Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

This Midsummer Heart

Rate this book
Their love was once a midsummer night's dream that united elves and fae. Now these lovers turned enemies must depend on each other to survive the journey ahead.

As House leader of all fae, Titaine will do anything to avoid fading away in a world that’s lost its magic. She needs to be on the last runeship to the still-thriving city of Nox, one of the only remaining bastions for magical beings—even if it means hitching a ride with Auberon, her sworn enemy and the wicked Houselord of all elves.

He also happens to be her ex-husband.

Putting his faith in his fae servant Puk, Auberon secures one of the world’s last working runeships, swift enough to carry him across the sea before magic leaves his body completely. When Titaine asks for a meeting, Auberon’s ready to make her grovel for a place on his ship.

Instead of vindication, Auberon is served a vile trick when Puk leaves both him and Titaine stranded on the shore. If they want to get to Nox, they’ll have to work together, crossing darkened forests and the dangerous Bridge of Miracles as their magic continues to fade.

Their journey will require faith, trust, and a hope for something better. The road to Nox just might be long enough to make two former lovers fall for one another again—if they can avoid throttling each other first.

This Midsummer Heart is the fourth and final book in the Seasons of Legend series, a multi-author collection of romantic fantasy novellas designed to be read independently. Each standalone features a different season and retelling with an enemies to lovers twist. This summer tale is both a retelling and continuation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, perfect for readers who love low spice, second chance romances and epic fantasy-style journeys.

253 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2025

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

C.K. Beggan

20 books58 followers
C.K. Beggan writes portal and romantic fantasy for new and young adults, as well as paranormal romance and spicy romantic fantasy for adults. Many of her books feature chronic illness/disability or chronic pain representation. She lives in Ohio with her intrepid dog.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
9 (45%)
4 stars
9 (45%)
3 stars
2 (10%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Bess.
988 reviews
July 21, 2026
Okay, at this point, I just have to say, the whole series was amazing!
Titaine, leader of the Fetes, and Auberon, King of the Dark & Wood elves, had their chance at love.
She listened to gossip about her husband and kept her heart from him. He betrayed her by being with another woman. Their marriage, love, hearts, and trust are broken beyond repair.
Enter one quirky fae servant, Puk, and watch him turn these two on their heads!
The banter, the snark, the jabs, the adventure, the redemption, the rekindling, the forgiveness, the loss, all of it! It was such a beautiful story!
Midsummer never felt so good!
Profile Image for Shawna Z.
701 reviews7 followers
June 11, 2025
I’ve never been a big fan of A Midsummer Night’s Dream… mostly because it’s stuffed to the gills with cruel tricks and maliciousness. As I have already enjoyed each of the other tales in this mixed author series, I took a chance and picked this one up upon it’s release.

Hmmmmm. Yeah, I am still not a fan of Robin Goodfellow (Puck) no matter his reasons for what he sets in motion. Thankfully, Puck is at the start and finish but the guts belong entirely to Auberon and Titaine… but even these two one bonded don’t always stick the landing.

I’m curious about some of the choices made here by the author… we are witnessing a transformation here from one being more powerful than the other, but the dynamic begins to shift along the way as truths begin to come out and emotions re-examined. I can live with that.

But why is it Auberon that’s the damsel in distress when he’s physically stronger? So what if he has never truly had magic at his fingertips before now, but now he’s really becoming a wuss… until it’s Titaine’s turn to be severely injured and then everything seems to rewrite itself.

Maybe I am missing some subtle overtones from the original play, but I haven’t had to read it for a class for like forty years and I am not interested enough to expose myself to the original story at all.

For those who haven’t read or watched the play in ages (or have spotty memories) I feel there are a lot of plot holes in this fantasy follow-up what make no sense. The reasons for why the world is the way it is now is barely understood by those involved and we are never given a clue as to why things were tumbling one way and now seem to have changed what rules we were offered to start. The whole story is given a hope there will be happier endings to come, but we’ll be stuck writing that ending for ourselves as so much remains in limbo by the end.

It had a good idea, but it needed a much stronger scaffolding to shore up what amounts to a cross-country journey to bring this former couple back together again. The folk this whole journey is being done for us more of an afterthought, and the randomness of the same group of bandits roaming the countryside now that magic is failing just doesn’t make sense.

Here I get closer to spoilery, though I am trying to keep details as vague as I can:

Really, in two different locations they come across our lead in order to knock him out and steal from him even when in a larger city? And what’s up with the same group now suddenly over theft and now attempting an assassination? Did I miss an info dump somewhere that these bandits shifted to “take whatever we want even though we are so stupid as to be unaware that what we’re stealing is mega important for down the line” to “dang, we are tired of dealing with this character (not really, seeing as it’s most Auberon they’ve dealt with) so let’s try killing her with this nigh undefeatable fae killing weapon- oh, let’s not forget they still don’t seem to have a grasp of the properties of the stuff they are stealing”. Heck, the weapon used hadn’t been seen or hinted at before and then all but drops off the face of the planet, along with most of this gang of bandits. But not, because many of them were captured earlier, but people staring at the assassin before them somehow manage to lose the person when they go for the chase?

The story we do get is just a progression of trials these two go in to try and rekindle romance, and it feels like we’re just being dragged into random situations in order to bulk up the plot or to force it ahead.

I purchased the book, given I had Kindle points available, but I should have just borrowed it instead as I doubt I will read it again. If you’re a fan of the Bard and his cast of faerie characters maybe you’ll enjoy this one, and I hope you do. For me…. nah.
Profile Image for Rachel Wehr.
142 reviews1 follower
June 7, 2025
Absolutely love this story of second chance, star crossed lovers! C.K. Beggan takes her readers on a journey of two people who were once bonded, and now not, but who desperately, and unfortunately need each other again. Through the course of their adventure, they find that love may not be as out of reach for them, if they will just communicate and change. But with the fate of each of their people lying heavily on their shoulders, is it something they can risk?

My thoughts 💭: Titaine is a seeming fierce woman/fete, but like most women, she longs for something more. She lost a bit of herself in her previous relationship with Auberon, and she's definitely worried about going down that path again. Then there's Auberon, who never stopped loving Titaine, but is convinced they can't be together because she will never change. They're banter is spot on, and this lovers to enemies to lover vibe was exciting to read and kept the pages turning! This is the perfect book for a midsummer, quick read!

What to expect:
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨Swoony kisses only! ☺️
⚔️Action adventure! Some banditry and mention of wounds/blood.
🪄Magic is featured heavily, but as it is dying, there aren't too many spells. It's mostly glamours that are mentioned, and also an ancient magic.
Profile Image for Thoroughly Clean Indies.
148 reviews
reviewed
January 18, 2026
{243 print pages}

As these are meant to be reviews for books I would expect most people to consider 100% clean, I must preface this review by saying that this book pushes the bounds of clean for me a bit at a few points. There are a few moderate innuendos (the characters are married): “‘You had plenty of ideas about me, once.’” “‘Say the word, and I’ll hop back into that bed with you. We could use it properly.’” “And, yes, I am worried about what he’s doing with the miller’s wife right now.” “‘Those trousers could use a good washing.’ Titaine’s voice rings out behind me. ‘He will not be removing his trousers.’” In one scene when the husband’s shirt is off, he flexes his muscles in front of his wife for “optimal viewing.”

Otherwise, there are three mouth kisses, two of which have minimal description though one leaves the wife panting slightly and the other includes taste and “movements.”


Genre: Fantasy, Shakespearean continuation [of A Midsummer Night’s Dream]
Tropes: Second-chance romance, once lovers-now enemies-to-lovers, magic is fading
Setting: Magical lands
Writing style: Dual POV + 3rd in epilogue, 3rd person, present tense
Tone: Serious and humorous by turns
Character- or plot-driven: Character-driven

Other sensitive aspects:
• Previous infidelity
• 1 instance “bride to warm my bed”
• There is a scene with a little somewhat-gory detail

Favorite aspect of the book: The engaging writing

Thoughts on main characters: I really don’t know what to think of them, even after having finished the book. I’m not sure how well I understand them.

The story is essentially about communication, trust, and not allowing others’ voices to get into your head. Being wise and using caution where necessary without jumping to conclusions. Titaine allowed someone to sow doubt about Auberon’s love for her and his fidelity, leading her to do things that eventually brought about the very things she was afraid of. Auberon, in turn, allowed his love and commitment to her to weaken in response to the actions she took to protect herself. He eventually realizes aloud that if they had approached each other with their feelings and fears, they might have salvaged their relationship before it was even damaged. Both allowed their emotions — and, in Titaine’s case, grudge-driven slander and interference — to control them.

As in many books featuring beings such as fae and elves, the characters are very derisive of humans and their flaws. They talk about how bad humans are and all the things that are wrong with them. They completely ignore the fact that they actually have mostly exactly the same failings — because the reality is that human flaws come from the ability to make choices. These creatures are also capable of rational thought, so they’re really no different. It’s beyond me how they’re so oblivious:

“Silly humans. Always fighting one another over resources. But dread forms quickly in my stomach. Scarcity makes even the noblest peoples ripe for a conflict. And the scarcest resource of them all will soon be magic.” The closest thing to acknowledgement, however fleeting, that their notion of moral superiority is utter nonsense.

“But it’s not only that, is it? She could have turned me away for being a fete, just like the others. Perhaps there are a few good humans out there[…]” A little self-awarness would go a long way. She talks like violence against the other is a human issue, but both her and Auberon’s peoples treat each other just as badly — which is a core part of the story’s conflict.

“But I cannot escape the feeling that this new age of Duskhold requires me to be much harder of heart, and far more like a human than I’d ever wish to be.” Yes, life sometimes requires people to be ‘hardened.’ But toughness can take many forms. Some people can stand to be more human in such moments—more courageous; more willing to fight for life, for light, for what’s right; more willing to do what must be done.

Side note:
“As we head for the widest gap between the rows of cultivated rose bushes, I swear I hear a sob. When I look over my shoulder, a somewhat familiar woman stands at the town’s edge, handkerchief in hand as she furiously waves. The miller’s wife, crying to see Auberon leave.” This is wholly unnecessary and just plain ridiculous. What does this do for the story?

Favorite Quotations:
• “I know Titaine’s heart,” I say, “and it is cold, and obstinate. The only person who ever had Titaine’s heart is Titaine herself.” “Peculiar, isn’t it? I think she’d say the same about you.”
• As I meet Titaine on the path, she is as ethereal and golden as ever, just as on that day when I first beheld her on the road through the woods, looking like another ray of sunshine filtering through the boughs.
• There is nothing that will stop your heart faster than an astonishingly beautiful woman looking at you like you’re a dimwitted toad idling in a cart wheel’s path.
• “And you say I think I’m better than everyone,” she mutters. “Just so you know, I can hear you.” No matter how ridiculously loud the insects and birds are out in these country fields. Honestly, it’s starting to grate on me. She tips her head back, smiling sweetly. “I know you can.”
• “Don’t ever turn your back on Vargus the Pillager.” “Charming nickname,” I grind out, baring my teeth. “Did your mother give it to you?”
• A force so large they’re practically light cavalry races out of the town, hollering war cries as they ride.
• “...fools know no other way than to play fools’ games[...]”
• “There is so much more to life than brute strength.”
• His back was straight as the honed edge of a blade.
• Now, my body is tired, aching, and as broken as my spirit.
• I can only picture the way the street lights up from candles in every household’s window, a thing the people of this city do for every poor soul who wanders through the city gates too late for their safety.
• “I think I misheard.” “You didn’t.” “No, I’m sure of it.” [Titaine] narrows her eyes. “Be less sure.”


(I received a free ARC of this book from the author and am gratefully—voluntarily—leaving a review.)
Profile Image for Sara.
744 reviews53 followers
June 11, 2025
This Midsummer Heart by C K Beggan
🧡 Fading magic
🧡 Fae and elves
🧡 Lovers to enemies
🧡 Faith and trust
🧡 Swoony romance, just kisses (no spice)
Genre: Fantasy romance
Inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. If Titaine and Auberon want to get to Nox, they’ll have to work together, crossing darkened forests and the dangerous Bridge of Miracles as their magic continues to fade...
Rather different than the usual fantasy romance, Titaine and Auberon were once a couple leading the fae and elven peoples together, but when this tale begins they've been separated for the last five years. So it focuses on second chances and past mistakes and finding love again. I think at my stage in life I prefer the more typcial "new love" stories but this was different for a change. That ending was more dramatic than I expected!
Standalone in the Seasons of Legend series
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Christina (Boupie).
146 reviews18 followers
June 9, 2025
This was an incredibly fun adventure. If you like second chance, one bed, "fake" marriage troupes this is a great one. The death of magic and them finding their place in this new world was also fun. I love having older protagonists as it doesn't always have to be the younguns having the adventures. They are so sweet and I was sad when it was over.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for L KQ.
6,407 reviews28 followers
July 24, 2025
Reunite with the Past

This re-telling of a Shakespearean classic was outstanding. The dynamic between Titaine and Auberon starts with a love that suffocates them and causes them to separate. Lovers turned enemies must reunite to save magic and their people. I was enthralled with this story right from the start and could not get enough. It was clever and full of banter that took this story to another level. What an excellent read!

I am voluntarily leaving this review.
Profile Image for Ashlyn Sanders.
133 reviews4 followers
May 27, 2025
I adore this series, and I adore this book! This book has fantastic characters, world building, and a perfect plot. The pacing kept me glued to my seat, waiting to see what happened with each adventure and bump in the road. I thoroughly every aspect of this book, learning more of each character and how the world they are in, impacts every area of their lives and what they do to fight for one another.
Thank you so much for the arc!
Profile Image for Lili_Recs.
274 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2025
Never read a romance with divorce in it before. It was really interesting. I really loved their relationship and the healing that happened. I loved that by the end they had both grown, learned from their mistakes, and apologized.

Some parts were really funny 😂. Their banter was so fun to read.

Loved all the hints to A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare.

I love this series!

Read this as an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Spice - level 3 light to medium kissing
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews