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harrowhcrk's review
2.0
When her noble family sends Harriet from Scotland to New York, it is with one task: find a husband. But while she finds love, it's not with a suitable man like her family hopes, but with the beautiful Rosalie, a singer at a speakeasy.
There is nothing I love more than a queer romance that ends with actual happiness, and while this is rare enough in contemporary romances, this is even rarer in historical romances. Of Trust & Heart had all the trappings of a story I would absolutely adore: Scotland, speakeasies, 1920s, a lesbian MC, an almost exclusively queer cast of supporting characters, a sweet and happy ending.
Harriet, Rosalie, and Charlie were all such wonderful and endearing characters, who you can't help but root for. Secondary characters like Jeffrey, Henry, and Martha too were all so well-written, and I looked forward to every additional crumb of information I could get on them. The romance between Harriet and Rosalie was fast-paced but sweet; I ached for them through all their difficulties and cheered for all their little victories. The same goes for Charlie and Jeffrey: the pain both so clearly felt hit me just as hard as my joy when they finally managed to make everything work. There wasn't much real conflict between the main couple themselves, which I loved; the main pressure came externally, and Harriet had the support of her family every step of the way,
Both the plot and the setting were wonderful, too. I love a good 1920s story, and I love one that can highlight some of the sexier aesthetics without hiding any of the cruelties of the time period. The author makes it clear exactly how hard the world is for someone who doesn't love in a way that's acceptable to the time period--Harriet thinks on it often, how ridiculous it is that love can be illegal, and how it's both heartening and tragic that those in queer or interracial relationships (or both) have the speakeasy as one place they can be themselves. There are themes of grief and loss, too; all the characters are still affected by the war. In all, I loved how the author made it clear that the 1920s was not at all a perfect time period, without showing all the outright homophobia and racism; the stakes were clear without making the story any less light.
I loved this book..... up until about 92%. And here's where the spoilers come in, so while I'll try to keep it as vague as possible, look away to avoid. One final conflict happens in the last few chapters, and the author sets up such an easy fix for it, wherein everyone could live happily ever after and remain with the person they love.... and then the story decides that, no, incest is actually a better solution. I understand that the two cousins will not ever perform their "marital duties" and in fact will only ever appear as a couple in public, and that both of them have their own life partners, but I can't get past the solution being first cousins getting married. Especially when there was a solution that could have avoided it readily available. It just left me uncomfortable and with a bad taste in my mouth, which is really disappointing since up until this point it was a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Of Trust & Heart. All opinions are my own.
There is nothing I love more than a queer romance that ends with actual happiness, and while this is rare enough in contemporary romances, this is even rarer in historical romances. Of Trust & Heart had all the trappings of a story I would absolutely adore: Scotland, speakeasies, 1920s, a lesbian MC, an almost exclusively queer cast of supporting characters, a sweet and happy ending.
Harriet, Rosalie, and Charlie were all such wonderful and endearing characters, who you can't help but root for. Secondary characters like Jeffrey, Henry, and Martha too were all so well-written, and I looked forward to every additional crumb of information I could get on them. The romance between Harriet and Rosalie was fast-paced but sweet; I ached for them through all their difficulties and cheered for all their little victories. The same goes for Charlie and Jeffrey: the pain both so clearly felt hit me just as hard as my joy when they finally managed to make everything work. There wasn't much real conflict between the main couple themselves, which I loved; the main pressure came externally, and Harriet had the support of her family every step of the way,
Both the plot and the setting were wonderful, too. I love a good 1920s story, and I love one that can highlight some of the sexier aesthetics without hiding any of the cruelties of the time period. The author makes it clear exactly how hard the world is for someone who doesn't love in a way that's acceptable to the time period--Harriet thinks on it often, how ridiculous it is that love can be illegal, and how it's both heartening and tragic that those in queer or interracial relationships (or both) have the speakeasy as one place they can be themselves. There are themes of grief and loss, too; all the characters are still affected by the war. In all, I loved how the author made it clear that the 1920s was not at all a perfect time period, without showing all the outright homophobia and racism; the stakes were clear without making the story any less light.
I loved this book..... up until about 92%. And here's where the spoilers come in, so while I'll try to keep it as vague as possible, look away to avoid. One final conflict happens in the last few chapters, and the author sets up such an easy fix for it, wherein everyone could live happily ever after and remain with the person they love.... and then the story decides that, no, incest is actually a better solution. I understand that the two cousins will not ever perform their "marital duties" and in fact will only ever appear as a couple in public, and that both of them have their own life partners, but I can't get past the solution being first cousins getting married. Especially when there was a solution that could have avoided it readily available. It just left me uncomfortable and with a bad taste in my mouth, which is really disappointing since up until this point it was a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Of Trust & Heart. All opinions are my own.
cossettereads's review
1.0
content warning: homophobia, death, misogyny, sexual assault, mentions of war, death of a parent
————
i … have no idea what to make of this. rtc maybe.
arc buddy read w may!
Spoiler
incest————
i … have no idea what to make of this. rtc maybe.
arc buddy read w may!
naphoeleon's review
2.0
When her noble family sends Harriet from Scotland to New York, it is with one task: find a husband. But while she finds love, it's not with a suitable man like her family hopes, but with the beautiful Rosalie, a singer at a speakeasy.
There is nothing I love more than a queer romance that ends with actual happiness, and while this is rare enough in contemporary romances, this is even rarer in historical romances. Of Trust & Heart had all the trappings of a story I would absolutely adore: Scotland, speakeasies, 1920s, a lesbian MC, an almost exclusively queer cast of supporting characters, a sweet and happy ending.
Harriet, Rosalie, and Charlie were all such wonderful and endearing characters, who you can't help but root for. Secondary characters like Jeffrey, Henry, and Martha too were all so well-written, and I looked forward to every additional crumb of information I could get on them. The romance between Harriet and Rosalie was fast-paced but sweet; I ached for them through all their difficulties and cheered for all their little victories. The same goes for Charlie and Jeffrey: the pain both so clearly felt hit me just as hard as my joy when they finally managed to make everything work. There wasn't much real conflict between the main couple themselves, which I loved; the main pressure came externally, and Harriet had the support of her family every step of the way,
Both the plot and the setting were wonderful, too. I love a good 1920s story, and I love one that can highlight some of the sexier aesthetics without hiding any of the cruelties of the time period. The author makes it clear exactly how hard the world is for someone who doesn't love in a way that's acceptable to the time period--Harriet thinks on it often, how ridiculous it is that love can be illegal, and how it's both heartening and tragic that those in queer or interracial relationships (or both) have the speakeasy as one place they can be themselves. There are themes of grief and loss, too; all the characters are still affected by the war. In all, I loved how the author made it clear that the 1920s was not at all a perfect time period, without showing all the outright homophobia and racism; the stakes were clear without making the story any less light.
I loved this book..... up until about 92%. And here's where the spoilers come in, so while I'll try to keep it as vague as possible, look away to avoid. One final conflict happens in the last few chapters, and the author sets up such an easy fix for it, wherein everyone could live happily ever after and remain with the person they love.... and then the story decides that, no, incest is actually a better solution. I understand that the two cousins will not ever perform their "marital duties" and in fact will only ever appear as a couple in public, and that both of them have their own life partners, but I can't get past the solution being first cousins getting married. Especially when there was a solution that could have avoided it readily available. It just left me uncomfortable and with a bad taste in my mouth, which is really disappointing since up until this point it was a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Of Trust & Heart. All opinions are my own.
There is nothing I love more than a queer romance that ends with actual happiness, and while this is rare enough in contemporary romances, this is even rarer in historical romances. Of Trust & Heart had all the trappings of a story I would absolutely adore: Scotland, speakeasies, 1920s, a lesbian MC, an almost exclusively queer cast of supporting characters, a sweet and happy ending.
Harriet, Rosalie, and Charlie were all such wonderful and endearing characters, who you can't help but root for. Secondary characters like Jeffrey, Henry, and Martha too were all so well-written, and I looked forward to every additional crumb of information I could get on them. The romance between Harriet and Rosalie was fast-paced but sweet; I ached for them through all their difficulties and cheered for all their little victories. The same goes for Charlie and Jeffrey: the pain both so clearly felt hit me just as hard as my joy when they finally managed to make everything work. There wasn't much real conflict between the main couple themselves, which I loved; the main pressure came externally, and Harriet had the support of her family every step of the way,
Both the plot and the setting were wonderful, too. I love a good 1920s story, and I love one that can highlight some of the sexier aesthetics without hiding any of the cruelties of the time period. The author makes it clear exactly how hard the world is for someone who doesn't love in a way that's acceptable to the time period--Harriet thinks on it often, how ridiculous it is that love can be illegal, and how it's both heartening and tragic that those in queer or interracial relationships (or both) have the speakeasy as one place they can be themselves. There are themes of grief and loss, too; all the characters are still affected by the war. In all, I loved how the author made it clear that the 1920s was not at all a perfect time period, without showing all the outright homophobia and racism; the stakes were clear without making the story any less light.
I loved this book..... up until about 92%. And here's where the spoilers come in, so while I'll try to keep it as vague as possible, look away to avoid. One final conflict happens in the last few chapters, and the author sets up such an easy fix for it, wherein everyone could live happily ever after and remain with the person they love.... and then the story decides that, no, incest is actually a better solution. I understand that the two cousins will not ever perform their "marital duties" and in fact will only ever appear as a couple in public, and that both of them have their own life partners, but I can't get past the solution being first cousins getting married. Especially when there was a solution that could have avoided it readily available. It just left me uncomfortable and with a bad taste in my mouth, which is really disappointing since up until this point it was a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Of Trust & Heart. All opinions are my own.
amymarsdenauthor's review
3.0
This was fine, but far too instalove for me. They barely interacted on page.
zaheerah's review
3.0
*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*
As the daughter of an Earl and fast approaching her 25th birthday, Lady Harriet Cunningham finds herself in a New York speakeasy when she should be finding a husband. That is until she sets sights on Rosalie Smith, a beautiful woman with a voice that blew her away. And now, she must decide between expectations or her growing feelings for Rosalie without ruining her family name.
Of Trust & Heart was highly disappointing. I personally found it boring, which hurts me to say considering I have enjoyed the author’s previous works a lot. Concept-wise, this story had a lot of potential to be a passionate and emotional tale, but its execution left it feeling messing and underwhelming.
Lady Harriet is sent to New York by her family in order to find a husband, despite knowing that Harriet is a lesbian. Aware of her predicament, Harriet finds solace in her cousin Charlie, a closeted gay man. Together, they bond over their inability to feel comfortable in their surroundings truly. Here, Charlie invites Harriet to a speakeasy hidden within a bookstore. One last night she promised herself before finding a man to settle down with. And when she meets singer Rosalie, her plans fall apart.
The main reason why I couldn’t really invest myself into the romance is that there’s nothing there to really root for. Harriet and Rosalie exchange mere words, Rosalie writes a song about her and then we are told how utterly in love Harriet is. I was expecting more from the two, interactions, inner thoughts, development, anything! Harriet spent more time with her suitors than she did with Rosalie.
Everything was extremely flat, and the story failed to rise to the tension and conflict occurring within the story. The people, the locations and actions felt so impersonal and empty.
Despite my negativity, it was a quick read and somewhat fun to read, Hamilton clearly writes well, but I don’t consider this a great showcase of her writing. (I would recommend her Until Lambs Become Lions series) The ending is somewhat awkward, which I wouldn’t have minded if there weren’t clearly other ways of fixing their problems. With a prohibition-era backdrop, there is genuine potential for this story and that I just think it doesn’t reach its fullest potential.
As the daughter of an Earl and fast approaching her 25th birthday, Lady Harriet Cunningham finds herself in a New York speakeasy when she should be finding a husband. That is until she sets sights on Rosalie Smith, a beautiful woman with a voice that blew her away. And now, she must decide between expectations or her growing feelings for Rosalie without ruining her family name.
Of Trust & Heart was highly disappointing. I personally found it boring, which hurts me to say considering I have enjoyed the author’s previous works a lot. Concept-wise, this story had a lot of potential to be a passionate and emotional tale, but its execution left it feeling messing and underwhelming.
Lady Harriet is sent to New York by her family in order to find a husband, despite knowing that Harriet is a lesbian. Aware of her predicament, Harriet finds solace in her cousin Charlie, a closeted gay man. Together, they bond over their inability to feel comfortable in their surroundings truly. Here, Charlie invites Harriet to a speakeasy hidden within a bookstore. One last night she promised herself before finding a man to settle down with. And when she meets singer Rosalie, her plans fall apart.
The main reason why I couldn’t really invest myself into the romance is that there’s nothing there to really root for. Harriet and Rosalie exchange mere words, Rosalie writes a song about her and then we are told how utterly in love Harriet is. I was expecting more from the two, interactions, inner thoughts, development, anything! Harriet spent more time with her suitors than she did with Rosalie.
Everything was extremely flat, and the story failed to rise to the tension and conflict occurring within the story. The people, the locations and actions felt so impersonal and empty.
Despite my negativity, it was a quick read and somewhat fun to read, Hamilton clearly writes well, but I don’t consider this a great showcase of her writing. (I would recommend her Until Lambs Become Lions series) The ending is somewhat awkward, which I wouldn’t have minded if there weren’t clearly other ways of fixing their problems. With a prohibition-era backdrop, there is genuine potential for this story and that I just think it doesn’t reach its fullest potential.
richieeeee's review
2.0
sometimes for the sake of true love you must [looks at notes] marry your cousin ????
kats_bookish_opinions's review
4.0
Okay this book is a short, sweet, and sometimes slightly painful book. I won’t get into any spoilers but this book takes places in Prohibition Era, New York.
So as a piece of queer historical fiction it gets into LGBTQ history and deals with ideas like the conflicts of familial duty vs love, societal standards vs being yourself, and all that jazz. (There’s literal jazz too)
Charlotte Anne Hamilton’s writing is also absolutely beautiful, and some of the scenes she writes are just, so, so wonderfully done. It has the trope of meeting eyes across the room and falling in love, which I absolutely ate up.
My favorite part about the book though was the letters that are interspersed throughout the book as reading them felt like I really was living through their era and their love.
I really enjoyed this one and if you’re looking for a sapphic historical fiction, I’d totally point you towards this one! There’s also ace, aro, Pan, bi, and gay rep here! I personally only feel qualified to judge the Pan rep, Charlie, my pure Pan baby, has my whole heart.
So as a piece of queer historical fiction it gets into LGBTQ history and deals with ideas like the conflicts of familial duty vs love, societal standards vs being yourself, and all that jazz. (There’s literal jazz too)
Charlotte Anne Hamilton’s writing is also absolutely beautiful, and some of the scenes she writes are just, so, so wonderfully done. It has the trope of meeting eyes across the room and falling in love, which I absolutely ate up.
My favorite part about the book though was the letters that are interspersed throughout the book as reading them felt like I really was living through their era and their love.
I really enjoyed this one and if you’re looking for a sapphic historical fiction, I’d totally point you towards this one! There’s also ace, aro, Pan, bi, and gay rep here! I personally only feel qualified to judge the Pan rep, Charlie, my pure Pan baby, has my whole heart.
peireads's review
2.0
Somewhere between a 2-2.5
It wasn't terrible, just not for me. Everything in this book was just very dramatic, from the insta-love and relationships to the conflicts, and it was at odds with the writing style, which was dull and detail oriented to the point of exhaustion.
Most of the story actually revolves around Harriet and Charlie's relationship where I would have liked more exploration of Harriet and Rosalie's relationship. I was expecting a historical romance, but it read more like historical fiction with a side of romance if that makes sense. Harriet's relationship with her family members is very sweet though and everybody was very supportive and loving.
Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It wasn't terrible, just not for me. Everything in this book was just very dramatic, from the insta-love and relationships to the conflicts, and it was at odds with the writing style, which was dull and detail oriented to the point of exhaustion.
Most of the story actually revolves around Harriet and Charlie's relationship where I would have liked more exploration of Harriet and Rosalie's relationship. I was expecting a historical romance, but it read more like historical fiction with a side of romance if that makes sense. Harriet's relationship with her family members is very sweet though and everybody was very supportive and loving.
Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
kelleenmoriarty's review
3.0
This was an enjoyable sapphic historical story! It foll0ws a Scottish heiress in the 1920s visiting family in Chicago and falling in love with a dancer at a queer underground speakeasy.
This time period was so fun, and was absolutely the most captivating part of the story for me.
It's told in single person POV, and I'm increasingly growing to understand that books with this POV are really hard for me. I didn't feel like I had any grasp on who Rosalie was, or what their love was like together, and for that reason it really didn't feel like a romance to me. At one point very late in the book it turns into an epistolary exchange for a chapter, which is the only time we get a glimpse into Rosalie's mind at all, and I really found myself hungering for more of that. There also didn't seem to be much of a conflict between the two; there was very little in the way of them falling in love. The story did feel grown up to me and the heroines are 24, so I'm also unsure why it's labeled as New Adult.
There was some really wonderful queer representation all throughout, including a heartbreaking and charming interracial secondary romance between two men. I really enjoyed myself while reading, and was so transfixed by the setting of the novel, I just really wouldn't call this a ROMANCE novel, so it didn't meet my expectations in the romance department.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC.
CW: Death of a parent
This time period was so fun, and was absolutely the most captivating part of the story for me.
It's told in single person POV, and I'm increasingly growing to understand that books with this POV are really hard for me. I didn't feel like I had any grasp on who Rosalie was, or what their love was like together, and for that reason it really didn't feel like a romance to me. At one point very late in the book it turns into an epistolary exchange for a chapter, which is the only time we get a glimpse into Rosalie's mind at all, and I really found myself hungering for more of that. There also didn't seem to be much of a conflict between the two; there was very little in the way of them falling in love. The story did feel grown up to me and the heroines are 24, so I'm also unsure why it's labeled as New Adult.
There was some really wonderful queer representation all throughout, including a heartbreaking and charming interracial secondary romance between two men. I really enjoyed myself while reading, and was so transfixed by the setting of the novel, I just really wouldn't call this a ROMANCE novel, so it didn't meet my expectations in the romance department.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC.
CW: Death of a parent