✨ Review ✨ One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny

Penn and Raff have an encounter one night in the woods that shapes the course of the rest of this book. Penn (aka William de Foucart) is about to marry Raff's sister, the daughter of an earl from the north. Neither knows who the other is, and so when Penn escapes on the eve of his wedding, and Raff stumbles upon him while hunting for William, they're both in the dark as they agree to travel north together as Penn escapes.

Miscommunication can be annoying sometimes, but it worked in this, creating the perfect blind spot as these two grew closer together. The pacing is admittedly a little slow -- the first 1/2 to 2/3 is just Penn and Raff traveling through the woods and small villages, getting to know each other, but there was something cozy and enjoyable about that slow plot. Eventually, things heat up and get exciting, bringing this book to an exciting conclusion.

Queer + medieval historical fiction is so rare and that made this feel like a delight. The cover compared it to Red White & Royal Blue meets The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and this is such a great description of this book. I loved that it created a loving happy space for these two and found them their HEA.

A great debut book for Denny and I'm hoping she's back with more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m historical romance
Setting: Oxford/rural UK in 1360
Reminds me of: Red White & Royal Blue meets The Queer Principles of Kit Webb
Pub Date: out now

Read this if you like:
⭕️ queer historical romances
⭕️ outdoor settings
⭕️ lots of character development, less plot
⭕️ medieval setting

Thanks to Harper 360, Mills & Boon and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This book had me wrapped up in anticipation with every chapter I finished. One Night in Hartswood is perfect for fans of The Scottish Boy. I loved watching Raff and Penn slowly fall in love (or maybe slowly discover they’re in love). I found their companionship so endearing. Medieval queer romances seem to be my thing these days. Secret identities, forced proximity, a tale of boar hunting, and undeniable chemistry are just some of the things you can expect when reading this one. I couldn’t stop rooting for Raff and Penn the whole time.

Absolutely adored this book! Super sweet and lovely romance, that had me smiling while reading. I fell in love with the characters, and would love to read more of their adventures

A sweet romance that was enjoyable to read.

Raff's sister is set to marry a neighboring Earl's son. No one knows who he is or what his family is like. The day of the wedding, the prince is announced as missing. Raff is sent to find him. Penn is the prince in question. Straining against his cruel father and the expectations placed on him as heir, he decides to flee. Chance brings them together, but neither knows the other's true identity. Traveling in the frozen winter, they form a friendship and more. But will their secrets destroy everything they have built?

The first half or so is a slower burn traveling story, with all the classic tropes (one bed, etc.). This part felt cozy and sweet. It was nice to watch these two men open up to each other and fully be themselves for once. A little after the halfway point, things took a bit of a turn from "cozy," The stakes weren't raised, per se, but were rather made clear how high they actually were. I definitely preferred the later half.

Overall I enjoyed the reading experience, and discovering how things would be revealed and then resolved. I did find the characters a but forgettable. Fun to be with while reading, but not ones that will stay with me. This will not be a new favorite, but it was a solid read.

I loved this book! I devoured it in only a few sittings and wish there was more to read. The story line was paced very well and the characters were easy to love!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc! I really enjoyed One Night in Hartswood. There are so few sweet, queer romances out there (though more and more each year!), that it's such a treat to discover them. I grew up with just Paks as an example of anything not heteronormative and it's always a pleasure to see others represented. That aside, Denny did a great job with her characters. She has a thoroughly engaging story set in a beautiful world!

Set in 1360 England, a wedding has been arranged and brothers Ash and Rafe are escorting their sister Lily to her nuptials. However, the groom William de Foucart disappears before the wedding occurs, and and as he is returning home, Rafe comes upon a man in the forest, Penn. Over the first part of the book, as the two begin traveling together they learn to depend on one another, while fighting their growing feelings for one another.

Remember the TV series "House" and Dr. House's credo: "Everyone lies" ? Because Penn is lying, Rafe is lying, and things are not as they seem. Penn and Rafe are richly drawn characters and the author does a very good job of showing rather than telling how these two very different men navigate their feelings. However, the first 1/3 of the book involves Rafe and Penn in the forest, huddling together for warmth on the cold nights due to several unlikely plot devices that force them together. At over 350 pages, the book seems a bit bloated at times.

Otherwise, the plot held my interest throughout the book and the secondary characters are nicely fleshed out, although the big problem with the Earl Marcus de Foucart ends up being much ado about nothing. This is the author's debut novel and the book has good bones, plus Rafe's brother Ash has an intriguing past, and I hope the author continues this series to include his story. 3.5 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC. This is my honest review.

I requested this as soon as I saw it was historical fiction.

The story takes place in the 1300's and starts with Raff's family heading to meet his sister's betrothed, for their politically arranged wedding. It starts off with Raff's family--his father the Earl, his brother–a somewhat embittered former military man, and his sister. It was good getting a glimpse of the family dynamic before the actions began.

We get a similar intro to Penn and his sisters and then the story gets going. William, the betrothed, and Penn are the same person! And Penn is not a willing participant in this arranged marriage. Cue a daring escape, chance encounters, subterfuge and lies of omission on both sides as well as a tender exploration of expectations, family dynamics, chronic emotional and physical abuse, and toxic family relationships.

Penn and Raff were lovely together and they both defied the expectations of those around them to fight and support each other. There were definitely some questions left unanswered in this book--such as the true stories of Penn's brothers, Raff's brother's backstory and more. I could see a second book about the secondary characters of this book.

Overall an enjoyable read. Tropes include arranged marriage, mistaken identity story with some darker themes as far as toxic family and emotional and physical abuse.

I absolutely loved this book and I wish I read it sooner! Denny does an incredible job of not just making you fall in love with both characters and their love story, but also the setting of the book and the Hartswood forest. The whole book is beautifully written and I loved feeling like I was also on an adventure with Penn and Raff through the beautiful English countryside during winter. The plot was fantastic and I did not see a lot of the twists and turns coming which really helps keep the reader interested in the story beyond the romance. I would love to see books for each of Raff's siblings, they were wonderful side characters and I loved how they supported him.

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a queer historical romance that is the perfect cozy read.

I love this book and its characters so much! A M/M historical romance set in 1360 England, Raff and Penn meet by accident and feel an immediate spark, although both hide the truth about their true identities. They later find themselves on the road together, as their attraction continues to grow. But they have more connections between them than each of them know, and there will be severe fall-out when their secrets come out, How everything is resolved is a journey well worth taking. Highly recommended.

I absolutely loved the use of the 14th century time period in this novel! It was completely unique and helped with book stick out to me. The romance was full of beautiful chemistry and intense emotions and still had room for secrets and inter-relational politics.

This was such a wonderful story. It was well written, and the story flows naturally. There were a few places I wish could have been made a bit longer, in particular, the ending felt a little bit rushed.

I loved Penn and Raff. They genuinely cared for each other, but the romance evolved over time. And the supportive family in 1300’s England is so amazingly wholesome. I think things will turn out well for these two. I’m so glad I was given the chance to read this book. So if you like historical romance please pick this up.

While I am glad that I got the opportunity to read this, there were quite a few things in this that kept taking me out of the story.

I was surprised when I read the first page and noticed it was set in 1300! That was a lot earlier than I was expected from the blurb for some reason. It gave me the sense of the some what more common Victorian set historical romances. Which actually ended up being the same sense I got throughout the book. Truly the most medieval thing about the book is that they had a dungeon/cells. I assume those were done away with by the Victorian period? Other than that it was just the diving right of kings and mentions of squires that placed the novel's setting as unique.

That being said I did enjoy the story. Raff and Penn had good chemistry. That they were both lying to each other was always something in the back of your mind however. So you will be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I would say this was medium spicy and a lot a bit sweet between the MCs. I would recommend this to readers of historical romances that want a slightly different setting but no fantasy.

This book was SO lovely to read! It was a slow-burn, which I enjoy because two people need time to get to know one another before jumping into anything romantic. The characters of Penn and Raff are both so different from one another and yet compliment each other perfectly. I loved each of their POVs and learning how they viewed the other. There were many warm, beautiful, steamy moments once they finally finally give into their feelings. Penn grows so much during the story and learning about his past trauma was heart-wrenching. We never learn fully about Raff's past, but there are enough hints for us to know it involves pain and grief. Seeing these two wonderful characters find peace and happiness together (after going through so much to get there) was gratifying. I'm definitely recommending this book!!

Okay, so, by all rights I should have loved this book. It's queer, it's historical fiction, it's got angsty backstories. But I could not get in to this for the life of me.

This is one of those cases where I think it's just not for me. I cannot exactly explain why this didn't grab me, the best I can say is that I found it boring. I wasn't drawn to either Penn or Raff and so it made it hard to be interested in either point of view. By the time the story got to plot points I would have been interested in (like Penn's scars) I was 50% of the way through and I was already just reading for the sake of finishing the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for making this available in exchange for an honest review!

One Night in Hartswood is an excellent debut by Emma Denny. It's refreshing to read a queer historical set in the medieval era (rather than Victorian or Regency London) and One Night in Hartswood incorporates its historic setting without getting bogged down by it.

Rafe and Penn are charming protagonists whose double-mistaken-identity and forced-proximity road trip serves as the heart of the plot (which One Night in Hartswood is admittedly light on). They are endearing as their insta-lust grows into something sweeter and more tender.

I don't have a lot of bandwidth for romances where characters don't clear up misunderstandings when offered the opportunity to do so and One Night in Hartswood is definitely a bit predictable, but overall, it's a lovely read.

Thank you, Netgalley, Emma Denny, Harper 360, and Mills & Boon for the ARC.

"Penn looked like he belonged. Like he was...home."

There was so much I loved about this book and several things I did not. Good stuff first. Raff and Penn were adorable. While their romance was a really slow burn the spark was there from the first. I also loved how laid back Raff's sister and brother were about it all. Brother Ash was also a very interesting character and I kind of wish there had been more about him.

A few problems. First let's address the elephant in the room. I was surprised a historical romance with so much hype, that won a contest and everything would be so poorly researched in regards to the time period it was set in. And I'm not taking about tiny details, either. Some where so huge it was almost embarrassing.

Another issue I had was the number of threads left loose. I still don't know who Oliver was nor what exactly happened to Leo.

The beginning of the book was a little slow and the emotion and chemistry between Penn and Raff kind of slowed near the end, which is too bad as for most of it, they were the best thing the storyhad goingfor it. The end was also too easy and trite, especially with all the build up.

Despite these issues I still actually enjoyed the book. I think it's a great first effort for a new author and because of this I rounded this 3 1/2 star book up to four stars.

A truly spectacular debut for Emma Denny!

Raff and Penn's twisty little lies and excruciating tenderness sunk their claws into my heart. This novel took everything one could want from a queer historical romance and ran with it until the very last page.

Denny created characters that shimmer with personality and left us wanting to see more, to know more (Ash and Lily, I'm looking dead at you). Raff's unconditional kindness was borderline heartbreaking to bear witness to. Penn's chaotic spiral of lies and guilt and fire was an intoxicating mix that left me second-guessing the truths and lies.

Penn's trauma was well-represented, which resulted in the last third of the book being gut-wrenching. Raff's sturdy, dependable presence simultaneously grounded and propelled the plot forward. All in all, a delightful whirlwind of a read.

As always, thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I lost interest at times, as the story was quite boring to me. It took me a long time to get through it. I feel like I can’t give a very in-depth review, as I didn’t come away from the book feeling much of anything. I feel like this could be a very amazing book for those interested, though!