What do you think?
Rate this book
The Loyal League #2
A Hope Divided
The Civil War has turned neighbor against neighbor--but for one scientist spy and her philosopher soldier, war could bind them together . . .
For three years of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother's traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her--until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie's home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.
Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.
When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie's freedom on the line, she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love--and freedom--before they ever cross state lines.
For three years of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother's traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her--until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie's home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.
Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.
When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie's freedom on the line, she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love--and freedom--before they ever cross state lines.
Audible Audio
First published November 28, 2017
349 people are currently reading
3722 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Cole
42 books6,439 followersAlyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award’s Best Book of 2017 and the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 547 reviews
November 9, 2017
I generally don't rate books I haven't read yet, but this book isn't gonna sit here with a 1-star rating because of a troll, so FIVE STARS. (Also, if you have not read the first book in this series, An Extraordinary Union, DO SO IMMEDIATELY, IT IS WONDERFUL.)
update:
I have now officially read this book and it was so good I failed to give Dianna directions while we were driving and we got lost because I was busy reading.
update:
I have now officially read this book and it was so good I failed to give Dianna directions while we were driving and we got lost because I was busy reading.
Read
February 19, 2018Cole hits it out of the park again with the second in an exceptional histrom series set in the US Civil War. Marlie, a herbalist, is the mixed race daughter of a freed black woman and a wealthy white plantation owner. Her sister Sarah is an abolitionist and takes Marlie into the family as an acknowledged member, but things go rapidly south when Sarah's brother and his virulently racist Southern-belle wife return home. This aspect of the story is brutally painful. Marlie moves from feeling loved and valuable to being horrifically at risk in the blink of an eye: she's a free woman yet could still be sold into slavery; the house she'd considered home becomes a prison; the sister whose love she counted on proves to value her despite her race, which is not at all the same thing as unconditional love. The whole feeling of fear and living with hatred and uncertainty and injustice is overpowering and really well done.
Ewan, meanwhile, is an interrogator for the Northern forces. He's an oddball, somewhere on the autistic spectrum, and his apparently unemotional attitude has been weaponised to make him into a highly effective torturer. This is a hell of a move on Cole's part, and she neither glosses over nor excuses what Ewan did, including the fact that he violently attacked one of his interrogatees, who is the villain of this book. Ewan's self-loathing is powerfully done, but there are no simple answers. Torture's wrong, but the South needs to lose the war and as quickly as possible. Love and kindness are vital, but they won't save Marlie on their own. It's a complicated thought-provoking book.
I particularly like what this series does with the 'Southern belle' concept, demonstrating the hateful lie of that particular idolisation of certain white women. Melody, the Southern belle here, is truly evil, as is the villain. This is tricky because on the face of it, they both feel close to caricature racists, but it takes about thirty seconds' reading up to realise that this is in fact how viciously poisonously racist many Southerners were. Truth is stranger and also worse than fiction.
A fantastic second installment with loads of UST and a unusual pair of leads, and a really fresh look at the period from a rare-in-romance perspective. Whole series highly recommended and I do hope I know who the next book is about. (GIVE DANIEL A BOOK is what I'm saying here.)
Ewan, meanwhile, is an interrogator for the Northern forces. He's an oddball, somewhere on the autistic spectrum, and his apparently unemotional attitude has been weaponised to make him into a highly effective torturer. This is a hell of a move on Cole's part, and she neither glosses over nor excuses what Ewan did, including the fact that he violently attacked one of his interrogatees, who is the villain of this book. Ewan's self-loathing is powerfully done, but there are no simple answers. Torture's wrong, but the South needs to lose the war and as quickly as possible. Love and kindness are vital, but they won't save Marlie on their own. It's a complicated thought-provoking book.
I particularly like what this series does with the 'Southern belle' concept, demonstrating the hateful lie of that particular idolisation of certain white women. Melody, the Southern belle here, is truly evil, as is the villain. This is tricky because on the face of it, they both feel close to caricature racists, but it takes about thirty seconds' reading up to realise that this is in fact how viciously poisonously racist many Southerners were. Truth is stranger and also worse than fiction.
A fantastic second installment with loads of UST and a unusual pair of leads, and a really fresh look at the period from a rare-in-romance perspective. Whole series highly recommended and I do hope I know who the next book is about. (GIVE DANIEL A BOOK is what I'm saying here.)
March 24, 2019
I liked this book but I do have to say that I liked it less than the first novel in the Loyal League series entitled, “An Extraordinary Union”. I found with this second novel in the series, it had a much slower pace and truly did focus on Ewan and Marlie’s journey. I felt that the first novel in the series included much more background historical information whereas this novel mentioned it periodically but didn’t really include the events that were happening in parallel.
The story and the pacing did pick up somewhat halfway to three quarters through the book but again, it did take some time and effort in reading to get there.
One thing regarding the story that I found was eye opening (and horrifying) was how quickly Marlie’s “freedom” was dismissed. I know it’s not surprising considering the societal climate at the time but this was someone who was in all technicalities “free”. She came from what was considered a “proper bloodline” and lived her life in freedom but that was dismissed so quickly and easily. It gave a hint of what was a reality in society at the time and it’s truly harrowing to think about.
I will continue this series because I do like both the relationships and the story that it creates involving the basis of true historical events.
***I received this ARC from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for hosting this giveaway.***
The story and the pacing did pick up somewhat halfway to three quarters through the book but again, it did take some time and effort in reading to get there.
One thing regarding the story that I found was eye opening (and horrifying) was how quickly Marlie’s “freedom” was dismissed. I know it’s not surprising considering the societal climate at the time but this was someone who was in all technicalities “free”. She came from what was considered a “proper bloodline” and lived her life in freedom but that was dismissed so quickly and easily. It gave a hint of what was a reality in society at the time and it’s truly harrowing to think about.
I will continue this series because I do like both the relationships and the story that it creates involving the basis of true historical events.
***I received this ARC from a Goodreads Giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for hosting this giveaway.***
November 28, 2017
Been sitting on my review on this for awhile.
This installment of the series is quite a bit different from the first book. Our intrepid heroes in this one are also spies for the North, but unlike Elle and Malcolm from the first book, Marlies and Ewan's spying isn't as overt.
Marlie is a free woman in the south living with her white half-sister who accepts her as a member of the family. Her mother was a black conjure woman and also a practitioner of hoodoo root magic. I have to pause here and say I loved the first chapter, the language of this type of medicine woman felt very familiar to me. This is a long tradition that still lives today. My 80 y.o. grandmother is a strong believer of root magic. I like how the author allowed Marlie's practice to lightly straddle the line of simple wise woman medicine work and some mystical belief. It doesn't quite cross the line into anything really paranormal... but there is a bit of an air.
Like Elle in the previous book, Marlie's status as a free woman is somewhat precarious as she later learns. Her secure life is shaken when she realizes that her acceptance as a daughter of the house can't protect her from people with power who might want to see her back into chattel slavery.
The hero in this one is Ewan, brother of Malcolm from the first book. We first meet him as he has allowed himself to be imprisoned into a southern prison to gather intelligence. He has special skills and can affect a break anytime he wants. I liked Ewan he was bookish and inward thinking and he was a woke white bae. When one of the prison guards refers to the slaves as workers, Ewan disagrees with his terminology.
Marlie and Ewan are thrown into each others' company and at various times com to each others' rescue.
This is a nicely written book, very thoughtful and paints a good nuanced picture of two people who are living in specific space in history and letting us peek into their lives as they navigate it.
I especially appreciate the bit of writing where the author relays the dignity and humanity of the enslaved without it sounding pedantic or patronizing.
I hope this series continues.
This is an honest review is based on the receipt of an ARC by the publisher
This installment of the series is quite a bit different from the first book. Our intrepid heroes in this one are also spies for the North, but unlike Elle and Malcolm from the first book, Marlies and Ewan's spying isn't as overt.
Marlie is a free woman in the south living with her white half-sister who accepts her as a member of the family. Her mother was a black conjure woman and also a practitioner of hoodoo root magic. I have to pause here and say I loved the first chapter, the language of this type of medicine woman felt very familiar to me. This is a long tradition that still lives today. My 80 y.o. grandmother is a strong believer of root magic. I like how the author allowed Marlie's practice to lightly straddle the line of simple wise woman medicine work and some mystical belief. It doesn't quite cross the line into anything really paranormal... but there is a bit of an air.
Like Elle in the previous book, Marlie's status as a free woman is somewhat precarious as she later learns. Her secure life is shaken when she realizes that her acceptance as a daughter of the house can't protect her from people with power who might want to see her back into chattel slavery.
The hero in this one is Ewan, brother of Malcolm from the first book. We first meet him as he has allowed himself to be imprisoned into a southern prison to gather intelligence. He has special skills and can affect a break anytime he wants. I liked Ewan he was bookish and inward thinking and he was a woke white bae. When one of the prison guards refers to the slaves as workers, Ewan disagrees with his terminology.
"The slaves" Ewan corrected. "the term 'worker' implies that payment is provided to them for their services, it is not."
Marlie and Ewan are thrown into each others' company and at various times com to each others' rescue.
This is a nicely written book, very thoughtful and paints a good nuanced picture of two people who are living in specific space in history and letting us peek into their lives as they navigate it.
I especially appreciate the bit of writing where the author relays the dignity and humanity of the enslaved without it sounding pedantic or patronizing.
I hope this series continues.
This is an honest review is based on the receipt of an ARC by the publisher
September 20, 2021
3.5 Stars
I loved the first book in this series, so I'm happy I finally picked this one up. Marlie is working as a spy for the Union and met our hero while volunteering in a prison he was a prisoner in. She meets him again when he's escaped and injured and needs a safe place to stay. Their romance was slow and sweet, but it was my least favorite thing about the book. I much more enjoyed Marlie's journey translating her mother's journal and uncovering who her father was. There are also a lot of moments where you don't know if Marlie and Ewan will be found out because there are Confederate soldiers always around and even staying in Marlie's house. There were some slower parts in the middle and the end and I wasn't as engaged in the story of our characters as I was in book one, but it was still an enjoyable historical romance.
I loved the first book in this series, so I'm happy I finally picked this one up. Marlie is working as a spy for the Union and met our hero while volunteering in a prison he was a prisoner in. She meets him again when he's escaped and injured and needs a safe place to stay. Their romance was slow and sweet, but it was my least favorite thing about the book. I much more enjoyed Marlie's journey translating her mother's journal and uncovering who her father was. There are also a lot of moments where you don't know if Marlie and Ewan will be found out because there are Confederate soldiers always around and even staying in Marlie's house. There were some slower parts in the middle and the end and I wasn't as engaged in the story of our characters as I was in book one, but it was still an enjoyable historical romance.
February 21, 2023
Such rich goodness!
Marlie & Ewan’s story pulled at heartstrings I didn’t know existed. This series is just so well written and deliciously good. Painful in parts, and I couldn’t help but think of what my life would’ve been back during that awful time. Alyssa Cole blows my mind with her research, and these rich characters that she created. Marlie was a black Claire Fraser, and that made my heart so proud! Not only could she heal mixing potions, mixtures and such, but because of her one green eye, and one brown people thought of her to be a witch.
I don’t want to spoil anything as to how Ewan & Marlie crossed paths or got together. Just know that this book is an adrenaline rush and a tsunami of feels. Some painful causing me to look within my own hurts and struggles. It’s like the pages reached down in the depth of my soul and touched hurts that I had experienced throughout my life. Other moments were like warm liquid sunshine. Their love story was so beautiful.
Marlie & Ewan’s story pulled at heartstrings I didn’t know existed. This series is just so well written and deliciously good. Painful in parts, and I couldn’t help but think of what my life would’ve been back during that awful time. Alyssa Cole blows my mind with her research, and these rich characters that she created. Marlie was a black Claire Fraser, and that made my heart so proud! Not only could she heal mixing potions, mixtures and such, but because of her one green eye, and one brown people thought of her to be a witch.
I don’t want to spoil anything as to how Ewan & Marlie crossed paths or got together. Just know that this book is an adrenaline rush and a tsunami of feels. Some painful causing me to look within my own hurts and struggles. It’s like the pages reached down in the depth of my soul and touched hurts that I had experienced throughout my life. Other moments were like warm liquid sunshine. Their love story was so beautiful.
March 25, 2019
“I’m sorry to disturb you again,” he said. He tried to think of what his brother, Malcolm, would say; something witty and dashing and perhaps slightly provocative. “I’ve got a rather small bladder, it seems.”
She looked at him with raised brows and he understood immediately that Malcolm would not have said such a thing.
4.5 stars rounded up.
Behold, ladies and gentlemen, one of the reasons why I love Alyssa Cole’s stories. Even when writing about the brutality of the Civil War, the injustice of slavery, the pain of family secrets and self-discovery and self-doubt, Cole is adept at intermingling humor and lightness. Although her stories tell difficult truths, they are also hopeful. They remind you that even during times of brutality and injustice and pain, people also found ways to laugh.
I may have enjoyed A Hope Divided more than An Extraordinary Union, which was a fairly extraordinary (wink, wink) book itself. While the romance was a slower burn, the unique leads kept me captivated.
I referenced self-discovery above, and that theme remains prominent throughout the story. Marlie, a gifted healer and the daughter of a plantation owner and a free black woman, has lived a fairly sheltered life. As her vicious sister-in-law and the violent Home Guard threaten her freedom, long-held secrets are revealed and shake her foundation. Marlie befriends Ewan when he is a prisoner-of-war and subsequently shelters him upon his escape. Ewan, who is more comfortable with books than people, must come to terms with his present actions as a Union counterintelligence officer and past ghosts.
As the story stretches from desolate prison camps to militia hideaways and highlights covert and overt acts of resistance, there is an underlying tension. But you also glimpse the characters as they would exist without the war - Marlie and her herbs, Ewan and his books, their shared interests as well as their disagreements, their desire to help others, their fear that they won't be understood and their relief in finding someone who does, indeed, understand. While I was a bit disappointed in the evolution of the romance () they nevertheless had engaging banter and many swoon-worthy moments.
A Hope Divided is one of the most well-researched and well-written pieces of Civil War fiction that I have read, and I highly recommend it.
Read for SBTB Best Picture Quarterly Challenge: A historical romance by a black author.
She looked at him with raised brows and he understood immediately that Malcolm would not have said such a thing.
4.5 stars rounded up.
Behold, ladies and gentlemen, one of the reasons why I love Alyssa Cole’s stories. Even when writing about the brutality of the Civil War, the injustice of slavery, the pain of family secrets and self-discovery and self-doubt, Cole is adept at intermingling humor and lightness. Although her stories tell difficult truths, they are also hopeful. They remind you that even during times of brutality and injustice and pain, people also found ways to laugh.
I may have enjoyed A Hope Divided more than An Extraordinary Union, which was a fairly extraordinary (wink, wink) book itself. While the romance was a slower burn, the unique leads kept me captivated.
I referenced self-discovery above, and that theme remains prominent throughout the story. Marlie, a gifted healer and the daughter of a plantation owner and a free black woman, has lived a fairly sheltered life. As her vicious sister-in-law and the violent Home Guard threaten her freedom, long-held secrets are revealed and shake her foundation. Marlie befriends Ewan when he is a prisoner-of-war and subsequently shelters him upon his escape. Ewan, who is more comfortable with books than people, must come to terms with his present actions as a Union counterintelligence officer and past ghosts.
As the story stretches from desolate prison camps to militia hideaways and highlights covert and overt acts of resistance, there is an underlying tension. But you also glimpse the characters as they would exist without the war - Marlie and her herbs, Ewan and his books, their shared interests as well as their disagreements, their desire to help others, their fear that they won't be understood and their relief in finding someone who does, indeed, understand. While I was a bit disappointed in the evolution of the romance () they nevertheless had engaging banter and many swoon-worthy moments.
A Hope Divided is one of the most well-researched and well-written pieces of Civil War fiction that I have read, and I highly recommend it.
Read for SBTB Best Picture Quarterly Challenge: A historical romance by a black author.
November 8, 2017
I really like how this woman writes! :)
The heroine here was weaker and more protected than the one in the previous book, but I appreciated how he grown up, even if I, and I suppose nobody else, didn't like the reasons that forced her to!
She is also a mixed race free woman, but where the previous heroine was actively fight for the Union, here Marlie is not fighting but helping either with care of the prisoners of war or with hiding the escaped slaves.
Still, her help is done with the protection of the powerful family: her half sister's. So, she's somehow respected and allowed more freedom with her herbalist's experiments. She doesn't need to work inorder to maintain herself. She has a home where she's loved and all her needs are met.
The hero, on the other hand is an active fighter for the Union, even if his fight is rather horrific: she's a torturer! But he's also a prisoner in the camp where Marlie is tending and helping.
When he escapes, wonded, he's brought to Marlie for help.
Unfortunately, the half-brother comes home with a harpy of a wife who brings into their, until then peaceful home, the Confederate forces! She also hates Marlie because of the colour of her skin and because she cannot accept that her husband's half sister is allowed freedom and respect!
All that hate forces Malie to flee to save herself and she's forced to feel on her own skin the real treatment the slaves are subjected to.
Fortunately she has the hero's, Ewan's help.
Ewan is a very curious character. He's alsmot robotic in some of his behaviours. But, he starts having feelings for Marlie and is rather clumsy with her.
I liked him a lot. He was just what Marlie needed to make her best come out!
A very unusual pair and a very well written story!
I'm looking forward to more books from Ms. Cole!
The heroine here was weaker and more protected than the one in the previous book, but I appreciated how he grown up, even if I, and I suppose nobody else, didn't like the reasons that forced her to!
She is also a mixed race free woman, but where the previous heroine was actively fight for the Union, here Marlie is not fighting but helping either with care of the prisoners of war or with hiding the escaped slaves.
Still, her help is done with the protection of the powerful family: her half sister's. So, she's somehow respected and allowed more freedom with her herbalist's experiments. She doesn't need to work inorder to maintain herself. She has a home where she's loved and all her needs are met.
The hero, on the other hand is an active fighter for the Union, even if his fight is rather horrific: she's a torturer! But he's also a prisoner in the camp where Marlie is tending and helping.
When he escapes, wonded, he's brought to Marlie for help.
Unfortunately, the half-brother comes home with a harpy of a wife who brings into their, until then peaceful home, the Confederate forces! She also hates Marlie because of the colour of her skin and because she cannot accept that her husband's half sister is allowed freedom and respect!
All that hate forces Malie to flee to save herself and she's forced to feel on her own skin the real treatment the slaves are subjected to.
Fortunately she has the hero's, Ewan's help.
Ewan is a very curious character. He's alsmot robotic in some of his behaviours. But, he starts having feelings for Marlie and is rather clumsy with her.
I liked him a lot. He was just what Marlie needed to make her best come out!
A very unusual pair and a very well written story!
I'm looking forward to more books from Ms. Cole!
August 5, 2018
This is my 4th or 5th Cole. Don't ask me to come up with all the titles rn bc I'm on my phone, away from home so that's not happening. Overall, I can tell you my relationship with her writing is complex. I love how incredibly smart her books are. There's no... What do you all call it? Window dressing here. She's incredible at making me feel the time and place, ultimately the sense of danger. And her covers are spectacular. They always have been. Her heroines are smart, her books are sexy, but there was something soooo close to perfect for me but slightly off. A pacing issue? I didn't believe the relationship? A choice to tell rather than show?.
This book is evidence that it's there- execution. That potential that never quite hooked me was completely realized in this book. If I wonder why, it's because of the way these characters were built, intimacy galore between them, and an authentic feel to the start of the relationship. Where I never quite bought the LOVE (connection yes) in LL1, here there's no room to second guess how these characters become each other's. And hey, there's a rich, painful historical backdrop that you know speaks truth to us today but without being obvious about it.
I've come to the conclusion this might be why I sometimes don't feel gripped by her books. The pain of them, the complication, can sometimes pull me out of the gaga romance feels. I appreciate this, as it feels genuine to how a romance between Marlie and Ewan would necessarily be. Am I impatient about it? Probably sometimes unfairly so. Now note to myself: Alyssa Cole's heavy historicals require me to be ready for them.
This book is evidence that it's there- execution. That potential that never quite hooked me was completely realized in this book. If I wonder why, it's because of the way these characters were built, intimacy galore between them, and an authentic feel to the start of the relationship. Where I never quite bought the LOVE (connection yes) in LL1, here there's no room to second guess how these characters become each other's. And hey, there's a rich, painful historical backdrop that you know speaks truth to us today but without being obvious about it.
I've come to the conclusion this might be why I sometimes don't feel gripped by her books. The pain of them, the complication, can sometimes pull me out of the gaga romance feels. I appreciate this, as it feels genuine to how a romance between Marlie and Ewan would necessarily be. Am I impatient about it? Probably sometimes unfairly so. Now note to myself: Alyssa Cole's heavy historicals require me to be ready for them.
December 19, 2020
I forgot how much I loved this💜
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Marlie was charming and Ewan was a gentleman. I felt like book's storyline unfolded much more organically than An Extraordinary Union.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Marlie was charming and Ewan was a gentleman. I felt like book's storyline unfolded much more organically than An Extraordinary Union.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
February 15, 2018
My favorite thing about Alyssa Cole’s Loyal League historical romance series (other than the sexy bits) is the way she goes beyond the typical narratives of the Civil War and highlights characters and situations you probably haven’t read about before (but the sexy bits are great too!).
In A Hope Divided, the second installment in the series, main character Marlie is a free black woman, the daughter of a former slave and her white master. As an adult, Marlie is mostly left to live as she pleases, but all that changes when a Union soldier escapes from a Confederate prison and takes shelter in her home. His presence puts Marlie at great risk, and she tries not to get too close to him, but their close quarters and shared intellectual pursuits draw them together. Then the Home Guard, whose job is to round up and punish Confederate deserters, takes up residence in Marlie’s house as well, and their situation becomes truly dire.
Cole says in the Author’s Note, “The pop culture narrative has been flattened into a few two-dimensional stories...I hope this helps Americans see that even when we seem the most divided, there are always, always, people fighting for freedom in places we are told there are none. That should not be forgotten.” You see why I love this author? I’m going to carry that little nugget of encouragement with me and remind myself of it when things seem hopeless.
If you haven’t read An Extraordinary Union, the first book in the series, I highly recommend it as well!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
In A Hope Divided, the second installment in the series, main character Marlie is a free black woman, the daughter of a former slave and her white master. As an adult, Marlie is mostly left to live as she pleases, but all that changes when a Union soldier escapes from a Confederate prison and takes shelter in her home. His presence puts Marlie at great risk, and she tries not to get too close to him, but their close quarters and shared intellectual pursuits draw them together. Then the Home Guard, whose job is to round up and punish Confederate deserters, takes up residence in Marlie’s house as well, and their situation becomes truly dire.
Cole says in the Author’s Note, “The pop culture narrative has been flattened into a few two-dimensional stories...I hope this helps Americans see that even when we seem the most divided, there are always, always, people fighting for freedom in places we are told there are none. That should not be forgotten.” You see why I love this author? I’m going to carry that little nugget of encouragement with me and remind myself of it when things seem hopeless.
If you haven’t read An Extraordinary Union, the first book in the series, I highly recommend it as well!
More book recommendations by me at www.readingwithhippos.com
February 12, 2018
I was not pleased that the first book in this series didn't really click with me. So many people enjoyed it! I wanted in on the party. But something about the romance between the MCs didn't gel with me, so I rated it three and a half stars and moved on with my life, hoping that book two would be more my style. And it was! Oh, yay.
Something that I did really appreciate in the first book and that holds true for this one as well is that it's really good Civil War-era historical fiction. Cole clearly did her research, and the plot and the characters are informed by their historical circumstances. It's just that with this one I got the added benefit of also thinking the leads had chemistry and their romance felt earned.
Marlie Lynch left her mother's house at the age of thirteen to live with her white relatives. Her white father died, and her white sister wanted to take her in and provide for her. Marlie's mother wanted her to have as much opportunity in her life as possible. But Marlie didn't want to leave her mother to live with her white relatives, even if they do their best to love her and treat her equally, though she grows to love them and appreciates the privilege that her sheltered circumstances allows her. She uses her mother's root woman teachings and builds onto them a foundation of science. She has a laboratory in her rooms, where she makes medicine that she both uses as a healer, and sells. With the onset of the war, she and her sister (who are Unionists, Southerners sympathetic to the North) are part of the underground railroad, and frequently make trips to the nearby prisoner of war camp to help the prisoners.
This is where she meets Ewan McCall, a POW who used to be a counterintelligence agent. Over the course of months, they strike up a tentative friendship as Marlie brings him books to read, writing notes in the margins and arguing about philosophy. They both secretly begin crushing pretty hard on each other. And then Ewan escapes, taking up residence in Marlie's secret room, and their relationship develops from there.
I'm finding it sort of hard to talk about this book, actually, because there were a surprising amount of layers. It's not just a simple love story. Marlie and Ewan both have their own issues to work through. Marlie has a hard time trusting anyone with her heart, which is still sore from being given away by her mother to a white family who, despite their best intentions, never forget that she's black. And Ewan is convinced he can't be trusted. Stemming from his abusive childhood with an alcoholic father who eventually committed suicide, he has kept his emotions under strict control since then, worried that he would also become a monster. Feelings which are exacerbated by his job as a counterintelligence agent, where he tortures people for information, and sleeps well at night afterwards. He can't reconcile what he sees as the terrible things he's done, even though he knows doing them helped save people's lives and furthered a cause he believes in. And then of course, there's the issue that she's black and he's very white. He's described as having shocking red hair and a darker beard. Like so:
Actually, their romance isn't always the main focus here, which surprised me. There was a lot of focus on their character arcs individually, and their histories, and a lot of focus as well on the war. The villain here is a Confederate soldier who leads the Home Guard, who are in charge of hunting down deserters and skulkers (people who refuse to join the army for various reasons, including religion like the Quakers, poor whites who can't afford slaves and don't want to lose their breadwinners to the war, and people who are Unionists or abolitionists). Cole writes in the author's note at the end that she was fascinated by stories about people in the South also fighting back in their own ways, which are narratives that don't get told a lot in stories about the Civil War.
All in all, I'm definitely glad I gave Cole another chance as an author, and I'm even more excited now to read her contemporary royals series that's starting later this year.
Something that I did really appreciate in the first book and that holds true for this one as well is that it's really good Civil War-era historical fiction. Cole clearly did her research, and the plot and the characters are informed by their historical circumstances. It's just that with this one I got the added benefit of also thinking the leads had chemistry and their romance felt earned.
Marlie Lynch left her mother's house at the age of thirteen to live with her white relatives. Her white father died, and her white sister wanted to take her in and provide for her. Marlie's mother wanted her to have as much opportunity in her life as possible. But Marlie didn't want to leave her mother to live with her white relatives, even if they do their best to love her and treat her equally, though she grows to love them and appreciates the privilege that her sheltered circumstances allows her. She uses her mother's root woman teachings and builds onto them a foundation of science. She has a laboratory in her rooms, where she makes medicine that she both uses as a healer, and sells. With the onset of the war, she and her sister (who are Unionists, Southerners sympathetic to the North) are part of the underground railroad, and frequently make trips to the nearby prisoner of war camp to help the prisoners.
This is where she meets Ewan McCall, a POW who used to be a counterintelligence agent. Over the course of months, they strike up a tentative friendship as Marlie brings him books to read, writing notes in the margins and arguing about philosophy. They both secretly begin crushing pretty hard on each other. And then Ewan escapes, taking up residence in Marlie's secret room, and their relationship develops from there.
I'm finding it sort of hard to talk about this book, actually, because there were a surprising amount of layers. It's not just a simple love story. Marlie and Ewan both have their own issues to work through. Marlie has a hard time trusting anyone with her heart, which is still sore from being given away by her mother to a white family who, despite their best intentions, never forget that she's black. And Ewan is convinced he can't be trusted. Stemming from his abusive childhood with an alcoholic father who eventually committed suicide, he has kept his emotions under strict control since then, worried that he would also become a monster. Feelings which are exacerbated by his job as a counterintelligence agent, where he tortures people for information, and sleeps well at night afterwards. He can't reconcile what he sees as the terrible things he's done, even though he knows doing them helped save people's lives and furthered a cause he believes in. And then of course, there's the issue that she's black and he's very white. He's described as having shocking red hair and a darker beard. Like so:
Actually, their romance isn't always the main focus here, which surprised me. There was a lot of focus on their character arcs individually, and their histories, and a lot of focus as well on the war. The villain here is a Confederate soldier who leads the Home Guard, who are in charge of hunting down deserters and skulkers (people who refuse to join the army for various reasons, including religion like the Quakers, poor whites who can't afford slaves and don't want to lose their breadwinners to the war, and people who are Unionists or abolitionists). Cole writes in the author's note at the end that she was fascinated by stories about people in the South also fighting back in their own ways, which are narratives that don't get told a lot in stories about the Civil War.
All in all, I'm definitely glad I gave Cole another chance as an author, and I'm even more excited now to read her contemporary royals series that's starting later this year.
January 14, 2018
I have read Alyssa Cole before so I came into this book with high expectations especially with it being set in this historical period surrounding the conflicts of the Civil War. For the most part there were many redeemable qualities about this story, there is great histrical context, the characters are in depth and captivating and so very unique. However for some reason the writing didn't grab me. Now I had read Cole's contemporary romance not too long ago and LOVED it. So I just didn't expect to struggle with this one. I ended up having to skim through most of it, I probably would have set it aside earlier, but I really wanted to give this one a chance and it was also a ARC via Netgalley. I still plan on reading this author in the future, it probably was just me since everyone else has raved about this book!! I will say that this book offers many qualities that will appeal to a variety of readers especially if you are looking for a story steeped in history and real life characters...then you will enjoy this one!!
January 22, 2018
This is a beautiful continuation as # 2 of the Loyal League series. The author has done her research on the Civil War times and the book has left me looking forward to a continuation of the series.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical romance.
Pub Date 28 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Highly recommended for lovers of historical romance.
Pub Date 28 Nov 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
February 28, 2024
Book number two in the Loyal League series of Civil-War-era romances.
Marlie Lynch is a free woman who has been taken into the Lynch household as a member of the family. She’s always understood that her father was the plantation owner, though she and her mother lived far away. The old man is deceased and his heir Stephen has married and moved away, so Marlie and her older sister Sarah maintain the estate with a handful of servants … all freed slaves who are paid for their labor. Marlie’s primary contribution is the tonics and poultices she concocts from the plant knowledge passed down from her mother. With a Rebel prison camp in the neighborhood, Marlie begins to tend to the prisoners, and passing messages along to the Loyal League – Southerners who are against slavery and trying to help the Union. It’s at the prison that she meets Ewan McCall, a Union soldier with unique skills.
This is a pretty typical romance between two people of differing status, who join together with a common cause. Of course, they will have to fight against not only their mutual attraction, but the very real restrictions of the society in which they find themselves. I’m amazed they could find time for sex (or even for the desire for sex) given the dangers in which they find themselves, but if they can manage to have mutual orgasms in such a setting more power to them!
This is the second in a series, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone. I certainly didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book.
Marlie Lynch is a free woman who has been taken into the Lynch household as a member of the family. She’s always understood that her father was the plantation owner, though she and her mother lived far away. The old man is deceased and his heir Stephen has married and moved away, so Marlie and her older sister Sarah maintain the estate with a handful of servants … all freed slaves who are paid for their labor. Marlie’s primary contribution is the tonics and poultices she concocts from the plant knowledge passed down from her mother. With a Rebel prison camp in the neighborhood, Marlie begins to tend to the prisoners, and passing messages along to the Loyal League – Southerners who are against slavery and trying to help the Union. It’s at the prison that she meets Ewan McCall, a Union soldier with unique skills.
This is a pretty typical romance between two people of differing status, who join together with a common cause. Of course, they will have to fight against not only their mutual attraction, but the very real restrictions of the society in which they find themselves. I’m amazed they could find time for sex (or even for the desire for sex) given the dangers in which they find themselves, but if they can manage to have mutual orgasms in such a setting more power to them!
This is the second in a series, but I think it can easily be read as a standalone. I certainly didn’t feel that I was missing anything by not having read the first book.
July 31, 2018
Thanks to Kensington Books for this free review copy!
I have had this book sitting on my shelf since this past winter and FINALLY got to it ~ and I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long! I read the first book in the Loyal League series (AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION) in the fall and really liked it, but I loved this one even more.
.
A HOPE DIVIDED is a Civil War romance, but it’s so so so much more than that too. It’s a scathing indictment of slavery, it’s an examination of how genetics and heritage and race weigh against each other, it’s a gorgeous ode to the healing powers of plants and nature, and also an exhilarating suspenseful escape story. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!
I have had this book sitting on my shelf since this past winter and FINALLY got to it ~ and I’m totally kicking myself for waiting so long! I read the first book in the Loyal League series (AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION) in the fall and really liked it, but I loved this one even more.
.
A HOPE DIVIDED is a Civil War romance, but it’s so so so much more than that too. It’s a scathing indictment of slavery, it’s an examination of how genetics and heritage and race weigh against each other, it’s a gorgeous ode to the healing powers of plants and nature, and also an exhilarating suspenseful escape story. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction!
March 11, 2018
I don't know why my review for the eBook landed in the paperback version, so I'm reposting the review here since they're both within my booklist and I can't fix it any other way. LOL
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole radiates intelligence, human frailties and endurance in a tightly woven package of realistic historical adventure and love.
Marlie Lynch didn’t learn about her family history from her mother, a freed slave and healer, until Marlie’s white half-sister Sarah shows up at their doorstep. Marlie’s mother, Vivienne, teaches her everything she knows about healing during their years together. It’s Marlie’s turn to benefit from what is her due, now that her slave-owner father has passed on. Half-sister Sarah takes Marlie home with her to profit from what a white family can provide. This is what Vivienne wants, more for her daughter than she can give her. But will the trials of a civil war end all their dreams of a bright future?
Ewan McCall has served the Union by being the worst human that war can invent. He is not ashamed of what he has done for his country, nor the freedom they’re earning for those enslaved. He meets Marlie at the prison where he resides when she provides healing and a book cart for the prisoners. The very same books are where they hide letters going out to the prisoners’ families. Sarah and Marlie are in deeper than the prison officials know, but Ewan hazards a guess and makes good on his knowledge when he escapes.
Ewan comes off as crazy as crazy gets in the beginning of this novel. I was so curious about how the author would redeem him. He’s a scary man in relation to what he’s done for their cause, but Marlie brings out the compassionate human beneath his war-torn heart. To say that Ewan is creepy and mysterious is spot on. Marlie is sweetness and light. Putting the two together is brilliant. It’s like how music soothes the savage beast. Marlie is the calm for Ewan. And for those who look for this character trait, Ewan is a redhead.
As a fan of thrillers, I was intrigued that this book reads very much like that style of story. There are bits of Ewan’s background that easily sent chills up my spine. Marlie is such a sad character because she was separated from her mother and the only life she knew, then placed with a white family she doesn’t know in a world of turmoil. I understand her mother’s reasoning, but Marlie has “the sight,” and the girl had to be terrified when the exchange took place. The fact that she retained that sweetness and light that Ewan sees is a miracle.
I found Marlie’s healer details fascinating. Marlie considers herself a scientist, and her distillation process was a surprise. I’ve read many books about healers, have studied plants for more years than I care to admit, and this is the first story I’ve read with this wonderful descriptive element. If you’re an herbalist by passion, whether you use plants medicinally or for flavor, you’ll really appreciate this story. I must reread this book again, if only for that joy it gives the herbalist and historian inside me.
The big caveat? Sweet, unassuming Marlie, the wannabe scientist and woman of color, who is extremely smart, is a decoder for the Loyal League and part of the Underground Railroad with Sarah. All these influences put together make Marlie one of the most unusual and fascinating heroines I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She may not be as dominant as Elle from AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, book one of THE LOYAL LEAGUE series, but Marlie is formidable for using her mind that’s sharp enough to attract Ewan. I loved their method of book discussion through notes passed in the books Ewan borrows from the book cart while in prison. The fact that Ewan is such a philosopher was equally entertaining.
When her white half-brother shows up with his very southern belle of a wife, Marlie experiences the same terror she had when she was torn from her mother’s home. Her life of equality at her southern home is no longer viable. She’s just like any other slave in the eyes of Melody Lynch. All the former slaves in this household are freed and paid a wage for their service. How can any of them withstand life with the insufferable, spoiled brat who has decided she’s the lady of the manor?
This is just the beginning of the first three chapters. What comes next is both expected and unexpected. It doesn’t matter, because the story is such high quality that I couldn’t stop devouring it the first and the second time I read this book. The villain is a nasty piece of work. He’s connected to Ewan’s past, so the mystery builds when Ewan is reunited with Marlie.
So much is to be appreciated from Alyssa Cole’s talent. Even the simple things like learning new words such as “manumit” have made me a huge fan of her work. Her women of color are strong and eloquent with a fire inside them. Such a joy to read. This is the historical fiction from the American Civil War I’ve craved, and had no idea what I was missing until now.
It’s like Alyssa Cole took everything I love to read and mixed it with everything I’ve always wanted in an American Civil War historical novel. Such intelligence threaded through, making it all cohesive. I can’t even fathom what it took to pull this magic together to become this beautiful book. Either the author is a genius, or she can research and organize beyond comprehension with the aid of the best editors in the world.
It’s very clever how other books were interwoven into A HOPE DIVIDED – giving Marlie and Ewan a chance to discuss what they’re read. And they’re not simple discussions, either. They’re often philosophical. After every chapter I sat in wonder, because it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in fiction. So much so that I had to read it twice, and then I was even more amazed the second time through. There’s so much valuable content crammed into a small number of pages that it might appear overwhelming. But, it’s not. It’s just never boring. I’m betting a third reading will happen in my future and that’s extremely rare for me.
I’m not normally a fan of quotations from other books inside a novel I’m reading. Especially if I haven’t read the book being quoted. To me that feels almost like it’s taken out of context, because I really don’t get the meaning when it’s in pieces-parts like that. That means it’s high praise to say I love the way Alyssa Cole inserted quotes from other books for her characters to discuss. It’s especially revealing for Ewan’s temperament. It explains a lot about where he went wrong and how he is such a stand-up guy after the reader discovers his past. I can’t figure out how the author made him so redeemable, but she did, and it fascinated me.
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole reads like a thriller when the layers are revealed in her exquisite storytelling style. Historical fiction lovers should read both books currently in THE LOYAL LEAGUE series. They’re beyond description on my part. With everything I’ve craved and never found, I’m no longer bored with historical romance, now that I have Alyssa Cole to keep me perplexed, anxious, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertained. I need book three, AN UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM, right now, but we must wait until October 2018 for its release. It’s going to be a looooong wait!
A Recommended Read as the most intelligent novel I’ve read!
Don’t miss book one, AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, also reviewed by me at Romance Junkies.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies. Digital ARC provided through NetGalley by the publisher for an honest review.
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole radiates intelligence, human frailties and endurance in a tightly woven package of realistic historical adventure and love.
Marlie Lynch didn’t learn about her family history from her mother, a freed slave and healer, until Marlie’s white half-sister Sarah shows up at their doorstep. Marlie’s mother, Vivienne, teaches her everything she knows about healing during their years together. It’s Marlie’s turn to benefit from what is her due, now that her slave-owner father has passed on. Half-sister Sarah takes Marlie home with her to profit from what a white family can provide. This is what Vivienne wants, more for her daughter than she can give her. But will the trials of a civil war end all their dreams of a bright future?
Ewan McCall has served the Union by being the worst human that war can invent. He is not ashamed of what he has done for his country, nor the freedom they’re earning for those enslaved. He meets Marlie at the prison where he resides when she provides healing and a book cart for the prisoners. The very same books are where they hide letters going out to the prisoners’ families. Sarah and Marlie are in deeper than the prison officials know, but Ewan hazards a guess and makes good on his knowledge when he escapes.
Ewan comes off as crazy as crazy gets in the beginning of this novel. I was so curious about how the author would redeem him. He’s a scary man in relation to what he’s done for their cause, but Marlie brings out the compassionate human beneath his war-torn heart. To say that Ewan is creepy and mysterious is spot on. Marlie is sweetness and light. Putting the two together is brilliant. It’s like how music soothes the savage beast. Marlie is the calm for Ewan. And for those who look for this character trait, Ewan is a redhead.
As a fan of thrillers, I was intrigued that this book reads very much like that style of story. There are bits of Ewan’s background that easily sent chills up my spine. Marlie is such a sad character because she was separated from her mother and the only life she knew, then placed with a white family she doesn’t know in a world of turmoil. I understand her mother’s reasoning, but Marlie has “the sight,” and the girl had to be terrified when the exchange took place. The fact that she retained that sweetness and light that Ewan sees is a miracle.
I found Marlie’s healer details fascinating. Marlie considers herself a scientist, and her distillation process was a surprise. I’ve read many books about healers, have studied plants for more years than I care to admit, and this is the first story I’ve read with this wonderful descriptive element. If you’re an herbalist by passion, whether you use plants medicinally or for flavor, you’ll really appreciate this story. I must reread this book again, if only for that joy it gives the herbalist and historian inside me.
The big caveat? Sweet, unassuming Marlie, the wannabe scientist and woman of color, who is extremely smart, is a decoder for the Loyal League and part of the Underground Railroad with Sarah. All these influences put together make Marlie one of the most unusual and fascinating heroines I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She may not be as dominant as Elle from AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, book one of THE LOYAL LEAGUE series, but Marlie is formidable for using her mind that’s sharp enough to attract Ewan. I loved their method of book discussion through notes passed in the books Ewan borrows from the book cart while in prison. The fact that Ewan is such a philosopher was equally entertaining.
When her white half-brother shows up with his very southern belle of a wife, Marlie experiences the same terror she had when she was torn from her mother’s home. Her life of equality at her southern home is no longer viable. She’s just like any other slave in the eyes of Melody Lynch. All the former slaves in this household are freed and paid a wage for their service. How can any of them withstand life with the insufferable, spoiled brat who has decided she’s the lady of the manor?
This is just the beginning of the first three chapters. What comes next is both expected and unexpected. It doesn’t matter, because the story is such high quality that I couldn’t stop devouring it the first and the second time I read this book. The villain is a nasty piece of work. He’s connected to Ewan’s past, so the mystery builds when Ewan is reunited with Marlie.
So much is to be appreciated from Alyssa Cole’s talent. Even the simple things like learning new words such as “manumit” have made me a huge fan of her work. Her women of color are strong and eloquent with a fire inside them. Such a joy to read. This is the historical fiction from the American Civil War I’ve craved, and had no idea what I was missing until now.
It’s like Alyssa Cole took everything I love to read and mixed it with everything I’ve always wanted in an American Civil War historical novel. Such intelligence threaded through, making it all cohesive. I can’t even fathom what it took to pull this magic together to become this beautiful book. Either the author is a genius, or she can research and organize beyond comprehension with the aid of the best editors in the world.
It’s very clever how other books were interwoven into A HOPE DIVIDED – giving Marlie and Ewan a chance to discuss what they’re read. And they’re not simple discussions, either. They’re often philosophical. After every chapter I sat in wonder, because it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in fiction. So much so that I had to read it twice, and then I was even more amazed the second time through. There’s so much valuable content crammed into a small number of pages that it might appear overwhelming. But, it’s not. It’s just never boring. I’m betting a third reading will happen in my future and that’s extremely rare for me.
I’m not normally a fan of quotations from other books inside a novel I’m reading. Especially if I haven’t read the book being quoted. To me that feels almost like it’s taken out of context, because I really don’t get the meaning when it’s in pieces-parts like that. That means it’s high praise to say I love the way Alyssa Cole inserted quotes from other books for her characters to discuss. It’s especially revealing for Ewan’s temperament. It explains a lot about where he went wrong and how he is such a stand-up guy after the reader discovers his past. I can’t figure out how the author made him so redeemable, but she did, and it fascinated me.
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole reads like a thriller when the layers are revealed in her exquisite storytelling style. Historical fiction lovers should read both books currently in THE LOYAL LEAGUE series. They’re beyond description on my part. With everything I’ve craved and never found, I’m no longer bored with historical romance, now that I have Alyssa Cole to keep me perplexed, anxious, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertained. I need book three, AN UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM, right now, but we must wait until October 2018 for its release. It’s going to be a looooong wait!
A Recommended Read as the most intelligent novel I’ve read!
Don’t miss book one, AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, also reviewed by me at Romance Junkies.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies. Digital ARC provided through NetGalley by the publisher for an honest review.
December 17, 2017
One of the best books I’ve read this year.
Even before I saw the bibliography at the back, it was obvious this was exquisitely researched to bring nuances of the Civil War to life. Pages 20-21 in particular set in a POW camp in the Carolinas, where noncombatants such as local Quakers, farmers too poor to own slaves and Confederate Army runaways are mixed with captured Union soldiers, reminded us the war was no simple North vs South matter.
Race too is such a wonder and relief here. I basically want to shove this book into the hands of about half my white girlfriends and say, “See?!” Diverse perspective on the world is everything.
Plus, the language. It’s not so old fashioned that it’s hard to read, but the author drops in small things to help anchor historically-minded readers of the setting - such as on page 21 when the hero uses biblical metaphors “beast of burden” and “fatted calf” as a natural part of his thinking. (The Bible, as one of the few books many households owned, formed a basis for common phrases and rhythms of speech then, as evidenced in President Lincoln’s speeches.)
The herbal lore was better researched than any other historical I’ve read, including details you won’t find in Gabaldon’s books set in a similar area. For example, I never knew dandelion roots could be used for pain.
Feminism - ah feminism! If you avoid romance genre m/f romances because you can’t stomach the sexism or overly pink/blued gender roles, this is the romance for you. The author proves a feminist romance can be written, even in an historical with unequal power roles. It’s such a relief to read a heroine who knows her worth and asserts it as a normal stance. She’s not some ‘the only’, or uniquely kickass, heroine. She’s an intelligent adult woman getting along with life. Books like this are such a relief because I don’t have to keep wondering if I’ll need to flinch as I’m reading.
If you peeled away all these elements - the historicity, race relations, feminism, healing lore, the wartime adventures - and left just the romance, this book would still shine. The hero is a wiry red-headed guy who is slightly neuroatypical I guess, or just perhaps too intelligent and anal for the regular world. He’s awkward, self aware, hopeless at small talk, sweet. He wasn’t a great soldier, and sometimes he has to be rescued by others. The romance is slow burn, far more about character than chemistry although the chemistry is there. I really appreciated that.
Lastly, I liked the book’s thoughtfulness around killing. Even with starkly obvious bad guys plus wartime, both characters hesitate to kill although they are given easy opportunities to. In an age where our pop culture and news shows us people being murdered left, right and center, this hesitance has meaning and import.
Best book of the year, did I say? Maybe upgrade to decade.
Even before I saw the bibliography at the back, it was obvious this was exquisitely researched to bring nuances of the Civil War to life. Pages 20-21 in particular set in a POW camp in the Carolinas, where noncombatants such as local Quakers, farmers too poor to own slaves and Confederate Army runaways are mixed with captured Union soldiers, reminded us the war was no simple North vs South matter.
Race too is such a wonder and relief here. I basically want to shove this book into the hands of about half my white girlfriends and say, “See?!” Diverse perspective on the world is everything.
Plus, the language. It’s not so old fashioned that it’s hard to read, but the author drops in small things to help anchor historically-minded readers of the setting - such as on page 21 when the hero uses biblical metaphors “beast of burden” and “fatted calf” as a natural part of his thinking. (The Bible, as one of the few books many households owned, formed a basis for common phrases and rhythms of speech then, as evidenced in President Lincoln’s speeches.)
The herbal lore was better researched than any other historical I’ve read, including details you won’t find in Gabaldon’s books set in a similar area. For example, I never knew dandelion roots could be used for pain.
Feminism - ah feminism! If you avoid romance genre m/f romances because you can’t stomach the sexism or overly pink/blued gender roles, this is the romance for you. The author proves a feminist romance can be written, even in an historical with unequal power roles. It’s such a relief to read a heroine who knows her worth and asserts it as a normal stance. She’s not some ‘the only’, or uniquely kickass, heroine. She’s an intelligent adult woman getting along with life. Books like this are such a relief because I don’t have to keep wondering if I’ll need to flinch as I’m reading.
If you peeled away all these elements - the historicity, race relations, feminism, healing lore, the wartime adventures - and left just the romance, this book would still shine. The hero is a wiry red-headed guy who is slightly neuroatypical I guess, or just perhaps too intelligent and anal for the regular world. He’s awkward, self aware, hopeless at small talk, sweet. He wasn’t a great soldier, and sometimes he has to be rescued by others. The romance is slow burn, far more about character than chemistry although the chemistry is there. I really appreciated that.
Lastly, I liked the book’s thoughtfulness around killing. Even with starkly obvious bad guys plus wartime, both characters hesitate to kill although they are given easy opportunities to. In an age where our pop culture and news shows us people being murdered left, right and center, this hesitance has meaning and import.
Best book of the year, did I say? Maybe upgrade to decade.
March 16, 2018
I am so torn about this book.
One the one hand I loved the romance. On the other, as I've stated before, I find it impossible to read objectively and to separate certain ongoing present issues from what I'm reading. To be clear and honest, I am speaking about Santino Hassell, Handspun Literary Agency and what has happened in the past month in regards to those things mentioned. It took me the better part of a fortnight to finish this small and otherwise enjoyable novel.
This book was wow. It was enlightening at the same time it was a Romance with a capital R. This book had nuance and it portrayed complicated, messy relationships that fall within a very grey area of history. I learned and I was entertained at the same time and I think that's the marking of a great novel. The Main Characters are fantastic. Marlie is just a superb capable and smart heroine and Ewan's just dreamy, quirks and all.
I'm glad for all the sources the author provided in the previous book on the topic of the Secession War. I felt that I came better prepared to this book with a better understanding of the League. This current book also provides an ample bibliography at the end of it. And I give all the thumbs up to the author for that.
Ewan and Marlie's relationship is exactly the kind of thing that I love to see portrayed in romances. It is born out of a mutual respect and it shows the underlying complicated compromises one makes in the name of love. It very understatedly shows the worthiness of fighting for both your ideals and your happiness. This is a book that needs no overused clichés to show the basis and foundation of a relationship. And I ate it all up. Alyssa Cole gave me a story that I'll cherish for long.
One small thing that did annoy me and underscored a bit my love for the book was how it abruptly ended. On moment
One the one hand I loved the romance. On the other, as I've stated before, I find it impossible to read objectively and to separate certain ongoing present issues from what I'm reading. To be clear and honest, I am speaking about Santino Hassell, Handspun Literary Agency and what has happened in the past month in regards to those things mentioned. It took me the better part of a fortnight to finish this small and otherwise enjoyable novel.
This book was wow. It was enlightening at the same time it was a Romance with a capital R. This book had nuance and it portrayed complicated, messy relationships that fall within a very grey area of history. I learned and I was entertained at the same time and I think that's the marking of a great novel. The Main Characters are fantastic. Marlie is just a superb capable and smart heroine and Ewan's just dreamy, quirks and all.
I'm glad for all the sources the author provided in the previous book on the topic of the Secession War. I felt that I came better prepared to this book with a better understanding of the League. This current book also provides an ample bibliography at the end of it. And I give all the thumbs up to the author for that.
Ewan and Marlie's relationship is exactly the kind of thing that I love to see portrayed in romances. It is born out of a mutual respect and it shows the underlying complicated compromises one makes in the name of love. It very understatedly shows the worthiness of fighting for both your ideals and your happiness. This is a book that needs no overused clichés to show the basis and foundation of a relationship. And I ate it all up. Alyssa Cole gave me a story that I'll cherish for long.
One small thing that did annoy me and underscored a bit my love for the book was how it abruptly ended. On moment
April 20, 2021
I read the first book in this series and came into this one with high expectations. While I still enjoyed this book, I did want a little bit more and it fell a bit flat compared to book 1 for me. I feel like in the first book we get even more history and romance. And while this was still a great book, it just didn’t hit all my boxes like book 1 did. But I adore Alyssa Cole’s writing and will read every single thing she writes. And I have already continued onto book 3 to finish out the series and wow is it a standout in this series. But that is a different review and let me get back to book 2 for now. 😉
I did really like the complexities of Marlie’s character, especially her relationships with her family...her mother was formerly enslaved and her father was a white man. Because of the name of her white father Marlie has lived a relatively “safe”/protected life considering all things going on in the South. Marlie is an herbalist who spends a lot of time in her lab mixing up poultices and such for Union soldiers in her aide to the North. I love that Marlie was into botany and found her work as a healer to be so interesting to read about.
Things definitely get complicated and dangerous when Confederate soldiers set up base at her home and her racist sister-in-law shows up threatening Marlie’s freedom and safety as well. Ewan, who is the brother of the hero Malcolm from book 1, actually ends up being sheltered and hidden away by Marlie in her lab, he is a prisoner-of-war who used to be a counterintelligence agent. I really adored Ewan, he’s a quiet bookish philosopher and his interactions/conversations with Marlie were so intellectually fun. Just like the first book in the series, this book has a Scottish hero and dives into the intricacies of an interracial romance during Civil War times. While the first half of the book did go by very slowly for me, the second half (especially closer to the end) really picked up and had me hanging on each sentence.
I did really like the complexities of Marlie’s character, especially her relationships with her family...her mother was formerly enslaved and her father was a white man. Because of the name of her white father Marlie has lived a relatively “safe”/protected life considering all things going on in the South. Marlie is an herbalist who spends a lot of time in her lab mixing up poultices and such for Union soldiers in her aide to the North. I love that Marlie was into botany and found her work as a healer to be so interesting to read about.
Things definitely get complicated and dangerous when Confederate soldiers set up base at her home and her racist sister-in-law shows up threatening Marlie’s freedom and safety as well. Ewan, who is the brother of the hero Malcolm from book 1, actually ends up being sheltered and hidden away by Marlie in her lab, he is a prisoner-of-war who used to be a counterintelligence agent. I really adored Ewan, he’s a quiet bookish philosopher and his interactions/conversations with Marlie were so intellectually fun. Just like the first book in the series, this book has a Scottish hero and dives into the intricacies of an interracial romance during Civil War times. While the first half of the book did go by very slowly for me, the second half (especially closer to the end) really picked up and had me hanging on each sentence.
August 22, 2020
Eh, this one wasn't nearly as good as the first one in the series. The first one had a lot more action and a lot more of the slow burn romance. This one moved so slowly and I found myself a bit bored. It also took a while to see the chemistry between the main characters. While I could appreciate that they were getting to know each other, I wanted to see their chemistry a little more because I just didn't get it for the longest time. I also didn't think there was enough depth to Ewan's character. He apparently tortured Confederate soldiers because he had not empathy. Why didn't he have empathy for another human being? And why did he suddenly stop? There was no explanation or depth for why he started the torture or why he decided it wasn't what he wanted anymore. I wasn't a fan of this one at all, but I am looking forward to the final one in the series.
April 10, 2018
This is a cool read
April 26, 2020
this is how you do romance :____)
February 3, 2019
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole is book two in her The Loyal League series. This series highlights the civil war and the efforts of individuals to end the institution of slavery and restore a united nation. As this is part of a series, there are tie-ins to book one, but this novel reads as a standalone. However, details from the previous installment add more depth to the story.
Marlie Lynch, born free to a former slave, has taken the knowledge of natural remedies learned from her mother to the next level and is a valuable asset to soldier, civilian and slave alike. Her mixed heritage leaves her alone and lonely in the midst of a full household. Marlie uses her social interactions to gather information for the Loyal League with hopes to further their objective of ending the war.
Ewan McCall is a Union officer being held in a Confederate prison camp. He is a loner whose natural affinities make him a valuable asset to the army, in a unique way. The very characteristics that make him perfect for his job are the ones he most despises about himself. Ewan hopes that his actions will in some way help to secure a Union victory.
Marlie and Ewan become acquainted with each other in the prison camp where he is an inmate and Marlie is a volunteer. They bond over a mutual love of books and a desire to see the success of the Union Forces and the end of slavery. Circumstances beyond their control send Marlie and Ewan on the run from a common enemy and directly into the arms of fate.
A Hope Divided continues the portrait begun in book one, An Extraordinary Union and is equally as rich. Once again, Cole has done her research and gives a realistic depiction of Civil War America. As before, some of the characters are based on real people, making them completely believable and compelling. The supporting cast are also captivating, whether you love or hate them. The background scenery is well-utilized. Secrets and betrayal lead to surprising plot twists.
A Hope Divided is just as good as An Extraordinary Union and I rate it 5 out of 5 stars, as well. I recommend this book to fans of historical romance and American history buffs, especially those interested in the Civil War era.
Marlie Lynch, born free to a former slave, has taken the knowledge of natural remedies learned from her mother to the next level and is a valuable asset to soldier, civilian and slave alike. Her mixed heritage leaves her alone and lonely in the midst of a full household. Marlie uses her social interactions to gather information for the Loyal League with hopes to further their objective of ending the war.
Ewan McCall is a Union officer being held in a Confederate prison camp. He is a loner whose natural affinities make him a valuable asset to the army, in a unique way. The very characteristics that make him perfect for his job are the ones he most despises about himself. Ewan hopes that his actions will in some way help to secure a Union victory.
Marlie and Ewan become acquainted with each other in the prison camp where he is an inmate and Marlie is a volunteer. They bond over a mutual love of books and a desire to see the success of the Union Forces and the end of slavery. Circumstances beyond their control send Marlie and Ewan on the run from a common enemy and directly into the arms of fate.
A Hope Divided continues the portrait begun in book one, An Extraordinary Union and is equally as rich. Once again, Cole has done her research and gives a realistic depiction of Civil War America. As before, some of the characters are based on real people, making them completely believable and compelling. The supporting cast are also captivating, whether you love or hate them. The background scenery is well-utilized. Secrets and betrayal lead to surprising plot twists.
A Hope Divided is just as good as An Extraordinary Union and I rate it 5 out of 5 stars, as well. I recommend this book to fans of historical romance and American history buffs, especially those interested in the Civil War era.
January 24, 2018
An incredible story that took my breath away. Set during the Civil War, you won't be able to breathe properly as you root for Marlie who fights so freaking hard with the tools she has (science and medicine) as she tries to aid the Union, and for Ewan too who's so tormented by the actions he had to do for the sake of helping the Union too. The sum of both Marlie and Ewan was so sweet and adorable I was clutching onto my iPad and giggling. They had this easy friendship in the beginning which turned into something passionate but at the same time marred with the discovery of Marlie's parentage. I didn't stop loving them for one second. Alyssa Cole is a genius and everyone should pick up her historical romances since they bring forth incredibly researched stories.
October 31, 2020
The male love interest is autistic which bumps it to FIVE STARS.
June 9, 2019
Although I really liked the first in this series, I LOVED this one. This series is a Civil War romance but it is soo much more! This book is about a free black woman, Marlie, the daughter of a former slave and her white master and Ewan, an escaped Union prisoner. What I love most about this series is that it is definitely a romance but it is also an exploration of the realities of slavery and it's impact on all aspects of society. I cannot recommend this series and this book more. It's beautifully done and is a fantastic read!
October 13, 2018
Enjoying these much more nuanced historical contexts. In this case, the role of guerrilla warfare among southerners in Confederate north Carolina provide a critical back drop.
Alissa Cole deserves a Netflix deal.
Alissa Cole deserves a Netflix deal.
December 3, 2017
A Union counter-intelligence officer and a member of the Loyal league meet in a Confederate prison and then must work hard against a sadistic evil man who uses his position as leader of the Home Guard to destroy other people. A war fought behind the lines and a personal war fought inside their hearts led to me being riveted once again by the latest Loyal League story.
A Hope Divided is book two of the series. It features the brother to the hero in book one and late in the story brings another character from book one into the mixed, but for the most part, it can be read standalone or out of order.
This book like book one, An Extraordinary Union, told a fantastic historical romantic suspense story set against the backdrop of America's Civil War. But it was so much more than that. The author dug deep into lesser known historical events and produced a war story set behind Confederate lines and showed how much divisiveness there was in the South beyond their war with the North. She had a big picture and a smaller picture set inside it with the individual stories of her characters. Details were authentic in feel and the plot was well balanced between character and action driven plot.
The war was tearing people apart because of their greatly differing beliefs and forcing smaller fights between Southern abolitionists and anti-war Quakers and militant state sanctioned forces like the Home Guard. And it wasn't just the south, the Union's people were just as divided about the war- several were not fighting against slavery and were as bigoted about the blacks as some in the South.
The story is broad in scope, but the focus stays on Marlie and Ewan. She's a free half-black living with her white relations in comparative comfort and had/has opportunities to an education and career field in studying botany and natural medicine. She's caught between two worlds and it all comes crashing down on her as she is exposed to the cruelties around her and a deep family secret. Ewan is darker with the work he does in counter-intelligence and self-loathing. He's brilliant, but tortured. They didn't label autism back then, but the way the author wrote his character, I felt he might have been on the spectrum.
They were fantastic characters and I loved seeing their tentative friendship and secret longings grow into love and need. Both must struggle with how their pasts shape their thinking and how their present situation will likely push them apart, particularly since they are attempting to bridge the gap between black and white.
I have to say that the author can write some vile, loathsome villains. The leader of the Home Guard and Marlie's relation by her brother's marriage, Melanie turned my stomach. I so wanted them both to come to a bad end.
This was another fabulous story in the series and I can't recommend the Loyal League series enough. The author can see perspective and gets right into the minds of the people of the day while writing a riveting storyline. I'm left with a good story, curiosity about history, and a thought provoking issue that is still true today.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.
A Hope Divided is book two of the series. It features the brother to the hero in book one and late in the story brings another character from book one into the mixed, but for the most part, it can be read standalone or out of order.
This book like book one, An Extraordinary Union, told a fantastic historical romantic suspense story set against the backdrop of America's Civil War. But it was so much more than that. The author dug deep into lesser known historical events and produced a war story set behind Confederate lines and showed how much divisiveness there was in the South beyond their war with the North. She had a big picture and a smaller picture set inside it with the individual stories of her characters. Details were authentic in feel and the plot was well balanced between character and action driven plot.
The war was tearing people apart because of their greatly differing beliefs and forcing smaller fights between Southern abolitionists and anti-war Quakers and militant state sanctioned forces like the Home Guard. And it wasn't just the south, the Union's people were just as divided about the war- several were not fighting against slavery and were as bigoted about the blacks as some in the South.
The story is broad in scope, but the focus stays on Marlie and Ewan. She's a free half-black living with her white relations in comparative comfort and had/has opportunities to an education and career field in studying botany and natural medicine. She's caught between two worlds and it all comes crashing down on her as she is exposed to the cruelties around her and a deep family secret. Ewan is darker with the work he does in counter-intelligence and self-loathing. He's brilliant, but tortured. They didn't label autism back then, but the way the author wrote his character, I felt he might have been on the spectrum.
They were fantastic characters and I loved seeing their tentative friendship and secret longings grow into love and need. Both must struggle with how their pasts shape their thinking and how their present situation will likely push them apart, particularly since they are attempting to bridge the gap between black and white.
I have to say that the author can write some vile, loathsome villains. The leader of the Home Guard and Marlie's relation by her brother's marriage, Melanie turned my stomach. I so wanted them both to come to a bad end.
This was another fabulous story in the series and I can't recommend the Loyal League series enough. The author can see perspective and gets right into the minds of the people of the day while writing a riveting storyline. I'm left with a good story, curiosity about history, and a thought provoking issue that is still true today.
I rec'd this book from Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.
February 14, 2018
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole radiates intelligence, human frailties and endurance in a tightly woven package of realistic historical adventure and love.
Marlie Lynch didn’t learn about her family history from her mother, a freed slave and healer, until Marlie’s white half-sister Sarah shows up at their doorstep. Marlie’s mother, Vivienne, teaches her everything she knows about healing during their years together. It’s Marlie’s turn to benefit from what is her due, now that her slave-owner father has passed on. Half-sister Sarah takes Marlie home with her to profit from what a white family can provide. This is what Vivienne wants, more for her daughter than she can give her. But will the trials of a civil war end all their dreams of a bright future?
Ewan McCall has served the Union by being the worst human that war can invent. He is not ashamed of what he has done for his country, nor the freedom they’re earning for those enslaved. He meets Marlie at the prison where he resides when she provides healing and a book cart for the prisoners. The very same books are where they hide letters going out to the prisoners’ families. Sarah and Marlie are in deeper than the prison officials know, but Ewan hazards a guess and makes good on his knowledge when he escapes.
Ewan comes off as crazy as crazy gets in the beginning of this novel. I was so curious about how the author would redeem him. He’s a scary man in relation to what he’s done for their cause, but Marlie brings out the compassionate human beneath his war-torn heart. To say that Ewan is creepy and mysterious is spot on. Marlie is sweetness and light. Putting the two together is brilliant. It’s like how music soothes the savage beast. Marlie is the calm for Ewan. And for those who look for this character trait, Ewan is a redhead.
As a fan of thrillers, I was intrigued that this book reads very much like that style of story. There are bits of Ewan’s background that easily sent chills up my spine. Marlie is such a sad character because she was separated from her mother and the only life she knew, then placed with a white family she doesn’t know in a world of turmoil. I understand her mother’s reasoning, but Marlie has “the sight,” and the girl had to be terrified when the exchange took place. The fact that she retained that sweetness and light that Ewan sees is a miracle.
I found Marlie’s healer details fascinating. Marlie considers herself a scientist, and her distillation process was a surprise. I’ve read many books about healers, have studied plants for more years than I care to admit, and this is the first story I’ve read with this wonderful descriptive element. If you’re an herbalist by passion, whether you use plants medicinally or for flavor, you’ll really appreciate this story. I must reread this book again, if only for that joy it gives the herbalist and historian inside me.
The big caveat? Sweet, unassuming Marlie, the wannabe scientist and woman of color, who is extremely smart, is a decoder for the Loyal League and part of the Underground Railroad with Sarah. All these influences put together make Marlie one of the most unusual and fascinating heroines I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She may not be as dominant as Elle from AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, book one of THE LOYAL LEAGUE series, but Marlie is formidable for using her mind that’s sharp enough to attract Ewan. I loved their method of book discussion through notes passed in the books Ewan borrows from the book cart while in prison. The fact that Ewan is such a philosopher was equally entertaining.
When her white half-brother shows up with his very southern belle of a wife, Marlie experiences the same terror she had when she was torn from her mother’s home. Her life of equality at her southern home is no longer viable. She’s just like any other slave in the eyes of Melody Lynch. All the former slaves in this household are freed and paid a wage for their service. How can any of them withstand life with the insufferable, spoiled brat who has decided she’s the lady of the manor?
This is just the beginning of the first three chapters. What comes next is both expected and unexpected. It doesn’t matter, because the story is such high quality that I couldn’t stop devouring it the first and the second time I read this book. The villain is a nasty piece of work. He’s connected to Ewan’s past, so the mystery builds when Ewan is reunited with Marlie.
So much is to be appreciated from Alyssa Cole’s talent. Even the simple things like learning new words such as “manumit” have made me a huge fan of her work. Her women of color are strong and eloquent with a fire inside them. Such a joy to read. This is the historical fiction from the American Civil War I’ve craved, and had no idea what I was missing until now.
It’s like Alyssa Cole took everything I love to read and mixed it with everything I’ve always wanted in an American Civil War historical novel. Such intelligence threaded through, making it all cohesive. I can’t even fathom what it took to pull this magic together to become this beautiful book. Either the author is a genius, or she can research and organize beyond comprehension with the aid of the best editors in the world.
It’s very clever how other books were interwoven into A HOPE DIVIDED – giving Marlie and Ewan a chance to discuss what they’re read. And they’re not simple discussions, either. They’re often philosophical. After every chapter I sat in wonder, because it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in fiction. So much so that I had to read it twice, and then I was even more amazed the second time through. There’s so much valuable content crammed into a small number of pages that it might appear overwhelming. But, it’s not. It’s just never boring. I’m betting a third reading will happen in my future and that’s extremely rare for me.
I’m not normally a fan of quotations from other books inside a novel I’m reading. Especially if I haven’t read the book being quoted. To me that feels almost like it’s taken out of context, because I really don’t get the meaning when it’s in pieces-parts like that. That means it’s high praise to say I love the way Alyssa Cole inserted quotes from other books for her characters to discuss. It’s especially revealing for Ewan’s temperament. It explains a lot about where he went wrong and how he is such a stand-up guy after the reader discovers his past. I can’t figure out how the author made him so redeemable, but she did, and it fascinated me.
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole reads like a thriller when the layers are revealed in her exquisite storytelling style. Historical fiction lovers should read both books currently in THE LOYAL LEAGUE series. They’re beyond description on my part. With everything I’ve craved and never found, I’m no longer bored with historical romance, now that I have Alyssa Cole to keep me perplexed, anxious, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertained. I need book three, AN UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM, right now, but we must wait until October 2018 for its release. It’s going to be a looooong wait!
A Recommended Read as the most intelligent novel I’ve read!
Don’t miss book one, AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, also reviewed by me at Romance Junkies.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies. Digital ARC provided through NetGalley by the publisher for an honest review.
Marlie Lynch didn’t learn about her family history from her mother, a freed slave and healer, until Marlie’s white half-sister Sarah shows up at their doorstep. Marlie’s mother, Vivienne, teaches her everything she knows about healing during their years together. It’s Marlie’s turn to benefit from what is her due, now that her slave-owner father has passed on. Half-sister Sarah takes Marlie home with her to profit from what a white family can provide. This is what Vivienne wants, more for her daughter than she can give her. But will the trials of a civil war end all their dreams of a bright future?
Ewan McCall has served the Union by being the worst human that war can invent. He is not ashamed of what he has done for his country, nor the freedom they’re earning for those enslaved. He meets Marlie at the prison where he resides when she provides healing and a book cart for the prisoners. The very same books are where they hide letters going out to the prisoners’ families. Sarah and Marlie are in deeper than the prison officials know, but Ewan hazards a guess and makes good on his knowledge when he escapes.
Ewan comes off as crazy as crazy gets in the beginning of this novel. I was so curious about how the author would redeem him. He’s a scary man in relation to what he’s done for their cause, but Marlie brings out the compassionate human beneath his war-torn heart. To say that Ewan is creepy and mysterious is spot on. Marlie is sweetness and light. Putting the two together is brilliant. It’s like how music soothes the savage beast. Marlie is the calm for Ewan. And for those who look for this character trait, Ewan is a redhead.
As a fan of thrillers, I was intrigued that this book reads very much like that style of story. There are bits of Ewan’s background that easily sent chills up my spine. Marlie is such a sad character because she was separated from her mother and the only life she knew, then placed with a white family she doesn’t know in a world of turmoil. I understand her mother’s reasoning, but Marlie has “the sight,” and the girl had to be terrified when the exchange took place. The fact that she retained that sweetness and light that Ewan sees is a miracle.
I found Marlie’s healer details fascinating. Marlie considers herself a scientist, and her distillation process was a surprise. I’ve read many books about healers, have studied plants for more years than I care to admit, and this is the first story I’ve read with this wonderful descriptive element. If you’re an herbalist by passion, whether you use plants medicinally or for flavor, you’ll really appreciate this story. I must reread this book again, if only for that joy it gives the herbalist and historian inside me.
The big caveat? Sweet, unassuming Marlie, the wannabe scientist and woman of color, who is extremely smart, is a decoder for the Loyal League and part of the Underground Railroad with Sarah. All these influences put together make Marlie one of the most unusual and fascinating heroines I’ve had the pleasure of reading about. She may not be as dominant as Elle from AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, book one of THE LOYAL LEAGUE series, but Marlie is formidable for using her mind that’s sharp enough to attract Ewan. I loved their method of book discussion through notes passed in the books Ewan borrows from the book cart while in prison. The fact that Ewan is such a philosopher was equally entertaining.
When her white half-brother shows up with his very southern belle of a wife, Marlie experiences the same terror she had when she was torn from her mother’s home. Her life of equality at her southern home is no longer viable. She’s just like any other slave in the eyes of Melody Lynch. All the former slaves in this household are freed and paid a wage for their service. How can any of them withstand life with the insufferable, spoiled brat who has decided she’s the lady of the manor?
This is just the beginning of the first three chapters. What comes next is both expected and unexpected. It doesn’t matter, because the story is such high quality that I couldn’t stop devouring it the first and the second time I read this book. The villain is a nasty piece of work. He’s connected to Ewan’s past, so the mystery builds when Ewan is reunited with Marlie.
So much is to be appreciated from Alyssa Cole’s talent. Even the simple things like learning new words such as “manumit” have made me a huge fan of her work. Her women of color are strong and eloquent with a fire inside them. Such a joy to read. This is the historical fiction from the American Civil War I’ve craved, and had no idea what I was missing until now.
It’s like Alyssa Cole took everything I love to read and mixed it with everything I’ve always wanted in an American Civil War historical novel. Such intelligence threaded through, making it all cohesive. I can’t even fathom what it took to pull this magic together to become this beautiful book. Either the author is a genius, or she can research and organize beyond comprehension with the aid of the best editors in the world.
It’s very clever how other books were interwoven into A HOPE DIVIDED – giving Marlie and Ewan a chance to discuss what they’re read. And they’re not simple discussions, either. They’re often philosophical. After every chapter I sat in wonder, because it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced in fiction. So much so that I had to read it twice, and then I was even more amazed the second time through. There’s so much valuable content crammed into a small number of pages that it might appear overwhelming. But, it’s not. It’s just never boring. I’m betting a third reading will happen in my future and that’s extremely rare for me.
I’m not normally a fan of quotations from other books inside a novel I’m reading. Especially if I haven’t read the book being quoted. To me that feels almost like it’s taken out of context, because I really don’t get the meaning when it’s in pieces-parts like that. That means it’s high praise to say I love the way Alyssa Cole inserted quotes from other books for her characters to discuss. It’s especially revealing for Ewan’s temperament. It explains a lot about where he went wrong and how he is such a stand-up guy after the reader discovers his past. I can’t figure out how the author made him so redeemable, but she did, and it fascinated me.
A HOPE DIVIDED by Alyssa Cole reads like a thriller when the layers are revealed in her exquisite storytelling style. Historical fiction lovers should read both books currently in THE LOYAL LEAGUE series. They’re beyond description on my part. With everything I’ve craved and never found, I’m no longer bored with historical romance, now that I have Alyssa Cole to keep me perplexed, anxious, thoughtful, and thoroughly entertained. I need book three, AN UNCONDITIONAL FREEDOM, right now, but we must wait until October 2018 for its release. It’s going to be a looooong wait!
A Recommended Read as the most intelligent novel I’ve read!
Don’t miss book one, AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION, also reviewed by me at Romance Junkies.
Review by Dorine, courtesy of Romance Junkies. Digital ARC provided through NetGalley by the publisher for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 547 reviews