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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Quote : "I am good at being hurt and bad at being loved."
What's it about : Madeline is an aspired author who can't quite find inspiration or even happiness there. She moves away from the city to live in the country at Victor's place to be his companion. As she learns more about Victor, she also meets his neighbor and ex lover Audrey. Ensues a polyamorous relationship between these three people.
My thoughts : This was such a surprise. I didn't know a lot starting this book, only that it was a historical romance and a queer story. I did not expect all the spicy scenes - there were a lot but this was far from being all sex and no plot. These three characters have been through a lot but I really liked that they all found a place they could be fully themselves with people they could share their true selves.
What's it about : Madeline is an aspired author who can't quite find inspiration or even happiness there. She moves away from the city to live in the country at Victor's place to be his companion. As she learns more about Victor, she also meets his neighbor and ex lover Audrey. Ensues a polyamorous relationship between these three people.
My thoughts : This was such a surprise. I didn't know a lot starting this book, only that it was a historical romance and a queer story. I did not expect all the spicy scenes - there were a lot but this was far from being all sex and no plot. These three characters have been through a lot but I really liked that they all found a place they could be fully themselves with people they could share their true selves.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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
I can’t tell you exactly how I learned about this book, but I’m pretty sure it was a recommendation from a list or an algorithm or some such source. It certainly wasn’t recommended by someone I know, but given the summary, I thought “why not? Sounds great!” For the most part, I liked the set up of this book: I liked that it was a queer, polyamorous story, and I liked the soft, secluded atmosphere that accompanied living in a rural farmhouse and going mushroom hunting. I couldn’t give it a higher rating, however, because for reasons that are entirely personal taste. I personally like my romances to have a little more conflict and structure to the narrative, and Ottoman’s prose style didn’t quite gel with my tastes. Still, I’d still recommend this book to anyone who wants to get into queer romance, especially romances featuring trans and polyamorous protagonists.
Writing: Ottoman’s prose s a bit too heavy on the telling for my tastes. While I appreciated the atmosphere and the images they were trying to evoke, I couldn’t help but feel I was being told over and over again what Madeleine (our protagonist) felt, what she wanted, and what she was doing. I wanted something a bit more ethereal or fairy-tale like to match some some of the themes and imagery from the plot, and while I appreciate that Ottoman was clear and direct, I still hungered for just a little more lyricism.
Plot: The non-romance plot of this novel follows Madeleine Slaughter, a fledgling writer who accepts a position as a companion in rural New York (I think). Her job is to be more or less of a live-in friend for the reclusive Victor Hallowell - a published writer who focuses on genre fiction. While there, Madeline meets Audrey Coffin, Victor’s enchanting neighbor and former lover. Together, they must navigate their feelings while Madeleine tries to write a story that is true to her heart, not something the literary machine from New York can make a buck off of.
While I liked the idea of Madeleine trying to find her artistic voice as well as the discussions of the pressures that the city and publishing industry put on writers (especially queer writers), these themes felt more like an aside than any real threads that comprise the tapestry of Madeleine’s experience at Hallowell House. I felt like Ottoman often gestured to bigger themes, but didn’t have an interest in making the narrative mirror them; we don’t get excerpts of Madeleine’s book paralleling her experience in the country, for example, and we don’t get concrete memories of the New York literary scene and how the house is a wholly different space.
The plot of the book itself is also rather domestic and unthreatening, and while some people may very much enjoy that, it just wasn’t for me. In my opinion, Ottoman had the space to expand on the themes of the novel without compromising on the romance or being forced to use transphobic scenes or tropes. We still could have gotten our soft polyamorous romance, just with more deep dives into character and how romantic desire is entangled with non-romantic personal fulfilment. In short, the book as it stands was lovely, but not enough to really stay with me.
Characters: Madeleine, our protagonist, is a transwoman who leaves her apartment in New York in order to become a companion. At first, the job seems like a good opportunity to leave the City and focus on writing, something that has felt oppressive to Madeleine as she struggles to get her work published. What I liked about Madeleine was her determination to make her relationships work and the tenderness she had for the people in her life. I also really liked that she enjoyed cooking and took pride in her accomplishments; it was a pride that wasn’t arrogant, and I appreciated the balance between confidence in one skill and self-consciousness in another (writing, feeling loved). The main thing I didn’t like about Madeleine, however, was that I never felt like I really knew her as a writer; writing is so important to her, but we never really see what her work is like, nor do we get a sketch of what her magnum opus is at the end of the story. To me, this felt like a huge missed opportunity; all we know at the end is that Madeleine has written a brilliant “ghost story” about a transwoman that ends well, but we get no snippets, nor any details as to how Madeleine’s life at Hallowell House inspired such a “ghost story.” I would have loved to see how the themes of Madeleine’s story were taken from her experiences, but as the book stands, that insight is closed off, and I feel like I was prevented from really getting to know Madeline as a result.
Victor Hallowell, Madeleine’s employer, is also a writer, but is rather more reclusive and avoids going into town, if he can help it. I liked that Ottoman portrayed Victor as a shut-in without making him curmudgeon-y; instead, Victor was warm and generous, and he worried about Madeleine without letting his worry become oppressive. I liked that Victor struggled with the idea of writing for the literary market versus writing what he wanted to write, though like Madeleine, we don’t get quite as much insight into his inner struggle through glimpses at his stories, etc. (As a side note: I couldn’t tell if Victor was also supposed to be trans, so I’ll defer to the author and other reviewers to comment on that.)
Audrey Coffin is another transwoman who happens to be Victor’s neighbor and former lover. Audrey accompanied Victor to New York only to feel oppressed by the demands made of a writer’s “muse.” When they split, Audrey returned to her childhood farm, where she now enjoys mushroom hunting, canning, and other activities that gave me serious idyllic homesteading vibes. Audrey is also very generous and considerate of Madeleine’s feelings, but what I liked most about her is how she served as this kind of icon of what Madeleine wanted to be: independent, confident, and entirely un-self-conscious. Personally, I would have liked to see a bit more complexity from Audrey; we know that she struggled to fit a certain mold in the City, but we don’t really get the story of how she found herself back in the country or how she redefines womanhood in urban/rural environments. I think there could have been a lot of room to explore those topics, but most of what we get are scenes of her just going about her chores.
Aside from those three, there literally aren’t any other characters in the book (that we see), so if you like stories with a small cast, you’ll be pleased.
Romance: This romance was soft and passionate all at the same time, and I have to give Ottoman credit for handling it well and not giving me whiplash. Scenes of emotional tenderness were paired with moments of intense physicality; characters would alternate between cuddling or going out of their way to be kind and considerate, and just a few pages later (if that), they’d be having rough sex against a wall. While some may find the shift jarring, I think Ottoman did a good job at portraying a healthy relationship built on trust and consent, and I never felt like the characters’ physical desires were at odds with their personalities.
I also loved that Madeleine was unashamed to admit that she lacked experience (in both romance and sexual activities), but also was direct and sure about what she wanted. Though she’s unsure about how her relationships are supposed to work, she never lets her lack of understanding get in the way, and she goes after her desires with all the gusto of a seasoned romance heroine.
The main drawback to this relationship, however, was that I felt like Audrey and Victor had very few desires of their own. Both of them were happy to have Madeleine in whatever capacity she decided, and that was really great; they also wanted Madeleine sexually, which was a nice way of showing trans bodies as being desirable. However, I never really got the feeling that Audrey and Victor had much emotional agency in the relationship; they seemed to just defer to what Madeleine wanted, and though I’m not demanding that there be more interpersonal conflict or jealousy, I do think Ottoman could have made the characters seem like more active participants and not just falling for our heroine because she’s the heroine.
I also think Ottoman could have articulated better why all the characters were in love with each other. I kind of understood what made Madeleine fall for Audrey (she’s independent, etc.) and what made Audrey fall for Victor (he’s smart), but I wanted a little more insight into why both characters were drawn to Madeleine other than their physical desire. We get a few hints here and there; maybe Victor loves Madeleine because she’s a generous and considerate person, but I didn’t exactly get a clear sense of how sexual desire turned into love. I think I would have liked it shown to me a little more clearly.
TL;DR: The Companion is a soft yet passionate tale of polyamorous, trans lovers who find safety in the rural landscape. While I liked the queer romance and the general atmosphere of the novel, the writing style, lack of strong plot, and the barriers to more substantive character insight prevented me from fully adoring this book, though I do recommend that readers give it a try for themselves.
Writing: Ottoman’s prose s a bit too heavy on the telling for my tastes. While I appreciated the atmosphere and the images they were trying to evoke, I couldn’t help but feel I was being told over and over again what Madeleine (our protagonist) felt, what she wanted, and what she was doing. I wanted something a bit more ethereal or fairy-tale like to match some some of the themes and imagery from the plot, and while I appreciate that Ottoman was clear and direct, I still hungered for just a little more lyricism.
Plot: The non-romance plot of this novel follows Madeleine Slaughter, a fledgling writer who accepts a position as a companion in rural New York (I think). Her job is to be more or less of a live-in friend for the reclusive Victor Hallowell - a published writer who focuses on genre fiction. While there, Madeline meets Audrey Coffin, Victor’s enchanting neighbor and former lover. Together, they must navigate their feelings while Madeleine tries to write a story that is true to her heart, not something the literary machine from New York can make a buck off of.
While I liked the idea of Madeleine trying to find her artistic voice as well as the discussions of the pressures that the city and publishing industry put on writers (especially queer writers), these themes felt more like an aside than any real threads that comprise the tapestry of Madeleine’s experience at Hallowell House. I felt like Ottoman often gestured to bigger themes, but didn’t have an interest in making the narrative mirror them; we don’t get excerpts of Madeleine’s book paralleling her experience in the country, for example, and we don’t get concrete memories of the New York literary scene and how the house is a wholly different space.
The plot of the book itself is also rather domestic and unthreatening, and while some people may very much enjoy that, it just wasn’t for me. In my opinion, Ottoman had the space to expand on the themes of the novel without compromising on the romance or being forced to use transphobic scenes or tropes. We still could have gotten our soft polyamorous romance, just with more deep dives into character and how romantic desire is entangled with non-romantic personal fulfilment. In short, the book as it stands was lovely, but not enough to really stay with me.
Characters: Madeleine, our protagonist, is a transwoman who leaves her apartment in New York in order to become a companion. At first, the job seems like a good opportunity to leave the City and focus on writing, something that has felt oppressive to Madeleine as she struggles to get her work published. What I liked about Madeleine was her determination to make her relationships work and the tenderness she had for the people in her life. I also really liked that she enjoyed cooking and took pride in her accomplishments; it was a pride that wasn’t arrogant, and I appreciated the balance between confidence in one skill and self-consciousness in another (writing, feeling loved). The main thing I didn’t like about Madeleine, however, was that I never felt like I really knew her as a writer; writing is so important to her, but we never really see what her work is like, nor do we get a sketch of what her magnum opus is at the end of the story. To me, this felt like a huge missed opportunity; all we know at the end is that Madeleine has written a brilliant “ghost story” about a transwoman that ends well, but we get no snippets, nor any details as to how Madeleine’s life at Hallowell House inspired such a “ghost story.” I would have loved to see how the themes of Madeleine’s story were taken from her experiences, but as the book stands, that insight is closed off, and I feel like I was prevented from really getting to know Madeline as a result.
Victor Hallowell, Madeleine’s employer, is also a writer, but is rather more reclusive and avoids going into town, if he can help it. I liked that Ottoman portrayed Victor as a shut-in without making him curmudgeon-y; instead, Victor was warm and generous, and he worried about Madeleine without letting his worry become oppressive. I liked that Victor struggled with the idea of writing for the literary market versus writing what he wanted to write, though like Madeleine, we don’t get quite as much insight into his inner struggle through glimpses at his stories, etc. (As a side note: I couldn’t tell if Victor was also supposed to be trans, so I’ll defer to the author and other reviewers to comment on that.)
Audrey Coffin is another transwoman who happens to be Victor’s neighbor and former lover. Audrey accompanied Victor to New York only to feel oppressed by the demands made of a writer’s “muse.” When they split, Audrey returned to her childhood farm, where she now enjoys mushroom hunting, canning, and other activities that gave me serious idyllic homesteading vibes. Audrey is also very generous and considerate of Madeleine’s feelings, but what I liked most about her is how she served as this kind of icon of what Madeleine wanted to be: independent, confident, and entirely un-self-conscious. Personally, I would have liked to see a bit more complexity from Audrey; we know that she struggled to fit a certain mold in the City, but we don’t really get the story of how she found herself back in the country or how she redefines womanhood in urban/rural environments. I think there could have been a lot of room to explore those topics, but most of what we get are scenes of her just going about her chores.
Aside from those three, there literally aren’t any other characters in the book (that we see), so if you like stories with a small cast, you’ll be pleased.
Romance: This romance was soft and passionate all at the same time, and I have to give Ottoman credit for handling it well and not giving me whiplash. Scenes of emotional tenderness were paired with moments of intense physicality; characters would alternate between cuddling or going out of their way to be kind and considerate, and just a few pages later (if that), they’d be having rough sex against a wall. While some may find the shift jarring, I think Ottoman did a good job at portraying a healthy relationship built on trust and consent, and I never felt like the characters’ physical desires were at odds with their personalities.
I also loved that Madeleine was unashamed to admit that she lacked experience (in both romance and sexual activities), but also was direct and sure about what she wanted. Though she’s unsure about how her relationships are supposed to work, she never lets her lack of understanding get in the way, and she goes after her desires with all the gusto of a seasoned romance heroine.
The main drawback to this relationship, however, was that I felt like Audrey and Victor had very few desires of their own. Both of them were happy to have Madeleine in whatever capacity she decided, and that was really great; they also wanted Madeleine sexually, which was a nice way of showing trans bodies as being desirable. However, I never really got the feeling that Audrey and Victor had much emotional agency in the relationship; they seemed to just defer to what Madeleine wanted, and though I’m not demanding that there be more interpersonal conflict or jealousy, I do think Ottoman could have made the characters seem like more active participants and not just falling for our heroine because she’s the heroine.
I also think Ottoman could have articulated better why all the characters were in love with each other. I kind of understood what made Madeleine fall for Audrey (she’s independent, etc.) and what made Audrey fall for Victor (he’s smart), but I wanted a little more insight into why both characters were drawn to Madeleine other than their physical desire. We get a few hints here and there; maybe Victor loves Madeleine because she’s a generous and considerate person, but I didn’t exactly get a clear sense of how sexual desire turned into love. I think I would have liked it shown to me a little more clearly.
TL;DR: The Companion is a soft yet passionate tale of polyamorous, trans lovers who find safety in the rural landscape. While I liked the queer romance and the general atmosphere of the novel, the writing style, lack of strong plot, and the barriers to more substantive character insight prevented me from fully adoring this book, though I do recommend that readers give it a try for themselves.
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
The trans rep is appreciated but I need more in a story than cosy vibes and steamy sex.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia
Minor: Sexual assault
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Transphobia
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I enjoyed this story and just wish it had more space to breathe. I wanted to know more about all of the characters, their journeys, their relationships to each other!
Still, I thought it was a lovely portrayal of transness and of polyamory!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4: Great, calling it good doesn’t feel adequate. I really liked it and had a very good time reading it.
Still, I thought it was a lovely portrayal of transness and of polyamory!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4: Great, calling it good doesn’t feel adequate. I really liked it and had a very good time reading it.
I was trying to push through and finish this one for a reading challenge, after all it was very short but uhm... It's not my style at all... Seems very rushed and highly centred in smut.
Too bad, because the idea sounded good. Also, I love the cover art.
Too bad, because the idea sounded good. Also, I love the cover art.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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