This book is wonderful. I personally love a relationship that the main characters have to put effort into and these two did that. I love the banter and compromise from both of the characters that made the book so much more lovable in my opinion. This was a great story and it left more that could be added in furture stories with I love as well. The guessing and mystery of the villains also felt really good and not forced!! Spice level was 3.5/5 which is always a plus. It is open door ;)

I was really excited to read Heartsong since I love monster smut and authors like Ruby Dixon, Thea Guanzon, and Emma Hamm; however, this story unfortunately fell flat for me. The first 15% of the story went extremely fast, leaving me feeling disconnected to the main characters. It then became very slow, and I found myself bored and not wanting to continue the book. I enjoyed the idea and what the author was trying to achieve, but the pacing was off, which threw the story and my connection to the characters off. It was missing that spark and tension that this genre is usually dripping in. Loved the idea, unfortunately, displeased with the execution.

🦋💙Heartsong Book by S.E. Wendel 💙🦋 - These are my most heart-warming thoughts.

Rating:
5/5😭 Crying in the club rn.

Spice 3/5 🌶️🌶️:
Just a perfectly in the middle amount of spice!

I’m smiling, but still crying. Anyways here you go:
Heartsong by S.E. Wendel is the kind of story that wraps around you like a warm blanket after a long, cold day. It’s tender, emotional, and quietly powerful. Wendel’s prose is soft and lyrical, but every sentence carries weight. The characters are beautifully flawed and achingly real. I thoroughly enjoyed how domestic the MMC was! The romance is slow-burning and intimate, filled with quiet glances, stolen moments, and the kind of emotional honesty that makes your heart swell. By the time I closed the final page, I felt full. Full of emotion, light, love, and a little bit of tears...

If you’re looking for a story that leaves you feeling a little more whole than before, Heartsong will do just that.🥲

4.5 stars on StoryGraph

This was a cute, fun read!

This is technically book two in the series, but can be read as a standalone. I have read the first book yet and didn’t have any issues understanding what was going on. I want to go back and read the first one now.

If you’re a fan of monster romances and looking for a fairly cozy story (with a bit of tension/suspense/mystery) then this fits the bill. The story does center around the characters and their relationships to one another. There is a larger mystery, but the majority of the book is our main couple and building trust.

Now, I love that kind of character driven story, so I read this so fast! This was a good pallet cleanser for sure, a great quick read. Also, it would be a miss to not mention the fantastic representation of migraines in this book and the challenges that people have to overcome to get health insurance, appointments, and help. Very accurate, and I so appreciate how that was handled in the story.

Looking forward to the next couple in the series and going back to read the first one!

Who doesn't want to be loved by gorgeous gargoyle?!
Apparently Anna doesn't (our FMC). She was fighting against it the first half of the book. Sometimes she was right down mean to Frey. Luckily she realized her mistake and loved him properly from then on. He was such a sweetheart! He deserved love!

I enjoyed this book. I have never read a gargoyle romance so that was a first for me, but I still enjoyed this read. I wish the world was a little bit more fleshed out as there were times I was kind of confused on what exactly was going on. I also found some of the dialogue corny, though that may just be a personal preference

Thank you so much to @Avonbooks and @HarperVoyagerUS for sending me this title through @Netgalley!

Are you kidding me?! This was my very first book by S.E. Wendel, and I've been eyeing her works for a while, but oh my gosh. I absolutely, completely fell in love with Heartsong! I cannot wait to dive into the rest of her incredible stories.

From the very first page, I was captivated. The point of view, the characters, the masterful storytelling, and the raw emotions portrayed through her writing were all simply amazing, incredible, and truly magical. Anna and Frey were brought to life in such a vibrant way, and I just need more of them! Seriously, please.

I loved everything about this book. Frey's protectiveness, how utterly head-over-heels in love with Anna he was while pining after her, and the beautiful journey of love and strength it took for Anna to realize she deserved that kind of devotion, it was all just perfect.

Seriously, you all NEED to read this book. It's a definite five out of five stars!

This was a delightful monster romance. It had a nice plot but also the romance subplot was great. I liked that it was fated mates but one sided so we had Frey absolutely groveling and courting and trying to earn his place. The romance between them developed at a good pace and seemed genuince. I'm not a fan of insta love so this was nice to see. I liked the mythology of the creatures and the story of them coming to life once meeting their fated mates. I would definitely finish reading the series to see the other creatures' stories.

I enjoyed this book, though I can see how it might be divisive for other readers. The author did a great job portraying the FMC, Anna, as someone who has experienced real trauma. Her responses to Frey (MMC) and the mating bond were sometimes frustrating, but they made sense. They were grounded in her childhood trauma and reflected a kind of emotional logic that many books gloss over.

Too often, books tell you the FMC has a traumatic past but never show the lasting effects. As a therapist, I feel uniquely positioned to say Anna’s trauma responses felt authentic, especially her attachment struggles, low self-worth, self-sabotage, and the devastating impact those patterns can have on relationships. The author could have easily taken the “mate bond heals all wounds” shortcut (even in a paranormal fantasy), but thankfully didn’t. That choice made the story more layered and real.

Now to pivot: the spice. I was actually surprised and had a romping good time. It brought a nice balance to the heavier emotional themes.

The main reason I’m docking a star is personal. I tend to read outside of my wheelhouse to turn off my therapist brain, and this book didn’t let me. That’s a compliment, really, but it still affected my experience.

One more minor qualm: a few moments felt like they were pulled straight from a “romantasy checklist.” Case in point, the MMC leaning an arm above her head on the cabinets. That completely took me out of the scene because all I could picture were those TikToks of couples re-enacting the same move. Maybe that’s just a me thing, but it broke the immersion.

Heartsong introduces us to Frey, a proud warrior doomed to a silent, stony existence for fifteen centuries, a cruel curse inflicted by a vicious fae queen. His world has been one of frozen rage and fading hope, watching time mercilessly march on while he remains immobile. But destiny, it seems, has a twisted sense of humor, placing him and his kin in an "odd little museum"—just in time for his world to be irrevocably shattered, and rebuilt.
Anna Kincaid, a modern woman with a history degree and a knack for struggling, who finally lands a promising job at this very peculiar museum. With full healthcare and ancient artifacts, what's not to love? Except, the owners are "mysterious," the collection "monstrous," and the whole vibe is just plain strange.
When the museum is stormed by masked commandos, Anna finds herself in an impossible situation. But the impossible truly happens when one of those colossal, savage-looking statues—Frey—comes thundering to life, not just to save her, but to possessively claim her.
Overall, this book is perfect for readers who crave a thrilling paranormal romance with a unique premise, a powerful alpha hero, a relatable heroine, and a dash of urban fantasy intrigue.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc. If you love Ruby Dixon, Monster romances and grew up watching gargoyles thinking yes please. Then this book is for you, a cursed gargoyle, fate mates, he falls first, a shy female lead, chronic migraine/pain rep, spicy, forced proximity will keep you hook from page one.
She works at a museum and he’s a display but one night the museum is robbed while she’s on shift accidentally tripping and waking him from his nearly 2 thousand year slumber, and all he can think is to get his mate out of there and too safety. Once she’s safely home he hides out in her apartment until things cool down at work but heat up at home.

After the break in she notices that a can is continuously following her anytime she goes out. He’s a protective gargoyle that has heard his heartsong, and found his mate. She is fighting the mating not believing that someone would fall for someone or would get sick of her. She continues working at the museum trying to find any clues she can as to why someone would steal one of the statues. After being abducted she learns the truth behind the theft and her bosses.

Definitely a slow burn, he falls first, fated mates, closed proximity.

Después de una vida marcada por dificultades y migrañas debilitantes, Anna Kincaid finalmente consigue un trabajo estable en un pequeño museo privado de San Francisco. Rodeada de grotescos y gárgolas esculpidas, Anna se siente inexplicablemente atraída por una estatua en particular: un guerrero de piedra de mirada feroz y alas extendidas, al que empieza a considerar suyo.

Lo que Anna no sabe es que la estatua que tanto la fascina no es solo una escultura, sino Frey, un guardian maldito, encerrado en piedra desde hace más de mil años tras una traición mágica de la Reina de las Hadas. Todo cambia cuando, con un solo toque, Anna lo despierta accidentalmente, liberando una antigua magia que lo devuelve a la vida... y a un mundo que ya no comprende.

Ahora, Frey está convencido de que Anna es su heartsong (su alma gemela predestinada) y hará lo que sea para protegerla. Pero cuando un ataque al museo revela que fuerzas oscuras siguen tras ellos, Anna y Frey se ven obligados a huir juntos, enfrentando enemigos sobrenaturales, misterios ancestrales y una conexión cada vez más intensa que los une tanto como los confunde.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest

First gargoyle monster romance I’ve ever read: I enjoyed the San Francisco setting and the Celtic lore as well as the compassionate inside look at suffering with migraines. Character development was closer to four stars - I felt for these two.. but the spicy scenes were not my favorite. A fun read (and if Romantasy is your thing this is a different angle) but, as with the Maas series, not enough to keep me looking for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!
I saw a gargoyle romance and immediately hoped to love this, as a monster romance lover. Sadly, I could only make it to 12% of the book as I was just too bored (note, it took me 2 days to get to 12%, when I can usually finish a book of this length in 1-2 days). The characters weren't endearing, the dialogue was weird and info-dumpy, everything felt very surface level.
A big indicator that the pacing wasn't for me was the fact that I kept falling asleep during a "we're running from burglars and now the statue is alive" scene, which should be interesting enough to keep anyone awake. I didn't care for either characters' internal monologues, which were constant throughout what I read of this book.

While this had an interesting premise, ultimately the writing and characters were not for me. The dialogue fell flat along with the characters.

A Heartfelt Monster Romance with Deep Emotion, Slow-Burn Longing, and Welsh Magic
This was my first book by S.E. Wendel, and after hearing such great things about her monster romances, I was so excited to dive inand Heartsong absolutely delivered on the monster front!
Frey, a gargoyle (technically a grotesque) brought to life, is exactly my kind of monstrous MMC, possessive, a little stubborn, a bit clueless, but incredibly sincere and eager to please. His dedication to winning over his mate, Anna, was genuinely heartwarming. His POV made the book shine; seeing just how hard he was trying, even when Anna kept pushing him away, had me completely in my feelings.
Anna, on the other hand, brought a heavy dose of angst I wasn’t entirely expecting. Their relationship is very much a slow and emotionally rocky journey, one step forward, two steps back. At times, I did find myself frustrated with her reluctance, but I also appreciated how deeply layered her character was. The depiction of her chronic migraines was raw and unflinching, adding depth and realism to her struggles. Her backstory made her guarded nature feel authentic, and her strength in making the best of tough circumstances made her easy to root for, even when I wanted to shake her a little.
When Anna finally comes around? Absolutely worth the wait. That moment of emotional payoff felt so satisfying, especially knowing how much Frey had endured to get there. And seeing him happy? It was everything.
The Welsh-inspired magic, the gargoyle lore, and the hints at a bigger world and future stories are incredibly intriguing. I love that Frey’s clan is still out there, trapped in stone, and that this book is just the beginning. The set-up for future installments already has me impatient for more, and I’ll definitely be continuing the series, and checking out Wendel’s Monstrous World series, too!
If you love monster romances, fated mates, slow-burn tension, and mythology blended with modern settings, this is one to pick up. Just be prepared for a bit of repetition, Anna’s hesitations do linger, and the middle of the book slows down with quite a few “we’re not ready for this” scenes. That said, the emotional payoff and unique world make the journey well worth it.
Tropes: Monster Romance, Fated Mates, He Falls First, Rejected Mate, Slow Burn
Bonus Points: Chronic illness rep, heartfelt POVs, and the real scene-stealer, Captain (no notes, 10/10, the best character, end of discussion).

This book is awesome if your looking for grumpy main characters fated mates an adorable sidekick forced proximity and a slow burn this is the book for you! There's gargoyles fae and druids oh my!

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for a copy of this ARC. This book presented me with a delightful cast of characters. However, the story itself never quite ignited my interest. Sometimes, it did have some really cute moments between Anna and Frey, but I did think the story just felt a little bit too long at times. I did read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so I can't wait to discover some of their other books in the future.

Plot story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Readability:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Favorite quote from the book: He would kill for her, die for her, and most especially, he would live for her.

This did have some really cute moments and was pretty spicy and hot but overall it just felt a little too long. And the slow burn was burninggggg but I am interested in reading more from this author

Heartsong is exactly what it promises: a steamy, trope-heavy monster romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously but still delivers enough emotion to keep you invested. Anna is a relatable heroine who is smart, skeptical, and just trying to survive late-stage capitalism. Frey, her gargoyle love interest, is grumpy, protective, and hilariously unprepared for the modern world.

The chemistry between them is immediate, and while the pacing is fast, it works for a story built around fated mates and high-stakes tension. The prose is clean and readable, and the worldbuilding, while not overly complex, does enough to support the plot and set up future installments.

If you’re here for moody winged heroes, close quarters, and a heroine who doesn’t just roll over for the alpha nonsense, this hits the mark. It’s not reinventing the genre, but it doesn’t need to. It’s sexy, sweet, and confidently written.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.