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A review by torilovesheas
Hold Fast by Eliza MacArthur
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am a heavily critical HisRom reader so anytime someone is able to blend old school historical romance with a more modern feel, I’m a fan. Especially when it’s someone that has a clear love and appreciation for the genre and its evolution.
Handfasting is a staple in historical romance (very particularly Scottish medieval era HisRoms) and MacArthur really wrote an emotional romance that asks the question “What if someone is traumatized from a bad handfasting and finds love afterward with someone else?”
Una and Ewan are undeniably sweet together. Ewan is a Laird with anxiety and Una is a DV/rape survivor that never wants to be at the mercy of a man again. Each of them has their own struggle with mental health and what it means for their burgeoning relationship going forward and I think Eliza did a beautiful job developing a relationship that fit their individual needs. Una needs someone that won’t try to keep her wings clipped as a healer and Ewan needs someone to share the emotional burden of being a Laird that’s loved and lost and doesn’t always know how to cope with it. The relationship develops so beautifully and believably and never feels like we’re shoehorning characters into a dynamic that doesn’t fit them. They’re SO sweet together!
The historical detail is spectacular and never feels wallpaper-ey. It felt medieval and it felt like a story that would only exist in ye olden days Scotland! Which I just absolutely loved!
Mild spoiler here:
I will say this wasn’t perfect for me as a reader because I felt like the third act conflict/climax could have been solved a few different ways without a traumatic sexual assault scene that comes about from lack of communication. I tend to expect those scenes in my older romances and I think this being a more modern take on a handfasting romance, I wanted more for our FMC that’s already suffered a year of assault. And with the way Una and Ewan built such a wonderful rapport early into their relationship, I was left a little sad that that fell to the wayside for the third act to take place. But it didn’t detract much from my overall enjoyment!
Thank you to Eliza for an ARC! All thoughts are my own!
Handfasting is a staple in historical romance (very particularly Scottish medieval era HisRoms) and MacArthur really wrote an emotional romance that asks the question “What if someone is traumatized from a bad handfasting and finds love afterward with someone else?”
Una and Ewan are undeniably sweet together. Ewan is a Laird with anxiety and Una is a DV/rape survivor that never wants to be at the mercy of a man again. Each of them has their own struggle with mental health and what it means for their burgeoning relationship going forward and I think Eliza did a beautiful job developing a relationship that fit their individual needs. Una needs someone that won’t try to keep her wings clipped as a healer and Ewan needs someone to share the emotional burden of being a Laird that’s loved and lost and doesn’t always know how to cope with it. The relationship develops so beautifully and believably and never feels like we’re shoehorning characters into a dynamic that doesn’t fit them. They’re SO sweet together!
The historical detail is spectacular and never feels wallpaper-ey. It felt medieval and it felt like a story that would only exist in ye olden days Scotland! Which I just absolutely loved!
Mild spoiler here:
I will say this wasn’t perfect for me as a reader because I felt like the third act conflict/climax could have been solved a few different ways without a traumatic sexual assault scene that comes about from lack of communication. I tend to expect those scenes in my older romances and I think this being a more modern take on a handfasting romance, I wanted more for our FMC that’s already suffered a year of assault. And with the way Una and Ewan built such a wonderful rapport early into their relationship, I was left a little sad that that fell to the wayside for the third act to take place. But it didn’t detract much from my overall enjoyment!
Thank you to Eliza for an ARC! All thoughts are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol