A Hope Divided

I loved the first book in this series, but this one was even better! I loved the slow burn of the first half in particular, but the entire book was incredible. I'm embarrassed that I didn't know about the Southern resistance to the Confederacy (besides a little about the Underground Railroad), but I did take US History in a former Confederate state, so maybe it's not so surprising. I was pretty blindsided by the twist as well, but it made total sense looking back. I do wish there'd been a little bit more exploration of Marlie's relationship with her white family, especially Sarah, but part of that is probably just how I didn't want this book to end! I really need to go back and read everything else Alyssa Cole has written - maybe a project for 2018.

I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley to read and review prior to publication. This has not impacted my thoughts or opinions about it.

3.5 stars. A Hope Divided is the story of Marlie and Ewan. Marlie, a half-black woman with heterochromia iridium, a skill for healing and botany, and a spy, ends up meeting Ewan in a prison camp. In An Extraordinary Union, you meet Malcolm; in A Hope Divided, his brother Ewan is the male lead. Together they find themselves in unexpected close quarters fighting terror and upheaval during the Civil War. Add in Marlie's complicated family relationship and a mystery father, and you have quite the historical romance.

While I enjoyed the general plot, I found Marlie to be less dynamic than Elle (the protagonist in An Extraordinary Union). Ewan was fine, though I thought his character was far more interesting towards the end when a reveal about his personal history emerges.

Overall, I'd recommend it to people who enjoy American historical romances and anyone who read and loved An Extraordinary Union.

Finished with 13 minutes to spare before the next day officially begins!

Honestly, this is 1.5 stars. I really didn't like it. The plot was slow-paced and dragged on. There were some good ideas that just weren't expanded. I think I would've liked this better if it was a parallel to Marlie's story and her mother's story instead of just a translation to her mother's story that never really got finished or fully told. The revelation for Marlie fell flat.

Ewan as a character was...weird. I wasn't a fan and his story and themes surrounding him were really interesting but the way they were dealt with were just so weird. It just was not well done. The romance was unbelievable. Not because of the situation, I can suspend belief but the development itself was just not there.

Character development was weak not only for Vivenne but also Sarah, Mallory, and Stephen. They were all pretty one-dimensional and that was disappointing. Overall, the execution of this book failed.