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The Heart of War
London, 1815
If love is war, then London’s marriage mart is a battlefield—and Helena Weston is its most cunning general. As the diamond of the season, Helena has never struggled to collect suitors. But when her father’s fortune collapses, she faces the unthinkable: marriage not as a conquest, but as survival.
Using Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as her courtship playbook, Helena has only two months to secure a husband rich enough to save her family from destitution. She selects three candidates for her scheme, including Edmond Hawke, a handsome newcomer to London with a mysterious past and an insufferable tendency to jeopardize her carefully laid plans.
With her future on the line, Helena must decide what victory truly means—and whether surrendering to love is the most strategic move of all.
If love is war, then London’s marriage mart is a battlefield—and Helena Weston is its most cunning general. As the diamond of the season, Helena has never struggled to collect suitors. But when her father’s fortune collapses, she faces the unthinkable: marriage not as a conquest, but as survival.
Using Sun Tzu’s The Art of War as her courtship playbook, Helena has only two months to secure a husband rich enough to save her family from destitution. She selects three candidates for her scheme, including Edmond Hawke, a handsome newcomer to London with a mysterious past and an insufferable tendency to jeopardize her carefully laid plans.
With her future on the line, Helena must decide what victory truly means—and whether surrendering to love is the most strategic move of all.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 7, 2026
21 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Snow
2 books39 followersOlivia Snow is an avid fantasy reader and Star Trek watcher. She lives in southern Oregon with her super wonderful husband and her two super cute boys (who look just like their father and nothing like her).
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Review of advance copy received from Author
think i'll settle on ⭐2.5 stars⭐ for now.
HONEST REVIEW IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ARC. ALL THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN.
minor spoilers incoming!
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
The Heart of War is a bridgerton-style regency romance with a dash of comedy and tension implemented through the perception of marriage & courtship as a war that must be won. it is a YA, no-spice standalone novel.
going into this one, i had high hopes because i loved bridgerton so much, and the premise really gripped me. enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and slow-burn is my top favorite trope; the author mentioned both of these would be present on her instagram. though i'd obviously kept an open mind because this is just her second book, i do have some things to say.
what i liked:
a few chapters in, i started to get accustomed to the fmc Helena's personality and her tendency for taking the initiative. Helena sees marriage as vital and starts referring to it as a war, the ton being the battlefield. i didn't know how i felt about this particularly, but Helena took it seriously most of the time and she was quite confident. she was often aided by Mrs. Sweete, possibly my favorite character out of the whole novel: Helena's chaperone. i did really like their friendship and was often smiling at how cute they were, and the way their dynamic wasn't ruined by Helena's sometimes overbearing attitude.
one thing Olivia Snow created quite well in this story was the non-romantic conflicts.
Sybella, another girl seeking for courtship and suitors, was the most nerve-wracking, attention-seeking, unbearable bitch i've ever met. actually, if i'd really met her the outcome would not have been pretty. i like how Helena handled her with enough grace and dignity, even when Sybella deserved her hairs ripped out lmao. i didn't see the end coming and was glad that it was surprising, it tied things up well.
i was upset over who Mr. Marceaux turned out to be. as a suitor, he was charismatic in the beginning and i looked forward to scenes with him. but in the end he was horrible, and he deserved worse.
where things could've been better:
unfortunately, i have more to say in this section than about what i liked.
but before i say anything at all, i want to remind everyone that i'm writing none of this with malice. i understand that writing and publishing can feel like wading through molasses, the process is not easy and NO BOOK IS PERFECT; especially not a self-published 2nd book.
so the number one thing i was upset with is probably the writing (and closely after the romance but i'll discuss it later).
throughout the book, i unfortunately found bad punctuation choices, grammatical errors and dialogue that felt wrong; all of this contributed to making the book feel unprofessional. i don't think it's right to question how much editing this book saw so i won't, but i will say that several more rounds of edits would have polished it. the writing really lacked that substance that makes it read more fluidly. also, the writing often felt incongruent with the time period and it was strange to read. it would break the narrative flow. (to add onto this, many times the characters' descriptions were really lacking and the author would describe an important character only once and very vaguely, so u wouldn't even remember them by chapter four.)
speaking of that, the narrative also lacked a strong sense of urgency. i can see that the author tried a lot but it felt mostly superficial, especially with Helena's pursuit of several different things across several different scenes which made it confusing. it was as though i could feel things not happening naturally enough. although i liked the tension/conflict with Sybella, she too felt quite superficial. the more i read, the more evident it became that Sybella didn't have a life or strong beliefs of her own outside of being the villain towards Helena: she felt like the typical blonde conceited mean girl with 0 quirks of her own. ugh.
romance:
through the marketing, this story promises a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantic arc. in return, we got . . . i don't know what to call it.
before i talk about the romance in se, i'll need to mention that Helena was too self-absorbed and arrogant for me to love her, and i wish the author would have explored that aspect a little more. at times, i seriously found her unbearable and really wanted to shout at her to just be more understanding.
then there's Edmond Hawke, a character who didn't have a clear enough voice for me to properly interpret. i didn't like the plot twist about his past because it added to his already confusing characteristics.
and the romance was so . . . formulaic ? as though they quite literally fell in love just because they shared two nice moments of conversation and the author willed them into getting together. there was simply not enough between them, and most moments w them were actually so confusing that i couldn't tell whether the author had intended to add miscommunication in here as a trope or if it came off that way by accident. either way, it wasn't done well. there was too much confusion between them, and by the end, i still couldn't pinpoint why they loved each other (more specifically why Helena loved Edmond).
war references:
this story has references from wars to highlight that Helena sees this season as a battlefield and must win, otherwise she'll be poor. she uses an ancient war book to guide her.
in my notes app as i was reading, i wrote the following:
"the reason the whole comparison to war with this story is annoying—down to the quotes near the chapter numbers—is because it's not serious enough. if i had the idea to create a regency romance with the concept of war looming ahead instead of just courtship (which is a really GOOD concept), i would make it relentless in the pursuit of the main goal. feelings would be HURT. people would be stabbed in the BACK. there would be scheming and potentially crime, passion and a killer instinct, all in the name of chasing something that will cure the burn in my character's heart. something that'll provide her peace. the only thing that'll make the pain stop. perhaps she'll fear being left alone and not provided for but it has to SHOW, it needs to be emotional and scathing. we need to literally feel it with the character. metaphors of war aren't enough to provide urgency, the fmc and mmc and the situations need to collaborate to create it. the metaphors should be used to create concord and really help accentuate. there's definitely that scheming and helena does have a killer instinct of sorts but it's not enough. for war, it has to me a lot more than enough. even her father—yes, he's a villain like sybella and hes annoying and def an OBSTACLE but like i said in the start there's not enough reflections on how much he really hurts helena in her heart (though he is REALLY horrible). so that when she's finally told she's loved, provided for and won't ever suffer she actually feels that relief n warmth so deep it almost breaks her."
hope that sums it up 🙃
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
in conclusion, these were the main and recurring problems i spotted, and the things that worked well for this story.
i already mentioned that nothing was said with malice (for there's no point in shaming a new author's 2nd book), but i wanted to repeat that and also tell the author that there is so much potential in here. this book was not bad, the concept was strong and i could see the outline of a good romance waiting to happen. it just wasn't quite there for me and that's fine, because everybody improves with experience. certainly other people have/will like this more than i do so this isn't to be taken as though im an editor, just some of my observations.
thank you again to Olivia Snow for kindly trusting me with this ARC. ❤️🫂.ᐟ
---
2.75-3 ⭐ rtc!!!
pre-read: i am so happy to say that i got the ARC for this book !! cannot wait for all the bridgerton vibes and angst im abt to get 😫😫 p.s that cover would be enough to make me purchase instantly ...
a big thank you to Olivia Snow. ❤️
HONEST REVIEW IN EXCHANGE FOR THE ARC. ALL THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN.
minor spoilers incoming!
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
The Heart of War is a bridgerton-style regency romance with a dash of comedy and tension implemented through the perception of marriage & courtship as a war that must be won. it is a YA, no-spice standalone novel.
going into this one, i had high hopes because i loved bridgerton so much, and the premise really gripped me. enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes, and slow-burn is my top favorite trope; the author mentioned both of these would be present on her instagram. though i'd obviously kept an open mind because this is just her second book, i do have some things to say.
what i liked:
a few chapters in, i started to get accustomed to the fmc Helena's personality and her tendency for taking the initiative. Helena sees marriage as vital and starts referring to it as a war, the ton being the battlefield. i didn't know how i felt about this particularly, but Helena took it seriously most of the time and she was quite confident. she was often aided by Mrs. Sweete, possibly my favorite character out of the whole novel: Helena's chaperone. i did really like their friendship and was often smiling at how cute they were, and the way their dynamic wasn't ruined by Helena's sometimes overbearing attitude.
one thing Olivia Snow created quite well in this story was the non-romantic conflicts.
Sybella, another girl seeking for courtship and suitors, was the most nerve-wracking, attention-seeking, unbearable bitch i've ever met. actually, if i'd really met her the outcome would not have been pretty. i like how Helena handled her with enough grace and dignity, even when Sybella deserved her hairs ripped out lmao. i didn't see the end coming and was glad that it was surprising, it tied things up well.
i was upset over who Mr. Marceaux turned out to be. as a suitor, he was charismatic in the beginning and i looked forward to scenes with him. but in the end he was horrible, and he deserved worse.
where things could've been better:
unfortunately, i have more to say in this section than about what i liked.
but before i say anything at all, i want to remind everyone that i'm writing none of this with malice. i understand that writing and publishing can feel like wading through molasses, the process is not easy and NO BOOK IS PERFECT; especially not a self-published 2nd book.
so the number one thing i was upset with is probably the writing (and closely after the romance but i'll discuss it later).
throughout the book, i unfortunately found bad punctuation choices, grammatical errors and dialogue that felt wrong; all of this contributed to making the book feel unprofessional. i don't think it's right to question how much editing this book saw so i won't, but i will say that several more rounds of edits would have polished it. the writing really lacked that substance that makes it read more fluidly. also, the writing often felt incongruent with the time period and it was strange to read. it would break the narrative flow. (to add onto this, many times the characters' descriptions were really lacking and the author would describe an important character only once and very vaguely, so u wouldn't even remember them by chapter four.)
speaking of that, the narrative also lacked a strong sense of urgency. i can see that the author tried a lot but it felt mostly superficial, especially with Helena's pursuit of several different things across several different scenes which made it confusing. it was as though i could feel things not happening naturally enough. although i liked the tension/conflict with Sybella, she too felt quite superficial. the more i read, the more evident it became that Sybella didn't have a life or strong beliefs of her own outside of being the villain towards Helena: she felt like the typical blonde conceited mean girl with 0 quirks of her own. ugh.
romance:
through the marketing, this story promises a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romantic arc. in return, we got . . . i don't know what to call it.
before i talk about the romance in se, i'll need to mention that Helena was too self-absorbed and arrogant for me to love her, and i wish the author would have explored that aspect a little more. at times, i seriously found her unbearable and really wanted to shout at her to just be more understanding.
then there's Edmond Hawke, a character who didn't have a clear enough voice for me to properly interpret. i didn't like the plot twist about his past because it added to his already confusing characteristics.
and the romance was so . . . formulaic ? as though they quite literally fell in love just because they shared two nice moments of conversation and the author willed them into getting together. there was simply not enough between them, and most moments w them were actually so confusing that i couldn't tell whether the author had intended to add miscommunication in here as a trope or if it came off that way by accident. either way, it wasn't done well. there was too much confusion between them, and by the end, i still couldn't pinpoint why they loved each other (more specifically why Helena loved Edmond).
war references:
this story has references from wars to highlight that Helena sees this season as a battlefield and must win, otherwise she'll be poor. she uses an ancient war book to guide her.
in my notes app as i was reading, i wrote the following:
"the reason the whole comparison to war with this story is annoying—down to the quotes near the chapter numbers—is because it's not serious enough. if i had the idea to create a regency romance with the concept of war looming ahead instead of just courtship (which is a really GOOD concept), i would make it relentless in the pursuit of the main goal. feelings would be HURT. people would be stabbed in the BACK. there would be scheming and potentially crime, passion and a killer instinct, all in the name of chasing something that will cure the burn in my character's heart. something that'll provide her peace. the only thing that'll make the pain stop. perhaps she'll fear being left alone and not provided for but it has to SHOW, it needs to be emotional and scathing. we need to literally feel it with the character. metaphors of war aren't enough to provide urgency, the fmc and mmc and the situations need to collaborate to create it. the metaphors should be used to create concord and really help accentuate. there's definitely that scheming and helena does have a killer instinct of sorts but it's not enough. for war, it has to me a lot more than enough. even her father—yes, he's a villain like sybella and hes annoying and def an OBSTACLE but like i said in the start there's not enough reflections on how much he really hurts helena in her heart (though he is REALLY horrible). so that when she's finally told she's loved, provided for and won't ever suffer she actually feels that relief n warmth so deep it almost breaks her."
hope that sums it up 🙃
· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·
in conclusion, these were the main and recurring problems i spotted, and the things that worked well for this story.
i already mentioned that nothing was said with malice (for there's no point in shaming a new author's 2nd book), but i wanted to repeat that and also tell the author that there is so much potential in here. this book was not bad, the concept was strong and i could see the outline of a good romance waiting to happen. it just wasn't quite there for me and that's fine, because everybody improves with experience. certainly other people have/will like this more than i do so this isn't to be taken as though im an editor, just some of my observations.
thank you again to Olivia Snow for kindly trusting me with this ARC. ❤️🫂.ᐟ
---
2.75-3 ⭐ rtc!!!
pre-read: i am so happy to say that i got the ARC for this book !! cannot wait for all the bridgerton vibes and angst im abt to get 😫😫 p.s that cover would be enough to make me purchase instantly ...
a big thank you to Olivia Snow. ❤️
May 2, 2026
"𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒆. 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑬𝒅𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅."
This seriously might be my new favorite regency book. 😭 It rarely left my hands, I could never part with it.
From page one and on there was never a dull moment, not once did it disappoint me! I NEVER like single pov. I always prefer to have his story too, because authors rarely seem to show his side enough in it, in my opinion. But this one didn't even need Edmond's pov. The whole book I knew what he was thinking, what he would say, it was THAT good, written that well. You could easily feel everything from him.
Helena is such a fireball and passionate about HER ways, but I still just couldn't hate her. You can feel her heartache she trys to hides, and how all she wants in life is real love. 🩷
Besides the sweetest romance I've ever read, I laughed so much! There's so much great humor, I always love that in a book.
So all that to say...I HIGHLY recommend this book, everyone has to read it! I'm already dreaming about a re-read...💭
(Book blurb in comments)
...𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅, 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒅—𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏.
*Thank you so much Olivia for the #gifted copy! I'll forever cherish it. 🩷
All opinions are my own
This seriously might be my new favorite regency book. 😭 It rarely left my hands, I could never part with it.
From page one and on there was never a dull moment, not once did it disappoint me! I NEVER like single pov. I always prefer to have his story too, because authors rarely seem to show his side enough in it, in my opinion. But this one didn't even need Edmond's pov. The whole book I knew what he was thinking, what he would say, it was THAT good, written that well. You could easily feel everything from him.
Helena is such a fireball and passionate about HER ways, but I still just couldn't hate her. You can feel her heartache she trys to hides, and how all she wants in life is real love. 🩷
Besides the sweetest romance I've ever read, I laughed so much! There's so much great humor, I always love that in a book.
So all that to say...I HIGHLY recommend this book, everyone has to read it! I'm already dreaming about a re-read...💭
(Book blurb in comments)
...𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒅, 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒅—𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒍𝒂𝒘𝒔, 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒇 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏.
*Thank you so much Olivia for the #gifted copy! I'll forever cherish it. 🩷
All opinions are my own
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was one of the ARC reviewers!
This book has the makings of a really fun rom-com regency film that you want to see adapted.
You got a female who, as a child, read Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Decides, when she becomes of eligible marrying age, to calculate her quest / attack to get a husband by using the lessons. Drastic? Extreme, even? Maybe, but not for our female lead. She is so beautiful, fiesty, that her love for the book and how she quotes it / uses it in her quest is delightful. I could see her being that woman who would go to war and absolutely become that wild, dangerous woman people would talk about that get shit done.
Our male lead is sweet, mysterious, and loves to tease her and impress her. She thinks he is imperfect for her but his way of besting her and appearing to be perfect while doing so makes her focused on making him perfect for her (to which he has no issues with).
There are some fresh bits to this too, some that are told in familiar tropes. However, because the author handles her tale so well it's not an issue at all. There is also an non-supportive parent (this time the father) who is a total irredeemable trash-bag, and the outcome with him is good.
For a new author, and one who gave us a no-spice romance, I recommend her to be added to your lists.
This book has the makings of a really fun rom-com regency film that you want to see adapted.
You got a female who, as a child, read Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Decides, when she becomes of eligible marrying age, to calculate her quest / attack to get a husband by using the lessons. Drastic? Extreme, even? Maybe, but not for our female lead. She is so beautiful, fiesty, that her love for the book and how she quotes it / uses it in her quest is delightful. I could see her being that woman who would go to war and absolutely become that wild, dangerous woman people would talk about that get shit done.
Our male lead is sweet, mysterious, and loves to tease her and impress her. She thinks he is imperfect for her but his way of besting her and appearing to be perfect while doing so makes her focused on making him perfect for her (to which he has no issues with).
There are some fresh bits to this too, some that are told in familiar tropes. However, because the author handles her tale so well it's not an issue at all. There is also an non-supportive parent (this time the father) who is a total irredeemable trash-bag, and the outcome with him is good.
For a new author, and one who gave us a no-spice romance, I recommend her to be added to your lists.
March 30, 2026
The Heart of War ARC Review!!
“You are more than just the sun that shines brilliantly; you are the warmth that nurtures life itself. You’ve brought light to places in me I thought had to remain darkened forever.”
Where do I even start?
I think this is a great story about self growth and finding love.
Helena is a character who is by no means perfect. She is fiesty, smart, knowledgeable (I mean, she uses quotes from The Art of War) and she looks good doing it. But, she has flaws. She’s stubborn, maybe a little selfish at times, and she can be a bit caught up in social standings (but so was everybody else). I think it was great to see her overcome her flaws as you read, while also healing from her past. There’s a quote from her towards the end of the book that I really love, “But perhaps I was never meant to be a diamond. Perhaps I was more like this bead—still beautiful despite its flaws, still worth cherishing even if broken.” It’s really empowering to see her start to accept herself more and stand up for herself (in certain aspects, mostly familial, because she already stood up for herself a lot)!
Edmond is sweet, awkward and a bit clumsy. He didn’t care about his reputation or a person’s status. He cared about who they are and treated everyone the same—with respect (just don’t give him a reason to change his attitude towards you 👀). He’s a hard worker and a perfect example of how we should all strive to be. And he is so smitten with Helena.
I really enjoyed reading about the regency era (if Bridgerton is your favorite show, run to preorder this book)! The plot is so fast paced and easy to follow. The writing is immersive and easy to understand. The character interactions (Mrs Sweete and Helena being one of favorites), just everything about this book is very well done. And to make it even better, there is no spice in The Heart of War! The most you will see is kissing. Perfect for YA readers!
“And with every beat of our intertwined hearts, I knew that I had secured the greatest victory of them all—love.”
“You are more than just the sun that shines brilliantly; you are the warmth that nurtures life itself. You’ve brought light to places in me I thought had to remain darkened forever.”
Where do I even start?
I think this is a great story about self growth and finding love.
Helena is a character who is by no means perfect. She is fiesty, smart, knowledgeable (I mean, she uses quotes from The Art of War) and she looks good doing it. But, she has flaws. She’s stubborn, maybe a little selfish at times, and she can be a bit caught up in social standings (but so was everybody else). I think it was great to see her overcome her flaws as you read, while also healing from her past. There’s a quote from her towards the end of the book that I really love, “But perhaps I was never meant to be a diamond. Perhaps I was more like this bead—still beautiful despite its flaws, still worth cherishing even if broken.” It’s really empowering to see her start to accept herself more and stand up for herself (in certain aspects, mostly familial, because she already stood up for herself a lot)!
Edmond is sweet, awkward and a bit clumsy. He didn’t care about his reputation or a person’s status. He cared about who they are and treated everyone the same—with respect (just don’t give him a reason to change his attitude towards you 👀). He’s a hard worker and a perfect example of how we should all strive to be. And he is so smitten with Helena.
I really enjoyed reading about the regency era (if Bridgerton is your favorite show, run to preorder this book)! The plot is so fast paced and easy to follow. The writing is immersive and easy to understand. The character interactions (Mrs Sweete and Helena being one of favorites), just everything about this book is very well done. And to make it even better, there is no spice in The Heart of War! The most you will see is kissing. Perfect for YA readers!
“And with every beat of our intertwined hearts, I knew that I had secured the greatest victory of them all—love.”
April 10, 2026
What a delightful little treasure! I found this book on IG and felt immediate adoration for the cover. It is simply stunning.
So I had to find out if the premise was up to its high standards. Right now, I'm in the mood for period romance with a touch of humor and glamour. Hence why I said this is a treasure. It is my perfect match.
As soon as the author opened up the arc review form, I was there for it!
The pace is on top. Right from the start, the stakes are clearly stated. This flawless and sought-after lady who has to go on a mission for an eligible lord to save her from ruin. Nobody in the ton should know, of course.The angle is that she's proficient in war strategy and cunning thanks to Sun tzu's book. She also has a wise chaperone and a neglecting father.
The chessboard cannot be complete without a deck of suitors, of which the most prominent and baffling is the supposed hero. Ah, Mr Hawke. What an intriguing, exasperating, mysterious gentleman you are. The author's style is elegant and with a sharp wit that is sometimes sweet and mostly sarcastic. I loved it! And Miss Helena is marvellous. So poised, smart and determined.
The poor thing, however, lays her careful plans only to be thwarted at every turn by this handsome man with his secrets and impossible manners.Every encounter with him starts with precise machinations that end in shambles. Which, of course, makes for fun and entertaining reading.
I wouldn't stop after one chapter ended, I had to keep on reading. Helena and Edmond share scene after scene filled with engaging events and lovely dialogues. They shine, actually. I loved every encounter, every misunderstanding, every plight. Lavish balls, rivalries and intrigue combine with scandals, sly strategy and tricky secrets in a romantic comedy that pans out as beautifully written as crafted.
I would read more like this any day.
So I had to find out if the premise was up to its high standards. Right now, I'm in the mood for period romance with a touch of humor and glamour. Hence why I said this is a treasure. It is my perfect match.
As soon as the author opened up the arc review form, I was there for it!
The pace is on top. Right from the start, the stakes are clearly stated. This flawless and sought-after lady who has to go on a mission for an eligible lord to save her from ruin. Nobody in the ton should know, of course.The angle is that she's proficient in war strategy and cunning thanks to Sun tzu's book. She also has a wise chaperone and a neglecting father.
The chessboard cannot be complete without a deck of suitors, of which the most prominent and baffling is the supposed hero. Ah, Mr Hawke. What an intriguing, exasperating, mysterious gentleman you are. The author's style is elegant and with a sharp wit that is sometimes sweet and mostly sarcastic. I loved it! And Miss Helena is marvellous. So poised, smart and determined.
The poor thing, however, lays her careful plans only to be thwarted at every turn by this handsome man with his secrets and impossible manners.Every encounter with him starts with precise machinations that end in shambles. Which, of course, makes for fun and entertaining reading.
I wouldn't stop after one chapter ended, I had to keep on reading. Helena and Edmond share scene after scene filled with engaging events and lovely dialogues. They shine, actually. I loved every encounter, every misunderstanding, every plight. Lavish balls, rivalries and intrigue combine with scandals, sly strategy and tricky secrets in a romantic comedy that pans out as beautifully written as crafted.
I would read more like this any day.
March 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Regency closed door romance
- Single pov
- Yearning, like YEARNING
- Literally the sweetest gifts
- Foreshadowing 👀👀 that is very well done
- The best motherly figure ever
✨ a few of my favorite things:
- hmm
- The dynamic between Helena and Mrs. Sweete
- How sweet and thoughtful Edmund is
- The ladylike but so well thought out insults. Like literally a comeback for everything
- Going back for the sheet music 👏🏻
- THE ENDING!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ahhhh okay! Where do I even start?! I absolutely loved this book. Once I got into I could not put it down. I was instantly intrigued by an encounter in the first few pages; however, our girl Helena is an acquired taste. She is so unimaginably strong willed and opinionated. She can offend you in the most sophisticated manner. She’s got a TEMPER on her and she’s not afraid to unleash it. I felt she was rash often but she was consistently herself. 😂 She beyond frustrated me because I saw the MMC floundering and I felt for the man. I honestly fell in love with her as her preconceived notions got challenged throughout the book and she had to think more critically with a less biased eye. There was genuine, sassy but genuine, reconciliation and repair which I greatly appreciated.
I laughed and squealed many times throughout this book. And I absolutely will not admit how many times because I’d be embarrassed. But this book has a very sweet and kind MMC, who despite putting his foot in his mouth CONSTANTLY is the only one who gets through to our strong willed girl. I love the redemption and character arc of Helena. I feel like she really learned her lessons deeply and profoundly.
I cannot get over their ending. I had the most massive smile on my face and was applauding Olivia for that MASSIVELY satisfying ending.
This is a closed door romance with hand flexes 👀, wet 1815s shirts, no cursing, and PERFECTLY TIMED KISSES.
**Thank you so much to Olivia for letting me read this gifted ARC. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
- Regency closed door romance
- Single pov
- Yearning, like YEARNING
- Literally the sweetest gifts
- Foreshadowing 👀👀 that is very well done
- The best motherly figure ever
✨ a few of my favorite things:
- hmm
- The dynamic between Helena and Mrs. Sweete
- How sweet and thoughtful Edmund is
- The ladylike but so well thought out insults. Like literally a comeback for everything
- Going back for the sheet music 👏🏻
- THE ENDING!!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ahhhh okay! Where do I even start?! I absolutely loved this book. Once I got into I could not put it down. I was instantly intrigued by an encounter in the first few pages; however, our girl Helena is an acquired taste. She is so unimaginably strong willed and opinionated. She can offend you in the most sophisticated manner. She’s got a TEMPER on her and she’s not afraid to unleash it. I felt she was rash often but she was consistently herself. 😂 She beyond frustrated me because I saw the MMC floundering and I felt for the man. I honestly fell in love with her as her preconceived notions got challenged throughout the book and she had to think more critically with a less biased eye. There was genuine, sassy but genuine, reconciliation and repair which I greatly appreciated.
I laughed and squealed many times throughout this book. And I absolutely will not admit how many times because I’d be embarrassed. But this book has a very sweet and kind MMC, who despite putting his foot in his mouth CONSTANTLY is the only one who gets through to our strong willed girl. I love the redemption and character arc of Helena. I feel like she really learned her lessons deeply and profoundly.
I cannot get over their ending. I had the most massive smile on my face and was applauding Olivia for that MASSIVELY satisfying ending.
This is a closed door romance with hand flexes 👀, wet 1815s shirts, no cursing, and PERFECTLY TIMED KISSES.
**Thank you so much to Olivia for letting me read this gifted ARC. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**
March 19, 2026
ARC review – 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💟 Rom com 💟 Historical romance 💟 London Regency era, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
The story: predictable, but a very funny, and enjoyable read nonetheless. The stakes weren’t particularly high (unless you belong to 1900s high society), which made it a very light read. The drama between the characters sometimes felt petty and a bit immature, and I was kind of rolling my eyes toward the end. But I still very much enjoyed the book!
Helena Weston: she came across as a spoiled brat at first (which I guess was the point), and it didn’t make her very likable. That said, I did enjoy seeing her growth, and most of her flaws were addressed by the end of the story.
Edmond Hawke: the sweetest man in all of England, if I wasn't already engaged he would have made me want to inappropriately show my ankle.
Mrs. Sweete: the tea-provider, the true MVP and the bestie we all want.
I genuinely had a great time reading this story, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from the author!
Thank you to Olivia Snow for providing me with this ARC!
💟 Rom com 💟 Historical romance 💟 London Regency era, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
The story: predictable, but a very funny, and enjoyable read nonetheless. The stakes weren’t particularly high (unless you belong to 1900s high society), which made it a very light read. The drama between the characters sometimes felt petty and a bit immature, and I was kind of rolling my eyes toward the end. But I still very much enjoyed the book!
Helena Weston: she came across as a spoiled brat at first (which I guess was the point), and it didn’t make her very likable. That said, I did enjoy seeing her growth, and most of her flaws were addressed by the end of the story.
Edmond Hawke: the sweetest man in all of England, if I wasn't already engaged he would have made me want to inappropriately show my ankle.
Mrs. Sweete: the tea-provider, the true MVP and the bestie we all want.
I genuinely had a great time reading this story, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for more from the author!
Thank you to Olivia Snow for providing me with this ARC!
March 26, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. It was very predictable but at the same time I felt that there were enough high stakes in this rom-com regency story. It was an easy read and I was hooked immediately. Helena felt conventional but at the same time original. She showed strength but also vulnerability which made her more believable. I loved how her and Edmond's relationship progressed through the book.
I was provided with an arc from the author (thank you!) and my opinions are my own.
I was provided with an arc from the author (thank you!) and my opinions are my own.
March 13, 2026
I got gifted this beautiful arc, so super grateful for it! And let me tell you, this book is exactly what I needed. I haven’t watched Bridgerton, but this book is giving me the same vibes. With its beautiful dresses and gorgeous big houses and estates, I really got the regency vibes. And I’m all here for it. Helena is the FMC of the book and you follow her throughout the book to find who she wants to be. She also learns that she is worth so much more than a dowry. I really loved her character development.
I love the writing it flows so well, it’s funny and you really get to love the characters. I think Edmond Hawke (MMC) is one of the sweetest man to ever exist. He had me wrapped around my finger from the moment he started talking. An honorable mention is Mrs Sweete, she is the chaperone of Helena and she is the most loyal friend you can ever find!
I do have to say that I found the rivalry with Sybella and Helena to be super petty. However, I don’t like drama, so this is probably a me thing. So if you love a little drama, a little love, maybe even a little contest, this is the book for you! I did really enjoy this. I just closed my eyes a little while reading the drama.
I love the writing it flows so well, it’s funny and you really get to love the characters. I think Edmond Hawke (MMC) is one of the sweetest man to ever exist. He had me wrapped around my finger from the moment he started talking. An honorable mention is Mrs Sweete, she is the chaperone of Helena and she is the most loyal friend you can ever find!
I do have to say that I found the rivalry with Sybella and Helena to be super petty. However, I don’t like drama, so this is probably a me thing. So if you love a little drama, a little love, maybe even a little contest, this is the book for you! I did really enjoy this. I just closed my eyes a little while reading the drama.
April 9, 2026
“I’ve spent years trying to become a person worthy of standing by your side. But as I’ve come to know you, the real you, I’ve realized I don’t need to be the perfect gentleman. All I need to be is the man who loves you.”
This wonderful rivals to lovers has glittering ballrooms, secrets, “battle plans”, and a slow burn romance.
Helena is smart and fierce. She knows what she wants and goes after it whole heartedly. She was a little self-centered in the beginning so I really enjoyed her character growth. I loved that she didn’t judge Edmond as he revealed his secrets. I loved Helena’s relationship with Mrs. Sweete. Mrs. Sweete was such a fantastic chaperone, witty, caring, and kind. And her “hmm” had me snickering a few times.
Edmond is mysterious, intelligent, and respectful. I loved that he didn’t care what the ton thought. I loved when he would just spout off facts about the subject of conversation. His clumsy almost bumbling behavior was so endearing. I loved his reveal of his secrets, especially the last one he revealed. 🫠 I really would have loved a glimpse into his thoughts at times, he is such an amazing MMC. I loved how discomfited Edmond could make Helena and that he would thwart her plans without even trying. The war for Helena and Edmond’s happily-ever-after definitely had some crazy twists and seemingly dark losses but their victory was so sweet. I LOVED the epilogue! 💝
A few more quotes:
“Are you done teasing?” “It’s refreshing to see that you’re human after all.” “Did you think I was some sort of devil?” “Or goddess—sent to torment us imperfect mortals.”
“You are more than just the sun that shines brilliantly; you are the warmth that nurtures life itself. You’ve brought light to places in me I thought had to remain darkened forever.” He closed his hands around mine, then brought my fingers to his chest. “My heart is yours. It always was, and it always will be.”
“You know,” he whispered against my ear, “I had always dreamed of sweeping you away from this place and into my arms. But no dream could have ever prepared me for the joy of truly being yours. I love you more than you will ever know, Helena.”
This ARC was provided by the author. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.
This wonderful rivals to lovers has glittering ballrooms, secrets, “battle plans”, and a slow burn romance.
Helena is smart and fierce. She knows what she wants and goes after it whole heartedly. She was a little self-centered in the beginning so I really enjoyed her character growth. I loved that she didn’t judge Edmond as he revealed his secrets. I loved Helena’s relationship with Mrs. Sweete. Mrs. Sweete was such a fantastic chaperone, witty, caring, and kind. And her “hmm” had me snickering a few times.
Edmond is mysterious, intelligent, and respectful. I loved that he didn’t care what the ton thought. I loved when he would just spout off facts about the subject of conversation. His clumsy almost bumbling behavior was so endearing. I loved his reveal of his secrets, especially the last one he revealed. 🫠 I really would have loved a glimpse into his thoughts at times, he is such an amazing MMC. I loved how discomfited Edmond could make Helena and that he would thwart her plans without even trying. The war for Helena and Edmond’s happily-ever-after definitely had some crazy twists and seemingly dark losses but their victory was so sweet. I LOVED the epilogue! 💝
A few more quotes:
“Are you done teasing?” “It’s refreshing to see that you’re human after all.” “Did you think I was some sort of devil?” “Or goddess—sent to torment us imperfect mortals.”
“You are more than just the sun that shines brilliantly; you are the warmth that nurtures life itself. You’ve brought light to places in me I thought had to remain darkened forever.” He closed his hands around mine, then brought my fingers to his chest. “My heart is yours. It always was, and it always will be.”
“You know,” he whispered against my ear, “I had always dreamed of sweeping you away from this place and into my arms. But no dream could have ever prepared me for the joy of truly being yours. I love you more than you will ever know, Helena.”
This ARC was provided by the author. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.
April 8, 2026
At first I had mixed feelings as I read through this book. The FMC, Helena Weston, kind of felt immature and inconsistent at times. She tried to take charge and use wisdom and war strategy but then her actions seemed contradictory or like she didn't actually know what she was doing. Her childhood rival, Sybella was the biggest brat EVER and I wish Helena would have actually put her in her place so many times. I also felt that some of the writing, mainly actions by the characters didn't match the time period consistently. At times the woman were bold in their actions but then other times they weren't bold enough.
That being said, I actually did enjoy this book!! I loved Helena's chaperone, Mrs Sweete and her character. Their relationship was truly special. The story was endearing and I loved the concept. Edmond Hawke was a gem and at first (throughout maybe 3/4 of the book) I was slightly confused by some things the author introduced but at the end, everything made sense and fell into place.
I loved seeing the progression of the FMC growing and maturing by the end.
I think anyone who likes regency with a bit of romance, enemies to lovers, childhood nemesis and a bit of a miscommunication trope would love this book.
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.
Clean closed door kisses only
No language
That being said, I actually did enjoy this book!! I loved Helena's chaperone, Mrs Sweete and her character. Their relationship was truly special. The story was endearing and I loved the concept. Edmond Hawke was a gem and at first (throughout maybe 3/4 of the book) I was slightly confused by some things the author introduced but at the end, everything made sense and fell into place.
I loved seeing the progression of the FMC growing and maturing by the end.
I think anyone who likes regency with a bit of romance, enemies to lovers, childhood nemesis and a bit of a miscommunication trope would love this book.
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own.
Clean closed door kisses only
No language
May 4, 2026
Have you ever read a book that felt specifically written for you? The Heart of War felt like that for me.
Helena Weston stays hardened to survive London’s marriage mart and her cruel father. When their family fortune crumbles, Helena must find a husband immediately or face an arranged marriage. With Sun Tzu’s The Art of War at hand, she marches forth to secure a match no matter the cost. However, when one of her targets—ahem, candidates!—jeopardizes her plans, Helena must decide whether to soldier on or surrender to the possibility of love.
This story contains everything I love about books: an intriguing heroine, a heart-thumping plot, and engaging prose. Oh Helena, how I felt for her. She’s quite cutthroat, but she’s trying to protect herself in the only way she knows how. I loved her unique sense of voice from the battle strategies to her admiration for commander’s hats (and yes, I did tab every time she mentioned the hat).
Each character served a purpose and came alive on the page from Helena’s wry chaperone Mrs. Sweete to each of her potential suitors. The plot was tight with no loose ends—everything pulled together beautifully yet still surprisingly at the end. If you were a Cinderella III: A Twist in Time girlie, this ending is for you. I practically tabbed every page towards the end. If I didn’t have to work for a living, I could have devoured this in an afternoon.
Oh, and don’t get me started on Edmond. My heart! I simply adored him. He appreciates Helena’s intelligence and drive yet still pushes her to be better. Their rapport (his earnestness paired with her sharp charm) delighted me to no end. They both care for and defend each other deeply. I see myself happily rereading The Heart of War for years to come just to relive this dynamic.
Another fun tidbit: the author (Olivia Snow) designed the cover herself! When that stained glass artwork came across my feed, it genuinely ensorcelled me into purchasing it. I will happily gobble up anything else she writes. Olivia Snow understands Mr. Darcy on a spiritual level; I trust her with my life and my TBR.
Helena Weston stays hardened to survive London’s marriage mart and her cruel father. When their family fortune crumbles, Helena must find a husband immediately or face an arranged marriage. With Sun Tzu’s The Art of War at hand, she marches forth to secure a match no matter the cost. However, when one of her targets—ahem, candidates!—jeopardizes her plans, Helena must decide whether to soldier on or surrender to the possibility of love.
This story contains everything I love about books: an intriguing heroine, a heart-thumping plot, and engaging prose. Oh Helena, how I felt for her. She’s quite cutthroat, but she’s trying to protect herself in the only way she knows how. I loved her unique sense of voice from the battle strategies to her admiration for commander’s hats (and yes, I did tab every time she mentioned the hat).
Each character served a purpose and came alive on the page from Helena’s wry chaperone Mrs. Sweete to each of her potential suitors. The plot was tight with no loose ends—everything pulled together beautifully yet still surprisingly at the end. If you were a Cinderella III: A Twist in Time girlie, this ending is for you. I practically tabbed every page towards the end. If I didn’t have to work for a living, I could have devoured this in an afternoon.
Oh, and don’t get me started on Edmond. My heart! I simply adored him. He appreciates Helena’s intelligence and drive yet still pushes her to be better. Their rapport (his earnestness paired with her sharp charm) delighted me to no end. They both care for and defend each other deeply. I see myself happily rereading The Heart of War for years to come just to relive this dynamic.
Another fun tidbit: the author (Olivia Snow) designed the cover herself! When that stained glass artwork came across my feed, it genuinely ensorcelled me into purchasing it. I will happily gobble up anything else she writes. Olivia Snow understands Mr. Darcy on a spiritual level; I trust her with my life and my TBR.
Review of advance copy
First of all, thank you to Olivia Snow for an ARC of The Heart of War !! ♡
I read this book within 3 days of receiving it, which is a record as I normally take at least a week to finish a book 🤭 It was a quick, fun, simple read and (not all—but in a good written way) the characters were really likeable.
Overall I genuinely had a great time reading The Heart of Ward and can't wait for more stories from this author 🫶
I read this book within 3 days of receiving it, which is a record as I normally take at least a week to finish a book 🤭 It was a quick, fun, simple read and (not all—but in a good written way) the characters were really likeable.
Overall I genuinely had a great time reading The Heart of Ward and can't wait for more stories from this author 🫶
May 3, 2026
So very lovely!! I really enjoyed this. I saw a video for it on instagram and fell in love with the cover!! We need more clean regency romances!! I loved the characters and I loved the revelation at the end. Beautiful! 4.5 stars! 🥰❤️
April 7, 2026
✨ARC review✨
The Heart of War had all the Bridgerton vibes I didn’t know I needed. Mrs. Sweete had me chuckling with every “Hmmm” line. She was probably my favorite character, with Mr. Hawke being the runner up. I loved Helena’s inner dialogue, battle references, and sarcasm toward Sybella. Don’t get me started on that girl. She was the worst!! I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun regency read.
The Heart of War had all the Bridgerton vibes I didn’t know I needed. Mrs. Sweete had me chuckling with every “Hmmm” line. She was probably my favorite character, with Mr. Hawke being the runner up. I loved Helena’s inner dialogue, battle references, and sarcasm toward Sybella. Don’t get me started on that girl. She was the worst!! I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a fun regency read.
March 19, 2026
Review to come! 🌷
March 4, 2026
The Heart of War was SUCH a joy to read! I genuinely had a hard time putting it down - the writing is witty and entertaining, the main and side plots thorough and well-rounded, and each character (both main and side) unique and flawed.
Helena is so headstrong, but in the best of ways - she’s witty and can be quite snarky, but she is also flawed in a way that is relatable and gets her into trouble. She is SUCH a fun narrator, especially when, as a reader, you can tell how biased/misinformed she is. She is a modern-day Jane Austen heroine - I imagine a mix of Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennett. Edmond is SO Bridgerton-brother coded. He’s humorous and charming, family-oriented, well-intentioned, and shy when it comes to his shortcomings. The fact that he “doesn’t belong” in society makes everything he does so sweet - the reader can tell how hard he’s trying, and that makes Helena’s plans with him all the more intriguing. From their first real encounter (if you know you know), I fell in love with Helena and Edmond’s banter. It’s so quick and funny and just genuinely a joy to read. I couldn’t stop smiling!
For all of my Bridgerton and/or Jane Austen fans, you will LOVE this book. Kudos to Olivia Snow, and thank you so much for the ARC!!
Helena is so headstrong, but in the best of ways - she’s witty and can be quite snarky, but she is also flawed in a way that is relatable and gets her into trouble. She is SUCH a fun narrator, especially when, as a reader, you can tell how biased/misinformed she is. She is a modern-day Jane Austen heroine - I imagine a mix of Emma Woodhouse and Elizabeth Bennett. Edmond is SO Bridgerton-brother coded. He’s humorous and charming, family-oriented, well-intentioned, and shy when it comes to his shortcomings. The fact that he “doesn’t belong” in society makes everything he does so sweet - the reader can tell how hard he’s trying, and that makes Helena’s plans with him all the more intriguing. From their first real encounter (if you know you know), I fell in love with Helena and Edmond’s banter. It’s so quick and funny and just genuinely a joy to read. I couldn’t stop smiling!
For all of my Bridgerton and/or Jane Austen fans, you will LOVE this book. Kudos to Olivia Snow, and thank you so much for the ARC!!
March 2, 2026
"This is the Miss Helena Weston, only child of the Viscount of Highcliffe, and the sole reason half the men in London bother to get out of bed in the morning.”
“Only half the men?”
“The other half know they don’t stand a chance, so they don’t get out of bed at all.”
///
3.5 stars.
~~
A big thank you to Olivia Snow and BookFunnel for this opportunity! I'm not a typical romance enjoyer, I really want to be but I find most of them just beyond cringey and horrid! This, was SO perfect! If you're into that bridgerton vibe, that historical romance, that 'a man who yearns is a man who earns' vibe this is definitely for you! I enjoyed this so much, it was such a fun read and I screamed every time Mr Mysterious Hawke and our lovely Helena interacted!
On that note, let's talk about the characters.
Helena Weston, our main character. I liked her, but there were definitely some parts of her I was frustrated at! In the end, she did resolve my quips with her, and that was very refreshing as in many historical books what was talked about with her and the dynamic of her and people below her typically never gets resolved or talked about again after a mere thought of it by the main character. I really liked seeing that plot, and her going through with it. Also, bless her heart for using a book about war to guide her through romance! Although, she may have just chosen that because you get a better hat by saying you've read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' on your resume then you do by saying you read romance books.
Edmond Hawke, what to say about you. Can I just say, his character was not what I thought it'd be and I'm SO beyond excited for you all to get to read about the wonder that is him. I loved him, and am definitely a 1900s harlot for that man as anyone would be, because truly he had me ready to flash an ankle by like chapter twelve. That may be more of a judge on my character more than anything, but who's to say?
Sybella. She would have MUCH to say about me after that comment.
“Only half the men?”
“The other half know they don’t stand a chance, so they don’t get out of bed at all.”
///
3.5 stars.
~~
A big thank you to Olivia Snow and BookFunnel for this opportunity! I'm not a typical romance enjoyer, I really want to be but I find most of them just beyond cringey and horrid! This, was SO perfect! If you're into that bridgerton vibe, that historical romance, that 'a man who yearns is a man who earns' vibe this is definitely for you! I enjoyed this so much, it was such a fun read and I screamed every time Mr Mysterious Hawke and our lovely Helena interacted!
On that note, let's talk about the characters.
Helena Weston, our main character. I liked her, but there were definitely some parts of her I was frustrated at! In the end, she did resolve my quips with her, and that was very refreshing as in many historical books what was talked about with her and the dynamic of her and people below her typically never gets resolved or talked about again after a mere thought of it by the main character. I really liked seeing that plot, and her going through with it. Also, bless her heart for using a book about war to guide her through romance! Although, she may have just chosen that because you get a better hat by saying you've read Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War' on your resume then you do by saying you read romance books.
Edmond Hawke, what to say about you. Can I just say, his character was not what I thought it'd be and I'm SO beyond excited for you all to get to read about the wonder that is him. I loved him, and am definitely a 1900s harlot for that man as anyone would be, because truly he had me ready to flash an ankle by like chapter twelve. That may be more of a judge on my character more than anything, but who's to say?
Sybella. She would have MUCH to say about me after that comment.
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ Read as an ARC ✨
I absolutely adored this book! It follows the story of Helena Weston as she uses Sun Tzu's 'The Art Of War' as her playbook to help her try to woo a wealthy husband before her father's deadline. She takes a very military approach to her mission to secure a proposal, which I actually really enjoyed as something a bit different from the usual! This book is a very fast-paced, bingeable read, and it had me absolutely hooked! I basically read the whole book in 2 sittings as I just couldn't put it down! The feelings between the characters built up so slowly and naturally, and the banter between the MCs felt effortless! The regency era vibes are absolutely impeccable and the writing style is incredibly immersive I found! The second half was definitely my favourite and it had me both laughing and also absolutely bawling! Overall this book would be an excellent choice for fans of the Bridgerton TV show, or anyone who wants a regency era romance with a bit of a difference!
Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Regency era
Strong FMC
Balls & Masquerade
No Spice Romance
I absolutely adored this book! It follows the story of Helena Weston as she uses Sun Tzu's 'The Art Of War' as her playbook to help her try to woo a wealthy husband before her father's deadline. She takes a very military approach to her mission to secure a proposal, which I actually really enjoyed as something a bit different from the usual! This book is a very fast-paced, bingeable read, and it had me absolutely hooked! I basically read the whole book in 2 sittings as I just couldn't put it down! The feelings between the characters built up so slowly and naturally, and the banter between the MCs felt effortless! The regency era vibes are absolutely impeccable and the writing style is incredibly immersive I found! The second half was definitely my favourite and it had me both laughing and also absolutely bawling! Overall this book would be an excellent choice for fans of the Bridgerton TV show, or anyone who wants a regency era romance with a bit of a difference!
Tropes:
Rivals to lovers
Regency era
Strong FMC
Balls & Masquerade
No Spice Romance
May 6, 2026
Review from advanced reader copy
I don’t even know how to start this, I so easily fell in love with Helena and who she was and undeniably herself even under the weight of ber father. The development of Mr hawke is amazing he is such a well done character.
This is one of the few books I’ve read that doesn’t really involve romance and I fell in love with this book if you enjoy the bridgerton era you will love this book.
I don’t even know how to start this, I so easily fell in love with Helena and who she was and undeniably herself even under the weight of ber father. The development of Mr hawke is amazing he is such a well done character.
This is one of the few books I’ve read that doesn’t really involve romance and I fell in love with this book if you enjoy the bridgerton era you will love this book.
April 7, 2026
This book was gifted to me as an ARC through both the author and BookFunnel, and I cannot thank Olivia Snow and the BookFunnel team enough for this wonderful romp! My review is fully honest and I am just excited to gush about this book finally!
This was a refreshing dip into the Historical/Regency Style Romance, and I truly feel all the better for it. I usually don’t wade into these waters and I’m glad did.
I won’t lie, it took a minute to “adjust” to Helena and her MANY quirks, but I LIKED THAT. I was off-put in a good way at first, it makes the reader go “who is this spoiled brat” to only realize “OH WOW I WAS WRONG, she’s got valid reasons like the rest of us”. HELENA IS COMPLICATED AND WE LIKE THAT. Honestly, I’m really glad she was flawed. We need more complex female characters and I’m so glad Olivia Snow delivered that and more.
Edmond was A MAN, oh my god I loved how AWKWARD he was. Mans is a fish out of water and I ate him up. I can’t mention much on him without giving spoilers; but YES GUYS WE LIKE THE BLONDE MAN. We DO.
The REAL stars for me though, and trust me I let Olivia Snow know too, was Mrs. Sweete and Lord Cranford. Oh my god please please I want everyone to be as addicted to them as I am. They’re both very cute characters and I want everyone to pay attention to them, because even THEY have complexities and side stories!
While at the beginning of the book it may LOOK like it’s a lot of details and plots and questions, Olivia Snow ties them up BEAUTIFULLY by the end. Not a thread left undone.
I do think the book starts to pick up, have more action, and “makes more sense” after Chapters 15-16; but the intentional breadcrumbs through the book that you can literally GO BACK AND CHECK? Well worth it. The plot twist had me sitting with my mouth open and kicking myself because it REALLY DOES MATTER about the little details.
This book is DEEP. It’s not “oh look at the rich people go twirl around and be rich”; these characters have real pains, real journeys, and real issues within themselves that they DO have to address to move on in this book. There are moments where classism and presumptions were handled so beautifully, I just wanted to clap. There were other moments where I also just sat and felt the despair and loss that is also heavily touched upon throughout.
The scattering of historical elements (courtesy of Edmond the Encyclopedia) and the actual RELEVANCY it has to one of the other side characters, Monsieur Marcaeux, was also very fun. It wasn’t heavy on the text, it wasn’t overly wordy, it was just FUN. The descriptions of the events and clothing were just lush without being too much. Of course we want to know what everyone is wearing, because it MATTERS to the plot! Of course we need to know what item is where, pay attention because it might have moved.
Again, the sheer attention to detail and the way that Olivia Snow carried everything through so cleanly was just fabulous. That felt like a treat all by itself.
The Heart of War is about being brave for YOU and for your HEART; I’m so happy to have read and taken the lessons I have from this work; and I hope if someone else gives it a chance, they’ll also have as great of a time as I did.
This was a refreshing dip into the Historical/Regency Style Romance, and I truly feel all the better for it. I usually don’t wade into these waters and I’m glad did.
I won’t lie, it took a minute to “adjust” to Helena and her MANY quirks, but I LIKED THAT. I was off-put in a good way at first, it makes the reader go “who is this spoiled brat” to only realize “OH WOW I WAS WRONG, she’s got valid reasons like the rest of us”. HELENA IS COMPLICATED AND WE LIKE THAT. Honestly, I’m really glad she was flawed. We need more complex female characters and I’m so glad Olivia Snow delivered that and more.
Edmond was A MAN, oh my god I loved how AWKWARD he was. Mans is a fish out of water and I ate him up. I can’t mention much on him without giving spoilers; but YES GUYS WE LIKE THE BLONDE MAN. We DO.
The REAL stars for me though, and trust me I let Olivia Snow know too, was Mrs. Sweete and Lord Cranford. Oh my god please please I want everyone to be as addicted to them as I am. They’re both very cute characters and I want everyone to pay attention to them, because even THEY have complexities and side stories!
While at the beginning of the book it may LOOK like it’s a lot of details and plots and questions, Olivia Snow ties them up BEAUTIFULLY by the end. Not a thread left undone.
I do think the book starts to pick up, have more action, and “makes more sense” after Chapters 15-16; but the intentional breadcrumbs through the book that you can literally GO BACK AND CHECK? Well worth it. The plot twist had me sitting with my mouth open and kicking myself because it REALLY DOES MATTER about the little details.
This book is DEEP. It’s not “oh look at the rich people go twirl around and be rich”; these characters have real pains, real journeys, and real issues within themselves that they DO have to address to move on in this book. There are moments where classism and presumptions were handled so beautifully, I just wanted to clap. There were other moments where I also just sat and felt the despair and loss that is also heavily touched upon throughout.
The scattering of historical elements (courtesy of Edmond the Encyclopedia) and the actual RELEVANCY it has to one of the other side characters, Monsieur Marcaeux, was also very fun. It wasn’t heavy on the text, it wasn’t overly wordy, it was just FUN. The descriptions of the events and clothing were just lush without being too much. Of course we want to know what everyone is wearing, because it MATTERS to the plot! Of course we need to know what item is where, pay attention because it might have moved.
Again, the sheer attention to detail and the way that Olivia Snow carried everything through so cleanly was just fabulous. That felt like a treat all by itself.
The Heart of War is about being brave for YOU and for your HEART; I’m so happy to have read and taken the lessons I have from this work; and I hope if someone else gives it a chance, they’ll also have as great of a time as I did.
April 9, 2026
I didn’t expect The Heart of War by Olivia Snow to feel this beautiful… but it truly is 🤍✨
This story is written in such a LOVELY, flowing, and immersive way that it becomes incredibly easy to get lost in its pages. Every detail feels intentional, delicate, and meaningful… the kind of writing that quietly wraps around you without you even noticing.
We follow Helena, a BRILLIANT and strategic young woman who has quite literally fallen in love with the art of war. And not just metaphorically… she actively applies the teachings of The Art of War by Sun Tzu to her own life, specifically to accomplish her mission: securing a wealthy husband.
Not out of vanity. Out of NECESSITY.
After her father, a viscount who once had great wealth, finds himself in a declining and precarious financial situation, Helena is forced to step into a role that blends survival, intelligence, and calculation.
And honestly… watching her THINK, PLAN, and EXECUTE is one of the most satisfying parts of this story 😮💨✨
Set in London, 1815, the novel beautifully captures the nuances of aristocratic society… the expectations, the pressure, the unspoken rules. The setting feels so elegant and atmospheric that it almost plays like a movie in your head 🎬
And then… THE ROMANCE 😭
What begins as dislike slowly transforms into something deeper, softer, and completely compelling. A TRUE slow burn. No spice… just tension, emotional build-up, and development done RIGHT.
Edmond Hawke… wow. With a photographic memory and an incredible mind, he is the PERFECT match for Helena, whether they realise it or not 👀✨
I can confidently say this story made me FEEL EVERYTHING. I laughed, I got emotional, and I was genuinely WORRIED about Helena the entire time.
I also absolutely ADORED Mrs. Sweete 😭✨ Her keen eye and her incredible ability to uncover gossip, information, and the smallest details had me excited every single time she appeared on the page.
And can we talk about the characters I absolutely HATED??? Because WOW 😤
Helena’s father and Sybella made me SO angry, along with another certain person I won’t name to avoid spoilers. They constantly made her life harder, and honestly… that just proves how well they were written. You don’t feel that kind of frustration unless the author did an AMAZING job building real antagonists.
Also… I cannot stop thinking about how PERFECT this would be as a Netflix series 😭🎬 It would be a TOTAL HIT. The drama, the strategy, the romance, the setting… EVERYTHING is there.
If you love Regency-era romance (or “Bridgerton”)… the gowns, the ballroom dances, the tension, and the societal expectations… this book will completely pull you in.
And THAT ENDING 😍✨
I am genuinely IN LOVE 🤍✨
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC of this lovely book. 🌹
This story is written in such a LOVELY, flowing, and immersive way that it becomes incredibly easy to get lost in its pages. Every detail feels intentional, delicate, and meaningful… the kind of writing that quietly wraps around you without you even noticing.
We follow Helena, a BRILLIANT and strategic young woman who has quite literally fallen in love with the art of war. And not just metaphorically… she actively applies the teachings of The Art of War by Sun Tzu to her own life, specifically to accomplish her mission: securing a wealthy husband.
Not out of vanity. Out of NECESSITY.
After her father, a viscount who once had great wealth, finds himself in a declining and precarious financial situation, Helena is forced to step into a role that blends survival, intelligence, and calculation.
And honestly… watching her THINK, PLAN, and EXECUTE is one of the most satisfying parts of this story 😮💨✨
Set in London, 1815, the novel beautifully captures the nuances of aristocratic society… the expectations, the pressure, the unspoken rules. The setting feels so elegant and atmospheric that it almost plays like a movie in your head 🎬
And then… THE ROMANCE 😭
What begins as dislike slowly transforms into something deeper, softer, and completely compelling. A TRUE slow burn. No spice… just tension, emotional build-up, and development done RIGHT.
Edmond Hawke… wow. With a photographic memory and an incredible mind, he is the PERFECT match for Helena, whether they realise it or not 👀✨
I can confidently say this story made me FEEL EVERYTHING. I laughed, I got emotional, and I was genuinely WORRIED about Helena the entire time.
I also absolutely ADORED Mrs. Sweete 😭✨ Her keen eye and her incredible ability to uncover gossip, information, and the smallest details had me excited every single time she appeared on the page.
And can we talk about the characters I absolutely HATED??? Because WOW 😤
Helena’s father and Sybella made me SO angry, along with another certain person I won’t name to avoid spoilers. They constantly made her life harder, and honestly… that just proves how well they were written. You don’t feel that kind of frustration unless the author did an AMAZING job building real antagonists.
Also… I cannot stop thinking about how PERFECT this would be as a Netflix series 😭🎬 It would be a TOTAL HIT. The drama, the strategy, the romance, the setting… EVERYTHING is there.
If you love Regency-era romance (or “Bridgerton”)… the gowns, the ballroom dances, the tension, and the societal expectations… this book will completely pull you in.
And THAT ENDING 😍✨
I am genuinely IN LOVE 🤍✨
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC of this lovely book. 🌹
April 8, 2026
This book was sent to me as an ARC by the author, which I am truly grateful for.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but have you *seen* this cover? It’s absolutely stunning—a true work of art, thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail.
Now, onto the content. *The Heart of War* is, in my opinion, an entertaining story that follows Helena during her second season in London. This time, she has a clear mission: to find a husband. To achieve this, she turns to *The Art of War* by Sun Tzu—a peculiar but interesting strategy, especially if we consider that “love is a battlefield,” which feels particularly fitting when, like Helena, there is so much at stake.
The premise is undoubtedly one of the book’s strongest points. The idea of applying military strategies to romance is intriguing and adds a fresh twist to classic elements of historical romance.
That said, I didn’t fully connect with the execution. Helena was a character I personally found a bit difficult to empathize with; at times, her actions didn’t fully align with how she was described, and she came across as somewhat impulsive. In several moments, I felt like we were being told about her personality rather than shown through her actions, which made it a bit harder for me to fully connect.
Additionally, some of the shifts in opinions and emotions felt a little abrupt to me, which made it harder to follow the characters’ development. This particularly impacted my experience of the central relationship, as I didn’t always feel fully convinced by the progression of the romance between Helena and Edmond. Even so, there were moments of tension between them that I really enjoyed, and that added a sense of dynamism to the story.
Another positive aspect is the supporting characters contribute meaningfully to the story and, at times, elevate the scenes they are part of. They bring nuance and energy to the narrative, although I would have loved to see them explored in greater depth, as they occasionally felt a bit underdeveloped.
In terms of style, this is a fast-paced, fairly light read that isn’t overly tense, making it easy to get through. It includes classic elements of historical romance that will likely appeal to fans of the genre. One small aspect that, for me, affected immersion was a slight dissonance between the setting and some elements of the language or social dynamics, which at times felt a bit more modern.
Overall, *The Heart of War* is an entertaining read with a very interesting premise and a creative concept within the historical romance genre. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, I can definitely see it appealing to readers looking for a lighter, engaging story with a unique twist.
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but have you *seen* this cover? It’s absolutely stunning—a true work of art, thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail.
Now, onto the content. *The Heart of War* is, in my opinion, an entertaining story that follows Helena during her second season in London. This time, she has a clear mission: to find a husband. To achieve this, she turns to *The Art of War* by Sun Tzu—a peculiar but interesting strategy, especially if we consider that “love is a battlefield,” which feels particularly fitting when, like Helena, there is so much at stake.
The premise is undoubtedly one of the book’s strongest points. The idea of applying military strategies to romance is intriguing and adds a fresh twist to classic elements of historical romance.
That said, I didn’t fully connect with the execution. Helena was a character I personally found a bit difficult to empathize with; at times, her actions didn’t fully align with how she was described, and she came across as somewhat impulsive. In several moments, I felt like we were being told about her personality rather than shown through her actions, which made it a bit harder for me to fully connect.
Additionally, some of the shifts in opinions and emotions felt a little abrupt to me, which made it harder to follow the characters’ development. This particularly impacted my experience of the central relationship, as I didn’t always feel fully convinced by the progression of the romance between Helena and Edmond. Even so, there were moments of tension between them that I really enjoyed, and that added a sense of dynamism to the story.
Another positive aspect is the supporting characters contribute meaningfully to the story and, at times, elevate the scenes they are part of. They bring nuance and energy to the narrative, although I would have loved to see them explored in greater depth, as they occasionally felt a bit underdeveloped.
In terms of style, this is a fast-paced, fairly light read that isn’t overly tense, making it easy to get through. It includes classic elements of historical romance that will likely appeal to fans of the genre. One small aspect that, for me, affected immersion was a slight dissonance between the setting and some elements of the language or social dynamics, which at times felt a bit more modern.
Overall, *The Heart of War* is an entertaining read with a very interesting premise and a creative concept within the historical romance genre. While it didn’t fully resonate with me, I can definitely see it appealing to readers looking for a lighter, engaging story with a unique twist.
May 8, 2026
4.5 Stars.
“We do not choose who we are born to, only what we do with what we have.”
🥀The vibes:
- Slow burn
- Rivals
- Witty banter
- Regency romance
- He gardens 🥵
- Closed door (kisses only)
🥀 My thoughts:
What a delight!! I really enjoyed this regency romance and liked Helena and Edmond together so much. I loved the moments of inner growth in Helena throughout the book, and I liked Edmond’s backstory and where his story went.
🥀 The side characters are worth noting because they filled the story out so well. Mrs Sweete. 10/10. I would have loved an entire book for Mrs. Sweete and her journey to love. *swoon* My heart cannnnnot handle the cuteness that we got there. On the flip side, the villains were so easy to hate (but also feel badly for). Helena’s father was horrendous, and Sybella was the worst (she’s supposed to be). Oh my lans. Everytime she was up to her antics, I wanted to throw hands. I wanted justice (and I mostly felt like we got it on all fronts).
🥀 There were a lot of interruptions anytime a serious conversation was happening, which was fun at first but a bit frustrating by the end. I felt so much stress from Edmond taking 87 years to tell Helena his intentions. I love a slow burn, and I liked him a lot but I also wanted him to be a big man and fight for his woman! The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall this was such a lovely time. I was so impressed with the writing and storytelling, and I can’t wait for more from this author.
Note / spice content: closed door (kisses only)
“We do not choose who we are born to, only what we do with what we have.”
🥀The vibes:
- Slow burn
- Rivals
- Witty banter
- Regency romance
- He gardens 🥵
- Closed door (kisses only)
🥀 My thoughts:
What a delight!! I really enjoyed this regency romance and liked Helena and Edmond together so much. I loved the moments of inner growth in Helena throughout the book, and I liked Edmond’s backstory and where his story went.
🥀 The side characters are worth noting because they filled the story out so well. Mrs Sweete. 10/10. I would have loved an entire book for Mrs. Sweete and her journey to love. *swoon* My heart cannnnnot handle the cuteness that we got there. On the flip side, the villains were so easy to hate (but also feel badly for). Helena’s father was horrendous, and Sybella was the worst (she’s supposed to be). Oh my lans. Everytime she was up to her antics, I wanted to throw hands. I wanted justice (and I mostly felt like we got it on all fronts).
🥀 There were a lot of interruptions anytime a serious conversation was happening, which was fun at first but a bit frustrating by the end. I felt so much stress from Edmond taking 87 years to tell Helena his intentions. I love a slow burn, and I liked him a lot but I also wanted him to be a big man and fight for his woman! The ending felt a bit rushed, but overall this was such a lovely time. I was so impressed with the writing and storytelling, and I can’t wait for more from this author.
Note / spice content: closed door (kisses only)
March 25, 2026
*I received an ARC from the author, and all opinions are my own
The Heart of War is a wonderful Regency-era romance with unique characters and a lovely storyline!
I loved this book so, so much! Definitely one of my favorites of the year and I will reread this many times!
Helena was the best! She was determined to accomplish what she wanted, as well as very smart. Helena also went through some nice character development, that I really enjoyed. She learned to recognize her faults and to be better. She was taking all her advice from The Art of War, which was both amazing, and led to some funny moments. I especially liked that she called Mrs. Sweete “lieutenant.”
I was laughing throughout this book! Some of Helena’s antics were just hilarious and fun. The battledore scene is a highlight for me. Definitely one of my favorite scenes! I also really liked her mission to get Mr. Hawke to say her first name.
Speaking of Mr. Hawke, or Edmond, I loved him. He was so sweet and shy- it was adorable. I liked how much he tried throughout the novel. He is also an incredibly smart character, and very thoughtful. He showed another side of London society. Edmond was a self-made gentleman, which I enjoyed. It was unique and added some nice challenges to the story.
I loved Mrs. Sweete, too! Her “hmm’s” were everything, and I loved how they called Helena out. Throughout the course of this book, we did get to see a little bit of Mrs. Sweete’s own story. I liked how she wasn’t forgotten and a very big part of the Helena’s story, while also getting one of her own. She was an amazing friend and chaperone to Helena, and I really liked her.
Helena has three suitors in this book, one of which was Edmond Hawke. The other two were Mr. Marceaux and Lord Cranford. At first, I liked Mr. Marceaux- he seemed fun- but over time I liked him less and less.
I really liked Lord Cranford. He was much older than Helena, so while I didn’t like him for her in a romantic sense, I totally support a friendship between the two. He was such a sweet, calm man. He was so great and he was always willing to help both Helena and Edmond with whatever they needed. I really liked this character, and I loved everything he brought to the story.
Sybella was Helena’s rival, and I didn’t mind her character. I don’t mind drama, as long as it’s not over the top, and the way it was done stuck true to the time period. Sybella wasn’t a bad character, and while I didn’t mind her, she also wasn’t my favorite.
I did not like Helena’s father. I thought he was just awful, and I was really happy with how Helena handled it at the end.
I loved the setting! It was amazing, and exploring Regency London was so much fun. All the different events and customs that were explored was everything! This book has inspired me to read more Regency romances!
I will say the ending was everything I needed! The three questions game before the proposal was everything and it was my favorite part of the book!
The Heart of War is a Regency romance with a determined FMC, a shy MMC, fun antics, and a sweet romance!
The Heart of War is a wonderful Regency-era romance with unique characters and a lovely storyline!
I loved this book so, so much! Definitely one of my favorites of the year and I will reread this many times!
Helena was the best! She was determined to accomplish what she wanted, as well as very smart. Helena also went through some nice character development, that I really enjoyed. She learned to recognize her faults and to be better. She was taking all her advice from The Art of War, which was both amazing, and led to some funny moments. I especially liked that she called Mrs. Sweete “lieutenant.”
I was laughing throughout this book! Some of Helena’s antics were just hilarious and fun. The battledore scene is a highlight for me. Definitely one of my favorite scenes! I also really liked her mission to get Mr. Hawke to say her first name.
Speaking of Mr. Hawke, or Edmond, I loved him. He was so sweet and shy- it was adorable. I liked how much he tried throughout the novel. He is also an incredibly smart character, and very thoughtful. He showed another side of London society. Edmond was a self-made gentleman, which I enjoyed. It was unique and added some nice challenges to the story.
I loved Mrs. Sweete, too! Her “hmm’s” were everything, and I loved how they called Helena out. Throughout the course of this book, we did get to see a little bit of Mrs. Sweete’s own story. I liked how she wasn’t forgotten and a very big part of the Helena’s story, while also getting one of her own. She was an amazing friend and chaperone to Helena, and I really liked her.
Helena has three suitors in this book, one of which was Edmond Hawke. The other two were Mr. Marceaux and Lord Cranford. At first, I liked Mr. Marceaux- he seemed fun- but over time I liked him less and less.
I really liked Lord Cranford. He was much older than Helena, so while I didn’t like him for her in a romantic sense, I totally support a friendship between the two. He was such a sweet, calm man. He was so great and he was always willing to help both Helena and Edmond with whatever they needed. I really liked this character, and I loved everything he brought to the story.
Sybella was Helena’s rival, and I didn’t mind her character. I don’t mind drama, as long as it’s not over the top, and the way it was done stuck true to the time period. Sybella wasn’t a bad character, and while I didn’t mind her, she also wasn’t my favorite.
I did not like Helena’s father. I thought he was just awful, and I was really happy with how Helena handled it at the end.
I loved the setting! It was amazing, and exploring Regency London was so much fun. All the different events and customs that were explored was everything! This book has inspired me to read more Regency romances!
I will say the ending was everything I needed! The three questions game before the proposal was everything and it was my favorite part of the book!
The Heart of War is a Regency romance with a determined FMC, a shy MMC, fun antics, and a sweet romance!
May 5, 2026
I was worried that I wasn’t in the mood for a regency novel when I started reading The Heart of War, but I was wrong.
This book is not overly-complicated or too formal. It is lighthearted and shouldn’t be taken too seriously while reading. Helena is a fun FMC because she is very smart and witty. She likens courtship to a battlefield, and she is determined to be the winner. I appreciated the references to The Art of War, and it was done in a way that a person like me could still understand.
We enter into Helena’s story after a successful first year as a diamond of the season. For her second season, she faces an uphill battle as her father’s fortune is gone and she is forced to save them through a profitable marriage. We meet three candidates: Lord Cranford, Mr. Marceaux, and Mr. Edmond Hawke.
I loved how different the three men were, but that they still spent a lot of time together. They each had their own mysteries and quirks, and they were all important to Helena’s story.
It’s hard not to give too much away, as this story has many twists and turns, but I can guarantee many laughs and mishaps. Mrs. Sweete as Helena’s chaperone is a gem, and she makes the story even more special. I recommend checking out this story for yourself! (And you can’t blame the book cover for being unassuming- it’s breathtakingly beautiful)
-
I received an arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my
This book is not overly-complicated or too formal. It is lighthearted and shouldn’t be taken too seriously while reading. Helena is a fun FMC because she is very smart and witty. She likens courtship to a battlefield, and she is determined to be the winner. I appreciated the references to The Art of War, and it was done in a way that a person like me could still understand.
We enter into Helena’s story after a successful first year as a diamond of the season. For her second season, she faces an uphill battle as her father’s fortune is gone and she is forced to save them through a profitable marriage. We meet three candidates: Lord Cranford, Mr. Marceaux, and Mr. Edmond Hawke.
I loved how different the three men were, but that they still spent a lot of time together. They each had their own mysteries and quirks, and they were all important to Helena’s story.
It’s hard not to give too much away, as this story has many twists and turns, but I can guarantee many laughs and mishaps. Mrs. Sweete as Helena’s chaperone is a gem, and she makes the story even more special. I recommend checking out this story for yourself! (And you can’t blame the book cover for being unassuming- it’s breathtakingly beautiful)
-
I received an arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my
April 30, 2026
I received an ARC of The Heart of War and was about a quarter of the way through when the early release hit—and I was so hooked I immediately ordered my own copy ❤️ This story completely pulled me in. I loved the no-spice romance; it leaves so much room to really yearn alongside the characters, which made every interaction feel more meaningful. The competition and tension between characters added such a fun edge, and I truly couldn’t stop turning the pages. I haven’t stopped talking about it with anyone who will listen. Thank you to Olivia Snow for sharing this story with me!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Heart of War - ARC review
Firstly, may I just say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Olivia Snow and Bookfunnel for sending me this ARC <3
Also, if you're reading this, consider following me on instagram @thornessreads
I started my account a couple of days ago and could use the help >.<
Now, let's get into it. I gave this book 4 stars. It was very good in my opinion. There were flaws, but it isn't the type of book l'll read and then never think about it again. It's the type of book that I would just call a good time.
But we're not here to focus only on the good parts, we are (or at least I am) here for some honest critique and constructive criticism. So, here we go:
Helena Weston - To be honest, she's not a bad protagonist, but she's not a super impressive one either. She just fell a tiny bit flat for me.
From the moment I picked it up, the beginning felt very rushed. We were just getting dumped all this information about her ,and her dad, and her mom, and her pianoforte, etc...instead of seeing it through actions, scenes, dialogue... We were told exactly what she was like from the start, so there was little room for imagination or to develop a personal opinion of her.
Also, I felt like her entire personality was being "the diamond of the season" and being well-educated and knowledgeable in all areas. Which yes, I understand has been drilled into her brain since she was young, but it doesn't mean she's not allowed to think of anything else. If anything, I would sum up 90% of her thoughts as a mix of that, Edmond, and how to get revenge on Sybella. Ah yes, Sybella
Sybella - in my opinion, her character was the biggest flaw of the book. Why? Because she was villainized for NO REASON. It felt like she only existed in the story to create tension and miscommunication between Helena and Edmond, when her character could've been SO MUCH MORE. There could've been a whole sideplot about how Sybella is always in Helena's shadow due to Helena being "the diamond" and how lonely and worthless that might make her feel.
Also, the whole storyline of Sybella falling in love with someone Helena then charmed into proposing to her only to reject later honestly did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.
It was supposed to make us think Sybella is the villain and Helena is the hero, when, in reality, it just made me care more about Sybella.
I mean, quick recap: Sybella fell head-over-heels in love with a guy and really wanted him to propose and had already fully planned their future. At the same time, Miss Weston over here was playing her sick, twisted game of "how many people can I lead on, get them to propose and then never look at again?" So she did do exactly that. She led Sybella's love interest on, and when he got rejected, as far as I can remember, he moved countries and married someone else. I mean, damn.
Worst part of it all? Helena was too busy playing her game to even realise Sybella had fallen in love, something she admits SEVERAL TIMES throughout the book, and yet she phrases it like "Oopsies, I accidentally led on a guy Sybella liked. Well, too bad, but she shouldn't be such a bitch about it. I mean, if I barely remember him, he must not have been that important, right? Anyways she is so evil omg why does she hate me
I will argue that Sybella's methods of revenge were very unorthodox when she could've
just....communicated? But, after all, this is fiction, it is a romance novel, there needs to be some miscommunication.
Let me just clear something up: I'm NOT justifying Sybella's ACTIONS. I'm saying, she had every right to be mad at Helena, and, in my opinion, this whole plotline just made Helena more ignorant in my eyes.
And the ending? She really didn't have to be screwed over that badly.
Also, as I said previously, she just fell...flat. Her character genuinely feels like it only exists to make Helena seem like a saint, which, btw, she most definitely isn't. She had no depth; all her actions were just to make her seem worse and worse and worse and make Helena look better and better and better.
You know what she felt like? Like a cartoon villain.
That's exactly how I would describe her.
I'm not gonna talk about Edmond, because this review is too long already, and he doesn't have any major flaws to dissect.
But to wrap it up, I wanna say that everything I just wrote may have seemed like I hated the book. I didn't. Quite the contrary, actually. I just want to help this author (and maybe other authors reading this review) improve. As I said, I enjoyed the book. After page 40ish I was pretty hooked and found it fast-paced and easy to read. The biggest flaw are the characters.
They don't feel like real people. They feel like they were only made to fit into the moulds designed to make this story work. They lack depth and personality.
But I will say, I follow this author on Instagram and I know she's a mom with (2 I think?) kids and a husband, which is already like 2 full-time jobs. This is also her second book.
Writing this on top of everything is hella impressive, and I want to give the author a moment of appreciation just for that.
As I said, this criticism is only meant to help improve her books in the future.
Otherwise, Olivia, if you're reading this, you're doing awesome!!!! Just for the next book (which I will DEFINITELY be reading), try to flesh out the characters a bit more. Other than that, this is seriously a good read and you're killing it!!!
Firstly, may I just say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Olivia Snow and Bookfunnel for sending me this ARC <3
Also, if you're reading this, consider following me on instagram @thornessreads
I started my account a couple of days ago and could use the help >.<
Now, let's get into it. I gave this book 4 stars. It was very good in my opinion. There were flaws, but it isn't the type of book l'll read and then never think about it again. It's the type of book that I would just call a good time.
But we're not here to focus only on the good parts, we are (or at least I am) here for some honest critique and constructive criticism. So, here we go:
Helena Weston - To be honest, she's not a bad protagonist, but she's not a super impressive one either. She just fell a tiny bit flat for me.
From the moment I picked it up, the beginning felt very rushed. We were just getting dumped all this information about her ,and her dad, and her mom, and her pianoforte, etc...instead of seeing it through actions, scenes, dialogue... We were told exactly what she was like from the start, so there was little room for imagination or to develop a personal opinion of her.
Also, I felt like her entire personality was being "the diamond of the season" and being well-educated and knowledgeable in all areas. Which yes, I understand has been drilled into her brain since she was young, but it doesn't mean she's not allowed to think of anything else. If anything, I would sum up 90% of her thoughts as a mix of that, Edmond, and how to get revenge on Sybella. Ah yes, Sybella
Sybella - in my opinion, her character was the biggest flaw of the book. Why? Because she was villainized for NO REASON. It felt like she only existed in the story to create tension and miscommunication between Helena and Edmond, when her character could've been SO MUCH MORE. There could've been a whole sideplot about how Sybella is always in Helena's shadow due to Helena being "the diamond" and how lonely and worthless that might make her feel.
Also, the whole storyline of Sybella falling in love with someone Helena then charmed into proposing to her only to reject later honestly did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.
It was supposed to make us think Sybella is the villain and Helena is the hero, when, in reality, it just made me care more about Sybella.
I mean, quick recap: Sybella fell head-over-heels in love with a guy and really wanted him to propose and had already fully planned their future. At the same time, Miss Weston over here was playing her sick, twisted game of "how many people can I lead on, get them to propose and then never look at again?" So she did do exactly that. She led Sybella's love interest on, and when he got rejected, as far as I can remember, he moved countries and married someone else. I mean, damn.
Worst part of it all? Helena was too busy playing her game to even realise Sybella had fallen in love, something she admits SEVERAL TIMES throughout the book, and yet she phrases it like "Oopsies, I accidentally led on a guy Sybella liked. Well, too bad, but she shouldn't be such a bitch about it. I mean, if I barely remember him, he must not have been that important, right? Anyways she is so evil omg why does she hate me
I will argue that Sybella's methods of revenge were very unorthodox when she could've
just....communicated? But, after all, this is fiction, it is a romance novel, there needs to be some miscommunication.
Let me just clear something up: I'm NOT justifying Sybella's ACTIONS. I'm saying, she had every right to be mad at Helena, and, in my opinion, this whole plotline just made Helena more ignorant in my eyes.
And the ending? She really didn't have to be screwed over that badly.
Also, as I said previously, she just fell...flat. Her character genuinely feels like it only exists to make Helena seem like a saint, which, btw, she most definitely isn't. She had no depth; all her actions were just to make her seem worse and worse and worse and make Helena look better and better and better.
You know what she felt like? Like a cartoon villain.
That's exactly how I would describe her.
I'm not gonna talk about Edmond, because this review is too long already, and he doesn't have any major flaws to dissect.
But to wrap it up, I wanna say that everything I just wrote may have seemed like I hated the book. I didn't. Quite the contrary, actually. I just want to help this author (and maybe other authors reading this review) improve. As I said, I enjoyed the book. After page 40ish I was pretty hooked and found it fast-paced and easy to read. The biggest flaw are the characters.
They don't feel like real people. They feel like they were only made to fit into the moulds designed to make this story work. They lack depth and personality.
But I will say, I follow this author on Instagram and I know she's a mom with (2 I think?) kids and a husband, which is already like 2 full-time jobs. This is also her second book.
Writing this on top of everything is hella impressive, and I want to give the author a moment of appreciation just for that.
As I said, this criticism is only meant to help improve her books in the future.
Otherwise, Olivia, if you're reading this, you're doing awesome!!!! Just for the next book (which I will DEFINITELY be reading), try to flesh out the characters a bit more. Other than that, this is seriously a good read and you're killing it!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to Olivia Snow and BookFunnel for an ARC of The Heart of War!
The plot:
The Heart of War follows Helena Weston, daughter of a viscount, through her second season. In her first season, she easily acquired eight proposals—all of which she turned down. However, now, she carries the weight of protecting her family on her shoulders, as her father has lost immense amounts of money, and unless she can marry a wealthy suitor, they will run out of funds. She creates a list of two possible suitors—Mr. Marceaux, a flirty Frenchmen, and Lord Cranford, a wealthy but on the older side lord with an insect obsession. When she first meets the newcomers, Mr. Hawke, he recoils; something that no man has ever done to the diamond of the season, Helena. Out of spite, she decides to add him to the list and win the war by making him fall helplessly in love with her, only to crush his heart. But as time goes on and she grows closer to Mr. Hawke, she realizes he is not what he seems.
The plot was done REALLY well. The pacing was perfect; I never felt that things were moving too fast or too slow. I could feel the stakes and found myself worrying when Helena was worrying, and cheering when Helena was cheering.
The characters:
- Helena -
Though there were times I disagreed with Helena, overall she was a likeable protagonist and well-written. Her obsession with applying The Art of War to every encounter, her acknowledgement of her many skills as well as faults, and her growth from a more self-centered and unapologetic character to an empathetic one that went out of her way to apologize when she did something wrong, made her feel real and three-dimensional. I was always rooting for her and was proud of her growth.
- Edmond (Mr. Hawke) -
Edmond was SUCH a green flag and I loved the chemistry between him and Helena. I loved how caring he was of her and how they were able to communicate their feelings and struggles to each other, especially with revealing secrets. It was really refreshing. The lack of lust and spice also made their relationship feel much more genuine and sincere and it was a breath of fresh air from the majority of books being published now, where the main characters only lust after each other, and not love. You could feel the love between Edmond and Helena radiating off the pages, and I commend the author for that.
- Other side characters -
Each side character had their own personality and didn't feel like a cardboard cutout. I LOVED Mrs. Sweete and how much she cared for Helena, as well as her quirks of always being able to tell when someone was lying and her adeptness in gathering information. I found Lord Cranford to be quite charming with his insect obsession and how genuine and kind of a person he was.
- The antagonists -
I think Sybella and Helena's father were fine antagonists. I do wish, however, that why they were the way they were was delved into a little more. We know Helena's father is this way because of how Helena's mother died, but other than that, he feels a little comically evil. I wish we knew more of what was going on in his head that made him act so cruelly. Same goes for Sybella—we got a small look into her mind as to why she was so mean toward Helena, but other than that, her actions felt quite extreme because it wasn't more explained about how hurt she was.
Other notes:
Some other thoughts I had when reading (these are a little nit picky, haha) were that there were unique dialogue tags at times when just "said" or "told" would've sufficed, causing the dialogue tag to bring me out of the reading. There were also over-explanations of some things, such as Mrs. Sweete's ability to detect lies. Mentioning that she "hmm"ed every time someone lied once or twice at the beginning would've sufficed, but it's brought back multiple times and a little overexplained. (example: "He was quite handsome, was he not?" "I didn't notice." "Hmm." I sighed. Yes, Mrs. Sweete always spotted a lie. ; I think it would've been a greater impact if the last line was removed and the chapter just ended off with a sigh and the reader interpreting that Mrs. Sweete knew her lie, rather than being told so). I also feel as though Helena at times acted illogically. Right after she finds out her family is low on money, she immediately goes to spend 3 shillings on a coach. I don't know the worth of the currency in this time period compared to current USD, but given she only had 50 shillings for a dress, 3 felt like a lot to spend, especially since the trip she wanted to make wasn't necessary. She doesn't end up going on the trip anyway, but not because she thinks about how much it costs. I think this characterized her negatively as irresponsible, and since she isn't characterized like that again, it felt out of character. It also felt like she irrationally disliked Edmond. I think this could've been remedied with her having more internal dialogue about more reasons why he irked her, rather than having the same statements repeated.
Overall, I loved the plot, the pacing, the lovely descriptions of settings and dresses, and how real the characters felt. I loved the Bridgerton vibes and all of the vibes of the novel in general. I read this in one sitting—it was such a page turner! This was a wonderful read and I definitely recommend this novel to Bridgerton lovers and romance lovers.
The plot:
The Heart of War follows Helena Weston, daughter of a viscount, through her second season. In her first season, she easily acquired eight proposals—all of which she turned down. However, now, she carries the weight of protecting her family on her shoulders, as her father has lost immense amounts of money, and unless she can marry a wealthy suitor, they will run out of funds. She creates a list of two possible suitors—Mr. Marceaux, a flirty Frenchmen, and Lord Cranford, a wealthy but on the older side lord with an insect obsession. When she first meets the newcomers, Mr. Hawke, he recoils; something that no man has ever done to the diamond of the season, Helena. Out of spite, she decides to add him to the list and win the war by making him fall helplessly in love with her, only to crush his heart. But as time goes on and she grows closer to Mr. Hawke, she realizes he is not what he seems.
The plot was done REALLY well. The pacing was perfect; I never felt that things were moving too fast or too slow. I could feel the stakes and found myself worrying when Helena was worrying, and cheering when Helena was cheering.
The characters:
- Helena -
Though there were times I disagreed with Helena, overall she was a likeable protagonist and well-written. Her obsession with applying The Art of War to every encounter, her acknowledgement of her many skills as well as faults, and her growth from a more self-centered and unapologetic character to an empathetic one that went out of her way to apologize when she did something wrong, made her feel real and three-dimensional. I was always rooting for her and was proud of her growth.
- Edmond (Mr. Hawke) -
Edmond was SUCH a green flag and I loved the chemistry between him and Helena. I loved how caring he was of her and how they were able to communicate their feelings and struggles to each other, especially with revealing secrets. It was really refreshing. The lack of lust and spice also made their relationship feel much more genuine and sincere and it was a breath of fresh air from the majority of books being published now, where the main characters only lust after each other, and not love. You could feel the love between Edmond and Helena radiating off the pages, and I commend the author for that.
- Other side characters -
Each side character had their own personality and didn't feel like a cardboard cutout. I LOVED Mrs. Sweete and how much she cared for Helena, as well as her quirks of always being able to tell when someone was lying and her adeptness in gathering information. I found Lord Cranford to be quite charming with his insect obsession and how genuine and kind of a person he was.
- The antagonists -
I think Sybella and Helena's father were fine antagonists. I do wish, however, that why they were the way they were was delved into a little more. We know Helena's father is this way because of how Helena's mother died, but other than that, he feels a little comically evil. I wish we knew more of what was going on in his head that made him act so cruelly. Same goes for Sybella—we got a small look into her mind as to why she was so mean toward Helena, but other than that, her actions felt quite extreme because it wasn't more explained about how hurt she was.
Other notes:
Some other thoughts I had when reading (these are a little nit picky, haha) were that there were unique dialogue tags at times when just "said" or "told" would've sufficed, causing the dialogue tag to bring me out of the reading. There were also over-explanations of some things, such as Mrs. Sweete's ability to detect lies. Mentioning that she "hmm"ed every time someone lied once or twice at the beginning would've sufficed, but it's brought back multiple times and a little overexplained. (example: "He was quite handsome, was he not?" "I didn't notice." "Hmm." I sighed. Yes, Mrs. Sweete always spotted a lie. ; I think it would've been a greater impact if the last line was removed and the chapter just ended off with a sigh and the reader interpreting that Mrs. Sweete knew her lie, rather than being told so). I also feel as though Helena at times acted illogically. Right after she finds out her family is low on money, she immediately goes to spend 3 shillings on a coach. I don't know the worth of the currency in this time period compared to current USD, but given she only had 50 shillings for a dress, 3 felt like a lot to spend, especially since the trip she wanted to make wasn't necessary. She doesn't end up going on the trip anyway, but not because she thinks about how much it costs. I think this characterized her negatively as irresponsible, and since she isn't characterized like that again, it felt out of character. It also felt like she irrationally disliked Edmond. I think this could've been remedied with her having more internal dialogue about more reasons why he irked her, rather than having the same statements repeated.
Overall, I loved the plot, the pacing, the lovely descriptions of settings and dresses, and how real the characters felt. I loved the Bridgerton vibes and all of the vibes of the novel in general. I read this in one sitting—it was such a page turner! This was a wonderful read and I definitely recommend this novel to Bridgerton lovers and romance lovers.
Review of advance copy
The Heart of War – ARC review
Firstly, may I just say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Olivia Snow and Bookfunnel for sending me this ARC <3
Also, if you're reading this, consider following me on instagram @thornessreads
I started my account a couple of days ago and could use the help >.<
Now, let’s get into it. I gave this book 4 stars. It was very good in my opinion. There were flaws, but it isn’t the type of book I’ll read and then never think about it again. It’s the type of book that I would just call a good time.
But we’re not here to focus only on the good parts, we are (or at least I am) here for some honest critique and constructive criticism. So, here we go:
Helena Weston – To be honest, she’s not a bad protagonist, but she’s not a super impressive one either. She just fell a tiny bit flat for me.
From the moment I picked it up, the beginning felt very rushed. We were just getting dumped all this information about her ,and her dad, and her mom, and her pianoforte, etc…instead of seeing it through actions, scenes, dialogue... We were told exactly what she was like from the start, so there was little room for imagination or to develop a personal opinion of her.
Also, I felt like her entire personality was being “the diamond of the season” and being well-educated and knowledgeable in all areas. Which yes, I understand has been drilled into her brain since she was young, but it doesn’t mean she’s not allowed to think of anything else. If anything, I would sum up 90% of her thoughts as a mix of that, Edmond, and how to get revenge on Sybella. Ah yes, Sybella
Sybella – in my opinion, her character was the biggest flaw of the book. Why? Because she was villainized for NO REASON. It felt like she only existed in the story to create tension and miscommunication between Helena and Edmond, when her character could’ve been SO MUCH MORE. There could’ve been a whole sideplot about how Sybella is always in Helena’s shadow due to Helena being “the diamond” and how lonely and worthless that might make her feel.
Also, the whole storyline of Sybella falling in love with someone Helena then charmed into proposing to her only to reject later honestly did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.
It was supposed to make us think Sybella is the villain and Helena is the hero, when, in reality, it just made me care more about Sybella.
I mean, quick recap: Sybella fell head-over-heels in love with a guy and really wanted him to propose and had already fully planned their future. At the same time, Miss Weston over here was playing her sick, twisted game of “how many people can I lead on, get them to propose and then never look at again?”
So she did do exactly that. She led Sybella’s love interest on, and when he got rejected, as far as I can remember, he moved countries and married someone else. I mean, damn.
Worst part of it all? Helena was too busy playing her game to even realise Sybella had fallen in love, something she admits SEVERAL TIMES throughout the book, and yet she phrases it like “Oopsies, I accidentally led on a guy Sybella liked. Well, too bad, but she shouldn’t be such a bitch about it. I mean, if I barely remember him, he must not have been that important, right? Anyways she is so evil omg why does she hate me”
I will argue that Sybella’s methods of revenge were very unorthodox when she could’ve just…..communicated? But, after all, this is fiction, it is a romance novel, there needs to be some miscommunication.
Let me just clear something up: I’m NOT justifying Sybella’s ACTIONS. I’m saying, she had every right to be mad at Helena, and, in my opinion, this whole plotline just made Helena more ignorant in my eyes. And the ending? She really didn’t have to be screwed over that badly.
Also, as I said previously, she just fell…flat. Her character genuinely feels like it only exists to make Helena seem like a saint, which, btw, she most definitely isn’t. She had no depth; all her actions were just to make her seem worse and worse and worse and make Helena look better and better and better.
You know what she felt like? Like a cartoon villain. That’s exactly how I would describe her.
I’m not gonna talk about Edmond, because this review is too long already, and he doesn’t have any major flaws to dissect.
But to wrap it up, I wanna say that everything I just wrote may have seemed like I hated the book. I didn’t. Quite the contrary, actually. I just want to help this author (and maybe other authors reading this review) improve. As I said, I enjoyed the book. After page 40ish I was pretty hooked and found it fast-paced and easy to read. The biggest flaw are the characters.
They don’t feel like real people. They feel like they were only made to fit into the moulds designed to make this story work. They lack depth and personality.
But I will say, I follow this author on Instagram and I know she’s a mom with (2 I think?) kids and a husband, which is already like 2 full-time jobs. This is also her second book.
Writing this on top of everything is hella impressive, and I want to give the author a moment of appreciation just for that.
As I said, this criticism is only meant to help improve her books in the future.
Otherwise, Olivia, if you’re reading this, you’re doing awesome!!!! Just for the next book (which I will DEFINITELY be reading), try to flesh out the characters a bit more. Other than that, this is seriously a good read and you’re killing it!!!😊
Firstly, may I just say thank you from the bottom of my heart to Olivia Snow and Bookfunnel for sending me this ARC <3
Also, if you're reading this, consider following me on instagram @thornessreads
I started my account a couple of days ago and could use the help >.<
Now, let’s get into it. I gave this book 4 stars. It was very good in my opinion. There were flaws, but it isn’t the type of book I’ll read and then never think about it again. It’s the type of book that I would just call a good time.
But we’re not here to focus only on the good parts, we are (or at least I am) here for some honest critique and constructive criticism. So, here we go:
Helena Weston – To be honest, she’s not a bad protagonist, but she’s not a super impressive one either. She just fell a tiny bit flat for me.
From the moment I picked it up, the beginning felt very rushed. We were just getting dumped all this information about her ,and her dad, and her mom, and her pianoforte, etc…instead of seeing it through actions, scenes, dialogue... We were told exactly what she was like from the start, so there was little room for imagination or to develop a personal opinion of her.
Also, I felt like her entire personality was being “the diamond of the season” and being well-educated and knowledgeable in all areas. Which yes, I understand has been drilled into her brain since she was young, but it doesn’t mean she’s not allowed to think of anything else. If anything, I would sum up 90% of her thoughts as a mix of that, Edmond, and how to get revenge on Sybella. Ah yes, Sybella
Sybella – in my opinion, her character was the biggest flaw of the book. Why? Because she was villainized for NO REASON. It felt like she only existed in the story to create tension and miscommunication between Helena and Edmond, when her character could’ve been SO MUCH MORE. There could’ve been a whole sideplot about how Sybella is always in Helena’s shadow due to Helena being “the diamond” and how lonely and worthless that might make her feel.
Also, the whole storyline of Sybella falling in love with someone Helena then charmed into proposing to her only to reject later honestly did the opposite of what it was supposed to do.
It was supposed to make us think Sybella is the villain and Helena is the hero, when, in reality, it just made me care more about Sybella.
I mean, quick recap: Sybella fell head-over-heels in love with a guy and really wanted him to propose and had already fully planned their future. At the same time, Miss Weston over here was playing her sick, twisted game of “how many people can I lead on, get them to propose and then never look at again?”
So she did do exactly that. She led Sybella’s love interest on, and when he got rejected, as far as I can remember, he moved countries and married someone else. I mean, damn.
Worst part of it all? Helena was too busy playing her game to even realise Sybella had fallen in love, something she admits SEVERAL TIMES throughout the book, and yet she phrases it like “Oopsies, I accidentally led on a guy Sybella liked. Well, too bad, but she shouldn’t be such a bitch about it. I mean, if I barely remember him, he must not have been that important, right? Anyways she is so evil omg why does she hate me”
I will argue that Sybella’s methods of revenge were very unorthodox when she could’ve just…..communicated? But, after all, this is fiction, it is a romance novel, there needs to be some miscommunication.
Let me just clear something up: I’m NOT justifying Sybella’s ACTIONS. I’m saying, she had every right to be mad at Helena, and, in my opinion, this whole plotline just made Helena more ignorant in my eyes. And the ending? She really didn’t have to be screwed over that badly.
Also, as I said previously, she just fell…flat. Her character genuinely feels like it only exists to make Helena seem like a saint, which, btw, she most definitely isn’t. She had no depth; all her actions were just to make her seem worse and worse and worse and make Helena look better and better and better.
You know what she felt like? Like a cartoon villain. That’s exactly how I would describe her.
I’m not gonna talk about Edmond, because this review is too long already, and he doesn’t have any major flaws to dissect.
But to wrap it up, I wanna say that everything I just wrote may have seemed like I hated the book. I didn’t. Quite the contrary, actually. I just want to help this author (and maybe other authors reading this review) improve. As I said, I enjoyed the book. After page 40ish I was pretty hooked and found it fast-paced and easy to read. The biggest flaw are the characters.
They don’t feel like real people. They feel like they were only made to fit into the moulds designed to make this story work. They lack depth and personality.
But I will say, I follow this author on Instagram and I know she’s a mom with (2 I think?) kids and a husband, which is already like 2 full-time jobs. This is also her second book.
Writing this on top of everything is hella impressive, and I want to give the author a moment of appreciation just for that.
As I said, this criticism is only meant to help improve her books in the future.
Otherwise, Olivia, if you’re reading this, you’re doing awesome!!!! Just for the next book (which I will DEFINITELY be reading), try to flesh out the characters a bit more. Other than that, this is seriously a good read and you’re killing it!!!😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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