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    An Extraordinary Union
    An Extraordinary Union
    An Extraordinary Union
    Audiobook10 hours

    An Extraordinary Union

    Written by Alyssa Cole

    Narrated by Karen Chilton

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMar 28, 2017
    ISBN9781501955266
    An Extraordinary Union
    Author

    Alyssa Cole

    Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and SFF romance. Her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, and Entertainment Weekly. She can usually be found watching anime with her husband or wrangling their menagerie of animals.

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    Reviews for An Extraordinary Union

    4/5

    188 ratings23 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Good reminder of the people that tried to end slavery. There were many twists turns, and romance.
    • 5/5
      Elle Burns is a secret spy for the union. One of many who are part of the loyal league, supporters of President Lincoln and who risk their lives to end the civil war. Her special and rare gift of being able to retain information has earned her quite a high spot in the league. She is thrust undercover in a variety of roles to ensure she can pass on important cyphers to those who need to carry the messages on. She has been stationed in the house of a prominent family, the McCaffy’s as a slave. While there she meets Malcolm McCall, a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. He is one of Pinkerton’s top detectives. Upon first meeting Elle he almost forgets his cover, they decide to join together to help bring down the confederacy. Neither of them imagined that they would fall deeply in love. I rarely enjoy romance novels, more recently I have come to appreciate the paranormal romance genre, but most literature marked as romance just doesn’t spark interest. I would have never read this had it not been for the 2019 Book Riot Challenge prompt of Read a historical romance novel by an AOC. Alyssa Cole’s writing and Karen Chilton’s narration are a match made in heaven. I was hooked on this from the first words. Alyssa’s style is not in the typical romance format. Elle is a strong woman, and a well-rounded character. The novel is more history than sex and while the few loves making scenes there were, I found them to be tastefully written. I will be reading the other two novels in this series as I quite enjoyed the historical aspect.
    • 4/5
      Super heavy on the romance but I guess it is a romance novel , but super interesting story. But the narrator. Omg. THE MISPRONUNCIATIONS. It was hard to get into the story when I kept cringing so hard when she said something wrong.
    • 5/5
      Really fantastic! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Smart, funny, exciting the whole nine yards.
    • 5/5
      An educational love story about injustice, discrimination, suffering and the hope that can come from all that struggle
    • 4/5
      I'm so glad I finally picked up a book by Alyssa Cole! I really enjoyed this book. I feel like writing a romance during a war must be really difficult because it's obviously a time filled with tragedy and I think this is especially true for a war like the American civil war. I think Cole did an excellent job centering the tragedy of the war and the wars cause, slavery, which still creating a wonderful romance.

      Our two mains are Elle and Malcolm. They are both spies for the Union working the in the South. I love a good spy story and I thought that was pretty well done here. The whole book is centered around this idea but there weren't too many scenes that were just about spying so don't go in looking for that. I didn't mind this because their relationship was compelling on it's own. I thought Cole did a good job illustrating the conflict Elle would feel about entering a relationship with a white man in this time. I did feel like the start of the relationship was a bit sudden but most of the development seemed very natural.
      I really enjoyed Malcolm as well. He is very understanding of what Elle is feeling while still realizing that he can't fully understand her experience because he has never been a slave. I liked learning about his background and his family and I liked he used that background as a way to try to understand Elle better.
      I really liked Elle and Malcolm as a couple. Even though they came from very different backgrounds, they worked together really well. Malcolm seems to be quite taken with Elle from the very first time he meets here which might seem a bit fast to some people but I didn't mind this because nothing happens immediately. Aside from a few moments where the relationship seemed to develop a little more rapidly, I thought the progression was natural and showed the respect Malcolm had for Elle.

      There was less plot than I was expecting but there is definitely a lot there. It picked up a lot at the end but the characters are spying throughout. I would have loved to have seen a bit more spy stuff but this book isn't that long an since this is a romance it obviously focused on that. I enjoyed all the plot with the other members of the household Elle was pretending to be a slave in. It was very dramatic, especially at the end and while nothing really surprised me, I really enjoyed it.

      I own the next book in this series and the third book is on KU so hopefully I can read the rest really soon. I have a couple of things I want to read in between but I think I'll get to the next two books very soon.
    • 4/5
      Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton's during the American Civil War and he is masquerading as a Rebel to gain information. Elle Burns is a former slave who is also working for the Pinkertons, pretending to be a mute slave she is having to deal with a different experience of being undercover. The two of them make a good team but can they overcome the odds to make a good couple?Well it is a romance, and it does deal with some of the more unsavory aspects of being black in southern states and it does gloss over some of the issues they would have during their lives, it is still a powerful story with a couple who respect each other and neither of whom let each other rest on their laurels.
    • 5/5
      A sweet, smart, steamy romance packed with wonderful details and intriguing history. I can't wait to read the second book in this series!
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the premise, the characters, and the plot of this book - it's got a good combination of entertainment, excitement, and meaningful themes.

      I have some quibbles with the writing, but I think that those quibbles might be more about my somewhat vexed relationship to romance novels as a genre than anything about this book specifically. Specifically, the sex scenes were not to my taste (as m/f romance novels scenes generally are not). I thought it was weird that a couple of times Malcolm went right for her crotch, very early on in their physical relationship, without getting consent first. I know this is typical for romance novels, but in this specific story, it seemed strange and was off-putting to me. The other thing that I didn't love was the sometimes overwrought language choices - specifically, two many five-dollar words. Sometimes (most times), a simpler word is better. I think the weighty language may have been intended to show how well-educated the heroine is, and I can understand that intention, but it intrudes on the story instead.

      That said, the book is well worth the read, especially if you're more of a romance fan than I am.
    • 4/5
      3.5 rounded up, though I’m still not totally on board with that rating....

      More to come, maybe. Short review? Plot line and story were a 4 the characters, also a 4 ...although a bit tooo perfect. Writing was excellent a felt true and timeless.

      Fell flat for me in the romance, although their banter was great it felt a bit underdeveloped..I would’ve liked more tension or maybe just more THEM.
    • 4/5
      I especially loved how whenever Malcolm tried to tell Elle how she should be feeling or reacting, she pushed him back on his arse-- and he acknowledged he was in the wrong. It's a hard thing to buy into a romance between two people under such a power differential, but Cole handles it beautifully.
    • 4/5
      Set during the Civil War in the South, two spies- Elle, a former slave, and Malcolm, a Pinkerton detective, work to disrupt Confederate plans. Elle is a strong, intelligent woman who risks everything posing as a deaf-mute slave in a Southern Senator's household. Malcolm is also risking everything by posing as a Confederate soldier to ferret out information for the Union. A romance blooms. It is a well written and researched story. I'm not a big romance reader, but I will definitely read more of Alyssa Cole's books.
    • 4/5
      Set in the early days of the American Civil War in Richmond, Virginia, this historical romance tells the story of two spies for the Union working undercover behind enemy lines. Ellen Burns is a freed woman with a photographic memory who disguises herself as a mute slave and is hired out to the estate of a Confederate Senator. Malcolm McCall, a Scottish immigrant, works as a detective for the Pinkertons and poses as a Confederate soldier.  Together they uncover a Confederate plot to build an ironclad ship that could break the blockade of Southern ports.Upon meeting and discovering that they're working on the same side, the pair find a mutual attraction.  Malcolm is more overt in trying to act on that attraction, getting quite rude and handsy, which makes this book uncomfortable.  I appreciate that the author clearly will not let Malcolm coast as a "noble abolitionist" but calls out the power and privilege he has as a white man and how that is a threat to Ellen even when he has good intentions.  Both characters are well developed and interesting people.  Even a major antagonist, a loathsome Southern Belle named Susie McCaffrey, turns out to be more complex than she initially appears.Of course, Ellen and Malcolm have lots and lots of sex, which I find awkwardly worded, but that may be just me.  Nevertheless, this is a well-written and engaging novel touching upon mystery, adventure, history, and social change.Favorite Passages:

      "Malcolm’s mind got muddled with anger thinking of how, in these lands, institutionalized sin was seen as a way of life that needed defending."

    • 5/5
      4.5 stars

      She was Ellen Burns, and she was going to help destroy the Confederacy.

      I'm wait late to the party on this one but, oh yes, do I agree with the majority of you all, this is my highest rated book of the year. Our heroine Elle definitely is the stand-out character, the hero Malcolm was very overshadowed in the beginning but began to shine brighter in the middle and end. Working on behalf of the Union in a ring of spies called the Loyal League, Elle is placed in a southern senator's household as a mute slave to gain and pass on as much information as she can. Malcolm spies for the Pinkerton Agency and is currently posing as a Union soldier. Malcolm is immediately drawn to Elle, a bit insta-lust, but what saves their romance from my personal dislike of insta, is Elle's thoughts and feelings. When they first meet, Elle is a slave and Malcolm a Union soldier but even after their undercover roles are revealed, Elle is a black woman and Malcolm a white man in 1862 America.

      [...]one wrong word from him and she would lose her life, whereas his sex and skin color inoculated him from harm at her hand.

      I've complained many times about forced angst or conflict in stories contrived to keep heroes and heroines apart, yeah, nothing forced here. The author deeply provides us with Elle's thoughts and emotions about the danger of having feelings for Malcolm. This is shown not only personally, the immediate bodily danger to Elle and the personal stake she has in the Civil War but also outwardly, the encompassing work they are doing for the Union and the importance of the information they have to pass on. In beginning notes I took, I mentioned that the heroine was crotchety, which I appreciated because the heroes always get to be the surly ones fighting the romance and struggled with because of personal thoughts of just accept this sexy awesome dude already. As the story went on though, the author does such an amazing job putting you in the historical context, place, and time, and it becomes felt how the stakes are very real for Elle. This isn't a light falling in love but a hard hand gripping leap of faith.

      “Help me to understand,” he said. He was still asking of her when he should be giving, but he didn’t know how else to proceed.
      “We don’t want revenge, Malcolm.” She looked at him like he was the densest bastard to ever walk the earth. “We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like any damned fool in these United States is entitled to so long as he isn’t Black or Red. So you can keep your outrage. All I can do is try to make a difference.”

      This didn't have a lot of overall reaching Civil War tidbits dropped in, it is more of an immediate spotlight on how networks of spies could gain knowledge and help their side and one take on how a women in Elle's position could have fallen in love. I don't often mention how a character's emotions and thoughts help set the time period for me but Elle was a huge component for placing me in the story. The clothing, atmosphere, incidentals, and society were all there, too. Tied into the spying for information battle and danger, was some awesome ironclad ships and blockade talk. This may seem like a weird thing to get excited about but this is why I read historicals, to get little nuggets of information to gain knowledge and understanding with a feel of the time.

      This was who she was when she was allowed to be free from fear.

      Malcolm didn't quite leap off the pages for me, due to spying being a waiting game for info at times there was some slowness, and I would have liked some outer happenings (more big Civil War happenings going on, more of the Loyal League people, structure, and happenings). I know this is first in series, so maybe some information was held back about the Loyal League but in a contrarily way (I complain a lot about first in a series syndrome and how authors focus too much on setting up characters for future books) I could have stood for more character presence from ones that will star or appear in future installments in the series. Secondary characters gave without stealing the show, this "little" line from Mary: “I was just worried, is all,” she said, adjusting the ragged lace trim on Elle’s sleeve. “You remind me of my daughter sometimes. She had eyes just like yours . . . Caffrey sold her down South to pay off a debt. Every time I look at you, I wonder if she gonna grow up to be as pretty as you. And I hope she won’t.”
      "I hope she won't", devastating. There was also Timothy, who Elle feared his judgement about her relationship with Malcolm but he informs her that he is part Seminole and a host of other characters that show that "kind" people can participate and be blind to atrocities.

      This book made the list of several best of 2017 lists and I completely see why. The historical richness is great, there are some awesome emotional and thought provoking on fire comments/commentary, and the consequences, angst, and attraction between Elle and Malcolm are felt, but read this book for Elle. Her anger and underlining pain give way to such a well of strength; she's the heroine you want to read about, hope you're a little bit like, and inspire to be.

      (The author notes that some of her characters were based on real life people: Elle was based on Mary Bowser, Malcolm by Timothy Webster, and Robert Grand by Robert Smalls. There was also a reference guide of books the author used for research in the back. Historicals with history! Give me more historicals like this)
    • 4/5
      Ellen has been living as a free woman in the North for years. Knowing that her photographic memory would be a valuable asset to the Union and a way to help free her people, she has become a spy and been planted as a slave in the home of a Confederate senator. There she meets Malcolm McCall, a Pinkerton agent posing as a Confederate soldier, also in search of information from the Senator's family and friends. Sparks fly, which only makes maintaining their covers more difficult.I'm going to be honest; I had a pretty good hunch about a major factor in this book's finale from the moment I saw that one of the other women enslaved in Senator McCaffrey's house had a husband named Robert who was a riverboat pilot. That said, remembering things I read for past years of Notable Books and being able to add two and two correctly didn't shortchange the intrigue one bit. The twists and turns of the plot were thrilling and the characters were at once remarkable and quite believable. See the author's note for the historical inspiration if you disagree.The last book in the trilogy comes out later this month and if I didn't already have such a long TBR list from what has accumulated during four years of committee work, I'd go straight to A Hope Divided so I'd be ready for the conclusion as soon as it's available.
    • 4/5
      This tale about the romance between a former slave and a Pinkerton agent working together undercover to aid the preservation of the Union will keep you flipping pages for more than one reason. Elle is smart, sassy, and courageous, and has a unique gift in her almost unfailing memory. Malcolm, too, is smart, brave, and self-assured, not to mention handsome. The two are almost instantly drawn to each other, and yet, in public, must assume a mantle of disdain and decorum. But when they are alone, be prepared for, as another reviewer called it, sexytimes. The idea of the two working together at that time in history is definitely a compelling one. This well-written tale is an interesting mix of historical fiction and romance, and is the first in a trilogy. The characters are well defined and developed and the plot is quite interesting. Well worth the read.
    • 4/5
      Okay to be 100% honest in this review there are two things you need to know about me

      1. I don't like romance as a genre
      2. I specifically don't like historical romance as a sub-genre.

      That being established, this book more than deserves a 4-4.5 star rating: it's well-written and impeccably researched; the characters are wonderfully drawn and presented; the recreation of Richmond during the early Civil War is nuanced and complex and compelling; the book grapples with incredibly difficult subjects in ways that are both thought-provoking and heartbreaking.

      This book is important because it's about a black woman, written by a black woman, and it's not afraid to address straight-on the horrors and indignities of slavery. We don't get a sympathetic portrayal of the Southern plantation system or the men and women who ran it. We get a nuanced examination of how slavery invaded all corners of life for both white and black Americans, and we see so much of this through the eyes of a black MC.

      I'm not going to say this book made me want to start reading more historical romance but I will say if you consider yourself a fan of this genre, this book is incredibly necessary and important. The love story of Elle and Malcolm is well-written with complexity and nuance and I enjoyed that aspect immensely. I also enjoyed that nothing was sugar-coated, including the multifaceted issues of interracial romance during this era. The author's voice is strong and consistent and the details are well-wrought and heartbreaking. I'm glad I read this and I think it should top anyone's list of Civil War-era romances.
    • 4/5
      I do not usually read romance because I don't like the fake tension the author has to manufacture to make the story longer than 150 pages. But a romance between characters of different races in the South during the American Civil War doesn't need manufactured tension. The conflicts faced by the couple are built in by the historical fact of the setting. Cole adds flair by giving Elle Burns an eidetic memory, an ability that makes her an excellent spy but, for the early part of her life, was treated like a curiosity. Malcolm McCall is a handsome man with Scottish charm and an impressive ability to lie. As a Pinkerton agent, he plays the role of a Reb visiting the house where Elle, a free woman, is playing the role of a slave. They're both looking for information that will aid the Union cause so they're in enough danger alone. Their attraction to each other won't make their disguises any easier to maintain -- and their disguises make their feelings toward each other more complicated. The stakes are high and the sex is hot. Cole delivers a solid romance that not only puts readers in the shoes of a slave but also looks at how a Northern man has to re-contextualize his support of "the cause" when he becomes personally involved with the people it hopes to free. Only one Southern character is depicted with any humanity at all but, in a relatively small cast of characters, that's appropriate.
    • 3/5
      This is my first romance novel, and I'm so glad I chose this one to start off a new-found love for the genre. Not only is the main protagonist a woman of color, but she is strong and independent and does a lot of the saving herself. Also, the historical period (the Civil War) is a unique one to center a romance in, but that makes it all the more exciting. I really loved this book, and I'm eager to get my hands on the sequel.
    • 4/5
      Elle Burns is a Union operative posing as a slave in Richmond during the American Civil War. She has an eidetic memory that allows her to recount what she reads or overhears perfectly, which makes her a huge help. When Malcolm McCall comes to call on her mistress dressed in rebel gray, she immediately has her back up, but realizing he too is a spy, her heart starts to turn to him, though he is white and any relationship with him would spell all sorts of trouble.I don't read a lot of romance, but I do enjoy historical fiction about the Civil War. Elle is based off a historical figure I was already familiar with, Mary Bowser, who was a freewoman posing as a slave in Jefferson Davis's household. Truth be told, I would prefer the historical fiction actually about Mary Bowser as opposed to a romance, but I was given the book to read for a work-related group reading diverse romance, so your mileage may vary. The repetitive writing style and telling me how evil slavery is, repeatedly, started to annoy me, and the dialogue was a little stilted, but I picked up my reading pace and it was easier to overlook. Elle's and Malcolm's adventures as spies keep the pace of the story moving and the historical parts were interwoven well.
    • 5/5
      Elle Burns is a former slave, now working as a spy for the Union. She is on assignment undercover in the household of Confederate Senator McCaffrey when she (literally) runs into Malcolm McCall, a soldier who is wooing McCaffrey's daughter. Turns out, McCall is also a Union spy, Elle's contact, and also very, very handsome....A very good story, but way more explicit of a romance novel than I have read in quite awhile! I'll definitely read more by this author (a woman of color writing romance novels!) because the plot and writing were both great, but I could take-or-leave the romance-y parts. There wasn't anything wrong, it's just not my thing.
    • 5/5
      The Civil War is raging. Ellen "Elle" Burns, once a slave along with her parents, is a free negro living in the North. She's chosen to relinquish that freedom to become an undercover spy for the Loyal League, Union supporters, posing as a mute slave girl in a confederate Senator's home in Richmond, VA. The Loyal League's mission is to help destroy the Confederacy. Elle's assignment in Senator Caffrey's home is to use her eidetic (photographic) memory to expose secessionists' secrets. Elle is hopeful that her efforts will contribute to the end of slavery in the south. It's risky business, but "anything for the Union," she continually recites in her mind to dispel the hatred she has working as a slave under a cruel and exacting mistress, the Senator's daughter, Susie. Susie is intent on vexing her daily—spewing racial epithets and making derogatory comments and accusatory statements that undermine Elle's true character and nature. The condescension is almost beyond what she can bear. And with no way to defend herself, the mental pain inflicted is agonizing. Repressing her abhorrence for the oppression and denigration she's experiencing, along with fellow slaves working in the Senator's household, is excruciatingly difficult for Elle since she is highly intelligent and in reality, free. If that weren't enough, Senator McCaffrey has got a new friend, Malcolm McCall, a confederate soldier who makes recurring visits to the Senator's home. Initially terrified that Malcolm's kindness towards Elle is a ploy to have his way with her, a common practice, Elle soon learns that McCall is also an undercover spy, working for Mr. Allan Pinkerton's secret service, also Union supporters. The two must act wisely so as not to blow each others cover. This proves to be more difficult for Malcolm as he is almost immediately besotted by Elle's beauty and her unique abilities as an undercover spy. At first Elle views the Scotsman much the same as any other white man, an oppressor of her people, especially since his disguise consists of a grey confederate uniform, a stark reminder of the subjugation and brutality that her people endure by men who look like him. But his continued good-naturedness towards her gradually chips away her gruff, reticent exterior and before long she begins to fall for the man who can't resist her. But they can't allow their feelings for one another to supersede their mission. And there's another problem. The senator's daughter is continually making advances at Malcolm and wondering why he isn't reciprocating. She's becoming enraged and desperate because of his rejection, but Malcolm can't bring himself to betray Elle, not even for the cause. The dejected woman's actions culminate in an unthinkable act that threatens to ruin their mission. Can Malcolm and Elle do whatever it takes in support of the Union, exposing the secessionists and relaying vital information back to the Capital before it's too late, or will their love prove to be a hindrance to the cause they've both been so committed to? This book was suspenseful, educational, thought provoking, and poignant. The blatant racism was difficult to stomach. I had to continue to remind myself that this was the norm in those days, but I couldn't help thinking about the prejudice and racism that still exists today. I was rooting for Malcolm and Elle. Their forbidden love was difficult for me to envision because of the time period. They were well aware of the challenges it would cause, and the obstacles they faced seemed insurmountable. Their tenacious spirits and determination to fulfill their mission while preserving their secret relationship was inspiring. Overall I enjoyed this book. There was lots of action and tense scenes that engaged me. I liked the idea of a romance between Malcolm and Elle, but I would have appreciated a more wholesome approach to it. Their scenes together were mostly lustful in nature, and that was disappointing to me since I prefer reading tender, wholesome romances. I skipped over the racy stuff. I guess I expected a more mellow romance with this one. Aside from that, a very good read.
    • 2/5
      Elle, a free woman with an eidetic memory, takes on the role of a slave in order to collect information for the union. When her path crosses with fellow spy, Malcolm, things take on a different tone.I want to start off with the fact that I really wanted to like this book. I liked the diversity in characters. Elle, especially, was amazing character, strong and determined. Her bravery to pretend to be an slave was incredible, and I liked the bits with her spying. I've not read many stories where there is a character with her kind of memory, and I liked how it was portrayed as a curse and a blessing.This leads me to what I didn't like. There are numerous sex scenes, which I hate. I'm also sick of just how many book characters see each other and that's it, they just have to get in the other's pants. While Malcolm and Elle are given a few occasions to really get to know each other, I was not convinced of their love.The plot (when it doesn't revolved around how preoccupied Elle and Malcolm are with each other) moves at a nice pace. The attention to historical detail was nice.I would recommend this to readers who like their historical fiction to be steamy. If, however, you like a clean story, this is not for you.I received my copy from NetGalley.