Melissa de la Cruz

When Alex and Eliza meet one fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history.

Alex and Eliza

Sarah Sammis

It wasn't my cup of tea but my Hamilton loving friends and family like this book. http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comm...

Ena Kalkan

i guess it just didn't live up to the expectations of what i thought it'd be. not necessarily a bad book or anything, it just wasn't for me.

alexandra

this book had me helplesssssss from the start! would highly (highly!!) recommend to all hamilton fans, as it left me über satisfied.

Mercy K

** spoiler alert **
           it made the story like a hallmark romance which i liked, but i absolutely did not like the writing style

2 stars - it was ok

Gisela Ayala 

First off, I'm biased. Second, I don't care. This book was everything I hoped it to be and more. 

Ever since listening to the musical (because sadly I haven't been able to win the lottery or afford tickets yet), I've been obsessed with anything Hamilton, probably as obsessed as Hamilton is with writing like he's running out of time and running his mouth off. So when I heard there was a book about Eliza and Alexander AND that it was going to be written by Melissa de la Cruz, I thought I was going to have a full blown fangirl attack (which did happen).

I love how Melissa de la Cruz wove in real historical pieces of the war between the developing love of a young Eliza and Alex. War, although a horrible evil thing, makes the perfect backdrop for a love story. It was great diving a little deeper into their young lives, where the musical didn't have the time. Oh and Eliza, gosh I love her even more. I couldn't help but swoon at the low-key flirting they had going on and wish for a time where someone would court me like that. Alas. 

I can't help but have the affair in the back of my head, but like Eliza, I still fell hard for the young swain, Alex. 

Side Note: I honestly would be really into a second (or shall I dare say, series) where the story continues and we see the whole relationship play out when the affair happens. I just want to see Eliza break his face or something, honestly.

jess

So yet another book capitalizing on the Hamilton trend and I have to say I'm almost embarrassed by how much I enjoyed this. It's a dramatization of the Alex/Eliza romance, obviously, and it's clear that many liberties with history (though not as many as with the musical) were taken but the overall atmosphere was very well-suited to the time of the American Revolution. The romance between Hamilton and Eliza was actually very sweet and slow burn. And like, I am not a historical romance person at all. I would definitely say that if you're an American history expert, maybe not the best read, but if you're a fan of the musical and want to see a more fleshed out relationship between Alexander and Eliza then this is definitely the book. 

What really took away from this book was that I didn't like the ending; it felt a bit too melodramatic for my tastes. And as an avid Hamilton fan, I noticed the little references towards the musical, and I really don't know how to feel about that. "And Peggy" indeed. We did get to see cameos from people who were in the musical - Laurens and Lafayette, for example, but for the most part the book veered away from just retelling the musical and rather including more historical figures - Kitty Livingston, for example, and John Baker Church as Angelica's husband, as well as Stephen Van Renaessler, and etc. I liked how the marriage game was discussed (no, I do not like historical romance, but I love watching political marriages play out). 

And, you know, it's YA, so it leaves out their adult life, which really lends to the HEA aspect of the romance. Anyone who's seen the musical knows what happens in their adult life and how tumultuous their marriage got, though they still did love each other in the end. Near the end of the book, Alex goes, "I know I shall disappoint you in a thousand ways before our time on earth is done," and my note for that line is "damn right you will." But I think that altogether this was a really nice dramatization of the Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth Schuyler romance.

Bianca

Steph L 

** spoiler alert **
           This was a great book that was a fictional imagination of the events that happened. It was the kind of book that was written in a way that you could feel like it was happening. It starts with Eliza and Alex meeting when they're younger at a party that her mother has and they dance. A time jump happens, and as Eliza is going to spend the winter with her aunt and uncle her carriage breaks down, and Alexander gives her a ride to Morristown NJ. As she is recovering Alex comes to see her. Eliza gets promised to Henry Livingston, a family friend, and brother of her best friend Kitty. Angelica also elopes with John Chruch, and Peggy is in love with their cousin. 

Alex as Washington's Adi DeCamp has been gone for a while, and when he finds out that Eliza has been away for a while, and it does not go well when he comes back and sees that Eliza is now engaged. When Alex comes back on the night of Henry's engagement party there is an altercation between him and him which Eliza gets in the middle of. Alex goes to Albany where the Schuyler family lives, and he is not sure how gets there but he tells them what happened. Next, they go to Morristown where Eliza is, and Alex proposes to her and her parents are there. They get married, and they have a happy ending. For years Alex has loved Eliza, and now he has his happily ever after with her.

Helene Utterback

I wasn't feeling this as much as the other books I have read by this author. A good read, but not mindblowing

Grace Elizabeth

This book is an absolute treasure. Such a beautifully written book and the romances are beautiful and scandalous and wonderful without ever breaching what would have been considered “acceptable” in that time of history. One of my favorite historical fiction books. 

Grace Ackerman

I absolutely adored this book. I know that a lot of the negative reviews were about “it wasn’t enough like the musical” or “there wasn’t as much romance as a love story suggests.” Granted, I haven’t seen or know much about the Hamilton musical, so I can’t compare the two, but I loved this book nonetheless. This story follows Eliza And Alexander’s romance and how they went from indifferent acquaintances to lovers. I really loved the characters in this story. I really saw a lot of myself in the main character, Eliza. I also liked how it switched POV’s between Alex and Eliza. Also, I found that there was plenty of romance for the time period that the story takes place in. I was completely hooked and didn’t want to put the story down. Now, I didn’t give it a 5 star rating because I wouldn’t consider it one of my favorite books, but definitely a 4.5/5 stars from me! If you love historical fiction, as well as a romance without anything overly sexual, I would recommend this book 100%!

Alisha Dockrat

I think that it is worth mentioning that before reading this book I had no knowledge of Alexander Hamilton or the Revolutionary War. Perhaps this was a good thing as it allowed me to review this book from an entirely unbiased perspective. Although, I did find myself having to Google the war to get some facts straight.

I really did enjoy the book. It was a cute romance with all the political marriage issues that create a dramatic tension that I love to read. However, I have to admit to being quite disappointed when I read later on about what happened between Alex and Marie Reynolds. It was interesting to read about how politics, money and status influenced marriage and how neither of the Schuyler sisters chose a suitor who was ‘perfect’ in the eyes of their parents. And yet they all ended up with who they wished.

I liked the Peggy/Alex friendship as it had no romantic subplot. I’m also glad that Cruz didn’t add the Alex/Angelica love story. Even without concrete proof of their relationship, it’s not something I would’ve enjoyed.

Like a lot of other history novels I read, this book spiked my interest in American history as well as Alexander Hamilton. The only question I have now is where on earth was Aaron Burr?(Sir.)

Overall Rating: 8/10 (4 stars)

Hannah Sween

Though certain graces were taken with the historical accuracy of this novel, the story line was so well written that I couldn't believe it wasn't all true. Also I have found myself even more deeply and fervently in love with Alexander Hamilton than I was after just listening to Hamilton. I definitely recommend for all Hamilton fans as well as anyone interested in history or anyone just looking for a love story!

Emi Gilmore 

2.5/5 stars 


I would be giving this book two stars, as it was so incredibly boring, but it was full of Hamilton references and that alone bumps it up a star. 

Overall, this book almost put me asleep multiple times. This was not written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and, for some reason, my heart was expecting it was. In other words, this is nothing like Hamilton. If you hope to enjoy it, then I would suggest should disconnecting both stories from your mind and see them as separate entities. I didn't. I should have known better.

Jessica Guht

A cute little romance with a slow, and I mean sloooowwww, burn. That's personally something I'm a huge fan of, I love all the build up that went into this relationship, and honestly once they admitted their feelings to each other I still felt like that was too soon and it could've been dragged out more. I really liked how there was more to Eliza than just her romantic feelings, she is a strong character and I admired how she assisted the soldiers in any was a woman in her station could.

Caroline Lewicki

I'm not normally a fan of YA Romance but this book is definitely aided by my recent obsession with Hamilton. It tells a slightly different story than the one you might know from the musical, but obviously it needed to be fleshed out more as the love story between Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler is the primary focus. There are definitely some questions I have about historical accuracy, as the story conflicts with things in Hamilton, and that's not perfectly historically accurate either; however, setting that aside and appreciating this for the story that it is, I enjoyed it and plan to continue the series!

Courtney ✿ @librarycutie

3.5/5

i pre-ordered this book the minute i heard that it was about alexander hamilton and elizabeth schuyler.

i fell in love with the way eliza and alex fell in love. i loved that it took time for eliza to see him for who he really was and to appreciate him. i loved getting to know more about the schyuler family and especially dear eliza, she was always my favorite. in the first few chapters it took me a while to get i to it, but eventually, at the point they finally realized their feelings, i couldn't stop reading.

Annalee Harris

Eliza Schuyler's priorities are different. She isn't interested in powdering her hair, tightening her corset, or looking for the most rich, most handsome man in the ballroom; no, her focus is on the the impending war and doing her duty to help the soldiers. She has absolutely no time for men--especially not the shallow, flirtatious Colonel Alexander Hamilton. But Eliza quickly realizes that there's more to Washington's right-hand man than meets the eye, is she willing to admit she's wrong?

Alex and Eliza is a very romanticized version of Hamilton's relationship with the better-known Schuyler sister. There isn't much that is actually known about their relationship, so De La Cruz admittedly took a lot of liberties and fictionalized the majority of the novel and created her own personalities for each character. Eliza "isn't like other girls" and despises Hamilton when she first meets him, but he--of course--is instantly enamored with her. Angelica comes across as extremely bitter, unhappy that her only suitor is a man twice her age (but wealthy, which will provide a level of comfort she's accustomed to), and Peggy is a bit of a ditz. And why wouldn't Eliza be the only practical one? It's easier for Hamilton to fall in love with her that way, especially when the only other girls available for courting are taken ... or consistently mocking him for having no name, no family, and no savings.

This retelling is definitely written for a younger audience, and some realities that muddied Hamilton's name have been omitted. The characters are a bit unrealistic, and the novel is plagued with long, boring passages sprinkled in to add historical context. But the target audience isn't reading Alex and Eliza for the history lesson--they're reading it for the startling, passionate love affair they saw in Hamilton.

The love story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler - based on the story that inspired the bestselling musical Hamilton. 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 the young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.

The Love Story Behind the Hit Musical Hamilton

Katie

Honestly, this was just boring.

I waited until my Hamilton fever broke to read this, since I knew it wouldn't compare to the musical, but even so, I found it to be lackluster. The characterization of everyone felt like caricatures rather than real people with real emotions, something I find particularly obnoxious since Alex and Eliza actually WERE real people with real emotions.

The plot essentially hinged on "Will they or won't they?" but again, they were real historical figures that actually were married. I enjoyed the references to battles and some of the political intrigue of the day, but that was about it.

The writing itself was just okay. It wasn't awful but it wasn't the best either. To be fair, the last book I finished was Daughter of Smoke & Bone, which has some of the most gorgeous writing I've ever seen, so even though I tried not to compare the two, it was hard not to.

All in all, I think this book just wasn't for me. I wanted to like it and I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt, but it didn't really work. I know there is a sequel coming out and I may still check that one out from the library, like I did this, but it's hardly on the top of my list.

Ruth Parker 

I was looking forward to this book a lot - so much I bought the whole trilogy. I had such high hopes. But man I was let down. This book was dull. I felt like I was being told everything rather than shown anything. Not great storytelling. Aw man.

Kayla Smith

Wow....why did I force myself to finish this?

Alexis 

I that this was cute and funny, i even snorted to myself allowed a few times while reading. I will say i mostly chose to read this book because of the whole Hamilton thing. That aside i really enjoyed my time reading this book. I really don't know if i want to read the next book, just because i think we all know were that is going. A light and fluffy historical fiction contemporary was exactly what i needed and that what i got!

Valeria Cruz García 

Amazing!!! I would read it again and again and I will enjoy it as the very first time.

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.

A Love Story

Sarah Jackson

The only reason this is getting 2 stars is because I love the musical. 
I was simply frustrated because the whole book revolved around how incredibly beautiful and smart Eliza is and how she is so much better than her sisters. I wish there had been the same character development there had been in the musical.

Alex and Eliza

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