In the 1770s, the American Revolution builds, as does a relationship between Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. Eliza is from a wealthy family, the middle sister of Angelica and Peggy, all of whom dazzle in a room. Alex is penniless and determined to better himself through service in the army, and he's gotten a reputation as Washington's go-to man. Society wouldn't have them together, nor would the war, but Alex and Eliza find their paths crossing again and again, each time with a stronger spark...

Melissa De La Cruz spins an interesting take on the famous Hamilton love story in ALEX AND ELIZA. While many will likely gravitate towards the book because of the popular musical, readers of that kind should be aware the historical interpretations are very different. I love that this novel chose to go in its own direction. Historically, there is little known about the courtship between Elizabeth and Alexander, so the room for creativity and exploration is vast. Unfortunately, ALEX AND ELIZA uses exhaustive and often problematic plot devices to fill in gaps that add little to the story.

While Alex and Eliza's characters both have strong voices, and the switch in POV is fantastic, their actions often contradict their descriptions in the novel. Hamilton is described as ambitious and clever, yet his scenes lend him more to awkward and meek. This causes a distinct separation from the narrative flow and sometimes made the read more frustrating than enjoyable. However, this issue is not present with some of the secondary characters, particularly Eliza's sister, Peggy. Her side plot is sweet, romantic, and has its fair share of conflict, and I often found myself wishing she had her own story told.

While I'm generally a huge fan of Melissa De La Cruz's books, ALEX AND ELIZA didn't hit the mark with me. Some aspects were wonderful, such as Peggy's story and the alternating POV, but ultimately, I didn't enjoy it enough to read the sequel.