Scan barcode
becksgoesbookish's review against another edition
3.0
This was somehow too long and too short for all the things it was trying to do
eliezrah's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good book that touched on some tough and emotional topics. It was well written and I was fully immersed in the story. My heart went out to Sean and what he went through, and I loved seeing how he and Cooper grew together as a couple. As a Vino & Veritas book, though, I would have liked to have seen more mention of previous characters and of V&V. There was a little of both, but not enough, IMO, to make it feel as if it was part of the V&V world.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily gave my honest review.
I received an advanced copy and voluntarily gave my honest review.
jennp28's review against another edition
3.0
Super instalove soulmate stuff (I appreciate how there’s a casual convo about past lives explaining why they clicked so fast). Add in lots of past trauma and a tripod dog and you have a surprisingly heartfelt story woven around the spicy bits.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, and Car accident
colleen1011's review against another edition
4.0
I am enjoying each new addition to this series.Cooper and Sean had a wonderful story that I enjoyed.
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
5.0
Well that book freaking destroyed me. The dedication makes so much more sense now and.. as a queer denizen of the deep south.. yeah. Destroyed.
randalena's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first book by A.E. Wasp. Definitely won't be my last! I adore Cooper.
piperclover's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
3.5
Im a little torn on this. The beginning of the book sort of sold me a lie. It starts out quirky, a little silly, and with Sean putting his foot in his mouth out of naivete. Theres a lot of 4th wall breaking and "aw shucks" narration. But then I was jump scared by intense torture mentions out of nowhere and it progressively got more intense and dark regarding Sean's backstory and mental health. It feels like two separate books from the beginning half to the end half. I actually prefer the latter tone over the beginning tone but it was weird how it changed.
I enjoyed Coopers shock at Sean having a a great grandma still alive. I think southern women tend to have babies younger so for Sean, it was unremarkable but Cooper hadn't had a family at all, let alone a great grandma. The interactions between Sean and Cooper are funny. I loved the nipple play scenes and discussion about pain getting Cooper hard. The sex scenes were good and the narrator was good too except the slightly southern accent he put on for Sean wasn't my favorite.
I enjoyed Coopers shock at Sean having a a great grandma still alive. I think southern women tend to have babies younger so for Sean, it was unremarkable but Cooper hadn't had a family at all, let alone a great grandma. The interactions between Sean and Cooper are funny. I loved the nipple play scenes and discussion about pain getting Cooper hard. The sex scenes were good and the narrator was good too except the slightly southern accent he put on for Sean wasn't my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping
Sean isprofromance's review against another edition
4.0
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong is a heartbreaking story about acceptance. I imagine in the realm of MM romance there is quite a bit of focus on this theme. However, Wasp’s focus on it feels fresh in that the type of acceptance here isn’t from the outside; Heartsong focuses on the acceptance from within in a way that feels different from other MM stories.
In this book, Sean has left his hometown, intent on finding his space in the world to live as a gay man. His hometown in West Virginia isn’t diverse in its ready acceptance of him, so he leaves for Burlington Vermont to attend the university and assist his uncle’s military buddy with renovating his home.
Cooper’s life has been upended by his time in the military. An accident has left him with a disability that requires an adjustment. Even more, Cooper’s past adds a shadow to his life. When he meets Sean, these two are instantly connected even though Cooper is much older than Sean, and he worries that Sean will want to live the life of a young man once he starts attending college. As time progresses, Sean and Cooper are unable to deny their attraction, and Cooper undertakes, quite willingly, teaching Sean about living life as a gay man. However, there is a darkness in Sean that seeks to derail the life that he and Cooper are building together. Will Cooper be able to help Sean understand that living life as a gay man isn’t abnormal?
There are so many delicious layers to A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong. At its core, there is an interrogation of the idea of “normal.” Through Cooper’s characterization, Wasp looks at the “normality” of disability as Cooper struggles to find the “normal” of his new life. Prior to Sean, it’s clear that he isn’t living a life of dreams, but a life of survival. With Sean’s characterization, Wasp highlights the “abnormality” inherent to a heteronormative lifestyle, and the way that Sean’s family has inherently biased him to that world. There is great trauma in the lives of Cooper and Sean, and Wasp’s insistence on exploring it through their love story allows them, once they’ve broken the seal on their attraction, to explore these problems with their love intact. This keen storytelling assigns the meaning of Heartsong to the issues surrounding Cooper and Sean, not their love. That is foundational to this book and maintains it throughout.
If I had any criticism, it would be at how quickly Sean resolves his conflict internally. In my opinion, Wasp moves us too quickly through that. I wanted more discussion, more introspection, not easy acceptance. Even more, the ending of this book seems underwhelming emotionally, given the gravity of emotion throughout much of Heartsong.
I will say that the two final chapters of this book, Sean’s haikus and his “story,” are poignant to end the book. And also, as a writing professor myself, I ADORED Sean’s poetry professor. Her presence in this story adds more profundity to it as she asks him to explore his identity through his poetry. I would have LOVED to hear her response to his haikus.
Sean and Cooper feel special to the world of Vino & Veritas. I hope we find them in later books because their presence seems necessary to gradation of story in this world. A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong is a beautifully wrought story about love overcoming our internal conflicts and providing us with happy endings.
A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong is a heartbreaking story about acceptance. I imagine in the realm of MM romance there is quite a bit of focus on this theme. However, Wasp’s focus on it feels fresh in that the type of acceptance here isn’t from the outside; Heartsong focuses on the acceptance from within in a way that feels different from other MM stories.
In this book, Sean has left his hometown, intent on finding his space in the world to live as a gay man. His hometown in West Virginia isn’t diverse in its ready acceptance of him, so he leaves for Burlington Vermont to attend the university and assist his uncle’s military buddy with renovating his home.
Cooper’s life has been upended by his time in the military. An accident has left him with a disability that requires an adjustment. Even more, Cooper’s past adds a shadow to his life. When he meets Sean, these two are instantly connected even though Cooper is much older than Sean, and he worries that Sean will want to live the life of a young man once he starts attending college. As time progresses, Sean and Cooper are unable to deny their attraction, and Cooper undertakes, quite willingly, teaching Sean about living life as a gay man. However, there is a darkness in Sean that seeks to derail the life that he and Cooper are building together. Will Cooper be able to help Sean understand that living life as a gay man isn’t abnormal?
There are so many delicious layers to A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong. At its core, there is an interrogation of the idea of “normal.” Through Cooper’s characterization, Wasp looks at the “normality” of disability as Cooper struggles to find the “normal” of his new life. Prior to Sean, it’s clear that he isn’t living a life of dreams, but a life of survival. With Sean’s characterization, Wasp highlights the “abnormality” inherent to a heteronormative lifestyle, and the way that Sean’s family has inherently biased him to that world. There is great trauma in the lives of Cooper and Sean, and Wasp’s insistence on exploring it through their love story allows them, once they’ve broken the seal on their attraction, to explore these problems with their love intact. This keen storytelling assigns the meaning of Heartsong to the issues surrounding Cooper and Sean, not their love. That is foundational to this book and maintains it throughout.
If I had any criticism, it would be at how quickly Sean resolves his conflict internally. In my opinion, Wasp moves us too quickly through that. I wanted more discussion, more introspection, not easy acceptance. Even more, the ending of this book seems underwhelming emotionally, given the gravity of emotion throughout much of Heartsong.
I will say that the two final chapters of this book, Sean’s haikus and his “story,” are poignant to end the book. And also, as a writing professor myself, I ADORED Sean’s poetry professor. Her presence in this story adds more profundity to it as she asks him to explore his identity through his poetry. I would have LOVED to hear her response to his haikus.
Sean and Cooper feel special to the world of Vino & Veritas. I hope we find them in later books because their presence seems necessary to gradation of story in this world. A.E. Wasp’s Heartsong is a beautifully wrought story about love overcoming our internal conflicts and providing us with happy endings.