Review: Alex and Eliza (Alex and Eliza #1)

Title: Alex and Eliza (Alex and Eliza #1)
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: April 11, 2017
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Their romance shaped a nation. The rest was history.

1777. Albany, New York. 

As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society’s biggest events: the Schuylers’ grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country’s founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters—Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival that of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball. 

Still, she can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington’s right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can’t believe his luck—as an orphan, and a bastard one at that—to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

Review:

Eliza Schuyler is descended from one of the most important families of the American revolution. Her and her sisters are some of the most eligible young ladies at their family’s grand ball. However, when her father receives bad news, Eliza and her sisters are placed in a dire situation. Alexander Hamilton is the mysterious assistant to George Washington. Eliza is excited to meet him at the ball, but after Alex delivers the bad news to her father, she never wants to see him again. A misunderstood note leads Alex to Eliza, and begins their famous love story.

I don’t know much about Alexander Hamilton or his wife Eliza, so I was excited to read this story to learn more about them. This was an adorable love story. It was had an “enemies to lovers” type of romance, since Eliza didn’t like Alex after finding out that he delivered the bad news to her father but then eventually fell for him. That’s one of my favourite romance tropes.

Though this was a historical story, the historical descriptions weren’t heavy. The writing style emulated that time period, but was easy to read for a modern audience. Alex and Eliza were in the midst of the Revolutionary War, but that didn’t overpower their story. It was an important part of their lives, but they were able to explore their romance as well.

This was a beautiful historical romance!

What to read next:

Other books in the series:

• Love and War
• All for One

Have you read Alex and Eliza? What did you think of it?