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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
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:
Yes
I loved the dark and mysterious, haunting atmosphere of this book and its look at grief and love. Roy and Cecily are incredibly charming, and the world Chant builds is unique and interesting!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Transphobia
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
i loved this weird western. t4t with a cowboy and a witch. i love the characters and felt so comforted. grief and love. sobbing
Well howdy there lil' novella, I sure am glad I met you. I do declare you gotta be one of the most surprisin'ly touching wyrd West tale I have ever come across!
*ahem*
That's even with being written 3rd person present tense, which usually is an instant turn off for me. But the first page grabbed me so hard I couldn't let it go.
It's the tale of a cowboy and a witch in the 1880s Wild West. Roy's an outsider by nature, just getting on with life as a travelling rancher. Cecily's an enchantment-making witch looking for a way to bring back her lost love. When the two collide Roy is smitten, but Cecily's heart still belongs to another. That is until circumstances mean that Roy needs her help, and she can only save him if she sacrifices something very precious.
These characters were instantly relatable to me. Roy's wistful longing (I have a thing for a soulful Stetson-wearer; just ask [a:Al Hess|20628260|Al Hess|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1605927912p2/20628260.jpg]'s Jack) and Cecily's spiky guarded nature came across straight away, and their relationship with others completely understandable. There's the concept of love at first sight, but it's cute crush territory rather than insta-love. For a short story, it's a slow burn beauty. The LGBT+ aspects were so gently written; no preachiness here, just honest emotions and down to earth characters. There is a semi-graphic sexual scene late on, though not very long and certainly not gratuitous - just be aware if that's not so much your thing.
I also need to mention the world it's set in. It's historical, but with magic as a given. I loved how Cecily fit in, and how her strange sympathetic art was explained while remaining mysterious enough to not make it totally mundane.
TL;DR: I loved the writing, world building, story and characters. A great slow burn love story that tugs at the heart without going overboard with sex or fluffy smush. For fans of realistic characters in a fantasy world.
*ahem*
That's even with being written 3rd person present tense, which usually is an instant turn off for me. But the first page grabbed me so hard I couldn't let it go.
It's the tale of a cowboy and a witch in the 1880s Wild West. Roy's an outsider by nature, just getting on with life as a travelling rancher. Cecily's an enchantment-making witch looking for a way to bring back her lost love. When the two collide Roy is smitten, but Cecily's heart still belongs to another. That is until circumstances mean that Roy needs her help, and she can only save him if she sacrifices something very precious.
These characters were instantly relatable to me. Roy's wistful longing (I have a thing for a soulful Stetson-wearer; just ask [a:Al Hess|20628260|Al Hess|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1605927912p2/20628260.jpg]'s Jack) and Cecily's spiky guarded nature came across straight away, and their relationship with others completely understandable. There's the concept of love at first sight, but it's cute crush territory rather than insta-love. For a short story, it's a slow burn beauty. The LGBT+ aspects were so gently written; no preachiness here, just honest emotions and down to earth characters. There is a semi-graphic sexual scene late on, though not very long and certainly not gratuitous - just be aware if that's not so much your thing.
I also need to mention the world it's set in. It's historical, but with magic as a given. I loved how Cecily fit in, and how her strange sympathetic art was explained while remaining mysterious enough to not make it totally mundane.
TL;DR: I loved the writing, world building, story and characters. A great slow burn love story that tugs at the heart without going overboard with sex or fluffy smush. For fans of realistic characters in a fantasy world.
Short and sweet, with great characterization. The story is kinda by the book though, and I found that it lacked that strong sense of place I usually look for when it comes to westerns. Would like to see a version of this story without portals.
The only reason I can't give this a higher rating is because I WANT MOOOOOOORE.
The trans cowboy love story. It’s definitely a short novella and I wanted more, but it warmed my little queer heart.
This was just as beautiful a story as I hoped it would be. Austin Chance is the author of the gorgeous, gorgeous Peter Darling. This is the 2nd book of theirs that I've read, and it was SUCH a satisfying read. SO GOOD. Austin's writing is like effortless poetry. I loved Roy. I loved Cecily. I loved the magic, and how Austin writes about it. This was SO goddamn good.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Caroline’s Heart is a beautiful book about vulnerability and the ability to let go.
Roy, a gentle cowboy, and Cecily, a witch who always seems just out of reach, become entwined in each other’s lives when the former is mortally wounded.
I have no words to describe how much I loved reading this little book. I was screaming with joy by the end, totally fangirling and “wishing that was me” all the way through. If this book has a flaw at all, it is that it ends. I wanted it to go on and on and on.
emotional
hopeful
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:
No
I loved it. A very sort of… quiet book. And so sweet. Roy’s voice and character felt so clear and present to me and I adored both him and Cecily. Great characters and wonderful interactions.
A very quick read that warmed me. I will definitely return to this.
A very quick read that warmed me. I will definitely return to this.