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A review by _isabel_
Never Darling by W.M. Fawkes, Sam Burns
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
"Never Darling" was a pretty cute, heart-warming (and unexpectedly angsty!) novel.
Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes are an absolutely wonderful writing duo, and I always look forward to their works together. They always manage to write such an amazing mixture of romances, from epic fantasy to PNR romances and stories like this one that feel like an old time fairy tale, but with a modern twist.
I found "Never Darling" very original, storytelling wise, packed with a few surprises and shocking twists I never saw coming; and I really adored both leads. Connor was a sweetheart: he deserves everything that's good in the universe; and Mattias was a delight. I loved him so much!
I also loved all the other side characters, from Jessie to Mattias's grandmother, and I loved the small-town, magical vibe of the inn and the town.
And of course, the writing was, as usual, absolutely magnificent.
Unfortunately, I wasn't totally sold on the book as a whole. I won't spoil, but if you've read the blurb, something pretty tragic and horrible happens early on, and while I was expecting something to happen, I WAS NOT expecting what happened to happen. The story took a pretty dark turn early on, and that, plus the year leaps between the different chapter sections (one of the things I despise the most in romances is time leaps *grr), made me feel quite a bit upset for most of the book.
So yeah; while I do love angst and drama in my romances, I think I probably wasn't in the mood for it this time (or maybe, I just wasn't expecting it: I definitely should have looked at the trigger warnings a lot harder than I did, so this is entirely my fault!)
The last few chapters have a definite happier mood, and I enjoyed the last section so much more: maybe because I knew a HEA was on its way.
So yes, all in all, although I can't say I loved this novel wholeheartedly, I still enjoyed reading it, and I was definitely hooked from the start. The atmosphere was magical and old timey, and its two leads wholly adorable. And the ending? So damn sweet.
TWs/CWs: just in case child disappearance/kidnapping, death of a close family member, aging/illness of a close family member, grief, brief instances of misgendering
Thank you Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes are an absolutely wonderful writing duo, and I always look forward to their works together. They always manage to write such an amazing mixture of romances, from epic fantasy to PNR romances and stories like this one that feel like an old time fairy tale, but with a modern twist.
I found "Never Darling" very original, storytelling wise, packed with a few surprises and shocking twists I never saw coming; and I really adored both leads. Connor was a sweetheart: he deserves everything that's good in the universe; and Mattias was a delight. I loved him so much!
I also loved all the other side characters, from Jessie to Mattias's grandmother, and I loved the small-town, magical vibe of the inn and the town.
And of course, the writing was, as usual, absolutely magnificent.
Unfortunately, I wasn't totally sold on the book as a whole. I won't spoil, but if you've read the blurb, something pretty tragic and horrible happens early on, and while I was expecting something to happen, I WAS NOT expecting what happened to happen. The story took a pretty dark turn early on, and that, plus the year leaps between the different chapter sections (one of the things I despise the most in romances is time leaps *grr), made me feel quite a bit upset for most of the book.
So yeah; while I do love angst and drama in my romances, I think I probably wasn't in the mood for it this time (or maybe, I just wasn't expecting it: I definitely should have looked at the trigger warnings a lot harder than I did, so this is entirely my fault!)
The last few chapters have a definite happier mood, and I enjoyed the last section so much more: maybe because I knew a HEA was on its way.
So yes, all in all, although I can't say I loved this novel wholeheartedly, I still enjoyed reading it, and I was definitely hooked from the start. The atmosphere was magical and old timey, and its two leads wholly adorable. And the ending? So damn sweet.
TWs/CWs: just in case
Thank you Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Kidnapping, and Grief