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emilyveryromance's review
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I adored this gentle little love story. Benjamin is keeping his head down and living a quiet and unobtrusive life as a silversmith and devoted brother/uncle. Remembrance is running a business and fighting The Man at every opportunity, but in a very buttoned up fashion. She barely has time to consider falling in love, and she’s wounded from a long ago heartbreak, but sweet Benjamin just keeps knocking gently at the door to her heart, and she can’t turn away.
For those who have read The Companion, this is similarly soft and cozy, with less homesteading, more plot, and zero intimate scenes. It’s a buttery cookie of a story.
For those who have read The Companion, this is similarly soft and cozy, with less homesteading, more plot, and zero intimate scenes. It’s a buttery cookie of a story.
cozmyer's review
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
moneypenny96's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very good overall! Just felt like it could have been longer, a little more developed, even for a novella. Lovely though!
kalkail's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
4.75
This was a wonderfully sweet yarn I did not want to end but glad for shen the author chose to end it.
michmoo's review
This book has it all, romance, crafting, charged hand touching without gloves (gasp), and unionisation. We love to see it.
pitbulls_and_prose's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the second book I read for #TransRightsReadathon and it was an historical romance novella. The two main characters are Benjamin, a trans man who is a silversmith, and Remembrance, a bisexual woman who is a quilt maker.
I will be completely honest here, I do not usually enjoy historical romance and this unfortunately wasn’t any different. The romance felt completely out of nowhere. The characters were not well fleshed out (with an exception towards the end). Benjamin was disappointingly very one-note. I didn’t learn much about him at all. His personality seemed to entirely exist in comparison to Remembrance. Though, I did feel for him to describe how difficult his relationship was with his mother who could never understand or accept him. And how difficult it was to exist in this era as a trans man.
Remembrance was another story. I also found her quite dull until about halfway through when you see what she’s passionate about. Ending slavery! Combating racism! Worker’s rights! Fair wages for all! My girl was about to start a union for goodness sakes! She was extremely politically active and dedicated her time to help others in need. She touches on a previous relationship she’s had with a woman that seemed very intense, I wish we had gotten more backstory on that. I would read a longer story about Remembrance in a heartbeat.
topy_loving_books's review
3.0
I loved discovering about both MCs trades, a trans man being a silversmith and a cis-woman crafting quilts and embroidery for rich ladies. That's why the book cover is perfect to represent both their talents as he's creating a tea-pot for her, as a payment for quilt she's making out of clothes from his past life.
Their discussion about how to leave a mark with their work, when they don't have the possibility to let their name was really interesting and made me realized how we don't know anything about those very people now.
It reminded me of all the books which must have been best-sellers back then but past on from hand to hand, until complete deterioration, out of love. Most likely romance and fantasy books, consider not proper literature but truly loved by the mass. Compare to the prestigious boring books who survived times, because they mostly seated on bookshelves, unread and untouched.
Their discussion about how to leave a mark with their work, when they don't have the possibility to let their name was really interesting and made me realized how we don't know anything about those very people now.
It reminded me of all the books which must have been best-sellers back then but past on from hand to hand, until complete deterioration, out of love. Most likely romance and fantasy books, consider not proper literature but truly loved by the mass. Compare to the prestigious boring books who survived times, because they mostly seated on bookshelves, unread and untouched.