Love and War, by Melissa de la Cruz
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Summary
1781. Albany, New York.
As the war for American independence rages on, Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler begin their new life as a married couple. Still, Alex is as determined as ever to prove his mettle and secure his legacy . . . even if that means leaving his beloved Eliza behind to join the front lines at the Battle of Yorktown. But when the war unexpectedly arrives on Eliza’s doorstep, she must fight for a better future–for their fledgling country and for her marriage.
Yet even after the Revolution comes to its historic close, Alex and Eliza’s happily-ever-after is threatened. Eliza struggles to build a home in the hustle and bustle of New York City just as Alex’s burgeoning law practice brings him up against his greatest rival–the ambitious young lawyer Aaron Burr. And with Alex’s star on the rise, Eliza can’t help but feel neglected by a husband who seems to have time for everyone but her. Torn apart by new trials and temptations, can Alex and Eliza’s epic love survive life in the big city?
Summary from Penguin Random House.
My Thoughts
Love & War was an absolutely brilliant installment to the Alex & Eliza books! To begin with, we rarely see couples after marriage, or even following getting together. In this novel, however, we see the struggle between Alex and Eliza as they must deal with all aspects of both adulthood and married life. I felt that both characters handled the difficult situations in a realistic manner, and I enjoyed seeing them not always get along, but act like a real married couple. I cannot personally testify to the accuracy of this, seeing as I don’t study this time period, but as far as I can tell, we got an equal amount of information and embellishment. For every “knowledge dump,” there were elements of the story that were fun and lighthearted, and I loved it. The family aspect of this story was also done well. Angelica, Peggy, and Eliza’s relationship was one that is likely envied by all sisters, even though they have their disagreements. In the beginning, it was one of the leading plot points. However, after getting into Part Two, Eliza’s family became more distant, though still influence decisions she made–once more, a completely realistic reaction to what she is going through. I had only two problems with this book, one being the repetitiveness. There were times when I felt certain stories or time periods were referenced more than once, and not every time was necessary. There also were parts that were filled with too much information. I understand, of course, that this is a historical fiction and must have some sort of tie-in to real events, and for the most part, I appreciated it. At times, the author recited a lot of information that probably could have been spread out over time. Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. 4/5 stars!
Just Reading It 