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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I would absolutely love to read more stories set in this world. Written by this author. It was likable, and well crafted, and eloquent, and I loved the characters a lot.
This was quite a lovely queer novella and I appreciated the unique magic system very much as well. That being said, I feel like romances that literally end with sex and pretty much nil post-sex wrap-up should be in their own category or AO3-type tag or something cuz they always feel like such an abrupt ending to me? But that's just me personally. Anyway, worth the read if you are looking for transman/transmasc x queer woman rep, as it is incredibly rare in romantic fiction, alas.
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Grief
Minor: Deadnaming, Death
emotional
hopeful
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A gorgeous meditation on grief and the overwhelming, gaping aloneness of having no one left who knows you truly to your core. And also … the way kindness and care sneak up on you in this story, with nothing left to do but surrender one’s self to this dedication of together, of future. Unbelievably special, this book.
When Cecily visits Roy’s employer’s ranch, he finds himself immediately drawn to her. Cecily is intruiged by him as well but doesn’t allow herself to dwell on it. These two find themselves in each other’s orbit again months later, and this time, Cecily saves Roy’s life.
This is a quiet, introspective T4T romance between a cowboy and a witch, and it was honestly, incredibly lovely. There’s something really moving about being inside Roy’s head. He is a loner and doesn’t allow people in—so to be privy to his thoughts and feelings where I immediately felt his vulnerability made me ache with him. Going with him on this journey of finding love and companionship was 🥹🥺🥹, absolutely recommend. (Cecily is also a great character, lol, I just personally found myself wanting his POV more, but mostly because her motivations weren’t immediately clear.)
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A sweet little novella with a lot of heart (ok, fine, pun on the title).
A T4T romance set in the "Weird West," a fantasy land of the Wild West with a witch who travels through portals to fix prosthetic limbs on cows. Roy is a ranch hand who realized he didn't want to be a cowboy until he was too deep in debt to get out, but enjoys the camaraderie of the other hands. One night at a local tavern, a friend gambles with the wrong crowd, and Roy ends up at the wrong end of the gun. Cecily, the witch, rescues Roy, but sacrifices her own deepest wish in the process.
Caroline's Heart has a bit of a silly premise, but ultimately that's just window dressing for two souls learning that who they are is OK in a world that rejects them, and that acceptance and love can heal. The moment that the two characters realize they aren't each the only trans person in the world feels like a big hug, and if the romance isn't sweeping or dramatic, it is comforting and passionate.
A beautiful book to pick up for the Trans Rights Readathon.
A T4T romance set in the "Weird West," a fantasy land of the Wild West with a witch who travels through portals to fix prosthetic limbs on cows. Roy is a ranch hand who realized he didn't want to be a cowboy until he was too deep in debt to get out, but enjoys the camaraderie of the other hands. One night at a local tavern, a friend gambles with the wrong crowd, and Roy ends up at the wrong end of the gun. Cecily, the witch, rescues Roy, but sacrifices her own deepest wish in the process.
Caroline's Heart has a bit of a silly premise, but ultimately that's just window dressing for two souls learning that who they are is OK in a world that rejects them, and that acceptance and love can heal. The moment that the two characters realize they aren't each the only trans person in the world feels like a big hug, and if the romance isn't sweeping or dramatic, it is comforting and passionate.
A beautiful book to pick up for the Trans Rights Readathon.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Darkly magical and deeply introspective, this was unsettling in a way I really enjoy. I was impressed by the world-building Chant accomplishes in this novella and enjoyed the loosely defined magic system. I wish the central romance had a tiny bit more breathing room outside the grief-driven spellwork to resurrect the FMC's deceased lover, but despite that focus, the love story was heartwarming and gentle with lots of quiet caretaking, and the affirmation of identity was beautiful. This line, in particular, was just stunning: "But the idea of Cecily being placed on the earth in such a damned confusion, just like him, and finding her way to be as extraordinary as she is - and him finding his way to her table, getting to sit across from her, quietly adoring her - the wonder of it all fills him with a swell of emotion that's the closest thing to holy he's ever felt."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual content, Blood
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Set in 1885 Texas, Caroline’s Heart is the story of Roy, a cowboy, and Cecily, a witch.
Brought together by work and then violence, Roy and Cecily’s love story explores trans lives, secrets, grief, masculinity, falling in love for the first time, falling in love again, the complicated legacy of women who heal others and allegations of witchcraft, family loss, found family, real friendship, honesty, and forgiveness.
This novella is beautifully written, a little eerie, very romantic, hot, and an unputdownable quick read.
Brought together by work and then violence, Roy and Cecily’s love story explores trans lives, secrets, grief, masculinity, falling in love for the first time, falling in love again, the complicated legacy of women who heal others and allegations of witchcraft, family loss, found family, real friendship, honesty, and forgiveness.
This novella is beautifully written, a little eerie, very romantic, hot, and an unputdownable quick read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very sweet little T4T romance. I liked the magic system a lot, it was unusual but very comprehensive, especially for such a short book. At times I wished for a little more fleshing out, for the book to be a little longer, but honestly that’s mostly because I wanted more.