These three short stories are all so beautiful and important. Each story is lovely. My favorite is That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole. There should be more historical romance set during the Revolutionary War ad there should be more F/F historical romances!

An anthology of three romance novellas, all tied together by the conceit that each has a character who was part of the battalion led by Alexander Hamilton during the storming of Yorktown at the end of the American Revolution. Three of my favorite authors of historical romance in one book! Each story also focuses on bringing out the diversity of American history, which I seem to recall industry buzz back before the book came out that this gave them difficulty in finding a publisher, forcing it to be self-published, but I can't google any confirmation of that, so perhaps it's just misremembered gossip. (Hamilton's Battalion is self-published, but Milan at least has expressed an economic preference for doing so; the publisher therefore doesn't really confirm anything one way or the other.)

"Promised Land" by Rose Lerner stars Rachel Jacobs, a woman disguised as a man in order to join the American army and turn herself into Corporal Ezra Jacobs. She's done an excellent job throughout most of the war, driven by her belief that Jewish soldiers can earn a place for Jewish citizens in the new country of the United States, when she recognizes a man walking through her regiment's camp one day. Problem one: she knows him, which means he might recognize her and give away her secret. Problem Two: he was always a Loyalist, so he's certainly a British spy. Problem Three: he used to be Rachel's husband, and is just now finding out that she not really dead, but faked her death in order to join the army.

Lerner does an excellent job in illustrating the problems between Rachel and Nathan that caused their marriage to fall apart, and an equally excellent job of making me believe they could fall in love a second time and actually make it work this go-round. I also liked the struggle between Rachel and Nathan's ways of being Jewish - how important is keeping kosher? celebrating holidays? following the rules? "Promised Land" is an amazing story, and I can't recommend it highly enough. (It's also the only one of the three novellas in which Hamilton himself features at all, and even here he has quite a minor part to play.)

"The Pursuit of..." by Courtney Milan is the story of Corporal John Hunter, former enslaved man currently fighting for the Americans, and Henry Latham, British officer and son of aristocrats, who impulsively fakes his own death during the siege of Yorktown in order to follow John as he walks several hundred miles back to Rhode Island to check on his family.

It's essentially a road-trip novella, and I do love a good road-trip. Milan is also very, very good at writing banter, and the conversations between sober, practical John and flighty, loquacious Henry are consistently hilarious. Especially the running joke about bad cheese. Milan convincingly shows how two men from such very different backgrounds could come to trust one another. My only complaint is that I think the novella would have benefited from being longer; the ending felt a bit rushed, if only because Milan does such a good job at illustrating the potential problems in this relationship that the characters seemed to overcome them too easily. But I point this out not at all to dissuade anyone from reading it; I absolutely adored it.

"That Could Be Enough" by Alyssa Cole is set later than the previous two novellas, in 1820 Harlem as Eliza Hamilton tries to gather papers and witness accounts to preserve the memory of her now-deceased husband, Alexander. Mercy, a young black woman and former orphan, is her secretary in that task. Mercy has fallen in love before, and had her heart badly broken when the woman scorned her in order to marry a man. She has therefore sworn to let no emotion enter her life, nor to write the poetry she once loved. This determination melts shortly after her first meeting with Andromeda Stiel (granddaughter of one of Hamilton's soldiers), a black dressmaker who dreams of opening her own boarding house. Prim Mercy and exuberant Andromeda have some difficulties and misunderstandings to overcome before they can find happiness, but it all works out in the end.

Hamilton's Battalion consists of three excellent novellas, which would serve well as an introduction to these authors or for devoted fans like me. I can't recommend it enough.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2636265984

<strong>Promised Land by Rose Lerner:</strong><strong> </strong>The introduction to this story revealed that it was about a woman genderbending to fight in the Civil War, and I thought this would be my jam. It wasn't really. Intellectually, I admire so much of what Lerner does in "Promised Land." Both Rachel (Ezra) and her husband Nathan are Jewish, and that's not a story you encounter often in Civil War fiction. Most histories and narratives ignore all the non-white people involved in the fighting. Rachel's specifically fighting so that she can write a memoir and make people understand that she is American and she is also Jewish. She's looking for respect and acceptance. That's awesome, though admittedly this felt like one of those times where this story really wasn't for me, because I got lost in a lot of the references I didn't understand.

Rachel and Nathan are married. Technically. But she faked her death with assistance from his hateful mother to escape said hateful mother. When she finds him at Yorktown, she thinks he's a spy and reports him. They talk and realize the ways they's misunderstood one another and form a deeper bond. Again, I intellectually like what the story is doing, but I mostly felt bored by their romance and didn't feel a lot of spark to their connection. Still, props for Nathan being shorter than Rachel and also being a huge goober, both uncommon romance hero qualities. ★★½

<strong>The Pursuit Of... by Courtney Milan:</strong> This story was every bit as adorable as I could have hoped. Milan's first m/m is a bantery interracial romance, and I'm all about it. Sam's POV is a bit dry, but, then again, anyone's POV is dry next to Henry's. Henry's voice is so much fun, and I love that he's basically a manic pixie of the Zooey Deschanel variety, who can't stop talking or singing to save his life. Actually, he uses his words to save lives. Though I'd have liked a longer format for these two so the ship could build into a slower burn, I was decidedly happy with what I got. ★★★½

<strong>That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole:</strong> Both prior stories use the premise of the characters sending off recountings of their encounters with Hamilton to Eliza after his death. That didn't really work for me because 1) I'm just not into the war backdrop and 2) Hamilton's barely in them. I get the desire to put a theme on it, but it just didn't feel realistic. Cole's story, thankfully, takes a different tack.

Mercy works for Eliza Hamilton as a maid/assistant, and she has been helping to compile the records. When Andromeda Stiel shows up to tell her grandfather's story, Mercy feels like she's been hit with a ton of bricks of sexual desire. This story is absolutely among my favorite f/f that I've read, and both Mercy and Andromeda have amazing voices. ★★★★½

[This review is for Rose Lerner's and Alyssa Cole's short stories. I will be reviewing Courtney's short on its own.]

Promised Land (3.5 stars):

- Second chance romance
- Married M/F
- Jewish MCs

Rose Lerner is a name I've heard a lot in historical romance but have never tried before. One of my best friends recommended me one of Rose's book when I was branching out on HR but I still haven't read that one because...I have no good reason,

but ANYWAY,

It took me a while to warm up to the story (which was also the reason why it took me a looooong time to finish this book; I couldn't get into this story so I put the book down) but <i>n</i>th time's the charm? I admire Rachel a lot for her courage and the sacrifices she made. Nathan is another case of YouTried_meme.jpeg, I can't help but adore him. There were a lot of conflict between them and I love how Rose managed to incorporate their character growths in a short length. I also love how their story ended. The Scene between Rachel and Hamilton had me rolling on the floor.

I need to start that Rose Lerner book I have ASAP.

The Pursuit of... (4 stars)

That Would Be Enough (3.5 stars):

- F/F
- Black MCs

Alyssa Cole is one of the authors whose works I have hoarded but never started for no reason idek. Anyway, this story was a bit intense mainly because Mercy was an intense sort of person. She's loved and been burned for it, so it made her closed off and more than a little wary when she met Andromeda, who's described as sunshine and light. I love Andromeda instantly. I love how she gets under Mercy's skin, I've always loved reading about a grumpy/lively dynamic. The letter exchange is my favourite part of this story.

Promised Land by Rose Lerner -- 3/5

The Pursuit of... by Courtney Milan -- 4/5

That Could be Enough by Alyssa Cole -- 4/5

An excellent trio of stories told by three capable and clever authors.

Hamilton's Battalion starts with the story of Rachel Corporal Ezra and Nathan's wartorn loyalties, chemistry, and old grievances. The novel then continues with the unlikely romance of a white British officer and a black freedman fighting for the side of the colonies. There is cheese (both literal and figurative) and banter and it's delightful. Alyssa Cole ends the anthology with another strong offering: the emotional love story between reserved Mercy and glamorous Andromeda.

An enjoyable and diverse anthology that centers on the battle of Yorktown and illuminates usually ignored perspectives from that era.

This book was frankly amazing. I'm really late on reviewing the ARC (life kind of got in the way) but the historical aspects really amazed me. For example, I'd never thought about what the life of Jewish peoplew was like in anything earlier than the 20th century, so reading Rachel's story was a treat. All of the stories were treats, really, though I think my favourite of the collection has to be Courtney Milan's, who has always been a favourite of mine. All in all, reading won't regret reading this for several different takes on the American Revolutionary War.

So these 3 authors are MY JAM. Courtney Milan is everything. Her story in here is weird and unusual and contains a super odd reference to cheese that is repeated throughout and has stuck in my head and I think of randomly. Her story was my favorite mainly because of that weirdness and because I loved the meeting on the battlefield. Rose Lerner's and Alyssa Cole's are excellent as well. All to be expected with these wonderful authors!

This is one of the best romance anthologies I've read in a long time. Fascinating background, great writing, plenty of diversity, powerful love stories - it's all here. An overlay story about Eliza Hamilton collecting stories about her husband's soldiers ties three engaging stories together.

Rose Lerner's Promised Land is about a woman who dressed as a man in Hamilton's unit. She has to arrest someone she used to love. Nathan seems to support the British, but he still loves Rachel, his wife. Rachel and Nathan's mother let everyone, including Nathan, believe she was dead.

Courtney Milan's The Pursuit of... finds an African American soldier and a British deserter traveling together after they first tried to kill each other on the battlefield. Their humor and romance grow on their journey in a powerful connection.

Alyssa Cole's That Could Be Enough features Mercy, Eliza's maid, and Andromeda, a successful local dressmaker. Reserved Mercy is overwhelmed with her feelings for the dynamic woman and realizes she has to grab her chance at happiness.

American history is often portrayed in a very strict fashion: history was made by white men, alone and dashing into danger. This collection of novellas shows us American history with ties to Alexander Hamilton through the eyes of the men, women and their lovers that served with him. Funny, touching and entirely plausible, these novellas are wonderful romance/historical fiction reads.

This consisted of three novellas that incorporate Alexander Hamilton in some form or another. The diversity in this book was brilliant, and I really liked the Jewish aspect of the first novella, but overall, the book itself was a let down and I found myself really bored pretty quickly.

I really enjoyed this collection. All three stories were about people we don't read a ton about in romance: a Jewish couple, a gay couple and a lesbian couple. I really recommend reading it. My favorite story was Courtney Milan's. They are loosely tied together, with characters making cameos in the other stories. So, that's fun.

This book might be my favorite romance anthology I’ve ever read. The three stories are beautiful, human, extraordinary stories. They are touching, and heartfelt, painfully raw and hopeful. They make you feel like you belong. I finished the book with a huge smile on my face.

Promised Land by Rose Lerner

Rachel and Nathan’s story was raw and desperate and I couldn’t put my book down. As a member of the Armenian diaspora, this story hit very close to home. I can relate to Nathan’s hope for his people to be respected and his need to hold onto his cultural habits. I could also understand how Rachel wished to just be accepted and belong with the majority. I loved seeing their journey of accepting what both of them need from their shared future.

My only quip is that seeing them together right at the start of the story lessens the impact of getting them there.

The Pursuit of… by Courtney Milan

This story is hands down one of the best I’ve ever read. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this hard while reading. John and Henry had a beautiful, crackling chemistry that made me fall in love with them immediately. Their banter was genius and the use of the Cheese of Death as a framing device was endlessly amusing to me.

I loved seeing their debates of civil rights and that Henry, despite his best intentions, was very clueless about certain topics and that he kept learning. I also adored seeing them old and happy and still deeply in love, as there are nearly not enough older queer couples in media. And the community they built around themselves was wonderful.

That Could be Enough by Alyssa Cole

I have to admit that I share Mercy’s annoyance at her employer’s absolute devotion to her late husband, but I loved the way it was handled. I felt for her desperation, her feeling as though she’s throwing her life away, at her unwillingness to open up her heart again. I loved Andromeda, with her charming ways and strong will. Their romance was very sweet, the way Andromeda sweeps Mercy off her feet. Their flirting was wonderful, and the character development was joy to behold.

I was annoyed at the unnecessary miscommunication, but I will forgive it since these two ladies charmed me to my very core.

I enjoyed all three novellas in this series, although they're all very different and I'm not sure the framing device (all three couples are somehow connected to Eliza Hamilton's project to collect stories about her late husband) works as well as it could. I loved, loved, loved Rose Lerner's novella (about a Jewish woman who faked her own death and then joined up with the rebels, posing as a man) and it was definitely a hard act to follow! Courtney Milan's story (about a black soldier returning home to Rhode Island) was less intense but very funny and enjoyable. I wasn't quite as into the final novella, by Alyssa Cole, about Eliza Hamilton's secretary. It was a completely character-driven story and it felt like after the action of the previous two novellas there just wasn't as much at stake. It might have worked better fleshed out as a full-length novel. I don't know that I've seen a romance novella collection that mixed LGBTQ and straight romances before, and I hope that it'll catch on as a trend. The separation between the two segments of the romance market is frankly weird.

Wonderful collection. Just the pick-me-up I needed as we head towards winter!

Would like to kindly inform you that we won't be posting a review for this. Didn't really connect with the stories and primarily setting of this anthology and couldn't finish this in order to provide a review. Sorry.

This anthology cashes in on the popularity of Hamilton with a trio of love stories against the backdrop of characters marginalized by race, religion, and sexuality. I haven’t seen the musical that has captured the hearts of so many, but you really don’t need to be familiar with it to understand what’s going on here. Eliza Hamilton is collecting stories from her husband’s soldiers after his death about their history with him. Hamilton, the Yorktown, and the Revolutionary are the threads that hold the novellas together.

The first story is “The Promised Land” by Rose Lerner. Rachel is a woman posing as a man to fight in the war. She faked her own death to free herself from marriage to a man she didn’t love. She is Jewish, which is important to her, but just as important is the idea of being an American. But her ruse is put in jeopardy when her husband shows up at her camp.

Nathan is shocked to find his wife is alive after all these years. He’s been working as a spy for the American forces, inspired by the ideals his wife had before her “death.” Now that he sees she’s alive, he wants to win her back. Though part of her cares for him, Rachel doesn’t want to give up her ideals or go back to the life she walked away from all those years ago.

This story is very steeped in Jewish culture. I struggled a little with the wealth of words and cultural references I didn’t know. Though as the story went on, it all melted into the bigger picture. My big issue was that I just didn’t like the heroine. I understand that she was unhappy in her marriage and that Nathan wasn’t an ideal husband, but it was hard for me to sympathize with her when she talked about hating him for loving her… for resenting his efforts to make her happy. I found myself rooting for their HEA simply because I wanted Nathan to be happy.

This was my first experience with this author and while I appreciate reading a perspective that’s underrepresented in the genre, I just didn’t connect well with this one.

Courtney Milan’s “The Pursuit Of…” was a whole different story. I absolutely adored this m/m short about a freed slave who begrudgingly falls in love with a man he saved on the battlefield. The only thing John is interested in is his family. It’s the reason he fought for America and it’s the reason he has to rush back to Rhode Island. But he gains an unlikely traveling companion after sparing Henry at the Battle of Yorktown.

Henry is the son of a wealthy Brit, but he doesn’t want to go home. He talks way too much and isn’t always the sharpest tool in the shed. We see, along with John, though, that his heart is good and he wants to be a better man.

I loved watching these two fall for each other over the course of their journey. I loved that issues of race and privilege were vital elements, but the story still never lost track of being a romance. I even loved the stinky cheese. (Just go with me here.)

Worth picking up the book even for this one alone.

Alyssa Cole’s “That Could Be Enough” rounds out the collection. Lesbian romance is generally not my cuppa-tea, but I thought this story was well told. It featured Mrs. Hamilton’s servant, Mercy, who has been burned by love and has vowed never to indulge in the emotion again. Then the brash and beautiful Andromeda visits the house to share her grandfather’s story of serving with the widow’s late husband.

The dressmaker sees something worth trying to unravel in the tightly wound Mercy. Slowly, she teaches her that love can be worth the risk. And sometimes when you love, you can be loved in return.

Overall, the Milan story was the best for me, but I enjoyed the anthology as a whole. I don’t know that I’ve read any romance from this time period and it was a fun change of pace.

Rating: B

As a fan of American History, I was keen on seeing where this set of novellas would take me. The series uses the framing device of Alexander Hamilton's widow collecting stories about her husband from those who knew him and fought with him during the Revolutionary War. I will review each story in turn.

1. PROMISED LAND by Rose Lerner
This tells the story of Rachel Jacobs who has masqueraded as a man to be a soldier in Hamilton's battalion who unfortunately runs into the very last person she wants... her husband.

I really liked the premise of this. But I wasn't as happy with the execution. The historical details were fine. But at times it felt like the author was shoehorning in details rather than seamlessly including them. This was my least favorite novella in the book. 3 stars.

2. THE PURSUIT OF... by Courtney Milan
Freed slave, John Hunter has had enough of the war. So when he gets news from home that his family is in trouble. He sets off with the unlikely companion of a deserting British Soldier with a smelly hunk of cheese.

Oh how I loved this story and the protagonists. Henry is the Gracie to John's George. Watching the two fall in love was a joy and I completely bought into both the history and the characters. 5 stars.

3. THAT COULD BE ENOUGH by Alyssa Cole
Mercy has been compiling all of the stories for Mrs. Hamilton so she's met her share of characters. But none of them cause her heart to race like Andromeda who shows up to relate her Grandfather's experiences.

I liked Mercy as a character, but I was less fond of Andromeda. Probably because I am not fond of one of the love interest's not respecting the other's boundaries. I did like how the author did her research. 3.5 stars.

This is a solid book that features historical LBGT characters. Which in and of itself is rare.

Four stars.

Overall Grade: 4.5 stars
Grade (RL): 4.5 stars, (CM): 5 stars, (AC): 3.5 stars

Alexander Hamilton is enjoying new popularity with the success of Hamilton: The Musical, currently playing on Broadway. But in this anthology from Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan and Alyssa Cole, he’s relegated to the background as he leads his forces to victory at Yorktown, the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.

The premise of the anthology is simple: The war is decades past; Hamilton’s wife, Eliza, is collecting soldiers’ stories about their experiences with her husband at Yorktown. The request triggers memories and events of a very different sort, and in this delightful and uniformly good trio of romance novellas featuring marginalized central characters, we reminisce on revolutionary stories of love during and after Hamilton’s war.

Promised Land
Rose Lerner

Corporal Ezra Jacobs has secrets. For starters he’s a she, and as Rachel Mendelson, she colluded with her mother-in-law to fake her own death. For the past three years she’s been fighting in Hamilton’s battalion for America’s independence. Suppressed and oppressed by her husband’s smothering love, his mother’s displeasure, and all the rules and expectations of her jewish faith, she’s finally living a life that makes her happy. Once the war is won, she has grand plans to reveal her true identity in a memoir and tour the country giving lectures on her experience as a female, jewish soldier in the war for independence.

Ezra/Rachel’s plans hit a roadblock when she spots a familiar figure walking through the army campground - her husband, Nathan. Knowing that he sympathized with the British during their marriage, she flags him down and has him arrested as a Loyalist spy.

Nathan is shocked, thrilled - confused - to discover that Rachel, the wife he mourned deeply after her sudden death is not dead after all. To Ezra’s relief, he doesn’t reveal the truth, but Nathan has secrets of his own. Their years apart have given him new insights into the man he was and discovering Rachel is alive gives him hope; his capture gives him one last chance to know and understand the stranger who was once his wife.

Promised Land is a beautiful, slow-paced (despite the short page-count) second-chance love story featuring a couple who were strangers to each other before and after they wed, but who somehow discover themselves and their marriage against the backdrop of Revolutionary war. Ms. Lerner brilliantly paces their slow courtship as Ezra finds reasons to visit and be near Nathan, and Nathan begins to understand what drove Rachel away, who she was and who she is now. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one other significant element - the references and experiences of jewish faith sprinkled throughout. Rachel and Nathan are jewish (as are her fellow NCOs); their faith plays a major part in the evolving dynamic of their relationship - but also in the hopes and dreams of the promised land they’re all fighting for.

As the war rages, they battle to find a way forward - and forge a new relationship based on honesty, affection and freedom with each other.

The Pursuit of…
Courtney Milan

When John Hunter finds himself in a fight for his life with a British soldier, the last thing he expects is conversation about the weather, favorite books or who’s more deserving of death. When the bugle signals the end of the battle, he tells his opponent that he won’t have to kill him because he’s now a prisoner of war. His foe surprises him by asking for death anyway - he doesn’t want to be a prisoner of war or to return to England. John takes pity on the other man, shrugs off his uniform jacket and offers it as a disguise. Overwhelmed with gratitude, the soldier tells him he won’t forget the favor and that he’ll pay him back someday. John’s heard it all before... and has little faith he’ll ever see the man again.

Henry Latham is running out of time. Confused, baffled, and on the run from the British Army, Henry has a plan. Unfortunately, he only knows the first step. Find John. He knows little about the man who spared his life: his rank (from his uniform) and that he’s most likely part of the Rhode Island Regiment; he sets out to find him anyway. After bluffing his way past guards by disguising himself as a cheesemonger who needs to deliver cheese to John (yes, Henry is a bit odd and he has a vivid, hopeful imagination), he eventually makes his way to the Black Regiment - and a very surprised John. John tries to make him uncomfortable so that he’ll leave, but Henry doesn’t falter. Instead, he asks John if there’s anything he can do for him; when John confesses he’s been invalided out and plans to walk to Rhode Island - and his home - a 500-600 mile journey - Henry offers to join him.

Once John gets over his shock that Henry is, in fact, waiting for him the following morning and planning to accompany him, the journey home - both literally and metaphorically - begins. Over the next weeks the men walk and Henry talks...and talks...and talks. And they eat Death Cheese. I can’t tell you what Death Cheese is (but it’s significant), or precisely what Henry (and sometimes) John talk about. But let me assure you that this charming novella is chock full of delightful, poignant and funny conversations between a mostly surly (and amused) John and the chatty, sweet and lovable Henry. As the miles pass by the men develop an affectionate regard for each other. John challenges Henry and his beliefs and Henry shows John what it means to be valued - and necessary - to someone. Neither is troubled by their feelings for another man, or their attraction to each other, but Ms. Milan takes her time developing their romantic relationship, and in this ultra slow burn love story, both John and Henry slowly but surely become necessary to each other.

Once in Rhode Island, Henry’s future is still murky - he’s hidden much of his life before the war in a series of flimsy, obvious lies - and despairs of what’s to come once he returns to his family. John doesn’t ask him to stay, and Henry knows he has to leave, but it’s awful anyway! Oh, Ms. Milan. You broke my heart. Fortunately, she concludes this marvelous novella with a series of moving letters between the men, a visit and a revealing epilogue.

In this second story, Ms. Milan reminds us she’s a master of the novella. Funny, moving, sweet, tender and profound, In Pursuit of… is perhaps my favorite Milan story EVER.

That Could Be Enough
Alyssa Cole

After the tremendous first two novellas, I had high hopes for Ms. Cole’s story of two black women with very different life experiences who fall in love in post Revolutionary War New York. And though I enjoyed the story and its principal characters, the development of the romantic relationship felt forced and in this shorter format, underdeveloped. Insta-lust isn’t a favorite trope of mine - and here, two very different, marginalized women fall for each other based on little more than a glance across a hallway and then a Big Misunderstanding (why??!!) sets them apart. It’s a tantalizing and promising start, but the story doesn’t quite live up to it.

Mercy Alston lives at Hamilton Grange and works as a maid to Eliza Hamilton, transcribing the memories/anecdotes/stories she receives from those who knew and fought with Eliza’s late husband during the Revolutionary War. She was once passionate about her writing but she’s subsumed her vocation into the tedium of her day to day life. She’s spent a lifetime learning harsh lessons about love and loss, and though she admires Eliza’s efforts to preserve her husband’s legacy, she’s angry about the other woman’s willingness to forgive Hamilton’s many transgressions whilst he was alive and seeming inability to stop loving him even now.

For Mercy, heartbreak and loss are the language of love she learned from an early age, and when Andromeda Stiel shows up at Hamilton Grange - beautiful and flirtatious - Mercy reminds herself that her quiet, solitary life is enough.

Andromeda, a dressmaker with her own shop in Harlem, is intrigued by the proud, poorly dressed woman Ms. Hamilton employs as her maid and tries (and fails) to draw her out with witty stories and questions. But Mercy’s unwillingness to respond to her flirtations only makes Andromeda all the more determined to gain her attentions. Before she leaves, she manages to finagle a visit from Mercy to her shop under the guise of sharing more of her grandfather’s wartime stories. Mercy is frustrated, Andromeda is elated, and Eliza... well, she’s a willing matchmaker for her dour maid.

Mercy’s visit ends up being so much more than planned. Andromeda’s spirit and confidence are infectious - though Mercy tries hard to resist her. Andromeda refuses to be cowed by Mercy’s stubborn unwillingness to enjoy their time together or to curtail her attentions because of it. When they part, she begins to write letters to Mercy, sharing her day to day life, and eventually Mercy thaws (privately) and acknowledges the pleasure that accompanies each letter, and responds in kind.

I loved this slow unwinding of the wound oh-so tight Mercy and Andromeda’s stubborn refusal to accept - or to allow Mercy to accept - less than enough. Andromeda is relentless in her pursuit (sometimes too pushy); Mercy - who already feels a strong attraction - is helpless to resist her. Unfortunately, once Mercy and Andromeda finally act on their attraction, Ms. Cole divides them with a simple, but big, misunderstanding, which I heartily disliked and resented. Though the novella ends on a hopeful, happy note, I wish Ms. Cole had instead used more of the story to develop the growing affection between the couple.

Hamilton’s Battalion showcases some of my favorite historical novelists working at the top of their game. The Pursuit of… by Courtney Milan is worth the cover price alone. Romantic, different and wholly entertaining, this anthology easily earns its place on my top ten books of the year.

This book was amazing. I loved each of the stories so much and they all were beautifully written an each balanced the book well. For this I am going to mainly talk about Courtney Milans Pursuit Of because I genuinely cried over and not my eyes shine but full on tears.

I have never read a book by Milan befoee and this novella is my first. I am highly impressed that is her first mm romance. It is so well done and does not fall into the typical mf tropes that often get applied to mm stories written by primarily mf authors.

I fell in love with Henry as I have never identified so strongly with a character before. I viewed him as having todays equivalent of ADD but from the perspective of the 1700s. Henry's speech patterns and mannerisms spoke so much to how I talk and carry conversations how they do not follow any linear pattern. I try quite a bit to try and bring everything back to my main point and it can be extremely difficult. Just like Henry I experienced being told I was stupid that I talk to much. I painfully related to how he was treated by others and the stories that he could weave. I hold Henry dear in my heart.

I also appreciated how John's experiences were not minimized and that Henry did his best to listen and learn and not just bluff John off or wipe it away. That was truly refreshing to read. I loved how they fell in love over a 600+ mile journey and that they were able to stay together and grow old together.

I look forward to reading more books by all three authors.