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A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole
4.75
emotional hopeful tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a romantic suspense set in North Carolina during the American Civil War (1863). I really really love this series for a couple of reasons: the characters are based on real people, and they tell stories about the Civil War focused on people who were working against the Confederacy from within the South. The stories are high stakes and also realistic. Each one has taken me like two sitting to read because the plots are intense and exciting.

Both couples so far have been interracial, and in both books, the Black FMC has had to wrestle with the reality of her situation, and essentially figure out how to be in love with a white man in the South while the white MMC has had to be patient but also pragmatic.

In a world where the dominant Civil War romance narrative is Gone with the Wind (gross), we need books like these to tell the whole story, and shine a light on the incredible people working for good during such a dark time in our history. 

⚠️Do mind the content!! These are not lighthearted and they do feature many dark realities from this time including racism, racist slurs, threats of r*pe, k!dnapping, assault, t0rture, slavery, violence and of course, war. 

👍🏻Recommended. If you are looking for a historical romance set in the US featuring diverse characters and fascinating bits of real history - these are for you!!

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