A Prince on Paper (Reluctant Royals #3) by Alyssa Cole

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The Reluctant Royals series returns with a good girl searching for the life that’s not too big, and not too small, and the bad boy prince who might be just right for her…

Nya Jerami fled Thesolo for the glitz and glamour of NYC but discovered that her Prince Charming only exists in her virtual dating games. When Nya returns home for a royal wedding, she accidentally finds herself up close and personal—in bed—with the real-life celebrity prince who she loves to hate.

For Johan von Braustein, the red-headed step-prince of Liechtienbourg, acting as paparazzi bait is a ruse that protects his brother—the heir to the throne—and his own heart. When a royal referendum threatens his brother’s future, a fake engagement is the perfect way to keep the cameras on him.

Nya and Johan both have good reasons to avoid love, but as desires are laid bare behind palace doors, they must decide if their fake romance will lead to a happily-ever-after.

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Naledi's cousin, Nya, returns to Thesolo to attend the social event of the year - Naledi and Thabiso's wedding! All eyes will be on the happy couple while simultaneously giving the evil side eye to Nya. Her family's considered scandalous after her father was found to have a hand in Naledi's parents' deaths many years ago. While he's been in prison, Nya set off for New York. She longed to get away from the gossip and the pitying looks, and hoped the anonymity in the big city would serve as a springboard for an epic adventure, something she'd never thought possible for herself. Only it didn't turn out the way she had hoped and she quickly realized that she wasn't suited to the crazy pace of life there. She didn't find that epic love she hoped for either so instead found solace in a gaming app where she could date a virtual version of her ultimate prince. And speaking of princes, she did come into contact with Johan a few times and none of their encounters were pleasant. Thabiso's best friend seemed to brush her off or look down at her. Little did Nya know that Johan was hiding his true feelings. Being protective of Thabiso, he had originally been suspicious of her role in what happened to Naledi and her family but then soon found her irresistible and charming. However, he had a ridiculous alter ego to maintain so he did all he could to keep her at arm's length. The royal wedding brings them together and in unexpected ways. Turns out that their new "friendship" could prove beneficial to Johan and his country if they pretend to be engaged. Since it also helps Nya with her own problems, she agrees. 

The set up is weird at first. For someone so reluctant to be in the spotlight, Nya seems all too willing to go along with a plan that will thrust her front and center. There are so many fake engagement stories so I wanted her to have convincing reasons to do this, and she does. One, she wants to show everyone who doubts her that she's not the weakling she's been made out to be and neither is she her father's puppet. Two, she does this simply to defy her father. Considering her upbringing at his hand and the strained relationship she has with him as an adult, she's certainly allowed to feel that way. Between the Nya and Joahn, I was more in tune to Nya's growth and how she was overcoming her insecurities. Johan was like a fortress holding tightly to all his thoughts and emotions while putting others ahead of him. I like the idea of his secret good side known to a select. The fake engagement of a playboy prince to an elegant, sweet woman would be the perfect way to distract the press and his people from the issues plaguing his monarchy. There is also a subplot: another potential royal crisis for Johan to manage which involves his younger half brother. I did think that was smoothed over rather quickly but there wasn't time to explore that to its full potential here. I wouldn't mind if Cole revisited that in the future. We'll just add that to my wishlist ;-)

The Reluctant Royals series is about revamping fairy tales and having them come true in a modern world. Amidst all the craziness and hardships, these characters have persevered and achieved their own happiness. Nya may have started out romanticizing about her Prince Charming, and Johan may have thought that he'd forever have to sacrifice his happiness to take care of others, but they both found each other and are setting the rules their way. Cole is such a brilliant writer whom I never want to miss and A Prince on Paper is a dreamy, delightful read to add to your list!

~ Bel

Can't Escape Love (Reluctant Royals #3.5) by Alyssa Cole

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Regina Hobbs is nerdy by nature, businesswoman by nurture. She's finally taking her pop culture-centered media enterprise, Girls with Glasses, to the next level, but the stress is forcing her to face a familiar supervillain: insomnia. The only thing that helps her sleep when things get this bad is the deep, soothing voice of puzzle-obsessed live streamer Gustave Nguyen. The problem? His archive has been deleted.

Gus has been tasked with creating an escape room themed around a romance anime…except he knows nothing about romance or anime. Then mega-nerd and anime expert Reggie comes calling, and they make a trade: his voice for her knowledge. But when their online friendship has IRL chemistry, will they be able to escape love?

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


I hadn't thought about how much story the world of the Reluctant Royals has in it. Alyssa Cole has managed to stretch this series out by continuously introducing fascinating characters with equally fascinating backstories ensuring that there'll be no suffering from boredom here. Admittedly, the premise that mega nerd and influencer, Reggie reaching out to fellow mega nerd and bit of an introvert, Gustave to request the use of his voice to help her fall asleep sounds way out there. But if I've learned anything from my exposure to the Reluctant Royals is that unlikely things do happen and usually result in some amazing consequences. 

So, yes, Reggie makes her offer to Gustave and he takes her up on it though making a few changes. Since he has to create this escape room based on a popular anime that he knows nothing about, why not make a counter offer? They could barter services, so to speak: his voice for her anime knowledge. And they have a deal which means ample opportunity to get cozy with each other every day as they work on their projects. Gustave may be a genius at puzzles but he's not so adept at understanding people and social cues. Reggie is different for some reason. They've already established a relationship when she was his one and only YouTube follower way back when, so it's not like they're complete strangers. He finds her mind fascinating. She feels the same way about him though she hasn't necessarily wanted to get close to anyone. She loves this career she's created and the fact that it's founded in something she loves doing. Her enthusiasm is infectious and it only spurs Gustave on to want to do better.

At no point does Gustave treat Reggie's disability as a hindrance. In fact, he's more impressed by how she's navigated her surroundings to work for her, not letting anything stop her if she can at all help it. He even manages to get the industrious workaholic to take a breather every now and then. The main challenge is in dealing with her parents. If you've read Duke by Default then you know that Reggie and her twin sister, Portia have always been pitted against each other. The expectations placed on them have resulted in strained relationships between siblings and parents. I liked that we got to see Reggie's perspective on this. 

Can't Escape Love was such a pleasing read. I love seeing two people perfectly matched in intellect and passion make it work.

~ Bel

An Unconditional Freedom (The Loyal League #3) by Alyssa Cole

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Daniel Cumberland’s uneventful life as a freed man in Massachusetts ended the night he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. To then have his freedom restored by the very man who stole his beloved’s heart is almost too much to bear. When he’s offered entry into the Loyal League, the covert organization of spies who helped free him, Daniel seizes the opportunity to help take down the Confederacy and vent the rage that consumes him.
When the Union Army occupies Janeta Sanchez’s small Florida town, her family’s goodwill and ties to Cuba fail to protect her father from being unjustly imprisoned for treason. To ensure her father’s release, Janeta is made an offer she can’t refuse: spy for the Confederacy. Driven by a desire for vengeance and the hope of saving her family, she agrees to infiltrate the Loyal League as a double agent.

Daniel is both aggravated and intrigued by the headstrong recruit. For the first time in months, he feels something other than anger, but a partner means being accountable, and Daniel’s secret plan to settle a vendetta and strike a blow for the Union can be entrusted to no one. As Janeta and Daniel track Jefferson Davis on his tour of the South, their dual hidden missions are threatened by the ghosts of their pasts and a growing mutual attraction—that might be their only hope for the future. 

Source: advance e-galley provided in exchange for an honest review


Alyssa Cole has made no secret of the fact that she had a hard time writing An Unconditional Freedom. I had an equally hard time reading it. Every page confronts you with the brutal truth about slavery. And when current events make you feel as if we're regressing, it makes this novel that much more imperative to read, here and now. 

Daniel was born a free man and knows what freedom tastes like. He had a potentially bright future studying law but in the hopes of doing good for his fellow countryman, he placed his trust in the wrong people and was thus captured and sold as a slave. Years of mistreatment and witnessing evil upfront broke him to an extent. His heart and resolve hardened, he's determined to fight back now and bring about change. His reputation in the Loyal League is that of a lone wolf which he prefers so he's none too thrilled about the Loyal League foisting a new partner upon him. Janeta's own upbringing is a far cry from anything Daniel has experienced. Born to a former slave who ended up marrying her owner, Janeta is of both worlds. She's never known hardship, only that she is different. Her entry into the Loyal League is dubious as her agenda is to infiltrate them and spy for the South. Travelling with Daniel, she witnesses closeup the lives of those enslaved. This forces her to question her own indoctrination and discern who the good guys really are. More importantly, who stands to gain the most should the war be won or lost. She went into this to protect her family, and perhaps her naiveté made her easy to manipulate but now her allegiance is shifting.

Cole has injected a lot of the frustration and despair that's sprung up recently and poured it into her latest work. Combining history and a modern perspective, An Unconditional Freedom questions everything about why one person should feel superior to another. It highlights the economics and politics of slavery, and how lack of an education and literacy can be a weapon in suppressing a population. Reading Daniel's personal history in particular wrenches your soul apart. 

Writing this book has been a labour of love and Cole has outdone herself here. There's no sugarcoating the history of a something as vile as slavery, a raw wound that just keeps reopening. An Unconditional Freedom doesn't allow you to turn away from it but invites you to learn from it in hopes that common sense, decency and an intrinsic belief in everyone's worth will always be greater than the evil that exists.

~ Bel

A Hope Divided (Loyal League #2) by Alyssa Cole

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The Civil War has turned neighbor against neighbor--but for one scientist spy and her philosopher soldier, war could bind them together . . . 

For three years of the War Between the States, Marlie Lynch has helped the cause in peace: with coded letters about anti-Rebel uprisings in her Carolina woods, tisanes and poultices for Union prisoners, and silent aid to fleeing slave and Freeman alike. Her formerly enslaved mother's traditions and the name of a white father she never knew have protected her--until the vicious Confederate Home Guard claims Marlie's home for their new base of operations in the guerilla war against Southern resistors of the Rebel cause.

Unbeknowst to those under her roof, escaped prisoner Ewan McCall is sheltering in her laboratory. Seemingly a quiet philosopher, Ewan has his own history with the cruel captain of the Home Guard, and a thoughtful but unbending strength Marlie finds irresistible.

When the revelation of a stunning family secret places Marlie's freedom on the line, she and Ewan have to run for their lives into the hostile Carolina night. Following the path of the Underground Railroad, they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle that could dash their hopes of love--and freedom--before they ever cross state lines.

Source: advance e-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review


Earlier this year I read and fell in love with An Extraordinary Union. Its story introduced me to an aspect of the Civil War that I was unfamiliar with - that of the men and women, including the freed slaves who risked their lives and freedom to serve as spies during the war. A Hope Divided follows in that vein with Malcolm's brother, Ewan who as a spy has been pretending to be a prisoner of war so that he can deliver secrets to the Loyal League. It's at prison that he makes Marlie's acquaintance. Marlie is unique in that she's half black and half white and has been recognized by her white family, to a certain extent. She has grown up with privileges that no slave could ever dream of but she has never forgotten who she is. With the advantages that she has, she covertly works for the Loyal League using her reputation as a healer to protect her. When Ewan's dramatic escape from prison is botched, Marlie offers to hide him away in the safest place possible: her home. Specifically a hidden room within her bedroom. It's a temporary solution that puts them both in danger but that's what they have to do until Ewan is healthy enough to make another escape

A Hope Divided is striking in that it presents a series of ironies that only highlight the the evils of bigotry. For example, Ewan is a white man trapped in a room, forced to hide from the Confederate soldiers. Marlie, is a free Black woman who can roam around town yet will forever be trapped by the colour of her skin. The book also looks at the complicated dynamics of a family that includes a person of colour -- how they address each other or refer to one another in the company of others, how they convey their feelings and ultimately, how they really see each other while never acknowledging their connection out loud, not even in the privacy of their own home. I thought that was an enlightening aspect of Marlie's story. When the Confederate Home Guard decides to make her house homebase, Marlie's security in her own home is upended. She's no longer as free has she has been. It also put her and Ewan in harm's way and they have no choice but to escape. And here we see Marlie as the healer that she is, someone who is always looking out for others even if it means putting herself in danger. Ewan, who's more philosopher than fighter, now has the resolve to truly fight for everything important to him.

My favourite part of the story is the connection that Ewan and Marlie Have. Both find intellectual stimulation in each other's company, engaging in lively philosophical conversations and debates. There is, of course, the physical attraction as well. My least favourite part is the language and abuse hurled at Marlie and other slaves. It's an unfortunate part of the story and history but it's unsettling to read nonetheless. I can't even begin to fathom treating someone that way and thinking a person inferior because of their colour. 

I enjoyed the suspense in A Hope Divided and that both Ewan and Marlie eagerly aspire to live up to their cause despite the odds against them. This series has been a great way for me to gain insight and learn more about the time period. Definitely worth the read!

~ Bel

An Extraordinary Union (The Loyal League #1) by Alyssa Cole

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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 . . .

"Man's inhumanity to man wasn't solely regulated to skin color, although it did allow its practitioners to choose their targets more easily." ~ Elle, p.44

An Extraordinary Union was added to my wish list when I saw the Twitterverse raving about it. When I attended the Kensington panel at RT17 back in May, my fellow Bibliojunkies watched me race my way up to the table to snag myself a copy of it. I was ecstatic!

A freed slave turned spy for the Union is an intriguing concept and one that I wanted to learn about. My knowledge of the Civil War is quite limited and as part of my self-education on it I want to be sure to learn about the stories that don't get as much attention. This is one of them. Elle herself is an impressive woman: she's always been able to memorize and recall information, an ability that's vital in the war effort to fight the Rebels. Too often though her skills are underestimated simply because she is a woman, and of colour. Yet, this is also an advantage to any spy, especially that of the Loyal League. Since she is given little regard by her employers, she can fly under the radar gathering information from conversations she overhears and things she sees. It's amazing the things people divulge when they're ignoring you because they feel you're beneath them. Malcolm's appearance makes things harder. He's also a spy for the Loyal League and they have to work together. Malcolm has always found slavery to be a contemptible practice but he knows that not everyone shares his progressive attitude. As part of his cover, he plays nice and woos and flirts with the society women and banters effortlessly with the gentlemen of the South, all the while using his charm to gain their confidence and wean information from them. Two spies with special gifts in a dangerous situation, made even more risky by their growing attraction to each other. In all of this they must not lose sight of their mission.

There's a tinge of suspense that penetrates the entire story due to the tension and danger that come across strongly. The risk of being caught or double-crossed is always a probability especially in those secretive moments. I know this will sound a bit strange but I found the romance to be a bit distracting at a couple of times. I did like the verbal sparring that went on between Elle and Malcolm - they're both equally up to the challenge - and I loved that he delighted in her outspokenness. I think I was just so focused on the spying and infiltrating of the enemy's lair. 

"..., but it galled him that Elle's effectiveness was partially rooted in society inherently seeing her as inferior." ~ Malcolm, p.55

What's most striking are the cringe-worthy moments exposing mankind's ugly side. We all know that slaves were maligned and mistreated (which sadly is a gross understatement) but it's still shocking to see them referred to as "darkies" and thought of lacking in any intelligence. Men would comment on Elle as an object to be toyed with and worse. One character who is absolutely reprehensible is that of Susie, a high society daughter. She's a vile, insipid character who thinks nothing of how she treats anyone much less slaves. Hats off to Cole though for injecting half an ounce of empathy for her as a Southern Belle who is pushed by her mother to make a good marriage, but even that doesn't erase her disgusting personality. For me, the highlights of the book come with Elle and Malcolm's insights into human nature and that of the circumstances they witness. On the surface of it, Malcolm represents everything she should fear and detest. He's a white man, a part of the group that has forcefully uprooted, enslaved and persecuted her people. Yet he harbours none of that despicable behaviour towards her or her kind. Malcolm sees a young woman possessed of incredible intellect, bravery and beauty. The difference in skin colour has no bearing on who he cares for or falls in love with even though he know's most of society will not be accepting of them.

An Extraordinary Union is moving, suspenseful and romantic. Not only did I learn something from it, I came away with a profound new respect for those who simply wanted to live free of fear and subjugation, and those who risked their lives to make that happen.

~ Bel