Diffidence and the Rift

by Amy Crook

Diffidence Obedience Atonement Smythe is a grad student who prefers to never use his full name. Ever. He's finishing a Ph.D. in Extemporaneous Magic, and his research project for his dissertation is closing the Rift between worlds that he accidentally opened when he was thirteen. Obviously, caffeine is an important part of his life.

Ergi Thusol-Von Klempt is a half-orc who works in the infamous Goblin Market, selling magical pastries to those who need them – or, in Diff's case, just want them. He's got bubblegum-pink hair, lovely lilac skin, and a smile like sunshine, at least if you ask Diff. Ergi is intrigued by his frazzled, but handsome, frequent customer.

The Goblin Market is a magical space that anyone can find if they truly need it, and most people visit once or twice if at all. Diff is there several times a week as he untangles the layered mysteries of the Rift, and has had years to develop his crush on Ergi.

In this cozy urban fantasy, Diff and Ergi find some solutions to life's problems in the Market, along with the courage to talk to each other.

Diff might even find a future beyond the Rift that has consumed over a decade of his life.

m/m romance, half-orc/human, crushes to lovers, open-door spice, found family, unusual magic, fiber arts, lots of tea, this book will make you hungry

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Cozy, Witches, Magic, Paranormal Romance

444 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2025

About the author

Amy Crook has passed straight from maiden to crone; her final form will be a cryptid that lurks in the liminal spaces, joining all the cats who reside there. They will become her feral army of spoilt, self-serving fluff beasts. Amy is aro/ace, uses she/they, and prefers textual communication. She has made friends with the house ghosts in upstate NY, and the old monster under the bed came along on the move and still holds hands with her at night.

She specializes in writing magical worlds, boys in love, delicious meals, adult communication, and happy endings. She also paints cats, crows, and other small, strange wonders. You can find more about Amy, her artwork, and her eight cats at her website.

Reviews

[Flitterkit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this was so so so very wonderful! Full of amazing characters and all the little details that make such a cozy romance. A little bit more sexy times than her usual but reasonably easy to skip those parts if they’re not your cup of tea. This will definitely be added into my regular yearly rotation of books I re-read

I got a ARC being her Patreon. Highly recommended for a bit early access and fun sketches. :)

[MyDoRyS · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story "romance" is saccharine, which is not to my taste. I like sweet stories, but not overly sweet; it is a bit over the top. The sexy times are incredibly bland, insert here, insert there, put here, put there. The relationship felt forced; it didn't develop organically. I mean, they were talking about sex on the first date....if it was a hook-up, great, but this is supposed to be a romance, or did I miss something? The dialogue is cringeworthy, especially between MC's. They talk so much about amigurumi and food, which is not the plot of the story, can't they talk about other things regularly ppl talk about? Also, you would expect that in a book trying to support same sex relationships, they would stay of generalizations overall, but they talk about other races as a whole in a negative light, which is against acceptance and respect to each person as an individual rather than as a group. I felt as if the author had 100 ideas, poorly mixed them, and sprinkled them with the word "fuck" which they constantly use. Feels disjointed and all over the place.

Based on the reviews, it might be a me thing because people seem to love it. It is not awful, just not entertaining and even for a "cozy" slice of life, which I usually love, it didn't worked for me. Hope it works for you. On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!

[Anonymous Booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved and enjoyed this book! It was an actual cozy romance with magic and academia. There is almost no angst and the main focus is the relationship between the two main characters. So I recommend this when you are in the mood for a slow paced romance with descriptions and emotions and stuff like that. I would say that the title is a bit misleading because it does not have any grand adventures but does have the adventure of life and relationships and how these awesome characters navigate this life.

[zjakkelien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 that I did not want to round up.

This is a slice-of-life type story about a guy finishing his degree and meeting his boyfriend. I enjoyed the slice- of- life bits, but I felt that the explicit sex scenes were too long. I also think that for the amount of time that was spent on the relationship, it would have been nice if the boyfriend had felt like more than a collection of cute attributes. He seems to be there so that the main character has someone to fall in love with.

[... · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is basically like one long, mellow, warm hug of a romance. Nothing particularly exciting happens plot-wise, they eat sooooooo much yummy food, and sinking into the story is almost as relaxing as it is uplifting. I just love this author's imagination, her adult-acting characters, her worlds, and all the people in them. 🥰 Absolutely lovely!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet slice of life story about a young man getting his PhD in magic and the half-orc he falls in love with. The stakes are low and the tea and pastries are tasty. If you are looking for a feel good story were happiness is the goal, you will enjoy this one.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet

3.5 stars. This was cozy, calming, and very low stress. It felt like I was on the banks of a story river, watching it wash lazily by. I enjoyed it, even if I don’t think I’d re-read. But if you like zero angst, no conflict, and super sweet protagonists, this is for you. 😊

[Bookbeard · Rating 5 out of 5]

story line: ****
main characters: *****
side characters: ****
world building: *****
editing: *****

[SmarTeaPants · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely lovely, cozy, warm hug of a book. A little slow to start or it would have made the favorites list. Looking forward to more from this author 🙂

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, charming and relaxing book. I think this will become another comfort read of mine from this author.