⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This review is for both the audio and ebook version.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early listen and ARC!. The narrator and the author did a superb telling of star crossed loves. I was pulled into the story and was lucky enough to have the ebook and the audiobook so I could still read when listening wasn't practical! Enjoyed the love story between Theodosia Burr and Phillip Hamilton. Loved meeting all the characters and all were essential to the story. Highly recommend

Wow! I might be in the minority here but I thought this was the most boring book ever. It bothers me that I was so looking forward to it given that it touches on Hamilton and Burr. I don’t know if my excitement about it was because I loved Hamilton and was hoping for great banter and what not. Unfortunately, there was no such a thing. Just boring dialogue

Love, Theodosia by Lori Anne Goldstein
Narrator, Allyson Voller
This book was just not for me and I was unable to finish it. It seemed like it was a new adult alternate history/romance with a excess of info dumping for anyone who is familiar with this period. The narrator’s voice seemed more suited to romance than history.

1 star

I wish that I had nicer things to say about this book. I really, really do. Unfortunately, there was precious little that I enjoyed about this book. I will touch on three of them for the sake of brevity.

My first glaring issue is the fact that Goldstein spends an unnecessarily large number of pages contextualizing everything that is happening political during this time. If it had been more subtly woven in, I don't think it would have been as much of an issue; however, it is set up in such a way that the plot just stops while Theodosia gives us a history lesson. While there were a few times that getting the context was necessary, the overabundance of facts really dragged the book down.

Theodosia herself is my second biggest gripe. We spend so much time in the book talking about how smart and scholarly she is and yet, we watch her make some of the stupidest decisions that I have ever seen in a book. It was honestly to the point where Goldstein just obliterated any sympathy for her main character just for the sake of introducing conflict. By the time I got 75% into the book, I had completely stopped caring about Theodosia in any way, shape, or form.

This might have been somewhat mitigated if the book's pacing hadn't been completely all over the place. The book starts off with a great prologue and then gets bogged down in excessive amounts of exposition. It's a pattern that repeats over and over again both in the overall novel and in the central relationship. Philip literally pops in for a scene or two and then we don't hear from him or about him for several chapters. Their conflict gets so stretched out that the climax comes at the 98%, leaving the epilogue - the details of which should have been the last 25% of the book - to hastily wrap everything up.

I sincerely hope that someone out there finds enjoyment in this book. It would make my despair a little worthwhile.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This was every bit the heartache I thought it would be and I did enjoy it. It gave me a lot of insight to what the times were like. A time I could not hope to understand and I realize that marriage wasn’t really a choice for many. Being a part of the government meant one had to be completely devoted to the cause, sacrificing all for the future.
I loved the romance and could identify with Theodosia in every way. I highly recommend this and chose to listen to this book on audio. Allyson Voller was the narrator and she was lovely. This was 13 hours and 31 minutes long.
Thanks OrangeSky Audio via Netgalley.

#LoveTheodosia #NetGalley

If you ever wondered to yourself during/after watching the musical Hamilton, “what if their kids ended up have their own love story”? Well, look no further! This book satisfied that very question. The author does a wonderful job of conveying the emotions Theodosia is navigating as she is coming to be her own as she tries to make a place for herself in the male world but mostly her romantic interests with Phillip Hamilton. Add a ballroom scene that made my Austen heart swoon, chefs kiss.

I received an ARC for the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator and her talent to have the appropriate accents for the various characters (French and southern). My only complaint (if it is one) is the pace in 1.0 speed was too slow and drawn out for me. I did speed it up to 1.75 and it felt better for me. I also like to have books read faster so I think pace could be some what subjective. Aside from that the narrator made it easy to follow along with the story and engaging. This was my first time listening to a book read by Allyson Voller and I believe she did a great job capturing Theodosia and the other characters.

I enjoyed the growing infatuation between Theodosia and Phillip while the tension of their families grew. Her seeing Phillip through a different lens was also really great to see. I think having background knowledge of Hamilton and Burr’s past friendship/working/adversaries relationship adds to that tension as well. The author does a great job of adding history for the reader so if you were not familiar with the families past you weren’t left wondering or guessing. You also became very tied to Theodosia and her emotions throughout the book. This is where I think the narrator did a fantastic job. The last 1/3 of the book is filled with emotional roller coasters and Allyson conveyed the emotions so well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book A LOT and I listened to it in one day (and shed many tears). I highly recommend this book to anyone with the same question I had. What if…