Scan barcode
A review by rjordan19
Honor and Desire by Rebel Carter
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from only the heroine (I think??)
More character focused or plot focused? a mix, but more character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in with the prologue
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No, but the last chapter takes place a week or so later and wraps everything up
Format: listened to bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the second generation from books 1 and 2 of the series, specifically the daughter of the characters from Heart and Hand. The family has some page time together so I think ideally getting their story would heighten your enjoyment of this story.
Basic plot:
Seylah has given up on August ever noticing her, but he perks up when she shows signs of moving on.
Give this a try if you want:
- early 1900s Western America – 1910
- Montana setting
- size difference (she’s tall but he’s taller)
- I don’t want you until I can’t have you (hero)
- childhood friends to lovers / family friend to lovers
- small town/close knit community
- working women – Seylah shuffles papers for the Sheriff’s Department but desires to be deputized
- lower steam – I could have missed some but I have this at 1 scene
Ages:
- Both are mid 20s (they are similar age and heroine is 14 in the prologue, main story is a decade later)
First line:
Seylah had never been a particularly elegant girl.
My thoughts:
I ended up enjoying a lot about this third installment to Carter’s Gold Sky series.
I liked that it was so character focused – it’s a big thing that deters me from Westerns, because I’ve read some with non stop action and I get bored. I didn’t find that here – I liked the character focus and the close community and family. I loved how August was such a concrete part of their group.
I was hoping for more angst – especially with the set up in prologue – I felt like it kind of worked out a bit too easily with August’s sudden motivation and steadfastness after the buildup of hurt and uncertainty. (I also was sad that there wasn’t a big resolution to the hurt of the prologue too)
There were some minor things that were a bit refreshing to me in this one and things that didn’t go quite like I expected. Reading romance for so many decades can definitely make some things predictable but I found myself seeing things go a bit differently than predicted in this one and I liked that!
I was hoping for a bit more steam, but it felt shorter than a lot of the other HR I have been reading lately. The audio is less than 7 hours and my usual listens are 9-11 hours.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some scenes of danger, violence, and death on page
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: My chapters might be off from the actual book because I just looked at my audible screen...(might be one off because of the intro/prologue?? I can’t recall how it counted it)
Safe sex: No
Hows the consent? It’s good!
Chapter 10 of 17 – kiss
Chapter 12 of 17 – kiss
Chapter 15 of 17 – oral for her, missionary
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from only the heroine (I think??)
More character focused or plot focused? a mix, but more character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in with the prologue
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No, but the last chapter takes place a week or so later and wraps everything up
Format: listened to bought audiobook
Should I read in order?
This is the second generation from books 1 and 2 of the series, specifically the daughter of the characters from Heart and Hand. The family has some page time together so I think ideally getting their story would heighten your enjoyment of this story.
Basic plot:
Seylah has given up on August ever noticing her, but he perks up when she shows signs of moving on.
Give this a try if you want:
- early 1900s Western America – 1910
- Montana setting
- size difference (she’s tall but he’s taller)
- I don’t want you until I can’t have you (hero)
- childhood friends to lovers / family friend to lovers
- small town/close knit community
- working women – Seylah shuffles papers for the Sheriff’s Department but desires to be deputized
- lower steam – I could have missed some but I have this at 1 scene
Ages:
- Both are mid 20s (they are similar age and heroine is 14 in the prologue, main story is a decade later)
First line:
Seylah had never been a particularly elegant girl.
My thoughts:
I ended up enjoying a lot about this third installment to Carter’s Gold Sky series.
I liked that it was so character focused – it’s a big thing that deters me from Westerns, because I’ve read some with non stop action and I get bored. I didn’t find that here – I liked the character focus and the close community and family. I loved how August was such a concrete part of their group.
I was hoping for more angst – especially with the set up in prologue – I felt like it kind of worked out a bit too easily with August’s sudden motivation and steadfastness after the buildup of hurt and uncertainty. (I also was sad that there wasn’t a big resolution to the hurt of the prologue too)
There were some minor things that were a bit refreshing to me in this one and things that didn’t go quite like I expected. Reading romance for so many decades can definitely make some things predictable but I found myself seeing things go a bit differently than predicted in this one and I liked that!
I was hoping for a bit more steam, but it felt shorter than a lot of the other HR I have been reading lately. The audio is less than 7 hours and my usual listens are 9-11 hours.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- some scenes of danger, violence, and death on page
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes: My chapters might be off from the actual book because I just looked at my audible screen...(might be one off because of the intro/prologue?? I can’t recall how it counted it)
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
Chapter 10 of 17 – kiss
Chapter 12 of 17 – kiss
Chapter 15 of 17 – oral for her, missionary