I had high expectations for this and sadly it didn't really live up to them. I felt like the romance was slightly too forced, and felt not accurate to it's time! But I did love the writing style!

I managed to get an ebook ARC of this, after I saw a bunch of people talking about it online. Despite not having seen Hamilton [I know, it's a crime] as an American Studies student I was really intrigued by a YA historical fiction set during an event I actually know a bit about. It helped that I've heard really good things about the author too, although I've not read any of her other books.

So, where to start? The book was a bit slow to begin with, and I found it rather easy to put down early on. There was a lot of scene setting and a little info-dumping, mostly about the Schulyer family and their background. Although I can see why this was important, I thought it probably could have been a little more subtle, dropping the relevant information bit by bit throughout the chapter, rather than right from the very first page. Some of it also could have been cut- there was a lot of detail about the Schulyer parents that probably didn't need to be there. It was interesting, but usually when I start a book, I want something with a bit of pace and intrigue.

However, the story soon picks up. I really loved Elizabeth Schulyer, and how she continuously went against the norm. Admittedly, this is quite a common trope in YA romances, and romances in general [Pride and Prejudice sprung to mind], but Eliza was just so vibrant and funny, and I think she made an excellent foil to Alexander Hamilton. He wasn't quite what I expected, and that made it a lot more interesting. I found it quite refreshing that he came across as shy and uncertain, and I thought it made a good counterweight for the ambition he showed. The romance worked well, and I found myself clapping with delight every time the awkward couple encountered one another. I loved the historical events unfolding around them, and how although the romance was center-stage, the American Revolution also played a significant role, rather than just being some unimportant thing that happened to be occurring at the same time.

If I did have any issues with it at all, I'd say the ending was a little rushed. Anyone who has studied the Revolution at school will know what happened, but I would have liked it a bit more if maybe the author spent more time foreshadowing it. In the end, it seemed as though it was a total coincidence, that Hamilton caught a traitor because he was in the right place at the right time, which isn't actually what happened. I don't mind that the true historical facts have been altered, sometimes that's what happens with historical fiction. It makes sense for the author to use this monumental moment in American history in her book, but to change out the three Westchester militia men for Hamilton himself, turning him into the hero who unearthed a major plot against the revolutionaries. However, it just kind of came out of the blue a little for me, and I would have liked more of a build up. We do get Andre being sneaky and running off when people try and talk to him [hardly subtle] but we don't really get any sense of the drama unfolding until Hamilton quite literally wanders straight into it.

Even so, it was absolutely a fun read, and the romance was both believable and sweet. It was interesting seeing all the names and stories of the real-life people they were inspired by, and I was quite glad the book left in a lot of the details of Eliza's life, rather than heavily altering them. Overall, I thought it was a great read [enough to make me miss my bus because I was busy finishing the last chapter] and I'm contemplating buying a physical copy because it seems like something I'd probably re-read.

The love story that America is obsessed with almost 300 years after it happened. This is a lovely tale of love and romance against the backdrop of the American Revolution.

I have some mixed feelings about this book, and there were a couple of reasons for this. I am a major fan of the Hamilton musical, like everyone who has ever listened to the musical is, and I can't decide if this was a good or a bad thing when it came to this book. I think if you love the musical you come into the story with a few expectations about the characters and the novel doesn't always match up to those expectations.

First, the characters. I think the characters were done really well. I loved the Schuyler sisters because they were so well written and fleshed out. Each of the girls had their own personalities that stood out but when they were all together their sisterly bond was really clear and a joy to read. Eliza and Angelica especially are great together and gave the story more than just a simple romance. Something I really appreciated was that Peggy was involved in the story, in the musical she kind of appears and then disappears again so we never really get to know much about her.

Despite all of this great character writing I found myself a little underwhelmed. I expected Angelica and Eliza to be a lot more snappy and quick witted than they were. There is one scene where they basically rip Hamilton apart in front of a crowd of people which is really well written and is more reminiscent of the musical version of the sisters, but apart from that I felt that there weren't many times when we saw that. The thing that I found I liked the most about the sisters was the fact that we got to know so much about them that we never find out in the musical. We meet all the girls suitors and it follows their lives a little bit as well as Eliza and Alexander, which gave the story more depth and reality which I really appreciated.

The plot of the book itself is not overly exciting. I don't know whether Melissa de la Cruz tried to follow the historical timeline or not but I found the plot a little slow. Eliza moves from place to place and bumps into Alexander almost everywhere she goes. Plot wise there wasn't much I really loved. Without the romance aspect of the story I felt the plot fell a little flat.

I also, obviously, need to talk about Alexander and Eliza (I mean the whole book is about them!). I'm not going to lie, I really liked their relationship. This is the one part of the book that really redeemed the story for me and stopped me putting down the book. Alex and Eliza have such an interesting relationship. Alex falls head over heels for Eliza right from the start, but for Eliza (unlike in the musical) the relationship starts in not so great circumstances which results in Eliza deciding she doesn't actually like Hamilton to begin with. As the story goes on they clash heads and share quips and verbally spar and in the end, obviously, fall madly in love and get married. This kind of relationship is one of my favourites to read. It's slow and more realistic and creates a lot of both awkward and adorably funny moments. Obviously the book is all about the romance of the two and I think it does it really well.

To finish off I'm actually going to talk about the musical Hamilton. I think it was both and advantage and a disadvantage when it came to reading this book. I had so many expectations coming into the story because of the musical, and as I said before the story didn't match up to those expectations because this book isn't the musical. However, on the flip side I think that the musical gave me a basis for the whole story that I wouldn't have had if I went in blind. My love for the musical meant that I went into this book knowing I would like the story, but also meant that I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

All in all though this book is a cute, fun, historical romance about one of the greatest historical romances, ever! I would still recommend this book, whether you like Hamilton or have never heard it.

I cannot review as there were major issues with the formatting of the ebook. Nearly every sentence was cluttered with numerals making it a disjointed reading experience.

I was looking forward to reading this as i'm interested in the Hamilton excitement and have liked the authors previous works but i was disappointed. I was hoping for a historical story, not a made up fantasy world. Even the most basic facts like dates were wrong. Such a let down.

I didn't know anything about Alexander Hamilton (other than the musical) so I suppose I know a bit more now. Saying that I'm not sure how accurate to history this book is. An easy read.

I really enjoyed this book. Whilst I don't really think it has any literary merit, I thought it was an enjoyable and sweet read. I would categorise it as a YA historical romance and I think that you would enjoy this book if you like the sound of this genre. As I'm not very familiar with American history, I didn't know who Alexander Hamilton was before reading this book. This book has definitely sparked my interest and I will be reading more about him in the future.

Alex and Eliza is Melissa's book on the famous musical Hamilton, now before I read this book, I knew absolutely nothing about Hamilton or it's history. But this doesn't matter when it comes to reading this book whatsoever. I enjoyed it just the same and now I actually want to see it, to see what the difference is between this book and the play. I've seen a lot on Goodreads to say that this book is absolutely nothing like the play. 

The book is about how Alex and Eliza actually met and the events up until they got married. Melissa wrote this book because she was inspired by the musical and her daughter actually wanted to know more about Alex and Eliza, so she did a lot of research about Hamilton and then therefore wrote this book which from what I've read it is its own book and not apart of the musical. It is done from two points of view, Alex's and Eliza's (obviously), in the third person. 

This was a quick read for me, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would like to know more about them, so I might look into more about Hamilton as some people are saying that this book is not historical accurate and that it doesn't include a lot of things because it is only about a part of their life, and I would like to form my own opinion on this part.

I liked reading about Eliza and Alex and all the other character's that were introduced including Eliza's sisters and aunt! I do recommend this book and this is definitely a book that I would reread one day, so wether or not you've seen Hamilton or don't know anything about it, this won't affect you reading this book at all.

I adored this book. Being a huge fan of Hamilton I was excited to learn more about the momentous love story between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. This story gave a different spin on the story posed in the Hamilton musical, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more in depth about the romance. The book was fabulously written with the perfect combination of romance and humour. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history or even just romance.

This was quite enjoyable, but predictable if you're familiar (or, more commonly known as, TRASH) with the musical Hamilton. de la Cruz set out to provide more detail for one of her children on the love story of Alex and Eliza, which is such a cute premise but I have no idea if the happenings of the novel were fact or fictitious. Nevertheless, I loved how immersed I felt in the war effort, and in some ways it felt like the love story took a back seat to focus on this and the nature of Eliza's character, which I loved.

// Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review //

I received a free ecopy of this book for review purposes. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity.

I knew from the outset that this book was based on a musical, which itself was based on an American historical event. While the idea is cute, being English, the details were never going to mean much to me, other than the fact the ending was fixed. I did wonder, along the way, how much liberty was taken with the real details. Despite the plot restrictions the author still manages to build tension and a degree of ‘will they won't they’.The early two year time jump throws off the flow of the narrative somewhat. Eliza’s support of the revolution, her determination to show support in every way possible while laudable doesn't really ring true. She feels like a caricature of a founders wife. She doesn't really have any flaws to make her real or more likeable. Alex on the other hand is lacks confidence for someone in his position but does display the insecurities you might expect from his background. The historical knowledge that their later marriage was not as devoted as it might have been, tinged the fictional story with a little sadness that wasn't meant to be there. If you are looking for a historically accurate story this is probably not the book for you. If you read the story as one only loosely based on the facts and accept it on these terms then you will find a rather sweet little love story set against a backdrop of the War of Independence

I'd heard about the show Hamilton but didn't really know much about it. Only that everyone was talking about it saying how amazing it was, so when I heard about this book I jumped at the chance to read it. This was so well written, it was like I was there myself, and even though I knew the outcome of their relationship (I googled Alexander Hamilton before I read it!!) I was still rooting for them all the way through. It took me 5hours to read I was so engrossed in their love story and actually found I didn't mind that it wasn't 100% historically accurate. The speech and attitude was all very proper and dignified, it reminded me of a Jane Austen book but so much better (no offense to Jane Austen!!!) If you love a good love story then this is for you. It is the best book I have read this year!!

I am going to admit that I don't know that much about the American Revolutionary War, I know bits but not enough. I had heard of the play Hamilton about Alexander Hamilton, and when I saw this on NetGalley, I thought it would be a great way to find out more about the story and what the fuss was all about.

I did like this story, I found the writing to be smooth flowing and even though this is during the American Revolutionary War you are still able to understand the characters speech, and understand what is happening.

I found the love story between Alex and Eliza to be very sweet and not containing the Insta-Love which can be a bit annoying as well as totally unrealistic. I found it quite refreshing that Eliza did not like Alex and that their love had to grow to be very realistic (yes I know this is a fictionalised story of them but still).

I loved that Eliza and her sisters were portrayed as strong female characters especially during a period where women are supposed to be meek and quiet.

I did find myself while reading the book, actually doing an internet search on sections on the book to widen my knowledge of the events behind this book (for example Benedict Arnold, John Andre, and the Schyler family, as well as Alexander Hamilton).

I found this to be an easy read, and I would recommend this to anyone that wanted to know a bit more about the relationship of Alex and Eliza.

Readable historical romance with an articulate, feisty heroine at its heart. Some knowledge of the US Revolutionary War would aid enjoyment but should get picked up regardless.

OK, before I start this review I feel like I should really admit that I know next to nothing about American (or British or now I think about it pretty much any) history so I have pretty much no knowledge of Alexander Hamilton. I know there’s a musical which I’m assuming is about him and that loads of people seem to be raving about but I haven’t seen it. What I’m basically saying (in a pretty long winded way) is that I went into this book pretty much blind, with very little knowledge and next to no expectations. I’d seen quite a bit of buzz around it, recognized the author’s name and was just kinda tempted by a historical romance.

I suspect these facts were all to my favor however as a kinda sweet romance set in the eighteenth century is pretty much what I got. If you’re looking for a ground breaking and historically accurate story (or even just a version of the musical) I suspect you will be disappointed (although I’m basing this pretty much on other reviews).

For those like me who are completely clueless, the story is a fictional account of the romance between Alexander Hamilton, aide de camp (personal assistant) to General Washington, and Elizabeth Schuyler, daughter of a prominent General. To me it seemed kinda like Pride and Prejudice during the American revolution..

Elizabeth’s mother could certainly give Mrs Bennet a run for her money in the match making department. She’s absolutely determined to marry off her three eldest daughters as they’re a bit short on cash despite having a prominent name. She takes every opportunity to throw them in the path of any eligible man and is not above a bit of marriage arranging. Elizabeth (or Eliza), like her namesake, is the second oldest daughter, the favorite of her father and is determined to marry for love. She’s not as beautiful as her sisters Angelica and Peggy but she’s more determined, practical and has a bit more common sense.

Unfortunately (or as you’re probably thinking, thank goodness) this is where the similarities to Pride and Prejudice end (well more or less). This does have a little of the social commentary, particularly around the role of women (to marry a wealthy man and have lots of babies), but it lacks a lot of the wit and humor (I know no one can compare to Austen but what the heck I’m comparing them).

It is quite a sweet romance but other than a couple of scandalous incidents, some ungentlemanly behavior and the occasional reference to historical events going on round about them that’s pretty much it.

Eliza wasn’t the most likeable of characters to me. Yes, she’s principled, intelligent and practical but she’s just a little too fanatical about the cause for me and I found myself rolling my eyes when she started preaching to those around her.

Hamilton thankfully makes up for things however and is a very swoon worthy hero (can I say that about a historical figure?). He’s a self made man, a charmer and a bit of a flirt so it was wonderful to see him become so flustered and tongue tied around Eliza (I should add that I have since been on Wikipedia and discovered where his flirting led but let’s not go there).

It didn’t feel like there was a huge amount of story (it’s mostly a ball, a few social occasions, riding around the countryside on horses and Eliza’s efforts to aid the war effort) and it’s not exactly an exciting read but I did enjoy it.

I don’t think there was anything particularly stand out about it and I suspect if you’re a big Hamilton fan you’ll be disappointed but if you like a bit of history and a period romance you’ll probably enjoy this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. As always all views are my own.

Alex and Eliza follows the love story of two characters from American history - Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. Set during the American Revolution, the novel opens on the Schuyler ball, as Catherine Schuyler schemes to get her three eldest children (all girls) a husband before their financial ruin is uncovered. During the ball, Eliza - the middle of the girls, catches the attention of the handsome Alex Hamilton. Although a Colonel and right-hand man to George Washington himself, he comes with no family name or money, and as such can only admire Eliza from afar. But when fortune forces the pair together two years later, will they be able to resist their growing attraction?

I want to state first before writing this review that I have no idea what 'Hamilton' is, and have no real inclination to find out. All I know is that it is a musical of some kind. I also know very little about American history - being British I'm obviously much more interested in European history, and as such most of the place names and battles mentioned went right over my head. This possibly meant I didn't get as much enjoyment out of this novel as someone who is interested in this aspect of history will.

I initially picked this up because I thought it would be a YA equivalent to Gone With The Wind, or Little Women - which is perhaps unfair to this novel, as these are two great American classics to live up to. The plot, and the romance itself, is sweet and well written - if a little bland. Alex and Eliza seem to spend more time mooning over each other than actually physically getting to know each other. In fact, Alex admits he's infatuated with this women before he's even met her. At times I also found the declarations of love a little cloying - especially from Alex, who is suppose to be a respected Colonel, but came across as a lovesick teenager.

The strongest aspect of this novel was definitely the relationship between the sisters: Angelica, Peggy and Eliza. I could see similarities and influences from Pride and Prejudice in their conversations about suitors, especially in Kitty's story line, and the love they share for each is palpable. I also would have loved to have had more time devoted to the other men in the Schuyler sister's lives - especially the enigmatic British arms dealer. However, I do believe all three girls came across as rather naive and at times I thought the author was trying to force Eliza's 'progressiveness' on the reader too much. She's described as being intelligent and 'strong willed' - her father's favourite, even over his sons (again, I should mirroring of Pride and Prejudice here) but most of the time I felt this behaviour was rather forced and out of character for a female in this time period.

Some of the wording used in this is also odd. Alex uses the phrase 'alas and alack' at one point. I'm all for using phrases commonly banded about in a specific time period, however this was never consistent and rather jarring to the text.

The conclusion was wrapped up well, if a little cliche and what was expected. I would have preferred a few surprises.

I think this novel is aimed more at people who enjoy their American history with a liberal sprinkling of romance. Unfortunately, that's not really me.

When I started reading 'Alex and Eliza' first page told me that the plot is set in 1777 and I thought: 'oh my, will I get through a period romance?'. But already on the second page I was gripped so much that I read the book at one go. I loved it! And I would definitely recommend it for fans of Jane Austen (I couldn't help but notice that the book was a lot like 'Pride and Prejudice') and Hamilton, the musical ( I really must see it), because the novel is based on it. The love story where people should not be together (because of their backgroud) sounds a bit like 'Romeo and Juliet' but the rest is more like 'Pride and Prejudice' vibes but set in brand new America.

J'ai bien aimé ce livre, Alex and Eliza, et sa si jolie couverture.

Les Américains ont l'air de bien connaître Alexander Hamilton (un des pères fondateurs de l'Amérique), mais moi, je n'en avais jamais entendu parler. C'est donc avec des yeux neufs que j'ai pu découvrir cette histoire.

J'ai bien apprécié l'histoire. Les personnages sont plutôt bien détaillés : famille, amis, vie passée… Même si par moments, j'aurais aimé un léger approfondissement de leur sentiments, j'ai quand même trouvé que l'auteure s'était bien débrouillée, sachant qu'elle devait coller au plus près de la réalité historique et inventer des dialogues qui se sont peut-être (ou peut-être pas) déroulés en réalité.

L'histoire est assez prenante, elle commence avec un bal où les deux protagonistes se rencontrent, puis continue sur les deux/trois années suivantes. Le tout était parsemé de quelques péripéties, en particulier dues à la guerre d'indépendance que menait l'Amérique à ce moment-là. Je connais très peu cette période, on en entend rarement parler dans les livres français pour la jeunesse. J'ai trouvé que c'était intéressant de découvrir cette période, le rôle d'Alexander en rôle de secrétaire de Washington, quelques batailles vues de loin, Eliza qui soigne les blessés. Dans l'ensemble, c'était intéressant : une bonne lecture !

Before I begin, I have a tiny confession to make. I only read this because I’m obsessed with Hamilton. Now, this isn’t a healthy ‘Awww, what a gorgeous musical!’ type of obsessed. This is an ‘I’ve read the federalist papers’ type of obsessed. Seriously, get on my level.

This book came up on my Netgalley feed and I got so excited I actually squealed. (As I said, massive fangirl!) I immediately requested it, got accepted and I was one step closer to being satisfied (ayyyy.)

In spite of this, I did only give the book 3 stars. I did my best to not get swept up in the ‘Hamilton’ of it and read it for what it truly is – a YA historical romance. That said, I’m sure some creative freedom was taken with Alex and Eliza as characters; I’m not sure how much fact was swirled in with fiction, but for the most part, I enjoyed it!

So why the three stars?

They irritated me.

Two of my current favourite historical figures did my nut in. Also, nothing really happened? It was interesting to read about them, to learn about them, but that was it. I enjoyed the mindless entertainment, but when I came back to some ‘flagged’ quotes I saved for this review I was struck by just how clunky the writing felt. I appreciated what Melisa De Cruz was trying to do but maybe in trying to ‘cash in’ on Hamilton, somewhere along the way, some of the writing got lost. I’ve seen so many positive reviews for this book, so many it’s just me.

If you like Hamilton give it a go, but please don’t expect to be blown away.