bravery involving an African-American woman with special talents.

Elle Burns risks her freedom and her life by working behind Confederate lines, pretending to be enslaved so she can gather information. Her cover is put at risk when she's contacted by Malcolm McCall, a Pinkerton detective pretending to support the rebels, but it's her heart that's at greatest risk.

Alyssa Cole tells a story long overdue for the telling, of the bravery of those willing to ri ...more

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Apr 26, 2017 Linda rated it liked it

Shelves: read-romance, 2017

My review is here. ...more

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Oct 06, 2017 Writerlibrarian rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, historical, october_pile, e-book, litsyatoz, read2017

Loved this a lot. Amazing Ellen is amazing. Malcolm is not too shabby also. I cast the scottish accent John Barrowman as Malcolm. Don't no why but his voice fit the character for me. Elle is smart, sexy, intense and so much the spy heroine I've always wanted to read. Recommended to the power of 1000. ...more

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