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Short answer: No.
Slightly longer answer: It was... fine? I guess?
The story follows Raff and Penn, the scions of two noble houses, as they meet one night in the eponymous Hartswood. There's an immediate connection, so when Penn decides to flee his abusive father and unwanted betrothal, Raff offers to journey with him. The twist is that both men are hiding their identities - and Penn's betrothed is Raff's sister.
This book feels like it has all the ingredients for a fantastically fun, trope-filled read. Cuddling for warmth? Check! Mutual pining? Check! One character teaching the other to fight? Check! An angsty scar reveal (and subsequent comfort)? Check! The problem is… it did just feel like a checklist.
This gets to the heart of my problem with the book. It felt incredibly generic, from the characters to the setting to the plot. It didn't feel like the author cared that much about her story so, well, neither did I. For me, this was particularly noticeable with the setting. I love the mediaeval era and find it fascinating, but for a book nominally set in 1360 it didn't feel mediaeval at all. I can forgive the unusually progressive families as staple of historical romance, but I cannot forgive the lack of nuns.
Final verdict: One Night in Hartswood is readable but probably not worth your time.












