An Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole

Written by Alyssa Cole
Read by Karen Chilton
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Loyal League Series, Book 1
Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
Release date: January 31, 2018
Duration: 10:01:37

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.

Publishers Weekly said “…Cole’s sparkling gem of a romance portrays love at its most practical and sublime; she writes with lyricism, intelligence, and historical accuracy. This fascinating novel is a most welcome addition to the historical romance genre.”

Narrator Karen Chilton uses a Southern drawl that evokes the region and its citizens. Elle Burns is a freed slave who now works for the Loyal League, using her eidetic memory to assist the Union Army’s campaign. She feels both surprise and desire as she reluctantly falls for Scottish American Malcolm McCall, another Union spy who is undercover in Richmond. Chilton clearly depicts how Elle is torn between her deeply held convictions and Malcolm’s courtesy and affection for her. Because Chilton doesn’t adopt McCall’s Scottish accent, her ability to fully characterize him is reduced, and his dialogue with Elle is often too similar to differentiate. In addition, numerous mispronounced words diminish the power of the production. C.A. � AudioFile 2017,