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to paraphrase one of my favorite authors (hint hint the one blurbed on the us cover), this is pretty damn tender!!
It makes sense at first, as they're thinking to just know each other for a night and then never again, but after that, when Penn truly runs away and Raff is sent after him to find him, and they run into each other, they don't clear up the lie. Penn isn’t ready for a marriage he doesn’t want, has never wanted. He wants freedom from a cruel home and is desperate for escape. I found this book to be a really charming dose of historical queer romance. Both Penn and Raff had distinct voices, and I enjoyed them as a couple. I had no trouble falling into the world and following the romance, which started off strong. Penn, who I feel had more depth than Raff, was an intriguing character. There was a lot of trauma that he was struggling to deal with, and I loved the moments where he opened up to Raff. TL:DR - One Night In Hartswood is a perfect, addictive, steamy romp set in the 1300s. It's cosy, the characters are brilliantly crafted and the plot makes it impossible to put down. It's full of adventure and has just the right amount of angst and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat. There's nothing to fault with this story - it's an absolute must read for any M/M lover. With both Raff and Penn, their lies are found out by other people recognizing them, not because they owned up to their lies and just told each other.The tl;dr here is that Denny has been historically and medically sloppy and given her MCs no common sense whatsoever. Add stilted dialogue and period-inappropriate attitudes toward women and sexuality, and this book is bad to a degree that's insulting to readers.
Since Penn goes by Penn, and he isn't dressed in his usual clothes as he sneaked out, and Raff as well isn't dressed expensively, they assume the other is a servant, and neither clears that up. Emma Denny won the ‘Romance Includes You’ competition run by Mills & Boon to encourage LGBTQI+ writers, and it’s very easy to see why. This is a really wonderful story that proves exactly what the competition set out to do – romance really does include everyone. I loved it. There is a happy ever after of course, a very satisfying one. And the promise of more to come from the secondary characters – a romance between the two sisters seems to me on the cards.We wouldn't say this is lighthearted, but it's not as angsty as MM Medieval Romance might make you think. It's also an open door romance - Emma Denny doesn't shy away from showing the reader what weeks of forced proximity on the road will explode into once our characters get a chance to act on their feelings! This is a great story for anyone who is looking and emotional romance in a historical setting without a lot of action.
I did feel that their first encounter happened a bit to abruptly, which seemed even more abrupt when things practically screeched to a halt. I understand why everything were set aside for awhile, but the angsty slow burn nature of the romance got old after a while. Once Penn and Raff got past those initial issues, I felt like the story moved better. The pacing through the middle of the book was a bit slow while the beginning and end almost seemed rushed, but the story flowed well enough to keep my interest.The plot is really addictive - even though you *think* you know what might happen, there are so many twists and turns that'll leave your heart in your mouth. It's an emotional rollercoaster - I found myself laughing at some points, melting at some, and bawling at others. It's been a long while since I've been this invested in a book - I'd go as far as saying it was one of my favourite books of the year. This is a story about love, healing and self-discovery with a guaranteed HEA. Please be kind to yourself by taking the above warnings into account when deciding to read. I never believed Historical Romance would be my thing until I read this book! Set in the 1300s in England, Raff and Penn collided in Hartswood Forest, more than once… Penn is escaping a life of cruelty and an arraigned marriage. Raff is in search of his sister's runaway groom. Both hiding their true identities, they ventured together through the forest and beyond during an unbearably cold winter month, finding themselves growing closer, which makes this a perfect cosy, winter read! Told in alternating POV we are first introduced to Raff and Penn as they prepare for their families to be united in marriage. On the eve of the wedding Raff happens upon Penn in Hartswood forest and the chemistry between them is palpable. Whilst not knowing the true identity of each other the pair go their separate ways to prepare for the marriage of Penn and Raff’s sister. For Penn this preparation involves him escaping via a secret tunnel, in search of his own freedom and happiness, unbeknown to him, Raff, has been tasked with finding Penn and returning him to the castle to save his sister’s honour. It’s not long before our two protagonists find themselves in each other’s company once more and Raff offers to help Penn find a new beginning. Set in 1360, Penn and Raff are two sons of Earls, one from the south and one from the north of Englan.
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