I want to make a content warning about abuse really just talking about some severe abuse in this book.

What we got was good, we did get two steamy scenes, one fully penetrative, but neither was as fully detailed as I would have liked and was kept to a lot of vagueness. While One Night in Hartswood is a debut, and does occasionally read that way, this book is a true gem that I cannot wait to share with my romance reading patrons. It also makes me curious to see if there will be some continuation of sorts to these characters and their lives. The characters' journeys are filled with twists and revelations, keeping readers engaged and invested in their outcomes.at the fact that Raff and Penn keep traveling even in heavy snow (on, what, the excellent roads in 14th-century England? An amazing mix of sweet and spicy with secrets both our main characters hold until the truth comes out. I loved this historical romance, and it's the first I've read with a queer love story which was very refreshing.

When Penn and Raff meet in Hartswood Forest the only truth they know of each other is a brief moonlit kiss they had shared previously. When his sister’s fiancé disappears, Raff stumbles upon the same man again and offers to help him escape, not knowing he’s aiding his sister’s runaway intended.

Having grown up with obligations to their stations in life, neither is eager to let the other know who they are because for this brief trip they are free to be themselves. It felt like Penn spent most of the book struggling with his father’s abuse, then seamlessly destroys him. When Penn goes missing Raff sets off to find him, leading to them both embarking on a journey to help Penn escape his situation and his father. How their love shone in the face of strife was one of the most emotional parts for me, and I was so relieved to see it all work out in their favor in the end.