What do you think?
Rate this book
Meddle & Mend #1
Letters to Half Moon Street
I must have been drunker than I realized because all I remember is how well he tied his cravat and how perfectly his coat fit him…
London, 1815: where magic can be purchased at convenience, and the fashionable and wealthy descend for the start of the social Season. But 25-year-old Gavin Hartford finds the city intimidating when he arrives, alone, to his family’s townhouse. The only company he seeks is in his beloved books and weekly letters to his sister, Gerry.
Then dashing man-about-town Charles Kentworthy gallantly rescues Gavin from a foolish drunken mishap and turns his life upside-down. With Mr. Kentworthy, Gavin finds himself discussing poetry and magic, confessing his fears about marriage, expanding his social circle to shocking proportions—and far outside his comfort zone.
When family responsibility comes knocking, Gavin’s future looms over him, filled with uncertainty. As he grapples with growing feelings for his new friend, Gavin will need to be honest with Mr. Kentworthy—but he’ll need the courage to be honest with himself first.
This epistolary Regency romance is the first in a historical fantasy series, Meddle & Mend.
London, 1815: where magic can be purchased at convenience, and the fashionable and wealthy descend for the start of the social Season. But 25-year-old Gavin Hartford finds the city intimidating when he arrives, alone, to his family’s townhouse. The only company he seeks is in his beloved books and weekly letters to his sister, Gerry.
Then dashing man-about-town Charles Kentworthy gallantly rescues Gavin from a foolish drunken mishap and turns his life upside-down. With Mr. Kentworthy, Gavin finds himself discussing poetry and magic, confessing his fears about marriage, expanding his social circle to shocking proportions—and far outside his comfort zone.
When family responsibility comes knocking, Gavin’s future looms over him, filled with uncertainty. As he grapples with growing feelings for his new friend, Gavin will need to be honest with Mr. Kentworthy—but he’ll need the courage to be honest with himself first.
This epistolary Regency romance is the first in a historical fantasy series, Meddle & Mend.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2022
321 people are currently reading
2287 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
November 23, 2025
I know you, I've seen you, I've watched you around / Everyone trusts you, they love you out loud / You won't hurt a fly, but we're flying up now / And all that goes up, well, it's got to come down (Nauseous – Conan Gray).
I don’t know quite what I was expecting when I picked up Letters to Half Moon Street, but it certainly wasn’t this! You know, a book that reminds me of why I love reading, sure, but also one that's really just letters. I mean, all books are comprised of just letters, but this one is really just letters… to other people. And trust me, that’s a point in this book’s favor, because even though I’ve only read two books in the past that are just letters like Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson (wonderful read, I’ll sometimes flip through it just to feel something) and We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra (unfortunately one of my “5-star” ratings that should really be changed to a “3-star”), I’ve always really enjoyed the format, as I feel it allows for a more personal look into a character’s motivations without having to exposition dump all over the page. Okay, that sounded a lot grosser than I had originally intended, but what I’m trying to get at here is that I always love whenever a book or a game or a movie makes full use of whatever format its in without compromising. For example, the Fallout show is a good adaption of the Fallout video games simply because it doesn’t try to copy over the expansive open worlds and endless side quests into a T.V. show format, but rather because it transfers the general vibe with the music and the motifs while playing to the strengths of a show with its long form storytelling and in depth world building. While with something like The Last of Us, it’s already a video game that’s so desperately trying to be “taken seriously” as a “T.V. quality” piece of art, that the show adaption teeters on the edge of either being so faithful that there’s no point in adapting the work in the first place (other than seeing a sexy graying Pedro Pascal), or changing so much from the original in the name of being a different medium that the whole thing loses focus and crumbles like a Jenga tower. So yeah, I loved Letters to Half Moon Street because it took the idea of a bunch of characters all in correspondence with each other and ran with it without ever “breaking its own rules,” so to speak. Because even though a lot of, if not all, the information throughout this novel is given to us after the fact, Letters to Half Moon Street still manages to more than convey an almost overwhelming sense of comfort and tenderness in its platonic familial relationships as well as its romantic ones. Besides, I just love inferring things in fiction. Sometimes too many answered questions spoils my interest in a story (especially in the horror genre), and my favorite thing to do whenever I’m finished reading a book or watching a movie is to go into "interpret mode," with “what did this mean?” and “why did they do that?” being my go-to conversation starters.
What’s not said plainly in the text can often give you much more to chew on than a long inner-monologue spelling out what one is feeling! For example, Gavin’s letters to his sister are often essay length affairs because he’s comfortable speaking with her in his natural cadence (which is to say; a rambling mess), his correspondences with Kentworthy are mostly quick, punchy, and polite because he sees him almost every day anyway. Oh yeah, and finally, he never responds to his older brother John’s letters because he deadass doesn’t like him. See? It’s the perfect venue for a “show, don’t tell” narrative, and this book does it beautifully. Okay, alright, I'll talk about what Letters to Half Moon Street is all about now! My problem is that whenever I enjoy a book, I always operate under the assumption that everybody else has already read it too, so there's no need to go into the nitty gritty details. This isn’t The Avengers, not everybody gets as hyped over gay cozy regency romances as I do! Anyway, this book is about a reticent young man named Gavin who has been sent to London by his parents to clear his head away from his overbearing older brother named John. And through Gavin's letters, we quickly learn that a well-known playboy named Charles Kentworthy has taken a keen interest in him and fully intends to help him break him out of his shell. You know that one saying that's all like, “an introvert will sometimes randomly be adopted by an extrovert” or whatever? Yeah well, that’s pretty much what this book is all about, and it's all the better for it! In that way, it's very smartly written, and I don't just mean the overabundance of fancy words and flowery language! For example, when Gavin is describing Charles Kentworthy to his sister Gerry, much to her ire, he always describes him in the most clinical way possible, only letting her know that he’s tall and has dark hair. And while this works as a humorous moment, it also accomplishes two things; making Kentworthy’s appearance as vague as possible allows the audience to imagine how dashing he is ourselves, and informs Gavin’s own shy nature as someone who doesn’t care much about appearance, thus showing that his attraction to the man is purely based on personality alone. Also, infatuation is a new thing for him, so it makes sense that he'd be uncomfortable divulging all the dirty details of his attraction. And yet, I will say that because this book is strictly in a letter format, it basically means that everybody's thoughts and feelings are eventually given freely. I mean, maybe I’m just a lot more private than most people, but the fact that Gavin was just spilling his heart out in to his sister was kind of wild to me. On one hand, I think his relationship with his sister is really sweet in an old fashioned Frankenstein, overly verbose kind of way, and on the other… I can’t help but be reminded of those early seasons of Friends where a lot of the drama centered on the “will-they-won’t-they” push and pull between Ross and Rachel, and Monica, Ross’s sister, would also want to hear the details of them hooking up and stuff... and that's just a bit odd, no?
Again, none of this is to say that this aspect of the novel is unrealistic, because I have a family member who got a matching tattoo with her brother, which is, you know… pretty weird. I mean, I’ve seen people say this is a perfectly normal thing for a person to do, but I can’t wrap my head around because it’s, you know… pretty weird. Otherwise, the repeated use of words like “dashed” (like, “I need to get out of this dashed rain!”) or “continence” in order to sell the time period also sometimes made the book feel more like a historical cosplay in the same vein of a Bridgerton rather than a novel with an actual interest in the era. Actually… speaking of Bridgerton, the comparison becomes even more apt when I realized the depths of its whitewashed history. Look, I’m not saying that I need to see an endless parade of bigotry on the page in order to immerse myself in a historical fiction, but when a narrative ignores every social issue that queer folk (or people of color) have had to fight for throughout history it can feel like an insensitive endeavor, or even an willfully ignorant one. Sorry, but these struggles did exist, and it’s because of marginalized peoples fighting the power that paved the road we're walking on now, so to create a historical fiction that pretends every ounce of pain away, it also trends towards ignoring the important sacrifices that had been made along the way as well. And to that point, I really do think this book would have been better off just fully taking place in a fantasy world. You know how I said I love inferring things? Yeah well, outside of the whole “cozy-fying history” thing, I also think it would have been cool to be able to piece together how a fantasy universe works solely by reading letters written by the characters who live in one. Sure, that might be a tad too ambitious, but because this book already portrays a magical world that’s so different from historical London anyway, I feel like it should have just gone the extra mile and went full Lord of the Rings with the world building. Have fun with it! Besides, with a whole new world created from the imagination, then you wouldn’t need to worry about pedantic reviewers like me complaining about how the narrative completely ignores the baggage that comes with real world history. Nonetheless, none of what I said changes the fact that Letters to Half Moon Street is the best book I’ve read in months. With its excess of beautiful words (all comprised of letters, no less) that made my heart all a flutter and how it's wrapped in a tender narrative about a man learning to love himself through loving others, it’s no wonder why I fell in love with this book so wholly and completely. Bit by bit, and then all at once.
“I want to fill your head with so many good things about yourself that you turn a little prideful with it all.”
I don’t know quite what I was expecting when I picked up Letters to Half Moon Street, but it certainly wasn’t this! You know, a book that reminds me of why I love reading, sure, but also one that's really just letters. I mean, all books are comprised of just letters, but this one is really just letters… to other people. And trust me, that’s a point in this book’s favor, because even though I’ve only read two books in the past that are just letters like Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson (wonderful read, I’ll sometimes flip through it just to feel something) and We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra (unfortunately one of my “5-star” ratings that should really be changed to a “3-star”), I’ve always really enjoyed the format, as I feel it allows for a more personal look into a character’s motivations without having to exposition dump all over the page. Okay, that sounded a lot grosser than I had originally intended, but what I’m trying to get at here is that I always love whenever a book or a game or a movie makes full use of whatever format its in without compromising. For example, the Fallout show is a good adaption of the Fallout video games simply because it doesn’t try to copy over the expansive open worlds and endless side quests into a T.V. show format, but rather because it transfers the general vibe with the music and the motifs while playing to the strengths of a show with its long form storytelling and in depth world building. While with something like The Last of Us, it’s already a video game that’s so desperately trying to be “taken seriously” as a “T.V. quality” piece of art, that the show adaption teeters on the edge of either being so faithful that there’s no point in adapting the work in the first place (other than seeing a sexy graying Pedro Pascal), or changing so much from the original in the name of being a different medium that the whole thing loses focus and crumbles like a Jenga tower. So yeah, I loved Letters to Half Moon Street because it took the idea of a bunch of characters all in correspondence with each other and ran with it without ever “breaking its own rules,” so to speak. Because even though a lot of, if not all, the information throughout this novel is given to us after the fact, Letters to Half Moon Street still manages to more than convey an almost overwhelming sense of comfort and tenderness in its platonic familial relationships as well as its romantic ones. Besides, I just love inferring things in fiction. Sometimes too many answered questions spoils my interest in a story (especially in the horror genre), and my favorite thing to do whenever I’m finished reading a book or watching a movie is to go into "interpret mode," with “what did this mean?” and “why did they do that?” being my go-to conversation starters.
What’s not said plainly in the text can often give you much more to chew on than a long inner-monologue spelling out what one is feeling! For example, Gavin’s letters to his sister are often essay length affairs because he’s comfortable speaking with her in his natural cadence (which is to say; a rambling mess), his correspondences with Kentworthy are mostly quick, punchy, and polite because he sees him almost every day anyway. Oh yeah, and finally, he never responds to his older brother John’s letters because he deadass doesn’t like him. See? It’s the perfect venue for a “show, don’t tell” narrative, and this book does it beautifully. Okay, alright, I'll talk about what Letters to Half Moon Street is all about now! My problem is that whenever I enjoy a book, I always operate under the assumption that everybody else has already read it too, so there's no need to go into the nitty gritty details. This isn’t The Avengers, not everybody gets as hyped over gay cozy regency romances as I do! Anyway, this book is about a reticent young man named Gavin who has been sent to London by his parents to clear his head away from his overbearing older brother named John. And through Gavin's letters, we quickly learn that a well-known playboy named Charles Kentworthy has taken a keen interest in him and fully intends to help him break him out of his shell. You know that one saying that's all like, “an introvert will sometimes randomly be adopted by an extrovert” or whatever? Yeah well, that’s pretty much what this book is all about, and it's all the better for it! In that way, it's very smartly written, and I don't just mean the overabundance of fancy words and flowery language! For example, when Gavin is describing Charles Kentworthy to his sister Gerry, much to her ire, he always describes him in the most clinical way possible, only letting her know that he’s tall and has dark hair. And while this works as a humorous moment, it also accomplishes two things; making Kentworthy’s appearance as vague as possible allows the audience to imagine how dashing he is ourselves, and informs Gavin’s own shy nature as someone who doesn’t care much about appearance, thus showing that his attraction to the man is purely based on personality alone. Also, infatuation is a new thing for him, so it makes sense that he'd be uncomfortable divulging all the dirty details of his attraction. And yet, I will say that because this book is strictly in a letter format, it basically means that everybody's thoughts and feelings are eventually given freely. I mean, maybe I’m just a lot more private than most people, but the fact that Gavin was just spilling his heart out in to his sister was kind of wild to me. On one hand, I think his relationship with his sister is really sweet in an old fashioned Frankenstein, overly verbose kind of way, and on the other… I can’t help but be reminded of those early seasons of Friends where a lot of the drama centered on the “will-they-won’t-they” push and pull between Ross and Rachel, and Monica, Ross’s sister, would also want to hear the details of them hooking up and stuff... and that's just a bit odd, no?
Again, none of this is to say that this aspect of the novel is unrealistic, because I have a family member who got a matching tattoo with her brother, which is, you know… pretty weird. I mean, I’ve seen people say this is a perfectly normal thing for a person to do, but I can’t wrap my head around because it’s, you know… pretty weird. Otherwise, the repeated use of words like “dashed” (like, “I need to get out of this dashed rain!”) or “continence” in order to sell the time period also sometimes made the book feel more like a historical cosplay in the same vein of a Bridgerton rather than a novel with an actual interest in the era. Actually… speaking of Bridgerton, the comparison becomes even more apt when I realized the depths of its whitewashed history. Look, I’m not saying that I need to see an endless parade of bigotry on the page in order to immerse myself in a historical fiction, but when a narrative ignores every social issue that queer folk (or people of color) have had to fight for throughout history it can feel like an insensitive endeavor, or even an willfully ignorant one. Sorry, but these struggles did exist, and it’s because of marginalized peoples fighting the power that paved the road we're walking on now, so to create a historical fiction that pretends every ounce of pain away, it also trends towards ignoring the important sacrifices that had been made along the way as well. And to that point, I really do think this book would have been better off just fully taking place in a fantasy world. You know how I said I love inferring things? Yeah well, outside of the whole “cozy-fying history” thing, I also think it would have been cool to be able to piece together how a fantasy universe works solely by reading letters written by the characters who live in one. Sure, that might be a tad too ambitious, but because this book already portrays a magical world that’s so different from historical London anyway, I feel like it should have just gone the extra mile and went full Lord of the Rings with the world building. Have fun with it! Besides, with a whole new world created from the imagination, then you wouldn’t need to worry about pedantic reviewers like me complaining about how the narrative completely ignores the baggage that comes with real world history. Nonetheless, none of what I said changes the fact that Letters to Half Moon Street is the best book I’ve read in months. With its excess of beautiful words (all comprised of letters, no less) that made my heart all a flutter and how it's wrapped in a tender narrative about a man learning to love himself through loving others, it’s no wonder why I fell in love with this book so wholly and completely. Bit by bit, and then all at once.
“I want to fill your head with so many good things about yourself that you turn a little prideful with it all.”
Read
April 5, 2024Epistolary novel set in a super-queer magical alt-Regency when only birth order matters, not gender, and sexuality is not an issue. I absolutely loved there was a third title for nonbinary aristos (Dukex) and how the order of 'Lord and Lady X' was inverted if she was the more highborn: that's the kind of attention to detail that shows a really talented worldbuilder.
It's a very sweet story about a man about town courting an innocent young gentleman of low self esteen and retiring nature. It's super low stakes, very much at the cosy end, with not a lot of plot, so everything depends on enjoying the characters and the world, which I did very much.
It's a very sweet story about a man about town courting an innocent young gentleman of low self esteen and retiring nature. It's super low stakes, very much at the cosy end, with not a lot of plot, so everything depends on enjoying the characters and the world, which I did very much.
February 16, 2025
the absolute sweetest cutest coziest book ever😭😭😭 gavincharles were so lovely 🥹🥹🥹
💌 “I want to tell you how I couldn’t take my eyes off you the first time I saw you. I want to tell you how sweet you look when you’re focused on a spell. I want to tell you how much I love the way you blush. I want to spend hours and hours telling you everything I like about you.”
💌 “I want to tell you how I couldn’t take my eyes off you the first time I saw you. I want to tell you how sweet you look when you’re focused on a spell. I want to tell you how much I love the way you blush. I want to spend hours and hours telling you everything I like about you.”
March 12, 2024
This little novel was just SO incredibly sweet and soft and charming. And while sweet and soft, especially, are not usually the attributes that really get me hooked, I found myself strategizing my entire day around when I could open it back up again, thinking about it when I wasn't reading, and not-so-surreptitiously sneaking pages under the table while I was supposed to be "talking to my loved ones" at a "nice dinner out."
Letters to Half Moon Street is entirely epistolary, mostly in letters between Gavin and his sister Gerry, after Gavin is shipped off to London to take care of the family business for their father. Gavin is a classic introvert, more enamored of books and staying indoors and minding his own business than anything else. Yet he manages to catch the eye of the gregarious, well-dressed, exquisitely-cravatted Mr. Charles Kentworthy, who is determined to draw Gavin (gently) out of his shell and show him around London.
Because Gavin and Charles are quite often together on page (and thus have little occasion to write to each other), a lot of their romance unfolds in what they say about each other to their correspondents. This could have been distancing, but instead it lend a lovely community aspect to the novel: you really had the impression of Gavin's world opening up to include Charles in a much broader circle of love and care. Honestly, even as I write that it kind of gives me a toothache from the sweetness, but through some dark magic, this book had me EATING IT UP.
Perhaps that's because there's a really sharp, observational intelligence behind this novel, especially in terms of the world-building. The actual magical world-building is quite spare, but I loved how it worked: magic is mostly reserved here for practical, cozy, caring things like keeping your candles burning for longer and your tea warm for as long as you're drinking it (gosh, if only). The magic matched the tone of the novel perfectly.
But I extra-especially loved the author's approach to a queer-normative, yet still Heyeresque, regency setting. It is rather unique in its combination of radical acceptance of queerness alongside the restrictive norms of courtship and the marriage mart. Essentially, everyone in this world is understood to have a "persuasion" (a romantic preference for men, for women, for nonbinary folks, for any combination of the above), and all persuasions are equally socially accepted. With that queer-normative openness firmly in place, Wallace rebuilds the strictures of the regency around it: being unchaperoned with a person who suits your persuasion is still an issue, families are still nosy AF about their children's persuasion so they can find the right person for them to marry, etc. Some of the things about the regency that feel inescapably gendered - from who brings a dowry to a marriage, to who takes the lead in a dance - get recoded as a function of *birth order* rather than gender, which I found absolutely fascinating. That reframing offered a delightful way to keep all the regency stricture that drives familiar romance plots, while ensconcing readers with a joyfully queer world. If you think you'd enjoy watching a shy wallflower of a regency hero get chaperoned through a courtship (towards his HEA with a notorious rake) by a nonbinary Dukex who exemplifies all the best of regency doyen.nes puppeteering the marriage mart, this just might be the book for you. It was definitely the book for me, and I'm going to be thinking about it, and happy-sighing over it, for a long time.
ETA: for the curious, this first book of the series is free on Amazon!
Letters to Half Moon Street is entirely epistolary, mostly in letters between Gavin and his sister Gerry, after Gavin is shipped off to London to take care of the family business for their father. Gavin is a classic introvert, more enamored of books and staying indoors and minding his own business than anything else. Yet he manages to catch the eye of the gregarious, well-dressed, exquisitely-cravatted Mr. Charles Kentworthy, who is determined to draw Gavin (gently) out of his shell and show him around London.
Because Gavin and Charles are quite often together on page (and thus have little occasion to write to each other), a lot of their romance unfolds in what they say about each other to their correspondents. This could have been distancing, but instead it lend a lovely community aspect to the novel: you really had the impression of Gavin's world opening up to include Charles in a much broader circle of love and care. Honestly, even as I write that it kind of gives me a toothache from the sweetness, but through some dark magic, this book had me EATING IT UP.
Perhaps that's because there's a really sharp, observational intelligence behind this novel, especially in terms of the world-building. The actual magical world-building is quite spare, but I loved how it worked: magic is mostly reserved here for practical, cozy, caring things like keeping your candles burning for longer and your tea warm for as long as you're drinking it (gosh, if only). The magic matched the tone of the novel perfectly.
But I extra-especially loved the author's approach to a queer-normative, yet still Heyeresque, regency setting. It is rather unique in its combination of radical acceptance of queerness alongside the restrictive norms of courtship and the marriage mart. Essentially, everyone in this world is understood to have a "persuasion" (a romantic preference for men, for women, for nonbinary folks, for any combination of the above), and all persuasions are equally socially accepted. With that queer-normative openness firmly in place, Wallace rebuilds the strictures of the regency around it: being unchaperoned with a person who suits your persuasion is still an issue, families are still nosy AF about their children's persuasion so they can find the right person for them to marry, etc. Some of the things about the regency that feel inescapably gendered - from who brings a dowry to a marriage, to who takes the lead in a dance - get recoded as a function of *birth order* rather than gender, which I found absolutely fascinating. That reframing offered a delightful way to keep all the regency stricture that drives familiar romance plots, while ensconcing readers with a joyfully queer world. If you think you'd enjoy watching a shy wallflower of a regency hero get chaperoned through a courtship (towards his HEA with a notorious rake) by a nonbinary Dukex who exemplifies all the best of regency doyen.nes puppeteering the marriage mart, this just might be the book for you. It was definitely the book for me, and I'm going to be thinking about it, and happy-sighing over it, for a long time.
ETA: for the curious, this first book of the series is free on Amazon!
March 15, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
An absolutely charming, soft, big-hearted, low-angst queer regency AU where the magic is cozy, "persuasions" (sexualities) of all kinds are accepted, same-sex marriage is as common as heterosexual marriage, and societal restrictions and expectations are based primarily on class and birth order rather than gender.
Epistolary novels can be hard to pull off, but Gavin and his sister Gerry are excellent correspondents, while the other letters -- between Gavin and Charles, yes, but also between Gavin and an expanding circle of family and friends -- are cleverly constructed and eminently readable. And while Gavin's doubts about his worthiness and low self-esteem could have been tiresome at length, the briskness with which Gerry knocks them down, and the brevity of the novel as a whole, keep them from being too much.
Gavin embodies the oblivious-intelligent MC, and I will never not be down for that. Not to mention some first-class sickbed hurt-comfort, elegantly articulated in the opening of correspondence between Gerry and Charles.
A delightful morsel that absorbed me completely, left me smiling and sighing, and is going in the comfort re-read rotation. Highly recommended!
An absolutely charming, soft, big-hearted, low-angst queer regency AU where the magic is cozy, "persuasions" (sexualities) of all kinds are accepted, same-sex marriage is as common as heterosexual marriage, and societal restrictions and expectations are based primarily on class and birth order rather than gender.
Epistolary novels can be hard to pull off, but Gavin and his sister Gerry are excellent correspondents, while the other letters -- between Gavin and Charles, yes, but also between Gavin and an expanding circle of family and friends -- are cleverly constructed and eminently readable. And while Gavin's doubts about his worthiness and low self-esteem could have been tiresome at length, the briskness with which Gerry knocks them down, and the brevity of the novel as a whole, keep them from being too much.
Gavin embodies the oblivious-intelligent MC, and I will never not be down for that. Not to mention some first-class sickbed hurt-comfort, elegantly articulated in the opening of correspondence between Gerry and Charles.
A delightful morsel that absorbed me completely, left me smiling and sighing, and is going in the comfort re-read rotation. Highly recommended!
November 21, 2025
Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace
Meddle and Mend series #1. Historical Regency M-M romance.
Gavin Hartford finds London has too many rules for a member of the aristocracy. He wants to be left alone with his books but callers continue to arrive at the family’s townhouse. Charles Kentworthy rescues Gavin from a drunken mishap and then takes Gavin under his wing. The two can discuss poetry, books, magic and any number of things. Gavin finds his feelings are growing for Charles but doesn’t know if they are reciprocated.
Interesting format of storytelling. The entire story is told in letters from and to Gavin and his sister, and between Charles and Gavin plus others. Slow burn.
I really enjoyed getting to know Gavin through his letters and what he was willing to share. In today’s society, Gavin wouldn’t have needed a chaperone but reading about it cute. First awkwardly meeting the first few, then the relief of having the butler say he wasn’t able to take callers while living alone. Then the joy of the matriarch saying they could now accept callers since she was there, and Gavin’s undeniably wanting to avoid them.
Charles is flamboyant and charming and quite the rake and I loved him for his joy in being exactly who he was.
Meddle and Mend series #1. Historical Regency M-M romance.
Gavin Hartford finds London has too many rules for a member of the aristocracy. He wants to be left alone with his books but callers continue to arrive at the family’s townhouse. Charles Kentworthy rescues Gavin from a drunken mishap and then takes Gavin under his wing. The two can discuss poetry, books, magic and any number of things. Gavin finds his feelings are growing for Charles but doesn’t know if they are reciprocated.
Interesting format of storytelling. The entire story is told in letters from and to Gavin and his sister, and between Charles and Gavin plus others. Slow burn.
I really enjoyed getting to know Gavin through his letters and what he was willing to share. In today’s society, Gavin wouldn’t have needed a chaperone but reading about it cute. First awkwardly meeting the first few, then the relief of having the butler say he wasn’t able to take callers while living alone. Then the joy of the matriarch saying they could now accept callers since she was there, and Gavin’s undeniably wanting to avoid them.
Charles is flamboyant and charming and quite the rake and I loved him for his joy in being exactly who he was.
March 31, 2024
The sweetest epistolary historical fantasy romance you’ll ever read. Admittedly, epistolary lit can be a hard sell for me but this avoided most of my pet peeves with the form. Plus, Gavin was such a compelling buttoned up demisexual MC. He’s extremely private, to the point of not telling anyone what his persuasion (e.g. sexuality) is, so it was fascinating to watch what he revealed in his letters and what he held back. He primarily writes to his sister Gerry (the best!) but there are letters to other family members and, most importantly, to Charles.
Charles, who is known to have a bit of a reputation but is only ever kind to Gavin and keeps seeking him out for reasons Gavin cannot understand. (LOL.) There’s a fantastic bedside vigil, interesting magic spells (I need that warming spell for my tea stat), and a unique play on the rules of the Regency period. This is an inclusive world with POC and queer characters, including a nonbinary Dukex. The concept of bisexuality isn’t well-known for whatever reason but Charles is bi so Gerry and Gavin don’t stay in ignorance for long. I just really loved reading a historical fantasy world that doesn’t have bigotry baked in it. I wish more fantasy authors would follow suit.
Looking forward to reading more in this series!
Characters: Gavin is a 25 year old white demisexual gay second son and amateur spellcaster. Charles is a 27 year old bisexual white esquire. This is set in 1815 London.
Content notes: Dragon Fever, toxic brother, physical assault, gambling, bierasure, slut-shaming, sex worker secondary character, pregnant secondary character, past death of Charles’s parents, alcohol, inebriation, laudanum (prescribed for illness), gendered pejorative, ableist language
*Thanks to Charlotte for the recommendation!
Charles, who is known to have a bit of a reputation but is only ever kind to Gavin and keeps seeking him out for reasons Gavin cannot understand. (LOL.) There’s a fantastic bedside vigil, interesting magic spells (I need that warming spell for my tea stat), and a unique play on the rules of the Regency period. This is an inclusive world with POC and queer characters, including a nonbinary Dukex. The concept of bisexuality isn’t well-known for whatever reason but Charles is bi so Gerry and Gavin don’t stay in ignorance for long. I just really loved reading a historical fantasy world that doesn’t have bigotry baked in it. I wish more fantasy authors would follow suit.
Looking forward to reading more in this series!
Characters: Gavin is a 25 year old white demisexual gay second son and amateur spellcaster. Charles is a 27 year old bisexual white esquire. This is set in 1815 London.
Content notes: Dragon Fever, toxic brother, physical assault, gambling, bierasure, slut-shaming, sex worker secondary character, pregnant secondary character, past death of Charles’s parents, alcohol, inebriation, laudanum (prescribed for illness), gendered pejorative, ableist language
*Thanks to Charlotte for the recommendation!
October 13, 2024
A cozy, low-angst regency romance told entirely through letter correspondence. This book was a beautiful surprise, down to the subtle yet effective world building of queer normativity and practical magic use. I was delighted to find that the main character read introverted and demisexual in such relatable ways. His older brother was a true [insert any insult here], aka my only source of true grief, but nothing could detract from the slow burn goodness of the main pair (especially when I’m such a sucker for bedside vigils).
My only quibble is that the story hadn’t continued on for a while longer!
My only quibble is that the story hadn’t continued on for a while longer!
August 2, 2024
An easy, low-angst, comfort read. I enjoy the alternate Regency world where being queer is a non-issue, and the cozy feeling of romantic courtship. There are, however, a couple of minor things that I don’t like. Firstly, while the whole story is told in letters sent between the characters, the (occasional) inclusion of a whole conversation in letters is unnatural. I mean, who does that in real life? Secondly, I don’t like how the MC sometimes behaved like a shy young lady waiting to be courted by men. I know it’s the way of the society the author created, but I’m reading an mm novel, not mf, I don’t appreciate women characters dressed as men.
All things considered, this is still a nice regency book, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself again in this world.
All things considered, this is still a nice regency book, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself again in this world.
July 4, 2025
RTC ❤️
November 2, 2024
I think the fact that I accidentally binged this entire book in a single sitting tell you everything you need to know about my enjoyment of this story.
I have to say, I was a bit wary of this at first - the first couple of letters felt kind of info-dumpy. Luckily, I soon got used to the style and had a blast. I absolutely adored this friends-to-lovers romance in a queer-normative regency setting!
Although I like the gimmick of the letters, I do kind of wish we could have seen more from the characters in the moment (seeing then in a traditional narrative rather than their interactions only being reflected on).
This book seriously left me wanting for more of this couple, and I am devastated that they are not the stars of the following books in this series.
I have to say, I was a bit wary of this at first - the first couple of letters felt kind of info-dumpy. Luckily, I soon got used to the style and had a blast. I absolutely adored this friends-to-lovers romance in a queer-normative regency setting!
Although I like the gimmick of the letters, I do kind of wish we could have seen more from the characters in the moment (seeing then in a traditional narrative rather than their interactions only being reflected on).
This book seriously left me wanting for more of this couple, and I am devastated that they are not the stars of the following books in this series.
December 29, 2022
3.5 stars. Queer epistolary Regency romance, with magic. I enjoyed the world a little more than the romance. I'm not a big fan of the country innocent unknowingly wins the heart of the rich sophisticate trope. I wanted more character development and more chemistry between the h/h.
I enjoyed the world. It's set in an alt version of Regency England - there's magic and LGBTQ+ people are accepted. Firstborn noble children of any gender inherit any title and later born children are expected to marry well or take up a profession. It reminds me very much of Sorcery and Cecelia - another epistolary novel set in an alt Regency with magic.
I enjoyed the world. It's set in an alt version of Regency England - there's magic and LGBTQ+ people are accepted. Firstborn noble children of any gender inherit any title and later born children are expected to marry well or take up a profession. It reminds me very much of Sorcery and Cecelia - another epistolary novel set in an alt Regency with magic.
February 5, 2025
oh my god.
this book was wonderful, being able to read a story through letters is wonderful. i loved their relationship and how it was written 😩🥹
this book is a masterpiece!!!!
this book was wonderful, being able to read a story through letters is wonderful. i loved their relationship and how it was written 😩🥹
this book is a masterpiece!!!!
March 19, 2022
It has been a long while since I read a good epistolary novel, and I had honestly forgotten how much fun they can be. I've also been on a bit of a romance kick all winter, so this gentle little book was ticking all the right boxes. Letters to Half-Moon Street takes place in a London much like our own regency-era London, just with magic and queer courtship also being par for the course.
When Gavin Hartford is sent to London to take care of some family business, he's not expecting much in the way of excitement. But then he meets Charles Kentworthy, who takes it upon himself to show Gavin how to enjoy the city, which Gavin mostly does in spite of being such a shy, bookish type. We learn of the bulk of their escapades in Gavin's letters to his sister Gerry, (who is quite wonderful and I sincerely hope we get to see more of her and her magic in future), and the relationship between the siblings is just as enjoyable to read as the blossoming romance.
Letters to Half Moon Street is an excellent little escape for those of us who enjoy a fresh take on Regency romance, and I treasured reading it. If you like queer romance, regency-era fiction, epistolary novels, or are just looking for a sweet, gentle read with lower stakes and a happy ending, you'll definitely want to give this book a try. I know I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more Meddle & Mend books in the future!
When Gavin Hartford is sent to London to take care of some family business, he's not expecting much in the way of excitement. But then he meets Charles Kentworthy, who takes it upon himself to show Gavin how to enjoy the city, which Gavin mostly does in spite of being such a shy, bookish type. We learn of the bulk of their escapades in Gavin's letters to his sister Gerry, (who is quite wonderful and I sincerely hope we get to see more of her and her magic in future), and the relationship between the siblings is just as enjoyable to read as the blossoming romance.
Letters to Half Moon Street is an excellent little escape for those of us who enjoy a fresh take on Regency romance, and I treasured reading it. If you like queer romance, regency-era fiction, epistolary novels, or are just looking for a sweet, gentle read with lower stakes and a happy ending, you'll definitely want to give this book a try. I know I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for more Meddle & Mend books in the future!
December 24, 2023
Oh, but this was just entirely too charming and wholesome!
Told entirely in epistolary format, this queer historical fantasy romance novel will melt your heart one letter at a time. The way that Wallace established these endearing characters and built up a believable slow-burn romance was just magnificent.
I loved how wonderfully and casually queer this story is, and especially resonated with the ace representation. At no point does gender/sexuality become a point of contention in the story, which made this such a delightful and refreshing historical romance. The slow-burn between Gavin and Charles so so so well-done, and I was totally on-board for how this chaste romance developed.
And the sprinkles of fantastical elements added only more whimsy and wonder to this already enchanting tale. Particularly in Gerry's 'POV'/letters, I was completely entranced by all the spells and magical shenanigans. She just stole the show for me and I need more of this feisty witchy woman!!
Positively enchanting, I can easily see this becoming a comfort reread in the future!
Told entirely in epistolary format, this queer historical fantasy romance novel will melt your heart one letter at a time. The way that Wallace established these endearing characters and built up a believable slow-burn romance was just magnificent.
I loved how wonderfully and casually queer this story is, and especially resonated with the ace representation. At no point does gender/sexuality become a point of contention in the story, which made this such a delightful and refreshing historical romance. The slow-burn between Gavin and Charles so so so well-done, and I was totally on-board for how this chaste romance developed.
And the sprinkles of fantastical elements added only more whimsy and wonder to this already enchanting tale. Particularly in Gerry's 'POV'/letters, I was completely entranced by all the spells and magical shenanigans. She just stole the show for me and I need more of this feisty witchy woman!!
Positively enchanting, I can easily see this becoming a comfort reread in the future!
March 16, 2024
All the sweetest cravat-tying, hair-sweeping, sick bed-scening that my little romantic heart craved.
April 11, 2024
A delightful little epistolary romance, quite cleverly set in an alternative history version of 1815 England where minor magic and queer relationships are perfectly ordinary.
dropped-dnf
January 3, 2023DNF @ 50%
Despite the title, I didn't expect this to be an epistolary novel (written entirely in letters between different characters) and that's not my thing. I like at least a little exposition. Constant dialogue wears on me just like actual people constantly talking does.
The characters all seemed pretty charming (except his brother LORD) but there were way too many letters between Gerry (Geraldine) and Gavin. I understand that through them we're getting the bigger picture of what's developing between Gavin and Charles but I just wanted some action. If you find the will-they-won't-they between historical romance tedious, imagine only getting one side of it and it takes over 150 pages just to get a hint that something's happening there.
Also, magic exists in this world which seems random and out of place. And it's like alchemy magic so I'm not sure if these characters have actual magical abilities or just if anyone can make potions and they happen to work.
The usual "rules" of sexuality in this alt reality are a lot more open as in no one seems to have bias with gender or sexuality. So, we're firmly rooted in fantasy here while everything else seems like your basic Regency or Victorian England. Without that angst and danger that would have been the reality for these eras, historical novels kind of lose that edge for me.
Besides that, it's well written so no complaints there. Just not for me.
Despite the title, I didn't expect this to be an epistolary novel (written entirely in letters between different characters) and that's not my thing. I like at least a little exposition. Constant dialogue wears on me just like actual people constantly talking does.
The characters all seemed pretty charming (except his brother LORD) but there were way too many letters between Gerry (Geraldine) and Gavin. I understand that through them we're getting the bigger picture of what's developing between Gavin and Charles but I just wanted some action. If you find the will-they-won't-they between historical romance tedious, imagine only getting one side of it and it takes over 150 pages just to get a hint that something's happening there.
Also, magic exists in this world which seems random and out of place. And it's like alchemy magic so I'm not sure if these characters have actual magical abilities or just if anyone can make potions and they happen to work.
The usual "rules" of sexuality in this alt reality are a lot more open as in no one seems to have bias with gender or sexuality. So, we're firmly rooted in fantasy here while everything else seems like your basic Regency or Victorian England. Without that angst and danger that would have been the reality for these eras, historical novels kind of lose that edge for me.
Besides that, it's well written so no complaints there. Just not for me.
April 10, 2023
This was adorable. I’ll be recc’ing it when people ask for comfort reads or help out of a reading slump. Quick and sweet and low stress. I enjoyed it very much.
My first Kobo Plus book. On to the next in the series.
My first Kobo Plus book. On to the next in the series.
March 28, 2023
Sweet and adorable.
Majestically narrated through correspondence.
an absolute delight
Majestically narrated through correspondence.
an absolute delight
May 15, 2024
It was nice to see that eligible young males also require chaperones in this alt world historical - it’s only fair! - but there was too much blushing going on (18 times. Is that a lot in 216 pages? Felt like it.) And coupled with a bit of an age gap and a lot of an experience gap, it often felt like Gavin was a child being humored by his love interest. Isn’t he just adorable! One would think that twenty-five is very sheltered in this world but his younger sister is more wised up than this guy.
Also, it was odd that even though same sex couples are apparently no biggie, the assumption of opposite sex attraction is still the default and Gavin is very reluctant to admit his “persuasion”. And I’m not sure why magic was added into the mix. It seemed peripheral to the 'action' here and wouldn’t have changed things much if it wasn’t included. But maybe it will play a more significant role in the other books??
This was okay but I don’t plan to read further unless I see a rave review.
NOTE: I started this in audiobook first but it didn’t work so well for the epistolary format. Even though the narrator was good, the to/from with address and date at the start of every letter was tedious.
NOTE Part 2: A plug for my fav books with letters/checklists/journal entries etc. I highly recommend these two by Steve Kluger: Almost Like Being in Love and Last Days of Summer. I also enjoyed two more in this style by him: Changing Pitches: A Novel of Love and Baseball and the YA My Most Excellent Year.
Also, it was odd that even though same sex couples are apparently no biggie, the assumption of opposite sex attraction is still the default and Gavin is very reluctant to admit his “persuasion”. And I’m not sure why magic was added into the mix. It seemed peripheral to the 'action' here and wouldn’t have changed things much if it wasn’t included. But maybe it will play a more significant role in the other books??
This was okay but I don’t plan to read further unless I see a rave review.
NOTE: I started this in audiobook first but it didn’t work so well for the epistolary format. Even though the narrator was good, the to/from with address and date at the start of every letter was tedious.
NOTE Part 2: A plug for my fav books with letters/checklists/journal entries etc. I highly recommend these two by Steve Kluger: Almost Like Being in Love and Last Days of Summer. I also enjoyed two more in this style by him: Changing Pitches: A Novel of Love and Baseball and the YA My Most Excellent Year.
April 21, 2022
Just so sweet. An absolute pleasure to read. I could not put it down. I felt a certain kinship with Gavin. Never good enough, always falling short of the mark, and just unsure. I love how Charles didn’t change him but helped him grow and encouraged him to live, even when it was outside of his comfort zone. I feel like that’s what a good partner should do. This world that Sarah created is lovely, and can’t help but wish it was our reality (with the magic too!). Can’t wait for the rest of the series.
February 13, 2025
3.5/5
i don’t know why i picked this up, i just did. i should’ve known it was an epistolary novel from the title but i held out hope for like 3 pages before accepting my fate. it still managed to be cute though! i also do love epistolary novels, i just wasn’t in the mood for that right now.
main reason i’m giving it this rating is because the social dynamics reminded me of omegaverse. i feel like if you want a historical fiction book that has rigid social structure, but you want it to essentially be a utopia without sexism, homophobia, or anything like that, you start to rely on other things for the class distinction. it’s an odd dichotomy to have — wanting the conflict of class without the actual implications of it.
i don’t know why i picked this up, i just did. i should’ve known it was an epistolary novel from the title but i held out hope for like 3 pages before accepting my fate. it still managed to be cute though! i also do love epistolary novels, i just wasn’t in the mood for that right now.
main reason i’m giving it this rating is because the social dynamics reminded me of omegaverse. i feel like if you want a historical fiction book that has rigid social structure, but you want it to essentially be a utopia without sexism, homophobia, or anything like that, you start to rely on other things for the class distinction. it’s an odd dichotomy to have — wanting the conflict of class without the actual implications of it.
August 11, 2024
Absolutely loved this, a Regency epistolary set in a queer normative world! I was a bit annoyed that despite how open society is to all kinds of queer folx bisexuals are thrown under the bus - could such a thing exist? Gasp! It's handled well by the end of the book, but I'm annoyed it was there in the first place.
It's a quibble in the grand scheme of things, though - utterly enjoyable and sweet.
It's a quibble in the grand scheme of things, though - utterly enjoyable and sweet.
July 9, 2022
Historical fantasy with a twist kinda. Haha, this was an epistolary story. The whole tale is told through letters between characters and it worked so well. I really liked it. I listened to the audiobook and was so immersed in every happening and yea. It was such a nice little story.
November 15, 2022
Original review:
I have been trying to listen to this book for months now and I kept forgetting about it and so by the time I actually started I had forgotten the entire summary, the representation, anything that I had kind of known about the book, out the window. So I basically went in blind. Holy freaking nuts I loved this.
I listened to the whole thing this morning and it took me a minute to get invested in the letters only idea but once I figured out who the characters were I was here for it.
There's something really impressive about telling a story only through letters and especially a historical romance done this way was really exceptional.
So this book is about Gavin who basically gets sent to London so that he doesn't get bullied by his older brother when his older brother comes home. Gavin is very shy, very introverted, would much rather spend time in a library than socialize and damm if that isn't relatable, but he ends up getting drawn into London's society by Charles. Gavin meets Charles at this club after a night of unusual gambling and quickly grows to appreciate Charles' presence and friendship.
So the majority of these letters are sent back and forth between Gavin and his sister and those are my favorite letters. Like I really liked the ones between Gavin and Charles but the ones where Gavin gets kind of like soft and sweet while recounting all of his London experiences to his sister was so heartwarming. I don't know it just felt like a nice little hug.
I really enjoyed the queer normativity of this and also the small amounts of magic. So like magic is just a thing in this world and okay, absolutely. And then everything is so queer normative, like it doesn't matter. There's some historical fiction books that will kind of spin this tail and allow queer people to exist but in this story it is so normal that people don't have any sort of expectation on which gender you end up with, there's options of having a career versus a spouse, there is a non-binary Duchex (not sure of spelling since I listened to audio but it's a cross between Duke and Duchess) who uses they/them pronouns and everyone uses they/them pronouns for them. It was wonderfully normative and I want to live in a world like that.
I highly recommend this book. We've got a demisexual autistic-coded main character, a bi love interest, non-binary and sapphic secondary characters, and some very lovely letters.
Reread November 2022
This is such a soft read. I love Gavin and Charles so much and can't wait to dive right into One Good Turn.
I have been trying to listen to this book for months now and I kept forgetting about it and so by the time I actually started I had forgotten the entire summary, the representation, anything that I had kind of known about the book, out the window. So I basically went in blind. Holy freaking nuts I loved this.
I listened to the whole thing this morning and it took me a minute to get invested in the letters only idea but once I figured out who the characters were I was here for it.
There's something really impressive about telling a story only through letters and especially a historical romance done this way was really exceptional.
So this book is about Gavin who basically gets sent to London so that he doesn't get bullied by his older brother when his older brother comes home. Gavin is very shy, very introverted, would much rather spend time in a library than socialize and damm if that isn't relatable, but he ends up getting drawn into London's society by Charles. Gavin meets Charles at this club after a night of unusual gambling and quickly grows to appreciate Charles' presence and friendship.
So the majority of these letters are sent back and forth between Gavin and his sister and those are my favorite letters. Like I really liked the ones between Gavin and Charles but the ones where Gavin gets kind of like soft and sweet while recounting all of his London experiences to his sister was so heartwarming. I don't know it just felt like a nice little hug.
I really enjoyed the queer normativity of this and also the small amounts of magic. So like magic is just a thing in this world and okay, absolutely. And then everything is so queer normative, like it doesn't matter. There's some historical fiction books that will kind of spin this tail and allow queer people to exist but in this story it is so normal that people don't have any sort of expectation on which gender you end up with, there's options of having a career versus a spouse, there is a non-binary Duchex (not sure of spelling since I listened to audio but it's a cross between Duke and Duchess) who uses they/them pronouns and everyone uses they/them pronouns for them. It was wonderfully normative and I want to live in a world like that.
I highly recommend this book. We've got a demisexual autistic-coded main character, a bi love interest, non-binary and sapphic secondary characters, and some very lovely letters.
Reread November 2022
This is such a soft read. I love Gavin and Charles so much and can't wait to dive right into One Good Turn.
Read
April 16, 2024This is a very sweet and charming love story set in a lightly magical Regency England where people can craft small spells—making your shoes more comfortable or extending the life of a candle—and society accepts queer and trans people. (There are characters of color in the cast as well.) But, very cleverly, in order to still have all the formal courtship rules and marriage pressures of the Regency, the worldbuilding uses birth order instead of gender. Inheritance is still determined by primogeniture (albeit gender-neutral, so eldest daughters or nonbinary people can inherit estates and titles), and there are still many social strictures around reputation and class. Everyone in the supporting cast is very worried for Gavin’s reputation, given that he’s a “secondborn” and won’t inherit. Gavin’s correspondence with his sister Gerry is the heart of the book, and it is delightful. One of the pleasures of epistolary fiction is when different letter writers characterize people and events very differently. Gavin tells his sister that he is churlish and intolerable company, and she asks him why he’s being so hard on himself. Gavin tells his sister that he can’t imagine the handsome Mr. Charles Kentworthy having any interest in him, and she says so why’s he hanging around you all the time, then. “Cozy” means different things to different readers, but I think this book qualifies: it’s quiet and understated with an appreciation for domestic details, and while there is conflict, it’s caused by overbearing family members, and the closest brush with peril is an extended bedside vigil for a sick character. The story is very much about Charles waiting for Gavin to finally feel at ease, and that kind of patience and devotion is very romantic.
February 25, 2024
Reread Feb 2024: I still adore this book and the queernorm world.
This is the sweetest, most delightful epistolary novella! I adored it.
What a great queernormative world this author has built! I want to describe all of the details that I loved, but I also want readers to be delighted as they discover it along the way. Let's just say that I want to live in a world like this. It is lovely and feels like the way things should be.
Shy, introverted, demisexual Gavin just wants to stay in his library reading books (I relate so hard to this, Gavin!) The letters are largely Gavin corresponding with his sister, describing his interactions while he is in London and she is in the countryside. And there are letters between Gavin and Charles, who Gavin met one night at the club in London, on a rare evening when he interacted with others. Gavin is completely adorable and doesn't understand flirting and why Charles would want to spend any time with him. (Relatable!!)
Gavin and Charles's road to romance is delightful to witness through their notes back and forth and through Gavin recounting events to his sister.
I highly recommend this novella to everyone -- just go read it!
This is the sweetest, most delightful epistolary novella! I adored it.
What a great queernormative world this author has built! I want to describe all of the details that I loved, but I also want readers to be delighted as they discover it along the way. Let's just say that I want to live in a world like this. It is lovely and feels like the way things should be.
Shy, introverted, demisexual Gavin just wants to stay in his library reading books (I relate so hard to this, Gavin!) The letters are largely Gavin corresponding with his sister, describing his interactions while he is in London and she is in the countryside. And there are letters between Gavin and Charles, who Gavin met one night at the club in London, on a rare evening when he interacted with others. Gavin is completely adorable and doesn't understand flirting and why Charles would want to spend any time with him. (Relatable!!)
Gavin and Charles's road to romance is delightful to witness through their notes back and forth and through Gavin recounting events to his sister.
I highly recommend this novella to everyone -- just go read it!
March 13, 2022
First of all, I want to thank Sarah Wallace and Pride Book Tours for this lovely ebook (and audiobook)!
What a wonderful book! When I started reading I was a little confused (but definitely not in a bad way!!) because I didn't know beforehand this was not just any old historical romance, but one with a lovely hint of fantasy.
The story is set in London (1815-1816), but there is magic, the social rules are a bit different from what we are used to and being queer is completely normal (as it should be!).
The entire story is written in the form of letters and it's beautifully done. Sarah Wallace found a way to provide the reader with all the necessary information to understand the story without it being weird that someone would write it in a letter.
The characters are also very nicely written. They all have their own voice and unique traits, which makes it easy to distinguish them from each other, even though there are quite a few of them.
In conclusion: a lovely read, which I highly recommend!
What a wonderful book! When I started reading I was a little confused (but definitely not in a bad way!!) because I didn't know beforehand this was not just any old historical romance, but one with a lovely hint of fantasy.
The story is set in London (1815-1816), but there is magic, the social rules are a bit different from what we are used to and being queer is completely normal (as it should be!).
The entire story is written in the form of letters and it's beautifully done. Sarah Wallace found a way to provide the reader with all the necessary information to understand the story without it being weird that someone would write it in a letter.
The characters are also very nicely written. They all have their own voice and unique traits, which makes it easy to distinguish them from each other, even though there are quite a few of them.
In conclusion: a lovely read, which I highly recommend!
March 9, 2022
I'm so glad I took a chance on this book, because it was so fluffy and so beautiful! I absolutely love epistolary novels and I think it's a format that should be used way more often. It worked really well here, and I loved the writing style, which fit the time period while still being very readable.
I haven't read much historical romance yet but I'm slowly figuring out what I enjoy in the genre. I loved that this book has a light fantasy setting with an interesting magic system, and a very queer-friendly society, meaning this ended up being a very light-hearted read.
I thought Gavin read as autistic and I will say that I feel like people tried to change him too much. He was pressured to be more outgoing and more social a lot, by people claiming it was for his benefit, without them ever asking him why he prefers to be alone in his library. I love seeing autistic-coded characters and often really relate to them, but it can be disappointing to see how they are treated.
I haven't read much historical romance yet but I'm slowly figuring out what I enjoy in the genre. I loved that this book has a light fantasy setting with an interesting magic system, and a very queer-friendly society, meaning this ended up being a very light-hearted read.
I thought Gavin read as autistic and I will say that I feel like people tried to change him too much. He was pressured to be more outgoing and more social a lot, by people claiming it was for his benefit, without them ever asking him why he prefers to be alone in his library. I love seeing autistic-coded characters and often really relate to them, but it can be disappointing to see how they are treated.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews