Emma Denny - One Night in Hartswood

Oxford 1360
When his sister’s betrothed vanishes the night before her politically arranged marriage, Raff Barden must track and return the elusive groom to restore his family’s honour.
William de Foucart — known to his friends as Penn — had no choice but to abandon his intended, and with it his own earldom, when he fled the night before his enforced marriage. But ill-equipped to survive on the run he must trust the kindness of a stranger, Raff, to help him escape.
Unaware their fates are already entwined, the men journey north. But amidst the snow-capped forests an unexpected bond deepens into a far more precious relationship, one that will test all that they hold dear. And when secrets are finally revealed, both men must decide what they will risk for the one they love…

Comment: As it probably happened to more readers, my first glimpse of this book's cover immediately seduced me. It's quite appealing and seemed to indicate a certain mood I was looking for to see happening in the plot.

In this historical story we meet Raff Barden, a man who wants his freedom from responsibility and demands of his father's house and he thinks he might be closer to it when his younger sister is promised in marriage to a political ally. Raff feels that as soon as she's married, and him not being his father's heir, he can travel and see what life could be for him but nothing is ever as simple since his sister's intended groom disappears the night before.

William de Foucart is having doubts because his father isn't a good man and has always controlled everyone's lives and William - Penn for his friends - thinks marrying someone will only be one more thing to worry about. The night before he is thinking about his life in the forest near his father's estate and he meets a stranger, with whom he has a connection impossible to ignore. He believes he can't go ahead with marrying someone when his feelings aren't in a traditional marriage, so he runs away, but this stranger happens to be a tracker, looking for "William"....

This promised to be quite a sweet story, I thought, but probably with more drama than what one could imagine, considering the setting is the 14th century and it was certainly not a good timing for gay characters to be able to be free with their affection or relationships. Nevertheless, I hoped the author could create a believable plot and, somehow, it was so but I still can't really be convinced the romance would have been possible the way it happened.

If this had been a fantasy story or if the characters had been less noticeable within the social circles they were part of, perhaps I could suspend disbelief more, but considering these things and the fact they can't live isolated from everyone else, I've found certain elements to be a bit too unlikely in order for them to be able to be a couple and together that easily without anyone else noticing and not being concerned about it.

Raff and Penn randomly meet at a moment they are both worried about life and what future will bring to them, and I got a feeling their sexual inclination was partly the reason. Of course they both had other worries and life experiences which demanded a lot from them in terms of responsibility and duties, and they both wanted more freedom to pursue personal preferences. I could certainly accept their mood and POV and when they meet and the chemistry between them makes them risk a kiss, it was all very romantic and sweet.

Of course, life is funny that way and they shouldn't like one another, especially since Penn should marry Lily, Raff's sister. When Penn runs away and Raff tracks him, both had not shared the whole truth about one another, still maintaining the fantasy they were independent men who could act on their feelings. As their journey through the forest and towards other places so Raff could "help" Penn finding a job, their secrets seem safe until someone recognizes Raff and he tells Penn the truth. Of course this enhances the conflict, how could Penn now tell Raff about his own deceit?

I think this section was accomplished well enough, with a good enough balance of sweetness and romance - clearly they were falling in love, even if quite quickly depending on how we see things - but there was still that niggling in the background that something could happen at any time that would ruin things for them. I don't think it's any surprise that there is a moment in which this obviously does happen and the aftermath isn't easy. Still, the finding out the truth, the dealing with it and the HEA were elements that, to me, felt weaker than the other parts of the romance.

I can understand why the author decided to find that way for them to be together, it wasn't that bad actually, but the process to get there while clever, felt so... simple, considering the amount of worry and trouble they had to face before. I could think this was fine, after all they could not guess how things would go, but once we see how they can be together, their relationship surely wouldn't be accepted, except Raff's siblings (and father?) seemed to be OK with it, as was Penn's sister. It's very good that some people accept them, but how realistic would it be that so many would? 

All fiction is a bit of fantasy after all, but some elements just don't seem to work as well within certain rules. I'm happy Raff and Penn could be a couple but the time period just isn't likely to have allowed it that openly. Plus, their chemistry stopped being as wonderful after a while, perhaps because the conflict disappeared or because it was taken for granted they would want to be that special person for each other? I wouldn't have minded a bit more sexual tension or emotional uncertainty before the end of the book to reinforce their feelings.

All in all, an entertaining read, good elements, but I wasn't fully convinced, no.

Grade: 6/10