Overdue Podcast Episode 716

“An Extraordinary Union (Loyal League #1)” by Alyssa Cole

Release Date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Andrew & Craig

Episode Overview

In this episode, Craig shares his reading of An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole, the first entry in her Loyal League trilogy. The hosts delve into Cole’s compelling blend of Civil War-era espionage and romance, centering the experience of a Black female spy and her partnership—both romantic and professional—with a white Pinkerton agent. Alongside a frank discussion of the book’s plot and characters, the episode spends rich time on Cole’s place in the romance genre, her commitment to representation, and the controversies that have shaped the world of romance publishing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Stage: Book and Author Context

• Not a “Union” Labor Book: Kicking off with banter about the title, the hosts joke about expecting a novel on labor unions (03:06), but clarify Cole’s "union" is both romantic and connected to the United States.
• About Alyssa Cole:
  • Born in 1982, Cole writes both romance and thrillers.
  • Notable work beyond this book includes When No One is Watching (Edgar Award winner) and A Princess in Theory (NYT Notable).
  • Her roots in historical romance anthologies and interest in diverse love stories is highlighted (07:36–09:48).
• Cole’s Inspiration: Sparked by Ta-Nehisi Coates’ blogging on Black Civil War spies, plus childhood experiences using white-out to "correct" romance novel descriptions for representation (09:48–11:25).

  “My career, some level, is making sure people don’t have to do that... The first time she didn’t have to mentally or literally sub out the author’s descriptions in order to see herself.” (10:13, Andrew quoting Slate)

• Based on Real People: Main character Elle is loosely inspired by Mary Bowser, a real Black woman who spied on the Confederacy, and her love interest, Malcolm, is based on Pinkerton agent Timothy Webster (11:25–13:21).

Reception and Romance Industry Controversies

• Major Awards & Recognition: The book was widely acclaimed—ALA’s RUSA Best Romance, Vulture and Publisher’s Weekly top lists (13:42).
• RITA & RWA Controversy: An Extraordinary Union was controversially snubbed for the RITA (RWA’s top award). The award at the time had never gone to a Black author, causing a larger discourse about racism in the romance community (14:31–20:28).

  “The books that beat Cole... were all by white women, all but one set in 19th-century Britain featuring white women who fall in love with aristocrats. The heroes were, respectively, one rogue, two dukes, two lords, and an earl.” (16:02–16:47, Andrew quoting The Guardian)

• Expanded Scandals & Aftermath: The snub and further incidents (including the suspension of Courtney Milan) led to organizational upheaval, cancellations of awards, and eventually bankruptcy for the RWA (19:12–20:28).
• Cole on Political Stakes of Black Romance: Even telling a straightforward love story is political for a Black author.

  “You literally have to become an activist to write a story about two people meeting and falling in love... People just want to write love stories.” (20:46–21:59, Andrew quoting Cole)

• Shifting Social Media Context: The hosts note how much the Twitter-centric shape of these debates feel like a “different universe” now (23:38–24:38).

Espionage, Romance & Plot Breakdown

Characters & Superpowers

• Elle Burns: A free Black woman posing as mute slave; gifted with eidetic (photographic) memory; motivated by a desire to aid the cause through her rare skills, aware of her role as a “model minority” and the burden that brings (34:55–39:35).
• Malcolm McCall: Scottish Pinkerton agent, undercover as Southern soldier. High charisma and moral awareness; struggles with “white savior” dynamics and tries to actively counteract them (40:27–45:35).

  “He is a Scott. His family was displaced by the Brits... he is fighting for the North because he does not... he sees a version of the oppression his people have faced with what black people are facing in the South.” (44:29–44:56, Craig)

• Romantic Beats: The novel follows classic romance beats (meet-cute, tension, jealousy, reunion), all set against high-stakes spy missions and life-threatening danger.

Key Plot Points

• Elle’s Mission: Embedded in the Richmond household of Senator Caffrey as a spy. Smuggles intelligence north via coded messages. Uses her prodigious memory to collect and relay information (34:14–36:13).
• Malcolm’s Involvement: Arrives at the household under false pretenses, quickly attracted to and impressed by Elle.
• Historical Plotline: Discovery and foiling of a Confederate plan to raise a sunken ironclad gunboat and break the Union blockade (51:34–52:08).

  “They are planning to resurrect a sunken Union ironclad gunboat... and this could potentially tip the scales of the war.” (52:05, Craig)

• Escalating Stakes: The pair save and are saved by one another amidst threats from Confederate soldiers, slavers, and house politics. Power dynamics between Malcolm and Elle—racial, gendered, and personal—are given consistent thoughtful attention.

Levity & Modernity in Tone

• Cole infuses humor and playful affection amid the tension:
  • Jokes about “playing doctor” and “sexiest mummy in Richmond” (46:15–48:19)
  • Romantic banter that sometimes anachronistically references concepts (e.g., playing doctor, mummies).
  • Hosts note these as Cole letting herself (and the characters) have fun:

    “Malcolm in particular gets to have little one liners now and again where he... jokes about their situation.” (53:13, Craig)

• Sex scenes are steamy but always aware of the historical power imbalances; the book treats consent and trust intentionally.

Ending—Happily Ever After, or Not?

• The plot resolves with Elle and Malcolm escaping together, sharing a "for now" happiness (60:21–61:14), but with explicit acknowledgement that life for Black people after the Civil War remains dangerous and uncertain.

  “It is not... a guaranteed happily ever after, but at least a happy ending for now.” (61:14, Craig)

• Elle is introduced to Malcolm’s family; their continued story is set up for sequels.

Representation & Genre Frictions

• The hosts discuss how Cole integrates the realities of race in the Civil War south with genre conventions.
• The duality: An Extraordinary Union is very much a romance in structure—those seeking pure historical espionage may feel shortchanged, per Goodreads reviews (67:07–71:22).
• Craig praises how Cole keeps Elle’s wariness around Malcolm central, avoiding an uncritical white savior narrative (63:13–64:42).
• The hosts highlight reader responses, particularly from Black women who appreciated seeing themselves in a historical romance and feeling, even briefly, that a happy ending was possible (72:32–73:29).

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Representation (Cole via Slate):

  “You literally have to become an activist to write a story about two people meeting and falling in love. ...It is erasure.” (20:53, Andrew)

• On Romance Industry Whiteness:

  “The books that beat Cole... were all by white women, all but one set in 19th-century Britain featuring white women who fall in love with aristocrats. The heroes were, respectively, one rogue, two dukes, two lords, and an earl.” (16:02–16:47)

• On Elle’s Complexity:

  “She feels the pressure of being... a model minority... as kind of the words that come out of her mouth in the novel.” (39:35, Craig)

• Craig on the Novel’s Tone:

  “This is a horny ebook. So keep that in mind as you listen, as you share this listening experience with others.” (06:52, Craig)

• Example of Cole’s Humor:

  “Ironclad,” she whispered excitedly. Elle felt a rush nearly as good as the climax she just experienced as the random information formed into unified theory.
  “I’m not familiar with that particular euphemism, but I’m not opposed to it.” (53:13, Malcolm)

• Andrew on Romance Genre Frictions:

  “What have people internalized about who can be the protagonist of a romance book?... You come to a book that’s set in the Civil War from the perspective of a black woman and you’re like, well, this... has to be heavy... and then what’s all this... lightweight, happily for now romance stuff doing in here?” (74:47–75:43)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:24–09:11: Introduction to Alyssa Cole & her bibliography
• 09:48–13:21: Cole’s influences; real historical roots for characters
• 13:42–24:38: Critical reception; RITA/RWA controversies; industry context
• 29:40–36:13: Plot setup; Elle and her work as a spy
• 36:13–45:35: Character dynamics, power, and memory
• 46:15–48:19: Humor and modern banter in character interactions
• 52:05–61:14: Main espionage plot, climax, and resolution
• 67:07–73:29: Goodreads reviews, genre discussion, and audience response
• 74:47–79:26: Reflections on genre, representation, and book structure

In Closing

An Extraordinary Union is deftly praised for its balance of plotting, romance, complex character relationships, and for the vital perspective it brings to both the Civil War and the romance genre. Craig and Andrew recommend the book for both genre fans and those interested in how fiction can address representation and historical erasure—while also being genuinely entertaining, suspenseful, and yes, a little bit steamy.