What do you think?
Rate this book
Elements of Pining #1
Soft Flannel Hank
Esther MacLaren never pictured her life going so spectacularly sideways. A thirty-five-year-old witch with an art degree and no other job prospects, she took a job bartending at a vampire-owned nightclub in Savannah. But after seeing something she wasn’t mean’t to, Esther has been on the run for months. With nothing but her intuition to guide her Esther finds herself in the Pacific Northwest, careening directly into the path of Hank Dove.
Hank Dove is as big as he is quiet. He’s forty-five, divorced, depressed, and trying therapy for the very first time. When Esther blows into his quiet, lonely life with all the subtlety of a squall, Hank is left reeling by feelings and desires he thought were long gone. Maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite as stuck as he thought.
A one-night stand feels like so much more, but Hank discovers that he doesn't trust as easily as he used to. All of Esther's dangerous secrets don't help. How can he keep her safe if he doesn't know the truth? And how can he let himself love her if she won't stay?
Soft Flannel Hank is a contemporary paranormal romance with open door/explicit scenes. This book is intended for audiences 18+. HEA guaranteed.
Hank Dove is as big as he is quiet. He’s forty-five, divorced, depressed, and trying therapy for the very first time. When Esther blows into his quiet, lonely life with all the subtlety of a squall, Hank is left reeling by feelings and desires he thought were long gone. Maybe, just maybe, he’s not quite as stuck as he thought.
A one-night stand feels like so much more, but Hank discovers that he doesn't trust as easily as he used to. All of Esther's dangerous secrets don't help. How can he keep her safe if he doesn't know the truth? And how can he let himself love her if she won't stay?
Soft Flannel Hank is a contemporary paranormal romance with open door/explicit scenes. This book is intended for audiences 18+. HEA guaranteed.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2023
42 people are currently reading
2117 people want to read
About the author
Eliza MacArthur
3 books116 followersEliza MacArthur is a writer of romance and humor. She lives in the mid-south with her husband, two feral werewolf children, and two doodles who, if she is honest, are more rotisserie chicken than canine. She is fueled by decaf coffee and a good grumpy/sunshine trope.
She cut her teeth stealing romances from the cabinet under her mom’s bathroom sink (where all good Midwestern moms kept their Julie Garwood paperbacks in the 90’s).
She cut her teeth stealing romances from the cabinet under her mom’s bathroom sink (where all good Midwestern moms kept their Julie Garwood paperbacks in the 90’s).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
June 8, 2023
6 stars
Do you ever pick up a book, and from the first page, you know you have something very special in your hands? This book restored my faith in romance books currently being published.
The setup for this is ripe for emotional upheaval and growth. The characters were so well developed that I almost believed they were real people, and the romance gave new definition to romantic for me.
I don't know that I have ever had characters sink so deeply in my soul. Hank is 45, his wife left him 17 years ago, and he has quit his job as police officer. He wasn't expecting to find love in Esther, a 35 year old witch stopping in World's End as she runs away from vampires who are after her.
Hank and Esther collide. They have one of the most soul mate type of connections that I've ever read about. And even though they're both struggling with their own issues, and tentatively hoping to trust again, their spark of feelings burns brighter every moment they're together.
I loved this book so much. And will patiently be waiting for this author's next book.
Will be in my next vlog
Do you ever pick up a book, and from the first page, you know you have something very special in your hands? This book restored my faith in romance books currently being published.
The setup for this is ripe for emotional upheaval and growth. The characters were so well developed that I almost believed they were real people, and the romance gave new definition to romantic for me.
I don't know that I have ever had characters sink so deeply in my soul. Hank is 45, his wife left him 17 years ago, and he has quit his job as police officer. He wasn't expecting to find love in Esther, a 35 year old witch stopping in World's End as she runs away from vampires who are after her.
Hank and Esther collide. They have one of the most soul mate type of connections that I've ever read about. And even though they're both struggling with their own issues, and tentatively hoping to trust again, their spark of feelings burns brighter every moment they're together.
I loved this book so much. And will patiently be waiting for this author's next book.
Will be in my next vlog
October 2, 2023
I would say I never knew I needed Charlie Swan fanfiction in my life, but that would be a lie. This was sitting at a solid 3.5 before the ending brought it down to a 3, but I had a fun time with this one.
It was pretty fun! An interesting little paranormal romance between a witch on the run from a group of vampires and a man who is quite literally Charlie Swan with the serial number filed off. Non-derogatory. I'm pretty sure that was in fact the initial thought experiment for this book.
But Eliza MacArthur has built her own world around that initial idea. The cast of characters is good and there are paranormal creatures abound in this world that will be interesting to pursue in future books.
As far as the romance, it's alright. Hank Dove is a bit of a pathetic man, and quite frankly I'd like to see more of them in the genre. He borders on being too much of a sad sack sometimes but he's newly in therapy and I love that for him. Esther held my interest as a main character and the way her story is parsed out through the book I think is well timed. Despite the initial romantic conflict revolving around a one-night-stand-esque miscommunication I would put this in the insta-love category.
The non-romance plot is where this book loses points for me. The basic premise is that Esther is running from a group of vampires because she saw something she shouldn't have and now they're after her. The book never answers WHY. Why are they after her? Who could she possibly tell and what could the potential consequences be? The foundational why of the conflict, why the antagonists care about her seeing something, is never explained.
And in the end, nothing matters anyway. The plot wraps up in such a way that the entire book from page one never needed to happen. I love a good bit of "it's about the journey, not the destination" as much as the next person, but for the climax of a book to tell you that nothing you just read mattered or needed to happen is the least satisfying way possible to wrap things up.
So would I recommend this? Honestly, sure! If you wanted to see Charlie Swan get his happy ending give this book a shot and have a nice time with it without expecting too much from the paranormal in terms of plot.
It was pretty fun! An interesting little paranormal romance between a witch on the run from a group of vampires and a man who is quite literally Charlie Swan with the serial number filed off. Non-derogatory. I'm pretty sure that was in fact the initial thought experiment for this book.
But Eliza MacArthur has built her own world around that initial idea. The cast of characters is good and there are paranormal creatures abound in this world that will be interesting to pursue in future books.
As far as the romance, it's alright. Hank Dove is a bit of a pathetic man, and quite frankly I'd like to see more of them in the genre. He borders on being too much of a sad sack sometimes but he's newly in therapy and I love that for him. Esther held my interest as a main character and the way her story is parsed out through the book I think is well timed. Despite the initial romantic conflict revolving around a one-night-stand-esque miscommunication I would put this in the insta-love category.
The non-romance plot is where this book loses points for me. The basic premise is that Esther is running from a group of vampires because she saw something she shouldn't have and now they're after her. The book never answers WHY. Why are they after her? Who could she possibly tell and what could the potential consequences be? The foundational why of the conflict, why the antagonists care about her seeing something, is never explained.
And in the end, nothing matters anyway. The plot wraps up in such a way that the entire book from page one never needed to happen. I love a good bit of "it's about the journey, not the destination" as much as the next person, but for the climax of a book to tell you that nothing you just read mattered or needed to happen is the least satisfying way possible to wrap things up.
So would I recommend this? Honestly, sure! If you wanted to see Charlie Swan get his happy ending give this book a shot and have a nice time with it without expecting too much from the paranormal in terms of plot.
May 22, 2023
Wow! This paranormal romance was just what I needed. This debut from Eliza MacArthur captured me immediately with the broken and numb Hank and the strong and resilient witch Esther.
Soft Flannel Hank takes on various topics such as divorce, depression and therapy and the author handles them with care and authenticity. What really impressed me about this beautiful story was the emotional connection between Hank and Esther. He’s broken from people he trusted and loved. Being vulnerable and open is a challenge but to witness how Esther makes him want to try. To hope for more. A new life and love was truly beautiful and fabulously written. Esther is the opposite of Hank , more talkative but they worked. I fell in love with them. As a couple but also individually.
The plot was interesting and I was invested. Not only with the main couple but also with the side characters. The author did an amazing job of introducing them for upcoming books. I’m beyond excited to continue this series and see more of these characters.
What a fantastic, thrilling and emotional story this was. And a debut no less. I’m keeping my eyes on Eliza MacArthur that’s for sure.
Soft Flannel Hank takes on various topics such as divorce, depression and therapy and the author handles them with care and authenticity. What really impressed me about this beautiful story was the emotional connection between Hank and Esther. He’s broken from people he trusted and loved. Being vulnerable and open is a challenge but to witness how Esther makes him want to try. To hope for more. A new life and love was truly beautiful and fabulously written. Esther is the opposite of Hank , more talkative but they worked. I fell in love with them. As a couple but also individually.
The plot was interesting and I was invested. Not only with the main couple but also with the side characters. The author did an amazing job of introducing them for upcoming books. I’m beyond excited to continue this series and see more of these characters.
What a fantastic, thrilling and emotional story this was. And a debut no less. I’m keeping my eyes on Eliza MacArthur that’s for sure.
November 22, 2024
Set in an alternate universe of a Twilight-esque world, which closely followed a divorced ex-cop Hank, in a town integrated with local vampires, one which actually had a traumatic relationship with his estranged daughter.
Can you see where this is going?
Yes, this book answered the thirst for a Charlie Swan's book and his awesomeness.
So, with that said... (and this might be an unpopular opinion), but what the heck I have to say it.
✨ Hank is kinda lame. ✨
there you go, don't shoot me.
He's depressed, has a big abandonment issue, filled to the brim with self-loathing, extremely insecure, and full of some cheesy inner monologues (that kinda reminded me of myself in my emo-teen phase). What I'm trying to say is... he comes off as almost immature sometimes for a 45-year-old man. Not to say that a man in his forties or any other age range can't feel any of those things, but how he handles his confrontations kinda gave me that vibe.
Also, I know the conversation to be had about when male characters have a more emotional depth and insecurities issues compared to their female counterpart, and how sometimes people/readers (and guiltily me once in a blue moon) take that as a sign of weakness. Yes, I realize that this can be taken into consideration but that's... well that's a topic for a video essay that I want to release but probably never will.
Anyway. Esther. A flighty bird you might call her. A woman on the run from her past ended up in a small town inForks, Washing- I mean, World's End, Washington. Although I've stressed how emotional Hank is, Esther followed close behind him.
My god, now that I think about it, all the characters in this book are pretty intense with their emotional displays. When one sulks in the pit of their loneliness, another cries about their unfortunate circumstance. No wonder I was having a bad time reading this.
Overall, Hank is not Charlie (#TeamCharliealways #daddyissues #notthatway #eww #stopthinking). In fact, Hank reminded me of depressed Bella in New Moon. He fell too hard, rushed into things too fast, professed his desire to die for his her, and overall, honestly a wet blanket.
And the climax of the book? You disappointed me.
Can you see where this is going?
Yes, this book answered the thirst for a Charlie Swan's book and his awesomeness.
So, with that said... (and this might be an unpopular opinion), but what the heck I have to say it.
✨ Hank is kinda lame. ✨
there you go, don't shoot me.
He's depressed, has a big abandonment issue, filled to the brim with self-loathing, extremely insecure, and full of some cheesy inner monologues (that kinda reminded me of myself in my emo-teen phase). What I'm trying to say is... he comes off as almost immature sometimes for a 45-year-old man. Not to say that a man in his forties or any other age range can't feel any of those things, but how he handles his confrontations kinda gave me that vibe.
Also, I know the conversation to be had about when male characters have a more emotional depth and insecurities issues compared to their female counterpart, and how sometimes people/readers (and guiltily me once in a blue moon) take that as a sign of weakness. Yes, I realize that this can be taken into consideration but that's... well that's a topic for a video essay that I want to release but probably never will.
Anyway. Esther. A flighty bird you might call her. A woman on the run from her past ended up in a small town in
My god, now that I think about it, all the characters in this book are pretty intense with their emotional displays. When one sulks in the pit of their loneliness, another cries about their unfortunate circumstance. No wonder I was having a bad time reading this.
Overall, Hank is not Charlie (#TeamCharliealways #daddyissues #notthatway #eww #stopthinking). In fact, Hank reminded me of depressed Bella in New Moon. He fell too hard, rushed into things too fast, professed his desire to die for his her, and overall, honestly a wet blanket.
And the climax of the book? You disappointed me.
February 26, 2023
Friends. Pals. Buds. Holy fuck. This freaking book just wrapped me up in burly flannel covered arms and loved me from the very beginning to the very end. Soft Flannel Hank might be a new comfort, forever favourite, all time delicious romance for me. So, what I’m saying is “hold on spider monkey, this is an advance review of a fan, Bella”.
I’d like to thank Eliza for the advance copy, thoughts below are my own enjoy!
I’m a elder (geriatric) millennial, so I hit the OG Twilight wave pretty shortly after graduating from high-school. And now being much (much) closer to 40 than I am to 19 - so a callused, stoic, deep feeling flannel-clad man who chops wood to process, and will power wash your walk because you deserve to walk on a clean ground is uh what’s the word, MY FUCKING CATNIP.
I’d like to thank Eliza for the advance copy, thoughts below are my own enjoy!
I’m a elder (geriatric) millennial, so I hit the OG Twilight wave pretty shortly after graduating from high-school. And now being much (much) closer to 40 than I am to 19 - so a callused, stoic, deep feeling flannel-clad man who chops wood to process, and will power wash your walk because you deserve to walk on a clean ground is uh what’s the word, MY FUCKING CATNIP.
October 24, 2023
I loved this! Can't wait for the next one.
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
![Profile Image for Chloë [at the cottage].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1641608177i%2F5779557._UY200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 11, 2024
This was...ok, I guess, but I found myself getting easily annoyed by the decisions made by the characters in this one. If you find the miscommunication trope grating - I beg you to turn around right now and run the other way, because this is chock-a-block with miscommunications around every corner and it gets old real, real fast, and all the build-up to the climax was such a let down in the end.
I must admit, I was drawn to this one by the cover and title in the hopes that there was some deeper meaning. There's not. Other than the fact that Hank is, indeed, quite soft emotionally. I appreciated reading about a broken MMC trying to put the pieces back together, and doing so quite messily. Reading other reviews that mention the Twilight dad fanfic parallels - I didn't grasp that while reading (thankfully), so it didn't influence my enjoyment. Esther was not as fully fleshed out, and I don't believe she experienced any character growth outside of her very stubborn, do-it-herself-without-trusting-her-witchy-instincts, which is unfortunate.
The best thing about this one is the chemistry between Hank & Esther, but how dare she tease us with one of the most combustible intimate scenes so early on and then let the slow-burn burn hard!
The world-building itself could have used some greater development as well. It felt like she just threw PNR stuff in a blender rather than creating a polished, fleshed-out setting. The side characters were intriguing, but some of the written-out accents were jarring to read. Just tell me they're Irish or Scottish, I don't need a dinnae or ken or verra thrown in to remind me of their background.
All in all, entertaining but underwhelming.
I must admit, I was drawn to this one by the cover and title in the hopes that there was some deeper meaning. There's not. Other than the fact that Hank is, indeed, quite soft emotionally. I appreciated reading about a broken MMC trying to put the pieces back together, and doing so quite messily. Reading other reviews that mention the Twilight dad fanfic parallels - I didn't grasp that while reading (thankfully), so it didn't influence my enjoyment. Esther was not as fully fleshed out, and I don't believe she experienced any character growth outside of her very stubborn, do-it-herself-without-trusting-her-witchy-instincts, which is unfortunate.
The best thing about this one is the chemistry between Hank & Esther, but how dare she tease us with one of the most combustible intimate scenes so early on and then let the slow-burn burn hard!
The world-building itself could have used some greater development as well. It felt like she just threw PNR stuff in a blender rather than creating a polished, fleshed-out setting. The side characters were intriguing, but some of the written-out accents were jarring to read. Just tell me they're Irish or Scottish, I don't need a dinnae or ken or verra thrown in to remind me of their background.
All in all, entertaining but underwhelming.
May 12, 2023
Struggling with how to rate this one.
On the one hand, this goes down real easy and fast. I read it in a single day and had difficulty finding points to take a break from it. The sex scenes? Delicious. Worth the read. Hank's character growth arc? We stan a king who goes to therapy and learns something from it. Extra points for a fuller bodied mmc—and depression rep. And it's always nice to see a middle aged couple in a romance. The side characters were also quite interesting and colorful.
Looking at other reviews...I guess this might be somehow related to Twilight? Don't know, don't care. I was never tempted by Mormon abstinence porn. I said what I said. This reads just fine having zero reference to that material.
So let's get to that other hand that is heavily downgrading this rating.
A lot about this story just doesn't make sense, which is disappointing when it's clear a lot of thought has gone into the world building. Some of this is spoilers, so I'll try to hide them under tags.
-
-Esther was too tell and not enough see. Which is a shame, because she's damn charming in the opening chapters. I'm always bummed out when a female lead is written so poorly and crafted with less care than the male one. I wanted to love her and her very freckled, very red headed self. I wanted to cheer for her. Instead, I was just very annoyed and wished she'd leave poor Hank alone and end the story already.
- The antagonist's motivations are really weak.
And I think that's enough to make up my mind: Entertaining, but MEH.
On the one hand, this goes down real easy and fast. I read it in a single day and had difficulty finding points to take a break from it. The sex scenes? Delicious. Worth the read. Hank's character growth arc? We stan a king who goes to therapy and learns something from it. Extra points for a fuller bodied mmc—and depression rep. And it's always nice to see a middle aged couple in a romance. The side characters were also quite interesting and colorful.
Looking at other reviews...I guess this might be somehow related to Twilight? Don't know, don't care. I was never tempted by Mormon abstinence porn. I said what I said. This reads just fine having zero reference to that material.
So let's get to that other hand that is heavily downgrading this rating.
A lot about this story just doesn't make sense, which is disappointing when it's clear a lot of thought has gone into the world building. Some of this is spoilers, so I'll try to hide them under tags.
-
-Esther was too tell and not enough see. Which is a shame, because she's damn charming in the opening chapters. I'm always bummed out when a female lead is written so poorly and crafted with less care than the male one. I wanted to love her and her very freckled, very red headed self. I wanted to cheer for her. Instead, I was just very annoyed and wished she'd leave poor Hank alone and end the story already.
- The antagonist's motivations are really weak.
And I think that's enough to make up my mind: Entertaining, but MEH.
June 24, 2025
2.75 stars
Very sweet couple but they exhausted me. This story exhausted me. Way too much repetition and having the characters do the same thing over and over again with the same results just to drag out the tension and misunderstandings. It became borderline TSTL. That's not smart writing IMO. When you have your characters saying the same dialogue over and over again then what sympathy you feel goes out the window. The hero is struggling with depression and self-loathing and you feel for him but my gawd it was like beating a dead horse with how much he beat himself up over his failed marriage and quitting his job as a cop. I liked that the hero Hank was a "regular Joe" with a beer belly with a very sensitive soft heart and the heroine Esther was tall and curvy. These characters feel human raw and very flawed. But gosh dangit the writing wrote them through the ground with the excessive childish drama that contradicted their big ages. Esther is very much the react first and think later type of heroine. She flies by the seat of her pants and while I loved her big heart it played against her in the reckless rash decisions she makes. You make a mistake once, I can understand. But do it again with the same results and you are hurt and confused? My sympathy and patience is no longer there. She's a witch who has visions and her tarot cards guide her but she doesn't listen to her instincts at all, instead runs around like a ninny with no self-preservation. Like I said, TSTL zone. I got whiplash from all the back and forth these two did. Between Esther running off (three times!) after promising Hank she would stay and Hank constantly cock-blocking himself and putting off talking by running away...it makes your head spin. The number of times this guy goes out to chop wood in the middle of a makeout session cause he's "wound up too much" just became mind numbingly frustrating instead of angsty. He was giving tortured Turkish dizi heroes a run for their money in the wood chopping department (yes it's a thing lol). I lost track the number of times he tells the heroine "I have things I need to tell you" but doesn't follow through. It was like the author ran out of ideas on edging her couple and dragging out their get together that she just repeated the same scenes over and over again. Not cool.
While I appreciated the paranormal aspect of this story, it honestly felt like 2 different stories/worlds slapped together into 1 book. I don't know, the world building was a bit loose and the tone felt off in parts. Hank is human, but his best friend Nat is a vampire, Magda is a witch, Jory is a Selkie, Niamha is a Siren? Banshee? emo vampire? to be determined?, Esther the heroine is a witch who is being hunted down by a vampire named Callum. Hank has deep ties to some of these characters who he grew up with but it felt like he was plopped into this book from somewhere else. I love Paranormal reads but this felt cobbled together with characters and histories given to you like you are already supposed to know them. For example Hank and his estranged teenage daughter Anna who he had a falling out with, I'm not sure what was point of that since it was left unresolved? She's not even in this book but something happened to her that involved Nat's cousin who fed from her and they had to glamour her and wipe her memory. That felt pretty huge but we never got to meet Anna. I don't like loose ends. And for a human cop Hank was a little *too* accepting about finding out his best friend Nat is a vampire considering what happened to his own daughter (which all happened off the page, in the past). This very much felt like a "middle" of the series book, not an introduction to a series which confused me more. If I had more faith in this author's ability to write stable characters who don't act out ridiculously just to contrive drama I would try Book 2 but for now it's a pass.
Very sweet couple but they exhausted me. This story exhausted me. Way too much repetition and having the characters do the same thing over and over again with the same results just to drag out the tension and misunderstandings. It became borderline TSTL. That's not smart writing IMO. When you have your characters saying the same dialogue over and over again then what sympathy you feel goes out the window. The hero is struggling with depression and self-loathing and you feel for him but my gawd it was like beating a dead horse with how much he beat himself up over his failed marriage and quitting his job as a cop. I liked that the hero Hank was a "regular Joe" with a beer belly with a very sensitive soft heart and the heroine Esther was tall and curvy. These characters feel human raw and very flawed. But gosh dangit the writing wrote them through the ground with the excessive childish drama that contradicted their big ages. Esther is very much the react first and think later type of heroine. She flies by the seat of her pants and while I loved her big heart it played against her in the reckless rash decisions she makes. You make a mistake once, I can understand. But do it again with the same results and you are hurt and confused? My sympathy and patience is no longer there. She's a witch who has visions and her tarot cards guide her but she doesn't listen to her instincts at all, instead runs around like a ninny with no self-preservation. Like I said, TSTL zone. I got whiplash from all the back and forth these two did. Between Esther running off (three times!) after promising Hank she would stay and Hank constantly cock-blocking himself and putting off talking by running away...it makes your head spin. The number of times this guy goes out to chop wood in the middle of a makeout session cause he's "wound up too much" just became mind numbingly frustrating instead of angsty. He was giving tortured Turkish dizi heroes a run for their money in the wood chopping department (yes it's a thing lol). I lost track the number of times he tells the heroine "I have things I need to tell you" but doesn't follow through. It was like the author ran out of ideas on edging her couple and dragging out their get together that she just repeated the same scenes over and over again. Not cool.
While I appreciated the paranormal aspect of this story, it honestly felt like 2 different stories/worlds slapped together into 1 book. I don't know, the world building was a bit loose and the tone felt off in parts. Hank is human, but his best friend Nat is a vampire, Magda is a witch, Jory is a Selkie, Niamha is a Siren? Banshee? emo vampire? to be determined?, Esther the heroine is a witch who is being hunted down by a vampire named Callum. Hank has deep ties to some of these characters who he grew up with but it felt like he was plopped into this book from somewhere else. I love Paranormal reads but this felt cobbled together with characters and histories given to you like you are already supposed to know them. For example Hank and his estranged teenage daughter Anna who he had a falling out with, I'm not sure what was point of that since it was left unresolved? She's not even in this book but something happened to her that involved Nat's cousin who fed from her and they had to glamour her and wipe her memory. That felt pretty huge but we never got to meet Anna. I don't like loose ends. And for a human cop Hank was a little *too* accepting about finding out his best friend Nat is a vampire considering what happened to his own daughter (which all happened off the page, in the past). This very much felt like a "middle" of the series book, not an introduction to a series which confused me more. If I had more faith in this author's ability to write stable characters who don't act out ridiculously just to contrive drama I would try Book 2 but for now it's a pass.
April 8, 2023
Warning: if you read this book you'll probably want to buy a tarot deck and move to a small town. You'll also want to climb Hank like a tree because God, I mean Eliza MacArthur, knew what she was doing when she wrote those wood chopping scenes for us thirsty readers. Hank is a beautiful soul, super protective, and I just wanted to make all of his troubles go away.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery and paranormal elements, the suspense and plot of Esther running from something in her past...The prose was so lovely and super impressive for a debut, and this did a good job of setting us up for future books which I will be excited to read. I will admit the conflict that brought Esther to Hank's small town wrapped up a bit too easily and it seemed like it could have been avoided. I would have liked more drama at this point, though it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story and this is just an afterthought. For me the cozy vibes and serious pining eclipsed this.
Soft Flannel Hank is out April 10th
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery and paranormal elements, the suspense and plot of Esther running from something in her past...The prose was so lovely and super impressive for a debut, and this did a good job of setting us up for future books which I will be excited to read. I will admit the conflict that brought Esther to Hank's small town wrapped up a bit too easily and it seemed like it could have been avoided. I would have liked more drama at this point, though it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story and this is just an afterthought. For me the cozy vibes and serious pining eclipsed this.
Soft Flannel Hank is out April 10th
Thanks to the author for the ARC!
April 29, 2023
No emotional thrill and I was annoyed the last 15% or so of the book. I had spoiled the ending for myself when I saw so many reviewers complaining about it and I’m glad I did. I still thought it was ridiculous but I would have been even more annoyed had I gone into it blind.
Look, these two were melodramatic AF. I get that they think that her life is in danger but MELODRAMA. Just rolling around in their emotions and woe is me all the damn time. Also, only Hank seems to have had an actual arc and some character growth. Esther stuck to her poor behavior patterns the whole way through.
The pacing for the plot was uneven. We’d have a moment of, “oh no, danger!” Everyone would run around scared for half an hour and then it would be, we can hide here for two weeks! Uh, ok? It was all weird fits and starts instead of a steady increase in tension until the big boom and runaway rail to resolution.
As for the plot itself, this was basically a huge misunderstanding story. She’s running because she thinks someone is chasing her with a knife, ready to kill her. When he finally catches up to her, he’s like, here’s your cell phone. 🙄🤦♀️
I don’t know if I’ll be continuing with the series.
Look, these two were melodramatic AF. I get that they think that her life is in danger but MELODRAMA. Just rolling around in their emotions and woe is me all the damn time. Also, only Hank seems to have had an actual arc and some character growth. Esther stuck to her poor behavior patterns the whole way through.
The pacing for the plot was uneven. We’d have a moment of, “oh no, danger!” Everyone would run around scared for half an hour and then it would be, we can hide here for two weeks! Uh, ok? It was all weird fits and starts instead of a steady increase in tension until the big boom and runaway rail to resolution.
As for the plot itself, this was basically a huge misunderstanding story. She’s running because she thinks someone is chasing her with a knife, ready to kill her. When he finally catches up to her, he’s like, here’s your cell phone. 🙄🤦♀️
I don’t know if I’ll be continuing with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 22, 2023It’s a DNF at 58%, I’m afraid. This started SO strong, with wonderful writing, an intriguing premise and fantastic spice. And the cover is beautiful.
But then, it became an endless loop of “you want to leave!” “I thought you wanted me to leave!” “I have to leave!” “Why did you leave!” and Esther moves to about 16 different places in approximately two days.
We’re meant to feel their fear that the bad guys found them once again, but then they never show up. And then Esther and Hank move again.
Then Hank tells her, endlessly, “I’ll take care of you. I won’t let anything happen for you. I’ll die for you if I have to!” He has known her three days.
It’s a mobius strip in book form
MacArthur needed to tighten things up a LOT and maybe add a sub-plot or something to add interest. Because it just isn’t holding mine. Bummer.
But then, it became an endless loop of “you want to leave!” “I thought you wanted me to leave!” “I have to leave!” “Why did you leave!” and Esther moves to about 16 different places in approximately two days.
We’re meant to feel their fear that the bad guys found them once again, but then they never show up. And then Esther and Hank move again.
Then Hank tells her, endlessly, “I’ll take care of you. I won’t let anything happen for you. I’ll die for you if I have to!” He has known her three days.
It’s a mobius strip in book form
MacArthur needed to tighten things up a LOT and maybe add a sub-plot or something to add interest. Because it just isn’t holding mine. Bummer.
November 7, 2023
This book helped a category 5, FOUR MONTH reading slump occur. 3 Stars. Barely.
Jesus, I was frustrated with this book. With Vampires, witches, humans, some creature that is hard to kill, and a girl that cries all the damn time, you’d think it would be an action packed page turner. For me, it wasn’t. This felt like the author made this shit up as she wrote it, which I get is what authors do, but I mean, it felt like she typed it all out in one go without any further thought; Esther’s on the run. Esther meets damaged Hank. Esther leaves Hank. Hank sulks. Esther comes back to Hank. Esther leaves Hank. Hank sulks. Esther and Hank run away. Esther leaves Hank. Hank… you’ve guessed it, sulks. And it all collimates to the issue not even being an issue. Bad guy isn’t really bad, just a misunderstanding. ALL THAT FOR A MISUNDERSTANDING???!!! Ugh. I was so tired of the back and forth, of the running nowhere. *in Cardi B* WHAT WAS THE REASON? Apparently nothing.
Spells could’ve been cast. Magic could’ve been. There was so much opportunity other than running back and forth from the hotel to Hanks to Magda’s to Hanks to the cabin, to Hanks. I’m bored.
Yeah, this book wasn’t for me.
And the similarities to Twilight smh. This had to have been done on purpose because damn! Man in PNW gets left by wife, check. Man was a cop, check. Daughter leaves man, check. Running from a vampire, check. Oh look, there’s the reservation. Jeeze, could we maybe have different details than those in a movie that grossed millions of dollars, that literally everybody and their mother has seen?! You love Charlie, I get it, but doesn’t Hank deserve his own story?
Sorry, not trying to be a bitch about a book others have liked. It just wasn’t for me.
Jesus, I was frustrated with this book. With Vampires, witches, humans, some creature that is hard to kill, and a girl that cries all the damn time, you’d think it would be an action packed page turner. For me, it wasn’t. This felt like the author made this shit up as she wrote it, which I get is what authors do, but I mean, it felt like she typed it all out in one go without any further thought; Esther’s on the run. Esther meets damaged Hank. Esther leaves Hank. Hank sulks. Esther comes back to Hank. Esther leaves Hank. Hank sulks. Esther and Hank run away. Esther leaves Hank. Hank… you’ve guessed it, sulks. And it all collimates to the issue not even being an issue. Bad guy isn’t really bad, just a misunderstanding. ALL THAT FOR A MISUNDERSTANDING???!!! Ugh. I was so tired of the back and forth, of the running nowhere. *in Cardi B* WHAT WAS THE REASON? Apparently nothing.
Spells could’ve been cast. Magic could’ve been. There was so much opportunity other than running back and forth from the hotel to Hanks to Magda’s to Hanks to the cabin, to Hanks. I’m bored.
Yeah, this book wasn’t for me.
And the similarities to Twilight smh. This had to have been done on purpose because damn! Man in PNW gets left by wife, check. Man was a cop, check. Daughter leaves man, check. Running from a vampire, check. Oh look, there’s the reservation. Jeeze, could we maybe have different details than those in a movie that grossed millions of dollars, that literally everybody and their mother has seen?! You love Charlie, I get it, but doesn’t Hank deserve his own story?
Sorry, not trying to be a bitch about a book others have liked. It just wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2023
There were lots of things I really liked … but also lots of thing that were really stupid, so ….
Read
November 22, 2024Dnf at 7%. I picked it up because a booktuber I respect loves this book and rated it a 6 star. Unfortunately I won’t be reading past this point. No rating because that wouldn’t be fair but if I were to rate the 7% I read it would be a 1 star… which isn’t great because ideally a good book should start off strong. Anyway, moving on…
This man and woman meet at a diner because they are giving eyes to eachother from across the room. In the prologue our hero Hank is portrayed to be this super depressed, forlorn, divorced, ex cop who is known as the town hermit. So getting this painted picture of his character it feels immediately out of character for him to walk up to a very strange woman in a diner. And the woman is giving me red flags right off the bat. Apparently she’s a witch and was just staring at this dude shuffling her stack of tarot cards continuously. I mean, in real life I think Hank would be profiling her as a mentally unstable person, especially with being an ex cop and all lmao
So yeah, they play flirty eyeballs from across the room, he walks up to her and they end up chatting it up until the diner closes. Then he forces her to agree to allow him to drive her back to her motel. It’s important to note they are already madly in love with each other, it’s very obvious. They have an intense make out sesh in his truck and then he begs her to bring him back home, which she agrees to. Because that’s totally safe for a first time interaction with a stranger lmao I cannot!!!
Normally I wouldn’t scoff at the hot make out sesh with a stranger trope because I love some good spice, but I hate insta lust/love that doesn’t at least have some substance! There needs to be more build up than that for me to believe the chemistry.
So yeah, that was literally just the prologue and first 2 chapters! TWO! To make it worse, the dialogue is really bad in my opinion. It feels so forced. I’m not buying any of this. I’m not going to make myself suffer through any more of it. And the low rating reviews I read validate my decision.
Apparently people are saying this is like Twilight Charlie Swan fan fiction and already I can see that being accurate. And while I love Charlie, I don’t want a cheesy, poorly done fan fic. And apparently this becomes paranormal, like there’s vampires in this story?? Not sure if the weird witchy woman is a vamp or what, but it was reading more like bad contemporary, and knowing it’s actually paranormal makes me even less interested. I’m so sorry! lol
This man and woman meet at a diner because they are giving eyes to eachother from across the room. In the prologue our hero Hank is portrayed to be this super depressed, forlorn, divorced, ex cop who is known as the town hermit. So getting this painted picture of his character it feels immediately out of character for him to walk up to a very strange woman in a diner. And the woman is giving me red flags right off the bat. Apparently she’s a witch and was just staring at this dude shuffling her stack of tarot cards continuously. I mean, in real life I think Hank would be profiling her as a mentally unstable person, especially with being an ex cop and all lmao
So yeah, they play flirty eyeballs from across the room, he walks up to her and they end up chatting it up until the diner closes. Then he forces her to agree to allow him to drive her back to her motel. It’s important to note they are already madly in love with each other, it’s very obvious. They have an intense make out sesh in his truck and then he begs her to bring him back home, which she agrees to. Because that’s totally safe for a first time interaction with a stranger lmao I cannot!!!
Normally I wouldn’t scoff at the hot make out sesh with a stranger trope because I love some good spice, but I hate insta lust/love that doesn’t at least have some substance! There needs to be more build up than that for me to believe the chemistry.
So yeah, that was literally just the prologue and first 2 chapters! TWO! To make it worse, the dialogue is really bad in my opinion. It feels so forced. I’m not buying any of this. I’m not going to make myself suffer through any more of it. And the low rating reviews I read validate my decision.
Apparently people are saying this is like Twilight Charlie Swan fan fiction and already I can see that being accurate. And while I love Charlie, I don’t want a cheesy, poorly done fan fic. And apparently this becomes paranormal, like there’s vampires in this story?? Not sure if the weird witchy woman is a vamp or what, but it was reading more like bad contemporary, and knowing it’s actually paranormal makes me even less interested. I’m so sorry! lol
November 27, 2024
A deep heartaching twilight fanfic about Charlie finding love and hope again? Yeah, I NEEDED to read it asap 🤭
I was sure this was gonna be a new all time favourite, and after 40ish percent I was sure it was at least gonna be a solid almost favourite four stars but... Eh.
The story started out perfectly slow, giving its characters time to grow on us and give a sense of a routine they have both been living but then the author decided to speed it up at random moments... Add to that the baffling whining and "all talk, not show" on Esther's part as well as a really really bad resolution of the conflict, and you get a classic "it could've been so much more" sigh.
I really loved Hank, some of his struggles and thoughts felt so familliar to me that I had to pause every now and then to prevent myself from crying. What I did not love was how Esther and him got stuck in the same scenario of over and over again and then just magically resolved everything wrong in their life in a matter of few days and living happily ever after. It lessened the overall depth of the characters and the pacing - like the author lost a thread of what makes her characters themselves after they make more than two appearances 🤷🏻♀️
I also did not like how the author spent paragraphs upon paragraphs describing every minute clothing choice of every character to grace our page... And how sometimes their way of thinking feels like they are going through the current hot trigger societal topics and checking it off in the most lukewarm info pamphlet wax there is. There is also a peculiar choice of Nat calling Hank "good buddy" every tine he sees him - it sounds like something a child would say to a dog lol
All in all, a very perfect beginning and a mess of everything else 🤷🏻♀️
I was sure this was gonna be a new all time favourite, and after 40ish percent I was sure it was at least gonna be a solid almost favourite four stars but... Eh.
The story started out perfectly slow, giving its characters time to grow on us and give a sense of a routine they have both been living but then the author decided to speed it up at random moments... Add to that the baffling whining and "all talk, not show" on Esther's part as well as a really really bad resolution of the conflict, and you get a classic "it could've been so much more" sigh.
I really loved Hank, some of his struggles and thoughts felt so familliar to me that I had to pause every now and then to prevent myself from crying. What I did not love was how Esther and him got stuck in the same scenario of over and over again and then just magically resolved everything wrong in their life in a matter of few days and living happily ever after. It lessened the overall depth of the characters and the pacing - like the author lost a thread of what makes her characters themselves after they make more than two appearances 🤷🏻♀️
I also did not like how the author spent paragraphs upon paragraphs describing every minute clothing choice of every character to grace our page... And how sometimes their way of thinking feels like they are going through the current hot trigger societal topics and checking it off in the most lukewarm info pamphlet wax there is. There is also a peculiar choice of Nat calling Hank "good buddy" every tine he sees him - it sounds like something a child would say to a dog lol
All in all, a very perfect beginning and a mess of everything else 🤷🏻♀️
April 12, 2024
Content warnings: mental health, depression, grief, stalking, assault, death of a parent (in the past), abandonment
4.5 stars
So here's the thing: I make no secret of the fact that I loathe the Twilight series with the fire of a thousand suns. And this is very clearly inspired by Charlie Swan. I will admit that Charlie is the most likeable/redeemable character in the Twilight series, so there's that.
Anyway, the point is that I read Eliza's second book, Hold Fast, at the start of the year and LOVED it. So despite my hesitations, I gave this one a shot. And I freaking LOVED it. Hank was such a precious teddy bear of a character. And Esther was delightful. I do wish we got to see more of her actually doing witchcraft than we do, but this was so charming that I genuinely didn't mind.
The take on Twilight works really well, and I loved the ways in which MacArthur takes the story we know and changes it for the better. Also I am going to need to pick up the second book as soon as possible because I am SOLD on that couple holy hell.
4.5 stars
So here's the thing: I make no secret of the fact that I loathe the Twilight series with the fire of a thousand suns. And this is very clearly inspired by Charlie Swan. I will admit that Charlie is the most likeable/redeemable character in the Twilight series, so there's that.
Anyway, the point is that I read Eliza's second book, Hold Fast, at the start of the year and LOVED it. So despite my hesitations, I gave this one a shot. And I freaking LOVED it. Hank was such a precious teddy bear of a character. And Esther was delightful. I do wish we got to see more of her actually doing witchcraft than we do, but this was so charming that I genuinely didn't mind.
The take on Twilight works really well, and I loved the ways in which MacArthur takes the story we know and changes it for the better. Also I am going to need to pick up the second book as soon as possible because I am SOLD on that couple holy hell.
June 30, 2025
Admittedly, I bought this book when it was on sale and didn't bother to read the book description and was super confused to realize it was PNR! Idk why but the title and cover just made me assume it was a contemporary romance about a grumpy dude who is secretly soft for the heroine. But this book has a witchy heroine and vampires and Selkies and wow, that's a lot! It was fun but I did get annoyed that Esther kept running out on Hank to save him and he kept chasing after her to save her. Like, idk, just find a way to work together. I am however way more interested in the other 2 couples teased in this book.
Content Notes: MMC has depression and is in therapy, his parents died, his dad from a sudden heart attack, his mom from cancer, his wife left him and took their daughter with her; he has massive abandonment issues and is lonely and also has trauma related to his former job as a police officer;
Content Notes: MMC has depression and is in therapy, his parents died, his dad from a sudden heart attack, his mom from cancer, his wife left him and took their daughter with her; he has massive abandonment issues and is lonely and also has trauma related to his former job as a police officer;
October 19, 2024
I spent two days reading this letting it linger. I really loved all the twilight references and Hank Dove (Charlie Swann) 💕. 5 ⭐
November 20, 2024
Jesus Hank. What the fuck?
May 19, 2024
As a Twilight girlie, I thought this thinly (very thinly!) veiled Charlie Swan fanfic would be a highlight of the year for me. Sadly it was just okay. It was both too close to the source material and then weirdly too far from it?
March 22, 2023
I’m not exaggerating when I say I loved everything about this book.
I loved the mystery. I loved the suspense. I loved the secrecy around the paranormals. Who knows what, and why? I loved the friendship. I loved the romance. I loved the writing.
I loved Hank so so much. The poor man has had more heartbreak and punches to his confidence and self esteem than he deserves. He’s just a big softie covered in flannel.
Esther has also had her share of heartbreak and fear. Still she’s a badass witch with a good heart. They both possess a strong sense of justice.
Both characters felt fleshed out and developed and their emotions jumped off the page. I don’t always love Insta-lust, but this worked. It really worked. I was rooting for Hank and Esther from the very beginning. It took a few therapy sessions (we love a man in therapy) and a lot of open, honest communication, but Hank and Esther worked through their fears and reservations. They make a great team and their romance was so sweet. And a bit spicy 😉
I enjoyed all of the side characters, too. Magda is such a mother figure, with her own secret tricks! Her nickname for Hank (Dovey) is so sweet. Jory is fascinatingly badass, and I’m so so curious about Niamh!
I love books that make me feel something, and this certainly did. I felt Hank’s numbness, his uncertainty, Esther’s fear, their love, their pain, their electric connection. I cried a few times — and DM’d Eliza to tell her 😭
I can’t wait to read the next installment. Will it be Jory’s story? Niamh’s? Will we meet Anna? Shannon? Eliza’s written a wonderful group of characters in World’s End and any of them could be the next MCs.
I loved the mystery. I loved the suspense. I loved the secrecy around the paranormals. Who knows what, and why? I loved the friendship. I loved the romance. I loved the writing.
I loved Hank so so much. The poor man has had more heartbreak and punches to his confidence and self esteem than he deserves. He’s just a big softie covered in flannel.
Esther has also had her share of heartbreak and fear. Still she’s a badass witch with a good heart. They both possess a strong sense of justice.
Both characters felt fleshed out and developed and their emotions jumped off the page. I don’t always love Insta-lust, but this worked. It really worked. I was rooting for Hank and Esther from the very beginning. It took a few therapy sessions (we love a man in therapy) and a lot of open, honest communication, but Hank and Esther worked through their fears and reservations. They make a great team and their romance was so sweet. And a bit spicy 😉
I enjoyed all of the side characters, too. Magda is such a mother figure, with her own secret tricks! Her nickname for Hank (Dovey) is so sweet. Jory is fascinatingly badass, and I’m so so curious about Niamh!
I love books that make me feel something, and this certainly did. I felt Hank’s numbness, his uncertainty, Esther’s fear, their love, their pain, their electric connection. I cried a few times — and DM’d Eliza to tell her 😭
I can’t wait to read the next installment. Will it be Jory’s story? Niamh’s? Will we meet Anna? Shannon? Eliza’s written a wonderful group of characters in World’s End and any of them could be the next MCs.
January 23, 2024
I loathe giving poor reviews but this was exhausting. 😭
March 30, 2024
This was such a beautiful journey! My friend wrote this book and I could not be more proud! I enjoyed reading about Hank and Esther, but I am even more excited for the next installation and reading about Jory and Callum! This was a great romance novel. The characters very much stuck to their characterizations, which was nice even if I felt frustrated with their bad decisions! My only regret is I did not wear a flannel shirt while reading this.
October 15, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
December 17, 2023
I accidentally read this Twilight fanfiction? Check out my thoughts here.
I feel like this was really funny in imagining a better story for Charlie Swan. It was also about like a sad boy, squishy on the inside Charlie. There were a lot of elements of the story and the relationship I thought were sweet or entertaining, but as fanfiction, this relies too heavily on prior knowledge and forgets to actually build out or explain the world. It also because a little repetitive in how it developed the relationship and introduced conflict there.
April 10, 2023
Have you ever re-watched a movie franchise, based on a book franchise, that was popular when you were younger only now, instead of being Team “Sparkly Vampire” or Team “Whiny Werewolf”, you’re kinda more Team “Hot Dad”? (It me!) If so, this is the book for you!
Don’t let the minor association turn you away from this if that franchise was not your thing. You WANT to read this. You really do. It’s so, so good.
I love MCs, Esther and Hank. Esther is a badass, tarot reading witch I want to be best friends with. She’s been told she’s too much, but Hank thinks she’s perfect the way she is. Hank is the lovable, soft grump who thinks he’s broken (and even goes to therapy for it), but Esther makes him feel like he can fix himself. They’re perfect for each other and make each other feel alive.
This book has everything you want in a romance. It’s funny, emotional, and steamy. It’s also the kind of Paranormal Romance I love. It has mystery and suspense, but has the small town feel of it. I loved the supporting cast of characters. I want them to be my neighbors and see them around town. I also really wanted to dust off my tarot set and learn to read them again.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Jory and Callum! It should be a really fun one!
I absolutely adored this book! It’s one of the best I’ve read so far this year. It’s definitely a warm hug of a book, so if you’re in need of a comfort read, this is perfect. I didn’t want to put it down once I started and was left with fuzzy feels when I finished it. In fact, I think Stephenie Meyer could take some notes.
Thank you to Eliza MacArthur. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
5 of the biggest stars!
Don’t let the minor association turn you away from this if that franchise was not your thing. You WANT to read this. You really do. It’s so, so good.
I love MCs, Esther and Hank. Esther is a badass, tarot reading witch I want to be best friends with. She’s been told she’s too much, but Hank thinks she’s perfect the way she is. Hank is the lovable, soft grump who thinks he’s broken (and even goes to therapy for it), but Esther makes him feel like he can fix himself. They’re perfect for each other and make each other feel alive.
This book has everything you want in a romance. It’s funny, emotional, and steamy. It’s also the kind of Paranormal Romance I love. It has mystery and suspense, but has the small town feel of it. I loved the supporting cast of characters. I want them to be my neighbors and see them around town. I also really wanted to dust off my tarot set and learn to read them again.
I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Jory and Callum! It should be a really fun one!
I absolutely adored this book! It’s one of the best I’ve read so far this year. It’s definitely a warm hug of a book, so if you’re in need of a comfort read, this is perfect. I didn’t want to put it down once I started and was left with fuzzy feels when I finished it. In fact, I think Stephenie Meyer could take some notes.
Thank you to Eliza MacArthur. I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
5 of the biggest stars!
April 20, 2023
Hank is a sad sad man, who is no longer sure what to do with himself daily - he’s quit the police force, his daughter lives on the other side of the country, and lately Hank doesn’t have much to fill his days. Esther is a whirlwind witch, who drops into his life one day after spending months on the run. Will they be the answer to each other’s problems?
Soft Flannel Hank gets right to the action - we’re introduced to Hank and Esther individually, and by chapter 3…let’s just say this is definitely an open door romance. There is definitely some insta-lust that develops into genuine caring and connection. These two are such comforting characters who want the best and safety for one another.
And the side characters! There are some amazing side characters, some of whom are getting their own stories, and others who I hope at least get some kind of short side story adventure.
SFH is a good introduction into paranormal romance if you’ve never read it before and you’re looking for an access point. It features some standard paranormal aspects (witches, vampires, maybe some other creatures) without being too heavy on the magic and creature features. It’s a light touch to start the series. And it is a series! Eliza is still publishing serially on Patreon if once you finish Hank you can’t wait for the next story to be published.
Soft Flannel Hank gets right to the action - we’re introduced to Hank and Esther individually, and by chapter 3…let’s just say this is definitely an open door romance. There is definitely some insta-lust that develops into genuine caring and connection. These two are such comforting characters who want the best and safety for one another.
And the side characters! There are some amazing side characters, some of whom are getting their own stories, and others who I hope at least get some kind of short side story adventure.
SFH is a good introduction into paranormal romance if you’ve never read it before and you’re looking for an access point. It features some standard paranormal aspects (witches, vampires, maybe some other creatures) without being too heavy on the magic and creature features. It’s a light touch to start the series. And it is a series! Eliza is still publishing serially on Patreon if once you finish Hank you can’t wait for the next story to be published.
November 3, 2023
I read until 68% then skimmed the rest by reading only the dialogue. I didn't even read the last sex scenes and I NEVER skip sex scenes. The whole damn thing can be summed up in one word: MISUNDERSTANDING!!!
Esther treated Hank very badly and she didn't deserve his love. Also, we know absolutely nothing about her other than she's a witch who reads tarot cards, used to be a bartender, and jumps to conclusions.
Too much internal exposition and reflection and not enough dialogue. Again I say, how are people supposed fall in love if they don't talk to each other?!
The only good thing is that Hank was happier in the end because he does deserve happiness. Too bad that Esther is what makes him happy.
I cannot fathom what people enjoyed about this book. It was nearly torturous to read the back and forth, will they won't they nonsense problems of their own making.
I will most likely never read this author again.
Esther treated Hank very badly and she didn't deserve his love. Also, we know absolutely nothing about her other than she's a witch who reads tarot cards, used to be a bartender, and jumps to conclusions.
Too much internal exposition and reflection and not enough dialogue. Again I say, how are people supposed fall in love if they don't talk to each other?!
The only good thing is that Hank was happier in the end because he does deserve happiness. Too bad that Esther is what makes him happy.
I cannot fathom what people enjoyed about this book. It was nearly torturous to read the back and forth, will they won't they nonsense problems of their own making.
I will most likely never read this author again.
Read
April 17, 2023I am going to be one of the very, very, very few who didn't really enjoy this story. I see how much love it's getting in the Bookstagram community, and I am all for it. I am cringing at myself, but I just can't muster any enthusiasm to pick this book back up again.
Dnf at 20%.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Dnf at 20%.
Thank you to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews