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An Extraordinary Union
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole is $1.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Sarah completely loved it:
First, yes, you should absolutely read this book immediately, if you haven’t already. There is so much happening in the conflict within each of the protagonists, between the protagonists, and around them and their allies and enemies, I can’t possibly discuss all of it, but please know: if you are a reader (and why else would you be here, right?) this book is a marvelous, intelligent, respectful, breathtaking treat for your brain.
As the Civil War rages between the states, a courageous pair of spies plunge fearlessly into a maelstrom of ignorance, deceit, and danger, combining their unique skills to alter the course of history and break the chains of the past . . .
Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South—to spy for the Union Army.
Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet—risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia.
Two undercover agents who share a common cause—and an undeniable attraction—Malcolm and Elle join forces when they discover a plot that could turn the tide of the war in the Confederacy’s favor. Caught in a tightening web of wartime intrigue, and fighting a fiery and forbidden love, Malcolm and Elle must make their boldest move to preserve the Union at any cost—even if it means losing each other . . .
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How the Dukes Stole Christmas
How the Dukes Stole Christmas is $1.99! This is a historical holiday romance anthology from some major historical romance writers. Elyse reviewed this one and gave it a C. Her main critique was that the novellas felt uneven in terms of her enjoyment.
Christmas magic is in the air… From the ballrooms of London, to abandoned Scottish castles, to the snowy streets of Gilded Age New York, four bestselling authors whip up some unforgettable romance…with a little help from some enchanted shortbread.
“Meet Me in Mayfair” by Tessa Dare
Louisa Ward needs a Christmas miracle. Unless she catches a wealthy husband at the ball tonight, the horrid, heartless Duke of Thorndale will evict her family from their beloved Mayfair home. But when her friend begs to switch dance cards, Louisa finds herself waltzing with the enemy: the horrid, heartless–and unexpectedly handsome–Thorndale himself. Now the duke’s holding her future in his hands…and he’s not letting go.“The Duke of Christmas Present” by Sarah MacLean
Rich and ruthless, Eben, Duke of Allryd, has no time for holidays. Holidays are for whimsy and charm–the only two things his money cannot buy. Lady Jacqueline Mosby is full of both, even now, twelve years after she left to see the world. When Jacqueline returns for a single Christmas, Eben can’t resist the woman he never stopped loving…or the future that had once been in reach. It will take a miracle to convince her to stay…but if ever there were a time for miracles, it’s Christmas…“Heiress Alone” by Sophie Jordan
When Annis Bannister’s family leaves her behind in the rush to escape an impending snowstorm, she finds herself stranded in the Highlands, left to fend off brigands terrorizing the countryside, robbing homes locked up for winter. Her only hope falls on her neighbor, a surly hermit duke who unravels her with a look, then a kiss … until she fears the danger to her heart outweighs the danger of brigands and snowstorms.“Christmas in Central Park” by Joanna Shupe
Women all over America devour Mrs. Walker’s weekly column for recipes and advice. No one knows Rose, the column’s author, can’t even boil water. When the paper’s owner, Duke Havemeyer, insists she host a Christmas party, Rose must scramble to find a husband, an empty mansion, and a cook. But Duke is not a man easily fooled and she fears her perfect plan is failing–especially when Duke’s attentions make her feel anything but professional. To save her career will she give up her chance at love?Add to Goodreads To-Read List →
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Love, Comment, Subscribe
Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley is 99c at Amazon! This is the first book in the Ponto Beach Reunion series. The main characters were frenemies in high school, though agree to collab to help their growing YouTube and streaming channels.
Back in high school, Lily Wang wanted to be popular, but she considered herself lucky to be part of a tight group of oddballs and honors students called the Nerd Herd. Now, at twenty-eight, she feels like she’s finally on the cusp of succeeding as a beauty influencer—if she can hit five million subscribers, brands will take notice and she could get her own makeup line.
Fellow Nerd Herd alum Tobin Bui has had a lot of success as a YouTube gamer. But the road to online stardom has been rocky. First, he disappointed his parents by dropping out of college, and now, after years of pranks, skits, and playthroughs, he’s struggling to come up with new content to satisfy his ever-growing fan base. His agents say he needs cross-audience appeal, a new twist.
When Nerd Herd frenemy Lily approaches Tobin about teaming up to do a video to bolster her brand and reinvigorate his, he agrees. But when their first collab video goes viral, their relationship heats up too. With the whole internet watching, will these two former misfits finally realize they’re perfect together?
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In the Woods
In the Woods by Tana French is $1.99! This is the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad thriller series. Elyse has expressed some frustration that there are a few things left unanswered in this mystery. Have you read this one? Are you a fan of the series?
A gorgeously written novel that marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense.
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
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In the Woods was well written, but be warned it is *not* competence porn, and I found my tolerance for the MC’s blind spots waning.
Agree that In the Woods is well written, very moody, lots of ambiance, but I found the resolution *deeply* unsatisfying/frustrating. So much so that I have not read any Tana French since. If you ever watched the American version of The Killing, it reminds me of that in some ways, but without the amusement of Joel Kinnamann’s Detective Holder to pull me through it.
Yes, you should absolutely read An Extraordinary Union, especially the author’s note from Alyssa Coke at the end.
I do miss the old cover though. This one is pretty but the original was dynamic! Happy I have the kindle and physical book versions.
*Alyssa Cole (argh, autocorrect)
I love ‘In the Woods’ and all the Dublin Murder Squad series. The Starz adaptation was good too…they combine the first 2 books and some stuff is lost, but they really capture the ball of effed-up that is Rob. Book 2 is about Cassie, btw.
I wish she’d go back to the Dublin squad. I didn’t like the last book.
The Christmas anthology is good (agree with Elyse’s assessment that the Dare and the MacLean are the best of the bunch.) I was underwhelmed by the Alyssa Cole. It was one of those books that I thought was well-written but didn’t really connect with.
I absolutely adored the way In The Woods ends, I thought it was brilliantly done. Realistic in a way I don’t necessarily expect from fiction, without being any sort of grimdark wallow. Plus since I have a hard time with supposedly “good cop” protagonists, I also loved how messed up and incompetent Rob is. I can barely tolerate any sort of horror, and this was so atmospherically creepy at times (trees are scary, shut up) I had to keep putting it down – but I couldn’t stay away from it. Because I read most things in one sitting, this was the first mystery where I ever had time to think about whodunnit so that was fun too.
@kkw: Never trust foliage in any Tana French book.
AN EXTRAORDINARY UNION is such a tightly written spy thriller I was biting my nails the whole time worried about how they could possibly pull it off- despite going in with the spoiler of knowing how the civil war ended.
It’s on my short list of romance recommendations for people who’ve never read romance. Perfect gateway drug.
INTO THE WOODS is the mystery equivalent of romance without an HEA. The broken genre promise ending didn’t bother me at all but it definitely pissed off a lot of readers. My best friend still side-eyes all my book recs after I failed to warn her a decade ago. The Dublin Murder Squad series feels like watching a talented writer figure thing out. The 3rd book FAITHFUL PLACE is where she puts it all together. Works as a stand-alone.
I liked IN THE WOODS enough to keep reading the next few books in the series (THE LIKENESS being my favorite—although it requires a significant suspension of disbelief); however, I think it’s best to view it as fiction with murder-mystery elements rather than a standard/classic mystery where all the red herrings and loose ends are neatly explained/resolved. As for Rob screwing up, in almost all of the books, one of the detectives does something stupid/illegal/against policies, etc. The brilliance of French’s writing is that we understand—and sometimes even sympathize—with why her characters make the choices they do.
@MeMe you’re so spot on with your observation that “INTO THE WOODS is the mystery equivalent of romance without an HEA”, and I couldn’t deal with that aspect of it.
I actually got 200+ pages in and was a bit bored so decided to spoiler myself with what happened, and I was so pissed off that I DNF and also like your friend now side eye French books (is that “broken genre” a thing with her? — I’m so skeptical now).
@spinsterrevival I haven’t gotten to her most recent couple books yet but I don’t think French ever risked the wrath of the genre like that again. I highly recommend starting at book 3 and reading the series out of order.
(The one set in a new suburb where the murderer was the economy all along was the nadir of her backlist for me.)
I found In the Woods to be very well written overall and actually admired and liked how the thing that was never followed through on remained unknown. However, I still wanted to hurl it across the room and stomp on it.
My issues were 1. I found it very obvious who the killer was very early on, and this is not the kind of mystery where that’s intended 2. said killer was an over the top caricature of a particular kind of mental illness that belonged in an episode of law & order: svu, not a book with clear aims at being a moody character study and 3. unlike @DiscoDollyDeb, I found absolutely nothing Rob did remotely sympathetic or understandable, and we’re left stuck in his head as he becomes even more willfully cruel and stupid with no point to it (ymmv).
I absolutely believe people who tell me French’s later books are excellent – she clearly has a lot of talent. But I still can’t motivate myself to try them.
I love Tana French’s other books. Faithful Place really sticks with me.
IN THE WOODS was the first book I literally threw across the room when I finished it. I was so upset by the ending that I have yet to read another book by Tana French again. Fool me once, I say.
I tried Into the Woods a few months ago, but just couldn’t get on with how slow-moving it was. I don’t mind problematic endings (just finished Susan Hill’s The Various Haunts of Men), but sometimes I find when a mystery/thriller author gets too literary, it just becomes an uncanny valley for me as a reader-I want to find out whodunnit, not pause for lots of meandering description from the POV of an unpleasant character.
I liked An Extraordinary Union, but Civil War romance is tough for me, because the awfulness of the historical circumstances is so deeply tragic. Of course, I realize all historical periods have horribleness, but I just find it harder to enjoy the romance in that setting. I also liked the heroine much more than the hero, and truthfully would have loved a whole historical fiction book from her perspective. There are so many heroic stories of Black men and women who resisted slavery during the antebellum period that don’t get nearly enough attention.
If you have seen Christmas in Connecticut, you’ll recognize the plot of the last story in the holiday anthology, the one by Shupe. While I haven’t read this anthology, I loved Christmas in Connecticut, but the bitches were not fans when they watched it for their movie matinee, so mileage may vary.