Alex and Eliza Book Review

Alex and Eliza: A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz

From Goodreads: 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.

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.

7/10 from me for all this glorious fluff.