2018 reading challenge: a book by an author of a different ethnicity than you

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While not my usual go-to genre for historical fiction, this was not bad. This book came on my radar last year when both Smart Bitches, Trashy Books AND romance author Julia Quinn both raved about this book within a week of each other. And SMTB kept talking about it on their FaceBook page.

While I have always been interested in the American Civil War, I've always been a bit reluctant when it comes to most books, especially romances, set during the time period. But having now read it, I can understand why people were discussing it.

It has a couple elements that you do not generally see in romances, let alone historical ones.

1) The two main characters become an inter-racial couple. Especially given that this takes place in the Confederacy, this is especially different.

2) The heroine of the story is strongly written, has a mind and opinions of her own, is NOT seeking a man and does everything in her power to try to stop the romance because she at least sees what an incredibly bad idea it was.

There were a couple things that I disliked too.

1) It took several chapters for me to get into the book. I was close to trying to decide if it was worth continuing. But just as I was about to say "stop", the pacing of the story picked up and I was able to find stride.

2)I did have some issues with the hero of the tale. He's supposed to be a spy working for the Pinkerton Detectives infiltrating the Deep South in order to obtain military information to help the Union. But the minute he comes in contact with the heroine, he keeps putting his mission (and her's as she is one for a different Union agency) in jepoardy because he gets all moony eyed over her. Not to mention that she keeps having to remind him just how dangerous it is for them to be in a relationship. It literally takes a bullet to the skull for him to start to clue in to the dangers.

I found that I did like Ms. Cole's general writing style and should the next book in this series, or any of her other series, come across my path, I might pick it up.



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