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clairew97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Sexual content, Alcohol, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders
wilybooklover's review against another edition
4.0
However, the pacing felt a bit off. There was virtually no plot for the first three quarters of the book (which I actually loved, as a big fan of 'no plot just vibes' books) and then a lot of action and drama crammed into a final act that was drawn out far too long. At times the dialogue felt a bit clunky and there were some jarring POV switches, which I'm attributing to this being a debut.
I also wish the early mediaeval setting had been explored a little more in depth. It was really just scenery for the most part and could have been set at any time pre-18th century given how little detail there is. There wasn't even a mention of the plague!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Minor: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Animal cruelty
llyfrauginger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Terminal illness, War, Chronic illness, and Confinement
bbbeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
3.75⭐️
One Night in Hartswood is a really charming, quiet, heartwarming debut. I was drawn in by the little snatches of hints about the characters' backstories, and quickly grew to love them - Raff's quiet calmness with a racing mind, and Penn's gentle, ever so broken and yet still so charming spirit.
The romance was well written, starting off as strangers who share a kiss, to a gentle friendship with wild sexual tension - I was rooting for them.
While the characters did have reasons to lie to each other about their identities, I did find myself getting a little frustrated with how long it went on for, and then the inevitable fallout it caused - but I am not a fan of the miscommunication trope in general. Their reconciliation was really sweet. And I have to say, I was really gobsmacked for a moment when
I did find that the middle of the book edged towards too slow pacing, and I found some of those parts tricky to drag myself through.
But on a whole, I really enjoyed this book. What a lovely read.
Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Animal cruelty