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magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
A delightful romantic romp, between two young men who are smart when it comes to other people, but incredibly dumb when it comes to one another. The will-they-won't-they keeps you on edge through every twist of their journey, and the book will keep you on edge until the very last page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Gaslighting
Minor: Deadnaming, War, Animal cruelty, and Suicidal thoughts
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Okay, so, by all rights I should have loved this book. It's queer, it's historical fiction, it's got angsty backstories. But I could not get in to this for the life of me.
This is one of those cases where I think it's just not for me. I cannot exactly explain why this didn't grab me, the best I can say is that I found it boring. I wasn't drawn to either Penn or Raff and so it made it hard to be interested in either point of view. By the time the story got to plot points I would have been interested in (like Penn's scars) I was 50% of the way through and I was already just reading for the sake of finishing the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
This is one of those cases where I think it's just not for me. I cannot exactly explain why this didn't grab me, the best I can say is that I found it boring. I wasn't drawn to either Penn or Raff and so it made it hard to be interested in either point of view. By the time the story got to plot points I would have been interested in (like Penn's scars) I was 50% of the way through and I was already just reading for the sake of finishing the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Animal death, Child abuse, and Classism
Moderate: Grief and Animal cruelty
Minor: Death, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts
wilybooklover's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
4.0
Most of this, I adored. How tender and caring the romance was; how charming the two leads and their siblings were. The characters were well fleshed out with distinct personalities and I loved the delicious pining in the first half of the book. I thought the author dealt with the topic of abuse thoughtfully, especially in regards to the intimate scenes. Raff's family dynamics were great; I'd love to read more about Ash or Cecily in a sequel or two.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
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
bbbeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Mills & Boon for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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 we were made to believe that Raff had been killed off. My heart was in my THROAT for those pages, waiting for the shoe to drop. Thankfully it did and all was well...
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Animal cruelty
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