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Northern Roots: Atlantic #4
Hollow Heart
Not everything that looks broken needs to be fixed — it just needs the right conditions to grow
Growing up on the red sand beaches and farm fields of Prince Edward Island, Silas Gallant and Levi Campbell were each other's whole world. They were best friends who understood each other in a way no one else ever could.
But as the easy freedom of childhood gave way to the weight of expectation, the life they shared slowly began to shift. Levi left the island to chase a future in agricultural technology and a world bigger than the fields he grew up in, while Silas stayed, rooted in the safety of his family's potato farm, and in the belief that people will always leave.
Years of silence and hurt pass before their distance closes, and Levi finds himself contracted to support a farm back on PEI. On the same red soil he once ran with his best friend. Old hurt lingers, turning familiarity into tension neither of them knows how to navigate — until slowly, they begin to let each other back in, and question if they ever truly split apart.
Among summer sunsets, red sand beaches, lighthouses, and open fields, Silas and Levi begin to find each other again — learning that they were never meant to stand on opposite sides of the same ground.
And that without each other, their hearts could never be whole.
Hollow Heart is a standalone MM romance with an HEA.
Books in this series do not need to be read in order.
Growing up on the red sand beaches and farm fields of Prince Edward Island, Silas Gallant and Levi Campbell were each other's whole world. They were best friends who understood each other in a way no one else ever could.
But as the easy freedom of childhood gave way to the weight of expectation, the life they shared slowly began to shift. Levi left the island to chase a future in agricultural technology and a world bigger than the fields he grew up in, while Silas stayed, rooted in the safety of his family's potato farm, and in the belief that people will always leave.
Years of silence and hurt pass before their distance closes, and Levi finds himself contracted to support a farm back on PEI. On the same red soil he once ran with his best friend. Old hurt lingers, turning familiarity into tension neither of them knows how to navigate — until slowly, they begin to let each other back in, and question if they ever truly split apart.
Among summer sunsets, red sand beaches, lighthouses, and open fields, Silas and Levi begin to find each other again — learning that they were never meant to stand on opposite sides of the same ground.
And that without each other, their hearts could never be whole.
Hollow Heart is a standalone MM romance with an HEA.
Books in this series do not need to be read in order.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2026
43 people are currently reading
413 people want to read
About the author
Eve Holmes
9 books286 followersEve is an avid lover of coffee, getting lost in fictional worlds, crafting and ducks. She lives in a small town in Atlantic Canada with a bunch of animals and plans to get many more, much to her family and friends dismay.
When she’s not writing or trying to get ducks to love her, she can usually be found fantasizing about living in a tree house, riding her horses, and exploring Nova Scotia.
Eve enjoys a challenge, and will gladly turn the strangest writing prompt into a book. There’s much more to come, we’re just getting started!
When she’s not writing or trying to get ducks to love her, she can usually be found fantasizing about living in a tree house, riding her horses, and exploring Nova Scotia.
Eve enjoys a challenge, and will gladly turn the strangest writing prompt into a book. There’s much more to come, we’re just getting started!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
April 23, 2026
Do you know those books you cannot stop thinking about? The books that make you want to skip real life adulting stuff to just finally get back to it because they take up every brain space you have?
Yeah. This was that for me.
God how my heart broke for Silas. He’s had such a tough start to his life and he carries deep scars from what he went through, shaping everything, making everything just that much harder.
I was genuinely so upset by what he was going through in the course of the book and by his deeply rooted fear of being left, of not being enough.
One person, who’s always been there (next to his dad), who’s not afraid of him and his outbursts, who loves him despite - or even because of it - is Levi.
The intense emotional connection Silas and Levi share was there right from the start, transcending everything that was going on. When things are good, they celebrate together, when things are hard - and man, were they hard sometimes - they lean on each other. Levi and Silas, always.
But eventually life happens, one moves on to go to uni, see the world, experience all the things, while the other stays. Chooses a simple life on his dad’s potato farm, relishing the quiet and nature and hard work. And they drift, they disconnect, they hurt and they hurt each other.
Watching them lose their connection - even just for a while - and especially from Silas’ POV who’s always petrified of being left behind, genuinely hurt me. It’s realistic, and they needed the distance I think (even though Levi tested me there for a second, ngl), but you better believe I cheered loudly when it all starts to change again for the better.
Because after all the things that wedged themselves between them, creating this hollow disconnect, they’re thrown back together one day and - with time - are confronted with the one important question: Are we still the Silas and Levi that we used to be? Are we less now - or could we even be more?
This is a slow story, and a slow burn. The author takes her time to give us a chance to really grasp these characters and their journey. We start when they’re just 7 years old, and their main story arc begins when they’re 26. So we needed to be patient and let those two figure it out, talk it out (hurray!!) and overcome a lot of internal battles in the process. And I loved watching their journey 🥹
But next to their story, there was so much more to love here:
🤎 Silas’ dad was the best and I loved every scene he was in - I teared up more than once when he or the grandparents were able to help Silas regulate with patience and deep knowledge about what Silas needs. The whole chosen family aspect was incredibly moving. And i could NOT stop ugly crying at that scene at about 55%. Iykyk.
🐶 Winston. That puppy stole every scene he was in and made me smile almost as much as he always did. He was the happiest puppy in all the lands!
🌱 The absolute gorgeous backdrop of Prince Edward Island. I couldn’t have asked for a more breathtaking setting.
There were a few tiny niggles I had, like the very technical and plentiful details of potato farming that I tried to understand, I really did, but eventually gave up on. And the very easy, soft bi-awakening. I think I expected a bit more angst and confusion surrounding the switch from ‘straight’ best friends to romantic partners.
All in all though, a beautiful addition to this series (made even better by the impromptu BR with the lovely Patrícia 🧡) and I cannot wait to see whose story we’ll get next. This felt like the perfect love child between the Red Dirt Heart series by NR Walker and To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders, so if you loved those two, you’ll definitely enjoy this one as well 🥹
4,5⭐️
Thank you to GRR for the chance to read this arc, this is my honest opinion!
Yeah. This was that for me.
God how my heart broke for Silas. He’s had such a tough start to his life and he carries deep scars from what he went through, shaping everything, making everything just that much harder.
I was genuinely so upset by what he was going through in the course of the book and by his deeply rooted fear of being left, of not being enough.
One person, who’s always been there (next to his dad), who’s not afraid of him and his outbursts, who loves him despite - or even because of it - is Levi.
The intense emotional connection Silas and Levi share was there right from the start, transcending everything that was going on. When things are good, they celebrate together, when things are hard - and man, were they hard sometimes - they lean on each other. Levi and Silas, always.
But eventually life happens, one moves on to go to uni, see the world, experience all the things, while the other stays. Chooses a simple life on his dad’s potato farm, relishing the quiet and nature and hard work. And they drift, they disconnect, they hurt and they hurt each other.
Watching them lose their connection - even just for a while - and especially from Silas’ POV who’s always petrified of being left behind, genuinely hurt me. It’s realistic, and they needed the distance I think (even though Levi tested me there for a second, ngl), but you better believe I cheered loudly when it all starts to change again for the better.
Because after all the things that wedged themselves between them, creating this hollow disconnect, they’re thrown back together one day and - with time - are confronted with the one important question: Are we still the Silas and Levi that we used to be? Are we less now - or could we even be more?
This is a slow story, and a slow burn. The author takes her time to give us a chance to really grasp these characters and their journey. We start when they’re just 7 years old, and their main story arc begins when they’re 26. So we needed to be patient and let those two figure it out, talk it out (hurray!!) and overcome a lot of internal battles in the process. And I loved watching their journey 🥹
But next to their story, there was so much more to love here:
🤎 Silas’ dad was the best and I loved every scene he was in - I teared up more than once when he or the grandparents were able to help Silas regulate with patience and deep knowledge about what Silas needs. The whole chosen family aspect was incredibly moving. And i could NOT stop ugly crying at that scene at about 55%. Iykyk.
🐶 Winston. That puppy stole every scene he was in and made me smile almost as much as he always did. He was the happiest puppy in all the lands!
🌱 The absolute gorgeous backdrop of Prince Edward Island. I couldn’t have asked for a more breathtaking setting.
There were a few tiny niggles I had, like the very technical and plentiful details of potato farming that I tried to understand, I really did, but eventually gave up on. And the very easy, soft bi-awakening. I think I expected a bit more angst and confusion surrounding the switch from ‘straight’ best friends to romantic partners.
All in all though, a beautiful addition to this series (made even better by the impromptu BR with the lovely Patrícia 🧡) and I cannot wait to see whose story we’ll get next. This felt like the perfect love child between the Red Dirt Heart series by NR Walker and To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders, so if you loved those two, you’ll definitely enjoy this one as well 🥹
4,5⭐️
Thank you to GRR for the chance to read this arc, this is my honest opinion!
May 12, 2026
Okay, I am going to start this review off by making it clear that I did actually enjoy my time with this book, because it’s potentially going to sound a bit like I didn’t. This one has actually taken the place of being my 2nd favourite of the series (book one still comes out on top), however, on a whole, this was an easy to read, easily consumable contemporary romance that was not without its flaws for me unfortunately.
I actually loved the first 40% on this; the friendship between Silas and Levi was so sweet and I genuinely teared up at some of the scenes when their friendship started to drift apart and break down because you could FEEL Silas’ insecurities and his acceptance of just not being enough for another person in his life to want to stay and love and that shit HURT deeply.
I also actually really loved Silas and Levi together as a couple, they were very sweet and their affection for each other felt pretty genuine. I did sometimes struggle a little bit to grasp onto Silas’ characterisation and his presentation felt a little inconsistent at times, however this wasn’t a huge barrier to my enjoyment of the series.
Honestly, the part that I struggled with the most was ‘the becoming’. I feel like Holmes had a picture in her mind of what she wanted Silas and Levi to look like as friends, and a picture of what she wanted them to look like as lovers, but the grey area in between has kind of slipped through her fingers. Even if there had of been some element of youthful attraction that was never acted on or acknowledged it would have made their attraction as adults make more sense, but as it is, both of their attraction to men kind of came out of the blue for me and felt a bit ham fisted and tip toed kind of close to GFY, which is not a trope that ever really appeals to me.
Mostly, I just loved that this volume in the series returned us to those love letter to the Canadian nature vibes that I loved so much about the first two, and which I found completely missing in the third one. The farms and coastlines of PEI were a lovely escape and you could imagine the quiet lifestyle so clearly (….Although I have had the questionable fortune of watching Letterkenny since I last read one of these books and I could not escape the idea of Jonesy and Riley sporadically throughout this book lol)
3.5 stars. The ending got a little too ‘twee’ at times, a few too many scenes towards the end which got a little bit too saccharine for me and I found myself skipping over them a bit….but I still binged this in a day, never hated my time with it and if there are more books planned in the series I would continue to pick them up. Just a simple little escape.
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I actually loved the first 40% on this; the friendship between Silas and Levi was so sweet and I genuinely teared up at some of the scenes when their friendship started to drift apart and break down because you could FEEL Silas’ insecurities and his acceptance of just not being enough for another person in his life to want to stay and love and that shit HURT deeply.
I also actually really loved Silas and Levi together as a couple, they were very sweet and their affection for each other felt pretty genuine. I did sometimes struggle a little bit to grasp onto Silas’ characterisation and his presentation felt a little inconsistent at times, however this wasn’t a huge barrier to my enjoyment of the series.
Honestly, the part that I struggled with the most was ‘the becoming’. I feel like Holmes had a picture in her mind of what she wanted Silas and Levi to look like as friends, and a picture of what she wanted them to look like as lovers, but the grey area in between has kind of slipped through her fingers. Even if there had of been some element of youthful attraction that was never acted on or acknowledged it would have made their attraction as adults make more sense, but as it is, both of their attraction to men kind of came out of the blue for me and felt a bit ham fisted and tip toed kind of close to GFY, which is not a trope that ever really appeals to me.
Mostly, I just loved that this volume in the series returned us to those love letter to the Canadian nature vibes that I loved so much about the first two, and which I found completely missing in the third one. The farms and coastlines of PEI were a lovely escape and you could imagine the quiet lifestyle so clearly (….Although I have had the questionable fortune of watching Letterkenny since I last read one of these books and I could not escape the idea of Jonesy and Riley sporadically throughout this book lol)
3.5 stars. The ending got a little too ‘twee’ at times, a few too many scenes towards the end which got a little bit too saccharine for me and I found myself skipping over them a bit….but I still binged this in a day, never hated my time with it and if there are more books planned in the series I would continue to pick them up. Just a simple little escape.
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May 9, 2026
Dip Out, the second book in the Northern Roots series, was one of my favorite reads of 2025. Hollow Heart didn't hit the same way.
It felt very YA, and not just because the first 25% of the book consists of flashbacks to Silas and Levi's childhood, including scenes of the boys playing in a lighthouse (which I'm assuming must have been on Silas' family property since no one else was ever there), creating a superhero called Redwave, navigating high school, and Levi "abandoning" Silas by heading off to college.
There was also the constant repetition of You and me, Vi; you and me, Si, which I found hokey as hell, and the bullying by a classmate that persisted through adulthood (not saying people don't remain bullies, but typically there is a level of maturity to the cruelty; here, the bully was forever stuck acting like an 8-year-old).
Never mind that Silas, with his amazing dad and supportive grandparents, who worked and lived on his family's potato farm, was incredibly sheltered. His family was all in his business, understandably so since Silas struggled with emotional control and had a severe learning disability. Silas had been adopted at age 2, but the trauma from his early developmental years lingered.
To be clear, Holmes writing a neurodivergent MC is a pro, not a con. Happy endings aren't just for the successful and brilliant; they're for ordinary people, people hard done by life, people with disabilities and traumas.
Holmes' writing style is poetic and evocative. The way she described Prince Edward Island had me mentally adding it to my destination bucket list.
At times, however, the prose was repetitive, and if I read one more thing about potato farming, soil composition, the variable rate of seed planting, or tractors, I was going to scream. I was already violently rolling my eyes at every mention of a "hollow-heart" potato.
Another gripe is that the romance was about as hollow-hearted as the potatoes. Because of the focus on childhood friendship and Redwave the superhero, Silas and Levi forever seemed like boys to me.
Indeed, the move from platonic to romantic love, while tender, was awkward and largely devoid of passion. I wasn't feeling it at all.
Same goes for the exploration of sexuality, which was essentially nonexistent. Levi came out as bi after checking out one dude's ass, and Silas ... dunno, he was demi maybe? Neither MC had been with a guy before, but they were sucking each other off with fervor approximately 2.4 seconds after kissing for the first tine.
Thank goodness for Winston, the happiest Golden Retriever in all of Canada, who added so much warmth and joy to the story. All hail, Winston!
It felt very YA, and not just because the first 25% of the book consists of flashbacks to Silas and Levi's childhood, including scenes of the boys playing in a lighthouse (which I'm assuming must have been on Silas' family property since no one else was ever there), creating a superhero called Redwave, navigating high school, and Levi "abandoning" Silas by heading off to college.
There was also the constant repetition of You and me, Vi; you and me, Si, which I found hokey as hell, and the bullying by a classmate that persisted through adulthood (not saying people don't remain bullies, but typically there is a level of maturity to the cruelty; here, the bully was forever stuck acting like an 8-year-old).
Never mind that Silas, with his amazing dad and supportive grandparents, who worked and lived on his family's potato farm, was incredibly sheltered. His family was all in his business, understandably so since Silas struggled with emotional control and had a severe learning disability. Silas had been adopted at age 2, but the trauma from his early developmental years lingered.
To be clear, Holmes writing a neurodivergent MC is a pro, not a con. Happy endings aren't just for the successful and brilliant; they're for ordinary people, people hard done by life, people with disabilities and traumas.
Holmes' writing style is poetic and evocative. The way she described Prince Edward Island had me mentally adding it to my destination bucket list.
At times, however, the prose was repetitive, and if I read one more thing about potato farming, soil composition, the variable rate of seed planting, or tractors, I was going to scream. I was already violently rolling my eyes at every mention of a "hollow-heart" potato.
Another gripe is that the romance was about as hollow-hearted as the potatoes. Because of the focus on childhood friendship and Redwave the superhero, Silas and Levi forever seemed like boys to me.
Indeed, the move from platonic to romantic love, while tender, was awkward and largely devoid of passion. I wasn't feeling it at all.
Same goes for the exploration of sexuality, which was essentially nonexistent. Levi came out as bi after checking out one dude's ass, and Silas ... dunno, he was demi maybe? Neither MC had been with a guy before, but they were sucking each other off with fervor approximately 2.4 seconds after kissing for the first tine.
Thank goodness for Winston, the happiest Golden Retriever in all of Canada, who added so much warmth and joy to the story. All hail, Winston!
May 12, 2026
Why am I getting emotional over a good potato harvest? 🥔
Friends-to-lovers, the story of the main characters from their youth onward, a neurodivergent rep, a charming natural setting surrounded by farms and the beach, and an energetic golden retriever—what’s not to like?
I absolutely loved the first 20% of the book. I fell in love with Silas immediately, and I think he even became one of my all-time favorite characters (I also see a lot of myself in him so it was really easy to relate to him and empathize with him). Their friendship and Levi’s support and patience toward Silas? Loved it.
I appreciated that there wasn’t any over-the-top drama causing their distance and rift—life just happened. Sometimes things and relationships don’t stay the same, no matter how much you want them to -and this book captures that well.
”Silas was always the person I wanted to share everything with. All my sadness and joy, and everything in between. But somewhere along the way, my joy became something that hurt him. And hurt us.”
Something happened, though, after they were apart; it didn’t feel the same to me after that as it did in the first 20% of the book. Not that things were actually the same, but as far as my feelings toward the book went, they faded a bit -but just a bit, I still liked it right up until the end. But this just didn't quite reach that 5-star level it had in the beginning (maybe 4.5).
My favorite part was Silas—the way his feelings were portrayed and how he worked through them. This was maybe the kind of book where I ended up liking a single character more than the romance itself. I loved reading about their friendship and their strong bond, but later on, the romance itself and how it unfolded felt a bit... underwhelming, even though the relationship between Levi and Silas was still something so wonderful.
I love the author’s writing style, the characters she introduces to us, all the little details she weaves into the pages of her books, and, above all, these beautiful stories that we are privileged to read.
🥔🥔🥔
’And while I don’t need to escape the way he does, I need him. And here, with the wind coming through the cracked window and all of Prince Edward Island stretched out below us, the only thing we need to do is to be exactly who we are.’
”They left me in the dark,” he says quietly. “But you never did. It was never dark with you.”
’I’m just mad. I’m mad that I let it get like this, and that I can’t be enough. That I can’t be the kind of person who makes someone stay.’
Friends-to-lovers, the story of the main characters from their youth onward, a neurodivergent rep, a charming natural setting surrounded by farms and the beach, and an energetic golden retriever—what’s not to like?
I absolutely loved the first 20% of the book. I fell in love with Silas immediately, and I think he even became one of my all-time favorite characters (I also see a lot of myself in him so it was really easy to relate to him and empathize with him). Their friendship and Levi’s support and patience toward Silas? Loved it.
I appreciated that there wasn’t any over-the-top drama causing their distance and rift—life just happened. Sometimes things and relationships don’t stay the same, no matter how much you want them to -and this book captures that well.
”Silas was always the person I wanted to share everything with. All my sadness and joy, and everything in between. But somewhere along the way, my joy became something that hurt him. And hurt us.”
Something happened, though, after they were apart; it didn’t feel the same to me after that as it did in the first 20% of the book. Not that things were actually the same, but as far as my feelings toward the book went, they faded a bit -but just a bit, I still liked it right up until the end. But this just didn't quite reach that 5-star level it had in the beginning (maybe 4.5).
My favorite part was Silas—the way his feelings were portrayed and how he worked through them. This was maybe the kind of book where I ended up liking a single character more than the romance itself. I loved reading about their friendship and their strong bond, but later on, the romance itself and how it unfolded felt a bit... underwhelming, even though the relationship between Levi and Silas was still something so wonderful.
I love the author’s writing style, the characters she introduces to us, all the little details she weaves into the pages of her books, and, above all, these beautiful stories that we are privileged to read.
🥔🥔🥔
’And while I don’t need to escape the way he does, I need him. And here, with the wind coming through the cracked window and all of Prince Edward Island stretched out below us, the only thing we need to do is to be exactly who we are.’
”They left me in the dark,” he says quietly. “But you never did. It was never dark with you.”
’I’m just mad. I’m mad that I let it get like this, and that I can’t be enough. That I can’t be the kind of person who makes someone stay.’
April 24, 2026
4.25⭐️
Silas has grown up misunderstood and ridiculed, with only his best friend Levi (and sometimes his dad) truly believing in him. This story is a slow burn romance, that focuses heavily on Silas’ character building and a beautiful friendship between two guys that truly love each other.
As always, this story was atmospheric, and really took you to the potatoey land of PEI (there is a lot of potato talk). Though in all seriousness, the writing is very good.
The burn is slow in this one, but the way they love and accept each other is very deep. The romantic / sexual aspects of this book aren’t even the forefront, but it still worked as a romance in the end.
This series is so interesting, and each book is so different and beautiful. I also love that you can pick and choose which ones appeal to you if you want to try it out (though I’ve read them all, hehe!)
As an official member of the Silas defenders club, I do recommend picking this one up if you want a slower burn and an emotional read.
Silas has grown up misunderstood and ridiculed, with only his best friend Levi (and sometimes his dad) truly believing in him. This story is a slow burn romance, that focuses heavily on Silas’ character building and a beautiful friendship between two guys that truly love each other.
As always, this story was atmospheric, and really took you to the potatoey land of PEI (there is a lot of potato talk). Though in all seriousness, the writing is very good.
The burn is slow in this one, but the way they love and accept each other is very deep. The romantic / sexual aspects of this book aren’t even the forefront, but it still worked as a romance in the end.
This series is so interesting, and each book is so different and beautiful. I also love that you can pick and choose which ones appeal to you if you want to try it out (though I’ve read them all, hehe!)
As an official member of the Silas defenders club, I do recommend picking this one up if you want a slower burn and an emotional read.
May 5, 2026
The trauma experienced by Silas was so accurate.
It was a romance but the part that will stay with me is Silas’s journey.
It was a romance but the part that will stay with me is Silas’s journey.
May 2, 2026
I loved this - my favourite of the series.
May 3, 2026
My heart
Levi and Silas broke my heart and then put it back together.
Their friendship ebbs and wanes like the tide is so realistic.
Silas has a multitude of serious issues and Levi was so kind and patient with him.
Their friendship takes a beating when Levi leaves to pursue his dreams and something breaks in Silas.
His return brings realistic, gritty, messy, complicated feelings and they have to work through it in order to move forward with a romantic relationship.
Levi and Silas broke my heart and then put it back together.
Their friendship ebbs and wanes like the tide is so realistic.
Silas has a multitude of serious issues and Levi was so kind and patient with him.
Their friendship takes a beating when Levi leaves to pursue his dreams and something breaks in Silas.
His return brings realistic, gritty, messy, complicated feelings and they have to work through it in order to move forward with a romantic relationship.
May 3, 2026
Oh this book had me living in my feelings. It’s an emotional story full of rich context, nuance and exceptionally layered characters forming a rich tapestry of a life built over years and years that you can’t help but stare in awe at. How did you do it Eve Holmes, have us so invested In Silas and Levi. Soulmates. Best Friends. Estranged and destined for a second chance.
Silas had a very rough start in life to out it mildly and it has left scars that he deals with through out his childhood and life. He is not “fixed” but he is thriving. There is immense hope in that. The mental health rep and the neurodiversity rep in this book is exceptional. Shout out to Scott and his parents , even Levi’s family - brilliant people. Levi loves Silas, understands Silas and fits with Silas since they were young boys running up thier lighthouse to come up with fantastical stories to deal with the challenges life threw at them. But Levi is growing and discovering himself and stretching his wings means stepping away and to find and sustain a connection when everything sis changing is hard. But they never forget and something is always missing.
Life happens again and they reconnect but it’s more now and it’s evolved and their connection is stronger with added layers of attraction and love for the people they have grown into. It’s swoony and sweet and true and completely romantic.
The metaphor of field 2 is not lost on me and it’s beautifully portrayed. I know why Silas holds on so tight to it and I know why he finally solves it. Or the metaphor of the truck being repaired
I love Winston he is a bright light and a joy in this story.
I have to mention the punch - I was jumping up and down with glee
I loved the cross over 🫠
There are so many sweet moments in this book that keep revisiting me even after I’ve finished
This series is one I have loved from the first book on and everytime it’s another favourite
Silas had a very rough start in life to out it mildly and it has left scars that he deals with through out his childhood and life. He is not “fixed” but he is thriving. There is immense hope in that. The mental health rep and the neurodiversity rep in this book is exceptional. Shout out to Scott and his parents , even Levi’s family - brilliant people. Levi loves Silas, understands Silas and fits with Silas since they were young boys running up thier lighthouse to come up with fantastical stories to deal with the challenges life threw at them. But Levi is growing and discovering himself and stretching his wings means stepping away and to find and sustain a connection when everything sis changing is hard. But they never forget and something is always missing.
Life happens again and they reconnect but it’s more now and it’s evolved and their connection is stronger with added layers of attraction and love for the people they have grown into. It’s swoony and sweet and true and completely romantic.
The metaphor of field 2 is not lost on me and it’s beautifully portrayed. I know why Silas holds on so tight to it and I know why he finally solves it. Or the metaphor of the truck being repaired
I love Winston he is a bright light and a joy in this story.
I have to mention the punch - I was jumping up and down with glee
I loved the cross over 🫠
There are so many sweet moments in this book that keep revisiting me even after I’ve finished
This series is one I have loved from the first book on and everytime it’s another favourite
April 22, 2026
4.5⭐️ The best of estranged childhood friends to lovers. Levi and Silas start their journey as childhood best friends and end their journey as adults, thrust back together despite their near-hatred of each other.
The ultimate slow burn follows these friends through some very emotional times as Silas comes head to head with his abandonment issues that he has always fought with. This book was so well written. The slow paced plot was beautifully complimented by deep, complex characters. Plenty of farming plot, cute dog cameos and a really cool sub-plot with comic book sketching.
Highly recommend this book to lovers of estranged friends to lovers and excellent slow burns!
Thank-you to GRR for an ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.
The ultimate slow burn follows these friends through some very emotional times as Silas comes head to head with his abandonment issues that he has always fought with. This book was so well written. The slow paced plot was beautifully complimented by deep, complex characters. Plenty of farming plot, cute dog cameos and a really cool sub-plot with comic book sketching.
Highly recommend this book to lovers of estranged friends to lovers and excellent slow burns!
Thank-you to GRR for an ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.
April 27, 2026
Silas has struggled from the very beginning, and no one ever seems to truly understand him—except his best friend, Levi. They’ve been inseparable since they were three years old. Levi has always been patient with Silas, instinctively knowing what he needs in a way no one else does.
But after high school, everything changes. Levi leaves to study in another province, and Silas is left behind, feeling abandoned. They try to stay connected over the years, but the distance—and everything that comes with it—eventually becomes too much, and their friendship breaks apart completely.
Years later, Levi is unexpectedly called back home for a job… only to discover he’ll be working on Silas’s family farm. No one else realizes the weight of this reunion, but for Silas, it shakes the very foundation of the place that once felt safest. Everything is changing again, and he’s not sure he can handle it—especially when he’s convinced that what they had is beyond repair.
But somehow, they both decide to try.
As they begin to navigate their way back to each other, something unexpected starts to surface, and new feelings begin to take shape.
I loved this story so much. Watching Silas and Levi work through their past and carefully explore these new emotions was everything. And that HEA? Absolute perfection.
** I received a complementary copy of this book.**
But after high school, everything changes. Levi leaves to study in another province, and Silas is left behind, feeling abandoned. They try to stay connected over the years, but the distance—and everything that comes with it—eventually becomes too much, and their friendship breaks apart completely.
Years later, Levi is unexpectedly called back home for a job… only to discover he’ll be working on Silas’s family farm. No one else realizes the weight of this reunion, but for Silas, it shakes the very foundation of the place that once felt safest. Everything is changing again, and he’s not sure he can handle it—especially when he’s convinced that what they had is beyond repair.
But somehow, they both decide to try.
As they begin to navigate their way back to each other, something unexpected starts to surface, and new feelings begin to take shape.
I loved this story so much. Watching Silas and Levi work through their past and carefully explore these new emotions was everything. And that HEA? Absolute perfection.
** I received a complementary copy of this book.**
May 3, 2026
this story pulled me in from the very first chapter, i couldn’t put it down. silas and levi have such an intense emotional connection that you can feel from the very beginning and you just know they love each other!
their love is raw, messy, complicated but that’s what i loved so much about it. it was just so human, there’s so many complex emotions and situations. they hurt each other even though they clearly love each other and it felt so realistic
this is a sloww burn but i actually loved that it was. we really get the chance to know these characters and see their journeys together and separately. i believe seeing their platonic relationship was so important to get to their romantic relationship and figure out what that looks like to them.
silas was such a stand out character to me, i felt for him so deeply. yes he can seem harsh and closed off but when he lets those walls down it’s beautiful and he’s such a gentle soul. i’m obsessed with the way levi continued to show up again and again especially when he’s being pushed away, he was so understanding and i love him for that. these two just balance each other out perfectly and i love their love
i also cared deeply about those potatoes and i did cry over them
their love is raw, messy, complicated but that’s what i loved so much about it. it was just so human, there’s so many complex emotions and situations. they hurt each other even though they clearly love each other and it felt so realistic
this is a sloww burn but i actually loved that it was. we really get the chance to know these characters and see their journeys together and separately. i believe seeing their platonic relationship was so important to get to their romantic relationship and figure out what that looks like to them.
silas was such a stand out character to me, i felt for him so deeply. yes he can seem harsh and closed off but when he lets those walls down it’s beautiful and he’s such a gentle soul. i’m obsessed with the way levi continued to show up again and again especially when he’s being pushed away, he was so understanding and i love him for that. these two just balance each other out perfectly and i love their love
i also cared deeply about those potatoes and i did cry over them
April 24, 2026
This one was just fine for me. Lots of potato talk. Very angsty. And that burn was slowww. I’d say it leans more literary fic than romance with all the internal struggles and dialogue and relatively slow plot. 65% in and nothing but just being besties…Levi & Silas are extremely lovable characters, which helps a lot. And i appreciate the small town aspect. I wish the romance had more time to grow and be questioned versus the focus on the hollow heart field. But also loved the community
aspect and their families being so lovely.
I think this one will work for a lot of people as a sweet, slow summer romance read.
aspect and their families being so lovely.
I think this one will work for a lot of people as a sweet, slow summer romance read.
May 13, 2026
This was my first book by this author even though I have a few others on my kindle. What an absolutely beautiful written story. Levi and Silas’s love story was a slow but incredible build up. They have known and loved each other since childhood. But it wasn’t until they were adults that they got to explore and understand what their love for one another looked like. As a west coast Canadian who has visited the Maritimes I love the scenery and atmosphere eve holmes created. I felt like I was there on PEI with them. Please excuse me while go back and read all Eve Holmes other books.
Quotes: Levi to Silas
“You said it hurt to keep chasing something you didn’t belong in anymore.” I pause, keeping my back to him and my eyes fixed in the dirt in front of me. “But I keep coming to you,” he says. “ And you keep leaving”
Quotes: Levi to Silas
“You said it hurt to keep chasing something you didn’t belong in anymore.” I pause, keeping my back to him and my eyes fixed in the dirt in front of me. “But I keep coming to you,” he says. “ And you keep leaving”
May 2, 2026
Pros:
- convinced me to visit PEI
- well researched potato farming storyline
Cons:
- incredibly repetitive prose
- I wish the couple stayed platonic friends
- would have benefited from third person POV or single first person POV
- convinced me to visit PEI
- well researched potato farming storyline
Cons:
- incredibly repetitive prose
- I wish the couple stayed platonic friends
- would have benefited from third person POV or single first person POV
May 8, 2026
To start, a few things- I love this author and this whole series, so this isn't anything against the them. This book just wasn't for me, and that's okay. Not everyone is going to vibe with the same kinds of books.
Before getting into the plot, as someone from the U.S, at the risk of sounding stupid, y'all have beaches in Canada??? Like coastal cities or provinces??? I was reading this book at work at 3 am and genuinely thought I was losing it, because I've never once thought about Canada and beaches together in the same sentence. Yes, I went to public school and yes, my geography classes didn't teach me sh*t apparently.
My two main concerns...
- First, if I had to read agricultural optimization or whatever jargon one more time I was going to lose it. And Silas was working so hard to understand it, and I'm obviously very much not in the world of farming at all, but everyone else on the farm heard Levi talking during his presentation and went, yep, that makes sense. MY BROTHER IN CHRIST WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT??? Why am I learning more about what causes hollow heart in potatoes than about these two characters? 🤦♀️
- Second, I didn't feel the chemistry between Levi and Silas. The first part of the book from their childhood and early college years was so good, and it was clear how close they were and it was honestly beautiful to see that relationship grow over time. It wasn't mentioned, but the characters never mentioned s*x during college, hookups, relationships, etc and it was honestly giving ace or demi vibes. But then there's the whole 'bi awakening' and then they're engaging in spicy extracurriculars like a day after they kissed. So clearly they experience sexual attraction, but only with each other? It just didn't track for me. It would be different if they had started to realize they had feelings for each other as teens or in college, like most other friends to lovers tropes, or maybe one was pining after the other, but this legit came out of nowhere.
Things I enjoyed...
- The closeness of the MCs and their families. Even after they came out as bi/gay/queer and in a relationship, it wasn't treated as a big thing, which I appreciate. They were so close their whole lives, I feel like the families probs knew something was up between them. As a queer person, I absolutely can't stand to read books where the whole coming out to the family thing is a huge plot point because their family is homophobic or they don't know if they are. Like in this book, these MCs realized they were in love, told their families, and that was it, as it should be. If parents really love their kids, who their kid loves or is attracted to shouldn't matter. Love shouldn't be conditional for parents. And thank you for coming to my TED talk.
- How pure their love was. It was giving very YA/ Heartstopper vibes with how beautiful their love was for each other
Before getting into the plot, as someone from the U.S, at the risk of sounding stupid, y'all have beaches in Canada??? Like coastal cities or provinces??? I was reading this book at work at 3 am and genuinely thought I was losing it, because I've never once thought about Canada and beaches together in the same sentence. Yes, I went to public school and yes, my geography classes didn't teach me sh*t apparently.
My two main concerns...
- First, if I had to read agricultural optimization or whatever jargon one more time I was going to lose it. And Silas was working so hard to understand it, and I'm obviously very much not in the world of farming at all, but everyone else on the farm heard Levi talking during his presentation and went, yep, that makes sense. MY BROTHER IN CHRIST WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT??? Why am I learning more about what causes hollow heart in potatoes than about these two characters? 🤦♀️
- Second, I didn't feel the chemistry between Levi and Silas. The first part of the book from their childhood and early college years was so good, and it was clear how close they were and it was honestly beautiful to see that relationship grow over time. It wasn't mentioned, but the characters never mentioned s*x during college, hookups, relationships, etc and it was honestly giving ace or demi vibes. But then there's the whole 'bi awakening' and then they're engaging in spicy extracurriculars like a day after they kissed. So clearly they experience sexual attraction, but only with each other? It just didn't track for me. It would be different if they had started to realize they had feelings for each other as teens or in college, like most other friends to lovers tropes, or maybe one was pining after the other, but this legit came out of nowhere.
Things I enjoyed...
- The closeness of the MCs and their families. Even after they came out as bi/gay/queer and in a relationship, it wasn't treated as a big thing, which I appreciate. They were so close their whole lives, I feel like the families probs knew something was up between them. As a queer person, I absolutely can't stand to read books where the whole coming out to the family thing is a huge plot point because their family is homophobic or they don't know if they are. Like in this book, these MCs realized they were in love, told their families, and that was it, as it should be. If parents really love their kids, who their kid loves or is attracted to shouldn't matter. Love shouldn't be conditional for parents. And thank you for coming to my TED talk.
- How pure their love was. It was giving very YA/ Heartstopper vibes with how beautiful their love was for each other
April 27, 2026
My heart!! I absolutely loved this book so so much. This whole interconnected series is amazing and each story is so unique I will never shut up about them!
This is a childhood best friends to strangers to lovers story. It’s a slow burn that is so beautiful and everything the characters needed.
Silas has never fit in. Everyone leaves him because they think he’s too difficult to deal with. Everyone but his dad and Levi.
Levi saw something in Silas and knew he needed to protect him. He saw how people treated Silas differently when all Silas needed was a little more time or for things to be explained in a different way. As they grow up Levi always has Silas back but when life gets real after graduation, Levi is left with an impossible choice. A choice Silas has know was coming but never wanted to face.
Silas knows everyone eventually leaves but he never expected Levi to be apart of that group of people. Years after their friendship dissolves, Silas is working on his family potato farm and is dedicated to fixing a problem spot that’s been giving the farm an uncertain results for the past few years. His dad hires someone who can help with the technical side of farming but when it’s revealed that the new hire is Levi, Silas doesn’t know how to react. He’s nervous, he’s scared, he’s angry, but he’s also longing for the friendship that they once had.
As the two men are thrown together because of their jobs, memories make feelings hard to ignore.
Feelings explode to the surface and the past and the future come together for something beautiful and powerful. Their love ends up saving more than just their hearts!
The spice in this was soooo good. It was so full of love and passion and I was kicking my feet when they finally had their first kiss. This is a delicious slow burn that has an explosive pay off. 2.75 🌶️
This book had me in my feels the whole time. It was so emotional and beautiful and the perfect childhood friends to lovers story.
I love each of the books little interconnected parts but this one was extra special!!
This is a childhood best friends to strangers to lovers story. It’s a slow burn that is so beautiful and everything the characters needed.
Silas has never fit in. Everyone leaves him because they think he’s too difficult to deal with. Everyone but his dad and Levi.
Levi saw something in Silas and knew he needed to protect him. He saw how people treated Silas differently when all Silas needed was a little more time or for things to be explained in a different way. As they grow up Levi always has Silas back but when life gets real after graduation, Levi is left with an impossible choice. A choice Silas has know was coming but never wanted to face.
Silas knows everyone eventually leaves but he never expected Levi to be apart of that group of people. Years after their friendship dissolves, Silas is working on his family potato farm and is dedicated to fixing a problem spot that’s been giving the farm an uncertain results for the past few years. His dad hires someone who can help with the technical side of farming but when it’s revealed that the new hire is Levi, Silas doesn’t know how to react. He’s nervous, he’s scared, he’s angry, but he’s also longing for the friendship that they once had.
As the two men are thrown together because of their jobs, memories make feelings hard to ignore.
Feelings explode to the surface and the past and the future come together for something beautiful and powerful. Their love ends up saving more than just their hearts!
The spice in this was soooo good. It was so full of love and passion and I was kicking my feet when they finally had their first kiss. This is a delicious slow burn that has an explosive pay off. 2.75 🌶️
This book had me in my feels the whole time. It was so emotional and beautiful and the perfect childhood friends to lovers story.
I love each of the books little interconnected parts but this one was extra special!!
May 2, 2026
This was so beautiful! These two boys wrecked me, but then slowly put me and themselves back together. It was great to see parts of Silas and Levi's past. It was great to see their history and see that connection that ends up evolving into something more.
My heart went out to Silas and his life story touched me deeply. His struggles broke my heart, but he also showed so much strength. I was in awe of him throughout the book!
I will admit, some of what Levi says concerning input and output went over my head, but I loved all of the farming related information. All of it was written so well, and I felt like I was learning things about potato farming.
I loved Silas and Levi's connection. It was great seeing them get over the hurt they had between them and rebuild their friendship while also seeing that friendship evolve and change into something more. They understood each other perfectly and were the perfect pair. I loved that Levi did not give up and understood that Silas needed him to show up.
This was beautifully written and I didn't want to put it down. I was curious to see what would happen next, what would they think about a certain scene, how would they deal with the hollow heart field. While the story deals with Silas' trauma and history, it didn't feel like a heavy read. I was emotional in the first part of the book, but after that I was just giddy and optimistic, smiling a lot while reading.
If you love hurt/comfort, a small town romance, childhood best friends to lovers then this is the book for you! Plus you get Winston, the happiest, goofiest golden retriever you'll ever meet.
My heart went out to Silas and his life story touched me deeply. His struggles broke my heart, but he also showed so much strength. I was in awe of him throughout the book!
I will admit, some of what Levi says concerning input and output went over my head, but I loved all of the farming related information. All of it was written so well, and I felt like I was learning things about potato farming.
I loved Silas and Levi's connection. It was great seeing them get over the hurt they had between them and rebuild their friendship while also seeing that friendship evolve and change into something more. They understood each other perfectly and were the perfect pair. I loved that Levi did not give up and understood that Silas needed him to show up.
This was beautifully written and I didn't want to put it down. I was curious to see what would happen next, what would they think about a certain scene, how would they deal with the hollow heart field. While the story deals with Silas' trauma and history, it didn't feel like a heavy read. I was emotional in the first part of the book, but after that I was just giddy and optimistic, smiling a lot while reading.
If you love hurt/comfort, a small town romance, childhood best friends to lovers then this is the book for you! Plus you get Winston, the happiest, goofiest golden retriever you'll ever meet.
May 7, 2026
4.5 Stars ⭐️
3 Spice 🌶️
Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- A little angsty
- Estranged childhood best friends to lovers
- Costal small town
- Slow Burn
- Hurt/Comfort
- Double Bi-awakening
- Learning disability and trauma representation
It’s such a bittersweet feeling that this series has come to an end. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite as atmospheric, cosy and able to vividly transport me to places I’ve never been before - like this series.
Silas and Levi were such a wonderful couple to end with too. A beautiful story of inseparable childhood best friends who grew apart, found their way back to each other and finally realised together they always had everything they could ever need and more.
I got very emotional reading this, and seeing the different types of pain and grief Silas had to experience. As always, I think Eve handled the writing of his trauma and learning disabilities so gracefully and with so much care.
Levi is such a patient and loving sweetheart, it was so wonderful the way he always cared for Silas and knew exactly which ways to be there for him. These two just feel like they fit so so well together, absolute soulmates and I couldn’t get enough!!🫶🏼
3 Spice 🌶️
Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- A little angsty
- Estranged childhood best friends to lovers
- Costal small town
- Slow Burn
- Hurt/Comfort
- Double Bi-awakening
- Learning disability and trauma representation
It’s such a bittersweet feeling that this series has come to an end. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite as atmospheric, cosy and able to vividly transport me to places I’ve never been before - like this series.
Silas and Levi were such a wonderful couple to end with too. A beautiful story of inseparable childhood best friends who grew apart, found their way back to each other and finally realised together they always had everything they could ever need and more.
I got very emotional reading this, and seeing the different types of pain and grief Silas had to experience. As always, I think Eve handled the writing of his trauma and learning disabilities so gracefully and with so much care.
Levi is such a patient and loving sweetheart, it was so wonderful the way he always cared for Silas and knew exactly which ways to be there for him. These two just feel like they fit so so well together, absolute soulmates and I couldn’t get enough!!🫶🏼
May 6, 2026
I kept waiting for Levi to keep his cool, but to no avail.. that guy is just lost cause. That was the funny reprieve, to a not so funny book. Actually it was a very serious one. The themes it tackles were so very serious. First of all the setting...I could just picture this beautiful place, the author did amazing job at painting this vibrant picture. I could imagine the grey sky, the beach and the fields. I learned stuff about potatoes 🫢 the potato farming is quite interesting who knew. What was stunning to me was character portrait and development. Silas, dear Silas. My heart ached for him. When he was a boy, how they don’t understand him, how his peers bullied him. How he lived in a small world with a handful of people who cared about him, because he is just scared. I think that he just lived in a survival mode all his life and that was painful to read. And I loved Levi for loving him and giving him space and how patient he was. These two boys grew up being each other’s person. The writing and the pacing of this story is absolutely incredible. Especially when Silas came back it took quite some time for the healing to happen and that felt very organic. Nothing was rushed when they started developing feelings for each other. And it was glorious, I am in awe with this book. Loved it! 🥰
May 3, 2026
Thank you GRR for the arc!
I read this while camping and had a good time. It's my first Eve Holmes but with how much my friend loves this author, how could I not apply for this?
I loved how Silas's struggles were portrayed and how some people are more patient than others with those who are 'different' than what they're used to or had expected.
I read this while camping and had a good time. It's my first Eve Holmes but with how much my friend loves this author, how could I not apply for this?
I loved how Silas's struggles were portrayed and how some people are more patient than others with those who are 'different' than what they're used to or had expected.
May 13, 2026
Tanıştığımız andan itibaren, onun hayatımda olması gerektiğini biliyordum. Ve ona olan sevgim, artık daha fazla büyüyemeyeceğini düşündüğüm anlarda bile her gün büyümeye devam ediyor.
O varken kalbim asla boş kalamaz. Onu seveceğim, ışığını açık tutacağım ve hayatımızın geri kalanında onun için güvenli liman olacağım.
Sonsuza kadar, sadece o ve ben.
Ah kalbim 🥹🥹🥹
O varken kalbim asla boş kalamaz. Onu seveceğim, ışığını açık tutacağım ve hayatımızın geri kalanında onun için güvenli liman olacağım.
Sonsuza kadar, sadece o ve ben.
Ah kalbim 🥹🥹🥹
May 5, 2026
4.75 ⭐
May 6, 2026
So many mixed feelings about this book! I loved Silas and his family and his character development all the way around. The way the landscape and setting is described is also so beautiful and I loved the hollow heart field as a metaphor for Silas. The slow burn and romance aspect just fell a little flat for me. They were such best friends and it was so believable and deep that by the time the attraction and romance came into play, I had a hard time believing it. I think the burn was just too slow for me personally. But otherwise it was a lovely story and for someone that likes a slow burn, maybe the would love it more.
Read
May 2, 2026Slow burn friends to lovers and... Potato farming? Definitely a quieter kind of romance, but I liked the characters and the setting and the Very Good dog.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc Review: Hollow Heart»
Northern Roots: Atlantic #4 by Eve Holmes
MC:Levi & Silas 4.5⭐
Tropes & tags
❤️ estranged childhood best friends to lovers
🌱 slow burn
❤️ double bi-awakening
🌱 coastal small town
❤️ PEI potato farm
🌱 learning disability & trauma rep
❤️ hurt/comfort
🌱 farmer x tech professional
Northern Roots: Atlantic is one of those series that just soothes something in me. It always gives me exactly what I need. Every book is different, each one hitting a completely different emotional spot, but I always finish with that same quiet, warm feeling of this could be home. From Theo and Liam, to Arthur and Trevor, Cade and Alder, and now Silas, Levi and Wiston… it’s a series that settles deep and wraps around you like the coziest blanket. Proper totes adorbs comfort series for me. And honestly, Nova Scotia is becoming somewhere I need to see before I die — it’s my pure aesthetic, way-of-life perfection 🙂
And this book in particular? It felt made for me. Every trope, every beat — exactly my thing.
Silas and Levi’s relationship is the heart of it all, and it’s just… beautiful. You feel their history in everything — in the quiet, in the distance, in all the things left unsaid. Levi was always the one holding on, protecting, standing by Silas even when things were hard. So yes, those three years of silence hurt — and I did resent Levi a little at first — but the more we understand him, the more it becomes clear how torn he was, chasing his dreams while leaving behind the person who mattered most. And Silas… being Silas, holding everything in, convincing himself he had to.
When they come back together, nothing is rushed. The conversations matter. The hurt is acknowledged. And slowly, carefully, they find their way back — not to what they had, but to something stronger. They were always soulmate material, they just needed time to grow into it… to be ready for that soft, certain, forever.
The way Eve ties the idea of the “Hollow Heart” to Silas’ struggles is honestly stunning. It’s such a quiet, powerful analogy, and combined with the writing — and Silas’ drawings — it completely undid me. Because Silas… he just deserves everything.
Yeah… I was gone. Fully gone 😭
And then there’s Wiston — the true MVP, cupid in golden retriever form. The bestest boy, no notes.
Also, Silas’ dad, papa, and mama? Everything. Truly. The kind of family that holds you together until you’re ready to stand whole on your own — and with the person you love.
I did have a couple of small thoughts lingering at the back of my mind. The bi-awakening was a bit too easy? No doubts? No porn search for guidance? More questioning on both sides? I also wish I knew more about Levi’s past girlfriends or hookups just to know what his experience was compared to what he has now. the same for silas, because he sure know how to do prep, and all about eating ass 😛.
I have to say it: the level of stress I felt over those potatoes ? I was unprepared, because I was genuinely anxious until they opened it and it was perfect. Potato stress is real, apparently.😀
Loved the Theo cameo, our best flyfishing ever (Liam is laughing at this for sure), soooo good to see him and what good advice right?
Ashton — that punch was a long time coming, and it tasted like pure satisfaction.
This book didn’t just hit — it melted me. Soft, aching, hopeful, and so full of quiet love. The kind of story that doesn’t demand attention, but stays with you anyway, wrapping itself around your heart and settling there.
And yes… another impromptu BR with Pauline. We really need to start planning these better — but also, Wiston clearly had other plans 😛
GRR kindly entrusted me with a copy of this book, and this review is written with full honesty
⚠️Author Content Warnings
Childhood trauma in a main character (neglect prior to adoption; non-graphic)
Adoption at a young age
Fear of abandonment and attachment-related distress
Internalized self-worth struggles
Anxiety, including panic attacks and episodes of dissociation
Negative self-talk and emotional rumination
Depiction of a learning disability in a main character
Divorce between a main character’s parents
Parental abandonment (mother)
Bullying from a minor side character
Explicit sexual content
Mild, isolated instance of homophobia
Mild, isolated physical altercation (not between MCs)
❣️Book Safety & Content
Other Person Drama: No
Third-Act Breakup: No
Role Dynamics: Strict roles
POV: 1st person dual
Format: Series but do not need to be read in order
Ending: HEA
Angst Level: Low
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Mutual
Northern Roots: Atlantic #4 by Eve Holmes
MC:Levi & Silas 4.5⭐
“You and me, Si,” I say as he straightens up again.
He looks into my eyes for a moment, and I see the joy and ease creeping back in.
“You and me, Vi.”
Tropes & tags
❤️ estranged childhood best friends to lovers
🌱 slow burn
❤️ double bi-awakening
🌱 coastal small town
❤️ PEI potato farm
🌱 learning disability & trauma rep
❤️ hurt/comfort
🌱 farmer x tech professional
Northern Roots: Atlantic is one of those series that just soothes something in me. It always gives me exactly what I need. Every book is different, each one hitting a completely different emotional spot, but I always finish with that same quiet, warm feeling of this could be home. From Theo and Liam, to Arthur and Trevor, Cade and Alder, and now Silas, Levi and Wiston… it’s a series that settles deep and wraps around you like the coziest blanket. Proper totes adorbs comfort series for me. And honestly, Nova Scotia is becoming somewhere I need to see before I die — it’s my pure aesthetic, way-of-life perfection 🙂
And this book in particular? It felt made for me. Every trope, every beat — exactly my thing.
Silas and Levi’s relationship is the heart of it all, and it’s just… beautiful. You feel their history in everything — in the quiet, in the distance, in all the things left unsaid. Levi was always the one holding on, protecting, standing by Silas even when things were hard. So yes, those three years of silence hurt — and I did resent Levi a little at first — but the more we understand him, the more it becomes clear how torn he was, chasing his dreams while leaving behind the person who mattered most. And Silas… being Silas, holding everything in, convincing himself he had to.
When they come back together, nothing is rushed. The conversations matter. The hurt is acknowledged. And slowly, carefully, they find their way back — not to what they had, but to something stronger. They were always soulmate material, they just needed time to grow into it… to be ready for that soft, certain, forever.
The way Eve ties the idea of the “Hollow Heart” to Silas’ struggles is honestly stunning. It’s such a quiet, powerful analogy, and combined with the writing — and Silas’ drawings — it completely undid me. Because Silas… he just deserves everything.
“He used to be the safest place I had.
And I can’t ignore that small whisper in the back of my mind, wondering if he could be again.”
[...]“I want to know why someone would want me.”
[...]“I know what safety is now,” I say. “I have it with you, the farm, everyone here… and with Levi. And I was able to choose him.”
Yeah… I was gone. Fully gone 😭
And then there’s Wiston — the true MVP, cupid in golden retriever form. The bestest boy, no notes.
Also, Silas’ dad, papa, and mama? Everything. Truly. The kind of family that holds you together until you’re ready to stand whole on your own — and with the person you love.
I did have a couple of small thoughts lingering at the back of my mind. The bi-awakening was a bit too easy? No doubts? No porn search for guidance? More questioning on both sides? I also wish I knew more about Levi’s past girlfriends or hookups just to know what his experience was compared to what he has now. the same for silas, because he sure know how to do prep, and all about eating ass 😛.
I have to say it: the level of stress I felt over those potatoes ? I was unprepared, because I was genuinely anxious until they opened it and it was perfect. Potato stress is real, apparently.😀
Loved the Theo cameo, our best flyfishing ever (Liam is laughing at this for sure), soooo good to see him and what good advice right?
Ashton — that punch was a long time coming, and it tasted like pure satisfaction.
This book didn’t just hit — it melted me. Soft, aching, hopeful, and so full of quiet love. The kind of story that doesn’t demand attention, but stays with you anyway, wrapping itself around your heart and settling there.
And yes… another impromptu BR with Pauline. We really need to start planning these better — but also, Wiston clearly had other plans 😛
“The field was missing something,” Silas says.
I lift my eyes to meet his, and blink back the tears welling in them.
“And so was I.” The corner of his lips tilts up in a soft smile. “You.”
A tear slips down my cheek as I step into him and press my lips to his, and an intense swell of emotion rises in my chest.
I ask myself every day how I got to be so lucky to have Silas Gallant in my life. I always have, and I always will.
My heart was hollow without him. And now, I don’t think it’s ever been so full.
I hold him tight as I let myself get lost in him, in this place where we used to escape the world and create our own stories.
And now, we begin a new one together.
Here, forever, where we were always meant to be.”
“I love you, Si,” Levi says softly.
I stare into the eyes I’ve loved from the day I first saw them, and fall deeper into the ease, familiarity, and comfort I live in with Levi. These moments that were once something I felt like I had to hold on to and was afraid of losing, I now have forever. And I’ll continue to take every single one as if it’s the most special thing in the world. Because every moment with Levi is.
He’s the light in my darkness and the missing piece that makes me whole.
He’s my everything.
“I love you, Vi.”
“From the moment we met, I knew he was meant to be in my life. And the love I have for him continues to grow every day, even when I think it can’t grow any more.
My heart can never be hollow with him.
And I’m going to love him, keep his light on, and be his safe space for the rest of our lives.
It’s him and me, forever.
A paw suddenly lands across our laps, and we chuckle against each other’s lips as a wet nose pushes at our arms.
And Winston.”
GRR kindly entrusted me with a copy of this book, and this review is written with full honesty
⚠️Author Content Warnings
Childhood trauma in a main character (neglect prior to adoption; non-graphic)
Adoption at a young age
Fear of abandonment and attachment-related distress
Internalized self-worth struggles
Anxiety, including panic attacks and episodes of dissociation
Negative self-talk and emotional rumination
Depiction of a learning disability in a main character
Divorce between a main character’s parents
Parental abandonment (mother)
Bullying from a minor side character
Explicit sexual content
Mild, isolated instance of homophobia
Mild, isolated physical altercation (not between MCs)
❣️Book Safety & Content
Other Person Drama: No
Third-Act Breakup: No
Role Dynamics: Strict roles
POV: 1st person dual
Format: Series but do not need to be read in order
Ending: HEA
Angst Level: Low
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Mutual
May 8, 2026
𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕—𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚, 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒐
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅… 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆.
Hollow Heart is a truly beautiful piece of work, and Eve Holmes should be immensely proud of it and the entire series.
The final instalment in Holmes' exquisite Northern Roots: Atlantic series, set across Canada's majestic island provinces, Hollow Heart leaves us with anything, but my heart is full after this gorgeous story.
Somehow, across this series, Eve Holmes has made me want to work on a lobster fishing boat, become a wildlife photographer, join a motorcycle club, and be a potato farmer! It's miraculous how her writing can immerse the reader in a world of her imagination so well that they desperately want it to be real.
In Hollow Heart, we're on Prince Edward Island, where we meet Silas and Levi. Best friends since they were three, these two are inseparable. They are the definition of soulmates.
Growing up, the pair spend their days on the red sand beaches of PEI, exploring the lighthouse, and creating their own superhero, Redwave, who helps them to process every emotion they experience growing up, be it fear, grief, happiness, abandonment or love.
Silas has been through so much in his life. Abused and abandoned by his birth mother, and eventually also abandoned by his adopted mother; Silas always feels unworthy and that people will leave him.
His learning disability means he struggles to take things in in a conventional way, leading him to act out, particularly at school, where he is misunderstood. But Levi was always there, standing strong at his side, lifting him up and calming his stress and fears, alongside his wonderful dad and his papa and mama, his loving grandparents; each of whom I love so much.
Silas was everything to me. He totally stole my heart; I adore him 🥰
But life moves on, and when Levi goes away for school, whilst Silas stays on his family potato farm, though they try to make things work, eventually they grow apart and end up hurting each other.
When Levi’s job eventually leads him home to PEI, right to Silas's farm; he isn't particularly welcomed at first.
“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔. 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒔. “𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆.”
𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒘. 𝑰𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑯𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆.
The changes Levi’s arrival brings to their way of farming are also another point of contention.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
Silas struggles with the changes, and my heart honestly broke for him at how alone he felt and how he convinced himself he was a failure 🥺💔
Thankfully, they started to open up to each other and try to resurrect their friendship, but in doing so, they unlocked feelings they'd never experienced before.
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒖𝒚. 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅.
The evolution of their relationship was beautifully done and felt natural for a pair that loved each other so deeply.
𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒅.
𝑰’𝒎 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒔… 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒔.
I loved seeing Silas come back to life. His life had been at a standstill during Levi’s absence, and it filled me with joy to see his spark again. Seeing the empty space for the heart in his Redwave comic was devastating 😢 Thank goodness these two remembered their stick-it power because they truly belong together.
I loved Silas's dedication to the hollow heart field and the metaphor of it to Silas himself and their relationship.
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚, 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏… 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐. 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒕.
Throughout this series, we've had a kitten, a racoon, a duck, and this time, we had Winston, a loveable pooch, who had me laughing out loud at his antics. He really is the goodest boy 😍
Hollow Heart gave me To Catch a Firefly vibes in all the best ways. Yes, there is a period of pain, and yes, it's incredibly emotional, but it's also such a joy to witness the love and friendship Silas and Levi share.
It's heartwarming to see how loved Silas is by his family and those he works with at the farm. He's loved and accepted just as he is and never made to feel less than. His disability and his early childhood trauma play a big role in his life, but as it is in life, there's no magical cure once love comes along, instead Silas lives with his condition, and faces each hurdle as they come. The realism and neurodiversity rep are to be highly praised.
This entire series is something special, and if you haven't already read it, then I can’t recommend it enough. You honestly won't regret it.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝑽𝒊.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝑺𝒊.”
𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒔. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕, 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎.
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅… 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆.
Hollow Heart is a truly beautiful piece of work, and Eve Holmes should be immensely proud of it and the entire series.
The final instalment in Holmes' exquisite Northern Roots: Atlantic series, set across Canada's majestic island provinces, Hollow Heart leaves us with anything, but my heart is full after this gorgeous story.
Somehow, across this series, Eve Holmes has made me want to work on a lobster fishing boat, become a wildlife photographer, join a motorcycle club, and be a potato farmer! It's miraculous how her writing can immerse the reader in a world of her imagination so well that they desperately want it to be real.
In Hollow Heart, we're on Prince Edward Island, where we meet Silas and Levi. Best friends since they were three, these two are inseparable. They are the definition of soulmates.
Growing up, the pair spend their days on the red sand beaches of PEI, exploring the lighthouse, and creating their own superhero, Redwave, who helps them to process every emotion they experience growing up, be it fear, grief, happiness, abandonment or love.
Silas has been through so much in his life. Abused and abandoned by his birth mother, and eventually also abandoned by his adopted mother; Silas always feels unworthy and that people will leave him.
His learning disability means he struggles to take things in in a conventional way, leading him to act out, particularly at school, where he is misunderstood. But Levi was always there, standing strong at his side, lifting him up and calming his stress and fears, alongside his wonderful dad and his papa and mama, his loving grandparents; each of whom I love so much.
Silas was everything to me. He totally stole my heart; I adore him 🥰
But life moves on, and when Levi goes away for school, whilst Silas stays on his family potato farm, though they try to make things work, eventually they grow apart and end up hurting each other.
When Levi’s job eventually leads him home to PEI, right to Silas's farm; he isn't particularly welcomed at first.
“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔. 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒔. “𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆.”
𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒘. 𝑰𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑯𝒆 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆.
The changes Levi’s arrival brings to their way of farming are also another point of contention.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. “𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈.”
Silas struggles with the changes, and my heart honestly broke for him at how alone he felt and how he convinced himself he was a failure 🥺💔
Thankfully, they started to open up to each other and try to resurrect their friendship, but in doing so, they unlocked feelings they'd never experienced before.
𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒖𝒚. 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅.
The evolution of their relationship was beautifully done and felt natural for a pair that loved each other so deeply.
𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒅.
𝑰’𝒎 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒔… 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒔.
I loved seeing Silas come back to life. His life had been at a standstill during Levi’s absence, and it filled me with joy to see his spark again. Seeing the empty space for the heart in his Redwave comic was devastating 😢 Thank goodness these two remembered their stick-it power because they truly belong together.
I loved Silas's dedication to the hollow heart field and the metaphor of it to Silas himself and their relationship.
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒚, 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏… 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐. 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒕.
Throughout this series, we've had a kitten, a racoon, a duck, and this time, we had Winston, a loveable pooch, who had me laughing out loud at his antics. He really is the goodest boy 😍
Hollow Heart gave me To Catch a Firefly vibes in all the best ways. Yes, there is a period of pain, and yes, it's incredibly emotional, but it's also such a joy to witness the love and friendship Silas and Levi share.
It's heartwarming to see how loved Silas is by his family and those he works with at the farm. He's loved and accepted just as he is and never made to feel less than. His disability and his early childhood trauma play a big role in his life, but as it is in life, there's no magical cure once love comes along, instead Silas lives with his condition, and faces each hurdle as they come. The realism and neurodiversity rep are to be highly praised.
This entire series is something special, and if you haven't already read it, then I can’t recommend it enough. You honestly won't regret it.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝑽𝒊.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆, 𝑺𝒊.”
𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒂𝒔. 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕, 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎.
Review of advance copy
This is a hard book to rate because there were quite a few aspects I loved and were handled skilfully, but ultimately, the parts that didn’t work for me had a great impact on my overall reading experience.
Hollow Heart is a beautiful story of second chances, trust and family, of fighting for a place in the world and accepting it’s deserved, and of how nature and innovative technology don’t have to go against each other.
First of all, the setting, oh my god! Prince Edward Island must be a truly gorgeous place. The beach and the lighthouse, the quiet yet fulfilling life on the potato farm where people bust their asses off all year long, yet do it with love and appreciation for the soil and nature herself.
Silas and Levi both were such well-written characters. Although, sorry to Levi, you were great, but Silas?? That boy stole a piece of my heart. He brings to the table an important neurodivergency rep (learning disability in particular) that was portrayed with care and felt very authentic. His character was made for the hurt souls who always felt left behind - in school, and in life. Simply because of difficulties in conventional schooling, and how much the system makes you feel like it should encompass your entire self-worth while growing up, in turn making you feel worthless when you don’t thrive.
Silas deserves all the care and love and self-confidence in the world, he doesn’t even understand how incredible and strong he is for navigating the world that’s mostly determined to dismiss his existence just because he struggles ❤️
Silas’ relationship with his kind and patient dad almost brought me to tears at times, he was such a beacon of light and hope at all times. And of course, I can’t write a review for this book without mentioning WINSTON, the happiest golden retriever there ever was!
As you can see, so many things to love. And I genuinely loved the first half of the book - the childhood best friends, the way Levi and Silas were inseparable, then the inevitable separation with Silas staying on the island while Levi went off to Toronto Uni, drifting off... Loved it. It felt like a second-chance friendship story I didn’t know I needed in my life.
And then the romance part came in swinging. Like a sudden swerve in the middle of a smooth car ride.
I know, I know. Listen, I went into this book for the romance, of course I did, because once in a while, a simple contemporary romance can actually work for me very well. But I’m afraid that the author created SUCH a beautiful and pure dynamic between Silas and Levi that for 50 percent of the story, the boys felt like platonic soulmates. And while most of why it didn’t work is on me, I also think the author didn’t quite land the timing. Introducing the sexual attraction in the most inopportune, emotional moments, where it felt like intrusion, was just the beginning.
And, well, the end for me, because it was where it all started to completely fall apart. The romance felt forced, and I actually grimaced at their first kiss, and that’s when I knew it lost me - my emotional investment packed its bags and fucked off. I skimmed through the rest of the story, pausing and taking in only the farming and parts that didn’t involve them being intimate; that’s how wrong my brain took it as.
I never thought I would prefer farming over fucking in a romance book but here we are. We all learn something new about ourselves 🤡
There were a few other things that bothered me (dual first person might really not be for me, not in a romance book, and the writing was sometimes very repetitive and emotions needlessly overexplained), but I think I’ve done enough damage already. As you can see, this is mostly a “me and my weird brain” problem, I’m still trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work.
To end on a positive note, Eve Holmes CAN write, especially the setting and the characters, and most of my issues with the story are my personal quirks, so I can still safely say it will be a hit for most romance lovers here!
Thank you to GRR for this e-arc! Planned release of Hollow Heart is May 1, 2026
Hollow Heart is a beautiful story of second chances, trust and family, of fighting for a place in the world and accepting it’s deserved, and of how nature and innovative technology don’t have to go against each other.
First of all, the setting, oh my god! Prince Edward Island must be a truly gorgeous place. The beach and the lighthouse, the quiet yet fulfilling life on the potato farm where people bust their asses off all year long, yet do it with love and appreciation for the soil and nature herself.
Silas and Levi both were such well-written characters. Although, sorry to Levi, you were great, but Silas?? That boy stole a piece of my heart. He brings to the table an important neurodivergency rep (learning disability in particular) that was portrayed with care and felt very authentic. His character was made for the hurt souls who always felt left behind - in school, and in life. Simply because of difficulties in conventional schooling, and how much the system makes you feel like it should encompass your entire self-worth while growing up, in turn making you feel worthless when you don’t thrive.
Silas deserves all the care and love and self-confidence in the world, he doesn’t even understand how incredible and strong he is for navigating the world that’s mostly determined to dismiss his existence just because he struggles ❤️
Silas’ relationship with his kind and patient dad almost brought me to tears at times, he was such a beacon of light and hope at all times. And of course, I can’t write a review for this book without mentioning WINSTON, the happiest golden retriever there ever was!
As you can see, so many things to love. And I genuinely loved the first half of the book - the childhood best friends, the way Levi and Silas were inseparable, then the inevitable separation with Silas staying on the island while Levi went off to Toronto Uni, drifting off... Loved it. It felt like a second-chance friendship story I didn’t know I needed in my life.
And then the romance part came in swinging. Like a sudden swerve in the middle of a smooth car ride.
I know, I know. Listen, I went into this book for the romance, of course I did, because once in a while, a simple contemporary romance can actually work for me very well. But I’m afraid that the author created SUCH a beautiful and pure dynamic between Silas and Levi that for 50 percent of the story, the boys felt like platonic soulmates. And while most of why it didn’t work is on me, I also think the author didn’t quite land the timing. Introducing the sexual attraction in the most inopportune, emotional moments, where it felt like intrusion, was just the beginning.
And, well, the end for me, because it was where it all started to completely fall apart. The romance felt forced, and I actually grimaced at their first kiss, and that’s when I knew it lost me - my emotional investment packed its bags and fucked off. I skimmed through the rest of the story, pausing and taking in only the farming and parts that didn’t involve them being intimate; that’s how wrong my brain took it as.
I never thought I would prefer farming over fucking in a romance book but here we are. We all learn something new about ourselves 🤡
There were a few other things that bothered me (dual first person might really not be for me, not in a romance book, and the writing was sometimes very repetitive and emotions needlessly overexplained), but I think I’ve done enough damage already. As you can see, this is mostly a “me and my weird brain” problem, I’m still trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work.
To end on a positive note, Eve Holmes CAN write, especially the setting and the characters, and most of my issues with the story are my personal quirks, so I can still safely say it will be a hit for most romance lovers here!
Thank you to GRR for this e-arc! Planned release of Hollow Heart is May 1, 2026
May 3, 2026
5 stars
The fourth book of the Northern Roots Atlantic series is a deeply emotional and beautiful love story. I cried a lot while reading it, but it was worth every tear and every heartbreak.
Silas and Levi met for the first time when they were both 3 years old and they became inseparable, They were also neighbours, so they basically grew up in each other's home.
Silas had a rough start at life: he was adopted the year before after his biological mother abandoned him, he carried the weight of the trauma that prevents him to trust people around him through all his life and he also has serious learning disabilities that made his school years very hard on him.
During all these struggles, the only constants have been his father's unwavering love and Levi's friendship and support.
Throughout the first part, we see the two of them spending all their free time together, going on adventures, being close and creating their own safe world, where no one could touch them. Levi helps Silas going through his parents divorce and his mother moving away, the bullying at school, the frustrations and the anger that often overwhelm him.
Their world is shattered when Levi leaves for college and, in the next four years, he will come home less and less, until he'll get a job in Toronto after graduation and they will stop talking altogether.
I don't know how many times I cried reading about Silas in this part of the story: all his deepest fears become a reality when Levi abandons him too. The feelings of inadequacy, wrongness, unworthiness are so strong and they cut so deep that Silas, already being hurt too many times in his life, stops hoping to ever have something good and he lives almost as a recluse, working in his dad's farm and grieving the loss of his friend.
In the meantime, Levi is living a good life in Toronto with his adorable dog and his dream job. But not a day goes by that he doesn't think about how they both handled their separation and regret the loss of their friendship. He’s not the villain in the story and he had his own heart broken too.
Things change, when Levi comes back to the island and accepts a job at the farm and they see one another again after being separated for a long time (they’re now 26).
The rebuilding of what they had is slow and hard because they don't know each other anymore and they struggle to find a way to reconnect.
I found this part incredibly painful but also very good, the author did an amazing job in writing about their emotions, I loved how honest Silas and Levi were to each other, when they finally were brave enough to speak about what happened. It takes time, there’s no easy way out from the pain and the hurt from the past, but they work hard every day to fit in each other’s lives again.
Their bi awakening was slow too, but it fit them perfectly! The shift from being friends again to yearn for more was subtle, just little hints at first until their wonderful first kiss. The physical scenes are extremely intimate and emotional, their bodies and their heart were totally in tune
A big shutout for Scott, Silas’ dad who deserves all the awards for Best Father Ever: his love for his son was big, strong, solid, he never ever treated him like a burden or an inconvenience, he adored him the moment he saw him and he never let him go. I think he deserves someone to make him happy too.
Kudos to Winston, Levi’s dog, who, unconsciously, brought Silas and Levi back together several times and made home with them, before they even knew what was happening.
My petty self was waiting for a bit of retaliation for Silas’ “mothers”, but maybe it’s best that they fell into oblivion.
This book was an absolute delight, I can't wait to read more from this author!
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
The fourth book of the Northern Roots Atlantic series is a deeply emotional and beautiful love story. I cried a lot while reading it, but it was worth every tear and every heartbreak.
Silas and Levi met for the first time when they were both 3 years old and they became inseparable, They were also neighbours, so they basically grew up in each other's home.
Silas had a rough start at life: he was adopted the year before after his biological mother abandoned him, he carried the weight of the trauma that prevents him to trust people around him through all his life and he also has serious learning disabilities that made his school years very hard on him.
During all these struggles, the only constants have been his father's unwavering love and Levi's friendship and support.
Throughout the first part, we see the two of them spending all their free time together, going on adventures, being close and creating their own safe world, where no one could touch them. Levi helps Silas going through his parents divorce and his mother moving away, the bullying at school, the frustrations and the anger that often overwhelm him.
Their world is shattered when Levi leaves for college and, in the next four years, he will come home less and less, until he'll get a job in Toronto after graduation and they will stop talking altogether.
I don't know how many times I cried reading about Silas in this part of the story: all his deepest fears become a reality when Levi abandons him too. The feelings of inadequacy, wrongness, unworthiness are so strong and they cut so deep that Silas, already being hurt too many times in his life, stops hoping to ever have something good and he lives almost as a recluse, working in his dad's farm and grieving the loss of his friend.
In the meantime, Levi is living a good life in Toronto with his adorable dog and his dream job. But not a day goes by that he doesn't think about how they both handled their separation and regret the loss of their friendship. He’s not the villain in the story and he had his own heart broken too.
Things change, when Levi comes back to the island and accepts a job at the farm and they see one another again after being separated for a long time (they’re now 26).
The rebuilding of what they had is slow and hard because they don't know each other anymore and they struggle to find a way to reconnect.
I found this part incredibly painful but also very good, the author did an amazing job in writing about their emotions, I loved how honest Silas and Levi were to each other, when they finally were brave enough to speak about what happened. It takes time, there’s no easy way out from the pain and the hurt from the past, but they work hard every day to fit in each other’s lives again.
Their bi awakening was slow too, but it fit them perfectly! The shift from being friends again to yearn for more was subtle, just little hints at first until their wonderful first kiss. The physical scenes are extremely intimate and emotional, their bodies and their heart were totally in tune
A big shutout for Scott, Silas’ dad who deserves all the awards for Best Father Ever: his love for his son was big, strong, solid, he never ever treated him like a burden or an inconvenience, he adored him the moment he saw him and he never let him go. I think he deserves someone to make him happy too.
Kudos to Winston, Levi’s dog, who, unconsciously, brought Silas and Levi back together several times and made home with them, before they even knew what was happening.
My petty self was waiting for a bit of retaliation for Silas’ “mothers”, but maybe it’s best that they fell into oblivion.
This book was an absolute delight, I can't wait to read more from this author!
Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Hollow Heart is the 4th book in the Northern Roots Atlantic series of interconnected standalones, and man, Eve Holmes doesn’t miss. This one grabbed me right away and just kept twisting the knife in most delicious way.
Silas and Levi have been best friends for as long as they can remember, one of those deep bonds that feel like it’s stitched into their bones.
For Silas especially, Levi is everything: his support system, protector, safe place. Silas’s life has been full of hurt and trauma, and Levi is basically his one steady thing, the one person who makes the world feel survivable.
So, when life pulls them onto separate paths, the distance takes its toll. They drift apart until something that used to be unbreakable eventually cracks. Watching their friendship drift apart is heartbreaking. While Levi goes out to the world to follow his dreams, Silas is stuck by himself in his family potato farm.
Eventually, fate gets them back together. But reconnecting isn’t automatic. There are old wounds, misunderstandings, guilt, and so much heartbreak. They both have a lot of work to do to rebuild the bond.
Eve’s characters are always impossible not to fall for, and Silas and Levi are no exception.
Silas is so lovable, such a damaged, soft, broken boy. The way his past shapes him, how he always expects people to leave, is portrayed with a lot of care. His fear of abandonment is paralyzing at times, and it made my heart ache because you can see how badly he wants to be okay, and how hard it is for him to believe he deserves stability.
And Levi is so caring and loyal. He’s protective of Silas in this really instinctive way, even when he’s also a kid with his own dreams. When he has to make the hard decision to leave for college and chase his future, you can feel him fighting himself the whole time, because choosing himself still feels a little like betraying this boy he loves.
Their love story is so beautiful. The friends to more progression feels real and organic, and their shared sexual awakening works because it’s handled as a process, not a switch being flipped. It’s definitely a slow burn (like super slow), but it never felt dragged out to me, more like it gives them the time they need to feel safe, heal, and figure out what they actually want. And when it finally clicks? It’s sweet, fulfilling, and feels earned.
I think this might be my favorite in the series so far. It really shows off Eve Holmes’ engaging writing style, it’s emotional, immersive, and so character driven. I’m a huge fan of hers, and this series keeps delivering. Every book has its own vibe, but the setting and atmosphere tie them together in a way that feels familiar without being repetitive.
This is not a light read. It’s tender and hopeful, but it goes straight into heavy stuff, and that’s really one of the series’ strengths: it doesn’t flinch. Where book one tackled grief, book two explored neurodivergence, and book three gave an honest look at depression and mental health struggles, Hollow Heart leans into childhood trauma, learning disabilities, and separation anxiety. So yeah, check content warnings if you need them, and be prepared to feel a lot.
Overall, another hit by Eve. If you, like me, love emotional small-town vibes, best friends’ bonds, and a slow burn romance that makes you work for the payoff (in a good way), I really think you’ll love this one. I’m excited to keep reading anything Eve writes.
Silas and Levi have been best friends for as long as they can remember, one of those deep bonds that feel like it’s stitched into their bones.
For Silas especially, Levi is everything: his support system, protector, safe place. Silas’s life has been full of hurt and trauma, and Levi is basically his one steady thing, the one person who makes the world feel survivable.
So, when life pulls them onto separate paths, the distance takes its toll. They drift apart until something that used to be unbreakable eventually cracks. Watching their friendship drift apart is heartbreaking. While Levi goes out to the world to follow his dreams, Silas is stuck by himself in his family potato farm.
Eventually, fate gets them back together. But reconnecting isn’t automatic. There are old wounds, misunderstandings, guilt, and so much heartbreak. They both have a lot of work to do to rebuild the bond.
Eve’s characters are always impossible not to fall for, and Silas and Levi are no exception.
Silas is so lovable, such a damaged, soft, broken boy. The way his past shapes him, how he always expects people to leave, is portrayed with a lot of care. His fear of abandonment is paralyzing at times, and it made my heart ache because you can see how badly he wants to be okay, and how hard it is for him to believe he deserves stability.
And Levi is so caring and loyal. He’s protective of Silas in this really instinctive way, even when he’s also a kid with his own dreams. When he has to make the hard decision to leave for college and chase his future, you can feel him fighting himself the whole time, because choosing himself still feels a little like betraying this boy he loves.
Their love story is so beautiful. The friends to more progression feels real and organic, and their shared sexual awakening works because it’s handled as a process, not a switch being flipped. It’s definitely a slow burn (like super slow), but it never felt dragged out to me, more like it gives them the time they need to feel safe, heal, and figure out what they actually want. And when it finally clicks? It’s sweet, fulfilling, and feels earned.
I think this might be my favorite in the series so far. It really shows off Eve Holmes’ engaging writing style, it’s emotional, immersive, and so character driven. I’m a huge fan of hers, and this series keeps delivering. Every book has its own vibe, but the setting and atmosphere tie them together in a way that feels familiar without being repetitive.
This is not a light read. It’s tender and hopeful, but it goes straight into heavy stuff, and that’s really one of the series’ strengths: it doesn’t flinch. Where book one tackled grief, book two explored neurodivergence, and book three gave an honest look at depression and mental health struggles, Hollow Heart leans into childhood trauma, learning disabilities, and separation anxiety. So yeah, check content warnings if you need them, and be prepared to feel a lot.
Overall, another hit by Eve. If you, like me, love emotional small-town vibes, best friends’ bonds, and a slow burn romance that makes you work for the payoff (in a good way), I really think you’ll love this one. I’m excited to keep reading anything Eve writes.
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