A truly engrossing novel which will have you reaching for your thermals, a hot drink and a warm blanket as Ally McGuire’s immersive writing has you tangibly traversing the inhospitable landscape of Alaska.
There are two main characters; confident go-getter, and renowned archaeologist Kelly Pierce, who thrives on the next big adventure searching for stories of the past, and Shawn Scott – Director of Descriptive Statistics – a bonafide office dweller who thrives on a strict routine. Since Shawn is the best in her field, she find herself thrown together with Kelly against her better judgement, and when a glacier starts to melt revealing long-buried artefacts, what happens next is far from what Shawn begrudgingly agreed to originally.
…Shawn and Bree sat on high barstools looking as out of place as a cat on a log floating down a river and just about as scared.
Fragments of the Heart, Ally McGuire
Fragments of the Heart is a fabulous read, an icily sensuous story – I found myself transported alongside Kelly and Shawn for every bitterly cold, treacherous moment of their journey in Alaska. This also means I got to vicariously experience all of the beautiful moments too; those once-in-a-lifetime views and discoveries, from the personal to the collective.
A great opposites attract adventure romance, with an engaging will they, won’t they get together plot. I loved that Shawn is a handsome, adorable butch, and neurodiverse so that readers get to experience in detail how she navigates the world. When Kelly’s arrival created waves in that world, it was refreshing to see her handle Shawn’s neurodiversity with understanding, gentle curiosity, and ultimately complete acceptance. Endearing qualities if ever there were any. (NB. Kudos to the author for staying true to Shawn’s innate nature from beginning to end, working with it rather than skimming over or around it).
“And I saw this gorgeous little butch thing standing in the corner looking like a seal surrounded by orcas, so I went and said hi”. Bree made a face at Shawn when she rolled her eyes at being interrupted again. “She didn’t say much, but I could tell she was going to be my lifelong friend.”
Fragments of the Heart, Ally McGuire
The same goes for Bree who is an awesome support character; the best friend everyone should have. She’s so likeable and fun, yet supportive of Shawn and her needs in all the right ways despite them being vastly different to her own. Plus, she gives the irrefutable masculine ‘never fall in love’ Chay, a run for her money; which is sweet to watch unfold.
I greatly appreciated that whilst the story is set in a harsh environment, this severity is balanced beautifully with the delicate softness needed to explore Kelly and Shawn’s vulnerabilities, differences, and unspoken desires. The plot exhibits the perfect depth of character development, has great pacing, and is gracefully written; an all around fantastic story that should be on any Sapphic romance lovers tbr list. Kelly and Shawn are a couple and for that matter part of a wider foursome, with whom I would genuinely enjoy going on more adventures.
An astounding romance story which is extremely worth a fragment of both your time and money, on a cold winter’s night.
I received an arc of this book from Butterworth Books in exchange for an honest review.
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