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emsappho's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ctrlaltcara's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
laylareadsthings's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this. I read Stone Hearts when it was released and it was such a unique, beautiful romance with a backdrop of an overarching mystery, deeply rooted in stunning Celtic lore, that continues into this book. They are interconnected standalones and can be ready independently, but I highly recommend you start with the prequel novella to understand the background plot and timelines.
Frey and Anna’s story was so touching, and I appreciated the author not shying away from how chronic pain can impact every area of your life and relationships. These two grow together slowly and learn to push and pull when the time is right. The overarching mystery gets some nice layers in this book and new characters are introduced that really speed up the intrigue in the last 30%.
Can’t wait to read more in this world, super excited for book 3!!!
Frey and Anna’s story was so touching, and I appreciated the author not shying away from how chronic pain can impact every area of your life and relationships. These two grow together slowly and learn to push and pull when the time is right. The overarching mystery gets some nice layers in this book and new characters are introduced that really speed up the intrigue in the last 30%.
Can’t wait to read more in this world, super excited for book 3!!!
quinn_caddel's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
giuliaa_i's review
4.0
super cute romance, i’m gonna start with what i liked best and that is the characters!
anna is very relatable in her trauma and her illness. she’s just tryna get herself sorted and now she has a big himbo gargoyle who came crashing down uprooting her entire world, telling her she’s his mate and that he loves her, of course she s gonna be like wtf bro
but then she finally gets into her feelings and allows herself to be happy and taken care of
frey… my dear boi frey
himbo is exactly what this man/gargoyle/grotesque is
he just loves his woman and wants her to be happy and healthy and satisfied, but being a LITERAL monster from the 6th century makes it a bit hard
it s just so adorable how he tries to get used to the modern world and tries to understand anna
also seeing Wales represented in a book is very much soothing my soul. I live in wales and i know for a fact this place has so much to give!
now onto my criticism, which isnt even THAT bad
this was defo more of a cosy read than anything
could ve cut down about 50 pages in which anna went to work and frey just stayed home worrying and whatever
it got a bit old after the 5th time of him telling her going to work is dangerous and her telling him she will keep going
i also wish the action started sooner. there were bits and crumbs left around that in the moment kept you guessing but i then forgot about it entirely until shit went down
and when it did go down, it was very short and rushed, not much tension
all in all, great read!
anna is very relatable in her trauma and her illness. she’s just tryna get herself sorted and now she has a big himbo gargoyle who came crashing down uprooting her entire world, telling her she’s his mate and that he loves her, of course she s gonna be like wtf bro
but then she finally gets into her feelings and allows herself to be happy and taken care of
frey… my dear boi frey
himbo is exactly what this man/gargoyle/grotesque is
he just loves his woman and wants her to be happy and healthy and satisfied, but being a LITERAL monster from the 6th century makes it a bit hard
it s just so adorable how he tries to get used to the modern world and tries to understand anna
also seeing Wales represented in a book is very much soothing my soul. I live in wales and i know for a fact this place has so much to give!
now onto my criticism, which isnt even THAT bad
this was defo more of a cosy read than anything
could ve cut down about 50 pages in which anna went to work and frey just stayed home worrying and whatever
it got a bit old after the 5th time of him telling her going to work is dangerous and her telling him she will keep going
i also wish the action started sooner. there were bits and crumbs left around that in the moment kept you guessing but i then forgot about it entirely until shit went down
and when it did go down, it was very short and rushed, not much tension
all in all, great read!
myhandmadehell's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid 4 stars for this book. Honestly, it almost lost me in the first half. Anna was a tough FMC for me to get behind. She has a looooot of baggage and the whole first 50% is her hiding behind that baggage over and over again. She and Frey, her gargoyle “heartsong” (fated mate) do an awful lot of fighting early on, and it became pretty cyclical and repetitive after a bit. There was just enough of a thread of mystery about wtf is going on to keep me interested, but even that was tough. These two characters were *not* at the center of the mystery, and had no real reason to know anything for sure, so it soon felt like it was going to devolve into a loose collection of story threads that didn’t make any sense.
But when the story takes off, it takes *off*. The second half of the book sees both Anna and Frey getting their shit together, figuring out what they want to be to each other, and inadvertently landing in the dead center of the overall story. And that story is fucking dope.
I did not read the first book in this series, which may have hurt me a bit, but it also ends up explaining itself pretty well, which is nice.
Spice is 3 peppers out of 5; perhaps not quite as spicy as Halfling, but definitely a good amount of detailed spice to be had here!
But when the story takes off, it takes *off*. The second half of the book sees both Anna and Frey getting their shit together, figuring out what they want to be to each other, and inadvertently landing in the dead center of the overall story. And that story is fucking dope.
I did not read the first book in this series, which may have hurt me a bit, but it also ends up explaining itself pretty well, which is nice.
Spice is 3 peppers out of 5; perhaps not quite as spicy as Halfling, but definitely a good amount of detailed spice to be had here!
condls27's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It might have been my fault for picking this book to be my palate cleanser after the slog that was the last ZA book but I did not connect with this at all. I was mostly bored, I think this could’ve been 100 pages shorter. I liked the chronic illness rep with Anna’s migraines and Frey was sweet but the rest was meh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Sexual content
jinxei's review against another edition
5.0
In the heart of San Francisco, we meet Captain, a delightful void monster much like my BLT, the companion of Anna, a character whose life is a mosaic of modern struggles—from the all-too-familiar burden of student debt and chronic migraines to the bizarre yet unique challenge of managing a museum harboring deep secrets. Her path crosses with Frey, a gargoyle warrior who is cursed into stone, yet is still alive with the fierce hope and longing of a heart undimmed by centuries and longing to find his mate. Their connection is one that is sparked amidst chaos in the unlikeliest of meetings when Frey saves Anna, and unfolds into a journey of healing one’s trauma, discovery, and the unshakable power of fated love.
There is a perfect balance of attraction yet fear as Anna and Frey explore this bond between them. Anna’s scared soul takes time and work to heal, and, as a fellow trauma and guarded heart girlie, there’s an appreciation for not insta-love overpowering the trauma approach. However, I would be hard pressed to not instantly fall in love too between Frey’s protectiveness and care for Anna—and did I also mention not only does he purr, but he also gives Captain the love and attention he deserves? What more could you ask for?
As someone that also suffers from chronic illness, the care that is placed into the representation through Anna's character is both meticulous and validating while offering a mirror to readers who rarely see their own struggles depicted with such authenticity.
On a personal note, I love SE Wendel’s knowledge and extensive research and care put into the history used, and appreciate the The lore of the gargoyles who are bound by ancient curses and battles of will against fae adversaries provides a backdrop that's as compelling as the story's emotional core. Moments of tension and danger are deftly woven into the fabric of a narrative that, at its heart, feels like a warm embrace—a testament to the way she always delivers a cozy, low-angst atmosphere I trust and love.
‘Heartsong’ is a tender symphony of love’s healing power as hurt, humor, and the magic of finding your one true mate against all odds harmonize into a beautiful melody. It manages to be both fantastical and profoundly human, a story to give even the stoniest of hearts hope in the face of love.
There is a perfect balance of attraction yet fear as Anna and Frey explore this bond between them. Anna’s scared soul takes time and work to heal, and, as a fellow trauma and guarded heart girlie, there’s an appreciation for not insta-love overpowering the trauma approach. However, I would be hard pressed to not instantly fall in love too between Frey’s protectiveness and care for Anna—and did I also mention not only does he purr, but he also gives Captain the love and attention he deserves? What more could you ask for?
As someone that also suffers from chronic illness, the care that is placed into the representation through Anna's character is both meticulous and validating while offering a mirror to readers who rarely see their own struggles depicted with such authenticity.
On a personal note, I love SE Wendel’s knowledge and extensive research and care put into the history used, and appreciate the The lore of the gargoyles who are bound by ancient curses and battles of will against fae adversaries provides a backdrop that's as compelling as the story's emotional core. Moments of tension and danger are deftly woven into the fabric of a narrative that, at its heart, feels like a warm embrace—a testament to the way she always delivers a cozy, low-angst atmosphere I trust and love.
‘Heartsong’ is a tender symphony of love’s healing power as hurt, humor, and the magic of finding your one true mate against all odds harmonize into a beautiful melody. It manages to be both fantastical and profoundly human, a story to give even the stoniest of hearts hope in the face of love.
ialwayshaveabook's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
shellelobie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0