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Alex & Eliza (The Alex & Eliza Trilogy) Paperback – January 14, 2020

by Melissa de la Cruz (Author)

4.5 1,519 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Alex & Eliza

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Witches of East End and the Descendants seriescomes the love story of young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.

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 those of both her sisters, though she’d rather be aiding the colonists’ cause than dressing up for some silly ball.

Still, Eliza 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.

In the pages of Alex and Eliza, #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz brings to life the romance of young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.

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From the Publisher


	Alex & Eliza	Love & War	All for One	The Queen's Assassin	The Queen's Secret

Customer Reviews	1,519	714	619	1,068	518
Price	$8.82	$9.99	$8.24	$8.89	$11.62
Read more by Melissa de la Cruz:	From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Witches of East End and the Descendants seriescomes the love story of young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.	The thrilling romance of young Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler continues in the sizzling sequel to the New York Times bestselling Alex & Eliza: A Love Story	Now in paperback, the dazzling finale to the trilogy that began with the New York Times bestselling Alex & Eliza: A Love Story, about the epic romance of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.	A sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect.	From #1 bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz comes the heart-pounding follow-up to The Queen's Assassin, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black.


	Cinder & Glass	Snow & Poison	Jo & Laurie	A Secret Princess	The Encanto's Daughter

Customer Reviews	176	70	553	36	46
Price	$9.87	$11.63	$9.69	$11.87	$11.96
	A sumptuous, spellbinding fantasy retelling from New York Times bestseller Melissa de la Cruz—now in paperback!	Love is stronger than poison in this lush retelling of "Snow White" by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz—now in paperback!	Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence—now available in paperback!	A surprising and romantic YA retelling-mashup of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz—now in paperback!	A young woman claims the throne of a realm inspired by Filipino mythology in this YA romantic fantasy, the first in an enchanting new duet by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Alex & Eliza: A Love Story:

A New York Times Bestseller!
A Seventeen Magazine Best YA Book of 2017

“This charming historical romance is a must-read for any fan of Hamilton who felt drawn in, first and foremost, by the sweeping love story.”—Booklist

“de la Cruz has struck while the iron is hot and shone a light on the extraordinary wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, Eliza Schuyler. . . . Fans of the musical will be excited to see this novel.”—School Library Journal

“Broadway fans and lovers of Melissa de la Cruz’s romance and page-turning intrigue will unite over her new book.”—Justine

“De la Cruz expertly expounds on the articulate, impressive Alex and intelligent, passionate Eliza, bringing them to life in a skillful, genuine way.”—RT Book Reviews

“Part fact and part fiction, Alex and Eliza: A Love Story will definitely get you (or your teen) excited about history.”—PopSugar

“Do you listen to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical soundtrack on repeat? Then, the next logical step is to read this YA love tale.”—PopCrush

“Hamilton fans will love this fictionalized, and delightfully charming, novel.”—BuzzFeed

“The picture perfect historical romance combined with Melissa de la Cruz's sharp, heartfelt writing makes this the perfect spring read.”—TeenReads.com

“Hamilton fans obsessed with Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler's Revolution-era romance need this deep dive into the romance that changed American history.”—Seventeen.com

About the Author

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Publishers Weekly internationally bestselling author of many critically acclaimed novels, including The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel and the Summer on East End series. Her Blue Bloods series has sold over three million copies, and the Witches of East End series became an hour-long television drama on the Lifetime network.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PROLOGUE

Mansion on the Hill

Albany, New York November 1777

Like a latter-day Greek temple, the Schuyler family mansion sat atop a softly rounded hill outside Albany. Just over a decade old, the magnificent estate, called the Pastures, was already known as one of the finest houses of the New York state capital by dint of its exquisite furnishings and trimmings. The pièce de résistance was The Ruins of Rome, a set of hand-painted grisaille wallpapers decorating the home’s second-floor ballroom, which Philip Schuyler had brought back from a year-long trip to England in 1762.

The local gentry was impressed by the mansion’s square footage and elegant appointments, but they were more taken with the general’s and Mrs. Schuyler’s impressive pedigrees: Philip was descended from the Schuylers and the Van Cortlandts, two of the oldest and most prestigious families in New York, while his wife, Catherine, was a Van Rensselaer, the single most prominent family in the northern half of the colony, whose tenure stretched all the way back to the Dutch days of the early 1600s. Rensselaerwyck, as their estate was known, encompassed more than half a million acres, an unimaginably vast parcel, rivaled only by that of the Livingston family, who controlled what Catherine derisively referred to as “the bottom half” of the state. As a married woman, Catherine wasn’t entitled to any claim on the Van Rensselaer properties (or, for that matter, her husband’s), but rumor had it that her sizable dowry had paid for construction of their Albany mansion, as well as the Schuylers’ country estate outside Saratoga.

Just shy of his forty-fourth birthday, General Philip Schuyler was a handsome man, tall and fit, with a military bearing and a full head of hair that, like George Washington, he wore powdered and softly curled, rarely resorting to the elegant (but rather itchy) affectation of a periwig. As a commander in Washington’s Continental army, Schuyler had organized a brilliant campaign against the British forces at Québec in 1775, only to be forced to resign his commission in June of this year, after Fort Ticonderoga fell while under his command. The defeat had been a double tragedy for Philip. Not only had the British taken the fort, they’d also seized his aforementioned Saratoga estate. Though not as grand as the Albany property, the Schuylers’ second home was still sumptuous enough that John Burgoyne, commander of the British forces, chose it for his personal residence. But the coup de grâce came when the Continental army retook Saratoga in October, and a spiteful Burgoyne set fire to the house and fields during his retreat. General Schuyler had all but depleted his wife’s inheritance building the house and bringing the land under tillage, which was expected to provide much of the family’s income. The loss put a serious dent in the family’s finances and cast an ominous shadow over their future.

Not that an observer would know it. Unused to idleness, General Schuyler had spent the past four months striding about the Pastures, laying out new beds in the formal gardens, regimenting the orchard harvest with military precision, supervising the construction of gazebos and guest houses and servant cottages, and generally getting in everyone’s way, servant and family member alike. In a magnanimous gesture that indicated just how chivalrous he was—and how bored— Schuyler had even offered to put up the captured John Burgoyne before the British general was shipped back to England. Thus, did Schuyler’s one-time rival and his entourage, some twenty strong, “occupy” the Albany mansion for a full month, and even if they didn’t burn it down when they left, they still managed to eat a good-size hole into the family’s provisions, comestible and otherwise.

Catherine Schuyler, one year younger than her husband, had been known as a “handsome woman” in her youth, but thirteen pregnancies in twenty years had taken their toll on her waistline. Practical, strong-willed, and stoic, she had buried no fewer than six of her children, including a set of triplets who hadn’t lived long enough to be baptized. If the pregnancies had stolen her figure, the deaths had taken her smile, and watching her husband fritter away her financial assets had done little to improve her spirits.

Mrs. Schuyler’s love for the seven children who remained to her was evident in the care she took of them, from the wet nurses and nannies she handpicked to raise them, to the tutors she hired to educate them, to the cooks she employed to keep them well fed. And somehow in the midst of the numbing cycle of births and deaths, declarations and proclamations, sieges and seasons, the Schuylers’ three eldest girls had all reached marrying age.

Angelica, the oldest, was a whip-smart, mischievous brunette, with glittering eyes, her pretty lips set in a perpetual smirk. Peggy, the youngest, was a waifish beauty, with a waist so tiny that she rarely bothered with a corset, and alabaster skin set off by a mass of lustrous dark hair that was simply too gorgeous to powder or bury under a wig (no matter what Marie Antoinette was covering her head with at Versailles).

Eliza, the middle daughter, was as clever as Angelica and as beautiful as Peggy. She was also the most sensible, more interested in books than fashion, and, much to her mother’s consternation, more devoted to the revolutionary cause and the mantle of abolition than to marrying one of its well-off colonels.

Her mother really didn’t know what she was going to do with her.

Three daughters, each a prize in her own way (though Eliza would need a strong man to match her spirit). Under normal circumstances, marrying them off would be a feat of sustained diplomacy in which the first families of New York bound their blood and fortunes together like European aristocracy. But New York’s respectable families were few in number, and word traveled quickly. It would be only a matter of time before people found out just how much the Schuylers had lost at Saratoga, at which point the girls would become damaged goods. It was imperative, then—both to their futures and the family’s—that they married well.

But it was even more important that they married fast.

And so, Mrs. Schuyler resorted to a strategy that had served her own mother well in times of need.

She was throwing a ball.

1

Middle Child

The Schuyler Mansion

Albany, New York

November 1777

The mansion on the hill shone like a lighthouse.

Twenty windows stretched across the riverfront of the Pastures, each one ablaze from dozens of oil lamps and candlesticks. Shadows flitted behind the curtains as the household prepared for the party—servants busily rearranging the furniture to make room for dancing as well as laying out trays of preserves, candied nuts and cured meats. Inside the second-floor ballroom, hired musicians set up their instruments, ears tuned to their strings. Upstairs in their private quarters, family members stood before their looking glasses putting the final touches on their evening costumes. Hoops and panniers harnessed onto the women, jabots and lace cuffs fastened onto the men.

At least Eliza hoped it was just the household getting ready. Her mother would scold them mercilessly if she and her sisters were to walk into the house after the guests were already there.

“Has anyone arrived yet?” she asked her sisters as she caught her breath beneath the weight of her load. Each of them was holding heavy bolts of blue wool and white cotton that they had gathered from the well-heeled women of Albany to make uniforms for the Continental troops.

“I don’t think so,” Peggy, the youngest, said, panting from exertion. “It was just past four when we left the Van Broeks’ house, so it can’t be five yet. Mama’s invitation was for five o’clock.”

“And we know none of these Albany ladies likes to be the first to a party,” added Angelica knowingly.

Eliza bit her lip, doubtful. “Even so, we should go in through the back entrance. With any luck, Mama won’t see us come in.” She could practically feel the weight of their mother’s censorious gaze as the sisters labored up the hillside’s sixty-seven stone steps hauling four dozen reams of fabric. At the top of the hill, the threesome quickly skirted around the south side of the mansion and passed through one of the covered porticos that connected the main body of the mansion with its flanking wings. The wing on this side contained her father’s military office, and Eliza was surprised to see that it was as lit up as the rest of the house. Mama would be furious to find Papa still working so near to the ball’s starting time.

“Were Mama and Papa quarreling this morning?” she asked her sisters. “I’d hate to think that Papa won’t be attending the party because of some disagreement.”

“I hope not; things can be so dreary otherwise. What Mama allows the musicians to play are practically dirges. It’s positively funereal,” said Angelica with a sniff.

“Did Dot mention anything?” Eliza asked Peggy, who was close to their lady’s maid. Some might find it strange that a servant was expected to know more than they did about the state of their parents’ union. But the Schuylers, as befit their station, were a formal family and a busy one, and although there were seven children in the house, it was normal for them not to see one another until they gathered for dinner. The servants, by contrast, were in constant congress, and maids and valets and field workers kept one another apprised of the goings-on in the house. Thus Dot was much more likely than the sisters to have the temperature of the current state of their parents’ marriage. Though solid and, in its own way, caring, the Schuyler union was conducted with as much diplomacy as Ambassador Franklin was even now using in Paris to persuade Louis XVI to bring the French into the revolution on the American side.

Peggy frowned. “Dot did mention that Rodger”—their father’s valet—“said that the general is looking forward to the party as much as the missus is.”

“But Mama will be quite cross with him for hiding in his office instead of helping her prepare,” said Angelica.

“Nonsense,” said Eliza. “Mama is probably happy to have him out of the way.”

Peggy continued, struggling to keep her head above the bulky cloth she carried. “At any rate, Rodger said that Papa was expecting a visit from an aide-de-camp to General Washington.”

“What!” the older sisters chorused. Eliza stopped so suddenly that Angelica crashed into her. “Is Papa being recommissioned?”

Since being relieved of duty after the loss of Fort Ticonderoga, General Schuyler had written innumerous letters asking for another command. The family felt his frustration keenly, and Heaven knows they could use the salary, but even Eliza, as patriotic as she was, was happy to have her father off the field of battle.

“Dot said Rodger didn’t say,” Peggy said, which was tantamount to saying that Rodger didn’t know—General Schuyler’s valet was an uncontrollable gossip, a trait the general himself was strangely ignorant of, and the rest of the family tolerated because it was how they got their news. “But he did mention . . .” Peggy let her voice trail off. A little smile played over her face.

“Yes?” Eliza demanded. She could tell from her sister’s expression that Peggy was savoring a juicy bit of gossip. “Tell us!”

“The aide coming to the party is Colonel Hamilton,” Peggy half squealed.

Angelica raised an eyebrow and Eliza tried not to blush.

Like every other girl in every other prominent American family, Eliza had heard stories of Colonel Alexander Hamilton, General Washington’s youngest but most trusted aide-de-camp, who was, if rumors were to be trusted, heart-stoppingly handsome and dashing to boot. Colonel Hamilton had been recruited by the commander of the American forces when he was still a teenager, just a few years after arriving in the North American colonies from the sugar-rich West Indies. Some said he was the son of a Scottish lord and could have claimed a baronetcy as well as a vast fortune if he’d chosen the loyalist side, while others said he was in fact a bastard, the illegitimate child of the disgraced son of some British aristocrat or other (there were so many!) with neither a name nor a penny of his own.

What was known, however, was that twenty-year-old Colonel Alexander Hamilton was brilliant, having made a name as an essayist while still a student at King’s College in New York City. He was also known as having a bit of a reputation with the ladies. Eliza’s old friend Kitty Livingston, who had met the young colonel on several occasions, had written Eliza about him after each meeting. She had been necessarily discreet in her letters (Susannah Livingston, Kitty’s mother, was as much of a gossip as Catherine Schuyler), but it was clear she and the young soldier had carried on quite a flirtation. Eliza had been amused by Kitty’s letters and curious about this young man who had captured the interest of Continental society.

Eliza peered through the second-floor windows of her father’s office, hoping for a glimpse of the famous young colonel, but could discern no figures within the room, only the occasional flickering shadow.

“Perhaps Church will introduce us; I’m certain they are acquainted,” said Angelica, meaning her rich suitor who was practically tripping over himself to ask for her hand. The oldest Schuyler sister was close to giving it, too, as John Barker Church was in the process of building one of the greatest fortunes in the new country, enough to rival or even eclipse their own father’s (or at least before the British had burned a large part of it up at Saratoga). But Angelica was enjoying being the belle of the ball too much to relinquish it just yet.

“It will be interesting to finally meet this Hamilton fellow,” said Angelica. “Livens up the party for once.” Eliza shrugged, attempting to appear disinterested, but her sisters knew her better than that.

“Maybe if you wore something a little more fashionable tonight, you’d catch his eye,” said Peggy cheekily.

“And why would I want to do that?” Eliza retorted.

“As Mama says, honey catches more flies than vinegar,” said Peggy, echoing their mother’s perennial advice about reeling in the right suitor—and quickly.

“Honestly, Peg,” Eliza said, rolling her eyes. “I have no interest in Colonel Hamilton other than to satisfy my curiosity.”

“If you say so,” said Peggy, sounding totally unconvinced. There was no hiding her feelings from her sisters, Eliza realized. They knew her too well.

“Peg’s right, you could make more of an effort tonight,” Angelica chided. “Most girls would love to have your figure. You could at least show it to its best advantage every once in a while.”

“I suppose,” said Eliza. “But why should I when no one need look at me when both of you are in the room?” It was an honest question, and said without the remotest hint of jealousy. Eliza was proud of her beautiful sisters, and much preferred the shadows to the spotlight.

“Oh, Eliza, your lack of vanity is sweet, but one day you must let us help you shine,” said Angelica.

Unlike the perfectly turned-out duo, Eliza was not one for the latest vogue of cinched waists and pannier skirts and powdered décolletage and pompadour wigs. Just a month past nineteen, she favored simpler dresses in solid rose (which did, in fact, flatter her complexion) or soft blue (which made her dark eyes that much more radiant), with square necklines modestly covered by lace shawls whose translucence didn’t so much conceal her cleavage as compel one to look harder. Her chestnut hair, darker than Angelica’s but lighter than Peggy’s, was never covered with anything other than a bonnet, and usually styled in nothing more elaborate than a pair of braided coils that accentuated the oval of her face, making her look that much sweeter. All of which is to say that, though Eliza may have been as “sensible” as her mother feared, that didn’t mean she wasn’t every bit as aware of the way young men looked at her.

Eliza huffed: “I want a boy who is attracted to me, not to my wardrobe.”

“Pretty clothes are like the colors of a flower’s petals. They tell the bee where to land. After that, it’s what’s inside that holds his interest,” said Peggy, still quoting their mother.

Eliza rolled her eyes. “So I’ve heard. At any rate, you two should head inside to get ready; it grows later by the minute. I’ll go back to the Van Broeks’ for the last of it.”

“Hurry back,” said Angelica. “You don’t really have much time, and the Albany ladies will arrive before you know it.”

Already running down the hill, Eliza called over her shoulder, “I promise!”

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; Reprint edition (January 14, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1524739642
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1524739645
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 17 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 990L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.56 x 1.02 x 8.31 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #269,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Melissa de la Cruz

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Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publishers Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost as well as many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Her books have also topped the USA TODAY, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and have been published in more than twenty countries.

A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire,Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle,McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from the Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English. Today she lives in Los Angeles and Palm Springs with her husband and daughter.

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Fiktshun

An enchanting, delightful, and captivating love story

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2017

Verified Purchase

Melissa de la Cruz brought to life an enchanting and delightful romance in ALEX & ELIZA. Based on the imagined courtship of two historical figures, the story seamlessly weaves together fact with fiction, resulting in a tale that is interesting and engaging, that sparks curiosity about the lives of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, and that gives these two real-life characters personality and voice. It is a captivating and thoroughly enjoyable read that will have readers who don’t already know running to Wikipedia to find out what happens next.

In Revolutionary America, there was little time and opportunity for romance. Marriages were practical, meant to strengthen alliances, join together two families, pass along wealth in exchange for title, rid a household of the burden of providing for their “of age” daughters.

But when Alex met Eliza, he couldn’t help but fall for her beauty, her wit, her more unassuming and practical nature. And although he knew that he didn’t have a name or wealth to offer her, he hoped she might see past that to the man he was and would be.

Eliza didn’t want to like the handsome, charming and chivalrous aide-de-camp to Washington. Not when it was Alex who delivered the news of her father’s court-martial and went on to prosecute him for dereliction of duty. But his appreciation for her assistance with the troops and his affection for her that was unwavering for the more than two years since their first meeting, made it impossible for her not to return those feelings.

But without letting his intentions be known to her and her family, they couldn’t have a proper courtship. And with her family’s insistence on marrying off their daughters posthaste and preferably to suitors of means, there was no time for Alex to prove himself worthy of courting Eliza. Which meant that if her family decided on a more suitable match for their daughter, any future they had hoped for together would be gone, and they would both remain forever heartbroken.

Melissa de la Cruz adds in just the right amounts of history to make her story feel authentic and yet still keep it entertaining. She brings in humor to keep things light. And she keeps the focus on the subtle flirtations, the witty banter, the stolen moments that make up the romance between Alex and Eliza.

For those readers who are just being introduced to Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler, ALEX & ELIZA promises to be a wonderful, sweet, and hopeful love story. Those who know a bit more about the two may find it a touch more bittersweet. But all who read this bewitching and irresistible romance will fall in love with Alex and Eliza's love story and wish for it to be true.

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Anna

Very Charming

Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021

Verified Purchase

While this book takes many leads from the musical Hamilton, this book is a work of its own. The lavish descriptions make the scenes come alive for me, and I am carried along with the emotions as Alex and Eliza’s relationship grew. This book just made me feel so happy, and I was sad for it to end so soon.

2 people found this helpful

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Ashley Tidwell

Not the musical but still adorable.

Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2017

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I adore Hamilton the musical, I love the liveliness of it, the fact it's brought to live in 2017 and teaches us history with real people blows me away. I love it. Everything Hamilton out there I try to get my hands on. Honestly I've always been an Alexander Hamilton fan before the musical because he had such a propensity for shooting at people who were suppose to be above him or his equals at least. He was a known dueler, and claimed he didn't like it or believe in it but he sure did get involved in them quite often. His death with Burr always amazed me. Now, this book was good, it was about Hamilton and Eliza falling in love but it isn't the musical. If you want politics this isn't the book for you because there is none, or hardly mentions the war at all aside in passing. If you want detailed history, you aren't going to get it. It has creative liberties taken with the story that didn't happen so it isn't even historically accurate. Most of them added I think anyways because we don't know what all happened. To write this kind of story you have to take liberties to fill in the holes and I think it was done fairly well. It tends to get wordy at times also so it isn't anywhere as fast or lively as I was expecting but that was fine. For the times they had to say a thousand words to get their point across, now we can say one sentence, and if we are texting it doesn't have to be fully spelled out either. I love the people involved in the story already and it was fun to read. I love a good YA rom-com which is sort of where this went. Angelica was my favorite character because she was loud mouthed and sometimes mean when a woman wasn't suppose to have an opinion. Opinions were suppose to be thought never spoken and her strong willed character gave me hope that not all women were meek and mild in those times. I didn't like the way women tend to be treated overall in the book but it's set in 1780 and based on real people. History hasn't been kind to women and so it made sense to the story, doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. Overall I'm glad to add to my Hamilton collection with this fun and sweet love story.

7 people found this helpful

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sarah

Great product

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022

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My daughter loves the book.

One person found this helpful

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Bookworm50

I enjoyed this novel very much

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2018

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I enjoyed this novel very much. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect never having seen Hamilton and knowing it was De La Cruz’s initial inspiration for the book. However, I’m familiar with the music and plot of the musical which helped keep the novel in perspective.
The YA spin on the story worked perfectly; basing the novel on Alex and Eliza’s early romance made them perfect subjects for a YA story. The author did well to blend historical information, character development, and plenty of humor into her story.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book to readers of YA, historical fiction, and fans of Hamilton and Melissa De La Cruz.

6 people found this helpful

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Kierstin

Not the story of their marriage

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2017

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This book wasn't exactly what I expected. It focused more on Eliza and her family and takes place before her and Hamilton married for the most part. I thought it would be more about their marriage. It was a nice story but kind of slow. It didn't capture me as much as I wanted it to. I am obsessed with the musical Hamilton so I wanted more from this but I still enjoyed it for the most part even though it could have been better.

2 people found this helpful

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Karmitara

Great story, but not enough love

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2017

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I got this book because I've been obsessed with the Hamilton play. This book helped me learn that the play wasn't based completely on facts(should have seen that coming). But I enjoyed it nonetheless and read it completely in two days. Though I would have enjoyed if the romance was longer. They didn't start having strong feelings until less than half way through the book.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Esme Dinsdale

A great read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 29, 2020

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Arrived in great condition on time. A brilliant book, especially for Hamilton: An American Musical fans. Also great if you enjoy historical romance. Would definitely recommend and I eagerly await the second one.

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on September 21, 2017

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Great!

stella_rose27

Great for lovers of hamilton!

Reviewed in Australia on August 11, 2020

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this is a great book for lovers of hamilton as it gets into detail about elizas and alexander relationship.

Jordan Moffatt

Bought as a present

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2020

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Bought as a present, looked really good but I personally never used it so couldn’t say! But arrived quickly on time and without any damage!

R. PARKIN

Good for Hamilton mad teenagers!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

My daughter and her friends are obsessed by Hamilton the musical and wanted to get into the nitty gritty in the background. Only downside was the book arrived with a tear on the spine and I didn't have time to change it as it was a present

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