What do you think?
Rate this book
Hearthkeeper
Bored and frustrated by the role society has trapped him in, Julian Sharpe searches for any way to break the tedium. But when he’s blackmailed by the Gallevan Intelligence Service into spying on his wealthy husband, Jules’ life gets a little too interesting.
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: BDSM dynamics, both healthy and unhealthy; impact play; erotic humiliation; promiscuity; cultural non-monogamy; substance abuse/dependence
Words:102893 complete
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: BDSM dynamics, both healthy and unhealthy; impact play; erotic humiliation; promiscuity; cultural non-monogamy; substance abuse/dependence
Words:102893 complete
309 pages, ebook
First published July 11, 2015
5 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Cordelia Kingsbridge
32 books1,232 followersCordelia Kingsbridge has a master's degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!
Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 4, 2023
Y'all, this author can write. Pretty much everything that shouldn’t have worked for me, did.
This is an M/M novel, but it’s not a Romance™. (For all my peeps out there, and you know who you are, never fear — there’s still sex!) The mystery wasn’t terribly mysterious, but it was a nice background plot that kept things interesting. However, it wasn’t the most important story arc — that was definitely the evolution of our main character, Jules.
I tire of reading about saintly characters without any real flaws. They’re a dime a dozen, and they often ruin a book for me. I get seriously excited when I find a new gem of an author, one who knows how to build a complex personality that I don’t even always LIKE but still find myself rooting for. Someone who is realistic, who reacts in the self-preserving way you or I might in a similar situation... imperfect and believable. Julian (Jules) was that kind of character. And even some of the SCs were likewise nuanced.
Beyond all of that exquisiteness, the allegory that Kingsbridge developed in this story had me making NOISES while I read. Sometimes snorts, sometimes exclamations, sometimes laughter... although a lot of it hit way too close to home to be terribly funny. In the world of Hearthkeeper, relationship “roles” of breadwinner vs. homemaker were based on birth order. And the author did a fabulous job of highlighting the arbitrary and unequal nature of such assignments, no matter the societal rule it’s based on. Ahem.
I am a spoiler hater, so I think it’s best not to go into the elements that might have made me hesitant if I had known about them in advance. If you are looking for romance, give this one a pass because you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re up for a great novel (still with M/M stuff 😉), trust Kingsbridge and dive in!
This is an M/M novel, but it’s not a Romance™. (For all my peeps out there, and you know who you are, never fear — there’s still sex!) The mystery wasn’t terribly mysterious, but it was a nice background plot that kept things interesting. However, it wasn’t the most important story arc — that was definitely the evolution of our main character, Jules.
I tire of reading about saintly characters without any real flaws. They’re a dime a dozen, and they often ruin a book for me. I get seriously excited when I find a new gem of an author, one who knows how to build a complex personality that I don’t even always LIKE but still find myself rooting for. Someone who is realistic, who reacts in the self-preserving way you or I might in a similar situation... imperfect and believable. Julian (Jules) was that kind of character. And even some of the SCs were likewise nuanced.
Beyond all of that exquisiteness, the allegory that Kingsbridge developed in this story had me making NOISES while I read. Sometimes snorts, sometimes exclamations, sometimes laughter... although a lot of it hit way too close to home to be terribly funny. In the world of Hearthkeeper, relationship “roles” of breadwinner vs. homemaker were based on birth order. And the author did a fabulous job of highlighting the arbitrary and unequal nature of such assignments, no matter the societal rule it’s based on. Ahem.
I am a spoiler hater, so I think it’s best not to go into the elements that might have made me hesitant if I had known about them in advance. If you are looking for romance, give this one a pass because you’ll be disappointed. But if you’re up for a great novel (still with M/M stuff 😉), trust Kingsbridge and dive in!
July 13, 2015
Another awesome 5 STAR buddy read with the Usual Suspects :)
This story had high points and hit the doldrums, too. Interesting character study for Julian, the MC. He was so isolated, self-involved and wallowing in it when he gets pulled out of it unwillingly by Keaton. Julian becomes more, more to himself, to his husband, to his family and his country by the end of it. Unfortunately, it dragged in spots and other parts you wished were more developed for a fuller picture. With better pacing and stronger world building this would have been a homerun. Still could be with editing.
Overall, entertaining if a bit inconsistent in spots.
Favorite quote:
This story had high points and hit the doldrums, too. Interesting character study for Julian, the MC. He was so isolated, self-involved and wallowing in it when he gets pulled out of it unwillingly by Keaton. Julian becomes more, more to himself, to his husband, to his family and his country by the end of it. Unfortunately, it dragged in spots and other parts you wished were more developed for a fuller picture. With better pacing and stronger world building this would have been a homerun. Still could be with editing.
Overall, entertaining if a bit inconsistent in spots.
Favorite quote:
“I don’t need further proof of your capabilities,” Keaton said. “You’re the one who needs convincing.”
March 25, 2022
Mar 24, 2022 - Coincidently, it’s six years to the day from my first read. If possible, I enjoyed it even more the second time around. Fucking insanely entertaining! I could not recommend this more highly.
Mar 24, 2016 - Enjoyable beyond words. L-O-V-E-D it!
Mar 24, 2016 - Enjoyable beyond words. L-O-V-E-D it!
October 15, 2015
An excellent AU from Cordelia Kingsbridge with some great world building. 'Hearthlighters' are firstborns and considered superior to their spouses, the 'Hearthkeepers.' Jules doesn't fit the mould for a hearthkeeper and wishes for more fulfillment in his pampered privileged life. This comes in the form of Keaton, a GIS agent, who blackmails him into spying on his husband Henry.
November 21, 2018
Whew, this was fun!! A special thank you to the person who gifted me a copy of this since it's been pulled from archive of our own. You know who you are!!! 😘
I didn't know where this was going and I will admit to having my doubts, but it was great. Nothing is like it seems, well...some things are for sure, but they didn't go the way I was expecting and that's good. Not going to give away spoilers but I think the ending was pretty satisfactory. Not a real spoiler:
I didn't know where this was going and I will admit to having my doubts, but it was great. Nothing is like it seems, well...some things are for sure, but they didn't go the way I was expecting and that's good. Not going to give away spoilers but I think the ending was pretty satisfactory. Not a real spoiler:
Want to read
April 22, 2015Not started yet, will do asap ;)
July 13, 2015
Strong elements, but a bit inconsistent overall. Big thanks to my weekly BR group of awesomeness.
April 28, 2024
Reread April 2024: Didn't grip me as much as it used to, but still very enjoyable read. The bleakness of the base situation of this "alternative sexism" (not sure what else to call it) world hit me much harder this time, though the hints of how Jules's life will change in the future are enough to make it feel hopeful.
Original review October 2019: Most of my friends already know how freaking much I love this book because I literally can't shut up about it. I've reread this a lot and I'll definitely keep rereading this in the coming years.
I don't know exactly why this is one of my absolute favourites.
In fact I can totally see why this would be a total miss for many people: the premise is weird at best and problematic at worst, the likeability of the characters is questionable, the ending -while not bad- isn't traditionally happy, ... the list goes on.
I'm going to try to pin down at lest part of why I love Hearthkeeper so much:
The story and world of Hearthkeeper is so deeply layered that I'm not sure how much I can truly say without spoiling.
Here's the basic gist:
Jules is utterly trapped in his life by an unhappy marriage and the social role society put him in. Sex and drugs are his only way to cope, but then he is approached by the secret service and blackmailed into spying on his husband who is supposedly in league with terrorists, and his life takes an unexpected turn.
There is so much to unpack here. If you dislike mild spoilers proceed with caution, though I definitely won't reveal any plot twists.
The setting is pretty crucial to the story. Hearthkeeper takes place in the country of a contemporary alternative universe that has very strict social roles. Instead of gender assigning those roles they are dependent on birth order: Older siblings are Hearthlighters = supposedly dominant, leaders, breadwinner of the family, etc, and younger siblings are Hearthkeepers = supposedly submissive, caring, nurturing, stay at home and raise the children.
Sounds kinda familiar, right?
Hearthkeepers furthermore barely get higher education (since they "don't need" it because they are "only" taking care of the children anyways amirite), are expected to marry when done with school, and are almost 100% dependent on their Hearthlighter spouses. They can't own property, open a bank account, hold a drivers license, get a job, etc without their spouse's agreement, and Heartlighters are legally allowed to "discipline" them.
Doesn't sound appealing, I know, it's utter bullshit, but please bear with me.
These roles, rules, dynamics and laws, while the sadly the norm, are frequently challenged in conversations throughout the book and definitely portrayed as what they are: ridiculous.
Jules is a Hearthkeeper and he thus is utterly trapped in his own life. Since he's also patrician, aka High Society (as opposed to plebian), the rules of social life are even more suffocating and his only ways of coping are drugs and rough sex with anyone he can get his hands on.
Fun fact about the world-building here: the culture of Hearthkeepers and Hearthlighters is non-monogamous. Sex outside of marriage is common and considered normal, though one is expected to be discrete about it.
One of my favourite things about the book was the work Jules does with the secret service. This is mostly due to Jules himself: he is a master at manipulation, reading situations and playing people. Reading about how he twists conversations, skews other's perception of him just so and gets the desired effect was absolutely exhilarating and fascinating.
It also ties in well with what Keaton, the secret service agent who approaches Jules, teaches him about fieldwork and the "missions" the two of them do together. To go briefly into the main character's interactions: Keaton and Jules's relationship undergoes many changes throughout the book, and I loved their banter at all points.
To manipulate people, Jules deliberately uses not only his sex appeal (and he is a very sexual person) but also his status as Hearthkeeper, and uses his being perceived as weaker, less educated, needing guidance, etc, to turn situations in his favor not only for his spying but in his daily life.
Another facet to this is that Jules is, in fact, sexually submissive. The frequent explicit sexual scenes often involve elements of BDSM, and not always in a safe or healthy way, though Jules does not get harmed by it at any point in the book.
Aside from sex, Jules also takes drugs to cope, mainly alcohol and various hospital-grade narcotics. He's an addict (which he has kept secret from everyone for over a year) and on something-or-other for large portions of the book, and he goes through withdrawal symptoms at several points. His substance-abuse is a present topic if not a main one, and I want to mention that he goes into recovery eventually.
One of my favourite characters in the book is Henry, Jules's husband. Despite how it may seem, Henry is the biggest sweetheart and absolutely in love with Jules and would do anything to make Jules happy. He's so earnest it's almost painful.
But didn't I say earlier that Henry is accused of working with terrorists and that Jules is unhappy in his marriage? Yes, all of that is true, but it's also true that Henry is the sweetest guy in the entire book. How can that be? ....circumstances.
Obviously it makes the most sense when you read the book.
Henry is twice Jules's age (Jules is 25 and Henry in his early fifties) and has two adult children from a previous marriage.
Earlier I mentioned that Hearthkeeper doesn't have a traditionally happy ending.
This is not a romance novel, and it's not a book about escaping society's norms. Instead, it's a book about finding a purpose, about taking the boulders the world throws at you and breaking them into parts small enough to fight with, about making the best of your situation and natural skills and not feel guilty about survival.
I know there will never be a sequel, and while there would be material and setup for one it's also more than enough to vividly imagine the positive and hopeful future that's in store for Jules.
To conclude a bit more objectively: Hearthkeeper is an exciting, fast paced book with a gripping and thrilling plot, many twists and turns, sarcasting and funny banter and very complex characters.
Content warnings include: substance abuse and addiction, faphobic language, violence, healthy and unhealthy BDSM dynamics (impact play, humiliation), sex while inebriated/high, blackmail, sexual harassment; mentions of rape, domestic abuse, human trafficing, forced prostitution.
Original review October 2019: Most of my friends already know how freaking much I love this book because I literally can't shut up about it. I've reread this a lot and I'll definitely keep rereading this in the coming years.
I don't know exactly why this is one of my absolute favourites.
In fact I can totally see why this would be a total miss for many people: the premise is weird at best and problematic at worst, the likeability of the characters is questionable, the ending -while not bad- isn't traditionally happy, ... the list goes on.
I'm going to try to pin down at lest part of why I love Hearthkeeper so much:
The story and world of Hearthkeeper is so deeply layered that I'm not sure how much I can truly say without spoiling.
Here's the basic gist:
Jules is utterly trapped in his life by an unhappy marriage and the social role society put him in. Sex and drugs are his only way to cope, but then he is approached by the secret service and blackmailed into spying on his husband who is supposedly in league with terrorists, and his life takes an unexpected turn.
There is so much to unpack here. If you dislike mild spoilers proceed with caution, though I definitely won't reveal any plot twists.
The setting is pretty crucial to the story. Hearthkeeper takes place in the country of a contemporary alternative universe that has very strict social roles. Instead of gender assigning those roles they are dependent on birth order: Older siblings are Hearthlighters = supposedly dominant, leaders, breadwinner of the family, etc, and younger siblings are Hearthkeepers = supposedly submissive, caring, nurturing, stay at home and raise the children.
Sounds kinda familiar, right?
Hearthkeepers furthermore barely get higher education (since they "don't need" it because they are "only" taking care of the children anyways amirite), are expected to marry when done with school, and are almost 100% dependent on their Hearthlighter spouses. They can't own property, open a bank account, hold a drivers license, get a job, etc without their spouse's agreement, and Heartlighters are legally allowed to "discipline" them.
Doesn't sound appealing, I know, it's utter bullshit, but please bear with me.
These roles, rules, dynamics and laws, while the sadly the norm, are frequently challenged in conversations throughout the book and definitely portrayed as what they are: ridiculous.
Jules is a Hearthkeeper and he thus is utterly trapped in his own life. Since he's also patrician, aka High Society (as opposed to plebian), the rules of social life are even more suffocating and his only ways of coping are drugs and rough sex with anyone he can get his hands on.
Fun fact about the world-building here: the culture of Hearthkeepers and Hearthlighters is non-monogamous. Sex outside of marriage is common and considered normal, though one is expected to be discrete about it.
One of my favourite things about the book was the work Jules does with the secret service. This is mostly due to Jules himself: he is a master at manipulation, reading situations and playing people. Reading about how he twists conversations, skews other's perception of him just so and gets the desired effect was absolutely exhilarating and fascinating.
It also ties in well with what Keaton, the secret service agent who approaches Jules, teaches him about fieldwork and the "missions" the two of them do together. To go briefly into the main character's interactions: Keaton and Jules's relationship undergoes many changes throughout the book, and I loved their banter at all points.
To manipulate people, Jules deliberately uses not only his sex appeal (and he is a very sexual person) but also his status as Hearthkeeper, and uses his being perceived as weaker, less educated, needing guidance, etc, to turn situations in his favor not only for his spying but in his daily life.
Another facet to this is that Jules is, in fact, sexually submissive. The frequent explicit sexual scenes often involve elements of BDSM, and not always in a safe or healthy way, though Jules does not get harmed by it at any point in the book.
Aside from sex, Jules also takes drugs to cope, mainly alcohol and various hospital-grade narcotics. He's an addict (which he has kept secret from everyone for over a year) and on something-or-other for large portions of the book, and he goes through withdrawal symptoms at several points. His substance-abuse is a present topic if not a main one, and I want to mention that he goes into recovery eventually.
One of my favourite characters in the book is Henry, Jules's husband. Despite how it may seem, Henry is the biggest sweetheart and absolutely in love with Jules and would do anything to make Jules happy. He's so earnest it's almost painful.
But didn't I say earlier that Henry is accused of working with terrorists and that Jules is unhappy in his marriage? Yes, all of that is true, but it's also true that Henry is the sweetest guy in the entire book. How can that be? ....circumstances.
Obviously it makes the most sense when you read the book.
Henry is twice Jules's age (Jules is 25 and Henry in his early fifties) and has two adult children from a previous marriage.
Earlier I mentioned that Hearthkeeper doesn't have a traditionally happy ending.
This is not a romance novel, and it's not a book about escaping society's norms. Instead, it's a book about finding a purpose, about taking the boulders the world throws at you and breaking them into parts small enough to fight with, about making the best of your situation and natural skills and not feel guilty about survival.
I know there will never be a sequel, and while there would be material and setup for one it's also more than enough to vividly imagine the positive and hopeful future that's in store for Jules.
To conclude a bit more objectively: Hearthkeeper is an exciting, fast paced book with a gripping and thrilling plot, many twists and turns, sarcasting and funny banter and very complex characters.
Content warnings include: substance abuse and addiction, faphobic language, violence, healthy and unhealthy BDSM dynamics (impact play, humiliation), sex while inebriated/high, blackmail, sexual harassment; mentions of rape, domestic abuse, human trafficing, forced prostitution.
Read
February 8, 20152/7/15:
So, this is a free, online WIP. First installment is 2 chapters and we're intro'd to the MC's Julian (Jules) and his hubby, Henry. They are married and live in a flashy penthouse with Henry's daughter Cecilia.
This is supposed to be a modern-day AU and the only indication (so far) of this is the total acceptance of same-sex marriage. And the mystery of the 'heart lighter' vs. 'hearthkeeper' dynamic.
(updates on a weekly basis; rating withheld for now)
July 13, 2015
This free original online fic is now complete. Loved finding a new chapter every week, and getting caught up in Jules double life (well, really a double, double life).
He's one smart cookie, but such a flawed damaged one too. The world-building here is detailed and explains clearly why Jules has the issues he does.
Loved Keaton. Loved how it ended. Loved it all.
He's one smart cookie, but such a flawed damaged one too. The world-building here is detailed and explains clearly why Jules has the issues he does.
Loved Keaton. Loved how it ended. Loved it all.
August 12, 2018
Well, this was... interesting.
If you are in the mood for a fluffy romance (tm) don't read this book. There is a lot of cheating and promiscuity going on so if that is a no-no - don't go there. The characters, and I mean all the characters are morally ambiguous but all the more interesting for it.
This is set in an alternative universe where roles in society are not defined by gender but by birth order. There are hearthlighters and hearthkeepers and no matter what their gender or their sexual orientation, hearthlighters (first born children) are supposed to be dominant and hearthkeepers (second born children) are supposed to be submissive. One of the interesting things about this book is that it highlights the fact that sexual submission and being submissive outside the bedroom are two different things that can be aligned but don't have to be. The narrator is a male hearthkeeper (which is basically the equivalent of a 1950's society house-wife) and he is - let's say he is discontented so his whole life is basically one sophisticatedly set-up subterfuge. So of course (say it with me OF COURSE) he is recruited as a spy.
So, the book is very cleverly done. It is. I appreciated it a lot. It's also highly entertaining.
All my second, third and fourth thoughts are about whether my initial appreciation of this world where gender apparently is not an issue isn't kind of compromised by a) the fact that the author felt the need to choose a male protagonist to make this more believable or b) the fact that I might be projecting this on the author... And what does that say about me?
Anyhow, good book, it's free, read it.
If you are in the mood for a fluffy romance (tm) don't read this book. There is a lot of cheating and promiscuity going on so if that is a no-no - don't go there. The characters, and I mean all the characters are morally ambiguous but all the more interesting for it.
This is set in an alternative universe where roles in society are not defined by gender but by birth order. There are hearthlighters and hearthkeepers and no matter what their gender or their sexual orientation, hearthlighters (first born children) are supposed to be dominant and hearthkeepers (second born children) are supposed to be submissive. One of the interesting things about this book is that it highlights the fact that sexual submission and being submissive outside the bedroom are two different things that can be aligned but don't have to be. The narrator is a male hearthkeeper (which is basically the equivalent of a 1950's society house-wife) and he is - let's say he is discontented so his whole life is basically one sophisticatedly set-up subterfuge. So of course (say it with me OF COURSE) he is recruited as a spy.
So, the book is very cleverly done. It is. I appreciated it a lot. It's also highly entertaining.
All my second, third and fourth thoughts are about whether my initial appreciation of this world where gender apparently is not an issue isn't kind of compromised by a) the fact that the author felt the need to choose a male protagonist to make this more believable or b) the fact that I might be projecting this on the author... And what does that say about me?
Anyhow, good book, it's free, read it.
May 12, 2020
Reread! A perfect book for my commute and it definitely helped me keep my mind off of things, even if for just a little while. This is one of my favorite books from the author; I enjoyed and loved all of her works, but this one - even with some minor problems - was the most unique one of them all. I'd love to see this reworked into a published book *fingers crossed*.
***
This was definitely something different, not the author's usual romance novel, and I loved that it tackled more complex things. Yes, there was (were?) a sort of romance here, but the story focused mainly on Jules, his survival, his arguably flawed coping mechanisms in a society that treated him as someone who is somehow less, just because he wasn't a firstborn. This was character-study at its finest, and I loved every second of it. I could definitely see this free read turned into a published novel, with a few tweaks it would be absolutely perfect.
I found the world-building a bit shaky, and if it were an edited, published novel, it would have definitely bothered me more, but since it was a free read, I couldn't exactly fault it for that. It was still inherently better than most of the haphazardly concocted worlds some officially published books present, let's just say that. The writing style, the humor, the characters were all amazing, but that's sort of a given; Cordelia Kingsbridge could write a fucking cookbook (no pun intended) and I would jump on that shit the minute it came out.
A fast, action-packed, hot-as-hell read, a great way to start this new year!
***
This was definitely something different, not the author's usual romance novel, and I loved that it tackled more complex things. Yes, there was (were?) a sort of romance here, but the story focused mainly on Jules, his survival, his arguably flawed coping mechanisms in a society that treated him as someone who is somehow less, just because he wasn't a firstborn. This was character-study at its finest, and I loved every second of it. I could definitely see this free read turned into a published novel, with a few tweaks it would be absolutely perfect.
I found the world-building a bit shaky, and if it were an edited, published novel, it would have definitely bothered me more, but since it was a free read, I couldn't exactly fault it for that. It was still inherently better than most of the haphazardly concocted worlds some officially published books present, let's just say that. The writing style, the humor, the characters were all amazing, but that's sort of a given; Cordelia Kingsbridge could write a fucking cookbook (no pun intended) and I would jump on that shit the minute it came out.
A fast, action-packed, hot-as-hell read, a great way to start this new year!
August 2, 2015
Wow. This blew my mind. I thought I wouldn't like it because it wasn't a romance, turns out I liked it a lot exactly for that reason (although there's plenty of sex, if that concerns you, and it's really hot. JFYI) A gender/role questioning alternate world in which is not sex but birth order that defines one's role in society. The firstborns are leaders, the younger children followers, hearthkeepers. Jules is a young hearthkeeper, completely despairing with his role and the general emptiness of his existence and, by the time we meet him, so far down his spiral of self-destruction all it would take would be a good shove. But he gets shoved the other way by an agent pursuing criminal charges against his husband.
It's often in the craziest situations that we find our true mettle, and Jules barely resists before plunging headfirst into espionage. One can't blame him, when the man asking is the first person to truly see him for who he is: someone too capable to be limited to the role of housekeeper/event organizer the combination of his Patrician background and heartkeeper status demand he take. Agent Keaton has had Jules under surveillance for months and has enough to blackmail him into helping, but his strongest argument is one Julian will willingly believe: that he is a natural spy, a born manipulator who has been wasting his abilities on his social circle.
It's often in the craziest situations that we find our true mettle, and Jules barely resists before plunging headfirst into espionage. One can't blame him, when the man asking is the first person to truly see him for who he is: someone too capable to be limited to the role of housekeeper/event organizer the combination of his Patrician background and heartkeeper status demand he take. Agent Keaton has had Jules under surveillance for months and has enough to blackmail him into helping, but his strongest argument is one Julian will willingly believe: that he is a natural spy, a born manipulator who has been wasting his abilities on his social circle.
July 23, 2015
I love the universe the author has created. There is an immediate emotional connection to the main character. There's plot and hot sex in just the right amounts.
I wasn't sure if Henry was guilty or not until the very end; I like when an author can keep me guessing.
I wasn't sure if Henry was guilty or not until the very end; I like when an author can keep me guessing.
October 10, 2016
Well.... I loved this book until the ending, although I do think that it was the best way to go. I just thought the book would go in a different direction.
I love Cordelia's writing and her stories and I just bought her new published book. Can't wait to start that one.
I love Cordelia's writing and her stories and I just bought her new published book. Can't wait to start that one.
March 4, 2023
I just LOVE EVERYTHING Cordelia Kingsbridge writes. I love her writing style, I love how her mind works.
I LOVE that Cordelia Kingsbridge isn’t stuck writing the same old story over and over again.
I LOVE how her characters are never perfect. Sometimes even the opposite. How they are never one dimensional, always feel authentic.
I LOVE how her stories are often more about sex with feelings than actual romance. I think that’s part of why I like her early unpublished stories even more than her published books. (The Boston Verse is still one of my absolute all time favourites in the world. Not only is it just stupidly hot and hammers ALL of my buttons so hard someday I’m gonna pass out from it, but it’s this perfect thing, this sex with feelings without venturing too much into hearts and flowers and monogamy and god forbid marriage proposals). That’s a thing she excels at. AND I JUST CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THAT!
We need more m/m books that aren’t just this same old same old strictly monogamous romance happy ever after stuff. You know, everyone doesn’t always have to be crazily in love with their “one” person. Sometimes you just have really great sex with someone you like. Or more than one.
Hearthkeeper has all that and more. It juggled so many different relationships and each one was very unique. And even though the mystery in the end wasn’t all that surprising I enjoyed the whole book immensely. The storytelling was superb, it kept shifting its focus and flowed and I never wanted it to end.
I can’t believe it’s completely unedited and just fell out of her head like that.
I really wish Cordelia Kingsbridge would keep writing. And I’m going back to rereading some other books immediately!
I LOVE that Cordelia Kingsbridge isn’t stuck writing the same old story over and over again.
I LOVE how her characters are never perfect. Sometimes even the opposite. How they are never one dimensional, always feel authentic.
I LOVE how her stories are often more about sex with feelings than actual romance. I think that’s part of why I like her early unpublished stories even more than her published books. (The Boston Verse is still one of my absolute all time favourites in the world. Not only is it just stupidly hot and hammers ALL of my buttons so hard someday I’m gonna pass out from it, but it’s this perfect thing, this sex with feelings without venturing too much into hearts and flowers and monogamy and god forbid marriage proposals). That’s a thing she excels at. AND I JUST CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THAT!
We need more m/m books that aren’t just this same old same old strictly monogamous romance happy ever after stuff. You know, everyone doesn’t always have to be crazily in love with their “one” person. Sometimes you just have really great sex with someone you like. Or more than one.
Hearthkeeper has all that and more. It juggled so many different relationships and each one was very unique. And even though the mystery in the end wasn’t all that surprising I enjoyed the whole book immensely. The storytelling was superb, it kept shifting its focus and flowed and I never wanted it to end.
I can’t believe it’s completely unedited and just fell out of her head like that.
I really wish Cordelia Kingsbridge would keep writing. And I’m going back to rereading some other books immediately!
November 11, 2018
This needs a sequel, I want more of these guys!
January 11, 2019
Interesting world-building but I hated all of the characters.
April 13, 2016
4.5 stars.
I started reading Hearthkeeper a while ago, got to the middle point and stalled. It didn't resemble the usual Cordelia Kingsbridge stories all that much, which threw me off. Well, I shouldn't have doubted one of my top-favorite authors. I guess I wasn't in the mood for this book then, because when I started it again from the beginning, I was sucked right in. It isn't your typical romance, it's more of a self-discovery story. Jules is an amazing character, so strong and smart, but stifled by the ridiculous rules of the society he's living in...he's married to a man he doesn't love, he's pressured to lead an empty, pointless existence, he's depressed and constantly drugging himself to escape his reality. When Keaton, a special agent with the Intelligence Service, pressures Jules to help him to spy on his husband and build a case against him, Jules agrees and discovers he could have a new purpose in life, a way out of the gilded cage. As the investigation goes on, Jules and Keaton bond and begin caring for each other.
I thought I knew where the story was going...but it was full of surprises, the biggest of which was
Maybe not the most perfect solution, but it was believable, and optimistic for everyone included.
I don't think the author will write a sequel, but I'd really love to read more of this universe. And there's the matter of Henry's son and Jasmene's syndicate staying afloat.
I started reading Hearthkeeper a while ago, got to the middle point and stalled. It didn't resemble the usual Cordelia Kingsbridge stories all that much, which threw me off. Well, I shouldn't have doubted one of my top-favorite authors. I guess I wasn't in the mood for this book then, because when I started it again from the beginning, I was sucked right in. It isn't your typical romance, it's more of a self-discovery story. Jules is an amazing character, so strong and smart, but stifled by the ridiculous rules of the society he's living in...he's married to a man he doesn't love, he's pressured to lead an empty, pointless existence, he's depressed and constantly drugging himself to escape his reality. When Keaton, a special agent with the Intelligence Service, pressures Jules to help him to spy on his husband and build a case against him, Jules agrees and discovers he could have a new purpose in life, a way out of the gilded cage. As the investigation goes on, Jules and Keaton bond and begin caring for each other.
I thought I knew where the story was going...but it was full of surprises, the biggest of which was
Maybe not the most perfect solution, but it was believable, and optimistic for everyone included.
I don't think the author will write a sequel, but I'd really love to read more of this universe. And there's the matter of Henry's son and Jasmene's syndicate staying afloat.
June 25, 2016
I love this author's works but this online series is just not what I like most. I love bdsm stories and those elements were excellent in Hearthkeeper. And I realise it's not a typical love story so there's not much chemistry between Henry and Jules (and that's intentional!) but the scene when they reconnected sexually - brilliant! I also liked how strong (in spite of all of his flaws) Jules is. And I think that the somewhat bitter-sweet ending suits this story perfectly. And there's a slightly ajar door at the end for it to be a sequel if the author wishes so ;)
July 11, 2015
3.8 rounded up.
I was losing interest in the last few chapters. But the last chapter wrapped things up in a way I was very satisfied with. Her endings are usually weak, but I liked where Jules ended up and being able to imagine all the things he will do now. And I like how this series started with an unlikable MC, Jules, but he gradually became the only character I rooted for and grew to really enjoy. This is probably my favorite original fic of Cordelia's after Blood Red.
I was losing interest in the last few chapters. But the last chapter wrapped things up in a way I was very satisfied with. Her endings are usually weak, but I liked where Jules ended up and being able to imagine all the things he will do now. And I like how this series started with an unlikable MC, Jules, but he gradually became the only character I rooted for and grew to really enjoy. This is probably my favorite original fic of Cordelia's after Blood Red.
July 26, 2015
I thought this book was really well written and the main characters very well realized. This book was not your typical m/m romance, but nevertheless enjoyable. I like Ms Kingbridge's writing style. The pacing is very well done and the plotting isn't formulaic.
May 13, 2016
I love this author's writing!
July 13, 2015
2.5 stars.
September 1, 2015
This story was so very fun to read! It was both light and exciting. I loved the characters and I love how my thoughts of them changed as the story evolved.
October 4, 2015
Once again great ideas, especially your lot in life being dictated by birth order. Good plot, and it not being a true romance really worked
April 16, 2016
As always, wonderful.
December 7, 2016
Reread.
Interesting read.
Interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews