Sometimes you read a really good book and you’re just left speechless.

I really liked the first two books in this series (and I would recommend reading them in order), but this one I just couldn’t put down.

I really liked the way gender and sexuality were handled in all three books in the series, but especially in this book. The way gender-variant people were presented in the time period was interesting and felt both modern and historical, if that makes sense. Overall, something I really enjoy about this series is how it lets LGBTQ+ people exist in a historical context without homophobia and transphobia being a major plot point.

The way the relationships unfolded in this book was just so tender and compelling.

I would highly recommend this series and this book in particular.

“A Vow Made Twice” is Emma Denny’s latest love story, serving as the third and final book in the Barden trilogy. It follows "One Night in Hartswood" and "All the Painted Stars." It can be enjoyed as a standalone,;however, readers might appreciate the background and characters from earlier books. This novel fits within the Why Choose Romance genre.

The story centers on Ash, brother to Raff and Lilly, who is driven to complete the steps needed to become an Earl and uphold his family's legacy. Despite having lost his brother at arms/lover—in a previous battle, Ash is compelled to marry and produce an heir. Agnes, who is non-binary and identified with she/her pronouns in this book, enters his life as a potential partner. Though Ash and Agnes may seem an unlikely match, their story develops into one of love, spice, murder plots, and more.

This book is ideal for fans of LGBTQIA+ romantic historical fiction. The tone is warm and includes humor, action, and spice. The author offers CWs on their website for readers who want to be informed beforehand. The story is encourages reflection on those historically overlooked—who may have been marginalized due to their nonconformity. I appreciate the space the author creates for these individuals. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An absolute delight from start to finish! The poly dynamics, the medieval genderfuckery, the care taken with every character's emotional core - all top tier. Easily my favorite book of the trilogy and I look forward to whatever Emma Denny writes next!

I absolutely loved this! I adored the two previous books, but this was my favorite in the trilogy. I tore through this in two days because I couldn't put it down.

The handling of mental illness, and gender was really well done, but the highlight is for sure the trio of characters, who all complement each other so well.

I am feral for whatever Emma Denny writes next and eagerly hope there's more to come!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Each book in this series just gets better and better. I really enjoyed this and the characters complex relationships with themselves and with each other. I was cheering for them at the very beginning. I also liked the little throwbacks to the other books which I thought were funny. The story is well written and well paced and I devoured it. The main characters were so sweet with each other in the end.

All the feels for this one! I loved it.

The last book in the series and we finally get Ash Barden’s HEA. And what a journey it is! Ash has been the mysterious, gruff big brother in previous books. Here we learn about why he is the way he is.

All our main characters are wonderful, fully formed with their own difficulties and insecurities. Their happy ending is hard fought and tender and I enjoyed their high level of communication to get there.

Aside from that, it is really light-hearted and funny at times, with two great canine sidekicks.

I really enjoyed how this book explored gender and sexuality. And it comes with receipts, in the form of a really interesting author’s note.

It has a slow start, but please stick with it. You will not be disappointed.

This can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the series in order to get even more out of it.

This book does deal with some heavy themes. Please check the content warnings.

OK y'all here's the deal: Ash pledged himself to Oliver on the battlefield but then Olly got himself killed so Ash has been really super mega depressed for years. Also has post-war PTSD but since he's a medieval earl he just thinks he has fits. Ash has finally decided he needs to do his duty by the earldom, marry a woman, and have some heirs. (Actually, he'll just ACKNOWLEDGE some heirs, since his wife is the one who is going to have the responsibility of getting herself pregnant by someone else since Ash can never be unfaithful to Olly.)

He meets Agnes (who seems super cool) and they agree that getting married to each other is mutually beneficial. (Ash is 100% better than the guy Agnes's family wants her to marry, which is honestly his best character trait.) Ash doesn't tell her that he used to be in love with a man and Agnes doesn't tell him that sometimes she hates existing in her feminine body so they're both keeping some secrets. And that's all before Olly (who's NOT dead) is hired to kill Ash and disrupt the marital alliance...

So you may know that I absolutely love bonkers historical romance plots, and this fits the bill. But the highlight of this book for me is the super interesting way gender and sexuality were handled both through a medieval and a modern lens. (The references in the author's note are all bookmarked!) The relationship conflict itself isn't super angsty because Ash, Olly, and Agnes are all the nicest people ever to exist and who want to be honest with each other all of the time even when it's hard! I wish the antagonist had truly gotten his comeuppance (it's the middle ages, I'm out for blood!), but I didn't hate how the resolution was handled.

So you know how spices were really expensive in medieval times? Just call Emma Denny Scrooge McDuck because her characters are SWIMMING in spice. There are elements of voyeurism, light D/s, and historically accurate toys. (The author's note is bookmarked for a reason.) I will admit that the specific acts were not always to my taste, but I do realize that this is simply my subjective preference. If you read Denny's previous two books, they were also quite explicit, but the spice started later in the book since the characters were getting to know each other/feeling out their relationships. Olly and Ash know each other and had a previously-established sexual relationship, so the added scenes are in how Agnes will fit into their relationship. Do note that this is definitely MMEnby and not MMF, and the intimate scenes reflect this nuance.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

1364, England.
Ash Barden is now, reluctantly, an earl. Once, he assumed that his brother Raff would handle the business of heirs, but Raff is besotted with their "hostage" Penn, and after years of Raff caring for him after the war in France, Ash cannot ask him to forsake his happiness. Agnes is a Scottish widow, pressured by her family to remarry. While she isn't necessarily interested in a second marriage, she'd rather marry someone of her choice than the family friend whom she hates. When she meets Ash, she's put off by his temper, but drawn to the strangeness of his family and the kinds of promises he makes to her: most importantly that he'll allow her to continue to dress as a man. It seems as though they may have the perfect friendly arrangement, until Oliver, the lover Ash thought long dead, walks unexpectedly back into his life.

This is for the reader who wants every love triangle to resolve in a poly relationship. It's well balanced between the three perspectives of Ash, Agnes, and Olly, and as a reader I felt attuned to each of their internal struggles related to the development of their relationship. There is an overarching plot--Agnes and Ash must get married--and an overarching conflict--someone is trying to prevent that marriage. The focus on the introspective keeps the reader's interest with the quieter plot.

Agnes's internal struggle is the most complex. She would identify as nonbinary in contemporary times, but lacking the vocabulary and framework for discussing nonbinary gender in 14th century English, considers herself "she" some of the time, and simply more comfortable in men's attire and behavior other of the time. She experiences body dysmorphia over the course of the book, and we know Ash and Olly are good for her because they respond to her in different and equally comforting ways.

Ash is the classic romance hero who has pledged his heart to a long lost love and cannot possibly love again. His internal struggle ponders the nature of broken vows, or whether the vows he made with Olly "count" or not. He's loyal and thoughtful and kind to those who deserve it, despite the PTSD he experiences from the war in France.

Olly is the charmer (fitting as the minstrel) of the group. His internal struggle is over abandonment when being held for ransom, but this resolves fairly quickly when he and Ash talk. He also worries about being left out, as the one who hasn't said vows recognized by the Church and in front of more than one witness. He's the first to recognize that Ash and Agnes catch feelings, and the last to realize that he has, too.

I enjoyed the exploration of queer identity and poly relationships in the medieval era. The way Emma Denny sets up the story and engages with social standing and marriage is interesting, and my brain immediately started approaching the story from an academic perspective (gender in medieval Christianity was part of my grad school days), and I found it a little more complicated for me personally to engage with the swoon of the romance. This book heats up significantly in the last third, with plenty of intimate scenes -- explicit and not -- between all parties.

I very much enjoyed this one as a standalone,but I went back to read the others and I highly suggest reading them in order, there are things that just elevate your reading!

*Received as a free ARC*
Genuinely, I think this is the best of this series yet. Ash, Agnes, and Olly were excellent. There wasn't too much relationship drama, but there was enough external plot that there were stakes. Everything about it was delightful. Yes, Ash is very deeply traumatized. Which is not exactly delightful. But it works so very well. I assume this is the last book in the series since there are only three Barden siblings, but what fun it's been!

This was cute, the best in the series by far, with the most interesting romantic dynamic of the three books and conflict that felt small but important enough to the characters that it was compelling. I wish we’d gotten more time with Olly and Agnes, and was sad that Lily and Jo didn’t make an appearance, but the central trio (with Penn and Raf in the background) held my attention just fine. I would like a spot in the Barden household.

4.5 Stars

Thank you to Harper360 and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This is out January 27th.

After inheriting his father’s title, Earl Ash Barden has no choice but to find a wife to ensure the family line. But Ash pledged himself to his lover Olly before his death, and making new vows feels like the ultimate betrayal to his memory.

Agnes Forrett wants two things: to be true to herself, and to avoid marrying the childhood friend her family is determined will take her hand. When she meets Ash, she realises he’s the perfect choice to grant her the freedom she needs to be the person she is – be that lady, lord, or something else entirely.

Agreeing to enter a marriage of convenience, their plan is set … until a roadside attack thrusts Olly back into Ash’s life, and with it a choice about his future. Now Ash must ask himself: can one heart truly be pledged to two people?

I loved this book so much. While I thought the first two books in this trilogy were enjoyable, this is definitely my favorite. Denny says in the author’s note that their favorite of the siblings is Ash and that’s clear in the way they wrote his story with so much heart and care.

Ash, Olly, and Agnes are all such wonderful, multilayered characters. I loved them and was rooting for their happiness both individually and together. They all have their difficulties - Ash has PTSD from the battle he lost Olly in and deals with suicidal ideation, Agnes experiences dysphoria, and Olly had to fight to survive after he thought Ash abandoned him.

I thought Agnes’s experience with her body and gender was such an excellent depiction of being nonbinary in the medieval era. I also loved how much we got to see Penn and Raff. I wish there had been more of Lily and Jo too!

There were times where I felt the story was a bit melodramatic which keeps it from being a full five stars from me but I still really loved this book. Denny’s growth as a writer from One Night in Hartswood to this book is amazing and I can’t wait to see what they write next.

So I really loved All the Painted Stars, which was Book 2 in this series. I still need to read the first book! A Vow Made Twice is about Raff and Lily's older brother Ashwy, the new Earl of Dunlyn, who is stuck between two vows.

Ash swore a battlefield trothplight to his true love Olly... and then Olly died in battle. Ash is now Earl and must carry on the family line (since neither of his younger siblings will be doing it), so he must somehow find a bride that can be a companion, since he made a lover's vow once and can never break it. He chooses Agnes, a non-binary widow who is mainly just hoping for a husband that's better than the spiteful guy her family keeps trying to force at her, but she dreams of finding one who would give her the space to be herself. As Ash and Agnes prepare for companionship, a face from the past pops up, and the new family discovers a true love where you're safe to be your full self.

So if book 1 was M/M and book 2 was F/F, book 3 is an M/M/nonbinary poly romance.

As mentioned in the author's note, Agnes is genderqueer but uses she/her pronouns because the 1300s didn't have the language we do now. In addition to a nonbinary lead character, we also have a trans man side character.

I haven't read a lot of polyamorous romances, this might be my first? I expected this to be two couples with a hinge, but this ended up being a trouple? While yes, I enjoyed the way that love grew between our characters, I especially loved the moments of friendship and love that Agnes found with [redacted]. Those quiet scenes were my favorite. I think the dynamic of a Second Chance for one couple and the introduction of a new, budding love with a third person was an interesting contrast with some true anxiety for the characters that I assume mirrors some realistic fears.

Trauma and depression are big themes in this book. Ash has PTSD from losing the man he loved in battle, and he talks to his brother about suicidal ideation. Agnes has anxiety attacks that are triggered by gender dysphoria. A character has an anxiety attack when it's suggested that someone might be pregnant. This could even be a Hurt/Comfort novel because of how our three lovers help each other through the pain and anxiety.

This was a lovely romance with some very big personal growth for our main characters (especially Agnes who had to stand up to their family), and I wish we could get another book specifically about Pepper.

CW: Sex, homophobia, transphobia, abusive family members, death of a parent, portrayal of PTSD and anxiety attacks, and suicidal depression.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper360 for the ARC!

BOOK REVIEW — A Vow Made Twice by Emma Denny
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

This book is aching, atmospheric, and beautifully queer — a story about love, grief, identity, and the terrifying courage it takes to choose yourself.

Vibes:
• Marriage of convenience
• Historical queer romance
• Grief, ghosts of first love, and second chances
• Gender-fluid heroine, emotionally torn hero
• Longing × duty × desire

What It’s About (no spoilers):
Ash Barden has just inherited a title and with it the crushing expectation to marry. The problem? His heart is still tied to the lover he lost, and the idea of new vows feels like betraying a ghost.

Agnes Forrett is a skilled archer and a widow who refuses to be forced back into a box. She wants the freedom to exist as herself — lady, lord, or something beautifully in between — and marriage is her best escape route. Ash and Agnes strike a practical deal: a marriage of convenience that gives them both breathing room.

But then the past walks back into Ash’s life, and everything explodes — loyalty, grief, new desire, and the question of whether one heart can belong to two people at once.

What I Loved:
• Agnes — bold, fluid, and determined to live authentically
• Ash’s grief is tender and real, not melodramatic
• Queer identity and gender exploration handled with care
• Romance that grows slowly and emotionally, not just physically
• The “ghost of first love vs. new love” conflict hits HARD

Final Vibe:
Soft, aching, and deeply human. This isn’t just about romance — it’s about identity, mourning who you were, and choosing who you get to be next. If you love historical queer stories, yearning, and complicated hearts, A Vow Made Twice is absolutely worth reading.

This book pulled at the heartstrings a little bit for me and I loved it, I didn't know that it was book 3 from a series, but i felt like I did just fine without reading the first 2 books. BUT knowing there are 2 other books for me to read makes me feel much better, because now I can read them. The polyamory, the gender fluidity and the mental health awareness all set in a medieval timeline, literally chefs kiss.

Ever since One Night in Hartswood, I've loved every installment in this series, and this is a perfect close. Mixing a historical setting not often seen in romance novels with genuinely engaging plots and characters is a hard thing to do over three books, but Denny pulls it off with aplomb, and I loved reading Ash's story.

This one is definitely more "romance" than the other two, possibly necessarily because we have three people's worth of situations to be figured out. But it's nice to have that slower pace so that we have the time to really get a sense for who Ash, Agnes, and Olly are as people and what they want and how that shifts with knowing each other. Bringing acceptance and recognition in such a way that fits in wonderfully with the historical setting was such a joy to read, and the spice levels are off the chart, as usual. I loved the treatment of Agnes' non-binarity, of Ash's PTSD, of Olly's need to have a place to belong and how they all fit together in the end.

My one qualm is that I don't really understand why Muriel was so, so set against Agnes marrying Ash - even going back to read the misunderstanding was such a non-event that it felt like an outsized reaction to have resulted in such arguments. I also would have loved to have seen more of the trio settled in a little, but let's be honest, I would've been happy with a novella-length epilogue and getting to see everyone again.

Review of arc copy received from Netgalley

This was cute! Gender identity problems, fake relationships, voyeuristic-ness? prejudice, trauma, and karma that gets its mark in the end.

I was pleasantly surprised with the spicy spice, but it also had some wonderfully written emotionally charged scenes that were great too.

Medieval era problems about marriage, queerness, and poly love exploration was a surprisingly easy and enjoyable read for me. Absolutely loved it.

The character's are loveable. Charming and witty with just the perfect amount of ✨️trauma & drama✨️ that it'll keep you reading.

I will be reading the authors other works because this one was so fun.

producing an heir This was a bit of romance turned on its head, at least compared to others that I have read!
Our story focuses on Ash, who becomes an earl after the death of his father. He suffers from the trauma of fighting in battle and losing the love of his life. Part of his responsibility as the earl includes producing an heir and so begins the search for a wife.
There are so many interesting characters in this book. Their gender and sexuality are explored. Some of the characters are accepting and some are not. The main characters are very likable and I really empathized what they were experiencing.
I really enjoyed the book, reading it in one day! I was excited to discover there are two more books set in this world! They will definitely be added to my TBR list.

5 ⭐️ Now this is the kind of historical romance I need in my life!
Thank you so much Emma Denny and Net Galley for the eARC!

I cannot begin to describe how unexpected this book was. I thought it'd be up my alley, hence my request to review it, but holyyyyy did I not expect to love this so much. I cried SO MUCH. Like, so much! Agnes and her gender pains, Ash's mental health and his PTSD and Olly's struggle to settle in a life he wants to badly after so many years of struggle and resentment... It broke my heart everytime. And with every scene where there was nothing but understanding and open communication, it put it back together.

This book is unique, in the sense that I have personally never read a story where one of the protagonist describes the experience of gender queerness in a historical setting like this, without trully being able to describe any of it. I have read stories where the protagonists in those historical romaces would have been transgender. But the non-binary or gender queer experience is different, and set in a time where there's hardly talk of anything to do with gender, where it is the absolute for your sex to determine who you are... The wholehearted understanding from Olly and Ash, and the respect they still held for Agnes was one of the most beautiful, healthy and eye-opening things I have felt in a while. I am aware that this is a fiction book, but omg it really is that simple, isn't it? When someone tells you who they are, you believe them and respect them. You may like it or share it more or less, but there is no need for outrage, or hate, or the stupid need to invisibilise them! You just... listen. And you love them because of everything they are, and not spite them.

I love romance books. I could cry. They are the only thing that can truly reinstate my faith in humanity. Emma Denny seems like the kind of author we need everywhere. Unafraid to tell stories that make queer characters happy. Where things may not be easy, but they are simple. At least simple enough when you focus on what's important.

I dont' know how to say more without big spoilers, but I cannot recommend this book enough. It is my first 5 star read of 2026 and I am so, so glad I pick it up!

🌶🌶.5 / 5 - There are a good handful of open door scenes in this book, nothing out of this world but very important for the plot and the way the relationships are built.

This is absolutely my favorite of the series! I loved Ash and felt so much him. Olly and Agnes were also great. I loved the gender nonconformity of Agnes/Angus and how she was portrayed. The love story was so well done, the developing feelings were peak! They did give me anxiety about it all, but I was expecting that. The murder plot was interesting, I liked the twists and turns that gave. Overall a wonderful end to the series!

I requested this arc not realizing it was part of a series of standalone. I definitely wished I’d read the other books first because there were alot of side characters I could tell I was supposed to have a connection with and I just didn’t.


That being said, I did enjoy this overall it was a bit slow for me but still was a good read. I got a little worried that it was turning into a love triangle and not a Polly relationship but that didn’t last long 😅

Ash and Ollie‘s relationship is what hooked me first. They just were so in love with each other already, and then watching them reunite later made me think of other historical romances that I really stick with you. I found myself a little unsure of Agnes at first simply because this book is set in like 1300 England and so the vocabulary and all of that for the experiences that Agnes was going through weren’t available. But once these three found their groove, I was able to really get into this book.

I wasn’t sure how I felt going into this third book of the Heartwood Trilogy. I loved the first book. It was a beautiful story. I liked the second book, a little slow but still a beautiful story (I loved Lily). Now we come to the third book. And……. it’s my favorite! This was a true why choose. Their love story unfolded in a such a natural way, letting all three characters be themselves and not only be accepted for it but to be loved because of it. I’m not usually a historical romance girlie so I wouldn’t know if anything was accurate or not but I also don’t care. The story, the telling of it was sweet and beautiful. It had more spice than the previous two books but that also made more sense with their storyline. Overall I would definitely recommend this story as well as the whole series.


4.25 stars

Thank you Harper 360 for the advanced copy of A Vow Made Twice. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

ARC Review: A Vow Made Twice by Emma Denny
Pub Date: January 27th, 2026

Ash is an earl and needs to marry. His first love, Olly, died in battle so he agrees to marry a widow (Agnes) in what is essentially a marriage of convenience. But low and behold, Olly gets hired to (unknowingly) kill Ash. They are reunited but Ash still needs to go through with the marriage of various reasons. As the three spend more time together, all of their relationships develop and Ash figures out that what he once thought was his one great love might extend to his new wife as well.

I think one of the things I love about books that explore poly relationships is that I really love seeing relationships develop and change over time (yes, this is also why i hate insta love/lust). I especially love seeing that when it isn't easy - when there are factors, internal or external, that characters have to overcome or contend with to be together successfully. And with there being more than just one relationship in a poly situation you just naturally get more of that relationship negotiation. We can see this in both the conversations about the relationships but also in the intimate scenes. I thought this was done particularly well in this book and the evolution of all of the relationships made a lot of sense and really was a true evolution.` I also loved how the characters truly cared for each other.

This book just really worked for me on a number of levels - I love that it's a historical set in a relatively unique time (medieval) and that it explores relationships that are not explored as much. It really captured my interest and I didn't want to put it down!

I have not read the first two books of this series, but this book worked perfectly fine as a standalone as well. A Vow Made Twice is a lovely exploration of gender and sexuality. I loved that the characters are so supportive and loving, and there were no shenanigans (no third act breakup or unnecessary relationship crisis!). Agnes would likely identify as nonbinary in modern terms, and seeing her explore that while being unwaveringly supported by her partners was very heartwarming.

The last half of this book is quite spicy - a bit to its detriment, honestly. The sex scenes were well done, but sooo much of the end of the book was taken up by them, and it felt like the major conflict and the ending didn’t have as much attention given to them as they deserved. Basically it was repeatedly like. Ooo something bad is/has happened? Let’s all run off together and forget our problems and somehow no one will notice!

A Vow Made Twice was a great way to wrap up the Barden series. Ash is now an earl, and is seeking a wife. He is still haunted from losing his last partner, but recognizes the duties required of him. Agnes is a widow looking for more freedom, and a familiar face is brought back into their lives. The three must work with each other to figure out how they will live their lives with the least conflict. We see them slowly grow closer to each other as their individual connections skyrocket. This was my first poly romance, and I was not disappointed. I would happily read another book with these characters. I was sad Lily was only briefly mentioned, and the last ten percent wrapped up rather too quickly for me. The epilogue felt like a big jump when we didn't see the characters work through all of their concerns together on page, but I loved it nonetheless.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved this series but this book? Y’all I am OBSESSED!

It was sweet and funny and hot and the perfect way to end our time with the Bardens (even though I don’t want to!!!). Literally though, I absolutely devoured this. Took me less than 24 hours.

I read the first two books of this series about a year ago, so I can't say that I remembered a whole lot about Ash Barden going into this book. Oh man, though! Ash emotionally wrecked me. Here's the summary of his background: he went to war in France when he was a young man, saw his lover Olly die, was seriously injured, and became very mentally unwell due to his grief. At the start of this book, his father has just died, making him the Earl, and he is struggling with suicidal ideation. Because he knows if he doesn't produce an heir, his brother Raff will feel pressured to do so (ruining his relationship with his own lover, Penn), so Ash resigns himself to finding a wife. In this search, he finds Agnes, a young widow. Agnes struggles with gender dysphoria and her family keeps trying to pressure her to marry a family friend who she hates. Ash and Agnes agree to be married for practical reasons. Except, as it turns out, Olly isn't dead, and his return upheaves everything.

I got really emotional several times during this book, mostly when Ash was emotional (which kinda happens a lot). He's been through a lot of trauma and is struggling so much with anxiety and depression. Agnes is more steady, but really hates the gendered expectations placed on her and is frustrated by her family. Olly, while uncertain in his place in Ash's home, is a delight and very charming. And the three of them together? Wellllll!!! I guess 50% more people = 50% more sex, and it is hot! Altogether a moving but sexy story.

gorgeously lyrical LGBTQI+ romance with some fantastic main characters and a nice why-choose romance. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.