I was so excited to read this book! A queer 1920s love story?!? Sign me up! I'm not one to read reviews before I try a book on my own. Another man's trash and all that. Just because you hate it I may love it. However, this time the reviews really came true. I had such a hard time slogging through this one. Yes, there was the screw you ending i loved. But everything else was so rough. The characters didn't grab me, and the story was just missing so much. I wanted so badly to love this! It's just unfortunately not for me.

🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and Charlotte Anne Hamilton. ❤️

Overall, I’m really sad that I didn’t like this book much, but I’ll still be reading Hamilton’s works in the future because I know she can write books I’ll enjoy. In the future, I’d love to read a book about Martha finding her happily ever after!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

I didn't care for this title. It just didn't capture my interest or drag me into it's world. I was just bored at times and I didn't fall in love with the characters. It just ended up being a really tough read.

I love the 1920s, I’ve always found it to be such a fascinating era between the fashions and the way the world changed on the heels of the ending of World War I.

I was so intrigued by this book- intended to be about two women falling in love during that time period, and the acceptance of their love. You can clearly see the dedication Hamilton made to ensuring the accuracy of the time period- and it makes it easier to immerse yourself in the speakeasy scene of New York.

The relationship between the two main female characters falls flat for me. It felt like it never developed beyond that instant attraction/instant love. I wish more time was spent developing Rosalie (the main love interest), she felt very 2D to me.

The ending…I will say is the most interesting part of the book and felt the most cohesive. Anytime characters can give an eff you to society- I’m there for it. I’ll let you figure out what that means, if you’re interested in reading the book.

📌 Pub Date: October 18, 2021

I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read this book!

This book is a gay story. Harriet is a spinster by choice who loves women and her cousin is a man who loves men.
The Great War changed everything for Lady Harriet Cunningham. Instead of being presented at eighteen, she trained to be a nurse and shared forbidden kisses with her colleagues.
But now in 1923, at the age of 24, Harriet is facing spinsterhood.
It's not such a ghastly prospect to her, but as the daughter of the Earl of Creoch, there's a certain expectation that she must meet. So, in a last attempt to find a match for their daughter to see her safe and secure, they send her to her aunt and uncle in New York.
Only when she gets there, she and her cousin, a man who, like her, suffers from the weight of expectation from his father, decide on one last hoorah as a memory to hold close to their heart in their later life.
But when they arrive at the speakeasy hidden beneath a small bookstore, Harriet finds herself entranced by the singer. No matter how hard she wants to please her family and do her duty, she finds that there's something about the woman that she can't stay away from — that she can't ignore her heart. Which is loudly calling for Miss Rosalie Smith.
I haven't read a book by this author before.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

There's something so special about sapphic historical romance, but unfortunately this book didn't draw me in like I was hoping. It wasn't a bad book by any means, but it was just okay.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. I didn't like anything about this book. It is a hard pass for me and a DNF.

Of Trust and Heart immediately appealed to me because I had previously finished Between the Waves by the same author previously that year.
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Charlotte Anne Hamilton has a great skill when it comes to writing previously unnoticed relationships in a historical context. While this one did not work as well as Between the Waves did for me, still highly enjoyed it. Set in the 1920s and the Jazz Age, this book had it all. Not only was there a forefront sapphic relationship that was both parts adorable and believable, a large portion of the book was also spent looking into family dynamics and how important (accepting) family is, especially for queer people.
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I cannot recommend Hamiltons work enough and I also cannot wait to see what she does next. Fans of historical fiction should pick this up, but be aware that there is less of a focus on romance as there is on family dynamics.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

OF TRUST AND HEART is a really sweet sapphic historical romance centred around a daughter of a British Earl and a singer at a speakeasy.

The way the author navigates the laws and views of the time without compromising the narrative and making the romances seem wrong is lovely.

I really appreciate the friendship between Lady Harriet and her maid too, as well as the complexities between status of the lovers and other characters in the book.

If you're looking for a fun, flirty and historical sapphic romance, this one is for you!

As the daughter of an Earl and fast approaching her 25th birthday, Lady Harriet Cunningham finds herself in a New York speakeasy when she should be finding a husband. That is until she sets sights on Rosalie Smith, a beautiful woman with a voice that blew her away. And now, she must decide between expectations or her growing feelings for Rosalie without ruining her family name.

Of Trust & Heart was highly disappointing. I personally found it boring, which hurts me to say considering I have enjoyed the author’s previous works a lot. Concept-wise, this story had a lot of potential to be a passionate and emotional tale, but its execution left it feeling messing and underwhelming.

Lady Harriet is sent to New York by her family in order to find a husband, despite knowing that Harriet is a lesbian. Aware of her predicament, Harriet finds solace in her cousin Charlie, a closeted gay man. Together, they bond over their inability to feel comfortable in their surroundings truly. Here, Charlie invites Harriet to a speakeasy hidden within a bookstore. One last night she promised herself before finding a man to settle down with. And when she meets singer Rosalie, her plans fall apart.

The main reason why I couldn’t really invest myself into the romance is that there’s nothing there to really root for. Harriet and Rosalie exchange mere words, Rosalie writes a song about her and then we are told how utterly in love Harriet is. I was expecting more from the two, interactions, inner thoughts, development, anything! Harriet spent more time with her suitors than she did with Rosalie. Everything was extremely flat, and the story failed to rise to the tension and conflict occurring within the story. The people, the locations and actions felt so impersonal and empty.

Despite my negativity, it was a quick read and somewhat fun to read, Hamilton clearly writes well, but I don’t consider this a great showcase of her writing. (I would recommend her Until Lambs Become Lions series) The ending is somewhat awkward, which I wouldn’t have minded if there weren’t clearly other ways of fixing their problems. With a prohibition-era backdrop, there is genuine potential for this story and that I just think it doesn’t reach its fullest potential.

I was so excited for this one! Prohibition era sapphic romance, complete with speakeasies and a main character torn between her duty to marry well and her true feelings? Sign me up. Unfortunately, this story put me to sleep rather quickly. The characters fell flat immediately, they were severely lacking in depth. The love interest had no personality beyond sexy and sarcastic. On top of that, the writing didn't suit me. But I fought my way through, thinking there would be something to save this story. Sadly, there wasn't.

Of Trust and Heart tells the story of Lady Harriet Cunningham, the daughter of the Earl of Creoch, who's at the house of her uncle and aunt in NYC to find a husband, but when her cousin takes Harriet to a queer club, she finds herself intrigued by the night's singer, Ms. Rosalie Smith.
I thought this was book was nice to read, though it felt too small. I believe that certain aspects of the story were not well developed — which could be solved if the book was longer. So, before saying what I liked about the book, here are some things that annoyed me:
Harriet's sister: I don't remember anyone mentioning Harriet's sister until she's close to going back home. She was not mentioned before, which felt weird. Also was mentioned in the book that Harriet's relationship with her brother was so close before they were reunited — then we get nothing of that. She even seemed closer to Charlie than to him.
Harriet and Rosalie's relationship: they met twice and talked for less than one day and suddenly are deeply in love? They are cute. But it felt rushed, which made their relationship feels artificial.
The pacing: We had too little time for certain crucial parts of the story — like Harriet and Rosalie falling in love and Charlie's struggles that were mentioned once in a while and then ignored. At the same time, we had a lot of scenes about Harriet's quest for a husband and lots of time with Henry (who is a sweetheart, who I wish we had more about who he is, which I'll be addressing next).
The lack of profundity of some characters: Maybe because the book was not long enough, some characters felt too unidimensional for part of the story, such as Jeremy and Holmes, even Henry sometimes.
I also saw some hype over the book as a love story, but I don't think that's the best nomination since even though Rosalie and Harriet's story is part of the plot, it's more of a background characteristic for Harriet's story. For the things I enjoyed:
Even though the story happens in the 1920s, the author doesn't use this as an excuse for lacking diversity. We have Jeffrey, a gay black man that is Charlie's (who's bi) love interest, lesbian protagonists, an aroace character, and a supportive family for our protagonist!
I love how there's no drama between Harriet and Rosalie. They talk about things that may affect their relationship and always try to understand the other.
In all, that was nice to read, with a positive rep, so I believe it was worth it, even with some plotholes. Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard about this book being a queer romance between a Scottish heiress and an underground jazz singer set in 1920s New York City in the speakeasy scene, I was pretty much sold immediately. That isn’t a time or place you see many LGBTQ+ stories being told in, and for that reason, it was quite refreshing.

It’s evident that the author used extensive research to aid in the world building - everything felt accurate and tangible, from the clothes to the music to the etiquette. That’s something in historical fiction I always really admire and appreciate. It helps when you feel like you can simply trust the author and let them carry you through the story without feeling a need to question everything.

That being said, it did feel more like historical fiction with some romance rather than the typical historical romance. I thought the relationship between Harriet and Rosalie was sweet and I was excited for every moment when they succeeded in getting to spend time together, but I definitely wanted more depth from their relationship. I understand that they fell for each other rather quickly, but I feel like it would have been more effective if they had more reason to do so, and there was a deeper, stronger bond present between them.

Although I wanted more from the relationship and more emphasis on the romance element of the book, I still found it to be well written and having some very enjoyable moments. The characters themselves were quite lovely to read about.

i was really excited for the premise of this book as it was pitched as Great Gatsby meets Downton Abbey but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. i liked the historical setting and how the characters dealt with being queer in that time, and i was quite invested in how it would turn out for them.
however, i found most characters weren't that well fleshed out (Harriet's relationship with Rosalie felt very insta-lovey), the dialogue was quite stilted and the author told a great deal and showed a lot less.
if you like historical romance you'll probably find this enjoyable, but i'd probably recommend other authors before this book.

This was exactly as promised - a queer, speakeasy-heavy, 20s romp. Sapphic/lesbian MCs, a canonically pansexual cousin, no coming out angst, a happy ending. Delightful all the way around. I had a few minor quips with the writing style, but nothing that pulled me out of the enjoyment of this book.

I have been eagerly anticipating this book ever since it was announced. I couldn’t wait to read a book that shared so much of my identity as a Scottish lesbian while also exploring one of my favourite historical settings – the speakeasy scene of the 1920s. Unfortunately, this book was just okay. It was an entertaining read but not something that blew me away and honestly, as I sit down to write this review, I’m finding that the story hasn’t stuck with me at all.

Of Trust and Heart made for a quick, enjoyable read with an interesting setting and engaging plot. It was clear that the author had done a lot of research into the time period and its fashions which helped immerse the story in its glamorous setting. It was lovely, too, to see so much queer acceptance and positivity in a historical setting. I did also relate a lot to the main character’s love of her home country, Scotland, and relate to her homesickness as I too am currently in a foreign country away from home.

I had many of the same problems with this book as with Hamilton’s debut, The Breath Between Waves, the main issue being the romance itself. There was an instant attraction between the two women which I don’t necessarily mind, however their relationship didn’t seem to develop beyond this surface level attraction. I felt that there was a lack of depth to their relationship and individual characters which didn’t give me much to root for. It all felt very superficial to me. Additionally, I found the writing clunky and flat with repetitive descriptions. Finally, the ending just didn’t work for me at all, especially as there was another obvious and better solution.

Overall, Of Trust and Heart was a big let down for me. It was a fun, quick read but lacked substance.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC! It was much appreciated!

This was a bit of a mixed bag! On the one hand, I definitely enjoyed it, on the other I felt it was mis-sold to me as a romance. I think I’d describe it as more of a historical character study, with the emphasis on Harriet and her relationship with her family and lover than a romance, where – to me – there should be a greater focus on the love between two characters.

The book is well written, and Harriet is engaging as a lead. I enjoyed seeing her explore New York and wrestle with the dilemma of family vs heart. I just didn’t think there was enough of the romance to satisfy me?

Don’t get me wrong – there is a romance, and it ends in a HEA. No lies there, but I just felt that it was somewhat lacking in the romantic chemistry. We didn’t see enough of Rosalie to fall in love with her alongside Harriet, leaving me feeling like it was a little rushed and instalovey. I’d have liked to see the picnic that was mentioned, have spent time with the ladies as they got to know one another, so I felt a little cheated that I didn’t. Perhaps that’s a personal thing? I don’t know, others might feel differently.

Bit apart from that quibble, I did enjoy this and would definitely look for more by this author.

Okay this book is a short, sweet, and sometimes slightly painful book. I won’t get into any spoilers but this book takes places in Prohibition Era, New York.

So as a piece of queer historical fiction it gets into LGBTQ history and deals with ideas like the conflicts of familial duty vs love, societal standards vs being yourself, and all that jazz. (There’s literal jazz too)

Charlotte Anne Hamilton’s writing is also absolutely beautiful, and some of the scenes she writes are just, so, so wonderfully done. It has the trope of meeting eyes across the room and falling in love, which I absolutely ate up.

My favorite part about the book though was the letters that are interspersed throughout the book as reading them felt like I really was living through their era and their love.

I really enjoyed this one and if you’re looking for a sapphic historical fiction, I’d totally point you towards this one! There’s also ace, aro, Pan, bi, and gay rep here! I personally only feel qualified to judge the Pan rep, Charlie, my pure Pan baby, has my whole heart. 💛

My favorite element of Of Trust & Heart was how much Hamilton delves into the historical fiction element for these queer characters. How the central conflict of Of Trust & Heart is between her heart and safety/her family duty. The danger that Harriet faces because of her queer identity. All the choices she has to make to ensure not only the chance to pursue her love, but the danger and possible family fall out.

It was simultaneously heart wrenching and my favorite element. Emotional because Hamilton doesn't shy away from the fear of coming out or the difficult choice Harriet finds herself in. Of course it's emotional to realize that while it may not be illegal in the US anymore to be gay, but this is still not a reality for everyone. And it was my favorite element because of the way its handled. The ways that Harriet must figure out what future she envisions for herself.